That's sew Crystal

I was blessed with a mother who can sew very well. You give her an idea and she will figure it out. I had the prettiest Easter dresses all homemade. I love that about her. I for one don't even come close to her sewing skills. But I am trying to learn and she is a very good teacher. I can sew straight lines :) I am practicing and trying to learn more. When shopping for a big sewing project together (which I will completly need her help with) I saw this material and thought - yes! race track for J. I asked him do you want Mater? And he said YES!! It actually happened. You can ask my mom. So I bought a yard of this awesome material and all by myself I backed it and sewed it and made J a race track for his favorite toy - CARS! 

This boy loves to play with his cars. Those and little people are his favorite. When I made it I didn't realize it would make the perfect traveling toy. We keep them in a small tub and it was great on our vacation last week. He actually likes to clean them up himself and keep them all together. So who needs an expensive car rug when you can make your own and it can travel with you. So one more sewing project down. Hopefully my mom and I can work on the big one next week. J will love it!

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You Make Me Happy

We just got back from vacation at the beach and we had a blast. I learned something this week that my happiness comes from watching my child be happy. I for one am not a fan of the beach. It is not my top pick for vacations. Honestly if it was up to me I would go somewhere cold. We live in a heat feat 9 months of the year! When people say cruise I groan because I just am not a fan of the ocean. Ok first let me explain. Reasons I do like the ocean and understand people's love for it. Its incredibly peaceful. Sitting and watching the waves and looking at its unending vastness. It's beautiful. Gods masterpiece. I don't deny it's beauty and the fact it an rock anyone to sleep. It really is calming and just beautiful.




Reasons I am not a fan of the beach it's scary! Seriously it goes on forever and the fact that you could drift to sea and not get back. I've tried kayaking in the ocean I was terrified. I thought I wouldn't be able to fight the current to get back. I can see why people used to think the earth was flat and one would just fall off.  I am a swimmer. When in water I want to swim! Or paddling my kayak. I don't want to just stand there. Not to mention you somehow move even when you don't move. So the ocean does not appeal to the swimmer in me. Here's my dilemma I love to stare at the ocean and it's beauty but it's so hot that I want to be in the water but then I don't like the water. What to do then? So the beach is not my first pick. I'm a river girl.

But this is not the point. We chose to go to the beach because I think it's important Jman experiences it. Yes he won't remember but it is apart f him now. He got to see and be apart of God's beautiful creation. It's in his schema now (thats for my teacher friends)  The experience is what is important. So this week I watched the ocean through the eyes of my son and realized I have fun and am happy because he is. Not because I'm doing anything particarly fun. But he is having it. It comes down to him. Life is so simple and beautiful through a child. It reminds me how to just enjoy the beauty of life. Jman makes me happy. His happiness is worth all the fuss of being hot and loading bag after bag, driving for an hour "sightseeing" so that he can nap, going to bed at 7:30 because he needs too, all so that he is happy. Being a parent changes you in so many ways. But it creates a desire to sacrifice anything to make your child happy. I understand why my mom always would buy things for us or would do things to make us happy and never did for herself. I would do anything so I can see the look on J's face as he digs in the sand and makes a huge mess. As he stands at the edge of the ocean wondering what is all that. Watching him see a hermit crab and try so hard to throw it like a ball. To watch him watch the dolphins at the aquarium with amazement. Watch him play in the splash pad and be so brave as the GIANT bucket of water falls on him. Watch him chase the big kids on the playground because he wants to play with them. Being a parent is the best and most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.  

Hermit Crab Land

Can we take this home?

My two favorite guys.

One very wet little boy.

I love hotel beds!




Dolphins!

 

One exhausted little boy.

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Messy Monday: Take 2

So this week's messy Monday was shaving cream painting.  A little food coloring in some shaving cream. Put the kid in the tub and have at it. Please excuse the diaper pictures. I for one hate diaper or naked baby pictures. But we couldn't really do this activity in our clothes.

Took a couple minutes to get into it. J didn't know what to do with it. Of course Indy had to check out what he was missing. Probably was more concerned if one of his toys was in the tub.

Once J man got into he made quite the mess. He had fun putting it all over the tub and and himself. It kept him occupied for a good 30 minutes. And bonus for him it turned into a bath. I think that this will definitely be a repeat activity. I'm sure he will get a little more creative as he plays more. Next time I might not color it, since he's not really "painting" yet but playing. So save the colors for when he's older.

I didn't know how much he loved it until I put the pan in the sink to wash and he burst into tears. He kept running to the sink and pointing . That's my cue that we will be doing this again.

Today was fun at Sea World day and tomorrow we will be packing for Jman's first trip to the beach. I'm so excited to see him experience this adventure!

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Dads Day

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

This post is to the two best dads in my life.

First of all my dad. He is my favorite dad in the whole world and I love him as big as the sky. I am a daddy's girl through and through (I'm also a mommys' girl) I am extremely blessed. My dad growing up was my hero, I wanted to do everything with him, and everything like him. To the point that I would eat Raisin Bran because he did but scoop out the raisins for him. I watched many westerns with him and our favorite is Lonesome Dove. He is my kayaking partner and I can always count on him for a good laugh. He is my strength and there is nothing a like a daddy hug. He worked like crazy growing up so that we could have all that we need. Although I am grown up now, I still need those big daddy hugs and to tell me that he is there for me. I know that he believes in me, and that he prays for me. Not everyone is blessed to have a dad, but I was not only blessed with a dad but one that would give the world for me. Happy Father's Day Dad!

Now to my child's dad. Kevin is more than I could dream of in a husband. He is caring, thoughtful and funny. He is my best friend. I am so proud of him. I now get to fall even more in love with him as I watch him as a dad. I knew he would be a great dad. He is goofy and has that playful personality. He will do anything to make Jcrack up. J is very lucky to have Kevin as a dad. He is always going to take care of him, he is always going to make him laugh, he will teach him how to work hard but also how to play. He is already great at making those dorky 'dad' jokes that someday J will roll his eyes at. :)  He works so hard for our family to take care of us. I know that he will do anything to make all our dreams come true. We are both extremely blessed to have him in our life!

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Crafty Crystal

So since I've discovered pinterest earlier this year, I have planned all these amazing things. Great recipes I've never cooked, organizing tips that I haven't used, quotes that are sarcastic and hilarious, and wonderful craft projects that I haven't made. So this summer I have made a point to sort through and actually accomplish some.

So during naptime yesterday I accomplished 2! I had bought the supplies probably 3 months ago and finally did them.

One is my own version of "date jar".

Kevin and I have had maybe 3 dates the past year. I had such a hard time leaving J for work that leaving him on the weekend was not a choice. So now that I am home Kevin and I will be more proactive about date night. We also are not very good about being creative with our dates and always just see a movie. Don't get me wrong movies are my favorite thing to do and usually during the summer you will always find me there. But staying at home also means a fixed budget, so date jar is a great fix for us. It is organized by ideas and budget. All you need is a mason jar, colored Popsicle sticks, ribbon want if you want it cute, and a sharpie. Decide what kind of date categories you want and come up with ideas for each. You write an idea on each stick then when you need an idea you pull it out.

I made 4 categories.

Red- free at home dates, which we will pick once a week
Blue- free or cost a little $ money, we pick once a month
Green-$$$ and requires advanced planning, we will pick 3x a year
Yellow- family dates that are free or $, we will pick once a month.

Here are some of our ideas:

Red- chopped challenge night, game night, puzzle night, movie or tv show marathon, create a couple bucket list, 20 questions- who knows who best, plan a fake vacation, star gazing in back yard, pull out pictures, take a walk down memory

Blue- dinner out, movie, la cantera walk, bowling -winner picks dessert, restaurant hop- different place for appetizer, dinner and dessert, go to thrift store and see who can find the craziest outfit in 20 min, recreate your first date, Sea World just us, go to Dollar Tree and spend $5 on each other- who got the "best gift"

Green- Majestic Show, Astros Game, night away, dinner and dancing ( a girl can dream right, ;)), rent a jet ski, festival, event Kevin's choice or mine.

Yellow- picnic at the park, day road trip - explore a small town, camp out at home -make s'mores, Orange Leaf, missions/rampage game, Guadalupe State park, kite flying.

I really look forward to trying this out. It will give us new ideas to do, because when it comes to planning that day, we always fall back on the usual. So this will be a great way to be creative. And we get to spend time together and be a couple, not just parents now. Kevin is my best friend and 50 years from now I want to still, want to be around him more than anyone!

Second project was a menu board. I debated about 20 different ones, then bought the supplies and then debated another 10 different ones. One of our goals to being a better family is to eat at home 6 nights a week. Difficult in this time? Very. Its just easier, and convient to eat out, but certainily not better.nOne of my favorite things about growing up was we ate out only on special occassions. I remember 3 home cooked meals a day. I want that for my child. So the best way for me to actually cook is to plan it out. If I don't have a plan then I more than likely say "Hey bring something home". Now eating at home 6 nights a weeks is a huge goal and I will be happy with 5 nights a week. So after looking at the many ideas on pinterest, I went to my favorite store and I bought the supplies to make a 12x12 frame, that I could write on and erase. Then was like hmm I need to be able to write breakfast, lunch and dinner on it. This won't work. Once I finally sat down and made it, I realized it will work for all three meals!! I got to use my Cricut, which always makes me happy, and put my scrapbooking skills to work and this is what I came up with.

And Kevin loved it! He said it more than once so must be good :). So now we have our fancy menu board to keep me motivated to make sure i'm planning all those wonderful home cooked meals for my family! Better living for the Seifords.

So i've already been very handy this week and its only Tuesday. Next homemaker project is in the works. Its a bit big, so it may be a two week project :)

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Messy Mondays

We're starting a tradition around here called Messy Mondays. Today Jman had his first sensory box. Any activity that is tactile is especially good for toddlers. Helps them explore the world around them and in a fun way. And when you're 1, it must be fun. There's my teacher moment.  We started simple today and plan to get more creative as we go along. So today's was a simple tin of rice and beans.

I debated doing it outside, but he loves to play outside SO much that he wouldn't have really done it. He would have run off to dig in the dirt. Because dirt and boys are a direct magnet. (I love it!) So we did it inside, hence the term "Messy" Monday. Mess is ok with me, it can be cleaned up and if it makes my child happy and he's learning, then lets do it. We're pretty much past the "lets taste everything" stage. Now he tries it and says yuck. So I wasn't too worried about eating it.

 J didn't quite know what to do with his rice tin. So I of course showed him. This is his "really mom I can?" face.

Once he realized he can play in this, he went crazy. Thus began the mess part :).First grabbing in big fist fulls and squeezing it and then he quickly found out its fun in your hair. Then it rains down on you and makes lots of noise all the way down to the floor. The dog runs around crazy trying to eat it and he went hysterical. Laughing his head off as he squeezed it and dropped it. Perhaps we need to work on the keeping it in the tin, but it can be cleaned up and then reused.

When I pulled him out of his chair, more rice rained down to the floor and he continued to play. Then we swept it up together. So continuing the learning process of fun and then clean it up.

So first sensory box is a success.

Did it make a mess? Yep.

Did my child smile and laugh uncontrollably? Yep.

 Is it worth sweeping the floor 3 times? Absolutely!

Next time we may add cups and spoons, but that will just make it easier to pour it on the floor. :) 

So Messy Monday actually just may become Mop Monday as well. So bonus there.  

So fill a tin up with rice and  beans and invest in a good broom and go for it with your little one.

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Beginnings

We are into the first week of summer, or my endless summer as my friend Eric calls it. The beginning of a new career. It really just feels like the usual summer excitement right now, it won't feel different until the school supplies hit the shelf in August and when my friends return to work. Then I might actually realize i'm a stay at home mom. I was actually a little sadder than I expected leaving work on Thursday. It was more of a sadness because a big part of my life was ending. The end of an era as my favorite show would call it :). A sadness like when you accomplish something big, and off to something bigger.

My summer started full speed with a long trip to Tyler for my cousin's beautiful wedding. I was a bridesmaid and we really enjoyed it. Very beautiful place and wonderful time with family. Very long, exhausting car ride, which helped push J to a new bedtime so that he will sleep later. Score for mommy!

 We have been super busy this week, and I have been enjoying every minute of my new job. Granted it is only one week in, but I think i'm going to like this. Spending every day with my wonderful son, who amazes me everyday. He learns new things constantly and he truly is a gift from God. I have actually been rested, able to cook everynight this week! (yeah that hasn't happend in a very long time), cleaning up the house, and many adventures already taking place. My first homemaker act this week of making J his cape. Every super hero needs a cape. My mom would be proud of me, I didn't have to call her once on how to use her sewing machine :)

 

I think he likes it!!

The week included lunch with friends, a trip to the park, stocking up the empty pantry, playdate, and a trip to the San Antonio Children's Museum (thank you Groupon). He had so much fun there. I can't wait to take him again. My little boy is getting big and can do so many things that just a month ago he couldn't.

Tomorrow we will be sensory box shopping!

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