Chattahoochee Mama

We Ditched the Weekend Chores for Fun

We decided not to do the regular weekend household chores on Saturday in favor of having a little fun instead. There's a new business nearby called Imaginations at Play that's decked out with all sorts of activities for kids. Some of the different play spaces include Big City Dig (a huge train set-up), A Day at the Beach (basically a giant sand box), Rub-a-Dub Tub (a huge bathtub for hands only=), and several others like a grocery store and a musical instrument station. The boys LOVED it and can't wait to go back. 

Posh Mom & Tot Party Events

I stumbled upon this company the other day... Posh Mom Events provides full service event planning for everything from baby showers to spa parties. They handle every detail from the invitations to the the catering... all you have to do is show up (and shovel out the dough =).

Or check out Posh Tot Events. Among others, there's the Enchanted Garden Fairy Party, where 3 different levels of poshness are available. I've yet to spend more than $50 on a birthday party for my boys, but I guess there are moms out there who are willing to pay for this! It would definitely be a day to remember...

The best part is they're right here in the ATL. So if any of you locals ever want to put together a Pamper Me Posh Party with some girlfriends, I'm in. =)

Painting Pun'kins

We kicked off fall this weekend by heading to the pumpkin patch on Saturday and then painting our pumpkins - or pun'kins as Dylan calls them - last night. Wyatt was especially excited to do this for the first time and spent over an hour concentrating on his work... Dylan was just as happy painting his own face. All in all, I was very impressed at how little I had to clean up after the boys.=)

A Lifesaver for Rainy Days

I just discovered The Siblings Busy Book, which could possibly make rainy days inside a whole lot saner. Based on the idea that 'families that play together are less likely to bicker,' authors and twin sisters Lisa Hanson and Heather Kempskie came up with 200 activities kids from 3 months to 9 years old can do together.

Each activity describes how the different age groups can participate in the project. Here's a fun and easy activity just in time for fall ...

Leaf Place Mats: Let your kids go outside and collect leaves and glue them onto cut paper grocery bags. Then put the page between contact paper and trim.

ht: cbb

Why I love being a slacker

This morning I woke up feeling wiped. No reason... I guess it was just one of those days. So I scratched my errand plans and took the boys to a park that has big porch swings scattered around. I plopped on one and just swung while the boys played and climbed.

It was cloudy and the wind was blowing so it felt cool and unusual for a Georgia summer day. I was thoroughly enjoying myself, and at one point I wanted to say outloud that I love the wind and I could swing all day. But I was too exhausted to speak, and who would care?

When the boys got tired of playing, they came over and climbed up on the big swing with me. They both rested their heads against my body, and we swung for a few quiet minutes. Wyatt broke the silence eventually... he tilted his head up in the air and said "I love the wind. Don't you Mommy?" I smiled and nodded, and he snuggled closer.

Live blogging from Snip-its

After the gym, we headed over to Snip-its, a kids hair-cutting joint with cartoons, lollies and a prize for each kid. Right now, the boys are getting their first and much-needed haircuts since moving to Georgia. I'm really a little crazy when it comes to my boys' hair, but I feel justified in my pickiness knowing that one day I'll have no say.=)

So far, so good.

One Hotlanta Weekend

We definitely have to get used to the humidity down here in the Peach State... sometimes the air is so thick it's hard to breathe. I'm sure most Georgians don't think two licks about it, but it's HOT, people! However, Wy and Dyl are LOVING the wide open spaces... and drinking water like camels. =)

Little Boys, Big Trucks

Yesterday I took the boys to Big Truck Day in Herndon. Basically, it's where kids get to explore lots of big trucks, tractors, bulldozers, etc. We've never been and I was expecting it to be a madhouse, but... I got front-row parking and the lines weren't too bad. Best part was Wyatt and Dylan LOVED it.

It's going on the rest of the week... admission is FREE and includese a hard hat for each kid, refreshments, and bathrooms (located inside the municipal center).

Boy Meets Bike

Over the weekend, we gave Wyatt an early birthday present... we wanted him to have time to ride his new bike before putting it on a moving truck for a week later this month. He loves it like a child... happy when it obeys him, but frustrated when it doesn't. When he struggled to get it up a hill, he put it in the garage and told me it was a bad bike. But clutching his helmet in bed last night, he whispered, "I love my bike." =)      

Minivan? Check. Sports-obsessed boys? Check, check.

So I'm well on my way to becoming a soccer mom. Or a whatever mom. I don't really care what sport my kids play, although I tend to find myself hoping it's not football. =)

But Wyatt has been telling us for months that he wants to play on a soccer team (and I have a feeling Dylan won't be far behind). And since he turns 4 in May, I'm thinking it's time to start thinking about it. But I have a few questions...

Is it too early to start? Where should I look for a team? Is it expensive to play on a little tot team?

If you've been through this and feel like throwing some advice my way, I'd be ever so grateful.

An Eggcellent Good Time

Sorry to be cheesy but I couldn't resist.=) Something fun my boys got to do with their cousin Joey last weekend was dye Easter eggs for the first time. (In case you're wondering, we stripped them down to their skivies to play it safe. My socks took the brunt of their fun.)

Storytime Blues

Almost every parent I know takes their kids to storytime at the library or bookstore. But for some reason, my kids just don't like it. They hardly pay attention and either end up distracting the other kids or annoying the storyteller... by getting up and down a million times... walking up on the platform... or asking to read a different book. Wyatt does much better these days, but Dylan is still all over the place.

So I just don't do it anymore, which is a bummer because I'd love to sit still for just a few minutes while my kids enjoy being read to by someone other than myself or Hubs. Lately, I've thought about giving it another try, but I'm a little leary.

I might be alone on this, but perchance does anyone else have the same issue? If so, what do you do?

Cousins down on the farm

My sister Tiffany, her huz Lou, and son Joey came up for a few days to visit us this week. With cold weather looming, we were hard-pressed to find some fun for the cousins. Play pits in flu season? Negatory. Restaurant with 3 raging boys. Uh-ungh. There's a local farm museum that I've blogged before - it's hardly ever crowded and there's tons of interactive stuff for kids. Especially boys. So we trotted off to the tractors, general store and interactive ponies for the afternoon. Lotsa fun.

Outdoor exercise is good for the soul

Today after Dylan and I picked up Wyatt from preschool, we headed over to Hadley Park (by Dulles Town Center) for a little picnic and play before the rain. After about an hour, the clouds started rolling in... but the boys were too tired to care. =)

A No-Jacket Day

Monday was a glorious sunny day... until the cold front moved in. The boys and I spent the morning at Reston Town Center and the "Home Depot Playground." It was refreshing to be in the warm sunshine, and the boys were so wiped from running around outside that they slept for hours that afternoon.

Ice. Bad. Fort. Good.

So all my plans to hit the pavement running today after being cooped up indoors with the flu for the past 2 weeks were put to rest when we woke up to the entire outside world encased in a layer of ice.

It couldn't have been a better gift. The boys and I stayed in our pjs until noon, I made a pot of coffee and the boys made a fort - by themselves, I might add!

Darndest things, kids, etc.

Occasionally we take the boys to our local pet shop for a fun evening activity. They love looking at the varieties of snakes, birds and fish that line the walls. The puppies are always a hit, especially when they jump up and lick their fingers. Puppy tongues make them giddy.

But last night the puppies were sleeping and Wyatt totally fell in-love with the kittens. When we had to leave, he started crying and begging us to buy him a kitty. When we told him that his Daddy was allergic, he just cried harder and shook his head no. He sobbed all the way home.

Later when I was tucking him into bed, he said, "Please, Mommy, can I buy a kitty?" I explained that we could go visit the kitties again, but we couldn't take one home because Daddy is allergic. He replied, "No Mommy. Daddy is not a jerk!"

Day at the Park

Yesterday at Brambleton's Legacy Park...

Worth Every Dollar

Riding the train through the Dulles Town Center...

Braving winter nights indoors

I love the way warm weather forces us outdoors and banishes the television for months on end. But lately, as the cold nights and icy sidewalks have us cooped up inside, we've had to get a little more creative in keeping our 2 boisterous boys happily entertained.

We've discovered that sleds can make great indoor surfboards, Candy Land Castle is the greatest game revamp ever, and marshmallows still make a tasty winter treat even without the hot cocoa.

What do you do to occupy the kids during winter months?