Keys!!!

If you need to keep Marin occupied for a few minutes, just hand her some keys! 

Oh, Tooth Fairy.....

On Saturday (August 13, 2011), I was giving the Beluga some bites of a muffin when...OUCH...I felt a little tooth. Of course, she didn't want to cooperate and let us look in her mouth so we had to tickle her, flip her, turn her upside down and backwards just to get a glimpse of it. It's the cutest little tooth you've ever seen. 

Update: There are TWO teeth coming in!!!! 

Mommy School

So I was talking with my good friend Amanda the other day. We used to teach middle school together at GAC and are both stay at home moms now. Although we love being home with our babies, this time of year makes us ache just a bit for the excitement of setting up classrooms and getting new class lists. It is just a fun time of year for teachers. She had mentioned wanting to do some stuff with her kids and it was all the push I needed to get started doing some fun little activities with Marin. You know, put these education degrees to use.

Hopefully I can get into gear and get a few activities ready because winter is just around the corner. And we have a pretty busy baby and by the time winter leaves, we will have a busy toddler.....plus a newborn. I have found tons of great resources online and am so excited to get some things together for her. So maybe when we have been cooped up inside on another snowy day and we can't stand the sight of each other's face for another second, these little activity bags may save the day.

Our first week is COLORS!

Well, we were going to have a little "science" water table out of a tub and her colorful blocks and straws. She can splash and splash! But I think our hot days may be over. (Thanks for the idea, Amanda!)

PUDDING PAINTING!!!
Just make some pudding and add a some food coloring....safe, edible finger paint for little ones.

Some felt "play mats". 

Up close: some fabric taggies, buttons, shoe laces with beads, velcro animal to take off and on, zipper, and fabric patch.
Zipper and shoe laces are two of her favorites so I had to add those! 

Story time :o)- I had the velcro picture cards for Brown Bear Brown Bear from when I worked with autistic kids.
It is so non-verbal kiddos can retell a story. Lots of fun. But Marin loves taking the pictures off and on, off and on. 

MUSIC TIME!
Marin loves music so I created a playlist on i-tunes of a few songs about colors from my teaching stash of CDS.
We play the songs and shake our bottles and bells!
(We actually did this in the morning. Marin had so much fun. She could shake with one hand and chew on one with the other hand. Pictures and video to come. )

Just plain, old pipe cleaners with colored bells threaded through. 

Mini bottles that are curved for easy holding...filled with colored beads, sequins,  googly eyes, glitter,  and pom poms.
I thought about putting more stuff in there but I was afraid it wouldn't shake as well. 

Farm is going to be the next theme because I still have some yard sale finds Marin hasn't seen yet. And our free zoo has a neat petting farm I would like to take her too before it gets too cold. (And, yes, it is definitely cooling off here!)

Chicago Children's Museum

We were able to get the library pass to the Children's Museum this past week and decided to take the Beluga to see what they had there. My in-laws went during their 4th of July visit but we didn't want to pay especially if Marin was too young for the activities there. But with the pass we were able to go and check things out for free just for the future. We had so much FUN! It is a a great museum and in just about every exhibit there was a special place just for babies and toddlers. Marin had a blast and crawled around and played until she was absolutely exhausted.

The Waterworks area....the kids got to wear raincoats and play in the water. 

This was the baby area in the Tree House. 

They had containers filled with beads and other fun sparkly things for her to shake. I think I will have to copy that idea.  

I thought this was so cute.
They had lizards and frogs in the "stream" and the kids used fish nets to catch them. 

In the canoe.....

This was the city exhibit. It was adorable. They had a CTA bus, a carwash, and a grocery store! 

Playing with the tires in the Baby Lot.

Crawl, crawl, crawl....

The carwash and the gas station....

Burke and Marin on the CTA bus. I love how she looks at him! So cute!

She loved catching the dancing butterflies on the screen. She cried when we put her in the stroller. 

This was a room specifically for babies and toddlers. Marin LOVED it. She played with everything. And I
am definitely going to have to steal some ideas from this room. 

Climb up and shake those bells!

She loved everything she could pull up on and mirrors  made it even more fun!

Burke had a good time too. 

Playing with some bugs now.....

We tried to keep her passy in her mouth so she wouldn't put all the toys in her mouth. But she snuck one of the rocks in....it was just too smooth and hard.
And....SHE GOT HER FIRST TOOTH TODAY!!! (Another post to come.....)

Don't worry we gave the rock to the "teacher" so she could clean it for the other kids. 

It was a really good rock. 

She played with these straw place mats forever!?!? 

And it wasn't long before the cutie was asleep. She is little but the girl plays so very hard! 

Burke and I were very impressed and were thinking we may get a membership once our kiddos are a little older. This would be a great winter thing to do when we can't get outside.

Making Some Noise

Marin has learned how to clap. It so cute watching those cute, chubby, little hands. She will clap when her music comes on or you say "yay!!". I have tried to get a video of her forever but she would come after the camera every time. Here is a SHORT 2 second video of her clapping.


Clapping! from Stacey Brednich on Vimeo.



And Marin got to play with my empty bowl and spoon the other day....


Playing with Bowl and Spoon from Stacey Brednich on Vimeo.