Last day of 2013

Almost a year ago I published the last article at Practical Mother. Right after Isaac's first birthday my life had turned into a pile of projects for Spring and Summer. I have to say that we had one the most wonderful Summer in our lives, not because we travel around the world but because we enjoy the public pool and the splash park in Middleton,WI. Isis learn to swim and it seemed magically. She wasn't scare of water at all and she even when down the water slide by herself. She also start 4K in the Middleton School District and rode the school bus for the first time in her life. I am extremly proud of her, she can even recognize all the letters of the alphabet in English and Spanish and count too. Isaac run over and over through the splash park fearless and free. It was the best feeling I even saw in a kid. He can color and watch a whole movie eating pop corn in the cinema, yeah!! And he loves babies and called Isis mommy. I was happy. Summer made me very happy. We read close to 200 books and walk the Pheasant Branch trail pretty much every day.
Our Halloween was also epic! This year the the costumes were inspired by spiders and we went to two locations to collect candy. Isis and Isaac were so excited to be walking at night. There is nothing more precious than to ear from your kid for the first time Happy Halloween. Isaac is definitively mastering the art of talking. This year we didn't organize our popular Halloween party but we made many Halloween art crafts and visit the biggest Pumping Patch in the area. We carved pumpkins like crazies and enjoy picking them in the farm.
But the snow fall in November... so we went UpNorth for Thanks Giving to share family moments, comfort food and slide in the snow. By the end of November we moved outside Middleton. Really we moved to the rural area called Lodi, I am still adjusting to the town and different environment but I believe in the long run it may be a good thing. Now we live in a real house with a garage and a backyard. I guess having three kids make you do things you never imagine... like settling. Our Christmas was very nice this year because we spent time just the five of us in our new home. We picked a tree in a farm outside the town and Gorman cut his first Christmas tree for the family. It is gigantic and we decorated with old and handmade ornaments. We could not ask for more, it was very incredible to see our kids admiring the Christmas tree.
And now the year ends and I do not want to remember the bad bad bad things that happened in 2013 because I have been complaining about them all year long. I promise I will be better this coming year, no more complains, more positive attitude and more smiles. Well, I got fired in 2013 from the best job I ever had and now I have to start all over. But the best moment of 2013 it was defenitely visiting Peru with my kids. Very challenging but unforgettable. I guess good things come with bad things or viceversa.
I am looking to 2014 with open mind and open heart wishing life will not get worse and believing things happened for some reason. But I am a realistic person so I have to doubt a little... right? life will be better but there is nobody but me who can make it that way.
Happy New Year!

Isis with Santa in the North Freedom train

Resting area in Pheasant Branch Trail, Middleton WI

Bruce Co pumpkin carving event

Treinen Farm with family for Pumpkin Patch

Isis's first day of school

Halloween at downtown Middleton

Thanks Giving Up North with grandparents

New home in Lodi

There is something so cool like MILK project

     Browsing through some mom's blogs I found something scientific and cool to do with the kids (both the 1 year old and the 4 year old) Something to kill time and get dirty but not too dirty. I love the idea of playing with textures, colors and getting the kiddos excited about science.
I found this idea in cometogetherkids.com It is really refreshing to find new projects to do, specially in the science area. I believe your kids will enjoy the moving colors because it seems like "magic." But the best part is that it is so easy to do. I couldn't believe it!!! We did the project right after lunch when the kids still had dirty hands and were sitting on the table or high chair. It is nice to keep them in one spot for more than 20 minutes, right?. You must agree with me.
     Anyways.... the COLORFUL MILK PROJECT can be make with regular milk or even soy milk as we did it.
These are the steps:

• Pour some milk on a cookie tray until filled half way up.
• Use a swab to pour drops of food coloring in the middle of the tray. The most amount of colors you use, the cooler it looks!!!
• Dip the swab on a little bit of dish soap. I used Dawn and I am not sure if it will work with any other brand (I supposed the components are the same in every dish soap)
• And dip the soapy swab back again in the middle of the tray where the food coloring was dropped.

All the food coloring  start moving around the tray. It is a magnificent view of "dancing colors." The kids love it and they were very impress about the reaction of the milk and food coloring with the  touch of the soapy swab.
This is a very first step to introduce your kids to science projects as little as toddlers. Any youngster will love the reaction of liquids, doughs and any messy materials. The clean up it is very easy and for the baby I just use the milk, food coloring and swabs. Of course I needed to watch Isaac very close because he tried to chew on the swabs. However, he loved it and he drew lines and circles on his tray. Messy but fun!!

Using the swab soaked in dish soap to make the colors dance!

The Milk Project is not messy at all, excellent for snowy days

Even my youngest son, one year old Isaac enjoyed drawing with the swab on the colorful milk

Final result, pretty crazy colors and shapes

Let's blog again

 After almost six months of silence, I am blogging back again. The silence has not been for a lack of ideas, projects or stories to tell. On the contrary, I think I might had been too busy. Well, busy figuring out many things in my private life that I did not figure out yet. So I wasted this huge amount of time trying to resolve the unresolvable... Now I just will go on  in life with the best inspiration I always had: my children.
     But it is enough of self pity. It is time to BLOG!!!!! and this time (I promise) I have many many more ideas to entertain kids at home during winter storms, below zero days and even icy road days. I decided to start some DYI projects and also try some DYI ideas from other mom's blogs. I believe I had finally have a list of my favorite mom's blogs but I can't never narrow it down. So I hope with some of your help I can make a better decision.
     I have to say I love February because my two kids born this month. Isaac just turned one year old on February 4th and Isis (the oldest) will turn four years old on February 18th. Isaac's Birthday Party was a blast!!! It is so precious the first time a child open a present. Granted, he already practiced opening presents on Christmas but this time was a little different. This was his great day and he love it. I am posting some pics of the table decor and the gorgeous cake my husband the Chef made. Yes, yes, don't forget we have a Chef in the house and when he is here (little we see him because he works at dinner time) he delight us with wonderful food. But I promise I will share his recipies as much as I can. This coming week we will be preparing details for Isis Pool Party. Of course, it will be Hello Kitty theme and ALL, mostly ALL will be decorate it in PINK! It will be interesting to see. So far we have an idea for the cake and some decor for the table but any extra ideas are very welcome.
I hope I didn't overhwelmed you with my first come back article but I am extremely excited to be back. Specially for myself, I need to keep doing what I always loved to do and it is writing!          Tomorrow it is a downtown visit day for the kiddos and me. We will try to make it to the Olbrich Garden to see the wildflowers and the only amazing Conservatory of tropical plants. We'll see... hopefully it's not 20 below.

Isis and Isaac celebrating

Cookie Monster cupcakes

Little table decor

 

 

Birthday Boy