Recycled Crayons

I teach sunbeams (3-4 year olds) at church. They usually color after the lesson so I had a huge bag of broken crayons. I found the idea to melt the crayons in muffin tins and make new ones here. I found a star silicon mold and a heart tin at Michaels. They were 5 bucks so I guess it'd be cheaper to by new crayons but the sunbeams and Hayes loved them, and Hayes loved making them. We made the stars at home and then I told my mom about them. She had a bunch of old crayons so I told her I'd bring the tin when we came down to Cedar for the weekend. Hayes was excited to make hearts so the rest of the week he kept on saying to me.. "Make Hearts, Mimi's house!!" and later asked me all worried "Mimi have crayons?" (Mimi is my mom's name to the grandkids). Needless to say when we finally made the long drive to Mimi's house, the first thing he said when we got there..."Make hearts! Make Hearts!" We made hearts the next morning and he loved it! I forgot to take pictures that time though.

I also love them because Hayes doesn't sit and color for very long, but with these he colors and then likes to stack them like blocks or line them up so they entertain him for longer!

Couldn't resist

I've been seeing this on a few blogs so I had to try googling "Skye Needs.." This is the first 10 things that came up.

Skye Needs to have a good reason or incentive to participate. (candy is always a good motivator)
Skye Needs your help! (true)
Skye needs a home. (have one I love, thank you)
Skye needs to start acting like an adult. (I'm trying...)
Skye needs to come to Illinois! (The only people I knew there just moved back here...)
Skye needs to go home! (come, go, man make up your mind)
Skye needs open space and a friend. (oh how true)
Skye needs 43er's help. (no clue what 43er's is...hopefully nothing bad)
Skye needs a temporary foster home. (like i said before, i love my home thank you)
Skye needs a fellow playmate that loves games just as much as she does. (mormon bridge anyone?)

Post a comment if you do it so I can see them yours!
One a side note. I promise this is the last time I'll comment about sickness (for a long while I hope at least, we are all feeling better) but it is amazing how much a teaspoon is. It doesn't seem like much when you are baking but when you are trying to get medicine down a baby's throat it gets everywhere!

Day 30

Hayes falling asleep in my arms tonight. He was whining and couldn't fall asleep. He kept on saying his ear hurt. We might be headed to the doctor again tomorrow I guess!

Day 29

Hayes' Daily RitualThe Lining Up of the Cars

Seriously?

There are times when I wonder if all parents of toddlers go through this or if I just really struggle as a mother. I took Kamri to the doctor today for her 9 month well check. She is still a little sick but they said to bring her in anyway. When we got there we checked in and sat down. The waiting area is all open with a bunch of different doctor's offices next to it so I sat Hayes down and tried to occupy him so he wouldn't run away. Luckily they called Kamri's name right as we sat down. So I gathered up our stuff and said "Comon Hayes" and I guess that now means run like mad in the other direction. I calmly sat Kamri down next to the nurse as I was apologizing about her having to wait and ran after him. I caught up to him at the entrance...about three offices down.

Now that we have things under countrol for the moment the nurse weighed Kamri, measured..all that fun stuff. Hayes was watching and being good. But then I suppose he realized Kamri was getting all the attention. When the doctor walked in Hayes just kept on turning the light switch on and off while I was talking to the doctor. I kept on telling him to stop and trying to hold him but I didn't know what to do...I was holding Kamri and it's hard to hold a conversation about how your baby is picky and will only nurse (i know...a picky baby from me...imagine that) and stop a two year old. Finally the doctor shook his finger at Hayes and told him no no no and Hayes stopped. I've never tried the shaking the finger approach but I don't think it'll work for me though. He listened to the doctor and stopped messing with the light switch but decides he wants to wash his hands in the sink. So I'm trying to get him off the counter and explain to him that now is not the time as the doctor is asking me about Kamri's gross motor development. I'm explaining that she army crawls but hasn't gotten her knees up yet. As I'm wrestling my climbing child off the counter I'm thinking in the back of my head "I hope she doesn't walk until she's 2! I can't even handle one mover" (Okay maybe that is a bit unfair to her) The doctor starts to check her eyes and ears and this is where Hayes decides to pay with the door and walk out. As the doctor is telling me that Kamri has a double ear infection and telling me all the symptoms of an ear infection so I'll know next time...Hayes decides to shut the door behind him. I thought that the door to the hallway would be closed but that's what I get for thinking. I let the doctor finish his sentence and then asked if he'd hold Kamri while I went and got hayes.

When I walked out into the waiting room and nice couple that couldn't speak english very well looked at me, pointed down the hall and said "Little boy?, way way down there....far" I start running and by the time I see Hayes he is in the other wing of the hospital where they do surgeries. He was standing there deciding where to go when he saw me so he started laughing and ran farther away. After finally catching him, him kicking off his boots, and the long walk back to the doctor's office we get back to the doctor with Kamri screaming because I left her with this stranger. The doctor kindof laughs it off but continues to stress to me the importance of trying to get my child to eat solid foods. Yes..I know..I've been trying for four months now. To add to the chaos, sometime during all this Bracken's phone went off, LOUDLY. (He forgot it so I was going to take it to him at his office after the dr visit) The doctor was done and then asks Hayes if he wants a sucker. I really love this doctor but seriously? You offer him a sucker and he's been this naughty? and if you were going to give him a sucker why not at first so he would sit still?!?! He was great while the nurse gave Kamri a shot...just sat there and ate his sucker. When it was finished he started to bolt out the door again while I was getting Kamri dressed and the nurse just laughed at my inability to control my child.

I know this post probably sound vaguely like my post about shopping with Hayes. Maybe I just have to write them out so I can laugh about them later or vent or hope there are other mothers out there like this so that I can consider myself and my kids "normal". Maybe it's because once upon a time...the magical time before I had kids (not magical because I did not have kids, but magical because of the way I thought I would be as a parent) I thought that my kids would always be well behaved and I'd never look like the lady running around with her head cut off. Not that those people are bad parents, or that I was going to be a great parent....just somehow...magically...that wasn't going to happen. Maybe I'll have this parenting thing down by the time I have a third. please.

Day 28

Kamri has discovered the stairs

Day 27

We didn't want to pass our sickness to our ward so the kids and I stayed home from church. I have not gotten the dreaded cold to. And I hate to even call it a cold since that sounds wussy. It's the kind that makes you want to pass out on the couch so at least you'd get some sleep. Otherwise your nose and achy body is keeping you up....anyway...
While Bracken was at church Hayes wanted to go outside in the snow. He kept on grabbing his boots and saying snow, outside? boots? snow? I tried to explain that he was sick, it was cold, it was Sunday, blah blah and he started crying. I felt so bad cause I'm going a little stir crazy being stuck at home too. Then I realized duh snow can move. So we brought it inside. The fun doesn't last quite as long but your body sure stays warmer. Kamri hated the stuff (and you can clearly tell in the picture)

Day 26

Are we lame on Valentine's Day or what. The kids are still sick so we hung out at home. We went and got Panda Express for dinner. Which really shows Bracken loves me because I love that stuff and he's sick of it but he got it for me anyway. Hayes was playing with his little art set he got for Christmas. Apparently he is a budding romantic and chose the red paint to cover himself with in honor of the holiday....

Day 25

Hayes & Kamri both have a horrible cold and cough. So they were ornery and I was starting to go a little crazy with all the whining (even though it was understandable) So I remembered my friend Amy posted about her baby loving Baby Einstein. So I found a baby einstein video on YouTube. Probably put on their illegally but I was desperate! It worked like a charm. Thanks Amy!

Day 24

Can't get the computer and the camera to get along. The kids woke up sick. We're stuck in the house. There is still snow outside when I want some of this:

Some POOL ActionA HOT day at BEAR LAKE

along with some WATERMELON

and water straight from the HOSE.

Having it be HOT enough to bask in the shade....

sign me up right now...backpack and all!




Please even some DIRT...not just mud!

I'd even do this if it'd reach 70!

Can I get an AMEN?

Day 23

I couldn't get my camera to upload connect to the computer and now my computer is telling me I need to reinstall Microsoft Office XP....and my microsoft excel somehow got deleted too. I'm worried my computer is about to die or something. Hopefully I'll figure it out and post some pictures tomorrow. Now i'm just thinking I need to burn all our pictures onto CD's in case my computer really does decide to bite the dust. I hate computer problems. This is when I wish my brother Parker lived close. haha sorry Parker I know I always rely on you for my computer problems...(at least now I don't have boy problems like you had to listen to in high school...)

Day 22

Nothing better then homemade chicken noodle soup and breadsticks on a cold night!
Hayes kept on telling me what letters to make the breadsticks in. and of course his favorite H cuz "H is for Hayes!!"

Day 21

I put real underwear on him today instead of pull-ups. I hadn't done that since the first day of potty training and he had peed through three pairs. Well....he went poop in the potty for the first time and went the whole day without accidents!! I only hope he keeps this up!

I bought Hayes a Thomas the train game that we told him he'd get once he went number 2 on the potty. We put in on top of the fridge so he would always point to it and say "Thomas...Poop!?!" So when he finally went in the potty he was so excited and kept on saying THOMAS!! THOMAS!! He was so excited (and of course so was I!!)

Only one kid in diapers again!!! : )

Day 20

Sunday night we went out to Paul & Denise's for dinner. Kamri's cousin Tage is 5 months older than her and is walking up a storm. He was walking past her carrying a little briefcase and gave her this nice little shiner. A big bite on the foot from her brother and now a shiner from her cousin. She is going to be one tough chick!

Day 19

Since we stayed at the Condo with Brooke & Mac we got to see my nephews Xander & Foster. This is my nephew Foster. Such a cutie and he's growing a ton. He weighs just a little bit less than Kamri did at 2 months but he might just catch up to her. He gave me the biggest smiles! I didn't get the camera out Saturday execpt to get a picture of Foster. I wish I would have taken a few more!

Children's Museum

We went down to Salt Lake City on Friday and hung out at my grandparent's condo with my sister Brooke and her family. Mac had meetings on Friday so we ditched him (or he ditched us...) and we went to the children's museum. It was fun seeing all of them. Hayes loved playing with his older cousin Xander. It was fun watching them run from one exhibit to the next. I was tired by the end but they still seemed full of energy. We ordered take out from PF Changs and then stayed up and talked after the kids went to bed. It was a fun trip, Thanks Brooke & Mac for inviting us down to stay with ya!

Play kitchen

Construction Site

the Garden

Climbing Wall

Play Farm

Resting after the long day at the museum!

This was out on the balcony. There was a model life-flight helicopter that the kids could play in but for some reason Hayes was scared to go in it but it was definitely Xander's favorite!

Days 17 & 18

I managed to not get my camera out on Thursday. Friday we went to the children's museum. Kamri enjoyed the play kitchen.

Day 16

I think loving to do this trick is part of being a Longhurst baby. She loves it!

Day 13, 14 & 15

I've been slacking on my daily pictures! So here are three to catch up:

I really don't want Hayes to give up nap time so sometimes he ends up sitting in his room looking at books or playing with toys for quite a while before he falls asleep. It was quiet so I thought he was asleep. I went to check on him and this is what I saw.

He was sitting in the closet playing with toys but I don't know what possessed him to move his bed but it made me laugh. So i moved his bed back and asked him to get in bed and gave him some books to look at. Five minutes later I came to check on him and this is how he turned out.

My camera battery died today so it was charging, otherwise I'd have some pictures of Hayes, Kamri and I playing in snow. But instead I'll post what I got in the mail! I finally have a passport! We were hoping on going on a trip in March but it looks like it will probably be in May. Oh well, that gives me more time to get Kamri weaned I guess! Hopefully I'll be able to take more trips in the future and slowly get this little book filled up! (Dreaming with little kids but hey I have a lifetime right?!)