Christmas Toy Recommendations

One of my friends asked for my recommendation for a toy to buy for her 18 month old nephew, (Hey Lauren!  I hope this isn’t too late) and I told her I’d blog about it.  So, this is not a wish list, this is a review of some of my boy’s favorite toys:

Schylling ABC Humming Top (I found this on sale at Target).

Just B. Meowsic Piano (I also found this on sale at Target).

Automoblox (Okay, my boys don’t have these, but I wish they did.)  Right now my boys like just about any car of any size and shape.

There you have my top three toy recommendations for boys around 18 months old.  I’m sure this has meant so much to every one of you.

Two apples meet their end.

The aforementioned apples were prematurely plucked  from the grocery bag by two crafty toddlers.  Before parental intervention could prevent it, the apples were carried off into the woods and slowly devoured.

Everett

 

  Brookston

 

The apples, intended for lunch the following day, were instead finished off in the bath tub.  Those toddlers had developed an affinity for their company, and would not be persuaded to let the fated apples go.  It was a delectable bath night.

 

If Brookston and Everett had their way they would have let the apples share their crib for the night.  There wasn’t much left of either apple, though, and the boys were content to sleep alone…even though they share a room…so they’re not really alone alone…but I think you get the picture.

31 weeks

31 weeks with twins                                                     31 weeks with a li’l lady

September and IKEA

Back in the day, that is to say, September, we took our annual trip to IKEA. If you’ll allow me to be open about the subject, it was far more stressful with twin boys who insisted upon moving themselves about the place in opposite directions than it was with twin babes strapped to our fronts. But it was equally amusing.

Last year our visit looked something like this:

And this year it looked like this: Until we hit the doors and then it looked more like this:

My beautiful mother was in town helping me with all my projects. She came along--and she gave excellent suggestions on couches and such. Here she is sitting on one. (A couch, not a suggestion. Though this was her couch suggestion, so I guess she’s sitting on both. Ah, well.)

Last year lunch was meatballs for the old people and the ‘usual’ for the little people. It looked like this:

This year we all ate meatballs, and we all used forks.

Brookston:

Everett:

Here is Everett busy eating while Brookston spies…

…a charming fellow a few tables down. They waved and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. However, Brookston was not inclined to share his meatballs.

And now, please marvel at this short video:

Will we brave it next year in September? Our little lady should be old enough to eat the meatballs by then…How could we not?

September

My Amy recently blogged about a game she plays called “Where was I?” and posted her Septembers thru the years. Her recall is amazing, and I’ve seen her track down dates in her head like a toddler on a cherrio trail (side note: I accidently just typed toodler instead of toddler just now and after laughing about it for a bit I’ve decided that’s what I’m going to call them from now on).

So, anyway, my recall is not amazing, (I’m like a toddler trying to feed herself those same cheerios with a spoon) and I spent a good hour or two looking thru old journals and school planners thoroughly confused and trying to recreate where I’ve been in Septembers past. So, for the sake of posterity, here I was in September:

September 1999 – I’ve finally arrived as a sophomore @ Greeley West High with great friends. I'm in some weirdo rigorous International Baccalaureate program and have a ton of homework. I'll soon be elected sophomore class VP. (We’re allowed to brag about high school, right? It was so long ago…)

September 2000 - I'm a junior in high school in a new town in Indiana where my dad is starting his new job. I miss my old high school, and the school spirit, but I'm trying to make the best of it. I learn what a ‘Hoosier’ is this month in an embarrassing manner.

September 2001 - I'm a senior in high school with plans to graduate early in December. Small town Indiana schools are evidently not for me.

September 2002 – I’m feeling pretty cool among all the new freshman as a 2nd Semester Freshman @ Purdue and am developing a crush on a cute boy in my biology class. Speaking of September, He had just written an album entitled September Blues. I’m on the activities committee at church and am planning and participating in all sorts of social events.

September 2003 – I join and quit the Purdue Crew team this month. They want your life (or every Sunday of your life) and I wasn’t willing to give it to them, though I loved it. My only journal entry this month is about missing Nick (that cute boy from Biology class), who is on his mission.

September 2004 – Interestingly enough, my only journal entry this year in September is about missing Nick and wishing he’d write to me. I guess it’s just September Blues. In my old planner I have things penciled in like Ultimate Frisbee every Saturday morning, Spanish class and interior design assignments that are due, and little notes marking the days where I had heart to heart talks with friends. A squirrel breaks into our house this month and leads us on a chase all over the house and we name him Mike. He is also immortalized in duct tape sculpture later that September.

September 2005 – I’ve just spent the summer in Maine for the second year with amazing friends. Though sadly I begin classes without my Hannah love, to whom I had been joined at the hip all through Interior Design. She’s married and off in Albuquerque. This September that cute boy of mine mentions wedding dates for the upcoming summer…

what we looked like Sept. 2005

September 2006 – I’ve been married for 9 months and I’ve just started my Senior year in Interior Design. I get to teach the Young Women at church and I love it.

September 2007 – It’s the first fall I don’t have to go back to school. I have a job and Nick is starting school. I don’t envy him one bit.

September 2008 – I'm new in Chapel Hill and Nick is just starting classes @ UNC. I love our new place and am excited to meet new people and re-define myself. I walk with him everyday to campus and spend time wondering around the gardens and reading books on the park bench. It’s idyllic.

September 2009 - I have ridiculously cute 3 month old twin boys and my moms have just left town. I am all alone and worried whether or not I can hack it. I’ve reached the stage when all the lactation consultants said feedings would be wonderful and I find they are gravely mistaken. But I still feel like I’ve won the lottery (for lack of a better phrase). Nick and I are closer than ever. e and b last September

September 2010 - I'm about 6 months pregnant with a baby girl, and totally excited to meet her, and nervous again to see if I can hack it with one more li'l kid. My little 16 month old toodlers (ha ha) are in life threatening peril daily but also make me laugh daily. My mom was just in town to help me get my nest in order and I’m feeling a little better with most of my projects finished. Thank goodness for moms!

It’s interesting to me how fast things seem to have occurred when written like this, and how slow it all felt when I was living it. Who knows what it will be next September!

Happy Birthday soon, Pops!

Why yes, that is my…

…van.

Nick found this sweet ride on Craigslist and it turned out the sellers were the sweetest couple one could hope to find selling the van that you want.

After a short trip to Fuquay-Varina, a mechanic, and a charming home we were on our way back home with this 2005 Honda Odyssey.

Here is the inside of our van:

High excitement.

Someday maybe you can take a ride in our van.  You’ll be excited too.

quiet book

I made this quiet book (with a lot of help from other people) using old fabric samples from my interior design days.  They’re already cut and finished to a nice 8.5” size.  It’s like they’re just asking to be made into a children’s quiet book. 

 Nick designed and hand stitched Bob the polar bear.  The background is Innovations Textiles Murano, made of tiny glass beads.  Love it.  I made the mitten from an old sweater of mine.

I got the idea for cupcakes at The Craft Patch (see hers here).  I had seen ideas for a fish bowl, but drew my own.  You can’t tell in the picture, but there’s a clear flexible plastic covering to put the fish behind. 

Here’s my robot and rocket inspired by Homemade by Jill.  See hers here.

I really enjoyed putting the details on my robot, and might have gotten carried away.

 

My mom designed and made this fantastic garden.  Unfortunately we got the pages out of order here when we assembled the book, but you see the seed on the far right?  So you need water from rain, light from the sun -- plant the seed and get your crops.   (They all slide out from under the ground.)

My dad designed and made the tractor.  Yeah, he likes machinery.  He drew that thing from memory.  Nick drew the designs for the tool man’s work belt and the whole family worked on the pieces.  Nick can draw an excellent hammer.  It’s impressive really.

The end.

Note:  I would have maybe finished this thing in like, thirty years had my family not helped so much.  It was fun to work together and get everyone’s designs in there.  I've decided/learned that I’m a social crafter.  And, if left alone to craft, I get angry and depressed, so come on over and craft with me any time!