Easy Valentine's Day Decoration

 As soon as one holiday ends, Adrian is anxious to begin plans for the next. Valentine's Day is always a special day with us, we usually make a cake or cupcakes and make each other little cards. This was a project I saw on Pinterest via The Peanut Paint Shop, (check it out, real fun) but I wanted to do a simpler (or FREE, with stuff we already had in the art. dept.)version.

Here is Adrian painting the black-n-pink combo heart ( his favorite color combination this week)

Adrian made two extra watery water color paintings on thick-ish  plan white paper. Then he used a template I made out of card stock to trace and cut out four hearts. (I helped round off the hearts when he was finished)

covering the hearts in colored sugar (the best part)

 

 

 

 

 

The I wrote everyone in the family's name in Elmer's Glue and Adrian covered the glue-hearts in red sugar. We chose red sugar because we didn't have glitter. I think glitter would be really fun. (To color sugar add a few drops of liquid food coloring to plan white sugar in a container with a lid and then shake around. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.)
   Then we let the sugar "soak in". Then A shook away the sugar to reveal our names! He thought that was cool. I thought it was messy, but oh well.  After everything was dry, we attached the hearts to one another and TA-DA!

I think it's adooorable

 It's cute, he's proud of it, and I used what I had. That's my kind of kids craft!

Nothing else to exiting going on around here really. A few colds, a few tantrums, the norm. Oh,...and this happened:

He thinks he looks like a ninja.

Not to be left out, Adrian had it stretched over Sawyer's face, too- but Sawyer no-likey. He actually looks a bit concerned in this picture.

We made our own Taco Seasoning! I've been wanting to do this for a while, and always look for the "low sodium" packet at the store, but I knew I already had the ingredients, I just needed to know the right measurements to put together. Measuring?? That's right up Adrian's ally.

Please ignore the one legged, pants down fireman. He's having issues.

We used this Taco Seasoning Recipe  and bought most of the ingredients on the Hispanic foods aisle for 79 to 99 cents a package. 

It made plenty! We use this mix for many favorite recipes other than just tacos, so it's nice knowing I have it on hand. Plus, Adri had a good time measuring the ingredients and then stirring it up. I didn't let him do the Chili Powder, though.
    Here's what Sawyer did while Adrian helped:

I've noticed that this is the way he likes to sit in his high chair:

always with his ankles crossed. Such a polite sitter. Although...sometimes those chubby little legs are kick kicking manically while the upper half of his body flails around, hands banging on the tray while I fumble around with his sippy cup/cracker box/cheese stick/ banana peel/ fillet Mignon.  He's all business when it comes to "nacks"(  what he calls any meal.)

   Unfortunately, Adrian has a fever and body aches this morning, so Ninja Turtles on repeat may be the highlight of our weekend. Oh! And I get the laundry, of course.

     After being totally out of it for the first week of 2012, I have definitely made up for it in week two! We kicked off our weekend (Saturday night) with homemade pizza. We used the raw dough you can buy pre-made in a ball at Raley's. It turned out great!

What? You didn't know Power Rangers could make pizza as well as fight dinosaurs? Well, this one can.

Next time I will separate the dough into several balls so that Adrian and Sawyer can make their own "kid kind" without mushrooms or olives.

 Also earlier that day Adrian and I put together what turned out to be THE MOST AMAZING Chocolate Pie. If a Chocolate Pudding Pie and Chocolate Mousse had a baby- it would be this Nestle Chocolate Satin Pie. Add in that it's super easy to make and we have an instant winner for my family.

Okay, who forgot this kids bib?

 Another highlight of my weekend was putting the boys in matching outfits. Is it mean? I've done matching PJ's before- but this time it was full on twinsies in public. Whatever.  I probably only have like...one more year before they refuse and think it's silly- and by then I guess they'll be old enough to where it might indeed be silly. I really tried to get a picture of them standing together.

Like- holding hands. Or resting hands on each others shoulders. Or doing some cute twinsie pose, but nooOOOo. Not going to happen.

  After dressing like Gufous and Gallant- Adrian made me promise to let him put on his Power Ranger costume to go to MEGA PARK. If you live in Reno and have not visited Damonte Ranch Park yet, you are big time missing out. It is so awesome.  I am afraid to go on the level three play structure and can't imagine how this thing could have passed a safety inspection. I expected at every height he reached for my little man to topple off the thing. I listened as my friend Kristen went down the Super Slide with her three year old- screaming. Kirsten, that is.

                          Adrian rode his bike all around the place(another new development!)

                             and Sawyer toddled around jabbering at any kid who came close.

                                                          All in all- it was a great day.

New Year's Resolution 2012: quit the social network and find a positive way to communicate with family and friends while still feeling somewhat "connected" to the world. Hopefully this blog is the answer. If you are a distant family member looking for photos and updates about the boys, a friend who wants to see whats going on in my world, or simply a stranger who has stumbled across my blog unintentionally- all are welcome!
   I had every intention of having this going on January 1st- but have lost the whole first week of the new year with a nasty stomach bug.Two E.R. visits later I think I'm ready to join the General Population again- we'll see.