Outdoor Artists

I've been trying to do two things as a mom: get my boys outside every day as much as possible and say "yes" to wonderfully messy activities. 

My boys thrive on the outdoors, from digging in the sand and dirt to running around at the park or even just jumping on the trampoline, everyone has much better attitudes when we've filled our lungs with fresh air. The boys have also taken a liking to art activities recently. They still don't hold their attention very long, but almost daily someone is asking to paint, cut or color.

So, on a pleasant May morning I had what I would consider a brilliant idea: painting outside! (I'm sure I saw it on a blog or on Pinterest.) I didn't mind how much paint was dripping onto the grass and the boys could splash and paint to their little heart's content. Cason even tried out multi-media art with his spray bottle of water. Had we been inside I might have had a mild heart attack watching that wet paint drip all over my floor, but the grass, no problem. Spray and experiment away Cason! 

Here's to more creative adventures in our backyard!

Shaving Balloons

I've started trying to plan one or activities each week that I can pull out when we're having a slow morning, a rough afternoon or just when we need a distraction. They are activities I already have supplies for or which I can easily pick up with the grocery list over the weekend. 

I thought the boys would LOVE using tongue depressors to "shave" the shaving cream off of balloons as Cannon has been talking about how Daddy shaves (or doesn't) lately. However, I didn't account for Cannon's aversions to messy/slimy/weird texture things. He poked at that balloon for all of two minutes before declaring himself done. Cason last longer and seemed to enjoy it, but we are definitely still in the "prep/clean up time takes much longer than any actual activity" phase of life.

Spring Birdhouses

For Christmas our neighbor gave the boys these fabulous wooden birdhouses to paint. On one of my more bold Mommy mornings I decided it was time to decorate that plain wood so we could hang them outside. 

I'm trying to be more brave and embrace a more varied array of art projects and activities despite any possible mess. Since having three children, I've realized I limited crafts to a few crayons and a coloring sheet. I finally decided that that was a very dull childhood and that boys were meant to be messy. Art supplies were meant to be used, as are my cleaning rags. 

I want my boys to be imaginative creators, freely designing and drawing without worry that I'm going to be breathing down their necks when they splash a drop of paint or spill a cup of sequins. And so we painted birdhouses.

I only have one smock, so Cason got a bib, and upon looking at these photos I don't know why I didn't just give him the smock and let Cannon go shirtless. Cannon didn't get a drop of paint on himself and Cason, well, I'm pretty sure by the end of the activity Cason was painting his body instead of the birdhouse. 

Dallas Arboretum Children's Garden

Now that the weather is FINALLY starting to warm up a little we are starting to get out and explore our city again. We were gifted an Dallas Arboretum membership for Cason's birthday and were finally able to get there to explore the newly opened children's garden. It is fabulous. It's like an outdoor science museum. We were there for at least three hours and didn't even explore half of the grounds. The boys loved every display, every activity station and every breath of fresh air. I loved every minute of the long nap they all took from being so worn out after an active morning.

Birdhouses ready for spring!

Our neighbors gave the boys these great wooden birdhouses to paint for Christmas presents. It took about three different afternoons to finally finish splashing them with color because our attention span is about as long as a birds, but it was the perfect cold weather activity to get us in the mood for spring. 

Let's also just revel in the messiness that is my house. May the month old birthday streamers, the diapers drying over the washing machine, every kitchen cabinet door open, the clutter on the floor, the laundry on the couch and the stuff everywhere make every other mom feel just fine about the mess at your house too. Who has time for painting when birdhouses need painting!

The best thing about New Years . . .

. . . playing with all of the Christmas toys!

The boys got a few awesome play dough toys and it's revolutionized play time at the kitchen table. We are rolling, cutting, drilling and shaping all kinds of fun things. 

Dallas Zoo with Nana & Papa

We enjoyed one of the last warm days of December at the Dallas Zoo with my parents. And while we spent more time riding those barrel horses in the children's area than doing anything else, it was a fun day outdoors in the fresh air. 

Cason did not want to ride the real pony and hung on to Papa while watching Cannon take his turn. But the minute it was his turn to get on that horse, he did and I think he even enjoyed it a little bit. 

I have three boys. I've currently given up home of everyone looking normal and smiling in photos. Just snap a few, call it a day and enjoy remember the crazy of life with little boys. 

Smash Balls

We aren't going many places these days. I still don't have my sea legs yet with a newborn who eats around the clock and two small boys who are still learning to stay by my side in the parking lot. And so pinterest is my friend when it comes to finding activities to occupy us at home.

Today's feature activity: smashing balls.

I followed the instructions on the Time for Play blog. Our smash balls were a little softer than I anticipated. They didn't crack when we hit them (as I expected), rather they simply smooshed (which was probably safer).

Side note: I left the room to run to the bathroom and came back to this. Apparently Colt needed some attention. Ah, life with three kids. 

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina

I think we might have a new tradition on our hands folks. This year, on the day after Halloween, we took a trek out to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina. Danny was off work and we wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary. It was SO FUN! Because it was the day after Halloween it was pretty much deserted, and because it was a weekday our admission tickets included getting to take home three pumpkins. 

We fed the animals, petted the goats, road the hay ride (TWICE), ran through the hay maze, roamed the fields and enjoyed the sunshine and beautiful weather. It was the perfect way to enjoy an autumn day with three boys.