Noe News is Good News: activites

I have always been a "Lists" kind of a person. I love making lists of all sorts of things... to-do lists, wish lists, shopping lists, goal lists, you name it. I would almost be embarrassed to admit this but I know that there are many others out there just like me. I had a missionary companion in Thailand who also loved lists and I remember making them with her. It was so much fun! Adam and I even started a list while I was on my mission of things we wanted to do together when I got back. A few years ago I also started a list on this blog of things I wanted to accomplish. Things got busy though and accomplishing those lists got put on the back burner.

But THEN! A fellow photographer here in Lexington, who also happens to be a super really nice guy who has helped me out with a few things here and there came out with a kind of cool contest. Part of the contest included registering at a website called the Day Zero Project and creating a list of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days. It's a pretty cool site for list lovers! I thought it was a great time frame to work with- not a year, not a week, not 10 years but 1001 days. Just right to accomplish many of the things I want to accomplish. So I did it! And I am going to really work hard to accomplish these things- print it out in some cool way and display it in my office so I don't forget to work on the things. It took a lot of time and effort, but I think it was worth it.

So if you're NOT a list lover like me you may think this is a little silly, but I dare you to try it. It's fun :) Here's my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days!

1. Buy Joselyn a big girl bed

2. Wean Joselyn and Landen off their pacifiers

3. Finish Potty training Joselyn and Landen (have to re-train Joselyn!)

4. Plan and decorate the kids' new rooms

5. Re-visit Thailand

6. Plan a huge 7 year wedding anniversary party- renew vows

7. Print out personal/family blog into books

8. Make a book out of Love letters between Adam and me

9. Balloon Fest in New Mexico

10. Buy a small pool for kids

11. Make a list of fun things I want to do with the kids

12. Finish my OTHER to-do list: http://missnoeitall.typepad.com/noe_baby_news/my-evergrowing-todo-list.html

13. Throw at least 6 parties- other than birthdays

14. Make up my mind about Photography business branding

15. At least once a month, have an outing with each of the kids by themselves

16. Weigh 130 pounds- been there before, can do it again! Let Adam (a former personal trainer) help me!

17. Complete a personal photography project about people

18. 40 day love dare on Adam

19. Make a budget- business & personal

20. Take a ride in a limo

21. Go to Chicago for at least a weekend

22. see Wicked

23. Have a garage sale

24. Put on the cutest garage sale you have ever seen

25. Do something with all my dried roses that Adam gave me

26. Buy new table settings

27. Make an inspiration board in my office using all the inspiration I've collected over the years

28. Family picture every fall

29. Re-connect with old friends

30. Complete portfolio site

31. Re-make daily schedule

32. FLY LADY

33. Buy canvases of family pictures for our new house

34. Collage art project with kids

35. Complete family tree and have it made into artwork

36. Go location scouting at least once a month

37. Buy a porch swing

38. Finish reading the books I've started- namely 7 habits, 8th habit, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Between Parent & Child, First things first

39. Start writing in journals for kids again

40. Start and Finish Landen's baby book

41. Learn to cook a turkey and host Thanksgiving dinner at my house

42. Design a playroom for Landen and Joselyn

43. Get a makeover

44. Explore downtown Lexington shops with Adam

45. Watch a movie at the Kentucky theater

46. Find an antique baby scale for cheap

47. Buy a cool antique chair

48. Buy a Gary Fisher bike to replace the one I sold

49. Buy a double jogging stroller/bike trailer

50. Weekend getaway with Adam

51. Get published in Kentucky Bride magazine

52. Get published on a well-known blog

53. Las Vegas

54.Trip to Nashville during Christmas with the family

55. Visit New York City during Christmas season

56. Take Joselyn to the dentist

57. Frame wedding photos

58. More meaningful gifts- handmade if possible

59. Watch "Babies" the documentary

60. Enroll Joselyn in Dance

61. Buy a sewing machine and learn to sew

62. Finish the quilts that I started

63. Get Landen's memory quilt made by Andrea

64. Make a big memory quilt for family to snuggle under

65. Have custom bracelet made with kids names on them

66. Get my eyes checked

67. Go through all my magazines/catalogs and tear out the pages I want to keep and file them

68. Convince Adam that board games are fun

69. Spend a day/weekend at the spa with girlfriends/sisters

70. Learn different ways to do my hair

71. Learn how to make my favorite Thai dishes (Somtam, Mussaman Curry)

72. Enroll Joselyn in Pre-school

73. Take the kids to the zoo as a family

74. Take Melanie to the Science Museum

75. Help organize a family reunion

76. Visit Grandma Jennirose in California

77. Visit Mesa, AZ relatives

78. Start a creative journal

79. Go through Google Reader and delete any feeds I really don't read anymore

80. Participate in a photo challenge

81. Start a quote book

82. Participate in a Talent Show

83. Go back to Longboat Key with family

84. Find a field of yellow wild flowers

85. See Jack Johnson in concert

86. Write a song with Adam, have him teach me how to play it on guitar and record with him

87. Go horse back riding with Adam at his family's farm in corbin

88. 4 Wheeling in Adam's Rubicon

89. Buy a new camera and CS5

90. Go Ice skating with Adam, eat at Applebees and watch "Remember the Titans"- like we did on our first date

91. Have Adam take me to New Jersey and show me all his favorite spots

92. Buy a Kereoke Machine/Game

93. Buy a Wii

94. Ride an Elephant (again)

95. Send a mystery package to someone

96. Write a list of creative date ideas

97. Make activity books for kids

98. Read a book/take a class on running a photography business

99. Read "Jesus the Christ" again

100. Enroll Landen in soccer when he turns 3

101. When this list is complete, make another 101 in 1001 list!

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I made this list yesterday and I already accomplished one of them and that was #11 (Make a list of fun things I want to do with the kids). What the heck- I was in a list making mood yesterday and today and have been thinking about a lot of fun things to do this summer. I went back and read the post about what to do with a 1 and 2 year old where so many people had some great suggestions, and started my list. What a perfect time to start- new house with more space and a yard of our own- and the long summer days :) I thought it might give some of you out there some ideas too, so I will post that here too.

It's LONG.

1. Make a collage on a large canvas with the kids and display it in our home as art
2. Play in Water Fountain at Fayette County court house
3. Plant a garden
4. Play with rolly pollies
5. Have a tea party
6. Build big block buildings and have fun knocking them down
7. Visit the Pet store
8. Treasure hunt in the house/back yard - complete with map!
9. Dance around to fun music
10. Create a fun reading corner with pillows and blankets and read books
11. Play hide and seek
12. Home made play dough
13. Make an obstacle course
14. Have singing time
15. Jump on our beds then make them!
16. Do chores together
17. Finger paint with pudding
18. Buy large legos
19. Newport Aquarium
20. Gymboree play and music open gym
21. Enroll Joselyn in dance class
22. Go for a walk and talk about what we see around us
23. Go for a walk with NO STROLLER (gasp!) and collect things we find- make something with everything.
24. Scavenger hunt
25. Play board games
26. Visit Toys R Us
27. Go to story time at the Library
28. Joseph Beth story time
29. Barnes and Noble story time then play with the train set!
30. Arboretum- find out about activities for toddlers
31. Kentucky Horse Park
32. Buy a bunch of helium balloons and tie notes to them- see if someone will get it by leaving contact info
33. Craft time with a big bucket of craft supplies
34. Start a play group
35. Puzzles
36. Use a prism to catch a rainbow
37. Wake up early to watch the sunrise in our PJs snuggled under a blanket
38. Dig in dirt and look for worms
39. Sidewalk chalk
40. Have a picnic in the backyard
41. Have a picnic in the kitchen when it's raining
42. Take a picnic to the park
43. For one day of a week, collect items in a certain color
44. Collect twigs and build something with them
45. Use rocks to build towers
46. blow bubbles
47. Make cookies
48. Look for different bugs
49. Lay in the grass and find shapes in the clouds
50. Play dress up
51. Build a little "town" and "roads" for little cars
52. Take Joselyn to get a manicure and pedicure
53. Buy and set up a hammock and lay in it with the kids- see if they will fall asleep?
54. Horse carriage ride
55. Ice Cream Store
56. Make home made ice cream
57. Bounce U
58. Chuck E Cheese
59. Use pots and pans, tupperware and wooden spoons to make a "band"
60. Bubble Wrap
61. Gatti Town
62. Every week get a picture made at a photo booth
63. Bake sugar cookies and decorate them
64. Bake a cake and decorate it
65. Visit a beach and look for shells
66. Sparklers
67. Make outlines of our shadows
68. Make noise makers
69. Sand art
70. Make macaroni necklaces
71. Make fruit salad and eat it
72. Disney World
73. Frisbee
74. Camping
75. Visit every Lexington "horse" and take a picture with it
76. Kereoke
77. Matinee movie
78. Put on a puppet show
79. Go to a play
80. See Yo Gabba Gabba live
81. Have a random Yo Gabba Gabba party
82. Have an Un-birthday party a la Alice in Wonderland- gift exchange

Anything else fun I didn't think of that I should add to this list?

I plan on taking pictures and documenting everything on the list- should be fun, huh?

If you decide to make a list on the Day Zero site, please share! I'm nosy that way. ;)

Confession time again: I let my kids watch too much TV. They just love it and it keeps them happy! It came to a point where that's all they wanted to do. Joselyn would say "I want to watch TV" all day and I would usually oblige. I usually watched with them, and made sure that's not ALL they were doing, but it was getting out of hand.

(Yo Gabba Gabba- both Joselyn and Landen adore this show and even Landen tries to ask for it by name)

Remember when I complained that my children were misbehaved? I then read this on a blog that I read often:

"The demeanor of your child isn't simply the result of your parenting skills. In Parenting the Strong-Willed Child, Forehand and Long talk about the various factors that also influence your child's behavior. Here they are...

...problems with TV aren't all about what the child is watching, but what the child isn't doing while watching TV. This is something to consider. I know many parents closely monitor what their children watch on TV. I know I do. There are some great shows out there. But when your child is watching TV, your child isn't interacting or playing. I think we need to be mindful of the generation of children we are raising. I have noticed teenagers are becoming more isolated as Internet chatting and texting are becoming popular. I watch teenagers sit right by each other and text people rather than talk to each other. We need to make sure our children learn how to interact with other people face to face."

That kinda hit me hard. I think of myself as a pretty good mom, but I really want to raise a child who is well-rounded and well behaved and letting them watch TV all the time wasn't providing them the opportunity to learn how to master those skills.

So, I did something that I knew was going to be really hard. I limited TV time to 2 30 minute shows a day... one in the morning when they first wake up (to give ME time to wake up and get moving) and one in the evening.

Of course I had to start on the week where we have been stuck inside because of the weather. I would have taken the kids out to do fun things at the Library and such but Joselyn has a runny nose and is congested so I didn't think other people would appreciate me exposing her to their kids.

I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out something to do in our small town home that both of my kids will enjoy together. Crayons are out because Landen tried to eat them... that and any other craft related item.

Here are some things I came up with that keep them occupied for about 15 minutes (at least) at a time:

-Dancing: I created an awesome station on Pandora from the song "You are my Sunshine" by Elizabeth Mitchell. I love the folky vibe with music from Lisa Loeb and Jewel, and the kids love the upbeat tempos and familiar catchy songs. I put Joselyn in her ballet leotard and tutu and she dances her heart away. Landen tries too.
-Reading books: this is an easy one. Some of my kids' favorites:

Are You My Mother?

Blankie

The Gift of Nothing

In Grandma's Arms

-Hide and Seek
-Obstacle Courses: using blankets, pillows, chairs, the ottoman, couch etc. I create something for them to climb over and crawl under. They LOVE it.
-iphone games: both of my kids love Peekaboo Barn and Peekaboo Wild. Even Landen knows how to operate it.
-Singing time: I am in charge of singing time in the nurseries at church so I have ea few things up my sleeve. I try to recreate it at home.
-Pretend Play: Yesterday we had a tea party and made yummy stuff in Joselyn's play kitchen

Some suggestions that my mom gave me:
-Home Made Play Dough: I actually remember my mom making this stuff... it's "edible" (not tasty) so it would actually work for young kids!

Recipe:

    2 cups Flour
    1 cup salt
    1 Tbs oil
    3/4 cup water (can be colored with food coloring)

Mix dry ingredients. Add water and oil. Add more water if the mixture is dry and more flour if the
the mixture is sticky. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

-Let your children help with chores (make beds, sweep floors and give them rags to wipe things)

Just found a recipe for cooked finger paints too- not a bad idea!!

    2 cups flour
    2 tsp salt
    3 cups cold water
    2 cups hot water
    food coloring

    Combine flour and salt. Pour in cold water and beat mixture until smooth. Put mixture in large                saucepan. Add hot water. Boil until glossy. Beat until smooth. Mix in coloring until you reach the
    shade you like.

-Paint with pudding (there are lots of colors available)- I remember doing this once now that I think about it.

When kids are healthy, we like to:

-Go to the mall: let the kids ride in the stroller, get a pretzel and let them play in the play area (although they almost ALWAYS end of sick after this)
-Story time at the Libraries
-Pet Store: my kids LOVE looking at the fishes, birds, hamsters and other animals. This keeps theme occupied for a VERY long time!
-Play Dates: Joselyn does SO MUCH better when a friend is around. If any of you would like some time to yourself for a few hours, please bring them over in the morning for a play date! This is seriously my

So now I need your help. I really want more ideas. PLEASE share what you do with your kids when TV is not the favorite option? Any favorite books or ipod apps?

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