Better late than never {Halloween 2012}

Thanks to Leila, Halloween is fun again.  

It may have taken three Halloweens to get myself back into the crazy holiday, but our trick-or-treating experience was well worth the wait.

Flashback to Halloween 2010...She slept most of the day.

Baby-blob Leila- 1 month

Flashback to Halloween 2011...The pumpkins were a hit and she had her first taste of Halloween candy.

Ladybug Leila- 13 months

Halloween 2012...Fun!  Fun!  Fun! (Photos courtesy of Jordan at mphotographer.com)

Zebra Leila- 25 months

Okay!  Ready to fill those bags!

Soooo big going to the door all by themselves!

This Mickey Mouse magic wand was a hit

Slightly obsessed with all the Halloween decorations

Checking out the loot

Looking forward to all the holidays this year with my favorite two-year old!

Thanks kid. Halloween is fun again!

Halloween hasn't been my thing since, I don't know, about 1991.  Right around the start of high school, Halloween lost it's fun factor.  Maybe it was the fact that I was too old to go trick-or-treating without feeling like a creep.  Or maybe it was that I started caring how I looked in my costume, or more importantly, how I looked to other people.

Then came college Halloween.  The parties were fun, but the candy was missing.  The costumes got skimpier and more creative.  I just couldn't keep up. I didn't care about winning any costume contests so I drank, people watched, and called it a night.

After college the trend of skimpy or creative costumes continued.  I officially gave up.  I think I wore the same pink wig three years in a row for lack of a better idea.  

As a teacher, Halloween was a holiday that made me want to drink the second the calendar changed from September to October.  I embraced the chaos, played into with the hype, and prepared myself for a long month.  At the end of the day on October 31st, I would rip down all the Halloween decor in the classroom and pretend the kids weren't going to show up half asleep or high on sugar the next day.

Now, as a mom of a two-year old, Halloween is fun again.  I know I will be knee deep in holiday craziness for years to come, but for now I am enjoying the Halloween festivities.

On Halloween morning Leila couldn't have been happier to put on her costume. She squealed with delight and was equally pumped that I threw on my tried-and- true pink wig.

Thanks Leila.  Thanks for bringing the FUN back into Halloween!

  

Tips for painting with toddlers

It's easier than you think, not nearly as messy, and more fun than you imagine. Over here at Leilaland, we keep it simple.  The projects we do are kid-centered and even the least crafty mom can implement them successfully. 

Following these simple tips will make painting with toddlers a breeze.

1. Choose two primary colors to paint with and the color they make when mixed.  This way your child's project will not turn out a muddy brown color.  Sometimes I add white paint into the mix if we're not painting on white paper.
2. Choose simple painting tools.  I like to use Q-tips, sponge tipped brushes, or fingers.  Traditional paint brushes can be tough for little hands to manage because they usually have a long handle.  Brushes also require a light touch or your child will end up smashing the brush part down and painting with the hard handle resulting in torn paper. 
3. Model how to use the painting tools.  Show your child what you expect them to do.  Show them what happens when you mix the colors and model different ways to use the painting tools.
4. Use large sheet of paper.  You can see print (or draw) a large simple shape for them to fill in or have they paint a plain piece of paper and cut it into the shape you want after it's dry. (Check out our Lucky Shamrocks here.)
5. Remove your child's clothing and put on a smock to protect their skin (and avoid an immediate bath).
6. Lower your expectations.  Your child's paining will not be perfect.  They will get a bit messy.  They will paint out of the lines.  They may be finished in 5 minutes or love painting page after page. 

Happy painting!

Have you had success painting with your toddler?  What tips can you share with me?

Simple Toddler Craft {Fall Pumpkin}

This pumpkin craft couldn't get any easier.  It required no prep on my part, just a quick trip through the Target dollar bins and a few seconds gathering supplies.

The girls were occupied for about 25 minutes, which is hours in "toddler time".

Objectives:

1. Explore the flow of the white glue
2. Develop fine motor skills
3. Work independently

Supplies:

• I found the foam pumpkins at Target (10 for $1)
• Washable white glue
• Washable markers
• Bits 'n' pieces (sequins, pom-poms, foam shapes, ribbon squares)

I have a pretty big collection of what I call "bits 'n pieces",  because I am a teacher.  I found most of these items throughout the year in the Target dollar bins.  I store each type in a Ziplock bag and use shallow paint cups to distribute them as needed.  The sequins were the biggest hit.  What girl can resist some sparkle?!

Check out Leila's serious crafting face above.

The point of this project was the process, not the product.

The girls got to do each and every part themselves.  I stepped in when Charlie made a large glue puddle, and showed her how to make dots and thin lines instead.  When Leila was sticking her bits 'n pieces in places with no glue, I showed her that they didn't stick there.  Other than that they were completely independent!

I am a big fan of child-directed projects like this.  Check out my Toddler Art Ideas page for more crafty ideas to do throughout the year.



We'll be doing more simple toddler-appropriate crafts in the coming weeks...I did get 10 foam pumpkins!  I would love your suggestions on what to do with the rest of the pumpkins.

Happy Halloween!

This is Leila's first year to wear a costume. She didn't wear one last year. (She was still pretty curled up at only one month old.)




So this year, to make up for that "lost" year, she wore two costumes.

And I decided to go EXTREMELY overboard with pictures. I just couldn't resist capturing this "first" Halloween!

Say hello to...Valerina!

This is Aunt Valerie's turtleneck from when she was Leila's age. All three of us girls received one as a gift from our Aunt Carrie. (Val is the only one that can locate hers.) This ballerina costume was the perfect way to show love to her Aunt Val!

Leila LOVES walks. Not in her stroller though, she wants to walk like us!


Almost home...


Hi neighbor Tony! Like my costume?


And now we have a little Leila ladybug!


She is apparently over her pumpkin hating.


Heading out for some treats!


My first bite of candy. Thanks for the sugar-high Betsy!


Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween.

Leila, Leila, pumpkin hater

It was a beautiful (HOT) fall day at a nearby dairy farm. We had a fun adventure planned for Leila's first trip to the pumpkin patch.


At first she was all smiles.

She ran around touching all the pumpkins, posed for a few photos with Aunt Val...



...and then it happened. Leila discovered a pumpkin stem. Seems harmless, right?

Something pissed her off.

Hello, mini-meltdown.

And she's off!


Mini-meltdown turned into meltdown,


which turned in to TIME TO GO!


I don't want to leave you with a crabby pants shot. The day was not a total waste.


In the middle of all of her meltdowns Leila managed to bring smiles to our faces. Watching her enjoy the new sights, sounds, and smells was worth it!