Last Minute Fun

Sometimes Owen and I can really enjoy each other’s company; other times he slaps me in the face. Owen slapped me in the face today because I wanted to go out to get Owen new sheets for his big boy bed. He apparently didn’t like that idea. I walked away and let him have time to cool off then I talked with him to let him know that what he did really hurt me, and he eventually apologized. As punishment I took away TV privileges for the rest of the day.  It’s funny how a good day can take a horrible turn.

Anyway, we did have a pretty good day on Wednesday. We joined some friends and picked strawberries at Soergels (a local farm). It was a nice last minute event that wasn’t super crowded and Owen got to play with friends. After taking a tractor ride up to the strawberry field we were able to pick some strawberries. Owen was good at picking out where the good ones were, but he really wasn’t into actually picking any. After filling up our bag we loaded back on the tractor and paid for our berries. Other than Owen refusing to take pictures he did pretty good.

 

 

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4 Year old Drama

I’m beginning to think that all 4-year-olds should be actors. The drama every day to get out of bed or wash his hands is crazy. The whining and crying on command is really an acting quality that comes naturally to him. Along with all the drama, there have been some fun times too.

Owen loves to pretend these days. He mostly replays his day, but he also loves to play store. I have a few bags that he likes to use, and we take turns being the shopper and the clerk. There are so many toys in the living room that it’s easy to find enough to fill up the bags. He also loves to play construction where we are the workers. Just today we built a pool with a slide and diving board right in the living room. Perfect for a 90-degree day. Too bad it was imaginary.

This past weekend Owen went to his first Pirate game. I wasn’t sure how he was going to like it, but we lucked out and were able to stay the whole game (I think spending half the game in the stadium seats and the other half in box seats helped with this).  His favorite part of the game was the Pierogi Race. If you are wondering, Jalapeño Hannah won on Saturday night.

Summer is just around the corner, but I’m thinking of fall activities already. Owen did a short 5-week running club this spring, but other than that we haven’t signed him up for anything else. I think we are still recovering from the horrible soccer days from this past fall. I am thinking of maybe signing him up for tumbling. What fun activities are appropriate for 4-year-olds?

 

We now have a 4 year old

The last 3 years we have been lucky enough to have Owen’s birthday party surrounded by friends and family. This year was no different, and we were able to have all of the fun outside (thank goodness).

This year Owen chose to have a construction themed party (or a “worker party” as he calls himself when he’s playing with his tools). So I got busy pinning ideas on Pinterest, and then giving my dad and Tony things to complete :). They did a great job making my vision come to life. We had a bounce house, 2 photo props, 3 construction truck racers, house painting, coloring, cone toss, hammering, and a wrecking ball game. The 20 or so kids had a great time doing everything.

Owen even invited some of his friends from school. It was so much fun seeing him play with all of his friends. The kids were busy playing all afternoon – fueled by sugar.

We had a cupcake cake and dirt complete with a gummy worm for dessert. Everyone went home with a Home Depot tool belt, safety glasses, and a tool shaped lollipop.

It’s crazy to think that Owen is already 4 years old. He’ll be starting pre-k soon. This is the last year before he goes to school every day. It can get stressful when I’m bouncing between playgroups and running errands in the middle of the week, but I need to step back and remember that this isn’t going to last much longer. His tantrums are just a phase (they better be), and soon he will be getting on the school bus and won’t have much time for his mommy anymore.

Good Things

We’ve had a rough few weeks in our family so for this post I’m highlighting all of the fun times Owen has had with his friends this past weekend.

We were able to go into the kitchen of a local pizza place on Friday and see how they make their pizza. Owen was very excited to see the big pizza ovens, walk into the refrigerator, and sample all of the toppings, especially cheese his favorite.

On Saturday we had back to back birthday parties, which was tiring for mom and dad, but the best day ever for Owen. Owen loved running around the gym, playing/tackling his friends, bouncing around as well as singing them happy birthday, and of course enjoying the sweet treats.

Making Valentines

Oh, Pinterest. How you always have great ideas. I pin and I pin but I usually don’t make the crafts, but this week I actually did. Owen and I started making crayon hearts on a snowy Wednesday to recycle Owen’s old broken crayons. We’re making them for Owen’s preschool class. Shortly after we started I realized that we didn’t have enough crayons in the house to complete them all! Amazon to the rescue!.

If you are going to try this craft out, for Valentine’s Day or just a snowy day craft, here are a few things that I learned. You will want to get smaller silicone trays. I couldn’t pass up the ones that we got from Aldi because they were super cheap, but the hearts were a lot bigger than I would have wanted. Also peeling crayons is not fun. To speed the process along, throw the crayons in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. It really helps! Also, Crayola brand crayons work best. So if you are crunched for time I would recommend spending the extra money.

Here are the directions if you want to try the craft: https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-recycle-old-crayons-into-new-crayons-1388486.

I found the printable labels that I used here, https://cherishedbliss.com/you-color-my-world-valentine-card.

Museum Fun

I’m writing this as Owen is already in bed (5pm). He got sick this morning, and he didn’t eat much today. I hope it’s just a 24-hour bug. It’s so hard to see him sick. I feel so helpless.

This year we decided to get a membership to the Carnegie Museums instead of renewing our Children’s Museum membership. This past week we were able to visit both. The Carnegie Science Center has been around since we were kids, but a lot has changed and continues to change. We also went to the Children’s Museum before our membership ends this month.

Owen really enjoyed the Science Center, and he was even able to participate in one of the shows that they had going on. We also went to Sports Works which is part of the Science Center. I was surprised how many things Owen could actually do. He really enjoyed doing the ropes course (with Tony nearby). We look forward to checking out the other 3 Carnegie Museums this year.

At the Children’s Museum Owen had a blast playing with his cousin Emma. They played in the art room with clay, explored the toddler floor, played with the water, and climbed through the kid ant farm.

The Art of Listening

Lately, Owen has not been listening to anything that I’ve said. It’s like he is in his own little world of dinosaurs and cars. His not listening almost got him very hurt last week. We were leaving the library after story time, and he ran outside and down the ramp without me. He ran toward the parking lot, and almost got hit by a car. I’m very thankful that the driver was paying attention, and that I was able to  grab him by the hood. I was so upset that I cried while yelling at him. He began crying as well, and has since actually been holding my hand.

Here are some happier times at the Heinz History Center on Monday: