We're TubaDad (laid-back taco-eating tuba-player from Texas) and M3 (excitable, artsy chocoholic from California). We adopted our beautiful twin girls from Hubei, China in Oct 2006 and this blog is about our lives with the twinados, Ro and Ree. Cheers!
Man! The wind and rain are pretty phenomenal today, if you ask me. Luckily we all love storms around here. But we do have to get a little creative with rainy day things to occupy the kiddos and keep them from destroying the house or each other. This morning the girls spent about an hour making and eating pancakes, which, by the way, Ree says must have been named that because "they're little cakes that you make in a pan." Never thought about it that way, but I think she may be right on that one.
I'm pretty sure BobBob is used to slightly more relaxing breakfasts. But hey, eating with two squirmy kids on your lap probably burns off any calories that are consumed, right?:
After breakfast, and before changing Ro and Ree out of their syruppy pajamas, I let them have some good, unclean fun in the storm:
Figured it was going to be the only time they got outside today. And yes, the washing machine is churning away on those muddy clothes as I type... The girls have already gotten dressed, read "Mudball" and all of their library books with BobBob, built a marble run, played with their dolls, checked out the growing ladybug larvae in their terrarium, listened to some Justin Roberts music, worked on their I Can Read books, and about 10 other things:
And we've still got eight long hours until bedtime. Oy... Anyone have any good rainy day ideas?
* A quick update: My friend Maggie just called and said the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for our area from 2-2:30 today. What?! I think I might have yelled into the phone. Sorry, Maggie. It's just so weird though. We've had crazy high winds, hail, lightning, thunder, and enough rain to flood the backyard and the street in front of our house (and we live on a hill!). Hard to believe it was warm enough to go swimming last week. I took some more video (mostly so we can show TubaDad, who is playing a symphony today and missing all the excitement).
You guys can come down the hill and play with us. We don't have a huge house but lots of new toys. Just an idea. Were thinking about going to lol tomorow if you wanna meet us there.
This is just wild! Loving it though!! Baking is always one of my favorite things to do when it's stormy. Or make a big tent in the house and pretend your camping somewhere adventuresome!
Sounds like you are making the most out of your rainy day!! I can't believe you did all that already and still have close to 8 hours to go.....
There is always Chocolate.....do you have baking supplies?
Or.... let the girls play dress up in your closet!! Would be fun to see what they come up with!!
I also went over to Chinasprout.com the other day and started looking through their website for some fun CNY crafts for Sarah....... I realize you probably don't have all the supplies on hand to do a craft today, but you never know..... might be worth checking it out!!
We are planning to celebrate this year...... we never have, but I am thinking this is a good year to start:)
Hope you survive your rainy day!! Sure looks like they had fun out there:)
It's kind of messy, but my daughters love to have little bowls of water and drop food coloring in them and see the results of mixing the colors. Keeps them occupied for quite a long time. We also like to make bath paint from corn starch and baby wash mixed with food coloring then have a tubby. They "paint" on each other and the walls of the tub.
Are the girls into Legos at all? AJ LOVES them! And since we are in Seattle we have tons of rainy days when we can't play outside. AJ can play with Legos for HOURS on end. Just a thought. I usually get all my good ideas from you!
-Jen-
P.S. You call that a storm, we call that and average day in Seattle ;)
Sorry just read the comments and saw that some one already said Legos.
Just Laura made me remember another favorite. We LOVE to mix just corn starch and water to make goop! SO messy but so fun to play in the funny texture. And some food coloring added can be fun too. This always ends with a bath and moping the floor in our house but it can entertain kids for hours. It's fun to toss a couple plastic toys in the goop too!
Yikes, by now (it's 3 PM your time) I hope the TORNADO (say what?)has passed and that you're all safe and sound and busy as ever in some project or other.
I don't know how you do it without TV or videos. I'm exhausted just thinking about it!
Is it possible you live close to us? (Weather, oh you betcha.)
We're using our wii - a lot - with the new Wii Sports Report software. Tons of exercise and so many things to do, nobody gets bored and it lasts for hours!
Have you heard of the book "Thunder Cake"? I love that one; a grandma waits for a coming storm with her little one, and to pass the time, they make a thunder cake--a delicious chocolate cake that has a tomato as one of the ingredients (recipe in the back of the book). It's by Patricia Polacco... (Any excuse to make a chocolate cake, right?)
I got this idea from "The Creative Family" by Amanda Soule: it's snowy here so we do this A LOT: I pull out everything in the pantry that is almost "out": 1/4th cup of butterscotch morsels, a little flour, some cornmeal, junk I might throw out at the next pantry clean out anyway, that 1/2 cup pasta I'm never going to add to other pasta..you get the idea. Put it all in bowls and let the girls make their own "recipe". They stir and mix and add water...it's a mess. Then we put it into pans and pretend to bake it. We take pictures of their grand creations. They LOVE this game.
I hear ya! I had to search for our trash can this morning and finally found it -- about three blocks away!! Our gazebo weighs several hundred pounds and the wind picked it up and moved it about two feet! I have no idea how we'll get it back on the slab. Crazy, huh!!
OMG! that view of the lake in front of your home is scary. It looks like we have a couple of more days of rain still. The girls playing in the rain reminds me of Emma when she plays in the rain. Not sure how but Emma had water all the way up to her blouse! We are staying home today but dominoes is a fun game if you still need some ideas. Emma will be watching Lavagirl and sharkboy today while I do some cleaning with my mom. We are just getting up and going to make some pancakes then later we are doing jello. Stay dry!
A big tupperware container of dried beans kept my son busy for hours when he was a preschooler. Just dump several bags of dried beans in the container, give them funnels, cups, bowls, whatever and let them have at it. I always spread a plastic tablecloth on the floor and told him to try and keep all the beans on the cloth.
Yes, I leave for Chicago in less than 2 weeks. I am pretty sure you know I visited in November. My sister's friend moved out of her place so I decided to take off and sublease it for a while! Should be interesting...
So many great ideas! And they keep reminding me of other favorites!
My mom used to fill the kitchen sink with soap and water and give us all the fun kitchen stuff to play with. Turkey basters and funnels are the most fun. Sort of the rainy day rice idea with soapy water instead.
Want to make a big difference in the world? Give one small child the benefit of Foster Care. Ro and Ree were in foster care and it changed their lives. Read more about it or read about other charities that help children.
After breakfast, and before changing Ro and Ree out of their syruppy pajamas, I let them have some good, unclean fun in the storm:
Figured it was going to be the only time they got outside today. And yes, the washing machine is churning away on those muddy clothes as I type... The girls have already gotten dressed, read "Mudball" and all of their library books with BobBob, built a marble run, played with their dolls, checked out the growing ladybug larvae in their terrarium, listened to some Justin Roberts music, worked on their I Can Read books, and about 10 other things:
And we've still got eight long hours until bedtime. Oy... Anyone have any good rainy day ideas?
* A quick update: My friend Maggie just called and said the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for our area from 2-2:30 today. What?! I think I might have yelled into the phone. Sorry, Maggie. It's just so weird though. We've had crazy high winds, hail, lightning, thunder, and enough rain to flood the backyard and the street in front of our house (and we live on a hill!). Hard to believe it was warm enough to go swimming last week. I took some more video (mostly so we can show TubaDad, who is playing a symphony today and missing all the excitement).
Posts
You guys can come down the hill and play with us. We don't have a huge house but lots of new toys. Just an idea. Were thinking about going to lol tomorow if you wanna meet us there.
ReplyDeleteYour rainy (winter) days must be like our snowy (winter) days! It's tough, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAnd wouldn't it make for a perfect day of sleep? Why don't toddlers share in that thought process??
Last week I got so desperate, I pulled out Carley's x-mas tree and ornaments and let her decorate it (over and over again!).
Good luck!
This is just wild! Loving it though!! Baking is always one of my favorite things to do when it's stormy. Or make a big tent in the house and pretend your camping somewhere adventuresome!
ReplyDelete1. popcorn and a movie
ReplyDelete2. go to the library
3. go to www.familyfun.com-- great craft ideas
4. my kids are sooooooo into legos-- it'll occupy them for hours
5. they love leapster and the TAG reading system
6. puzzles (springbok has great 400piece puzzles for families- big pieces for littles and small for you-)
Sounds like you are making the most out of your rainy day!! I can't believe you did all that already and still have close to 8 hours to go.....
ReplyDeleteThere is always Chocolate.....do you have baking supplies?
Or.... let the girls play dress up in your closet!! Would be fun to see what they come up with!!
I also went over to Chinasprout.com the other day and started looking through their website for some fun CNY crafts for Sarah....... I realize you probably don't have all the supplies on hand to do a craft today, but you never know..... might be worth checking it out!!
We are planning to celebrate this year...... we never have, but I am thinking this is a good year to start:)
Hope you survive your rainy day!! Sure looks like they had fun out there:)
It's kind of messy, but my daughters love to have little bowls of water and drop food coloring in them and see the results of mixing the colors. Keeps them occupied for quite a long time. We also like to make bath paint from corn starch and baby wash mixed with food coloring then have a tubby. They "paint" on each other and the walls of the tub.
ReplyDeleteWine.
ReplyDeleteColoring sheets off the internet?
ReplyDeleteAre the girls into Legos at all? AJ LOVES them! And since we are in Seattle we have tons of rainy days when we can't play outside. AJ can play with Legos for HOURS on end. Just a thought. I usually get all my good ideas from you!
ReplyDelete-Jen-
P.S. You call that a storm, we call that and average day in Seattle ;)
Sorry just read the comments and saw that some one already said Legos.
ReplyDeleteJust Laura made me remember another favorite. We LOVE to mix just corn starch and water to make goop! SO messy but so fun to play in the funny texture. And some food coloring added can be fun too. This always ends with a bath and moping the floor in our house but it can entertain kids for hours. It's fun to toss a couple plastic toys in the goop too!
-Jen-
After watching the video of your gals, I'm thinking you should also check out the book "Mud Puddle" by Munsch.
ReplyDeleteYikes, by now (it's 3 PM your time) I hope the TORNADO (say what?)has passed and that you're all safe and sound and busy as ever in some project or other.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how you do it without TV or videos. I'm exhausted just thinking about it!
Hope all is well!
Is it possible you live close to us? (Weather, oh you betcha.)
ReplyDeleteWe're using our wii - a lot - with the new Wii Sports Report software. Tons of exercise and so many things to do, nobody gets bored and it lasts for hours!
Have you heard of the book "Thunder Cake"? I love that one; a grandma waits for a coming storm with her little one, and to pass the time, they make a thunder cake--a delicious chocolate cake that has a tomato as one of the ingredients (recipe in the back of the book). It's by Patricia Polacco... (Any excuse to make a chocolate cake, right?)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you guys live close to me! I can't say I'm enjoying this weather, as it makes for quite a soggy trek to my various classes...!
ReplyDeleteI got this idea from "The Creative Family" by Amanda Soule: it's snowy here so we do this A LOT: I pull out everything in the pantry that is almost "out": 1/4th cup of butterscotch morsels, a little flour, some cornmeal, junk I might throw out at the next pantry clean out anyway, that 1/2 cup pasta I'm never going to add to other pasta..you get the idea. Put it all in bowls and let the girls make their own "recipe". They stir and mix and add water...it's a mess. Then we put it into pans and pretend to bake it. We take pictures of their grand creations. They LOVE this game.
ReplyDeletePuddles!!! I think they are a pure joy for any age. Forts are always fun too!
ReplyDeleteI hear ya! I had to search for our trash can this morning and finally found it -- about three blocks away!! Our gazebo weighs several hundred pounds and the wind picked it up and moved it about two feet! I have no idea how we'll get it back on the slab. Crazy, huh!!
ReplyDeleteDonna
Our blog: Double Happiness!
Cover your table with plastic and empty a few cans of shaving cream for them to play with. Tons of fun!
ReplyDeleteWe will be around in July. In fact I have offered to have a get-together at our house!
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if you ever discuss your daughter's birthmom with them? or their birthstory? Do they exhibit any attachement disorders?
ReplyDeleteOMG! that view of the lake in front of your home is scary. It looks like we have a couple of more days of rain still.
ReplyDeleteThe girls playing in the rain reminds me of Emma when she plays in the rain. Not sure how but Emma had water all the way up to her blouse!
We are staying home today but dominoes is a fun game if you still need some ideas. Emma will be watching Lavagirl and sharkboy today while I do some cleaning with my mom.
We are just getting up and going to make some pancakes then later we are doing jello.
Stay dry!
A big tupperware container of dried beans kept my son busy for hours when he was a preschooler. Just dump several bags of dried beans in the container, give them funnels, cups, bowls, whatever and let them have at it. I always spread a plastic tablecloth on the floor and told him to try and keep all the beans on the cloth.
ReplyDeleteWow! I thought the rain in LA was intense.
ReplyDeleteYes, I leave for Chicago in less than 2 weeks. I am pretty sure you know I visited in November. My sister's friend moved out of her place so I decided to take off and sublease it for a while! Should be interesting...
So many great ideas! And they keep reminding me of other favorites!
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to fill the kitchen sink with soap and water and give us all the fun kitchen stuff to play with. Turkey basters and funnels are the most fun. Sort of the rainy day rice idea with soapy water instead.
Making pretzels--it's fun to form them into letters and animals. (King Arthur Flour has some good mixes for kids to bake with).
ReplyDeleteWe like using chairs to make can't-touch-ground paths throughout the house.
You can roll pine cones in peanut butter and then in birdseed to make birdfeeders--though maybe that's more of an east coast thing.
Have one girl take a picture of something in the house an then the other kid has to go find it.