Toddler Activities

Keeping little hands busy during these long, cold days is crucial.

Here is one Cruzy really liked.

"Snowball"Transfer

We used:

 cotton balls as "snowballs"

a bowl to hold the cotton balls

a little scoop to used for transferring

an icetray to fill 

I showed him how to use the scoop to put one ball in each little slot.

He used his hands when he was struggling with the scoop. 

He did well and enjoyed it. He got more then one in some slots but he made sure each one had some. 

Do you have any fun toddler activities that your little ones like to do?

Also, I have been searching everywhere to find some toddler sized tongs to use in place of scoops and spoons and I can't seem to find them anywhere. Any ideas?

Free Rangin'

This week marked the start of our chickens beginning to free range. We had a small massacre take place a little bit ago and the only survivor was the rooster, Lennox. After getting a couple of hens, I kept them in their run until they started bonding and becoming a flock because I was afraid that they wouldn't free range together and that they would run off. Also, I was training them to come to the sound of Cruz or I calling "chicken" which has been successful as they associate it with expecting scratch (dessert for chickens). And lastly, there are quite a few free range flocks on the neighboring farms who range far and wide and I wanted to make sure my ladies (and guy) were united enough that they wouldnt get bullied if/when they ran into other chickens on the road (only in the country do you have such worries!)

At first, everyone was a little unsure. The chicks didnt want to come out of their run and Cruz was not at all happy that his chickens werent where they were supposed to be. He was awfully confused and ran around yelling at them and pointing his finger telling them to get back in their coop. 

 *my 50 pd bag of feed that got left out in the storm and is now fertilizer. fail. 

Finally everything calmed down enough for Cruz to show me his belly and request a picture of his favorite rainboots. Funny guy.

And the chickens greatly enjoyed their free ranging and were back in their coop promptly at sundown. They are now enjoying a happy, leisurely life as one of the many free ranging flocks in these here parts. 

Monkey Baby

If you follow me on instagram then you have already seen these pictures, but he is such a funny little dude that I wanted to post it here. 

He started here. I left to go do the dishes...

and came out to this kid. 

I was gone about 2 1/2 mins and I can clearly see and hear into the living room from the kitchen. So he did this quietly and stealthily.

He never, ever stops cracking me up. 

On Nursing Toddlers and Other Terrifying Acts

With Cruz's 2nd birthday right around the corner, I thought I would answer one of the questions I get asked most online as well as in real life "are you still nursing" and "when do you plan to stop?"

Both answers are pretty simple. Yes, I'm still nursing. And I dont really have a game plan around stopping. My thought has always been that we will just continue doing what we do until it feels like the right time to stop. To that answer, I usually always get the same response "hmmmm..." People never really seem to know what to say. Which doesn't really bother me much.

 I don't know many people who breastfeed their babies past 12-18 months but it doesnt really make much difference to me. I also dont know anyone who climbs into the bath fully clothed just to make their toddler laugh, but that didnt stop me from doing it. I dont know anyone who has had a sheet fort up around their bed for 3 weeks, but thats where you will find Cruz and I sleeping as of late. I don't know one single person who has the same sweater that I am wearing right now, however that would never stop me from wearing it...I like it. And thats pretty much my view on breastfeeding; I very rarely do things in my life simply because others approve or disapprove of it so why wouldn't the same be true of breastfeeding. Cruz likes it, I like it, simple stuff.

That being said, nursing a toddler is much different then nursing a newborn. At times it feels more like a defensive sport then a bonding experience or nutritional encounter. Sometimes Cruz is sweet as pie and lays still, looking up at me and smiling and making me the happiest mama in the world. Other times he bounces all over, whips his head around to look at something in the opposite direction or thinks that it might be a really good idea if he nurses with his feet on my shoulder. To be blunt, at times, its painful. But so much more than worth it in my opinion.

A little nursling in big boy undies

Just to clarify, as much as I dont appreciate judgement, I also dont judge others. I have zero thoughts or opinions about how it works for others mamas and babies. If you do breastfeed, if you dont, if you try, if you never want to think about it, its all the same to me. I think you should at least give it a try, but if you dont, that doesnt change my opinion at all. And I respect that choice just the same as well. I don't like people who breastfeed more then people who dont. I dont hold them in higher regard. If there is one thing I believe in this world, its to live and let live. To each their own. Everyone deserves that respect, so please be respectful.

I had no idea it was possible to love someone so much.