Raw(e) Challenge

No editing allowed! Here is my photo for this week. Like always, the only thing I have done to it is add a watermark!

This week's theme is: Yellow

Ava enjoying a sweet ear of corn! Her fav! 

I have really been having issues with this linky! I believe it dislikes me! Last week I couldn't get the little logo box to show but I could get the link. This week I can't seem to even manage that so here is the copied and pasted version that I linked manually to her site! Please use it to check out the other entries!
http://sailorandcompany.blogspot.com/

Muffin Tin Monday

Top (from left to right): Whole wheat crackers with cheddar cheese, Corn on the cob, Star shaped PB&J

Bottom (from left to right): Raspberries and blueberries, Oranges, Organic vanilla yogurt
(Did you notice the nice new muffin tin? Thanks Grammie and Grampa)

Today was the first Monday that we had the double A's over. I don't think they were overly impressed with the muffin tins though. Maybe they will enjoy it more next time!

Mannheim

We went to Mannheim today. I had planned for us to visit the Wasserturm, the Electoral Palace, and Luisen Park but we ran out of time so the Electoral Palace will have to wait for another day! We had a blast and will be making a return trip in the near future.

 

This is a photo of Ava as we began our adventures (and yes I do realize that it is August but for us that means autumn). I had just asked her to say cheese and this was the reaction I got!

 We began our day with a visit to the Wasserturm (aka water tower) and surrounding park area. Isn't this the nicest water tower you have ever seen!

This is a close up of one of the gargoyle fountains that adorn the tower. It said trinktwasser (drink water) under it but I don't know who would accept a drink from this fellow!

After visiting the wasserturm, we headed to Luisen Park. Of course our first stop was a yummy street vendor. This is what Kerry and I ate (salami pizza).

And this is what Ava decided to eat! That's one giant pretzel!

There was so much to do at this park! We didn't have time to go through the whole thing but we did make a stop at the playground.

Like most of the large parks around Germany, this one had a water play area. It was to cold to play in most of it but we did have a blast making tornadoes!

 They had a huge chessboard

and go-carts for the kids!

 

 

 Then we decided to take a quick boat ride around the lake. 

Ava had a great time! There was only one problem......

Our boat kept getting attacked by giant fish!

Watch out, there's another one!

During our boat ride, we saw this sweet couple feeding the fish. Little did they know, those are killer, attack fish (I hope they don't fall in)!

 While we were riding on the boat, we floated past a tree full of pacifiers and sippy cups. People leave these items behind when they believe that their children are ready to go without!

There was an observation tower too, but we didn't have a chance to go up to the top. Next time we hope to make it up there so we can view the whole park!

Our day-trip to Mannheim is over. We can't wait to come back and explore some more!

Raw(e) Challenge

Pink

The main rule for this photo challenge is no editing allowed! That's fine with me since I am really new to photo editing and really not that good at it anyway! All I did to this photo was add a watermark.

Ava and I took a walk downtown after one of her therapy appointments last week and we stumbled upon these beautiful flowers. 

Couldn't get the little linky to work out for me for some reason. But here is the extended version if you want to view more photos from this challenge!
http://sailorandcompany.blogspot.com/2010/08/frilly-pink-booty-meets-rawe.html 

Muffin Tin Monday

Top (left to right): Raisin cinnamon bagel, Organic strawberry yogurt, Peas

Bottom (left to right): Cheddar/Mozzarella cheese, Pear slices, Peanut butter and jelly roll-up

Paper Mama Photo Challenge

Flowers
Ava examining/smelling flowers at a local park.
(This is an image from several weeks ago, before the paci fairy came!)

Wishful Lamb Photo Challenge

Tongues 

One of my cats, Lilly, obviously licking herself clean!
I was to late to enter this in the contest but still wanted to post it here! Maybe I'll make it next week.

In a Yellow House Photo Challenge

Arts-n-Crafts

I love to create scrapbook pages! I use tons of different items to embellish each page. These are some of the brads I recently used on a page about my daughter.

Muffin Tin Monday

Top (left to right): Quesadilla strips with cheese and green peppers (leftover form last nights dinner), Cooked carrots, Mixed fruit (strawberries, raspberries, and green grapes)

Bottom (left to right): Mixed fruit, Parmesan wheat thins, Quesadilla strips

I didn't intend on giving Ava this much fruit with her lunch today! While I was cutting it up I could have sworn that I had just the right amount to fill one of the muffin tin cups. Wrong! I had made enough for two so that's what she got! No complaints from her, she loves fruit and ate every last piece!

Muy Bien

It has been a rainy, chilly, all around yucky past few days. Ava loves going to the playground but every time she asks to go I am forced to tell her no due to the weather. I try to explain to her that it is raining and we can't play in bad weather. We even look out the window in hopes that someday she will make the connection. When we looked out the window at the playground today, I noticed that someone left a sippy cup (probably forgotten in a hasty dash to escape the rain). This cup caused me to have a flash back to something that happened to us just a few short weeks ago on this very playground.

Ava and I were out on the playground enjoying the slides, seesaw, etc. when a small boy (Mateo) around the age of 2 1/2 approached us. He appeared to be of a Hispanic background and the woman that was with him only spoke Spanish (although he was bilingual). Ava usually makes plenty of little friends while out playing so having him cling to her wasn't a surprise to me. Mateo was probably one of the best behaved, most polite small children that I have ever met and they played together for around 30 or 45 min. During this time Mateo would go back to his mother, babysitter, whoever she was to get a drink. Occasionally he would walk around the playground with his little juice box in hand. 

At one particular trip over to his mother, Mateo got bumped by someone on the swings and he fell down. Of course he was fine and bounced back quickly but, I told Ava that we should go and check on our friend. The two of us walked over to Mateo (and his mother) to see if he was alright. At that moment he handed Ava his juice box and before I could grab it she stuck the straw in her mouth. Mateo's mother kept clapping and shouting muy bien Mateo, muy bien as though she were so proud of him for sharing. Now I took Spanish in High School and granted I don't remember much but I knew what she was saying. All I could think to myself was No, No Bien! No! The whole ordeal lasted probably less then 10 secs but it seemed to play out in slow motion and go on forever. Those of you who know me, I mean really know me, understand how big of a germ-a-phobe I truly am. I about crapped out a huge spaz-cow right there on the playground. Needless to say we gracefully said goodbye to Mateo and quickly made our way home to sanitize!

Ava's Storybook Pick

I Like Cats

By: Patricia Hubbell 

Illustrated by: Pamela Paparone

This book is about all different kinds of cats; fat and thin, short and tall. The kid in the story loves them all! So did Ava. She is obsessed with cats right now and she loved this book. The book had really good rhythmic flow (which I love) and the pictures kept both of us entertained.

Art Activity: Cat Hand prints

Materials: Paint, Paint brush, Crayons, Paper, Scissors, Computer/Printer (optional), Glue

How to:

1. Paint hands (palm and fingers) with black, white, brown, etc
2. Place hand onto paper with fingers together and thumb stretched out
3. Print or draw cat heads
4. Color the cat heads and cut out
5. Glue heads onto bodies

Math Activity: Cat Matching

Materials: Computer/Printer (optional), Paper, Crayons (optional), Scissors

How to:

1. Print or draw several cats (make sure they have a matching partner)
2. Cut out pictures
3. Have child find each matching pair (easy level: lay out 3 cats and hand child 1 cat, allow them to find the match; medium level: lay out all 6 cats face up and have child find matching pairs; hard level: lay all cats upside down and have child turn over to find matching pairs)

Food Activity: Peanut butter Cats

Materials: Fruit (such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries), Cheese, Bread (toasted), Nut butter spread, Pretzels/Licorice

How to:

1. Cut a circle shape out of toast and spread your favorite type of nut butter on top
2. Use fruit such as raspberries and strawberries to create the face 
3. Cut cheese into triangles for the ears
4. Pretzel sticks or licorice make great whiskers
5. Enjoy!

Cat Joke:

What did the cat eat for breakfast?

Answer: Mice Crispies

Cat Songs/Rhymes/Fingerplays:

Five little kittens
Five little kittens standing in a row (hold up 5 fingers)
They nod their heads to the children so (bend fingers)
They run to the left, they run to the right (run fingers to the left and then to the right)
They stand up and stretch in the bright sunlight (stretch fingers out tall)
Along comes a dog who's in for some fun (hold up one finger from opposite hand)
MEOW! See those little kittens run (let fingers run) 

http://www.childcarelounge.com/Caregivers/fingerplays.htm

Black Cat

Black cat, black cat – sneak around.
Black cat, black cat – roll on the ground.
Black cat, black cat – climb up high.
Black cat, black cat – touch the sky.
Black cat, black cat – jump down low.
Black cat, black cat – touch your toe.
                                    Adapted Traditional
 

I'm a Little Kitty Cat
Tune:  “I’m A Little Teapot”
I’m a little kitty-cat,
Soft and small.
I like to climb
Or chase my ball.
If you pick me up
And rub my fur.
You can hear me
Purr and purr!
               Jean Warren
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/music_station07/cat-songs-oct07.shtml