The Binky Fairy

The time has come for the beloved and dreaded Binky Fairy to visit our dearest little Lucy! Lucy has had a Binky since her first week of life. When I discovered she had colic I gave in wanting to do anything that would comfort my poor, screaming, little baby! I thought that we would be rid of it over a year ago but when I had Evey, that idea went flying out the window. During that time though, we decided that Lucy would only be allowed to have it at "night, night time" which worked out fantastically. In fact she looked forward to going to bed! (That is part of the reason why Eric and I have been dreading this. Will taking the Binky result in "night, night battles"?) But Alas, the dreaded day came! For about a month we built up the idea of a Binky Fairy coming in the middle of the night to take Lucy's Binkies. But we emphasized that when she come to take her Binkies she would also leave a present for Lucy. She was pretty excited about that! So last Saturday we sneaked into her room, took all her Binkies and left a present by her bed. It took less than a half hour for Lucy to realize that her Binky was gone. I could hear her searching around her bed, saying "Binky? Binky? Binky?" It nearly brought tears to my eyes. So Eric and I opened the door and as excitedly as we could we explained that the Binky Fairy had come. She then broke into tears and said, "Binkies all gone?" "Yes" we said to Lucy. "The Binky Fairy took your Binkies to babies who need it. BUT... she left you a present!!!" Lucy didn't perk up the way I had hoped she would. But after a few minutes of sobbing she reached for the present.


I first read her the card. In case you can't read it, it says:
"Lovely Lucy,
You are growing up to be a beautiful little girl! But you are not a baby anymore! So the time has come for me to take your Binkies to little babies who need them. I hope you love your presents! I picked them out especially for you!
Love,
The Binky Fairy

Inside she found two new stuffed friends. A grin grew on her face as she pulled out the Elephant!

I picked it out because she has been coveting her sisters for the longest time. I also felt the music would help soothe her when she misses her Binky at night. (When she pulls it's tail, it plays music.)

It has been 3 days since she was visited by the Binky Fairy, and they have gone by surprisingly well. The first night she was fine. She seemed to think that the Binky Fairy was coming again that night. The next night she cried for only a minute but then simply stated that the Binky Fairy came and gave her Binky to a baby and that she got a present. She then took her Elephant and pulled its' tail. Every now and again throughout the day she will state matter-of-factly "Binkies are All Gone!" Or she'll run up to me and say "I got a present!!!!" Thankfully, bed time has never become an issue either. It's seems that she is so grounded in routine, that she hasn't even given it a second thought...yet... So all in all, it was a success! And our fears were just that. Fears.

Soap Crayons

Last week I decided that I would try this out! So I invited a friend over and together we made soap crayons for our kids!


They are incredibly easy to make!

1 cup Soap Flakes (just grate a bar of soap with a cheese grater)
Food coloring
2tbsp of hot water

Have 1 large bowl and several small bowls (one for each color), An ice cube tray or other small molds.

Put Soap Flakes in a large bowl and drop the hot water into the soap flakes stirring constantly (it will be very thick and difficult to stir)

Spoon some of the soap into each small bowl and color each separately. Mush and stir until it is the desired consistency and color. Put some colored soap into each mold. How much soap in each mold is entirely up to you!

Let dry (this can take 5 days to a week)

Have Fun!



Lucy and Evey seemed to really enjoy themselves and even though the color wasn't as vivid as I had hoped it would be, it sure killed the morning!


Big Smile!



Don't expect to get your kids incredibly clean this time! Prepare yourself for very dirty looking water. Keep reminding yourself it's soap with food coloring, not dirt. That helps...a little.



And of course as every little kid must do, Lucy drinks the disgusting water (YUCK!!! "It's only soap!! It's only soap!!!")

Changes!

Sorry guys, I have been so terrible about keeping up my Blog. Lately, it seems like the days haven't been long enough. (Wait a minute!!!!...It IS almost fall, so the days are getting shorter! Haha)

So things have been fun and a little crazy around here. Eric just got a new job! It's the one that we have been waiting for! He is working with a program called Comprehensive Autism Services and Education Inc. (C.A.S.E., Inc.) It's an agency that specializes in the behavioral, social and educational needs of children with Autism. Eric is being trained to be an ABA interventionist. He basically gets to play with kids all day using games and activities that will help change undesirable behaviors (behavior modification). This job is such a blessing to our family because Eric will get experience in his field, Psychology. (which will help tremendously as he applies for a PhD program.) It is full time with benefits which is fantastic for our family! Plus, he gets to play with kids all day! So far Eric loves it! It's everything he wanted all meshed up into one job! I am so proud of him for working so hard for our family, but never settling for a job that was not exactly what he wanted! He will be so good at it, I just know it. He is soo great with kids!

However, Eric's new job has taken some getting used to for the both of us. After school ended, Eric was home almost all morning and now he leaves home as I am getting out of bed. I've been soo spoiled! I've gotten used to having Eric to talk to for half the day. Now it just seems like the mornings are too quiet. ( aside from the girls shrieking up and down the hall chasing each other)

His new job has also left me car-less, which has taken some getting used to. Now I have to find more clever ways to keep myself and the girls entertained. I am so lucky to be in walking distance to both the store and the park. We go on a lot of walks. Our outdoor adventures usually contain sliding, bug catching, flower picking, and bird/airplane watching. But besides the slide, Lucy and Evey’s favorite activity is ball hunting.

There are always little tiny airsoft pellets all over our apartment complex. Lucy and Evey love them for there bright colors. It's funny because I have never seen one kid in our complex playing airsoft and yet there seems to be an endless supply. Sometimes I feel that they are heaven sent, simply to entertain my children. Anyways, if any one has any ideas for fun activities for toddlers I am all ears! I’d love ideas for crafts or kid friendly recipes.
Another one of Lucy's favorite activities is Play Dough!

I made a batch about a week ago and it has been great. Lucy will sit at the table for at least an hour making shapes with cookie cutters. Evey on the other hand, is only interested for about 10-15 minutes. (I didn't add any food coloring so it would be the same color as my carpet, just in case we have a messy day)




Heres the recipe for anyone that wants it!...

Homemade Play Dough!

2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)
optional- food coloring (liquid, powder, or unflavored drink mix)
optional- scented oils

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together, and stir over low heat. The dough will begin to thicken until it resembles mashed potatoes.

When the dough pulls away from the sides and clumps in the center, remove the pan from heat and allow the dough to cool enough to handle.

If your play dough is still sticky, you simply need to cook it longer! Keep stirring and cooking until the dough is dry and feels like play dough.

Turn the dough out onto a clean counter or silicone mat, and knead vigorously until it becomes silky-smooth.

Divide the dough into balls for coloring.Make a divot in the center of the ball, and drop some food coloring in.Fold the dough over, working the food color through the body of the play dough, trying to keep the raw dye away from your hands and the counter.Work the dye through, adding more as necessary to achieve your chosen color.
(If you used unsweetened drink mix for color, test on a small ball first- it won't go as far as the "real" food coloring.)

Play with your play dough- I really don't need to help you there. It's entirely edible, if a bit salty, so it's kid-safe.

(When you're done store it in an air-tight container. If it begins to dry out, you can knead a bit of water in again to soften the dough back to use-ability. Once it's dried past a certain point, however, you'll just have to start over; thankfully it's not terribly difficult.)




So yep that's that...
Once again, if anyone has any ideas for fun activities let me know!