Greetings MOPS busy Bag Exchange group!

*If you are a regular viewer of my blog....sorry I have been missing! Blake was born in May and its been a bit crazy. I'll try to update more soon!!! In the mean time I am using this blog as a spot to communicate for a Busy Bag exchange over the next few weeks.

If you are here for the Columbus MOPS Busy Bag sign up - Welcome.

Here is what you need to do.

1. Look over list of activities listed below and pick your top three (the ones you want to make)

2. Email me at janice.landi@gmail.com by Wednesday July 18th in order to 'sign up' and secure a spot in the exchange. Include the following in your email:
your name
number and name of top three activities you would like to make

3. I will email you on Friday July 20th with your assignment and the final number of bags you need to make. (I will do my best to make it one of your top three, but please be understanding if not)

4. You need to complete your bags by Saturday August 4th (this gives you two weekends of back to school sales to get what you need :> and make your bags)

5. We will have the 'exchange' at my house on Saturday August 4th.
If you can make it - great! We'll spend an hour or so socializing and exchanging the bags.
If you can't make it - bummer! Just make sure that you drop your bags off to my house before Saturday, I'll make a pile for you of all the exchanged bags and you can come pick them up, or I can try to arrange to meet you at one of our outings.


Below is the list of activities for the exchange (and the list is not super pretty with pictures.....I need sleep and don't have time to make this post pretty :>)

Please remember
- The links I listed are just an example to get you started. Your bag does not have to look exactly like the link. Please feel free to be creative with the idea, pinterest and google are your friends and will help if you are not feeling creative!
- Your goal should be to spend approximately $1 a bag (if you start shopping and find that it's more expensive, please let me know and we can find a different activity for you!)
- Dollar store, Target Dollar spot, ALL the back to school sales, www.orientaltrading.com are a few places to find inexpensive items for your bags

1. Number counting cards Cards with number and circles to place poms, beads, rocks, gemstones, etc http://craftsandartforchildren.blogspot.com/2010/09/homemade-number-boards-learning-to.html 2. Button Snake Felt, buttons, colored pieces (there are a gazillion examples out there for this one) http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/busy-bag-idea-button-snake.html 3.Pipe cleaner color sort (last activity) match pipe cleaners to colored holes in container http://www.rockabyebutterfly.com/2011/05/colour-practicing.html 4. I spy container Rice in bottle with small items. Control card of items to find so kids know what they are looking for http://www.allfortheboys.com/home/2012/5/9/busy-bag-swap.html 5. Popsicle puzzle 8-10 sticks with picture cut and modgepod on them http://www.allfortheboys.com/home/2012/5/9/busy-bag-swap.html 6.Uppercase, lowercase matching spoons Two sets of 26 spoons to match letters http://organizedjewishhome.com/2011/12/19/busy-bags-aabbcc-spoons/ 7.Velcro popsicle sticks sticks with Velcro on end to stick together (You could color them for matching game) http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/09/making-shapes/ 8.Qtip sorting game Water bottle ice cube tray with q tips (can use any small item that is 'countable' in a regular ice cube tray too) http://www.mamajennblogs.com/2009/06/q-tip-counting-trays.html 9. Clothesline felt hang up Line, clothes pins, felt clothes (link has free downloadable pattern) http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/05/free-cothesline-busy-bag-instructions-and-pattern-download.html 10. Pool noodle lacing game Noodle slices, numbers, color/number pattern cards for kid to follow http://planetoftheapels.blogspot.com/2011/09/busy-bag-swap-day-2-pool-noodle-lacing_01.html 11. Popsicle matching (3rd activity on link) felt popsicles where tops come off and you match color to stick with color and name http://amomwithalessonplan.com/2012/05/17/busy-bag-fun/ 12. Lego Matching (activity 2 on link) Lego's with cars (you could use numbers, letter, etc.  Could use three or four Lego depending on size of picture) http://www.playeatgrow.com/2012/05/play-travel-busy-bags.html 13. Pom pom stuff it puff balls stuffed in holes of container http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/08/busy-bag-idea-pom-pom-stuff-it-in.html 14.Make your own felt cupcake/ pizza Felt pieces to build food with pattern cards for kids to follow http://moneysavingmom.com/2011/07/free-cupcake-busy-bag-instructions-and-pattern-download.html 15.Silly faces could make out of felt instead of magnets http://planetoftheapels.blogspot.com/2011/09/busy-bag-swap-day-8-silly-faces.html 16. Sticker bag Stickers in bag with paper :) bag with stickers and some paper  17. Play dough bag Pick any theme - doesn’t have to be 'spring' http://amomwithalessonplan.com/2012/05/18/homemade-play-dough/ 18. Magnetic pom pom don’t need to include cookie sheet just poms and print out http://engagingtoddleractivities.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/homemade-toy-magnetic-pompoms/ 19. Weaving/wrapping string cardboard tray with slots to wrap/weave string around http://www.playcreateexplore.com/2011/09/weaving-with-styrofoam-meat-tray.html 20.Double trouble shapes  Foam shapes with control grids to show kids what to build http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?p=298

April Showers

I can't believe its April already.  Where is this year going?   Here is quick recap for the first half of our month.  

Bob taught Austin about Umbrellas.  Now whenever we go ANYWHERE and it's raining i hear 'Austins umbrella'.  Here he is on a trip back from the mailbox with his boots and umbrella.

I love clearance sections at stores, don't you?    When I was there I found some 'Special Markers' aka washable dry erase markers.  Sweet huh?   So, I taught Austin that with these Special Markers he can write on the board....

And then erase it with a napkin.....So after I hand him the box of special markers, he is very quick to ask for a napkin.   He has mastered the general idea of Tic Tac Toe.    He asks me to draw the board and then we take turns putting a mark in one of the empty boxes.

Please excuse the mess on the counter of this picture, but this is a common site at our house.  Dad comes home from work, He and Austin go out to the backyard and pick some lettuce.  They clean and cut it for dinner.

And the best part......He actually eats it!!!!!!

He also enjoyed his first Taco....I think he is going to be a fan, just like his dad.

One day,  Austin and I took a walk and noticed that our neighbor had a basketball hoop laying in their trash pile.   He was very quick to point it out to me.   Lucky for us, on the way home, the owner was outside and we asked if it was broken?  He said no and we could have it.  Score!!!     Austin has really enjoyed playing with it this month.

Mom got something new too (well, craigs list new). A new stroller for Big Brother and little brother. (Dont worry those of you keeping track....I sold two of my other ones)   We have taken a few walk so Austin can get used to standing and sitting in the big brother seat.

Magnets are cool

One of the toys I have been really wanting to get for Austin is Magnets.   When Uncle Chuck was here, we went to a school supply store and scored this set!  (Well, the magnets and disk were in the set, the tray and containers were in my cabinet of goodies)

I put it in front of him and let him go to town.  Here he is unscrewing the container to find out whats inside.

Look these marbles stick to the wand.

I put metal marbles, metal disks, paperclips, and gem stones in the containers so he can discover what will 'stick' to the magnet and what would not.   Of course, he enjoyed just dumping all the 'stuff' out on the tray.

We practiced sorting and put all the items back into their container, then got the wand out started playing more.

If i drag the wand up the outside of the bottle, the marble floats up too.

All in all, I love the magnet wands, and I think he does too.

Uncle Chucks visit

Its been awhile and we have been up to a lot.  Way back in March, Uncle Chuck (Bob's Uncle) came down to visit from Chicago.   He and Austin did a lot of playing and Baseball was one of the highlights.

 Here Austin is letting Uncle Chuck take a turn.


Austin decided that just hitting the ball was not challenging enough.  So he got the mini basketball hoop out and was trying to 'bunt' into the basket.

Uncle Chuck got Austin a Guitar....his favorite noisy toy so far!

The boys hanging out with their own popcorn bowls.

More Baseball in my new Sox warm up outfit.

Playing in my Pueblo

And what warm day is not complete without a splash in the water table?

I think that Austin did a great job wearing out Uncle Chuck.  He took extra naps, went to bed early, and even slept in a bit.  (And I am talking about Uncle Chuck!)

I wana be like Dad

I don't give the kid enough credit sometimes.   I bought these round containers at IKEA (They say 1,2,3 on them)   and was going to use them to help teach him to sort.  He really has not shown any interest in putting things in groups, so I put them aside and figured I'd bring them out later.   I forget what he was doing on this day that made me think to do this, but I figured, what the heck, do you think he would understand 'the Grand Prize Game?'  (I think that's what they called it on the Bozo show?)

So I put a bunch of balls in the big basket and set the small ones out in front of him.  I toss a ball in a few times and call out what color I was aiming for.

And before I know it....he's doing it to.   He empties the basket with all the balls, then goes and collects them again and moved the 1,2,3 containers to different spots and tries again.   He played this game for most of the afternoon.  We had plastic balls, bean bags, wiffle balls, all types.  He seamed to really enjoy it.

Of course when dad gets home, he teaches Austin a much more challenging way to hit the buckets....from the second floor. 

Not only does he like to cut with scissors, but his knife too.  He is an expert at cutting pears and apples into bite size pieces.  He'll even share if you standing next to him.

A few weeks ago we bought a piece of wood and some hardware pieces to make an activity board for Austin.  I was in the house this Saturday and hear a power tool turn on.  I peak out in the garage to see what my boys are doing and find the two of them here.

Mr. Safety has on his glasses and is keeping his hands away from the portable Sander. (Grandpa F...do you recognize it?  We actually use it on quite a few projects).

(UHgg  again I don't want to take the time to figure out why it wont flip this picture...you know what to do....tilt your head to the right again - thanks) Here is the finished project.   There is room on the board to add more as I find neat latches, hinges and locks.  We wanted to make sure Austin liked it before we spent too much on hardware.

And this is Austins first Big Boy hair cut. He got to sit on the chair and wear the cape, just like Daddy.  It actually worked out much better than doing it in the tub (Where his last few haircuts have been)  The cape kept his hands out of the way and he couldn't shoo my hands away.  I get braver with each haircut and may not need to take him to a pro after all.  We'll see how the next few go.  

Random activities

I am having trouble thinking of creative titles to these blogs....so you're stuck with my generic descriptions.   Here are some things that we've been doing around the house.

Yes sometimes I don't change out of pajamas until after breakfast....so if you come to my house early, you may find us in PJ's.   Here is Austin cooking food for Elmo and Baby.   I bought a baby doll to have around the house to hep prepare him as a big brother.  He set this up on his own.  I was making breakfast and turn around and he has them laid on a pillow and is heating up food and giving it to them.

He pulls me over to say 'look mom I gave elmo a turkey and baby a tomato.'

Here we are playing airport.   I tried to draw a parking lot and then have all the cars drive to the airplane to drop off the passengers.   I don't think he really understood, he'd just come get me when the lines dried and disappeared and have me draw them again. 

Ever notice that it looks like Austin and Lily on the plane?  :)

Austin has discovered that he can use scissors.  He loves to sit at the table and just cut.   He does use his right hand for this task (one of the few) and will cut and cut, then ask for more paper.  He's been using the all plastic scissors so far. I just bought some blunt metal ones that I think we'll try next time.

This was a valentines day activity.  Someone discovered that whip cream is really yummy when Mom turned her back to go get the camera to take a before picture!

 Here we are putting Jello cubes on top of the yogurt/whip cream mixture we turned pink.  He did a pretty good job helping to make these and not eating too many of the fixins.

No, he did not eat the whole thing!    He had some of the yogurt and a few pieces of jello.