Books + Snacks

We took a break from our books + coordinating crafts and switched to books + coordinating SNACKS! 

Last week, we read If You Give a Moose a Muffin and I'm sure you know what we made. 😉  Marshall chose to make blueberry muffins, and seeing as they are one of his favorite foods, he loved this! He did such a good job helping mix up the batter and then anxiously waited while they baked.

Today, we read The Cat in the Hat, and I found this super cute snack idea on Pinterest.  I think it came together well, but it is definitely harder to draw a cat face on a marshmallow than it looks. 😂

Fun at the Library

Marshall and I (Mace, too 😊) have become regulars at the library this summer. He has always loved books and reading, and now he loves going to pick out his own new books to read.  Last week, we got him a library card and I showed him how to check books out.  This week, I showed him how to return his books in the book return slot, and he helped me check books out again. He loves to help with anything, and these tasks were no exception!

On Wednesday, we went to the Bobby Cadabra Magic Show at the Sandston Library to kick off Summer Reading. We have done so much already for Marshall's reading log, and he's really enjoying it!

Y'all, when he started this next trick, I was preparing to be embarrassed. haha. 

For those that don't know, Marshall could live off of PBJ sandwiches and waffles if we let him. It's his favorite thing. Well, Bobby Cadabra said he was going to make a PBJ sandwich for lunch, and I'm sitting in the back thinking, "oh my gosh, Marshall is going to ask for a sandwich for himself." 😂 Thankfully, he didn't, but then, they played the song, "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" and I just KNEW Marshall would get up and dance. (We have dance parties to this song at home, haha). Again, thankfully, he didn't get up, but even if he had, it would've made for a good story!

Last night, we went to see Zeke the dog at the Varina library! We heard about him from mom (she works in an elementary school library).  Zeke visits libraries and hangs out listening to kids read to him.  Marshall didn't read to Zeke, but I watched from a distance as a couple kids did read to him.  The Varina library is still really new, and the entire building is beautifully designed, but the children's area is amazing! Marshall LOVED playing at this library, and didn't pick out as many books because he wanted to play with the groceries. 😂

 

This picture cracks me up!

Dad and Marshall were lining these monkeys up in the shape of a "C." Dad kept adding more to make it into a circle. Marshall looked at it and said, "Oh no! My C!" 😂

 

Checking out and heading home.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 24

To be totally honest, I didn't think tonight's book was going to happen either.  Marshall was so tired after an evening full of fun Christmas traditions and it was his past bedtime.  Luckily, he did settle down just long enough to read!

Book #24: Twas the Night Before Christmas (of course!)

Photo bombed by Santa Maple. That's her new Christmas sweater and she loves it! :)

25 Days of Christmas: Days 21-23

The past couple nights, Marshall hasn't been "feeling" reading. On the 21st, when he first started this, I thought, "okay, no big deal, we'll just double up tomorrow." But then, it kept happening. haha. The 22nd and the 23rd were no different.  He'd sit still for MAYBE 10 seconds, and that was the end of that.  A couple of the books, I did actually finish, but I know good and well he wasn't paying a lick of attention. haha.

Last night, after the 3rd night in a row of Marshall not wanting to read, I realized we were running out of days in the 25 Days of Christmas, and I'm just going to need to do a blog post now, before Days 24 and 25 are ready to be written.

So, here are the books we attempted reading the past couple days:

Book #21: The Snowbelly Family of Chillyville Inn

Book #22: Christmas Joy

Book #23: Lady and the Tramp: Lady's Christmas Surprise

25 Days of Christmas: Days 19 and 20

Tonight's one of those nights where I'm just sitting here staring at this blog post--all the pictures and links are good to go--but I have no idea what to write.  I keep clicking other tabs, then coming back, thinking something will come to me.  It doesn't, so I do it all again.  So, let's just cut to the chase!

Book #19: The Pups Save Christmas

Book #20: Santa's Toy Shop

25 Days of Christmas: Day 18

I know yesterday's post was posted within the past couple hours, but here's tonight's! Matt read Marshall his Christmas book tonight, and of course, Maple had to be right there with them. (But I'm thinking Marshall's food may have had something to do with that...)

Book #18: Santa's Sleigh is on its way to Virginia

I love how this book mentions lots of famous landmarks and cities in the state.

Apparently Marshall's drink was so good, he could only focus on that 😂

25 Days of Christmas: Days 15 and 16

I love how much Marshall loves books now, which makes doing these 25 Days of Christmas books so much more fun!  Sure, there are some nights where he's such a wiggle worm, but then there's nights where he'll sit studying each picture.  Or maybe he'll start knocking on the pages when I say, "Joseph knock, knock, knocks on every door...", much like he did tonight. haha.

Book #15: The Itsy Bitsy Reindeer

Book #16: One Small Donkey

I just love this first picture! I read The Itsy Bitsy Reindeer to the tune of The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Marshall did the motions of the spider version as I read! It was so funny. And he probably thinks I'm nuts for singing a really wrong version of the spider song he knows. haha

"Dad, why do you take pictures of us reading every night?"

"Mom, read faster!" He started turning the pages way too soon 😂

25 Days of Christmas: Days 11-14

Since it's been four days since my last "25 Days" blog posts, I've been reminding myself (and accepting the fact) that it's really not the end of the world if I don't get a post up each day. Plus, when we're not feeling well or one of us is sick, sometimes, something's gotta give.

When I first started doing my 25 Days of Christmas posts, I was a sophomore in college.  I was only involved in a couple of organizations and my class schedule wasn't super crazy.  I had much more "down time" than I do now.  Do I still have "me time" now? Of course, but it doesn't always line up with when Marshall is awake.  So, if we have to do four books in one night, so be it.

Book #11: Five Little Reindeer

Book #12: Phineas and Ferb: Oh Christmas Tree

Book #13: Santa's Magic Bag

Book #14: Christmas in the Manger

25 Days of Christmas: Day 10

I feel like weekends fly by way too quickly!! Wasn't it just Friday afternoon and I was driving home from work, IN THE SNOW, ready for a nice weekend?  Thankfully, this is our last week of school before a much needed two week break! While I'm ready for this Friday afternoon to be here, I'm looking forward to fun and festive things going on at work, and exchanging a few gifts!

Today at church, we had our annual Christmas Cantata and Children's program.  I love how they incorporated both groups into the same program this year.  All of the music was awesome!!! And of course the kids are adorable to watch :)  Marshall was still too young to participate this year, but maybe next year!  Wonder if we can find my old sheep costume at church from the Christmas play about 24 years ago for him to wear? 😂  Haha, I'm sure it's been cleaned out by now!

So, tonight's book was a great way to end the day, following the Christmas program at church.

Book #10: The Best Christmas Gift Ever (Veggies Tales!)

Maple couldn't get herself situated for story time. haha

While I was reading to Marshall, he was looking up at the tree, just staring.  Matt took him over to the tree and he was pointing at each ornament and saying what it was, specifically "car"--we have a Mater Christmas ornament (from the movie cars), and Marshall recognized it from the Mater Christmas blow-up we have outside by the porch.

Marshall also got a bonus book tonight after our Christmas book.  He went and grabbed his most favorite book ever and brought it to Matt to read.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 9

We got to read tonight's book somewhere else!!  We spent the evening hanging out with Sue Sue, Poppy and Auntie Abby snacking and decorating the Christmas tree! There's was lots of eating, laughing, coloring and quoting Elf....and lots of decorating of course, haha.

Sue Sue had a snowman book we'd never read before, so it was a perfect book to read with all the beautiful snow we have to look at!

Book #9: Snowmen at Christmas

Don't hate on my leggings + sock combo 😂 I'm fully embracing my Christmas spirit.