Sensory Messy Playdate

Last year I hosted my first Messy Playdate which I learned about (and gathered ideas) from Crystal of Growing a Jeweled Rose.  It had been almost a year, so I decided to plan and host another one. 

There were 5 stations:

• Shaving Cream Cooking- A pool filled with shaving cream, plastic food, various cooking utensils, plastic containers, and a few pots and pans
• Dino Sandbox- A sandbox filled with plastic dinosaurs, plastic eggs, shovels, and a few other plastic containers
• Painting with Balls- Sam and I taped paper to our shed and secured a tarp on the ground.  I filled several tubs with washable tempura paint and had textured balls for them to dip and throw against the paper.
• Construction Rice- A pool filled with rice and Bennett's construction equipment.  I found construction hats at the Dollar Tree to use, as well.
• Water Bead Sea- A pool filled with water beads, various plastic sea creatures, and plastic containers.  I also had a box with lei's and sunglasses that could be worn.

The play date began at 10 a.m. and it was much cooler this year than last year.  Several of Bennett's friends were able to come and like last year each family paid $10 to cover the cost of supplies and a small lunch for the kids.

The Shaving Cream Cooking station was not a favorite in the beginning (minus my son), but after a little exploring it became a favorite to many.  While it created a huge mess that the moms may not have enjoyed ;) the kids LOVED it!!

Bennett was hilarious and was quite the host.  As people were arriving he would run to each station and tell them all about it.  He would say, "Welcome, to the Messy Play Date!"

As a whole, I would say the kids enjoyed the water bead sea most of all.  Water beads provide a great sensory experience.  I haven't met a kid yet who is not intrigued by them.

It took about 30 bags of water beads to fill the bottom of the pool.

We I see these photos of Bennett and think about how much fun he had I can't stop smiling....and LAUGHing.

Most children love a sand box.  You can simply give them a shovel and a bucket and they will play for a long time, but it was fun to repurpose some of Bennett's toys by including them in each station.  

Painting with Balls was a huge hit with my son and Wyatt!  Of course, Bennett enjoyed every station as you can see.  This station made a huge mess, but it was sooooo worth it.  The kids who got into it played for a long time, while the others only spent a few moments and then moved on.

The finished product made for some really neat artwork.

Last year, the rice station was the favorite, but it took a backseat this year.........at least for the first 30 minutes.  Then, the kids were thoroughly enjoying themselves.  

While the set up can be intense it is totally worth it when I see the kids enjoying themselves and am able to converse with some dear friends.  Now, that summer is in full swing I am not sure when I will host another one, but I do hope to do it again.

I can honestly say it is the most fun I have ever seen Bennett have (outside of our trips to Disney World).

7 and 8 Months: Zoe

Sweet Zo-Bear is 8 months.  I didn't write a 7 month update, so I will include tid-bits from our sweet baby girl from the last two months.  Let me begin by saying Zoe is as sweet as sugar.  I mean so sweet that sometimes I think my heart will explode.  We are in a very sweet stage, which includes adequate sleep and independent play without the mobility :)

She began sleeping through the night sometime between 6 and 7 months.  She goes to bed between 7-7:30 p.m. and wakes up anywhere from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m.  Between months 7 and 8, she began waking up and happily playing in her crib for another 15-30 minutes before beginning to cry for someone to get her (most days).  She takes 2-3 naps.  She is taking 2 more consistently than 3.  She consistently takes a 40 min to 1 hour nap around 9-9:30 a.m.  Her afternoon naps tends to vary based on what we have planned for the day.  Bennett is currently taking swim lessons 2 days a week, so she will usually fall asleep in the car on the way home.  I will let her sleep for 30 minutes, wake her up, feed her lunch, then put her back to sleep 1.5-2 hours later.  Those are usually the days she will take a long afternoon nap lasting 1.5 to 2 hours.  The other days she tends to fall asleep around 12:30-1 p.m. and will sleep 1 to 1.5 hours.

One thing Sam and I love and hope to never forget is how she peeps her head over the crib rail when she hears us open the door.  Then, she lays her head down begins kicking her legs, smiling, and panting.  It is the sweetest thing!

She also began sitting up between 6 and 7 months.  She can not come into a sitting position independently, but can maintain the position well when placed.  She is able to reach outside her base of support without falling.  She has recently began reaching to the point where she transitions from sitting to prone (lying on stomach), but it is not intentional and usually surprises her.

When lying on her stomach she will spin herself around to attain objects and push herself backward (a little), but has not began pulling herself forward.  When lying on her back she will use her feet to scoot all over the floor.  And while sitting she will use her feet to scoot around on her bottom.  If I put her on hands and knees she can maintain the position for about 15-20 seconds before sliding back down to her stomach.

We have a basket full of baby toys that she usually plays with in the morning, but she prefers to play with B's Duplo blocks.  She loves to pull them out of the bucket, chew on them for a while and throw them to the floor.

She finally loves her feet and will chew and chew on them particularly while riding in the car and after waking up.

Speaking of the car, she loves it!!!  What an answer to prayer.  We thought we were in for another terrible car passenger, but she turned a huge corner and is now extremely happy in the car.  It is AMAZING to have a child that enjoys the car.  I could go on and on and on about it, but if you've never had a child who cried in the car from the moment you put them in the car seat to the moment you took them out you would not understand.

She rolls all over the bed.  She can find and put her pacifier in her mouth.  She has started chewing on her tongue.  She is definitely babbling with more distinct, repeated sounds.  She enjoys peek a boo and songs with hand motions.  If I clap and sing she will smile SO BIG and begin to bounce.

I love to watch her fine motor skills develop.  It is one of my favorite things about this stage.  She watches her fingers so closely and will work for 30 seconds to a minute trying to pick up the smallest leaf or stick or crumb.  She will twirl her wrists around examining each finger as it bends and straightens.  She will rub new surfaces over and over again.  She loves to play with carpet.  She has an excellent pincer grasp and is getting much better at conquering those slippery bananas :)

We have reached the stage where most things go straight to the mouth.  I am not sure if she is worse than Bennett or if it just seems that way, because there are more small objects lying around.

We have also reached the separation anxiety stage.  I thought Bennett's was severe.  Oh my, was I ever wrong.  My sweet Zo-Bear does not stop crying if I leave her in the nursery at B.S.F. or church.  B would cry on and off the whole time, but had bouts of cry free time.  Zoe doesn't stop until we come back and get her.  The good thing, she is happy if she's with me (or Sam), so I just keep her with me during Bible Study and church.

I finished nursing between months 7 and 8.  It was a little sad, at first, but my milk was beginning to dry up, so it worked out well to go ahead and begin weaning her.  She now drinks 4 bottles a day (3, 6 oz. and 1, 8 oz.).  She eats 3 meals a day which usually consist of one jar of baby food and a little finger food (banana, avocado, green bean, bread, puffs, yogurt melts, mums, cooked carrots, rice).  Like Bennett, so far she enjoys eating.  She does not drink out of a sippy cup.  We have tried 2 different cups without success.

She wears a size 4 diaper and 9 or 12 month clothes.  I have learned that girls clothes can be worn much longer than boys, because so many of their outfits are dresses or tunics with diaper covers.  She still has several 6 month outfits that she wears.

Her two bottom teeth are fully in.  She has not cut anymore, but she currently has a runny nose and more slobber, so I think she may be close.  Since she began wearing the baltic amber necklace, she has slobbered much less and stopped waking in the middle of the night screaming in pain, so it is not as easy to recognize if she's teething or if the runny nose is something else.

It is hard to believe there was a time I was uncertain about having a girl.  Now, I simply can not imagine our family any other way.  Zoe is so very sweet and smiley and content.  I am so very thankful that God gave this little girl to us.

Zoe, you are pure joy and we love you very much!