Beads!

Gia has been out of preschool for almost two weeks and already I find myself trying to think of things to keep her busy. She's kind of on her way to Boredom-ville. We had her signed up for camp but, due to low enrollment, camp was cancelled.

At first it was no big deal. I'll have her all to myself, all summer, I thought. After all, this is the last time it'll be just me and her. Next summer we'll have a little brother around here, tearing up the place.

Last week, with my mom's birthday quickly approaching, and one little girl who was itching to get out and do something other than go to Shop Rite, I took Gia to Bazaar Star Beadery in Ridgewood. I'd been there in 2008 to make "something blue" for my wedding (a pretty blue crystal ankle bracelet that I still have).  Because it was featured on the Real Housewives of NJ a few weeks ago, it was back on my radar. Before we went I called & asked if Gia, at nearly 3, would be old enough to bead. I thought it would be fun for her to make a bracelet for Yadi for her birthday.

I told Gia where we were going and she was SO excited. When we got there she was dazzled by all the beads all over the place. She quickly decided she wanted to make a bracelet for herself and for Yadi. She was so jazzed up--how could I say no?

The girl who worked there gave her a little cup and told her to pick 3-5 special beads. The selections were endless and it took a bit of negotiating to get Gia to agree to choose beads that she liked and that were practical for a 3 year old. We ended up with 2 teal stars and 1 pink bunny. (The special beads she chose were so huge we only needed 3.)

Then we picked the filler beads. They have an entire row of EASY beads -- they're bigger and therefore easier to string up. They're meant for younger beaders. This time I was smart and I picked 3 colors that would look ok with Gia's bunny and stars and let her choose from them. She chose silver beads.

 

They set us up at big table in the back. Gia had to count out 5 silver beads & put them on the stretchy string and then put a special bead. Then 5 more silvers and another special bead. And so on.

Not only was it so much fun, but it was a really good learning experience for Gia. She loves to count and she happily lined up the silver beads in groups of 5 and then strung them on the string. Work those fine motor skills, baby!

  It took her just under 30 minutes of intense concentration to complete her project. She was so proud of herself when she was finished.

The shop girl whisked the beaded string away to "finish it" (tie it together properly) and Gia helped me make a bracelet for my mom in the meantime.     When the girl came back with Gia's finished bracelet, Gia held out her arm and put it on right away. She hasn't taken it off. Every night before bed she takes it off and puts it on her nightstand. And every morning she puts it back on.     

    ps. If you're interested in price information on how much it costs to bead, send me a message on The Quinntessential Mommy's FB page & we'll talk! (Be sure to 'Like' it too!)

Pregnancy Update

 

How Far Along: 22 Weeks! More than halfway done!

Didn't use my good camera--not the greatest picture!

Weight Gain:  13 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Absolutely. When it's super hot (like it's been) I love sundresses.

Sleep: Tough. I'm only comfortable on my sides and I'm already big enough that I wake up every time I roll over. (It doesn't help that Gia has been on a 6 am kick for a few weeks and Jon has been working crazy overtime...)

Gender: It's a BOY!!

Feelings/Mood: Feeling incredibly happy and blessed. I'm so excited to be having another baby and the fact that it's a boy is the icing on the cake.

Symptoms/Health: Overall, I'm doing great. Blood pressure is low, weight gain is normal, and baby boy moves like crazy.  But that's not to say there aren't a few minor aches and pains.  I'm starting to swell a little tiny bit (only I can really tell), it's tough to sit for long periods of time and I'm definitely getting Braxton Hicks contractions kinda often.

Food Cravings/Aversions: I'm still way more into real food than sweets. I won't turn down a cupcake, but I tend to crave savory, hearty foods.  And I still want whatever I see. If someone mentions a certain food, all of a sudden I want it. If people on tv are eating something, I want it.

What I Miss: Sleeping on my stomach, sushi, and an ice cold adult beverage (margarita...mojito...I'm not picky) on these hot summer days.

Movement: TONS! This little guy is so active, which I love. Jon can feel it through my belly and so can Gia, although she is totally freaked out by it. She felt it one time and now refuses to put her hand anywhere near my belly again. Last night he kicked so hard Jon yanked his hand away in surprise. You can see the movement from the outside now, too.

Belly: Low and totally out front! Similar to how I carried with Gia, but even more out front (if it's possible!)

Best Moment this week (pregnancy-related): Ordered & received the crib sheet & crib skirt. We're starting to pick nursery colors and decor, which is SO much fun.

What I look forward to: We have a family photo shoot in a few weeks that I'm really looking forward to. I'm happy that we'll have great pictures with this little one still in my belly.

This is a horrible picture, but it's me at 21 weeks pregnant with Gia. You can really see the difference between the shape of my belly as compared to this little boy!

 

 

The Last Day!

I've been avoiding writing this post. I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've started writing it a bunch of times. But I haven't be able to finish. Hormonal pregnant me can't believe how fast time has flown by (yet again). I'm not ready to say goodbye to the toddler class at Gia's preschool. I not ready for my baby to turn three!    But alas, such is life. Time goes on and sometimes it's bittersweet.      Gia typically goes to school Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesday, Gia brought in cupcakes to celebrate her summer birthday, which she was so excited about. She truly thought it was her birthday all day.  She was given a crown to wear and she kept it on the entire 2.5 hours of school and the rest of the day. And the next 2 days too. She told me they sang to her but there were no candles. No fire in school, she said.   

  Wednesday is not her normal day to go to school but since it was the last day, all the children were invited. They played outside and then had an ice cream social, which Gia absolutely loved. She couldn't stop talking about the "colorful sprinkles and white ice cream".   One of the mothers took up a collection for Gia's teachers, which we contributed to, but we also wanted to give them something else--something special from us. So, together Gia and I made them chalkboard mugs. (Thank you Pinterest!)   I bought 2 huge mugs from Bed, Bath & Beyond, and ordered special chalkboard paint made for porcelain. (Contrary to popular belief you can't just use the spray stuff you get at Michael's. I got the special kind from Amazon.)   Then I created a stencil using construction paper. Gia helped me paint inside the stencil and then we let them dry for 24 hours.   

 Then we baked them for 30 min in the oven (350 degrees). Once they were dry I wrote #1 teacher on them in chalk, and put a Starbucks gift card and a piece of chalk inside each one.

Gia proudly handed out the gifts on her last day. It really was the perfect end to a wonderful six months.    But here's the part that gets me: Gia has grown up in so many ways in the past six months and so much of it was because of school.  Sure, she's a little taller, no longer takes a nap or has a monitor in her room. Yes, she knows all the ABCs and can even recognize the letters in print, but there's so much more.   

    When I wrote about her first day of preschool I mentioned that we decided to send her to school at 2.5 to avoid her being bored at home. Now that we're done with these six months, I can honestly say it was the best decision for Gia. She's a very active and very bright child and without school I know that boredom would have undoubtedly led to acting out at home.   

    Instead, we got to watch this beautiful little girl blossom. From school she learned to wait her turn and to have patience. She isn't demanding; she asks for things nicely 99% of the time. She follows directions really well and she can be trusted to do so many things on her own. I can tell her to go get a pair of socks from her room, put them and her shoes on, and she happily will--with no help from me.  She shares, and she is kind. She sings songs and plays by herself, yet she also enjoys the company of other kids and plays well with them. She's learned the days of the week and she knows what days she goes to school. She is sad on days when there is no school. She is creative and thriving. And that makes me one happy mama.    

Side by Side: first day and the last day