Travel Activities

In my last post, I recapped our July vacation to Minnesota. Here is the promised follow-up post of the activities I packed for Jeremiah.

At the time of our trip, Jeremiah was about 15 1/2 months old. We split the 14 hours of travel time (each way!) into two days. Call me "old school," but I want to try and provide activities that are engaging and educational.

I scoured pinterest for ideas prior to the trip. (How did anyone survive before pinterest?! I'm kidding. Kind of.) I made sure to include several things I already knew he liked to play with, but also lots of activities that he had never seen before. I figured that if he didn't like the activity, at least the "newness" would keep him entertained for a while.

I put all the activities into one tote that I kept within arms reach in the car. We started out saying that we would not give him a new activity until we had picked up all the pieces of the previous one. This rule quickly got broken. Jeremiah turned Houdini and caused many things to disappear. We still can not find two activity pieces.

Jeremiah loves to read. So I started by packing several of his favorite books.

My mom sewed two quiet books from fabric panels. She added charms, pom-poms, googly eyes, etc. to make the books a little more interesting and engaging. Jeremiah liked these, but he did not love them as much as I wanted him to based on the time that goes into making them.

A bag of dinosaurs. We got these at a garage sale earlier this summer, and I hid them until the trip (after they took a nice bleach bath in the washing machine). The "newness" kept him engaged for a short time, and he still likes to play with them on occasion.

A bag of magnets and a small cookie sheet. At home, Jeremiah plays with a set of alphabet magnets, but they are a little small for him to play with independently. He doesn't typically put things in his mouth, but I knew in the car I couldn't keep an eye on him 100% of the time. So I bought some larger fridge magnets at the dollar store. I also took a large sheet magnet (you know, those free ones you get on the phone book that tell you the emergency phone numbers for attorneys) and glued some pictures on it. I cut them out, and Jeremiah got his own set of family magnets. Jeremiah wasn't an expert at getting the magnets to stick to the cookie sheet, but it did keep him engaged for quite awhile.

An old wallet filled with used gift cards. This was very simple to put together and surprisingly one of Jeremiah's favorite activities. I would like to add a mirror and pen (that has run out of ink) to this.

An empty gum canister with ribbon. Jeremiah enjoyed taking the ribbon out, but it didn't take long before he needed me to refill it.

A bag of foam letters. I purposely only put in letters that spelled his name so that we would know if any were missing. (This is one of the activities that Jeremiah turned into a magic trick. We still can't find one of the letters. I replaced it for the photo.) He likes to zip and unzip the bag and move the letters from one pocket to the other.

A container of wiffle and water balls. These were not that engaging during the car ride, but we've been teaching Jeremiah how to throw a ball. He would attempt to throw them to us, and we would toss them back to him.

A parmesan cheese container with straws. We have had this activity for quite awhile. I used to have q-tips in it, but Jeremiah likes to tear the cotton off the ends. So for the trip, I switched out the q-tips for straws (cut in half). He loves to open and close the lid, shake the container to get the straws out, and put the straws back in. He has very good fine motor skills and is quite successful in getting the straws back in independently. (This is the second activity that Jeremiah turned into a magic trick. One straw half is still invisible to us.)

Texture balloons. I filled four different balloons with things from around the house: flour, rice, sugar, and beads. The "newness" kept his interest briefly, but he was not that impressed.

Egg carton and Easter eggs. I filled an empty egg carton with different colored Easter eggs (two of each color). I also cut shapes out of matching colors of felt to put into each egg. He's still not ready to match shapes or colors, but I figured I could keep it around for awhile. When he is older, I will paint the matching color in the bottom of each egg cup in the egg carton for him to match as well. Jeremiah loved this activity. The egg carton itself kept his interest for a long time. We had to replace the egg carton after he had played with it the first time, but we're still on the second egg carton now.

A baggie of various plastic lids. I just raided that one cabinet (you know you have one, too!). Jeremiah LOVED these. Several of the lids were translucent, and he liked to hold them up to his face and look through them. These kept his attention for much longer than expected.

Other miscellaneous objects. I threw in some plastic measuring spoons, my old flip phone, some play eggs, and Altoids tins. Out of these, the Altoid tins are his favorite. He likes to open/close them and put things inside and shake them. The old stand-by of water bottles made several appearances too.

Another favorite activity of his on the trip home was to poke mom and dad with a pool noodle. My mom had given him this to swim with on vacation (no such luck), but once he got hold of it in the car, it kept him entertained for MUCH longer than anything else I had packed. Since Jeremiah is right handed, he had a much easier time reaching my head in the car. Josh thought it was hilarious and kept egging him on. (Look at that evil grin on Jeremiah's face!)

These activities are now in our rotation of tricks we take to church (okay, not the pool noodle!). I think the key was to have numerous activities and a lot of variety. The first of (hopefully!) many successful road trips!

Summer Vacation

Last month we headed out to the Land of 10,000 Lakes for a week-long vacation. (In case you're not sure, we went to Minnesota.)

Jeremiah finally hit the 20-pound mark (at 15 months), so we were able to switch him from his infant car seat to his toddler seat for the trip. He rode for the first hour holding on with both hands and mesmerized by the fact he could see out the front.

I knew that the two-day, 14 hour trip (each way!) would be difficult for Jeremiah, so I stalked pinterest for activities to entertain him. This was well worth all the time I put into this! He traveled very well and loved the activities. Watch for a follow-up post with the specifics on what I packed.

I also got about a dozen snacks for Josh and put each one in a brown paper lunch snack. Then about every hour along the way, I let him open a surprise. Along with some of his favorite store-bought snacks, I made puppy chow and Andes Mint cookies. I also threw in some lotto tickets and fishing lures. He really enjoyed this and is definitely worth doing again.

We stayed at Brindley's Harbor Resort on Leech Lake. We shared a two-bedroom cabin with my parents. They even took a crib for Jeremiah so he would sleep well. (They think of everything!)

Josh and I have been to the resort four times, but this was Jeremiah's first time. (Here we are back in 2007.)

A little family history: My dad vacationed at Leech Lake (same part of the lake, just at the neighboring resort) with his family when he was a young boy. My parents honeymooned at Brindley's. They went back for their 25th wedding anniversary (the same year Josh and I got married), and they have been every year since. This is them on their honeymoon!

The resort is set up to allow for a great vacation with little planning. Each cabin has a full kitchen, so we (okay, my mom) planned all our meals in advance. The resort has its own harbor where my dad can keep his boat. There are also planned activities each day to promote meeting the other guests and having fun.

Jeremiah was in awe of all the new things to see and do.

We spent quite a bit of time fishing and have a freezer full of fish to show for it. We even caught some crayfish and clams (those were not keepers).

 

 

Each day, starting on Monday, the resort posts clues for a scavenger hunt. You look for a 2" brass anchor. By Thursday, no one had found it. So Josh and Jeremiah set out to find it. A few mosquito bites later, Jeremiah claimed the prize: $10 and a free pizza.

 

Tuesday evening, the resort hosts bingo. Each round costs $0.25 per card. The winner gets all the money in the pot and a free ice cream treat from the resort. Josh tied on a round towards the beginning, winning about $10 and a root beer float. I won a round later on, getting about $14 and a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich. My mom won "crummy card." This round is unique in that everyone stands and once two numbers are called on your card, you're out. She has won this in past years as well. The last round is "blackout" and costs $0.50 per card. The winner gets the pot and a free pizza. We did not win, but this year the pot was over $30 for that round!

The resort holds turtle races for kids on Wednesday afternoon. This was the first year we've ever been able to participate in the activity. Each kid names a turtle (you don't have to bring your own turtle, the resort keeps quite a few). Jeremiah named his turtle, "Pi" (he had a little help). One of the resort owners, Greg, runs the event. He places all the turtles in the center of a painted circle and announces the event as if it was a horse race. He makes it so much fun! The first turtle to reach the circle wins. The kid who named that turtle wins an ice cream treat. Then that turtle is removed from the race, and a new race is started. Every kid is a winner!

 

Can't you just hear the excitement as you look at the pictures?! "Harry Potter is in the lead! No, wait! Pi is emerging from the pack! Squirt is coming up from behind! Who's it going to be? It looks like Pi is going to win! Yes! Pi is the winner!" Then all the kids clap and cheer. So much fun!

Thursday is the fishing contest. There is a kid's division and an adult division. The fisherman with largest fish by weight wins a fishing lure and a trophy. Sadly, the fish were not biting for us, so we did not win. My dad has won several times in past years.

Jeremiah attempted feeding the ducks. He would point at the ducks from afar and get quite excited when they would come close. However, every time we would hand him a piece of bread to feed them, he'd put it in his mouth! (Notice how chubby his cheeks are in the second picture!)

 

He also got some good walking practice (still won't do it on his own though).

 

Jeremiah also had his first taste of bacon. We were eating breakfast, he grabbed the plate of bacon, took the paper towel off the top, and began eating a piece before anyone even noticed. And what did he think of the candy of meats? He loved it, of course!

 

I think Jeremiah had a great time! He experienced many new things during the week and laughed a lot. (The neighbors even commented on how much he was laughing!)

 

 

The week flew by, but we made lots of memories! Thanks to my mom and dad for all their planning to make our time fun and relaxing!

Quilt Shop Hop

Some of you may know that I like to quilt. (One day I will do a post of quilts that I've made.) Quilters are a fun group! One thing that brings quilters together is a shop hop.

This weekend (May 1-3) was the Pieceful Quilter's Alley Shop Hop. Six quilt shops in Southern Missouri participate in a shop hop twice each year. My mom did the hop with me in November, but this time it was just Jeremiah and I.

A shop hop is an event in which you visit each shop during the specified days. At the first store you visit, you receive a "passport" that each shop stamps or signs. Once you have visited all the stores, the final shop keeps your passport, and you are entered to win prizes! Each shop also has sales and specials on most items. This time around, the shops offered 20% off most regular priced items. One hopper will win the grand prize of a $100 gift certificate to each of the six stores! There are smaller prizes like $50 gift certificates, patterns, fabric precuts, too. In November, I won a gift bag with patterns and a Moda charm pack, and my mom won a quilt pattern book. Let's hope I win the grand prize this time!

This time, each shop gave out a pattern for a 12" quilt block. After completing the shop hop, you had the patterns for six different blocks. Each shop had made their own quilt using all six blocks. It was so interesting to see how different each quilt turned out!

I started the hop at The Stitchin' Post in Willow Springs, MO. I visit this store often, as it is my preferred local shop. They have reasonably priced quilting fabric and fat quarters. The owners, Joan and Grover Pierce, are lovely people. They also run an etsy store. Jeremiah enjoyed entertaining Joan (or should that be the other way around?) while I shopped. In addition to the free block pattern, they also gave each customer a free fat quarter!

Joan made multiples of the six quilt blocks to make a stunning purple, blue, and green quilt featuring a floral fabric panel in the center.

Jeremiah fell asleep right after getting back in the car, so we made the long trek to Van Buren, MO to Carol's Country Quilt Shop. I always find wonderful things here! It's a good thing this shop is so far away. The quilt shop is in a residential home. The basement is where the best bargains are! They also sell "scrap bags" for $1.75. These scrap bags are stuffed brown paper lunch sacks. I have purchased these each time I visit the shop, and each time I am surprised at the quality of what's inside. I usually get a couple fat quarter size (or larger!) pieces and strips of various quilting fabrics, including batiks. It is a great way to experiment with colors and fabrics I wouldn't normally buy.

The featured quilt at this shop was a lap size quilt that added nine-patch blocks with the six blocks.

After making a pit stop for lunch, we headed to the small town of Birch Tree, MO to The Hideaway Quilt Shop. The shop often displays quilts that are quick and easy to put together and hosts sewing classes with a "make-and-take" theme. I enjoy visiting this shop very much. She even has a collection of mini (child's) sewing machines! (Again, one day I will make a post about the sewing machines I have.)

The quilt at this shop used all six blocks and some large sections of fabric that would be perfect for featuring large scale prints. This quilt shows you can make a large, bed-size quilt without much more sewing than a smaller quilt.

Next, Jeremiah and I visisted the Gammill Sewing Center in West Plains, MO. This is primarily a sewing machine dealer and repair shop. They often have vintage Bernina machines for a great price (in case you're hunting for one). They have a special right now on machine tune-ups for $25. They gave each shop hop participant a small pair of scissors perfect for thread clipping.

This shop made the six quilt blocks into a wall hanging.

The Sewing Connection is located about eight miles outside of West Plains, MO. The shop is a Husqvarna and Gammil dealer, and they do machine quilting as well. They gave each hopper a coupon good for 'buy one item at regular price get a second item for half off.' They host quilting and embroidery classes where you get to use their machines!

The shop hop quilt here featured beautiful machine quilting, done by the shop owner, Vivian Collins. One block is repeated in each of the corners, but the other five blocks only appear once. The blocks are set on point with light colored blocks in-between to allow the quilting to be the focus.

The last shop I visited was Dogwood Quilting in Ava, MO. This shop has a good selection of fat quarters and precut tumblers in their back room. They have a website, but I haven't seen any activity on it for a long while.

The featured quilt here was lap size, and also turned the quilt blocks on point.

I turned in my completed passport to the shop in Ava.

Sunday evening, I received a call saying I won a $50 gift certificate to the shop in Van Buren! I'm already planning what I will spend it on...and looking forward to the next shop hop!

Easter Festivities

Last year, Easter was the last day of March, so this was Jeremiah's first Easter. The festivities spanned two different weekends and two different states. There was an Easter Egg Hunt at Josh's work the week before Easter, and then we traveled to Kansas to visit family on Easter weekend.

Meeting the Easter Bunny didn't go so well...

 

...but he did great hunting for eggs! He picked them up and put them in his basket all on his own.

 

He was able to do a second Easter Egg Hunt on Easter weekend. He was grouped in the "Kindergarten and under" age category. The candy was scattered on the ground and much harder for him to see on his own. (Plus the older kids were approaching lightning fast!)

 

It was very windy (hence his expression), but he enjoyed putting each piece in the bucket. (I would also like to give a shout out to the two older kids that dropped some of their candy into his bucket. Thank you, again!)

Jeremiah captioned this picture, "Grandma is so much fun!"

I love Easter. I especially love the reason for the holiday. I also love the traditions of making "Resurrection Rolls" for breakfast, getting new outfits for church, having Easter egg hunts, and finding baskets of goodies on Easter morning. I'm already looking forward to next year!

"The earliest Jewish polemic presupposes the historicity of the empty tomb. In other words, there was nobody who was claiming that the tomb still contained Jesus' body. The question always was, 'What happened to the body?' The Jews proposed the ridiculous story that the guards had fallen asleep. Obviously, they were grasping at straws. But the point is this: they started with the assumption that the tomb was vacant! Why? Because they knew it was!" -William Lane Craig, Ph.D., D.Th. as quoted in The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus." -Luke 24:1-3