Top 10 favorite kids books

Ilyana has loved reading since she was itty bitty and Ryker has recently started loving books too. He will walk up to us and hand us books to read all day long. Having a background in theatre, I love to make up fun voices and give each story it's own individual rhythm. We have lots of fun with story time. Here's a list of our current favorites:

1. More Blueberries - Susan Musgrave (Buy it here!)

This book is a cute story all about, you guessed it, blueberries! It follows a brother and sister pair and all the different ways they eat and incorporate blueberries into their day. The rhymes are fun, and the pictures are cute. After checking this book out from the library about a million times we finally bought this book for the kids this Christmas. This is probably the kids absolute favorite book, so much so that we're planning on making it the theme of their birthday party this year!

2. Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle (Buy it here!)

The kids received this book for Christmas and it has quickly become a favorite (particularly of Ilyana's). This adorable book is all about a little blue truck and his dump truck brother. Little blue is sweet and kind to all of his animal friends whereas the dump doesn't have time to be kind. Dump quickly finds himself in need of help and learns an important lesson in kindness. This books rhythm makes it one of my favorites to read to the kids. As an added bonus, it teaches several animal sounds!

3. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault (Buy it here!)

This classic book is actually Ryker's bedtime book. You're bound to have this book memorized by the fifth time through. This book is perfect for all ages, teaching rhythm and rhyme to little babies and the letters of the alphabet to toddlers. The bright, colorful illustrations are just the icing on the cake!

4. Goodnight moon - Margaret Wise Brown (Buy it here!)

Another classic and another bedtime story, this time for Ilyana. This cute little story helps little ones say goodnight to everything in the beautifully depicted room. Through months of reading, it has taught Ilyana some simple words such as "moon", "bear", and "balloon". This book has been loved enough that we're on our second copy already.

5. Barnyard Dance - Sandra Boynton (Buy it here!)

Let's be honest, any book by Sandra Boynton is excellent, however this one is probably our favorite. This book, filled with rhythm and rhyme, follows the animals on a farm as they dance to the beat and make you want to get up and dance along with them!

6. The Pout Pout Fish - Deborah Dieson (Buy it here!)

This was one of Ilyana's first favorite books. The possibility for character voices makes this book fun to read. The Pout Pout Fish follows a grumpy fish around the ocean floor as he talks to his friends about his sour mood, finally at the end of the book a new fish turns his frown upside down and turns him into a kiss kiss fish!

7. Bubble Guppies - Mary Tillworth (Buy it here!)

Both kids are absolutely obsessed with the Bubble Guppies so it only makes sense that they would love books about their favorite characters! These books follow Oona, Nonny, Goby, Deema, Gil, Molly, and Bubble Puppy on some of the adventures they have in the TV series. The books aren't particularly well written compared to some of our other favorites, but they are still fun to read and are asked for often.

8. Brown Bear Brown Bear - Bill Martin Jr. & Eric Carle (Buy it here!)

Another classic favorite. Brown Bear Brown Bear explores several different animals and their colors. I appreciate that this book looks at colors one at a time without overwhelming the page with several different colors. The beautiful imagery and singsong text makes this book one that we will reread over and over again.

9. Dog's Colorful Day - Emma Dodd (Buy it here!)

We don't actually own this book yet, but we recently checked it out from the library and Ilyana was asking for it to be read several times a day. This cute book follows Dog on a day of messy adventure. It teaches both colors and counting along with being fun to read. I imagine we will be adding this book to our collection very soon.

10. Quiet Loud - Leslie Patricelli (Buy it here!)

This is another favorite library book. Patricelli has several cute books describing opposites that we have enjoyed, Quiet Loud being our favorite. It has been a fun way to teach my kiddos the difference between whispering and yelling, yelling being their favorite. As an added bonus, the pictures and examples are cheeky and cute.

What are some of your toddler's favorite books?

Volcanoes and stress

When I don't deal with stress my natural tendency is to act like a volcano. The pressure builds and builds and builds as I grin and bear it until I hit maximum capacity and I explode into a giant mess only to have the cycle start all over again. Obviously being a volcano is dangerous and unhealthy so it is important to find ways to blow off a little steam (de-stress), set up protective measures (avoid stressful triggers), and learn the signs of an impending explosion (identify triggers). Here are some of the things I have learned to do to avoid allowing my life to become Pompeii.

Signs of an impending explosion (A.K.A. Things that stress me out):

-Clutter. This is a huge one for me. For me, having a cluttered, messy house makes for a cluttered messy mind. I've found that my mood can improve tenfold if I just take a few minutes to clean house.

-Change. Truth be told, I act like an 80 year old woman. I have Werther's in my purse, I hate kids running through my yard, I love to play BINGO, and I hate change. I need routine to stay sane and so do my kids.

-Unbalanced "me" time "us" time and "family" time. I'm an ambivert (middle ground between introvert and extrovert) so having alone time is equally as important to me as having time with my family. Being a stay-at-home mom, time with my kiddos is obviously easy to come by but alone time and time with just Jake isn't quite as easy.

Setting up protective measures (A.K.A. changing or avoiding stressful triggers)

-One of the most helpful lifestyle changes I have recently made has been getting up before the kids so I can take a shower and get ready for our day before having to take care of them. This has allowed me to use Ryker's morning nap as a time to get all or at least most of my daily cleaning done instead of using it to shower. Even better, because I use that time to clean I'm able to relax in a clean, clutter-free home during the kids overlapping afternoon nap.

-Having a routine is good. It is helpful for both my kids and I to know what comes next during our day. However sometimes unexpected things happen and you just have to roll with the punches. I've found that it's so much easier to give up control and allow for change when I am consistently in the Word and putting my trust in God. This year, I'm going through a study on the Promises of God. It's been great to see things that God promises no matter what in my life changes.

-Jake and I are fortunate to have some of our best friends living across the street who also have a little one Ryker's age. A few months ago we set up a date night swap with them so on a weekly basis we take turns babysitting for each other so the other couple can go out on a date. This kills two birds with one stone, one week we get to go out on a date and have "us" time, and the next week one of us gets to go over to watch a sleeping baby (A.K.A. watch netflix) and have some alone time.

Blowing off steam (A.K.A. Ways I relax)

-Yoga. I have recently learned to love Yoga. I'm personally a huge fan of Yoga with Adrienne on youtube. I have also been attending Holy Yoga at Bethany Lutheran church on Saturday mornings with a friend. This has been an awesome opportunity to relax with yoga, have some "me" time, and learn more about God.

-Spending time with friends. I have some of the best friends and it is always so refreshing to spend time with them. Whether it's grabbing a coffee, running errands, baking cookies, or just chatting. It's nice to have a place where we can just be adults and cry, laugh, and talk with each other.

-Blogging. I've been busy lately so I haven't a whole lot of time to spend doing so, but I love writing on the blog. It's fun to write about things that are going on and I feel productive when I'm able to give advice that may help somebody. Add a warm cup of hot chocolate or tea and a sweet treat and blogging becomes even more relaxing.

-Massages. Massages are expensive so I don't treat myself to them often, but my goodness, they do wonders for my mental health! I've been to a couple of massage places in town and my favorite by far is Hands in Harmony. The atmosphere and skill is phenomenal and I've never had a masseuse try to make small talk during a massage there (bit of a pet peeve).

-Shopping. Another thing I try not to do often because it can become expensive fast, but I love to shop. It's so exciting to find a great deal and to get a cute new outfit. Plus just getting out of the house can be quite the mood booster.

What do you like to do to relax and de-stress? Do you have any good "life hacks" to avoid stress?

10 months - Ryker

Woah time, slow down. Suddenly my baby is becoming a toddler. Ryker turned 10 months on Tuesday and has started walking, standing without pulling up on anything, saying "hi", "mama", "dada", and the dreaded "no" word. This past Sunday Jake was practicing on stage for church band and I wouldn't let Ryker crawl up the stage, as I walked away with him he belted out "dada" with a big pouty face. I think Jake's heart melted on the spot. He now has 4 teeth, two on top, two on bottom, and loves to use them to eat. He will eat pretty much anything, including leftover scraps that he finds after meals in the high chairs (yuck!). He's still nursing every couple of hours during the day but it's definitely become less of a priority for him this month (😢). His night time sleep continues to be a work in progress however the past two nights he's only needed to eat once around 4:30 and 5:30. Being that he goes to bed at 6:30 I can't complain about that! He usually sleeps in until 7:30 or 8 and takes two naps during the day. I've started getting up in the morning before the kids to shower so I can use his first nap time as cleaning time and it has done wonders for both our house and my mood (clutter majorly messes with my mood). Currently, Ryker's favorite activities include: blowing raspberries, walking, playing with balls, cars, blocks, and whatever sister has. He also loves to wave hi, clap, and dance. He's slowly starting to catch on to baby sign language and will occasionally sign all done. I can't believe I only have two more months until my baby is one!

Ryker likes: sister, mommy and daddy, balls, cars, blocks, walking, and the cat.

Ryker dislikes: bubbles, long car rides, being tired, when mommy walks away.

Christmas Card 2016

Merry Christmas! It’s hard to believe 2016 has already come and gone. This year has been a whirlwind of joy and new beginnings.

Ryker- After a short labor, Ryker was born on March 3rd this year. He weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. Ryker spends his days climbing, crawling, and cruising everywhere looking for trouble. He loves to drum, play with blocks, and play with his sister. His hopes and aspirations for this next year include: learning to walk, learning to talk, and catching the cat.

Ilyana- In February, Ilyana celebrated her 1st birthday! Not long after, she got promoted to “big sister”, a role that she has gracefully stepped into. Ilyana enjoys participating in a weekly gymnastics class, building block towers, and taking care of her baby dolls and her brother. Her hopes and aspirations for this next year include: learning her ABC’s, expanding her vocabulary, and taking her Pikachu doll on many more adventures.

Ash- Ash was happy to become a mom of two this year. She has continued her work as a stay-at-home mom. She spends her free time: finding crafts she’ll never actually do, serving the church’s AWANAS ministry, and writing in the family blog. Her hopes and aspirations for this next year include: improving her baking skills, potty training Ilyana, and learning about God’s promises.

Jake- Jake continues to work as a software engineer at Rockwell Collins. He was excited to take on some new leadership roles at work this year. He spends his free time: creating his own video game, playing the xbox, and playing drums in the church band. His hopes and aspirations for this next year include: finishing the video game he’s writing, receiving a promotion, and playing lots of video games.

Overall, this past year has been about laying the foundation of our little family. We have grown as parents, and our kids have grown… because that’s what they do. This next year will be full of wonderful experiences as Ilyana and Ryker grow out of the baby stage and into the toddler years. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Jake, Ash, Ilyana (1), and Ryker (9 m)

Ryker was born March 3rd

Ilyana turned 1 February 21st

We had a fun Winter "ONEderland" birthday party for her.

We spent a week living at the Hansen's during the flood.

The kids went trick-or-treating for the first time this year.

These two have so much fun together!

9 months - Ryker

My baby boy is 9 months old! He has now spent as much time on the outside as he did cozied up inside me. Over this past month I feel that Ryker has become a lot easier. He's started responding to "no" and most importantly, he's started sleeping better. Several months ago he had started sleeping through the night on some nights, then the flood happened and staying in a new location made waking 2-3 times a night the norm. After some difficult sleep training we finally got him back down to only waking once a night, then he got sick and started teething. Back to waking 2-3 times a night. It was exhausting for everyone. Once he was feeling better we tried a friends suggestion of offering a sippy cup of water when he woke up at times he didn't need to nurse and it worked like a charm! Within one night he was sleeping better than he had slept in months! As for naps, he generally takes 2 naps a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. At this point Ryker eats most anything we eat (besides honey, milk, and sweets). He loves food and wants to eat anytime he sees someone eating, especially his sister. We are also still nursing every couple of hours during the day. I'm so glad that I'm able to share this bond with Ryker. This month Ryker got his first tooth! His second tooth is about to pop through as well. Ryker is working hard on walking, cruising everywhere and even taking a step or two every once in a while. He says "mama" all day long and has even said "dada" a few times. Ryker also passed his sister in weight this month. His chubby legs get me every time! This month we learned that Ryker is terrified of bubbles, just like his sister used to be! I'm not sure what we've done to scar our children with bubbles! I'm so glad that 2016 brought Ryker into our lives and I can't wait to see what 2017 is like for us!

His "That flash is bright!" face. Haha!

Ilyana - 21 Months

I can't believe my big girl is going to be 2 in just a few short months! I have been loving this age with Ilyana. She is such a delight to be around. She is smart, funny, and so curious. She now says about 20-30 words and sounds and still signs a couple of words too. She's starting to combine words together (ex. "Hi dada") and tries to copy most words that we say. Her favorite activities include talking on the phone, playing with blocks, hide and go seek, taking care of her baby, tag, and hiding in her kitchen cupboard (especially when Ryker plays peekaboo with her). She also loves Bubble Guppies, her Pikachu and Pichu dolls, and anything kitties. Ilyana and Ryker generally get along really well and she is so kind and caring towards him. Ilyana has been really enjoying gymnastics over the past few months. Her favorite parts of class are the balance beam, the trampoline, and singing "Tony Chestnut" at the end of class. Ilyana is generally still a great eater, especially at home (I think she gets distracted when we're out and about). Her favorite foods consist apples, berries, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, crackers with peanut butter, carrots, corn, and peas. Thanks to trick-or-treating she has tried a couple types of candy now. The Kit-Kat seemed to be her favorite. Although her Reese's got stolen by grandma Connie so I can't say that that wouldn't be her favorite ;) Ilyana usually goes to bed around 7 and gets up around 7 in the morning and still takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. A few months ago we transitioned her to a toddler bed and she absolutely loves it! She does great staying in bed until we come and get her. I love my sweet baby girl so much and I am so glad I get to be her mommy!

8 months - Ryker

My little buddy Ryker is 8 months old today! Time is flying with this kid! My big boy is moving everywhere, crawling, standing, climbing, cruising, and walking with a push walker. It's not often that he sits still, but when he does, his new favorite activity is clapping! I tried for weeks to teach him to clap and then big sister stepped in and showed him how it's done and he got it right away. He now loves to clap for himself any time he obeys when we tell him "no". Speaking of "no", he's finally started to understand what it means and he obeys most of the time, although more recently he's started pitching a bit of a fit when he can't have something he wants. I'm happy to say that me and Ryker's nursing journey is still going strong. Lately when he nurses he becomes a bit of a gymnast and likes to stand and roll while still eating. It's interesting to say the least. Verbally, he's started babbling a lot more over the past couple of weeks. He's started babbling "dadada" and "lalala" lately. We're still waiting on any teeth to pop through even though he has seemed to be teething for several weeks now. However lack of teeth hasn't stopped him from eating everything in sight. At this point he mostly just eats whatever we're eating within reason. He's not too picky unless it's medicine. Once he sees the syringe he clamps his jaw shut and spits it out. He's a stubborn one. Ryker is finally starting to sleep better. He's consistently takes 2 naps a day around 9:30 and 1:30 and then goes to bed around 6:30. At night he generally wakes up around 4 and sometimes 5:30 to eat and then wakes up for the day around 8. I love my little bubby and have been enjoying watching him grow!

Ryker likes: blocks, balls, anything he can chew on, bath time, nursing, being on the move.

Ryker dislikes: sitting still, diaper changes, being told "no".