Salt Dough

I only recently discovered salt dough and we love it. A quick, easy dough that is fun to cut shapes into, bake and then paint. I always have flour, water and table salt on hand and the dough is never sticky and bakes hard, but not breakable.

Today Landon and I made Valentine hearts.

His favorite part, punching in the hole. 

When sis got home from school we painted our hearts and then strung them on to yarn.

The Secret Garden

After-school on a Monday she tried out for her first Missoula Children's Theatre play, The Secret Garden. After only a week of daily intense practices and rehearsals they performed two shows the following Saturday.

Along with other kindergarteners and first graders, Addi made up the secret garden. At the beginning of the play they start our dead and brown. At end, the garden comes to life and they blossom into healthy plants who like to 'boogie down' with the fireflies and garden animals.

The best part of the show was how proud and happy Addi was with herself. It was a big accomplishment in her little life. I was overwhelmed to watch her figuretivly and non-figuretivly blossom on stage.  At the end of the last show she asked when she got to perform again. There really are no words to express how proud I was of her for facing something that initially scared her. She ended up having a blast.

'me do me self'

We are here –at the "I can do anything and everything myself" stage. About 300 times a day I hear his little voice proclaim, "me do me self." We try, hard. Some things he does very well "his self" and other things, not so much. Those not-so-much moments often end it a tiny ball of Landon rolling, screaming and thrashing on the ground, shrieking in self-let down and frustration.  Whatever we set out to do I have to be sure to leave at least 10 extra prep minutes to allow for "me do me selfs". I love watching him try and I often bite-my-tongue to keep from saying 'hurry-up'. I feel so bad after hurrying a "me-do-me-self" moment. I love watching him learn and try new things, even when it takes twice as long. 'Me-do-me-self moments include, but are certainly not limited to –climbing into his car seat and buckling it, gathering eggs (breaking at least one every time!), making mac 'n cheese, riding his four-wheeler,  driving the tractor, climbing into the Jeep, driving the snowmobile (are you sensing a motor-theme), choosing and zipping his coat, measuring the flour (onto the floor!), putting on his shoes and socks, pouring his cereal, and the list is never-ending. His little independent self is developing and quickly he is changing from little boy Landon into a very strong-willed, determined, big-kid Landon.