Fun with Mom | Marriage Confessions Fun with Mom

This summer, Bean’s age has opened him up to a whole new world of toys and activities that keep him entertained.Â That has been so exciting, but it also has had the potential to be expensive!Â Every time Bean outgrows his toys, we can’t run out and buy the entire toddler section at Toys R Us.Â So, we’ve become creative in how we recycle old toys and how we purchase new toys.

I noticed that when Bean watched TV (not that he does it often…), he was pulling pillows off the couches and sitting on those.Â So, I mentioned to Chris that we should get him a little chair to sit in.Â But those little kids chairs are not cheap!Â And what if we spend money on them and he didn’t even use them?Â Well, last week I was going through some of our things we still have in storage from our move and I found Bean’s activity bouncer from when he was a wee one.Â I registered for this lovely little lamb bouncer when I was pregnant and it was great – soft and comfy and Bean liked it.

But this is pretty much all he could do in it…

So when he got a little bigger, I wanted a different bouncer that had a little more to offer him for entertainment.Â I didn’t want to buy a whole new seat because those are expensive, so I went to a baby consignment shop and found a gently used Fisher Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker.Â This seat could be used as a stationary bouncer and then as the baby grows, it transitions to become a rocking chair.Â I think I paid $8 for mine and it was still in the box.

Turns out, it’s good that I didn’t pay full price because Bean wasn’t really interested in this seat.Â So, we packed it away and saved it for our next baby and that was it.Â But when I was poking around in storage, I found this seat and thought that maybe Bean would have renewed interest in it now.Â So, I pulled it out and set it up like a rocking chair for him.

BIG HIT!

Another big hit right now are the things in his hands in that last picture – wiffle balls.Â Bean loves golf balls, but those are meant to roll and so they roll off all the time.Â He is constantly pointing under furniture and calling out, “Bawwww!Â Bawww!”Â So, I thought maybe if he had wiffle balls they might not be so rolly.Â And – bonus! – when I went to Target to pick them up, the bright orange ones were on clearance.Â I got a pack of 24 balls for $2.Â Which is excellent because golf balls are pretty expensive, so when he loses those it’s a bigger deal.Â Also, if he throws these at things (like the dogs…) they don’t do any damage, whereas those stupid golf balls were putting dents in all my furniture!

While we were at Target, we wandered into the summer clearance aisle and hit the jackpot!Â Our Target has all of their summer toys and activities 75% off right now.Â We got this set of small sports balls for $1.60.Â And the balls are just Bean’s size!

But Bean’s favorite toys right now are the easiest and cheapest toy that you can make yourself.Â My mom saw that Bean was constantly chasing his balls around under furniture because they rolled off while he was playing with them.Â So, she took some extra fabric she had laying around and bought a $0.50 bag of beans and made a set of bean bags for him.Â Now, when he throws these, they don’t roll off and (always important) he can’t do any damage with them either.Â He carries them all over the place and they have become a big hit at our house.

(Tip: If you make these yourself, be sure that you double bag the beans so that if your child is able to pick through the seam on the bag, they can’t get to any beans which are choking hazards.)

This kid is growing faster than a weed and I just can’t keep up in regards to his toys!Â One day he’s all about the trucks and cars and the next day he only wants balls and things he can throw.Â I’d go to the poor house trying to keep him entertained if I didn’t think outside the box every now and then.Â Especially during the summer months when it’s so dang hot outside that we spend most of our days indoors.

What are your kids playing with this summer?Â Have you recycled a purpose for any of your toys?Â Have you found something that wasn’t necessarily a baby toy that has been a big hit in your house?Â How are you keeping your kids entertained?

15 comments | posted in Baby Products, Fun with Mom, Playing, The Romper Room | tags: kids, parenting, summer, summer toys, toddlers

Bath time is still mine and Bean’s favorite part of the day.Â He sings all his song with me and does all his tricks…but never on command…

24 comments | posted in Conversations w/ Beanie, Fun with Mom, Playing, Sweet Bean, The Romper Room, Video | tags: babies, humor, life, parenting, toddlers

When Bean turned one, all hell broke loose in his little world.Â First, we switched completely over from his bottles to sippy cups.Â I even packed up the bottles.Â An act which caused me to shed many a tear.Â And that same day we limited the use of his binky to his crib and (occasionally) the car when it was near his nap time.Â We also transitioned from Bean’s big rubber duck bath tub to the big boy bath tub.

Lots of changes for the Big Dude.

But he took them all in stride.Â I was so proud of him and it reminded me, once again, how resilient little kids are.

But it hasn’t been a completely error-free transition.Â The other day, for example, Bean was playing in his bedroom while I put some laundry away.Â When I turned around, he had managed to get into this little box of baby stuff that I keep on his changing table shelf.Â I keep extra wipes in there, some diaper rash cream, some extra shampoo – you know, just extra stuff. But what Bean had found was the binky thermometer!Â He looked up at me with this thermometer pacifier in his mouth, as proud as he could be that he’d managed to find a binky somewhere other than his crib!Â It was so funny!

Yesterday though was the best.Â When I was fixing lunch, Bean scooted away into the bathroom, which is his favorite place to get in trouble these days.Â He likes to put things in the toilet and he likes unrolling the toilet paper.Â Lots of fun.Â So, when I turned around and he was gone, I knew instantly where he was.Â I walked into the bathroom expecting to get ready to say, “No, no, Michael!”Â But what I found was that Bean had crawled into his duck bath tub that I hadn’t yet deflated.Â He was smiling so big, just sitting in his duck.

Gotta love my little bitty rebel without a cause…

16 comments | posted in Fun with Mom, Growing Bean, Playing, Sweet Bean, The Romper Room | tags: babies, humor, parenting, toddlers

Bean grows like an inchworm.Â He gets pudgy and fat and then he stretches out.Â Then he gets pudgy and fat and then he stretches out.Â It’s pretty much awesome.Â My favorites are the pudgy and fat stages, which is what he’s in right now.

Now I ask you, how am I supposed to get anything done with these mushy cheeks laying around?

Everybody knows that mushy cheeks have to be pinched and poked and kissed and nibbled on or else they’ll grow to gargantuan proportions and Bean’s head would just topple right over under the weight of them.

Which means that it is my parental responsibility to gnaw on them and blubber them and poke them with my finger.Â Â It’s for the well-being of my child, you see.

Yes, I do love the cheek nibbling stage of Bean’s growth.Â Though, I do continue to check and see if he’s lengthening out any.

Nothing happening south of the knee caps lately though. Other than the unfortunate arrival of some cankles.Â Don’t worry.Â I’ve begun to nibble on those, too, and should have them back to their normal size in no time.