Progress of My 2 Year Old

If you have been following this blog for some time you will know that I have lots of concern about my 2 year old who has been slow to being verbal.  He will be 3 in August and we are progressing.  He has been saying quite a bit lately.  The things he was saying before that were hard for others to understand has become much clearer.  Every once in awhile he comes out with this great sentence that surprises the pants off of me.  If he is 3 and I don't see any significant improvement I am going to be looking at a county speech school that has your child for 2 hours a day and they work with them on their skill needs.  It is nice to know that there are options to help.  After having him evaluated and being told that he is fine I felt a little like What now?  How can I help him to acquire speech?  I am trying not to freak out too much about it because there is progress which makes me hopeful.  I just can't wait till he communicating clearly and not feeling as frustrated.

The Rare Morning When My Boys Sleep In

I always wake up at my normal time no matter what.  Many times to a crying toddler that wants me to  get him out of his crib.  Rarely, do I ever wake up and have free time in the morning.  Time to brush my teeth without rushing and slowly prepare for my day.  I definitely take these type of days as a gift.  I also peek in on the them and normally let out a whispered awwww...   Today is one of those rare gifts.  I feel a little odd, so odd in fact that I decided to go to my computer and do what else?  Blog about it.  The funny thing about free time is once I have it I never can figure out what to do.  But the minute things get chaotic or busy I have a mental list of all the things that need to be done or things I would love to have a moment to enjoy.  Right now?  I got nothing!!!  So hopefully, you get the opportunity to enjoy a day like my morning it really is like a surprise.

Cheese Party

One thing is certain for both of my boys...they love cheese.  Since they both love cheese I decided to do a boy twist on a Tea Party.  We had a cheese party!!!  I picked up some of my boys' favorites Babybell, Parmesan, Sweet Cheddar, and String Cheese.  We paired our cheese with crackers and tried all the cheeses.  Of course no cheese party would be complete without some apple juice at least in our house.  My oldest and I decided to go with the theme and acted cheesy and did a lot of photos with of course what else...Cheese.  It was a really fun idea that both of my boys enjoyed.  I even was asked last night when we could have another Cheese Party!!!

Summer Activities

I know it is only April but Summer is quickly approaching and my 6 year old NEEDS activities to keep him engaged during the summer.  I am definitely a planner to many of you this may seem like a really early post but I found a lot of info already to plan some fun activities this summer.

1)

 Regal Summer Movie Express-  Regal does summer movies for only $1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  It is a great way to have a morning at the movies and there is a great list of movies throughout the summer.

• Week 1
  Nut Job
  Annie
• Week 2
  Earth to Echo
  The Boxtrolls
• Week 3
  Paddington
  Turbo
• Week 4
  Rio 2
  How To Train Your Dragon 2
• Week 5
  Mr. Peabody & Sherman
  The Book of Life
• Week 6
  Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
  Penguins of Madagascar
• Week 7
  Madagascar 3
  Dolphin Tale 2
• Week 8
  Muppets Most Wanted
  Alexander and the Very Bad Day
• Week 9
  The Lego Movie
  The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

 http://www.regmovies.com/movies/summer-movie-express

2)  

I have been doing searches for local Vacation Bible Schools in my area.  The great thing about these events is they are either free or inexpensive and they will give you a couple of hours in breaks throughout the week.  My boy loves every VBS he attended last year and I expect no different this summer.  They always make the week fun and engaging.  I signed my boy up for 3 thus far for the summer.  They normally take as young as preschool so it is worth looking into.

3)  Local summer day camps.  If your child does any special activities sports etc.  Check to see if they are doing any camps throughout the summer.  My boy does karate and they have a summer camp at a really good price.  Many times you will get a reduced price for already being apart of a activity.

Winner Winner

We have a winner for our April Giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Code.



















Heather K.  Congratulations!!!  Email me at peeingwithdooropenmommies@gmail.com and I will get your winning code to you.

The Berenstain Bears Country Cookbook Review

The Berenstain Bears have a kids cookbook and it has 40 fun and kid appealing recipes.  There is also some stories included throughout the book.  Each recipe has a picture of the finished product.  There is a breakfast, lunch, main dishes, and deserts section in the book.  Many of the recipes got my oldest excited to get in the kitchen. One of my favorites was the very 1st recipe in the book.  Bear-y Delicious Scones they are basically scones with icing shaped like bears.  So cute.

This is a really cute cookbook with appealing recipes for all ages and if you have a fan(s) of Berenstain Bears like I do it will be enjoyed.

***This book was provided to me for free as a member of BookLook Bloggers.  Even though I received this book for free the opinions are completely my own.

Baby Bellies & Beyond Show

I wanted to share with you an event that is coming up on April 19th at the Florida Mall Hotel.  They are having a baby show complete with swag bags, tips and advice, shopping, and raffles galore.  This is a great event for first time moms who are learning the ropes.  Also they are attempting to break a guinness record at the Florida Mall they are gathering pregnant ladies in one area.  Only requirement is you must be at least 12 weeks pregnant.  They are also giving away a new dodge durango.  If you are interested in registering to take part in the Guinness World Record http://babybelliesandbeyond.com/mommy-moments/  You have to email proof of pregnancy to the event.  If you are interested in learning more about this event http://babybelliesandbeyond.com

***This post is not sponsored by this event.  I have received zero compensation for sharing this event.  

My Experience at the Orlando Prego Expo

I will start by saying this event was packed!!!  Everywhere you looked there were pregnant women hence the prego expo.  There were even some newborn babies in attendance.  The expo was held in a good sized room with lots of vendors.  I brought both of my boys and had a stroller with my 2 year old in it.  It was really hard to get to the tables in the event especially with the 2 boys and boy were many of these pregnancy ladies aggressive. They also had speakers throughout the day and a fashion show as well.  There was a kiddie play area that was packed.  My oldest was excited because there was a face painter which made the event for him.  If you are pregnant and looking for ideas for your little one from design, diapers, clothes, breastfeeding, and gear this is a great place to attend.

***I was invited to this expo and given a free ticket to attend.  All opinions are completely my own.  

Ohana Character Breakfast

At the Polynesian Resort at Disney World there is a wonderful buffet style breakfast with Lilo & Stitch.  Everything is brought to your table which is helpful with little ones.  There was eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, waffles, biscuits, fruit, and flavored breads.  There was also a passion fruit orange juice that my boys loved.

Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, & Mickey make their way around the room for meet and greets with everyone and near the end of the meal they pass out maracas

and the kids do a parade with the characters around the restaurant.

We all had a great time and it was an affordable way to do a character meal.  

***This post is not sponsored by Disney or Ohana Character Breakfast.  All opinions are completely my own.

Disney Camping

Over spring break we had a camping adventure at the Disney Fort Wilderness Campground.  We did 2 nights and I think it was the perfect amount of time.  We brought what we envisioned we needed for a camping trip but after seeing the set up at other sites we were definitely not as prepared as others camping.  The campsite was very safe and you are not far from your neighbor so it is a very family feeling.  On site there are 2 swimming areas which can be accessed by bus.  Our favorite is the one with the main pool with a slide, smaller wadding pool, and a splash pad type area with slides for younger kiddos.  There is also every night a Campfire Singalong with Chip & Dale where you can make smores and watch a full feature movie.  The great thing about this campground is it makes staying at Disney very affordable and you have close access to the Disney parks.  I am not exactly an outdoor type of girl but overall it was a great break from normal everyday life.

Happy Easter

My youngest getting eggs

Hope you have a fabulous day celebrating the day with you and your families 

Compassion Experience

Have you struggled with explaining to your kids to be thankful for what they have?  I say this to my oldest quite frequently and somehow it doesn't seem to make an impact.  That is why I was so excited to find out about the Compassion Experience.  The Compassion Experience gives you the opportunity to see what it is like in other countries with a walk through area that shows you what life in like for poverty stricken families.  I think this serves as an excellent learning immersive opportunity to teach your child about others.  I know that seeing something is more impactful than mom or dad saying Be thankful for what you have.  I grew up with a very different economic background than my boys are. They are very blessed and don't know any differently.  As a mom I hope to instill compassion for others, awareness for others, and a thankful attitude.

The Experience took about 10 minutes per story and there were 3 separate children's stories to follow.  At the beginning you are given an iPod with headphones and there are prompts throughout each story to guide you.  Each story shows the child's living situation and then when Compassion International steps in and the change it brings in their life.  At the end of each story there is a video that shows the area and the home they started in and it matches completely.  The experience was very authentic and powerful.  It showed a life that most americans would never experience and it was a great way to get some insight on the living conditions in other countries without having to actually be there.  I think it made an impact on my boy, he is only 6 so it is a pretty surface impact but overall it was an eye opening experience.

If this experience comes to your town and you get the opportunity to attend I think it is worth attending.  It is a free event and my boy surprised me with wanting to complete every story.  They say it is appropriate for all ages but my 2 year old was a little young for it.  I gave him my phone in the stroller and he occupied himself with it throughout all 3 stories.

Easter/April Giveaway

In celebration of April and Easter we are doing a $25 Amazon Gift Code Giveaway.  Enter as many entries that are available for your best chance of winning.  We have given away a lot of Amazon Codes and I am so excited for the response and excitement it brings to everyone.  As always thanks for your support of the blog.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

***This giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with Amazon.  Winner has one week to claim their prize and all actions will be verified.  The winner will be randomly chosen by Rafflecopter.