The catamarangermy daughter wanted.

They had tons of fun playing store, with a little guidance from Mommy.

I suggested they shop for food from the play kitchen, but little man opted for tools.  (Just goes to show you, that the love of hardware stores runs in little boys’ blood.)

He had a fun time selecting which tools to put in the shopping cart. And big sister liked ringing them all up with the little scanner that actually beeps.

And of course, taking her little brother’s money…

After a few runs they switched roles.

It was fun  listening to them as they played in their pretend world.  That’s the magic of childhood – hopefully something they hold on to for a long time.

The post Cha-Ching! Playing and Learning Together first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

A few days ago Hello Kitty invited all the fire trucks over for a playdate.  Hello Kitty’s mom, Barbie, told the fire trucks they were being too loud, so they had to go outside to play, “I’m sorry, fire trucks, you are too loud!  You’ll wake the elephants up.  Can you go outside to play?”

Then the trucks got muddy and had to hose each other off. 

And just this morning the cars from the movie Cars invited Rapunzel over to their home under the kitchen table.  And who should appear?  A big, giant snake!

Have no fear, the snake was actually friends with the cars.  And soon Rapunzel was reading it a bedtime story while it sat on her lap.

I love watching the kids play together; their creativity always makes me laugh.

What great crossovers happen in toyland at your house?

The post Fire Trucks,Rapunzel,Cars, and Giant Snakes – Oh My! first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Summer Memories

After fifteen hours in a car,

Salty water and powdery white sand –

Here we are!

On Daddy‘s shoulders, what did she see?

Princesses dancing –

A wonderful memory!

The sun shone bright up above –

Kiddie pool, slides, and picnic lunch

What’s not to love?  In the evening, not as hot

The shade in the driveway

Was a favorite spot.Of course, they also learned to fish

Months of pretending in the basement,

My son’s greatest wish!

What summer memories are you thankful for?

Today’s Thankful Thursday post is inspired by:

The post Summer Memories – Thankful Thursday first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

They also really enjoyed the new Cassano’s pizza parlor area…where they got to make and serve pizzas.Okay, so we aren’t talking real pizzas here.  We’re talking pizzas with rubber green peppers and olives made out of gaskets, and don’t forget the mop-head cheese!

They had so much fun that I wanted to recreate the experience for them at home.   So on date night that week the husband and I ran into Walmart to buy a pack of multi-colored felt.

I knew each little chef would want his/her own pizza to create, so I opted to cut out 2 crusts.  A couple wavy circles from red felt make the “sauce.”  With permanent marker I drew mushroom clusters on tan felt.  I also made peperoni slices, white onion circles, and chopped up some green peppers (little green rectangles).  Finally, some 3-4 inch strips of yellow felt made up the shredded cheese.  They look pretty good in our play kitchen dishes!  Here’s how the pizzas look with all the yummy toppings!Anyone hungry?

I can’t wait to introduce them to their very own pizza kits!

Linked up at  some of these great blogs!

The post Felt Pizzas first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Yesterday the kids and I enjoyed a lovely day outside at OneMommy’s Backyard Resort.  They entertained themselves by pouring little cups of water on my legs while they splashed around the plastic kiddie pool.  I squealed at each cold cup of water, making them giggle even louder.

After our picnic lunch I brought out the Little Tykes slide they have in the downstairs play area and they had fun sliding down it into the kiddie pool.  Boy is my little guy going to love water slides when he gets older!  He must have gone up and down that thing 50 times!

I’m thankful the weather wasn’t as hot and sticky as it has been; it allowed us to play outside a lot longer.  I’m also thankful they slept a little later today…

Mommy got to enjoy her much needed cup of cocoa in silence, sitting on the back porch and just listening to the birds chirp.  That hasn’t happened in a loooooong time.

It’s those little moments that I’m thankful for the most.  What are you thankful for this week?

  Join me in the Let’s Bee Friends blog hop!

The post Thankful for the Simple Things first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.