Fun Day at Kaleidoscape

 

  I get so excited when a new kid place opens, but then discouraged when it closes. Seems like this has happened to several places. So I was really excited when Kaleidoscape opened. Go check it out if you haven't been yet! Be sure to visit these local places to keep them in business! Rent for these businesses is no joke and they need our support.

 

 

  I've visited a couple of times now and have enjoyed each visit. Kaleidoscape recently had a flood so they had to fix all the water damage. It was a blessing in disguise because they made it even better then before!

 



 This last time I visited with my good friend Sarah from Alaska Baby Rentals and her kids. We got to see the new things Jennifer, owner of Kaleidoscape, had added. Jennifer is pictured above by the way. If you have a chance to talk to her, do! She has so much energy and a bazillion ideas. I love to see owners who invest in their visitors. Be sure to follow her on Facebook to see all the fun stuff going on.

 

 

  My 7 year old didn't really want to visit, but then he didn't want to leave. He was really upset because he wanted to finish his Rig A Ma Jig invention.  My 6, 4 and 13 month old had a blast as well. Luckily they were more compliant. The play studio is geared towards kids birth to 12.

 

  You can play at Kaleidoscape in blocks of time and its best to book online. This has its pros and cons. Pro is that it is not going to be so crowded that you freak out with kids everywhere. Con is your kids might not be ready to leave when your time is up or your kid might be ready to leave and you've only been there 10 minutes. You can just show up, but there is no guarantee that you will get to play. 

 

  The environment is so welcoming, colorful and fun. It's just enough to not be overwhelming. My 14 month old loved looking at the flags hanging. There is a nursing room in back so you can feed baby in private and not be distracted. I always appreciate when there is a place for mommas to feed their little ones. There are chairs for adults to sit on, but a lot of the adults were sitting on the floor playing with their kiddos. Rockstar parents!

 

 The exhibits are always changing. I love to see this! Something new each month to interact with. When we went, there was a mechanic set up, my girls loved it! Other kids would take turns sitting in the car and working on it. A new exhibit, that I didn't get to see yet, is a collaboration with the Alaska Native Heritage Center. There will be cultural awareness, history and Alaska fun for kiddos! Visit the website to find out the theme of the exhibits.

  Okay so I might be a dork, but I love how Jennifer turned these bins into faces. This is great for those germaphobes. Any toys that get some sort of child ickyness gets thrown in here to be cleaned. There are several on the walls around the play areas. Genius.

 

 There is so much more to discover here! You can put on a play on the stage, build with legos or blocks, or read. There is also a little corner for babies to play. On certain days, there are crafts that are included with the visit. Kaleidoscape also offers classes for kids or adults! Your kiddo can have a birthday party here as well!

 My only complaint is price. It's $10 per kid. Having 4 kids, it can get spendy, luckily baby is free. So we can only go once in awhile or when the big kids are in school. I'd love to see a sibling discount! Rent for businesses can be so expensive so I understand the price. Don't let the price deter you! We need to support local businesses so we have some place to take our kids!

Real and Raw- Special Needs

 I've really wanted to start blogging more about me personally on this page and not just the going ons in Alaska. It is my desire to reach out and connect personally, so I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and hoping to be embraced.

 If you don't already know, I have a daughter that is special needs. We call her Peanut. You can read about her miracle story. She has been diagnosed with microcephaly, which means small head, and cerebral palsy. Due to her brain trauma at birth, she has developmental delays. She is a tiny, fragile thing who puts up a fight.

 My youngest daughter is 2 years younger then Peanut, we call her Snugglebug. Snugglebug was born completely healthy. As she gained weight, I knew she would pass Peanut because Peanut didn't gain weight fast. Generally, Peanut was in the 3% for weight gain. That time has come. Snugglebug is a pound heavier then Peanut. That didn't bother me as much as I thought it was going to, but it still stung.

 The hard time I'm having now and I don't think I'm truly facing is that Snugglebug is going to pass Peanut developmentally and mentally. They play so well together right now. It's like they are on the same page. People constantly ask me if they are twins.

 A lot of "what ifs" cross my mind. What's going to happen when Snugglebug passes Peanut? Is Peanut going to be left behind? Or is it not going to bother me as much like the weight issue. I'm so sad when I see my Peanut having a hard time engaging other 4 year olds. No parent wants their child left out.

 What's going to happen when she is older? Will she have the life her brother and sister will have? Will she be able to engage other teenagers? Will she have friends that call her to talk? Will she have crushes? Will boys be interested in her? Will people find her as beautiful that I think she is? Will she be able to go to college? Will she be able to live on her own? Will she be able to get married and have a baby? All these questions bring pain to my heart because I don't know the answer. I'm afraid to know the answer.

 Parenting is hard. I don't have answers. All I can think about is what the neurologist told us, "peanut will tell and show you." The more I realize I don't have control of my life, the easier it is to let go and live. But it doesn't mean I don't have feelings through it. I'm sad and afraid for her. Then I look at her and how much she loves life. It brings gladness to my heart and I'm not as sad and afraid for her.

Balance Bike

 With it being summer, we have been outside more and it has been so wonderful. Buddy has been riding his bike. We first started out with training wheels. Several of his friends were riding bikes without training wheels. I was pretty impressed with these 4 and 5 year olds. Yes, I know, don't compare. But I started thinking about those training wheels and how I think they are kind of a hindrance.

 I'm sure you've seen the balance bikes around. It's pictured below. Since Buddy already had a bike, I really didn't want to invest in another bike. I found this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Y_9cZLoyQ&feature=related. It shows how they teach kids how to ride bikes by taking off the training wheels and pedals.

 So off went the training wheels and pedals! Buddy practiced balancing on his own. He was figuring it our himself. In the picture below, you can see his pedals missing. This was a great way to save money! Peanut also has been using a balance bike at therapy. It's still a little heavy for her though.

 I kid you not, it only took Buddy about a week of riding to learn how to ride a bike. Daddy put the pedals back on, Buddy threw the training wheels away, and off he went! I was so impressed that it didn't take long!



 Now he is learning the basics of safety. There is still some falls as he is figuring it out. But he has been so proud of himself, he tells everyone we come across!

 I had to post a photo of my Peanut riding! She is getting strong enough to push the pedals! Therapy really pays off!

H2Oasis

 Did you know Anchorage has an indoor water park? H2Oasis is a pretty cool place to visit if you are itching to play in some water. We visited a couple of months ago, but haven't been back since. Not that we didn't have fun, but 3 kids under the age of 5 is hard to keep track of in a water park. But I did want to share my experience with you and hope you visit it soon with your family.

 The parking is not the best. Its actually a pain in the butt, especially in the winter months. Admission can be pretty spendy, but that's about how much you pay at outdoor water parks as well. The nice thing is they only charge $6 for the first toddler, each additional toddler is $4 and the adults are free. This charge is ONLY for Parent/Toddler Time. It didn't break the bank for us as a family of five. They don't accept credit cards so be sure you have cash or check. They do have an ATM that you can get money out of as well. 

 We went as a playdate during Parent/Toddler Time, which is Monday through Friday 11am to 2pm. This time no longer works for us because that is nap time. I wish they had 2 different times throughout the week, I bet they would get more little kids and parents. It was nice seeing lots of little kids instead of big kids running around.

 I was glad to see there was life jackets provided, definitely had some wear and tear. Brooke had only been walking for several months when we visited H2Oasis, so I was a little hair trigger with her. The life jacket put me a little more at ease. I wore Kora in the ergo which made it easier and hardier at the same time. It would have been nice to be able to sit in the water with Brooke.

 For Parent/Toddler Time, the pirate ship and the wave pool are the only things open. Kaden loved running from the ship to the pool. The ship had water cannons and slides. You could grab inflatable rings and sit in the wave pool. Kaden enjoyed jumping through the rings, not much for relaxing. He also enjoyed running under the big mushroom, which that water was cold!

 We spent a good 2 hours there and then the kiddos were exhausted! Money well spent! The part I liked the least was unchanging wet kids into dry clothes in a locker room that usually had wet floors. It was difficult due to carrying Kora in the ergo and I had to change. Then having Brooke and trying to keep her corralled in a changing area that just had a curtain. I probably should of just let modesty go out the window, wouldn't of been as stressed. We went straight home to eat lunch, but they do have an area where you can order pizza, hot dogs and the like.

 Over all, we really had a great time. It's a really great place to take the little ones. It's such good exercise especially for those with special needs. They offer swim lessons and times to exercise in the River walk. I knew some ladies when they were pregnant who would walk in the River Walk to get some exercise. I look forward to going again! and maybe one day actually get to ride the big kid rides!

Water Fun

 Looking to entertain your kids so you can get dinner going? Give this a go. But first, you gotta let go of that control freak inside you who doesn't like messes. You know who you are.....

 Water!!! You all got this, right? I know what you are thinking. Why would a sane mother do this? Some of you might even be looking at this picture and laughing because you know it would be dumped within 3 seconds. This post isn't for you, this one is. At least if ice is dumped out, it will be easier to clean up.

  Grab a storage bin and fill with water. I did not fill it very high, don't forget you gotta dump it out. Place a towel or blanket underneath so you don't freak out when water does come out cause it will. Then, I gave them cups, bowls, clean sponges and let them go at it. Kaden grabbed some super heroes. You can also grab clean, used water bottles and poke holes in the bottom and sides. Fun to watch the water come out of the holes. You have tons of things in your house you can use, you don't have to go to the store to buy any of this stuff!

 There was a lot of pouring cup to cup. I had to remind Brooke and Kora not to drink it since all those hands have been in there, eew. It's like when they try to drink bath water, gross!! Do your kids do that? Anyways, they just sat and poured. I think it was very calming for them. At least it was calming for me. There was no yelling and fighting, just the sound of water being poured.

 When they are done, you get to take off their wet clothes because they will get wet. Then you get a cute, naked baby running around the house! This one got into my spices. Have fun playing in the water and dreaming of summer!

Alaskan Kids Play with Ice?!

  I love Pinterest, have I said that enough? I might need an intervention. I check it at least once a day. But if I did not check it, where would I get all these cool ideas!!! That's what I keep on telling myself at least. So yes, this idea was not my original idea. Play with ice. Why didn't I think of that? Better yet, what will someone think of next to play with! I did not pin the idea on a board so I can not link it back to the original pinner. Sorry.

   I'm homeschooling Kaden for preschool to see if homeschooling will work out for us. So we used the ice for science experiments as part of our schooling. It's been cold enough where we can fill ice trays and put them outside. Kaden kept on checking on the trays to see if they were frozen. Ah, the innocence and excitement of youth. When they were ready, I put one in a bowl by the fire and one in a bowl in the kitchen. He kept on checking on them and noticing which one was melting faster. We talked about the reason behind this. His excitement excited me!

  I put a bowl of water and the bowl of ice on a cookie tray. I doubled up a tablecloth under the tray so I wouldn't freak out and nag about them spilling water. We counted to see how many ice cubes it took to make the water in the bowl overflow. Then, I let the kids at it. I kid you not, they spent an hour playing with the ice! Even Kora got in on the action! I gave them spoons to transfer the ice. They loved putting their hands in and grabbing the ice. I had to make sure I watched Kora though because she was trying to put the ice in her mouth.

 Kaden then added more ice to the bowl next to the fire. I thought it was going to be messier, but they kept the water and ice contained pretty well. It was great for Brooke to work on her motor movements as she transferred the ice cubes with a spoon and then the spoon to her mouth. She likes to pretend she is eating a lot. The kids loved grabbing the ice with their hands. The nice part is that we were in a warm home so when they got cold, they went and sat by the fire. If you are brave, try food coloring in the ice cubes. Not sure if that would stain or not. I'm proud of myself for letting them play with water in the living room. I am going to try colored ice cubes in the bath though! Saw that on Pinterest!

Painting With Kids

 How was your Thanksgiving? Ours went well. Ate too much. Gotta make sure I keep to working out now that Body Back session is over. A new one is starting in Jan. I'll let you know my stats tomorrow.

 It's been pretty cold around here lately wouldn't you agree? Yea, yea I know we are in Alaska. But I don't remember it being this cold almost every day in November last year! So we have been inside a lot. I'm trying to get outside more, but I dislike putting on the kids snow gear very much. Who is going to invent a suit that has built in boots, gloves, and a hat? That would make my life a whole lot easier!

 Okay, so yes we've been inside a lot. Arts and crafts going on over at this household. So I wanted to share an easy craft to do with the kiddos. Just FYI, prepare BEFORE you tell the kids that you are doing this. I 'bout threw my hands up and said forget it because it was taking me too long and kids were starting to get inpatient. Wait I guess that would mean that I was getting inpatient....anyways....

 Items needed:
-paint (acrylic, finger paint, etc)
-paintbrushes (hands)
-masking tape
-canvas

 Grab masking tape and cut out your kids name. I was also thinking of just using words like "love" or "play." This part took the longest so I suggest preparing that before having the kids come to paint. The curves were hard so I was getting a little frustrated with Brookes name. If you got a kid that has "tim" as a name, you got it easy!

 Then let them choose the colors and paint! I got the idea off Pinterest and they used finger paints, but I didn't have any. I thought acrylic would be a little easier and not as messy.

 Kaden is all about spiderman, can you tell? This is also great for kids working on motor development skills. Brooke enjoyed painting and we were working on using those muscles!

 Let it dry and then peel off the masking tape. Viola! Great kid art to hang up in their room!

Indoor Activities

 Have you been on Pinterest? I think it's taking more of my time then Facebook! So the cool thing about Pinterest is you get to bookmark pages, ideas, photos that you would like to revisit. Of course, I get a lot of ideas of crafts for kids. So here are a couple that I came across and how they worked for us. Great ideas for those wet and cold days coming up! 

 I actually saw this activity in  Family Fun magazine that I get. So you grab some contact paper, tape it to a window and have the kiddos place cut up tissue paper on the contact paper! Pretty easy peasy and it seems to be all over blog land now. 

 It was really fun at first. I think I picked to large of a window to do it on. It was great for using those motor development skills and talking about the colors. Kaden made a rainbow on it. We didn't fill up the window. I started grabbing hand fulls of paper and putting it on the contact paper.

Well the kiddos dumped out the cut up paper and started throwing it up in the air. This was a morning where it already started off rough. So when Kaden first threw all the paper everywhere, I almost freaked out. But then i was like, ah whatever, this will be a great oppurtunity for him to use a broom!

My kids had more fun throwing the paper up. Kora got into the action as well. And really it wasn't all that messy. It was a great learning moment for me as well. I don't have to freak out at all the messes. No one was dying or crying so I just relished in their happiness. They got to clean it up and surprisingly they really enjoyed using the broom! That's when the screaming started happening, because I didn't have enough big brooms!

 Someone pinned some cool pics from Play At Home Mom so I had to check out the site. I found these really cool water beads!! So I went looking for them and I found them at the Dollar Zone store in Anchorage for 50 cents!! I grabbed a couple of colors.

 I didn't take the greatest of photos, sorry. You put the beads in A LOT of water and they grow in several hours. I just threw the beads into a container that I grabbed at the Dollar Zone with the beads. They LOVED playing with them! It freaked out all the adults that touched them cause they look like glass.

Brooke loved picking them up and putting them in her cup. I was glad to see this cause her right hand is weaker and I know she was playing AND working on her motor development. You can put the water beads on a light source and it looks really cool. Be sure to check out the website to see more cool pictures and how they used them. They are non toxic but be sure to watch little ones at all times while playing with these.

 Another cool idea was to grab some balloons and fill them with rice and water! It's the simple things! SO I grabbed a bag of balloons while I was at the Dollar Zone. I put some rice in 2 balloons and then a little water in ANOTHER 2. I used two so my kids wouldn't fight over them. =) They loved shaking them and trying to figure out what was in them. It's cool because it adds some weight to the balloon so they fall a little faster. Kaden and I had a balloon fight because you can actually throw them at each other and it doesn't hurt.

 I have more ideas pinned on the boards so come back to see what we are up too! Be sure to get out and enjoy this weather cause you know what is coming!!! I don't want to say the word just yet. =)

The Music Canvas

 I know a couple of you are looking for something to do with your little ones since school started. Have you heard of The Music Canvas? It's a great music program for babies to kindergartners! Oh and adults as well! Classes start this week so go register!

 Last spring the kids and I enrolled. I just want to set this up for you, Kaden was 3, Brooke was 20 months and not walking and I was 5 months preggers. That being said, we LOVED the class! The class was small enough where Mrs Brooks knew all the kids names. She invited us in and said "don't worry if the kids get up and walk around or even sit and not participate." You can tell she knew kids! Trying to control my kids in a class setting is sometimes like herding cats, impossible! I thought she was very inviting for the kids and me.

 So there is a welcome song that you sing every class. Can I just tell you that I use that baby, a year later, to grab the attention of my kids!! Yeah, I use songs when my kids are not paying attention and it just draws them in. I don't know what it is cause it sure isn't my voice! So yes, the songs are very catchy. I didn't know them at first but we caught on fast. It's so much more then just sitting down and singing. There is dancing, movement, and instruments that my kids loved.

 When the instruments were first brought out my first thought was, "oh I'm NEVER going to get that egg shaker from Brooke and there will be lots of screaming." But guess what, Mrs. Brooks had this little song and Brooke actually listened! Not only did she put the shaker back but did it without tears and high octave screaming! So I still use that little trick today. Singing puts kids in a trance I'm telling you!

 Okay so singing isn't your thing? No worries, Mrs. Brooks does MOST of the work for you! All you have to do is bring the kids and be excited about it! Remember they feed off of you. You get a CD so you can listen to it at home or in the car. The kiddos can learn all the words as well as you. The songs are catchy, I was singing or humming them at 2am diaper changes.

 These classes are also great for kids with special needs. I was curious to see how Brooke would do in the setting. She loved it! It was another therapy session for her but one that Kaden and I got to be involved. She got to work on motor development with clapping, dancing and holding instruments. There is also a social aspect because Mrs. Brooks was engaging her and the kids. I loved watching Brooke move to the music. It helped me forget about all her limitations and watch her delight in being a kid. To this day, Brooke is always dancing and singing.

 The kids saw it as a fun time to sing and dance with other kids. I know it was a fun time but also knew the importance of the stimulation that was going on in their brains. There is a lot of research out there on the importance of music to kids when they are young. This is a great article on the importance of music at a young age.

 I definitely recommend this class! They are 45 minute classes and last 10 weeks. There are several locations and times so it can fit into your schedule. Visit here to see the class schedule. Mrs. Brooks also does private lessons. If you sign up, be sure to let her know Alaska Kids sent you!!

Our Little Miracle

  It was a Saturday morning when I started becoming concerned for my little baby girl, Peanut who was growing in me. I was 38 weeks and I wasn't feeling her move as much as I usually do. I drank some juice and laid on my back to see if she would move. Was that a kick? Maybe she is sleeping.

  Later that day, I still wasn't feeling her move. Maybe I missed it while I was chasing my 20 month old son. Maybe I should go in to the hospital. Ah, I'm just being paranoid. Maybe she does not move as much as my son does, maybe this means she will be more laid back?

  That night my concern was growing even more. I laid in bed and asked my husband to pray for me, I was afraid. It was 3am, maybe I should just go in and then come back home cause everything is okay. I finally decided to go in in the morning by myself and then be back in time for church.

  I started crying telling why I was there to the nurse. They brought me back and started doing tests. Oh thank God, there is a heartbeat, but the nurse is concerned and being vague. Peanut was failing all the tests. While this was going on, I was on the phone with my husband, we were glad that we heard the heartbeat and thought things were okay. The nurse said that the doctor was on his way and that Peanut would be born via emergency C-section. I told my husband to call my mom to watch our son, and come in as soon as possible.

  I was in such shock, I don't really remember those fast moments . I remembered going into a room where lots of doctors and nurses were. I was so afraid. Afraid for Peanut, afraid for me, what is going to happen?

  My husband finally arrived and came into the room right before they opened me up. It happened so fast. The doctor pulled her out, but no cries. They said the cord was wrapped around her neck very tightly 3 times and she needed help breathing. Finally I heard my little baby cry out. Big sigh of relief.

 Things were looking hopeful, she didn't have to go to the NICU nursery. A couple of hours passed and we finally were both doing great resting in a room.

  As a nurse was making her rounds, checking vitals on Peanut and myself, she asked to take Peanut back to get some oxygen cause she didn't seem to be taking enough in. Sure, I said, and thought the delivery was rough so she would be back shortly.

 The nurse walked back into the room with a doctor and no baby. The doctor started telling me that Peanut has a seizure and they wanted to do a Spinal Tap to rule out meningitis. He talked about all the things that could go wrong. Please, do whatever you need to do to help my baby. I was in shock, again. I don't even know what to do, what to say. What is going on. I called my husband to come back because they didn't know what was going on with Peanut.

  I can't even tell you everything that happened within that long hour. They were trying to get things under control, telling me everything that was going on, medicine they were giving her, procedures that needed to happen. I just wanted to see her, to hold her.

  We finally got to see her after all the tests were concluded, they had her on 2 types of medicine to control her seizures. We walked up to her bed side and she was sleeping from the medicine. She then stopped breathing, we watched her oxygen levels go down, and we were helpless. All I could say is please Lord let her live. She then started breathing, but this is what her seizures looked like, she stopped breathing. I could only touch her little wrapped up body. I couldn't hold her to my chest and kiss her little head.

  They started an EEG on her and her brainwaves were very abnormal. The neurologist couldn't tell me anything, the NICU doctors couldn't tell me anything and the nurses couldn't tell me anything about what was going to happen.
 

  Every hour we just waited for something, some hope. I visited her as much as possible as I was healing from a C-section via classical incision.
 

 Several days passed and her seizures were under control. They did an MMR and found brain damage, more then likely from the birth. It was so lonely. The world passed by outside the hospital and I didn't even know or even care what was going on. I just wanted my baby to be healthy.
 

 

 I finally got to hold her, to nurse her, to touch her. Then I got to room with her and start taking care of her. It was round the clock care making sure she ate enough so we could leave. The medicine made her so drowsy so she left even more so then a newborn does. She failed the hearing test several times. Another thing to add onto my worries.
 

 After a week, we got to leave. I was blessed that it only was a week. Some babies had been in there for months. I was even more afraid to be at home. What if she has more seizures? I don't have a machine that will go off. I don't remember too many of those days.

  She failed another newborn hearing test. I was afraid, what if she is deaf? More doctor visits and more concerns. She wasn't gaining very much weight, her head wasn't growing either. We had to visit several doctors to try and find out what was going on. Many months of waiting. There was no diagnosis, which I wanted so badly. Tell me how her future looks, will she ever hear, will she ever live a normal life, will we have to take care of her for the rest of her life, will she be able to have friends, drive, have children? Wait and see, Peanut will tell us.

  I grieved my "perfect" child that we all hope for. It sounds horrible. Nothing prepares you for this. This was out of my control, which is so hard because I have such a need to be in control. My son was by the books, normal. What did I do wrong? What did I eat? What did I do to cause this?

  Peanut was diagnosed with microcephaly, which means small head. I cant even tell you the number of doctor visits we have been to.We found out she is not deaf but has mild/moderate loss in her right ear. She wears a hearing aid, waiting for her glasses to come in, and an orthopedic brace on her right foot. She does occupational, speech, and physical therapy 4xs a week.

 

  This girl has come a long ways and surprises us daily. I don't know what her future holds, but I know and love Who holds her future. That's all I can trust right now.

  Why did I tell you this? I tell you all this because I want you to get touch with the gut feeling. Trust it. Its a God given gift that sometimes we don't listen to. Your son isn't where the other kids are, get him checked out now. You don't trust your doctor when she says your daughter is fine, get a second opinion. Go with your parental instincts, it can save a life.

 I leave you with a picture of my little peanut and my 5 month old Snugglebug. I had tons of fears with Snugglebug's pregnancy, but that's for another day.