Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Summertime!


It finally feels like summer! We are finally getting some sunshine and hot weather after all the crazy weather we've had. Even though summer tends to be crazy busy, I love the family time we get to spend together during the longer summer days and warm nights. Here's what we've been up to lately...


A family trip to Orange Leaf (Elias' first time!)



Exploring the park...

...playing in the pool and slip n' slide...







And going swimming in the "big pool" for the first time!


We also took a trip to the Fort Worth zoo earlier this summer with Elias' cousin!


And then of course there is just lots of playing outside. 


And inside when it's too hot! This was Elias' first time to play in the play place at chick-fil-a. 


We're ready for lots more summer fun!



Sunday, June 2, 2013

DIY music table

Elias definitely inherited his daddy's drumming genes. That kid is pretty obsessed with drums and drumming and any object in the house is fair game. So when I saw some cool "music walls" on pinterest I knew I had to do something similar for E. I couldn't find anything quite like I wanted so I just winged it. This is what I came up with. 


Excellent photo I know...thats my photography skills mixed with my immaculate house right there. 
Ideally, this thing is supposed to go outside since it is reeeeeally loud. But since we are still hiding from tornados every other day it's in the house today. 
Basically I just ran to the thrift store near our house and grabbed a random assortment of metal pots and pans that I thought would make good noise. I also got one of those alligator xylophones which I then disassembled for just the xylophone part. This is what I came home with. 


Then it just took a quick coat of spray paint (that I had leftover from another project) and a few nails/screws to hold it together. My awesome hubby helped me attach the pans because I wasn't strong enough to hammer through the metal and he also made the legs for it to make it a little table. 
Eventually I'd like to get more fun noise-making objects like maybe wind chimes and a tambourine to stick on there somehow but for now we like it :) Especially for about $5 and a couple hours! And the best part is that Elias likes it too...success!