McCleary Family Fun

Snakes

2011-01-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

We had a great time at the Bean Life Museum today. They had a reading time at 11 a.m., and we got to go listen to some really cute books. But the real fun was petting the snake. James wasn't sure about it, but Isabelle loved it … But I'm not having a snake in the house.

Happy New Year

2011-01-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

We have been busy getting back into the swing of things since the new year. Kids got a lot of new stuff to play with, and we've been having a blast.

Ladybugs

2010-12-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

We did ladybug headbands for preschool today. It was fun.

Thanksgiving Point

2010-12-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we went to Thanksgiving point. It was fun. Isabelle and James LOVED the animals, and James threw a wonderfully screamy fit when he didn't get to ride the pony again. It was great. The best picture I can find is with this fake cow though. :) Kind a funny.

Paper Christmas Village

2010-12-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

This was a fun activity. It's made out of paper. We are going to add trees, and a few more train pieces.

Long time coming

2010-12-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time coming, but we are back in business! We have been having a great time at swimming lessons, dance class, and preschool. I'm teaching preschool for Isabelle and a couple of kids in the neighborhood. We have worked on letters A through J. We are doing the letter K this week. Counting to 20, coloring a kite and counting the bows on it's tail :).

Isabelle is doing a great job with her sight words, and reading. Here are the books she's reading now.

The book for this week is called "In and Out" (our sight word is "out"). Each animals goes in the mud and out of the mud. "The cows go in. The cows go out." is how it goes. :) We got it off of the website A to Z reading, when it was having a free week for teachers to download.

We are also having a great time matching the beginning sounds to animal words: pig, cow, frog, duck, dog, and cat. I think we will put on an old macdonald had a farm play. My camera isn't working well, so I guess no pictures. :) Hope everyone is have a great holiday season!!!

Fun things to do

2010-07-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

We made "school busses" out of twinkies, rolo's, hershey chocolate squares, and a red skittle. You cut the twinkie in half the long way, put it on a plate, use icing or cream cheese to stick the rolos on for the wheels, put a few squares of chocolate on for the windows, and a little red skittle for the stop sign on the side. Sure was cute. Wish I would have taken a pictures.

We also made 3D stars, our own american flags, bird houses, and went on a treasure hunt around our house. Isabelle loved looking for the clues.

I will be better about blogging the things we do, taking pictures, and putting on the links for the ideas. It's bunches of fun being a mom.

June = a good start

2010-06-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a good start to the summer. I found a fun activity at Lowes. On Saturdays they have a free kids activity. Last time we made a race car. Life is beautiful. I have to give a shout out to my husband. He is one of the most perfect people I have ever met. His love and kindness is a joy to my life. It make my life sweet and easier. With him brining me water, rubbing my feet, giving me massages, taking care of the kids, growing flowers, mowing the lawns, helping with the housework, and generally doing things to show he cares about my every feeling, life is great! He loves his job, and enjoys school. He's always challenging himself to do more and better. I especially enjoy reading scriptures with him, watching him use the priesthood, and having family home evening with him as our family head. Isabelle asked this morning if we could have Family home evening again today. It was great. I told her ,"of course we can, when Daddy gets home."

Isabelle is the sweetest little girl anyone could ask for. She tries to be so obedient. She loves to play and ride her bike. She loves the park, and our neighbors house. She is sweet to her brother. She loves to water the flowers. She says that I am her best friend. It makes my heart soar. How blessed I am to have such a life.

James is growing too fast. He is starting to walk. He babbles and babbles all day. He goes so fast and is into everything, that he is tired sometimes by 9:30am and wants to take a nap. After nap he goes and goes as fast as he can until he tires himself out again. :) It's great to be a mom.

I have been able to live such wonderful stages and times of life. Growing up with my family is truly a blessing. College was fun. Working and traveling was quite the adventure. Teaching and having the opportunity to watch my brothers and sisters grow has brought bushels of joy and laughter to my life. But, this time of marriage, family, children, motherhood, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents is the BEST time I have ever had. Isn't life a grand journey?

H is for Hearts

2010-02-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

So, we are all very sick this week, but we are still doing things!!!!!! This is very different than during pregnancy. :) This week we are working on the letter H. We made a heart door stings, and a heart headband. We worked on our counting, on writing the letter H, which is the first letter she will actually trace, and our site words: are, on, for. The little book I made her is called, "Where are you". It is about finding a bunny rabbit. It's cute. Fun times.

I also have a new little niece. Go DEANNA!!!!

glasses

2010-02-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new year!!! It's been a great year so far. We have begun doing our preschool, reading program, and Isabelle can read (memorize really) about 5 little books. We are on working on the letter "Gg" and we made glasses to help us read, and find treasures all over the house. :) It's been fun.

halloween

2009-11-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

We went to Orderville for Halloween. It was fun. Isabelle and I had a blast during the week: painting pumpkins, watching parades, playing games, pretending to be superman, and much more. Thanks DeAnna, Mom, and Dad for all the fun.

Halloween was great too. Isabelle was a bunny and loved trick-or-treating. She especially enjoyed playing with her cousins.

Treasure box

2009-10-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Isabelle and I made a treasure box today. She had some wonderful treasures that needed their own spot. After we colored it, she ran outside to three different hiding places and got her rocks. She painted two and left one just the way she found it. It was fun. Good times.

We also played in the leaves today. This tree dropped a ton of leaves, and we played, jumped, hid, and ran through them. When Daddy got home, Isabelle and he went outside and played with a bunch of neighborhood kids and the leaves. Fall Fun had by all.

fun week

2009-10-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

We made pom pom mice, mopped the car clean, popcorn and Barney movies from the library, tried hitting the ball in T-ball in the backyard (not very successful), and played with playdough for hours. We made muffins (with a few egg shells :), corn bread, and did the dishes -- water everywhere of course. Isabelle put her pants in the toilet after going potty

SHE'S ALMOST THERE!!!! Isabelle hasn't had an accident in a week. She needs a diaper at bedtime, but other than that SUCESS. It's a wonderful thing.

fun days at the mcCleary's

FHE

2009-10-07T13:35:00.001-07:00

We played a fishing game for Family Night. (Thanks D for the idea) I made little fish out of construction paper, put paperclips on them, wrote questions about prayer and songs to sing on the back, and we fished for them with a makeshift line and magnet. Fun had by all.

A week in Orderville

2009-10-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

Last week was a great getaway; we spent it in Orderville with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt D (and family), Jana and Kasen, and Uncle David. Isabelle played all week. She LOVES her cousins. She loves to play all day outside and get dirty!!! We had corn scrapings, homemade bread and rolls, turkey, ham, and potato salad!!!!! Everyone worked hard. Jana was the winner of working, she cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. Thank you Jana! David got a deer; Isabelle loved it. There were kittens to chase and play with, dogs and horses to see, Aunts to paint your finger and toenails, and lots of sand to play in. What a dream!! I especially loved just being with my family. Mom, Dad, D, Jana, and Dave, you guys are the best. We had a lot of fun. Thanks everyone.

Camping, Elk, and Candyland

2009-09-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law got an elk and gave us some meat. Bobby cut it and froze it. I made elk stew for dinner tonight. Thanks Tate.

We bought Candyland and played it as a family.

Bobby and Isabelle are camping tonight...in our backyard!!! What a fun day this has been.

Colds

2009-09-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

Isabelle has a runny nose, and a little cold. We are staying home and resting. The last few days have been adventurous. We all had Dr. Apt. and got the flu shot. Library time was fun. We updated our library card and checked out a few books, and a movie. Isabelle has loved 'Peter Pan' because they fly. She wants to fly around the room!!! We visited our friend Eva; it was her daughter, Elizabeth's, birthday. Isabelle and Daddy went swimming, while Eva and I dangled our feet in the water. James pooped all over his car seat, me and himself. Eva gave him a bath and loaned me a beautiful outfit to wear while our things were washed. It was a fun night.

Fun fun fun

2009-09-18T19:35:00.001-07:00

We have been playing with our cousin Kasen. Thank you Jana for coming to visit us. We went to library time, and to a the Bean Life Museum; we saw a tiger gecko named Brewsky. Isabelle LOVED the african animal display. It has a giant elephant. Every time she turned around she would yell, "LOOK MOMMY, elephant." It was like she was seeing it for the first time every time.

we also went the petting zoo at Thanksgiving point. Kasen and Isabelle loved the animals, and they got to ride on the little pony rides. FUN, FUN, FUN.

Summersaults

2009-09-16T08:37:00.001-07:00

Isabelle can do a summersault all on her own!!! What a fun adventure being a mother is. We have been using an old school chalkboard. I found some colored chalk at Mom's house, and Isabelle loves writing with chalk.

Letter "Mm"

2009-09-10T20:00:00.002-07:00

Today we started our letter activities again!!! I was excited to try a few things we haven't yet. We practiced finding letters in words: "m" in mat, "c" in cat, etc. I also did a say-spell-say activity where we said the word, spelled out the letters and said the word again. Isabelle was in charge of erasing the words and letter from the whiteboard. She seemed to think it was fun.

We made a picture book with "m" words. She colored a page with a "M" and a mouse. I let her have the scissors to practice cutting a color page. We practice writing the letter "M" (she just does beautiful scribbles of course).

She made a mouse out of ovals and got to glue a pompom for a nose. She colored a headband and we glued a paper mouse to it. She helped make "M"s on a bracelet and glued a pompom on it to wear everywhere.

We sang Hickory Dickory Dock, and 3 blind mice. We also sang the "little green frog" song because the frog (her little stuffed frog) was jumping on the mice. :) She is a wonderfully fun girl.

Yesterday, we made a large box into a car; today, she pretended to go to the zoo and see the elephants and lions. On the way she jumped on her car and it broke so she climbed on the arm of the couch and said, "Come on chew, chew train, come on." She would not be put off by a broken car!!! :) I love her.

Feeling Better

2009-09-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Yes!!! I'm finally feeling better and going out and about. Today we went to the storytime at the Provo library. Most public libraries have a storytime activity for young children. Just look up the closest library to your home and enjoy. Today they talked about the letter "A" and did an alligator dance and puppet show. Isabelle LOVED IT!!! James slept through it, thankfully.

Floating Bubbles | thehappyscientist.com

2009-08-17T06:11:00.001-07:00

Floating Bubbles | thehappyscientist.com

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bubbly milk

2009-08-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

We are doing more with bubbles today!!! Strawberry milk and straws make great bubbles. Fun, fun, fun.

bubbles

2009-08-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today we made a pinwheel, and "bubble" juice. It was fun. Isabelle poured all the ingredients, and stirred the bubbles. Then, she had a great time ladling the punch for Daddy to taste.

cooking

2009-08-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today, Isabelle wanted to make muffins. She got the mix, can opener, milk, eggs, and 3 bowls. She looked at the pictures on the back of the box, and asked what else. I told her she needed oil. I got the oil and together we made muffins. It was fun.

playdough

2009-08-06T17:43:00.001-07:00

Isabelle loves the play dough that Grandma bought her. She likes to cut, and roll, and make play dough cookies out of it. Mostly we like to mix all the colors of play dough together!!! It was a fun activity.

Bilirubin night

2009-08-04T03:12:00.000-07:00

We are up all night checking temperature, feeding MORE than James wants to wake up for, and getting bilirubin treatment. He doesn't like his personal tanning bed.

Baby James!!!!

2009-07-31T23:39:00.000-07:00

James Joseph "Jimmy-Joe" McCleary was born July 29th, 2009. He weighs 7lbs 11 oz, and is 19 inches long. He has black hair and is cute, cute, cute. Isabelle thinks he's cute and wanted to name him "cookie". She's ok with calling him James though. I'm feeling better and better everyday. :) I'm happy to be a new mom, and excited to heal and be up and going again.

Thanks to my mother-in-law, Verna, and my sister-in-law, Andrea, for coming and helping me. They are a blessing!!! You guys are great!

Disneyland

2009-05-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Disneyland was great!!!!!!! Thanks to Bob and Verna who made everything possible. We had a fun family vacation. Isabelle loved the carousel and the teacup rides. She liked Winnie the Pooh, and Alice in wonderland. She also liked the bumper cars, and the storybook land ride. It was fun.

bird feeder

2009-05-12T17:27:00.001-07:00

Today we went up the road to the Paleontology museum. Isabelle loved all the "rocks" and "horses" and "cows" (that's what she called all the dinosaurs).

We also made the best bird feeder ever. I got the idea from Beverly. You need a pine cone, peanut butter, and oats. We had fun. We flew a kite and had a cookout. It was a great day.

Museum of people and cultures

2009-05-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

I had a great day on Saturday! We went to a history day at the Museum of People and Cultures here at BYU. They had booths where you could make yarn, baskets, petroglyphs, lace, clay pots, look at weapons, and grind corn. They also had a dancing expedition from different Indian cultures. It was great!!!

We also went to the anthropological dig out by the provo airport. Isabelle was much more interested in the horse and donkey that wandered around the field. It was a fun day.

Easter

2009-04-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter in Orderville. Everyone was there for Jer and Casey's wedding. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

Ghost Town?

2009-03-29T15:37:00.001-07:00

We went to a ghost town yesterday; Mammoth, Utah. The only problem was there were people living there. We were a little disappointed at the non-ghost town part of the town. But, it was fun to see the old mines and empty buildings. We stopped at Eureka, ate lunch and played. I was exhausted by the time we got home.

BUBBLES

2009-02-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

Purchase a small bubble machine (Walmart for about 10.00), put on some music and let the fun begin. You can watch from the couch. I found it's helpful and fun to put down a large blanket before the bubbles start.

Really bad day

2009-02-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

Really bad day!!! On these days, where you are so sick you can't get out of bed, send your kids to the neighbors!!!!! That was today's activity.

Building forts

2009-02-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

This is a great activity!! Get out all the blankets and pillows you can find. Set up your card table (or just use the couch) and let your little one build the best and most fantastic castle/tent you could ever imagine.

books, books, and more books

2009-02-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

Another day of being sick. I think I'm finally getting over this cold (a little), and I'm looking forward to just being pregnant sick. YUCK

Today we piled books on the bed (color books, story books, notebooks, sticker books), and Isabelle spent many minutes playing with the books while I rested on the bed. This was a great game!

Umbrellas

2009-01-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

A great activity for sick days is umbrella fun. This includes opening and closing umbrellas in a large space in the living room. It can also be done from the convenience of your couch. I love to see Isabelle smile and laugh as she hears the SWOOSH of the large umbrella as it opens. If you are sick, don't laugh too much or you may end up hunched over a sink. Good luck

Dancing

2009-01-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm pregnant and very sick. This is my reason for not posting anything for months. I've decided that I'll post things you can do with your toddler while sick and pregnant!!!

Today we danced. I should say she danced and I encouraged. This is one of the easiest ways to do this activity. 1st, make music lists, seeqPod is a great site to begin with. You can make different lists for each child, by type, or by day, anything is possible. Next, turn on the music and let them dance. Isabelle likes to use play clothes and pots and pans as props. This makes a bigger mess, and Dad gets to clean it up, but it is a fun activity that allows you to lie on the couch and be sick as you watch your child have fun. :)

The letter "C"

2008-11-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we practiced the letter "C" It was great fun. We wrote on the whiteboard table and colored a picture of a cat. It was fun to put together the car and cut out the pieces to a "C" book. Isabelle loved the glueing parts of the activities!

Bridal Veil Falls

2008-11-25T12:47:00.000-08:00

We went to Bridal Veil Falls. It was very pretty. The waterfalls were great, and Issa loved playing in the water. It was cold, and debris lay scattered around the area. That didn't stop us from enjoying the fun people: runners, hikers, bikers, and dog walkers. Again, Isabelle loved the rocks!!!

Grandma's house

2008-11-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

We've been gone the last little while to Grandma's/Grandpa's house. It was great to see David and be there when he came home. I think that Isabelle's favorite part was playing in the leaves with her cousins.

Mall Madness

2008-11-14T12:30:00.000-08:00

We went to the mall today. Isabelle loves to ride in her stroller and see all the pretty lights and displays. We walk through store after store and she said "Hi" to as many people as possible. For lunch, we had a hotdog and orange julius. Later I took her to the build a bear store and she loved playing in there. Isabelle chose a little rabbit, she helped the store manager fill it with stuffing. She named it "TOO". I tried to get her to name it "Bunny", but she insisted it be named "Too". We had a great time together. I can't wait until they finish the playground in the mall. That will be fun.

Finally Finished Canning

2008-11-14T12:14:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! What a long event canning has been. We ended up making apple pies, apple juice, applesauce, apple baby food, apple pie filling, apple maple syrup, and apple jam. Although it was fun, I'm glad we're finished. Eva Clements, Julie Shwab, Tosha Isom, and I worked all week on this project!!! Here you see Eva and Julie making the pie crusts!

Morning mingle

2008-11-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

Today's morning mingle was fun. Our house was the hosting place, and we had about six families

come and participate. It was a Thanksgiving theme. Some children traced cookie cutter shapes (acorns, pumpkins, leaves, and turkeys) on construction paper, cut them out, and put them on paper trees, or real sticks they gathered. They put the things they are thankful for on the paper shapes. Isabelle was not interested in the cookie cutter tracing, so we traced her little hands and a foot, and made a thankfulness turkey. It was fun.

canning and tumbling

2008-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Isabelle has had pretty boring days lately because I've been canning: apple pie filling, apple syrup, apple jam, apple baby food, and applesauce. What an exhausting adventure. My friend Eva and I have worked hard and still have 2 days of canning left.

Another fun Item is Isabelle at a tumbling class. She has a great time. Today they played with the parachute. She loves the bars, and doing summersaults, but is still not quite sure she likes the balance beam. It's fun to watch.

Family Home Evening

2008-11-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

We've begun our new Family Home Evenings. Last week we read the story about Nephi and how he had courage to do what is right. We played "chase the balloon", where I blow up a balloon and let it go, and Isabelle and Daddy run after it to see who can get it first! It was great fun. We had pineapple upside-down cake for desert and sang nursery songs (popcorn popping, the wise man/foolish man, and head, shoulders, knees and toes.).

This week we read about Abinadi and his courage to do what God asked him. We practiced putting our toys back where they belong (this didn't go as well as I had hoped). After singing "I am a Child of God", we made Isabelle a crown. We sang our favorite nursery songs again, and watched a movie together. It was FUN!!!

Football Fun

2008-11-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

Today was the last home football game for the season. They kicked off the festivities with a pancake breakfast ($2.00); we took the whole family and our neighbors. After breakfast, we wandered over to the music/activity area where Isabelle danced to the beat and caught the attention of the cheerleaders in charge. They painted little paw prints on our cheeks and I got to try my hand at the dunking booth. Although I didn't dunk the poor girl volunteering, the next guy did; it was great to watch. FUN!!!!

Gallery Stroll

2008-11-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

Provo city hosts a gallery stroll Friday evenings in the late fall/early winter. It was fun. We began at the Covey Center for the Arts on Center St. and walked up University Ave. The art galleries were great, but the kids loved the marshmallow roasting areas that were set up along the way. Many places were open for your enjoyment; my favorite was the United Church of Christ. They had art/furniture made from gears and such. Each venue offered variety in both art and food. Great fun for a family evening!

Canyon View park

2008-11-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

It was fun to go to a new park. Jake and Isabelle loved throwing rocks onto the path. It was cold, but they still had fun. They liked the bridge, and we climbed over a little hill to another park (there was a sidewalk, but we didn't see it until we had already climbed). :) It was great to have Jaclyn and Jake come play.

Cooking

2008-11-06T20:29:00.000-08:00

I told you that Eva and I cook every week. We always make bread together -- I love teaching how to make bread -- and we try to make a new dish for dinner. This night (along with both wheat and white bread) we made a meat and cheese bread braid, and glorious french onion soup.

jaclyn and Jake

2008-11-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

We got to play with Jake and Jaclyn!!! We played a great game on the computer

www.starfall.com. Isabelle and Jake didn't want to go and play, they were having so much fun.

We did finally get to the museum. The Bean Life Museum is on the BYU campus and if FREE! Jake and Isabelle had fun running

around and looking at all the animals. They especially liked the fish and birds. I think their favorite parts were pushing the buttons on the exhibits and riding in the elevator.

Library Activities

2008-11-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

Most libraries have activities you can attend. Isabelle and I love the "toddler time" at Provo library. They have storytellers, singing, letter practice, and our favorite - puppet shows. We had a great time today learning about the letter "J" and dancing with the other little ones.

All Hallow's Eve

2008-10-31T11:28:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to the People and Cultures museum on campus at BYU. They offer a story time for toddlers and preschoolers. We got to shake gourds and run around knocking on all the glass displays. It's a fun place to visit, but not very kid friendly. I hear that they have a few days that they do activities with older children (5 to 12 yrs.), but Isabelle was more interested in all the fun glass doors she could shake than what the boy was reading.

We also went to another park up Provo Canyon, along South Fork Road. Big Springs Park had a great little stream running through it. Isabelle LOVED playing in the water. It was a park to visit in the Fall.

Later on that evening we went trick or treating. It took a couple of knocks on doors for Isabelle to get the idea, but it was all fun and games from then on. Helaman Halls (that's the singles' residence) put on trick-or-treating for all the married housing on campus. They had a large, old fashion, popcorn popper, a fishing booth, coloring stations, and hundreds of doors to trick-or-treat.

Swimming

2008-10-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Swimming Day with Dad. Isabelle thinks that she should be a fish. Swimming is fun. As the days get cooler we move inside to the neighborhood pool and splash, splash.

Today was also cooking day with my neighbor Eva. She brought her little girl, Elizabeth, over and we made a day of baking. Whole wheat bread, white bread, and real homemade chili (not the kind with the beans from a can). It was great fun. We look forward to next weeks cooking day!!!

Halloween Party

2008-10-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

My cute little pumpkin had fun at the Halloween Party last night. She loved the donut eating game. Little donuts hung from strings and you tried to eat them without using your hands. There was a fishing booth, a table with candy where you guessed how many pieces were in the bags, and a cupcake walk. The children participated in a little line parade and the parents smiled. We were pretty tired by the end.

leaf hunt

2008-10-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

There are beautiful leaves everywhere. Yesterday, Isabelle and I went outside and she picked up the leaves that she wanted. She put them into a plastic bag and when we were finished we put them on a piece of construction paper and put clear contact paper over it. Fun activity that is not messy!!!

October 27th 2008

2008-10-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

We begin the adventure on October 28th, 2008. Today Isabelle, Robert, and I went and played at the Little Gym. She tried summersaults, little bitty, kinda cartwheels, and lots of climbing, swinging and running around. FUN!! We also went to the Rotary Club Bicentennial Park and played. Swinging was our favorite, but coming a close second was running on the path through

Morning Mingle

2008-10-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

We made masks today at what is known as "morning mingle". With Halloween right around the corner, the kids and their mothers made paper masks to ring in the holiday right. She picked out the stickers and the feathers. I cut and glued; she colored!!!