The Farmer In The Dell

We saw the farmer in the dell at the grocery today!

See that man with the hat behind Ayden?

Ayden pointed to the man and said, "What's that?"  I said, "A man wearing a hat."  He thought about that for a second then started singing "The Farmer In The Dell" as loud as he could. I. Died. It was too funny!  

I think the answer he was looking for when he asked about the man was "farmer."  I'm telling you, never a dull moment with this kid and it just keeps getting better.

~Sarah

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Hello Dr. Jeckle

This is what happened when I asked Ayden to say cheese today:

I think he gets it... So cute!
(This kid never has his picture taken.  Haha)

I also caught him saying, "Comin'!" On video. It wasn't the full, "I'm comin'!" that he usually says which is ABSOLUTELY adorable but it's still pretty cute if you ask me. 

Ayden has been in a very pleasant mood (meaning minimal toddler meltdowns) the past few days. We got through his illness and I suppose now we are all getting a break. He has been happy, sweet and silly and it has been awesome. As an example, before, if his pants leg would ride up, he'd whine about it saying, "Oh no!  Oh no!" while trying to pull it back down. Nothing major, just your standard toddler dramatics but still, these things add up. Well his pants rode up this morning and instead of fussing about it he laughed, said, "Silly pants" and calmly pulled them back down. Not sure what switch flipped to bring Dr. Jeckle back to our house but he is welcome to stay! Haha. 

Anyone else feel like their toddler is like Dr. Jeckle/Mr. Hyde sometimes?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "12(ish) Months Later"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Kid Talk

Ayden is talking up a little storm these days!  Not everyone can understand everything that he says but he talks to us about everything all day long!  He tells us how his train cars are "hooked up."  How he wants the "whole thing" when telling us he wants us to get down his basket of books. He tells Maverick: "Go to your room!" if Mav is trying to eat our food or do anything else he's not supposed to. He asks, "What happened?" if he hears us make a noise like we got hurt or spilled something.  The list goes on and on and he definitely says something at least once a day that catches us off guard and makes us laugh. Here is a cute clip of him telling me that he doesn't know where a Lego went.

I always loved when my students said cute or funny things. One saw the symbol for a defibulator and said, "Huh... So that's what heartburn is." As If he had finally found the missing piece to that puzzle. Another thought that Mary's Little Lamb had "fleas" as white as snow rather than "fleece." Pretty soon I'll be able to start keeping a record of the funny things Ayden says as his language and ability to make connections continue to develop. I can't wait! Kids really do say the darnedest things. 

Have your kids said anything hilarious lately?  The bloggers over at Young House Love have a secondary blog called Young House Life where they sometimes post about funny conversations they have with their daughter Clara. She is a really clever and funny little girl, you should check it out!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "What's New?"  (this post actually has a video of Ayden "talking" too.  So fun to compare his talking a year ago with his talking today.  Truly amazing.

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Homemade Goo Gone Put To The Test!

Sticker residue is one of my pet peeves. There are stickers and labels out there that come off nice and clean... Why can't everyone use that kind?? The reality is that most stickers do not just come right off. They usually leave a thin layer of paper and adhesive behind, practically ruining the item to which they were stuck. You can use store bought Goo Be Gone but it rates an F on EWG's website with a high concern for cancer and "damage to DNA." No thanks. A hair dryer often works. You warm the sticker a little which warms the adhesive and the sticker will come right off. The trick is to do that before you've attempted to peel the sticker off in the first place.

Last time I left Ayden in the child care center at the Y, I left him with his new Camelback water bottle. You are supposed to label everything you leave with the labels they provide. During previous visits, I used a different cup and the labels peeled right off. Without thinking that a different bottle may make a difference I tried pulling the label right off resulting in this:

A LONG time ago while exploring a favorite blog of mine, I found that she had compiled an entire recipe list (along with a really cute label template) for an array of non-toxic, household cleaners. One of the items on the list was Goo Gone. I pinned it and waited until I needed some.  Today was the day I finally put it to the test.

{Please visit her blog for the exact recipe}

Made with just two simple ingredients that I always keep stocked in the house, I was able to make my own Goo Gone that did not come with a warning to keep it from touching my skin.

A tiny little finger tip full was all it took. The paper that was left behind looked saturated as soon as the Goo Gone touched it.

I used a nylon kitchen scraper to get the rest of the paper off. 

Then used my fingernails and a rough, terry cloth wash cloth for the rest. 

Worked like a charm!

If you are looking for a recipe for homemade goo gone that is non-toxic and actually works, I highly recommend this one!  I printed her recipe list for future reference and have put the labels you need to go with her template on my list of things to buy. Somehow having such pretty labels and printables makes housework that much more fun!

What are the recipes for your favorite homemade, non-toxic household cleaners? Has anyone else tried this one?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Easier Every Time"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Little Daddy

There is some controversy around letting little boys play with dolls. Some people feel like it is a girl activity and that boys should be redirected.

I simply disagree.

Don't mind him... Just feeding his baby at play group today!

How can we expect or sons to be amazing fathers someday if we don't allow them to pretend to be like their own amazing daddies?  Play is practice for when children grow up and have the chance to do the real thing. Ayden will be ready!

What are your thoughts on this topic?  

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Calling All Party Animals"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

A Roaring Good Time

It was party day!  How amazing it feels to have our dearest friends and family join us to celebrate this little man.  We are truly blessed.

CAKE!

Herbivores

Carnivores

Sweetivores.  Hehe

The shirt

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "1st Birthday Party Prep"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Party Prep

Because of Ayden's illness last week, I wasn't able to tackle quite as many DIY birthday party things as I had wanted.  But that doesn't bother me.  At this point, it's more for myself than him anyway since he'd be just as happy if all we did was have some kids over to play (and even if we didn't, he still wouldn't know the difference).  I did manage to get a few things ready for the party this weekend and I wanted to share my favorite.  

I accidentally stumbled upon an Etsy shop with a $5.00 customizable dinosaur birthday shirt printable, iron on transfer.  (that was a mouthful...)

{shop for it HERE}
*photo from her website*

It was funny because at first glance, I thought the shirt said "Ayden" but then realized it said "Hayden."  I thought, "What are the chances that this little boy's name is Ayden, spelled the same way, and he was turning 2 too??"  

Anyway, the process was really easy, I placed my order, paid with Paypal and as soon as my payment went through, I had an email with the file attached.  

I picked up some transfer paper at Hobby Lobby on Thursday,

And luckily found plain white, long sleeve shirts at target (on clearence for $3.50!)

I printed out the design, followed the instructions on the transfer paper packaging and in no time, had a custom birthday shirt for my birthday boy!  

I am in no way affiliated with the Cupcake Express Etsy shop.  Just a happy customer that wants to spread the love.  She has got a TON of printable goodies for all kinds of themes over at her shop.  If you are in the market, go check her out!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "From Milk To Table Food"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Bath Painting Fun

Ayden was feeling even better today. He has a tiny cough but other than that he is as good as new. It was amazing how much I was able to get done! Since he was so great about "doing his own work while Mommy did her's" (that's what I tell him when I need him to play independently), I set up an extra special bath for him. 

Painting with shaving cream!

He had so much fun!  I got the idea from Pinterest I think, though I couldn't find an actual pin to link you to...  I must have just seen it and had a note to self moment. It was fun to spice things up a bit for him. I think he also liked his bath because we have a really nice heater set up in there and I turned it on an hour before bathtime. I was nice and toasty in there and felt good on a sub-zero morning. 

We tried something new as a family this evening.  David met us at a grocery store near our gym where we had salads from the salad bar before heading over for a workout.  Ayden waltzes into the child care like he's an old pro these days which allows us to really clear our heads while we exercise.  He's also at a special advantage since he is potty trained at such a young age.  He can choose to go to the toddler side or the potty trained, big kid side.  Tonight, he chose the toddler side but when we picked him up they said he went over to the big kid side a little too.  Must be nice to have that freedom and I'm glad the staff doesn't seem to mind giving it to him.  Before we came home we all went for a swim and Ayden was more than ready for bed by the time we got him there.  

Is it super cold where you are? What have you been doing to pass the time? We are supposed to be getting more snow this weekend.  Hopefully Ayden's birthday party on Sunday doesn't get snowed out!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Anytime, Anywhere"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Here I am!

Ayden's newest, mostly used phrases are, "I comin' Mommy!" and, "Here I am!"  It is so cute!  I've also heard, "Hold me! Hold me! Hold me!" A lot since this past weekend but that was because he wasn't feeling well. Today was the first day he took a little break from that. He still took 2 naps today but otherwise he seemed to be feeling MUCH better.

The temps around here have been hovering around 0* give or take. Shools have even been closed since Tuesday. We got out to run a few errands (that we were originally going to run on Saturday before Ayden's bug hit) and Ayden gladly wore his hat, gloves and coat every time we got out of the car. As always, his favorite errand was the pet store. 

We made it home in time for his afternoon nap and the rest of the day was pretty chill. I even got to have BOTH arms free for cooking dinner. Yay for a little boy who is feeling good enough to have a little personal space!  Gotta love the snuggles but a mama needs a little wiggle room every now and then.

A friend shared this blog post on Facebook and it was just what I needed to give me a little laugh and get me through the tail end of Ayden's puney days.  Thought I should pass it along in case it can do that for some of you too!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Mr. Babbles"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Nurse Day

I was briefly a nursing major in college. I still to this day think I would have enjoyed being a nurse, I just discovered the degree that I actually persued and realized I would enjoy it even more. As it turns out, being a mother and a farmer can give you many opportunities to be a nurse.

Ayden's temp went back up a little today. It never got up to 102* but it was high enough for him to want to lay around all day and take THREE naps. He actually acted more puney today than he did when his temp was 103* over the weekend. His apetite was still normal and we played a little but for the most part, he just wanted to be in my arms. I called my sister and let her know I would not be in to teach dance and gave Ayden another sick, lazy, PJ day.

We also had a sick hen. We don't know that she was actually sick since a mentor of ours seemed to think her symptoms were similar to those in a hen with an internal laying issue, but she was not doing well. We first noticed it a couple of days ago. She wasn't moving around much and stayed hunkered down with her feathers ruffled. Her apetite was decreased which is a tell tale sign that things aren't going well for any living creature. When I opened the coop today she was on the ground, under the roost bars and didn't move to eat at all. I brought her inside in a carrier, fed her some scrambled eggs (no worries, they are not fertilized. Purely nutrients) and left her in the heated bathroom for some warm, cozy rest. Ayden and I checked on her throughout the day. She didn't look good but not as bad either. But when David got home and checked on her, she had given up whatever fight she was fighting. 

From the beginning, we have understood that these hens are food, not pets, and we try to keep a detached mindset.  We still take care of them though. We thank them for their eggs everyday, we enjoy their antics in the yard and the life that they have brought to our property. They have been another tangable step in the farming direction and will always be our first set of hens. This first loss does not go unrespected and I have a feeling that no loss ever will. These animals are food but they are so much more than that. They are part of our circle of life and we hold a place of high esteem because of that. Rest in peace little red hen. We will think of you every time we have to stop counting at 13. 

~Sarah

Flasback! Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "SOLD!"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

Two Years!

Today was Ayden's special day!  He woke up to streamers and balloons everywhere.

{Mommy and Daddy decorated after he was asleep}

We gave him this toy

We had a special breakfast of french toast and bananas (using this DELICIOUS bread, even if you eat grains, you should really try it...)

We woke to a winter wonderland today.  Crazy (and a little scary) that it was 50* just yesterday...

Chicken chores can't wait!

We braved the snow and met Daddy at work for lunch.

Everyone was telling Ayden happy birthday and he would say it back to them.  I think he thought it was everyone's birthday today.  Another co-worker of David's asked him his name and instead of saying, "Ayden" he spelled it.  He is really getting into spelling his name and finding A's everywhere.  He also would tell everyone he is 2 when they'd ask how old he was turning today.  

One of the other moms from our play group made Ayden some play snow (out of baking soda and hair conditioner... I had never heard of that recipe but it is really cool!).  We played with the play snow inside,

Then played in the real snow outside at my parents' house.  We got to see them and my sister's family and they were all happy to wish Ayden a happy birthday!

David's parents' stopped by to give Ayden his presents and then we ended our evening with the birthday boy's requested meal of what he calls "hot dogs" (they are really chicken apple sausages) and green beans.  

And of course, a chocolate chip muffin! (Using this recipe and again, even if you'd eat regular, you will still LOVE these grain free muffins!!)

We did so much today and it really flew by!  I can't believe our sweet baby's 2nd birthday has already come and gone.  This past year has been full of every emotion and experience on the spectrum.  Ayden reminds us to put "life" on pause so we can really live LIFE.  He inspires us, challenges us reminds us daily to be the best people we can be.  People like the person that we would wish for him to be someday. Everyday has its challenges and it's victories and at the end of every night, when he wraps his little arms around our necks and gives us our goodnight kisses, our hearts are filled with more love than we could have ever imagined.  Our lives, even more complete.  

Happy birthday, baby boy!

 What an amazing 2 years it has been.  I can't wait to see what is in store for our little family next!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "One Year"

  Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.

2 Year Photo Shoot

Ayden was feeling much better today!  His fever broke in the wee hours of the morning.  The high today was 50* so we took advantage of it all and headed to the park.  On our way out, I realized this would be our only chance anytime soon to take his 2 year photos so I grabbed our camera and his cutest sweater and figured I'd snap some pictures of him playing.  They don't have any post-processing done on them yet but here are some of my favorites.  Enjoy!

"A train, Mommy!"

My overall FAVE!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Photo Fail"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.