Showing posts sorted by relevance for query harper. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query harper. Sort by date Show all posts

Life With A New Baby

Some of you might be interested to hear how life with a new baby is going in my world, so I thought I would offer an update post.

Harper is sweet, she is cute, she is cuddly. She brings a smile to the face of anyone that sees her. She is tiny, still not at 8 pounds. We have a little joke that she is 1 pound of baby and 6 and a half pounds of cheeks as she has the roundest little face. She has grown, tonight her preemie sized pajamas were too small, but they fit just fine maybe 3 days ago. We are officially into newborn sizes and she is 5 weeks old.




Harper makes the best faces, as you can see in the photo above. She has us giggling daily with her funny baby faces. 

Harper sleeps well a few nights a week and keeps me awake a few nights. The long nights that she won't sleep without being held are totally worth it. The nights she sleeps like a log are odd, I find myself going to her room to check on her every hour or so.

Rolf is warming up to her. He will give her kisses, he strokes her face and hair and he has shown an interest in holding her a few times. The first 10 days were rough, he was jealous and he acted out a lot, but he is getting better with the idea of having a sister. I am relieved! I have made an effort to hold him, hold his hand, to tell him how special he is to me and how loved he is. When I shower him with attention he feels important and his outbursts are fewer and further between. I try to include him in the care of Harper and that makes life easier. He feels important when he is handing me a bottle, throwing a diaper away or bringing me a fresh one or fetching a blanket big enough for everyone to cuddle under.

Harper is starting to demonstrate her personality. She likes only one brand of pacifiers. She likes to be held but is not fond of being stroked. She wants to be held without any extra touching and she wants you to be still when you hold her. She doesn't like to go outside, she doesn't like to ride in the car. She likes her cozy house best.

Harper is fascinated with Rolf, she hears his voice and turns her head to watch him with big blue eyes. Rolf likes the captive audience and has no complaints. 

Since having Harper I have learned about slowing down, not taking on as much work and letting the house get messy. Before Harper I stressed about those things. I wasn't sleeping enough, I was over extending myself and I was obsessed with picking up the never ending mess. I have noticed that in the past weeks with my new found go with the flow attitude that I feel better about me. 

Life with a new baby has been good. The time has passed rapidly, but it has helped me to prioritize. Harper is all anyone could hope for in a baby. She is healthy, cuddly, sweet, adorable. She makes me very happy.









Welcome Baby!

My daughter Harper was born on Friday morning, shortly after 8 am. We arrived at the hospital at 5:30, I was a nervous wreck. I cried after I said goodbye to my son. It was so hard to drop him off with the sitter because he cried "Mommy!" and ran to me instead of going into the house. I got into the car and sobbed. I cried all the way to the hospital. I had cried most of the night before, and sure enough I cried once I got to my room. I was scared and anxious about the c section,  sad about being away from Roo. I was excited to meet Harper. I was a bundle of emotions.

It all started to happen fast. My doctor came in about an hour after they got me settled in and before I knew it they started prepping me. I tried to not let my anxiety levels get to me. I tried to just be me, to talk to the staff, to smile, to get thru the procedure. I took the spinal block like a pro.

Then it became apparent it didn't fully take with me. I could move my legs and I could feel. I could feel the c section, I could feel my legs, my feet, my womb being cut open.  I screamed and cried and they put me to sleep. I had some crazy dreams and woke up worried about my daughter. Before I was able to speak or understand, literally as soon as my eyes opened I was asking if she was okay. I had no idea what anyone was saying or where I was, but I kept asking. Finally they wheeled me around and I saw my husband with Harper, I had double vision and was not really coherent, but I managed to sit up and give him the ok sign. He gave it back and held her up so I could see her.

When I was able to speak and understand responses I continued to ask anyone and everyone that came my way about Harper, they all assured me she was doing great. She was healthy, she was gorgeous. They couldn't believe that I was able to move, speak and ask about getting out of bed literally moments after having a c section.

My husband brought Harper into the room as soon as he could. I got to hold her and see just how pretty she was.

I am a very lucky lady to have 2 cute kids! Harper is a great addition to our family.

After asking for 8 hours about getting up they allowed me to take a walk. I have been walking ever since!
I was told I would be here until around noon on Monday but today is Sunday, it is 8:10 in the 
morning and Harper and I will be going home today. The doctor is going to remove my dressing and pain medicine ball and then they should begin discharging us. I can't wait to go home and take my daughter with me.

I miss my house, my pets, my husband and most of all my son. It has been hard to be away from him!

Harper is a great baby. She sleeps well, eats well, snuggles like a pro and is nothing short of amazing. I can't wait to get her home to join our family.

Thank you to everyone that sent emails of well wishing, prayers and hope. It means so much to me!


Making Sandwiches with Harper {Kids Craft}

A few days ago, Little Miss Harper wanted to help me make lunch. I love her eagerness to help and her interest in learning. But, on this particular day, I wanted to keep her busy and out of the kitchen, as I was in the middle of a project.

I asked her if she wanted to make paper sandwiches while I made lunch, it sounded appealing to her! I had a collection of paper sandwich fixings ready for an occasion like this. I found a yellow glue stick to imitate mustard. Harper was all set to make sandwiches!

To prepare for this activity I had previously cut the following shapes from construction paper

bread shapes  white paper
red circles for tomatoes
squiggly green leaves for lettuce
yellow squares for cheese
brown circles for meat

You will need a glue stick. Red or Yellow is fun with this paper food craft, like ketchup and mustard!


As you can see, this activity is completely basic. Construction paper and glue. I offered Harper ample supplies for building sandwiches. To keep her busy and having a lot of fun!




She began by adding mustard to the bread and adding tomatoes.


Next up was cheese! 


Harper was completely into this craft. She loved making sandwiches. She added layer upon layer, happily crafting while I made lunch!


My kids both love a good paper food craft! If I find myself with a few extra moments and a pack of construction paper I make little craft bags for occasions like this day.  They are always a huge hit with my kids. They have enjoyed making paper cookies, paper pizzas and paper jam sandwiches. These are the best kind of kid food crafts in my opinion because they are virtually mess free and they are really a lot of fun!

A Clean Home: Problem Area Assessment

We have a small 3 bedroom home. We have a small bedroom which was intended to be Roo's room, but he didn't sleep well in that room... fast forward 3 years. He is still sleeping with his Mommy while Harper's crib is in that room. As much as I hate it, it is also the play room. It is a good thing Harper sleeps like a log and Roo prefers to play in the living room. Mostly toys are stored in Harper's room. We have a bedroom that is larger than the baby's room, but it has an extra bed, our desk, printer, turtle habitat, carpet cleaner, vacuum, dvd collection, spare sheets and blankets... yeah everything stored in there. This is supposed to be a guest bedroom. No guests could sleep in there due to my mess. The last bedroom is the actual bedroom. It is also crammed full of everything. 2 bookcases, a baby swing, a queen size bed. All of the clean laundry I haven't put away yet... and the list goes on.

When I made an assessment of what the most annoying problem areas in our home were I came up with big and small issues to correct.

I tackled the drawer mess if you recall. That was easy enough. The mess that is my children's clothing and toys is another issue altogether.

These photos are mortifying. I am still in shock that the mess had got so far out of hand in a matter of days.

This mess is kids clothes. Sadly, this is not all of the mess. You can't see the clothes that won't even fit on the rack and are hung on the braces for the shelf. You can't see the baby clothes in baskets  or the pile of shoes they have and rarely seem to wear.

I have had 2 declutter sprees in the last month. Yesterday we took a box large (enough to hold an elliptical), a trash bag and a brown shopping bag full of clothes, towels, blankets and etc to Goodwill. We dropped off Beloved Kota the Dinosaur to the elementary school, where he will be in a play. My son loved this toy, but it took up a ton of precious space.

Break a leg Kota in your acting debut this spring..

With Kota and a huge pile of old stuff out of the way, I felt like I could finally get a good feel for what the true problem areas were.... The whole house is a problem area. No way around it.

Toys have taken over the living room again.


And the dining area too.



It only gets worse. I can't bring myself to keep posting these pics...

Another problem area in my house is my laundry room. Not only is the room just ugly, it is always full of stuff. Recycling to drop off, at least 20 pairs of shoes reside in this room, my husband has his plants in the laundry room. There are extra household supplies like toilet paper, laundry detergent, soap and shampoo. The gear for the dogs is in this area... it gets messy really quickly. The worst part is, the laundry room is actually an enclosed porch, therefor you must enter the laundry room which is in a constant state of disarray to enter my home.

My kitchen always needs attention. The breakfast nook is the catch all for everything in the free world. The area under the breakfast counter has been catching a great deal of junk too. There are always dishes ready to spill out of cabinets, the pantry is always messy.

Oh my, this clean home challenge is getting bigger and bigger. What a mess my home is! I hope you will come back tomorrow to find out where I begin and what the result is.




Best Boba Recipes

 My 9 year old, Harper, has developed an obsession with boba. She bats her big blue eyes at me and says "Mommy, let's go out for a tea..." almost everyday. It is so funny that I have this little bestie who thinks I am rich. To keep her happy and getting her boba fix at least once a week, we have been making some fun recipes at home. If you are wanting to save some cash and still have a treat, like us, you are going to love this list of the best boba recipes to make at home.



Before we get into this, can you believe Harper is 9 and a half already? It seems like just a few months ago that so many of my friends were chipping in to write posts for my blog so I could bask in the wonder of our new baby Harper.  Now here she is, a full blown tween with a boba tea habit.


Photo Credit: Sara Lehman and various artists.


Jasmine Milk Tea Boba by Greedy Girl Gourmet

Lychee Milk Tea Boba by My Vegan Minimalism

Hokkaido Milk Tea by Aubrey’s Kitchen

Vegan Boba Cake by Rainbow Nourishments

Homemade Black Boba Pearls by Delightful Plate

Fruity Bubble Tea by Kids Activities Blog


The Devil Wears Salad.

Watermelon Fruit Salad with Brown Sugar Boba by The Devil Wears Salad

Strawberry Milk Tea by Moon and Spoon and Yum

Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bars by The Oregon Dietitian


Photo Credit: White Kitchen Red Wine.


Strawberry Milk Tea by White Kitchen Red Wine

Taro Bubble Tea by The Oregon Dietitian

Chocolate Milk Bubble Tea by The Littlest Crumb

Photo Credit:  Entirely Elizabeth.


Earl Grey Milk Tea by Entirely Elizabeth

Iced Boba Coffee by Recipes from a Pantry

Vegan Bubble Tea by Plant Based on a Budget


With so many tasty bubble tea recipes, the hardest part of getting your boba fix will be deciding which of these recipes to make first. Happy sipping!

You can find some of my favorite drink recipes here 
Sour Apple Margaritas
Hillbilly Cider
Bomb Pop Cocktails
Blueberry Lime Vodka Sorbet

Paper Plate Crowns

Paper Plate Crowns are super easy to make and incredibly fun for kids! You need only a few items to make these and your kids are going to adore them!



Harper is into all things princesses these days! The gowns, the shoes, the crowns! A few weeks ago, I made these fun paper plate crowns on Quirky Momma, and I knew I wanted to recreate the craft with Harper! You guys, these are so easy to make. You are going to want to pin this for rainy day reference!

All you need is a paper plate, a pair of scissors and some markers or crayons.

Begin by gently folding your plate in half.

 
Cut it thru the center, extending to right before the plate becomes textured on the side.


Make another cut in the opposite direction, Repeating until you have made 4 cuts. It is kinda like cutting a pie.



Next, fold the cuts so they stand up. Repeat until all sections are standing up.



Color the crown, in whatever colors you like, I added hearts for Harper.



Now you have a crown, fit for a princess! 

You might also enjoy this Tree Silhouette Placemat Craft




Saturday #182



On Saturday #182 (#3) my family slept in a little later than normal. What a treat it was for me to wake up at a few minutes til 8!

We took the morning at a slow pace. I wasn't frantic to get a lot of things accomplished. I watched cartoons with my son and I cuddled my daughter. Since Harper was born I have really slowed down and started taking the time to enjoy life more. I notice how much my son has grown, how fast time passes and how insignificant so many things really are. There will always be laundry to fold, dishes to wash and things to pick up. My kids won't always be small... that makes it easier to go with the flow of things.

My parents finally came to see Harper. She was a sweetheart as always. She is beautiful, cuddly and totally addictive. She stole their hearts as expected. They accompanied us to the West side shopping plaza for Trick or Treat with Roo who was fun. The first stop he made was priceless. As the lady put a handful of candy into his pail he broke out in a huge smile and told her "Candy? Happy!" We both had a good laugh over that.

We then stopped for lunch and went back to our house to visit with the family. Roo was great, he was fun, he was lively, he was singing, dancing, completely showing off. I loved to see him come out of his shell and not act shy around the grandparents.

When they left we decided to take our recycling to drop off, and it wouldn't be a weekend without a dash into WalMart. I had to stock up on newborn size diapers and wipes for the week. I had been prepared for a big baby, I have size 1, 2, 3 and 4 diapers in reserve for Harper, but wouldn't you know newborn is a size I opted not to get and we are going thru a ton of those!

So I grabbed the diapering needs and headed home for a relaxing evening with my husband. He convinced me to watch a Kenny Rodgers movie with him. I fell asleep within 30 minutes but that was okay, when I woke up I saw Adam was asleep on the couch too. Quality time together in dreamland.

The day was great. It covered the basics; sleep, candy, family, shopping, happy kids. I hope you had a chance to enjoy quality time with your loved ones over the weekend. It amazes me how fast these Saturdays pass by.


Sunflower Stamped Pumpkin Patch Art

 

This adorable pumpkin patch art is great for kids of all ages! Made with simple supplies like paint, paper and a sunflower head, this is a great way to create art using nature!




Harper and I love to paint together. We have been crafting side by side since she was just a tiny toddler, strapped into a high chair for safety. We have painted pineapples, apples, baskets of fruit and even Christmas trees. We usually use corks to create our process art, but we had a bouquet of sunflowers that had seen better days, and well, inspiration hit.

We decided our fridge just had to have a pumpkin patch scene. We are all about creating refrigerator masterpieces 

Supplies:

Orange paint

Green paint

A sunflower head

White paper

A paper plate


Pour orange paint and a small amount of green paint onto a paper plate.



Invite your child to press the sunflower head into the orange paint.

Encourage your child to press the sunflower onto the paper.



Use a stem, petal, or other small item to form the stem of the pumpkin with the green paint.

Allow the paint to dry, then



These were so much fun to make! And I think they turned out really cute! Harper was very proud of her efforts. Preschoolers can handle this project, as well as elementary aged kids like Harper. Your kids might also like to draw little pumpkin faces on these after they have dried.


I hope you get a chance to try this project with your family, it is the perfect project for a fall afternoon!

Find more fall ideas here.




Story Time and a Jam Sandwich Craft

My kids are too stinking cute. I love their creativity and eagerness to dig into any project and give it their own unique touches. Several times a week Roo will ask to make a craft, similarly several times a week Harper will raid our craft closet and take off with anything she can reach... We now know they like to craft; if you add a good story into the mix it quickly turns from like to love.

A few weeks ago we checked out The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord. I thought this would be a fun book to check out, it also seemed like a good way to explain wasps to Harper and give Roo a reminder to avoid them!

I also hoped that a story about a giant jam sandwich and a cute craft would inspire my son to try something new. Something he has been adamant about not trying, jelly and jam!

                                                                  

In the story, 4000 wasps descend upon a town. They are quite a bother but the townspeople roll up their sleeves and get to work making one giant wasp trap jam sandwich!

The kids found the book entertaining. Roo was not sold on the idea of jam at all. He said "That's not good. That's sick." He was pretty determined that he wouldn't like jelly, nor jam. 

Up next we made Jam Sandwiches. My kids go CRAZY for paper food crafts. Like drop everything,  We are making a sandwich!? From paper?! Will there be glue sticks involved?




Getting ready, supplies needed
I cut 2 slices of bread shapes in off white paper
I cut 2 slightly larger slices of bread shapes in brown paper
I offered my kids red finger paint and paint brushes
Of course, glue sticks were needed.
Baby Wipes... You will want these!







Instructions
I gave each kid a brown slice of bread and a glue stick
They smeared glue around the brown paper and topped it with the off white paper
That was pretty satisfying to the kids. They really like to glue things!
They were thrilled to see the finger paint and paint brushes!
I told them to paint the jam on their toast. They agreed this was pretty great. Glue and paint after a story? It couldn't get much better!



This was a great activity for the kids. They always want to help me cook, so to create their own food craft was a hit. 


After the story and the craft, I made a peanut butter and jelly for Harper, Roo came in and watched me spreading the glob of jelly around. With a very serious face he told me "That is sick. Bleck. No jelly for me please. I will have honey."

I love that kid. He is definitely a guy who knows what he wants. 


You also might enjoy this Paper Cookie Craft idea for preschoolers.






Minnie: Bow Be Mine with Harper


Earlier today my 5 year old walked up to me and struck a thoughtful pose. With a finger to her lip, and a sparkle in her eye, she said how can we make a headband with ears and a bow?

I received a copy of this dvd to inspire this post.

I knew what she was getting at, in her Minnie Mouse print dress, with her Minnie Mouse printed high top sneakers, she was on the track of needing some ears to complete her punk princess look.

While I had no ideas for giving her ears, I did have a way to give her a Bowtique fix. I popped in the newest dvd in our collection; MINNIE: BOW BE MINE and let her indulge in some tv time with her favorite characters.



Minnie: Bow Be Mine has 2 fun music videos in addition to 11 episodes.  Each episode is action packed with fun for little ones and their moms. Yeah, I admit it, I got wrapped up in a few episodes with Harper. Grandpa vs Grandpa was our collective favorite. If you pay attention you may recognize a familiar voice; Jay Leno is the voice of Billy Beagle. How fun is that?

Find this adventurous dvd in stores now; it is perfect for a rainy spring day or anytime your little one is craving the famous ears.

While we are talking about Minnie and the gang, who is your favorite character? My son loves Pete and all of his antics. Harper is all about Minnie and Daisy. Pluto is my favorite.

Why not make a craft together while you watch Minnie: Bow Be Mine? These easy Mickey Ornaments can double as a necklace if you make the string longer.


A Weekend In Wayne County

This post was written by my husband Adam to reflect on our visit to Wayne County Ohio. Special thanks to the Wayne county Visitors Bureau for hosting our trip!


Sara made arrangements for us to meet Marty ,with the Wayne County Visitors and Convention Bureau, at the Barn Restaurant just on the outskirts of rural Smithville, Ohio. The trip out provided us with scenic vistas of rolling hills and gentle farmlands. This in itself was a treat for our family, who are used to the more flatter regions of north central Ohio. The kid’s joy of the ride was apparent by both my daughter’s exclamations of passing wildlife as well as my son’s frequent reminders that he could smell cow poop.


I stubbornly refused Siri’s suggestions as I pulled into the parking lot ten minutes late for our scheduled rondevu (a slight that I would shamelessly blame the robotic-voiced assistant for). As is almost always the case with small children, one cannot simply arrive at a location, pop out of the car and expect to be in “touring mode”. It seems that one challenge or tragedy begets another. Today's rear-tragedy consisted of a chocolate covered little girl and a “hangry” little boy who was still sore with us for cutting into his Angry Birds time.


A beautiful walkway led us past roaming geese and ducks looking for handfuls of feed from quarter machines spaced strategically throughout the property. The path diverted us onto a small covered bridge, which spanned an equally small creek that was the early afternoon hang out of several awkward and furry goslings. The quiet waterfowl were taking advantage of the shade the bridge provided, as well as bobbing along a babbling little waterfall just beyond the span. An assertive mother goose reminded us that she was aware of our presence and would gladly nip us in an uncomfortable place (say the pinkie toe, nostril or webbing of the hand) if we got too close to her brood. We respectfully declined her bites for the restaurant's main entrance.




The Barn Restaurant is perhaps one of the most aptly named businesses in the region. It is literally an old barn converted into a charming eating establishment. Interestingly, one of the barns shorter sides sports a glass facade, which provides dining visitors with a wonderful view of a farm pond and a hilly country backdrop.






A small visitor’s center greeted us just past the main entrance. I was of the impression that this area was created with children in mind. A miniature train located near the log ceiling would cheerily begin its circuits whenever a particular red button was pushed. Of course whenever the Lehman children were in this room, said button was depressed and the train was in perpetual motion! Similar activities included a beehive display, a gigantic, community built puzzle depicting the Manhattan sky, and various antique farm equipment with interpretive signs.


We were introduce to Marty Starkey, the kindly and informative Executive Director of the Wayne County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. I cannot stress enough the importance of speaking with a representative of a local visitor’s bureau when exploring an area for the first time. Of course this breaches the protocol of manliness, particularly where asking for directions is concerned. However, and this has been our experience, you will spend way too much time driving around aimlessly and turning around in frustration without knowledge of the area. Of course a popular alternative is to cram your glove box full of brochures whilst yelling at the poor person in the passenger’s seat who is only trying to make sense of the 1” x 1” map printed on the back of these little publications. I have suffered many a wicked paper cut from my wife who has used the edge of these brochures to swipe at me in true Game of Thrones-like fashions.


If you want to envelop yourself in the culture and feel of a place, one has to be willing to seek out a local. Otherwise, you are just an automaton marching in step with other families, window shopping the sidewalks of Main Street U.S.A. For us, Marty was just that local. A walking, talking, smiling plethora of  knowledge; here before us stood a lady devoted to getting our little family a well rounded taste of Wayne county. The fun little twist of our adventures, would be that most of our stops would be a bit off the beaten path.


Our nice talk with Marty only served to enrage the beast that is my son’s stomach. After exchanging “so longs” with the Director, it was time to turn our attention to the hostess. En route, we passed the establishments famous “Old Time Salad Wagon”. As I purused the conestoga wagon of culinary options, my daughter whom I was carrying at this point murmured something resembling “Mommy” through her binkie. It was then that I noticed that Sara and Rolf were being seated, while the kind waitress gave me a patient look.   


The Barn Restaurant has a menu full of country delights. As our visit fell in the lunchtime range, the entrees included large portions served with fresh local farm vegetables. Their kid’s menu (and accompanying crayons), provided quick, fun options for our goblins who typically chant “CHICKEN AND FRIES” when we are in an eatery. Of course this chant always seems amplified, particularly when we are seeking to minimize humiliation.


The wife and I have been working on a formula that baffles us, much like a mathematician struggles with 𝛑. The enigma is this: when is it best to order a meal for your children? When the day is long and the blood sugar is low, it seems wise to “preorder” your kids food so that the torture of them having to actually talk to you isn’t as taxing. The benefits of this choice is that your little ones get their plate a bit sooner than Mom and Dad. The downfall of this system is that your little ones get their plate a bit sooner than Mom and Dad. In other words, this gives them more time to declare that they hate what you ordered. Or, in the case of my son’s favorite stunt, eat his chicken and fries as if he is a competitive eater. This is always followed up with everyone’s favorite line, “let's go now, Dad.”


Fortunately, my children ate.
After settling the bill and tip, it was time to turn our attention to the outdoor activities that we spied on our way in, Similarly, the picturesque view of the restaurant served to tease us of the fun to come.


It wasn’t too difficult to discern that the local waterfowl are fed, and well! As I was bent over Harper, elbow deep in another diaper deposit, we were approached by both a wood duck and a Canada Goose. However, there expression soon registered something resembling confusion. They wisely chose to remain a few feet away, likely in fear of being diapered amongst their peers.


We purchased feed from quarter machines and made our way around to a gazebo, a walkway of which, jutted out into a pond. The fish were as ravenous as the geese, and our little ones enjoyed the interaction. That is of course until the feed and quarters run out. Luckily, there was a toy store on the premises.


To reach Toyrifix, all one need do is put down that duck feed, and head a matter of yards across the parking lot. This was a stroll that was welcome by all. I lagged behind so as to discreetly adjust my belt one notch. In doing so, I saw in passing a farmhouse with signage proclaiming it: The Buchanan Place. This I would later read, along with an olde time confection store, The Oak Cupboard, as well as the aforementioned Barn Restaurant, served to compromise the Barn Restaurant Shops as a whole. Since we had just eaten and had no desire to chase children within a shop full of breakables, we kept stepping.




Toyrifix has a fun, museum-like atmosphere to it. Most of the toys had a sample for children to play with. A rather neat way to diminish purchase regret. Sara and I exchanged Clint Eastwood nods in appreciation. Here were toys we remembered from our own childhoods. As my son delighted in Legos and stuffed animals, Harper and I spent some time spinning a Snake Top. This throwback from the seventies features a toy serpent which disappears and reemerges from an old school wooden top. I spied my wife gleefully in the girlie aisle.


I also spent way too much time contemplating the purchase of a toy submarine. I fondly recall receiving one of these beauties in a box of cereal back in my youth. The idea is to fill the little U-Boat with a concoction of baking soda, vinegar, and approximately thirty-four other chemicals. The results were that said sub would sink and rise hauntingly in your water glass for half a minute. It was, of course, unfortunate that the craft would then live out the rest of its days amongst corn-on-the-cob holders in the dish drainer.


Of course, those weren’t the only “blast from the past” toys to assault our senses. The shelves are stocked with treasures such as the Uncle Wiggily Board Game, wooden Labyrinths, Frontier Logs, Ant Farms and Jack-in-the-boxes. The merchandise within harkened back to a simpler time, whereas devices with wi-fi connection hadn’t yet gained control over our children’s imaginations.However, it is interesting to note that a good deal of the toys within Toyrifix are scientifically themed. In other words, parents back in the day also wanted their children to have a fun playing experience, whilst learning something in the process.


In the end, our little ewoks chose a dolly and a Lego contraption as their souvenirs. As Sara squared up the bill, I grabbed the kids, gave the Snake Top another spin and headed for the door.


Overall, our experience at the Barn Restaurant Shops was good. We took some nice photos of our visit, and Rolf and Harper are (as of this writing) still fond of that Lego set and a doll baby. I could only hope that residents of nearby Wooster appreciate this little nook within their backyard.


As for the Lehmans, we were sold the minute we stepped into the restaurant lobby. As we took in the kid-friendly environment, my children were approached by the host. Until our entrance, this kindly man had been standing vigilant guard over the daily specials board. He asked Rolf and Harper if they would like to see the Queen Bee. He then proceeded to lead them to the Honeybee display, and sure enough, to the delight of our six and two-year-olds, he quickly pointed her out to us. This guy clearly did this not as a work requirement, but because he was a thoughtful person who wanted to share his knowledge with our kids. I like to think that this is a reflection of Wayne County Hospitality.


As for us? We packed up, took Marty’s recommendations and headed to the first stop on the list: Kid’s Day in Downtown Wooster. But that as they say...is another story.


The Barn Restaurant Shops are located at:
877 West Main Street
Smithville, Ohio  44677
(330) 669-2555


GPS Coordinates
Latitude: 40.85672109999999
Longitude: -81.8706656
Lehman: :{)


Our friend Martha Starkey is the Executive Director of the Wayne County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Located at:
428 West Liberty
Wooster, Ohio  44691
(330) 264-1800


GPS Coordinates
Latitude: 40.7970534
Longitude: -81.94697819999999

Lehman: :)