Classy Bath Time

I'm back after a long stretch of no posts!  I've been so busy lately.  I started teaching a small toddler "preschool" class from my house twice a week (posts to come soon!) and Olive's 2nd birthday is around the corner, so I've had a lot of things on my plate.  A few nights ago, we decided to relax a little from our busy schedule and have a "classy bath time".   First things first:

1. I apologize for the grimy look of my tub grout.  It is a very, very old tub, but it's not as dirty as it looks!  :)
2. I do not condone children drinking alcohol.  We were not pretending this was champagne or alcohol in any way.  We were just having a drink in a fancy glass.  

I set up an battery candle in the corner, for ambiance of course  We also don't normally do bubble bath, but fancy bath time isn't fancy bath time without bubbles!  It also isn't fancy bath time without watered down orange juice in a plastic champagne glass!

Grandma and Olive are doing "cheers".  Everyday after this bath, Olive has been "cheersing" everything in the house.  She and I both had a barrette in our hair today.  She bumped her head up against mine so our barrettes were touching and said, "Cheers!".  

Olive got such a kick out of this.  It was a great way to have some unconventional fun after a few busy, stressful days.  And surprisingly enough, none of the juice made it into the bath water (although the plastic champagne glass turned into a toy after the juice was gone!).  

What are some of the ways that you make bath time fun and/or special for your little ones?

Bathtime for Baby

Let me just start by saying that this is not just a girl activity.  It is for any and all kids.  I have a real issue with people labeling activities and toys as specifically girl or boy.  All kids should be exposed to all kinds of toys.  You are doing a disservice to your child if you avoid letting them play with a toy or participate in an activity because it is labeled as something for the opposite gender.  Okay, I could go on for a long time about this, but I'll save it for another post!

Dolls and baby dolls are great for kids.  They can help with developing nurturing behavior as well as practical life and hygiene skills.  Olive has a few dolls but she didn't have any that were fully water safe.  I found this soft plastic baby at Kmart for $10.  It isn't the cutest one I saw, but it was definitely the best deal, and it does the job.  I pulled out Olive's old baby blow-up tub, grabbed a washcloth, water cup, and a little bottle of "soap" (it was really a small lotion bottle that she couldn't open).   I wanted to do this with real water and soap, but it was just too cold on this day.  I plan on taking the activity outside on a warmer day, using real soap and water.

I didn't really tell her what to do.  I showed her the things I had brought out and then just let her go.  She started by washing the baby's head.

Apparently, it was easier if she got in the tub, too.  When she got in, I had this moment of, "Woah, my little girl is huge!".  I remember when she was small enough to lie down in there.  Time sure does fly fast, it's crazy....

Wrapping the baby up and "drying" it off.  She kept saying, "Toesy, toesy" which is how she says 'cozy'.  

After she washed her baby, she went around the room and gathered other stuff animals and dolls to wash.  This was about a week ago and I've kept the duck bath out for her to use.  From time to time, she'll get it and give something in the room a good "wash" and then go back to whatever else she was doing.   I can't wait until we have a warm day so we can do this outside with real water!