Nature Walk

Yesterday we went for a very nice hike along one of our favorite parts of the state. Dear Sweet Hubby and I love hiking, and even with LBB in his carrier, we rarely shy away from most trails. :) We started hiking with LBB last summer when he was 5 months old, and back then, he was carried in the front carrier by me. Needless to say, as he got bigger, I was definitely happy when we invested in a Kelty Child Carrier...and when Dear Sweet Hubby started carrying him. Haha!

But now, LBB has gotten a taste of hiking on his own and not being carried by Mommy and Daddy, and he loves it! So, yesterday, we carried him for about 1 mile before he decided he didn't want to be carried anymore. He then got out and hiked the majority of the remaining 2.6 miles with us...pretty impressive!

What was even more amazing was not just the fact that he was hiking all on his own and for such a long distance, but the curiousity he shows! I love watching him investigate the flowers. Feel the rocks. Pet the wooly caterpillars. Watch a spider crawl by. Clap for the cricket when it jumps. Sing and dance in the middle of the pine trees that he and Daddy ventured off to explore. It is magical.

He is so focused when he hikes. He watches everything. Takes in as much as he can. Collects rocks that he finds interesting, along with sticks, leaves, and you name it.

I have a feeling that we might as well just start leaving the backpack carrier at home...he doesn't show much of an interest in it, and he is well capable of hiking these long distances (he just did a 1.5 mile hike last week as well.) Besides, he has so much fun watching everything on land, on the water, and in the air...and he can absorb so much more when he is on his own two feet. :) He's a natural born outdoorsman, and I know that makes Dear Sweet Hubby soooooo happy.

I love my little outdoors guy.

So Much to Learn!

I'm still working on LBB's preschool curriculum (which starts in 2 weeks, yay!), and it's amazing how homeschooling even this early is an ever evolving process. I'm learning what our priorities are, what is right for his age, what we want to incorporate into our daily schedule, and what our daily schedule should look like. We are aiming to keep it low key, fun, but educational all at the same time. And, in all of our research, we've decided that we really want to incorporate a lot of Montessori principles into our early childhood learning.

So, I've been looking for activities, setting up his homeschool area, fine-tuning the first few weeks of lessons that I've got done, and gathering supplies that we will need! It's so exciting, and a tad overwhelming, which makes me soooo happy that we are starting now. Right now we have the leniency of really trying out which methods work best for us.

We've already done a few of the activites that I've found, and LBB has loved each and everyone of them. :) Hopefully soon I will post some things that we've done, but for now, I need to stay focused! Haha! That's way easier said than done...

***Edited to add: After doing TONS of research and exploring today, I'm seriously thinking that a few things might change in our curriculum for the year. Not big changes but mostly organizational. Like I said...it's an ever evolving process!***

And Onto The Newest Challenge

Yesterday we made a trip to Target. At Target, we purchased some Berry Fruit Squeezers. Some individually packed Annie's snack crackers. A bin. Some wrapping paper. A pack of party sized play-doh. 2 packs of training pants...and LBB picked out...

His very own potty chair.

The list I wrote up there, minus the training pants and potty chair, are all for his rewards bucket. We wrapped up some Hot Wheels we had been saving for his 3rd birthday. Dropped in the snacks, playdoh, and cars, and now he has handy little rewards bin just waiting for the first time he goes potty.

I can't believe my LBB is in the realms of this whole potty-training thing! What is mindboggling is that just 2 weeks ago he was showing a few signs, but I didn't think he was this close. And then, on Wednesday, he walked up to me, gave me some indications that he had to go potty, but in a moment of "duh-momminess", I didn't pay attention. :( Not even 5 minutes later he walked by me with a aroma that only indicates one thing. Boy, did I kick myself for not listening to him and getting him to his little bitty potty chair! But, all things turn out good, and the next day Dear Sweet Hubby, LBB, and I were at Target getting prepared for the newest stage in our family life.

Today, while he didn't go potty in the toilet, LBB did spend some quality time in the potty and is learning when his body is telling him that he needs to go. He did go in the bathroom...but not in the toilet. :) But, he is excited about it. Being very patient (which is not his normal state of being). And is trying so hard. We're going to take it at his speed and not push him, but at the same time we don't want to be too relaxed and not make it a priority since he is showing readiness signs.

So, wish us luck in this new journey! We are keeping our fingers crossed that things go smoothly, but also have prepared ourselves for the worst of the worst if that happens (but I'm really hoping it doesn't! LOL!)

I Lost My Toddler Manual

Because if I could find it, I'm sure I could find where the pause button is on the 21 1/2 month old model. ;)

LBB had a wonderful day today. He had his first Toddler Storytime at the library, and I was a little nervous, but he did sooooo well. :) He had a few Toddler moments, but thank goodness it is a storytime full of toddlers, because he was not the only one. He sat quietly for a while, which is usually a good sign with LBB because that means he is listening and absorbing. Towards the end he started opening up and stood right by the librarian (remember how much we love her?!?!?) and just watched as she read. Then he wandered off and played with the feltboard. After storytime he brought the felt pieces to the librarian and said bye-bye. So precious.

And...he made a new friend! Two of his friends from Baby Storytime were there (they had moved up a session earlier) so he got to spend some time with them, but when we walked in, he was immediately enthralled with this little baby he saw. And then...

...he met the baby's sister. :)

LBB and this little gal hit it off pretty quickly. She called for him to sit by her in the fire truck before storytime. In storytime they played with the felt board together. She held his arm as they listened to the story and even gave him a hug when she left and said bye. :) Ah...the cuteness of toddlers.

In other LBB news today, he's been an absolute monkey. He climbed up onto the arm of the couch. Stepped up onto the 1 foot tall bench in the firetruck seat at the library. Climbed over his arm chair like it was a mountain. And then, while I was cutting up an apple for him, I turned around to see him SITTING on the top of the kitchen cabinet. AGH! This boy is definitely intent on trying to see how far he can scare me!

But most amazing of the whole night was bedtime. Normally bedtime is pretty drawn out, and depends on perfect timing of tv, storytime, snack, and all that stuff. But tonight...LBB was playing with cars, and we cleaned up so we could do a little letter work before bed. We did a page of his letter workbook, and then got his pj's on. And while normally we would go and watch a little tv while he ate a few crackers or a piece of bread, tonight he crawled into bed. Handed us a bedtime story. And sat quietly (well, with a little bit of talking to his GI Joe) while we read the story, his Bible story, and his Elmo book. Then we said prayer, tucked him and his stuffed friends in, and voila. He was ready for bed. Craziness. Sometimes it is super evident that he is growing up.

I really need to find that Toddler manual...even if I could pause him growing for just a little bit. :)

Elmo, Elmo, Elmo

We are having an Elmo overload in this household. We did LBB's room in Sesame Street because he really showed in interest in all things Sesame Street, especially Elmo. We did his first birthday party in Sesame Street...and it was all cute and adorable.

Until it became an obsession. :)

I always said I wouldn't be one of those moms that got annoyed with what their kids watched, no matter how annoying it may be. That was, of course, before I had LBB. And while I show a great deal of patience for all things Elmo, there are some days that it becomes a tad too much. (And I always make sure I don't let on that I'm getting tired of hearing about Elmo...I know it is a really big thing in his Toddler life, and I want to make sure he knows I am interested in what matters to him.)

Like today...we got LBB all ready for bed, and had his bedtime story placed in his bedtime bin (we put his pj's, diaper, slippers, water sippy, and bedtime story in a bin.) And as we started reading "Hello Calico", he immediately said "Elmo." Sigh. We bought him a pop up Sesame Street book a while back, and it is easily one of his favorite books...but it would be nice to read him another book once in a while. :) So, we snuck in the rest of "Hello Calico" and then read him his Sesame Street book. Then we had to say good night to all of the Sesame Street decals above his bed. We had to put BOTH of his Elmo's in bed with him, Bearemy, and his little fox (there really is no room left for LBB, but he manages. Haha.) And of course, we couldn't leave the room until we followed the normal bedtime routine, with an added set of two kisses for Elmo 1 and Elmo 2.

Sigh. See what I mean? Elmo overload. This coming spring we plan on switching LBB to a twin sized bed, and along with that, a new room theme (I make his quilt, so I want to make a quilt that is going to grow with him...and the Sesame Street theme is not being transferred over!) So, until then, I'm going to dream about redoing his room...and while I know I'll still have to read him his Sesame Street book each night, along with the obligatory Elmo goodnight-kisses, I won't have to say goodnight to decals on the wall. :)

And just as a sidenote, I'm not complaining at all. :) I can't help but smile when he has us be involved with all things Elmo...it is so sweet, but there are definitely moments when I can't wait to have a little less Sesame Street consuming our lives.

There was a clue in yesterday's post...

...about what we were doing today.

Did you catch it? It was in LBB's theme/letter book bin, and was the very first book in the stack.

That's right...that little "Dappled Apples" book was a hint that we were studying apples. And what better way to finish up our Letter A week than with a trip to the apple orchard?

We went down to the apple orchard with my parents and sister, and it was perfect weather for it! We picked apples. Went on a wagon ride. LBB got a little toddler sized pumpkin for his room. We walked through the scarecrow display. Climbed up a hay pile. Watched a camel. Played on a a wooden ship. And LBB even got to listen to some harvest themed children's music...which he danced like crazy to in the wooden ship. :)

Granted, there were a few toddler moments...but he did much much better than I had expected and even sat in the pull behind wagon for a little bit before he got impatient enough to climb out. He had a blast running through the apple orchard, and was very curious when he saw his PaPa climb up a tree to get to some apples that were out of reach. I have a feeling my little monkey was taking notes. Haha!

He did feel bad for the apples that had fallen off the tree, and tried repeatedly to put them (rotting apples and all) into our bag. And if an apple fell while we were picking another one...oh boy. Then he really started fussing. He is such a caring little guy...it melts my heart! :)

So, without further ado, here are some pictures from our day out...enjoy, and hope that you are able to be enjoying some beautiful Autumn-like weather in your neck of the woods!

P.S. Have I mentioned that Autumn is my FAVORITE season?!?!? Hands down...and the crazy thing is that I loved this time of year before we had LBB, but now that we have LBB, I love it even more! :)

And Finally...

...pictures of LBB's preschool area! Before you read any farther though, make sure you read THIS post first, mostly because I didn't plan tonight's posts very well. Haha!

And since I really didn't plan very well...the pictures are kind of in the opposite order I would have liked. However, my computer doesn't seem to like me much tonight, so I'm just going to take what I can get. :)

First picture is LBB's Work Tray. We haven't technically started LBB's preschool yet, but everyday is a learning day, and right now we are working on beginning letters. LBB knows A pretty down pat, but we still did the Letter A this week...and are moving onto B next week. His tray for this week includes everything that has to do with A. :) And he loves it, which means that at least 3 times a day I see an apple roll across the floor as he pulls the tray off the shelf.

LBB's reading area. We originally had that adorable Pottery Barn Kids basket in his room, but his room has since been rearranged and things were moved out here. It's been a rearranging kind of week. The rocking chair was made by my grandpa for me when I was little, and I passed it down to LBB...with a new cushion that is the cutest little book print on it.

And LBB's preschool book bin that is over by his desk. We put all the books that have to do with both the letter of the week and theme of the week in this bin. :) It makes me happy because it reminds me of when the library does their theme shelves.

And LBB's chalkboard/dry erase easel...he loves this thing. And you can tell he is definitely from our gene pool because he is already showing an affinity for the chalkboard side. Dear Sweet Hubby and I both love chalkboards. We make sure we put a the day up each day, and usually draw a picture for him with the word. He loves going over and trying to draw it himself. So cute.

Some of his tactile toys! He already loves this corner.

His book corner, along with his bulletin board, more tactile toys, and my old childhood bear who is in "charge" of watching over the preschool area.

The main part of our preschool room. We split the living room in half to make a special spot just for it, and I love how it turned out! And I love the alphabet puzzle mat...it really makes the room complete. On top of the main shelf unit we have 3 bins that hold LBB's chalk, clay, and letter blocks. It also holds his work tray and more tactile tools. I also love the little poster we picked up at the local teacher's supply store that is about colors. :) And the bulletin board is a work in progress...I ran out of staples.

And last, but definitely not least, LBB's desk area with his Letter of the Week learning board, puzzle shelf, theme book bin, and magnetic boards. He loves his little desk, and it is just perfect for him!

Thanks for stopping by for a little tour of LBB's preschool room. We are so blessed that we were able to make space for it in our tiny little apartment...but hopefully that is an encouragement. If we can utilize this little area of our 1000 square foot apartment with NO extra rooms, then I hope it helps anyone that is looking for ideas to utilize every inch of their space, as well! It's a challenge sometimes, but all in all, it's so well organized for our family that it stays very clean, especially considering that it's intended for a very active and rambunctious toddler!

First Off, A Desk Redo...

I think I may have mentioned that we found a super cute desk at a flea market for LBB. One problem though...it was a tad girly. :) But, it was only $5 for the desk and two chairs. Here it is: (and please pardon the terrible picture...it was late when I painted it.)

And, after about 15 minutes or so of painting, here is the finished product!

I LOVE it!!!! It looks so nice there in his little preschool area, and really fits his "Little Boy Blue" nickname. :) And of course, there has to be Cat #2 making an appearance in the photo. :) Now...off to finally post his preschool area! I've been promising for a while...it's about time that I actually posted it!

Our Productive Day

We had a busy day today! Dear Sweet Hubby had a short day at work, and LBB and I managed to get even more done than we normally do...how does that work?

We labeled all his bins in his room, and got the bins ready for preschool to start. We cleaned up and went through some of his toys (although I only snuck out 2 little things.) And most exciting as far as the home aspect today went, I pulled out all of his Autumn books and put them on his reading shelves in his room.

I made a Blackberry Buckle...which we've yet to try, but it looks delicious. Put dinner in the slowcooker, although we ended up grabbing a bite to eat because we went to my sister's cross country meet, which she completely rocked. :)

I love Autumn days. :) Pure bliss. And you know what I love even more...that adorable smiling face that is smiling at you from this blog post.

Coolest. Kid. Ever. :) (But I'm biased, haha!)

A 21 month old and his OCD

What a nice little trait Dear Sweet Hubby and I have passed onto LBB. :)

LBB has a nice habit of lining cars and toys up in neat little rows and groups all throughout the house. In fact, a normal day consists of me coming across at least 4 different groups throughout the house. He lines them up on chairs. He lines them up on window sills. He lines them up on his bed. He lines them up on our bed.

Simply said, my son has OCD. I'm convinced of it. And if you touch the group of cars and move something, he definitely lets you know that he is not happy with your actions. :)

So, for now, all we can do is chuckle a bit...but we do know as he gets older we will have to help him relax a bit and teach him that sometimes it's ok if things are out of place. For now though, he's content in his obsessiveness, and that makes us content.

It's Nearing Autumn...

...and my thoughts naturally are directed towards the coziness of our house.

Every room in the house is cozy and near where we want it to be. The dining room is nice, minus the need for a larger table that fits in there better. (We're planning on getting a table with a leaf...small for when it's just the 3 of us, big for when we entertain.)

The living room is kind of where we want it to be, mostly with the exception of a comfier couch (ours is just a little loveseat...we'd like to get one a sofa bed so we can have people stay at our place if need be.)

The kitchen is the kitchen. There's not a whole lot you can do in there.

LBB's room is always a work in progress, but mostly because I love decorating for him. Right now it's Sesame Street in there, but this spring he is getting a twin sized bed, and we'll be changing the theme over to Vintage Transportation. So cool.

The bathrooms are pretty much done...LBB's is all done, and all I need for ours is a wall hanging...unless I decide to change it again, which may happen.

LBB's preschool area is almost done...I just have a few things to hang and it will be complete! Pictures to follow in another post someday soon...

So. That leaves ONE room, and one room only. Our bedroom. To be honest, our bedroom has always been the bane of my home decorating. Since the day we got our first apartment together...it's always been the room that is done last. The room that is done cheapest. And the room that is done with little or no thought to longevity. Sure, we've come up with cute decorating things now and again, but they were all fairly temporary and not something we kept in there in the long run.

But I've been thinking lately. The bedroom is the place we wind down from each busy day and the place where we wake up to start each day fresh. It's the room in which we have our most heartfelt discussions and the place that LBB brings his cars in during the day to drive around on our bed. And since both of us work so hard each day, don't we deserve to have a room that is an oasis?

It's time for me to say I'm being selfish. I'm going to start getting ideas for how we want to decorate. How to arrange the furniture in a pretty dinky little room. And how to control that monstrosity of a pile that always seems to accumulate under the bed and in the closet. :)

This won't be a fast change...we don't have the budget for that. It will instead be a thought out, long process while we save up and plan. I am tired of not focusing on our room and just doing things quickly so that it is somewhat nice. I WANT A NICE BEDROOM!!!!!

That's not a lot to ask. :) And I do have to say, I'm excited for this new chapter...now off to get some ideas.

Too Small

Sigh.

As Autumn approaches, it is time to pull out our chilly weather pjs. And, despite all my efforts to keep LBB from growing, he has, in fact, outgrown a large percentage of his blanket sleepers as he's sprouted up like a bean stalk.

So, alas...it's time to stock up on 2T blanket sleepers because my tall little guy can't fit into 24 months. It's happy and sad at the same time. I love getting new comfy pj's for him...but this means he is officially into Toddler sizes.

Sigh. He's growing up too fast. :)

This Toy

image from melissaanddoug.com

We got LBB this Stack & Sort Board a few months ago, and he plays with it off and on. He really enjoys it, and quickly figured out how to get the shapes on the peg. Then he quickly figured out that they all go together.

And then today, he sat down with it on his own and put every single block on the right peg. :) He'd start to put one on the wrong peg, giggle, and say "No." Then he would move it over to the night peg and go back to work. :) So sweet.

After he played with it once, he did it again, this time handing me blocks every so often and pointing to the peg that they belonged to...what a smartie pants! And such a good sharer too. Now that he's gotten the sorting down pat, we are going to move on to the extension activites...it will be great for helping him learn to count.

It's always the best feeling watching him learn something and really get it down. I know that as he gets older, that feeling will never go away...and it makes me thankful that I'm the one that gets to teach him!

Now I'm off to try and get LBB settled for a nap...I'm exhausted and his mood is showing some pretty good signs that he is a tad tired as well!

Missing

Thus the reason for this early morning post.

There have been some events this evening that are making me a little sad...and while the events themselves will prove to be unimportant in time, they stirred up wishes that my Grandma was still here.

My maternal Grandmother passed away in 2008 from Non Hodgkins Lymphoma...and most days I do pretty well. I still think of her, obviously, but I haven't earned this "tough cookie" reputation when it comes to emotions for no reason. Usually I can reason with my emotions so that they don't come to surface very often.

But then, there are nights like tonight, when it just doesn't seem fair that my Grandma isn't here, that reason no longer wins out in the battle of my emotions. And then I'm stuck bawling my eyes out at 1:30 in the morning. My Grandma was the sweetest, classiest, and quietest lady out there...but she loved with all her heart and knew more about how I was as a person than sometimes I think I did.

What hurts the most about her not being here can be summed up in one short three letter word. LBB. Dear Sweet Hubby and I started trying to get pregnant just a month before we found out that her cancer had returned, and was worse than ever. Gosh, how I prayed that we would get pregnant so she could hold her first great-grandchild. God had different plans, and while I am not mad at Him (how could I be?), sometimes that hurt doesn't go away. Oh, how she would have loved LBB. Sometimes I think that she knows who he is...that she is watching from Heaven smiling down at us. Sometimes I feel like she is right here next to me.

But then there are nights like tonight, when my heart hurts so much that I can't help but feel every ounce of loss. I can't help but wish that she could have held him, even if just for one time. But most of all, I get so mad that cancer took her away and that she didn't get to see him. That he didn't get to hug her. That she didn't ever get to hear his sweet little voice say "hey" over the phone. Oh, how I hate cancer.

I can't type this without tears pouring down my face. The circumstances that happened tonight just plummeted all the strength I had to keep this sorrow deep in my heart...and while I was originally mad about the origin of tonight's hurt, now that seems petty and insignificant. Now I just want my Grandma back...I want her to be able to see LBB. I want her to be able to hug him. I want her to laugh when he makes his adorable little "WHOA!" face. I just want her here.

I knew I had to blog about it though...something has to get some of this hurt out. And I know this blog is usually lighthearted and fun and about the good things in life...and I guess deep down, even through the hurt I'm feeling right now, I do know that my Grandma is getting a pretty good show from way up there in Heaven as she watches every little thing LBB does.

So, please pardon the sadness. I'll be fine in the morning after a semi-good night's rest. :) Thanks for listening.

I'm at a Crossroads

LBB has a few toys left in the house that he has had since he was little...we're talking first Christmas little. So, almost two years now. And he's getting to a point where he doesn't play with them often, and just as I'm thinking about bringing them to the consignment shop, he starts playing with them again.

And truth be told, I don't complain when he does...see, one of them is the first big toy we bought him for Christmas. I can still see him when he was just learning to sit up all by himself, and that toy was such a motivator for him. He would sit there, playing with it. Late at night and in the sticky summer heat, he'd be in his sweet little onesie, making it sing over and over and over again. And just when I start thinking of clearing the space for his ever growing collection of tractors, trains, cars, and blocks, I get hit with a pang of nostalgia.

Granted, it does sit unused a good 98% of the time. But those toys from when he was a baby just bring back so many happy memories...and getting rid of them kind of forces me to admit that he is growing up and doesn't need those toys anymore.

I don't know...what would you do? We don't really have the space to keep tons of extra stuff just because they were his when he was a baby...and it will probably be a while before we have another child, so there isn't much of a reason to hang onto it for that reason. (Besides, when we are blessed with another little one, I know I'll want to buy new toys for that little one...but like I said, that's a while away.) Anyways. That's a tangent and a half. :) And if I start keeping everything now...what will I do when he is 13? Goodness...I'd need a whole storage unit just for memorabilia.

Comment and let me know what your opinion is...I love hearing from the people who stop by my little blog!

Our Family Outdoors Journal

Dear Sweet Hubby and I decided to create a blog that chronicles all of our outdoor adventures! Right now it will mostly about our family hiking trips and Dear Sweet Hubby's kayaking excursions, but as LBB gets older, we have plans of trying new things and visiting new places! Stop by and check it out!

www.lbboutdoors.blogspot.com

I Love Vintage Chairs

And if I find one super cheap...it's nearly impossible to pass it up. And if that super cheap vintage chair also happens to be LBB sized...well...you know I can't walk away from that.

So, when we went to a garage sale today and came across this chair:



I fell in love. But, me being frugal and all, I walked past it and looked at a few other things, sure that since it wasn't labeled, the lady would want more than I was willing to pay. And then as we were checking out, and she was getting a kick out of LBB, she said:

"Any of those chairs over there...if you want one, they are a dollar each."

Wait. What?

She did not seriously just say a dollar, did she?

She sure did. So I raced over and picked it up, despite the fact that there was no one there at the time to snatch it away from me, and we promptly paid. I ADORE this chair. LBB has an already pretty adorable chair at his art desk that we bought brand new, but I have to admit...this may just replace it. :)

We also found a few Thomas the Train coloring books, 4 adorable nearly new toddler shirts, and a few books at that garage sale. And this cute mini Little Tikes kitchen that will be going in his preschool room. Although Santa is bringing him a nice little kitchen set that he is just crazy about. :)

We stopped at a few other garage sales, and we got some Hot Wheels for LBB, LOTS of Bible Story books, a Dinosaur monster truck that LBB dug out of a bin (and has seen better days, but it was 10 cents, so who could say no...especially when he roars as he drives it around), and LBB's favorite thing? A ERTL metal construction truck that was in near perfect condition...and our one big splurge at $5. He loves it...it was quickly turned into a snack holder while we drove and he had to show both Dear Sweet Hubby and I the truck twice. :) So sweet.

So we got all that stuff, and the chair, for...drumroll please...$18 dollars. I really can't complain.

And I got that awesome chair, so it was a very successful garage sale excursion. :) (Even though we could not for the life of us find the garage sale I was originally looking for!)

In LBB's Words: Basketball

I may only be 21 months old, but I know a lot about the world.

And I know A LOT about sports.

That makes me Mommy's basketball coach. See, she doesn't have a whole lot of luck when it comes to certain sports, so it's my job to help her. That's what a good LBB does.

Today, Mommy and I went to the basketball court with my blue bouncy ball. He can really bounce high. I gave Mommy Mr. Bouncy and pointed to the hoop, just in case she needed a refresher course in the basics of basketball. She didn't think she'd do well, and even told me that she wouldn't make a basket, but then she made one, and I yelled proudly for her! I'm a good coach.

I ran and got the ball again, and gave it to her, thinking she would make another basket. But she didn't. I have to be honest and admit that I showed a lot of frustration. I was about to cheer for her, but instead I flung my arms back down and huffed as I walked to go get the ball. Mommy laughed, but I don't think it was very funny. She missed two more baskets after that, and then I decided I didn't want to play basketball anymore. We'll have to try again another day.

After that, Mommy and I played "GO!" It's a game my Auntie made up with me...you stand at the same spot and yell "GO!" and run as fast as you can. I always win...but everybody says it's because I start running and then yell "GO!" They say that is cheating or something like that, but since I'm not even 2 yet, I don't think they can hold me accountable.

I really do love sports. My Mommy and Daddy, and most everyone else, think I will be good at sports. I can't wait till I get to start trying different sports out...but so far my favorites are soccer, throwing (which my mom says will make me a good little baseball player), and running.

Well, that's all for now! Thanks for stopping by and reading! I'm off to dream of kicking my soccer ball around.

Mommy's Night Out, Daddy's Night In

I don't know if you've noticed recently, but I've been blogging a lot...my goal at the beginning of the year was to blog more than I did last year. And then, our computer broke. Now that we have internet access again, I'm trying super hard to catch up...I think I'll make it. Anyways...back to my post. I'm done rambling.

My mom called me today asking if I wanted to go out for a little bit when Dear Sweet Hubby got home from work. I always have such a difficult time leaving, even though as time goes on, I'm getting a bit better at it. Normally when the boys have a Daddy-LBB night out, they go somewhere while I stay home and craft. (Or clean...that's usually what happens.) So the nights that I go out instead...they are pretty rare. :)

We went to the baby store. Breezed around some crafts stores. I drooled over some purses and earrings at one store, while my Mom picked out the most adorable one. Went to a home decor store. Did some price shopping on groceries. (I'm trying to save even more money, so we can get more food...LBB is eating us out of house and home!) And we even grabbed a bite to eat, which was unexpected, but so wonderful. :)

And the boys had a wonderful time too! LBB got some much needed Daddy time, and they played ball, ran around outside, went for a truck ride, played cars, and...this is the most adorable part...they cleaned out a spot in the garage because LBB wanted to push some of his cars around in there. :) Adorable, right? Dear Sweet Hubby keeps a stash of special cars in the garage, so if LBB goes out there he doesn't get bored or into trouble. It's always a highlight for LBB. (Have I mentioned what a wonderful Daddy my Dear Sweet Husband is?)

And when I got back, LBB was covered in just normal little-guy-play-grime and needed a good old bubble bath to get clean. :) So sweet! Mommy time is wonderful for me...and so wonderful for those too as well! Plus, they get the added benefit of a Mommy who got a break. :)

Next time though...I'm going on a payday so I don't have to just drool over the purses! This Mommy needs a new bag since we don't use a diaper bag anymore!

The No-TV Challenge

LBB has been having some issues with too much tv, but the needle that broke the camel's back was when he woke up at midnight the other night demanding to watch tv and not going to sleep until 3 am. That's when Mommy said "Enough!"

So...we're having a momentary tv turnoff for the next few days while LBB is awake. I did let him watch 10 minutes last night before bed as a treat and reward for helping clean up all his Hot Wheels (which is a big job), but tonight I'm going to see how he does without his usual bedtime tv. He hasn't had a problem with naps and skipping it...so we'll see. Send us good wishes that it goes well! :)

But...not having the tv on during the day is so nice. It was getting to the point that it was on just for the background noise sometimes, and to be quite honest, that drives me crazy! I don't like having television be that big in our lives, even if it is wholesome programming that he is watching. Not to say that we aren't ever going to let him watch tv, but we are making him go Cold Turkey for a bit until he can handle himself better with it.

Yesterday and today have had their share of "BOAT! BOAT! TV! TV!" (He loves watching his boat dvd), but I've stood strong and haven't given in, and we're seeing some definite improvement. There's been less fits. Lots more playing. And best of all...lots more reading! Just today (And minus naps, he's been up 5 hours), we've read 8 books! Curious George, Thomas the Train, and of course his Sesame Street Pop Up Book (twice). It's so nice reading with him...it makes this Mommy very happy. He's also painted a picture for his great-grandma. Played with play-doh. Helped me make flashcards for the first 2 weeks of preschool. And even played "basketball" outside at the basketball court (but that's another post.)

All in all, it's been a wonderful day, and it's not even late afternoon yet. I should've tried this "No TV" thing sooner. :)

I Love Our Librarian

When we moved here, we went to multiple branches of the public library system trying to find the one that fit us. We tried 3 different storytimes...and yet none of them clicked.

I know...it may seem weird that we put this much emphasis on the library we go to, but it's so important! A good library is more than just a place to check out books...it's a place to grow, for your kids to grow, to learn, and have a fun as a family. :)

So, anyways, back to what I was saying. We finally tried the last one that was within a reasonable distance (and ironically, one of the closest), and we fell in love at first sight. It's a gorgeous library filled with tons of books, resources, and friendly staff. And then, we brought LBB to Baby Storytime.

And we met the Children's Librarian. LBB just adores her...she is so kind, so wonderful, and cares so much about the kids. And as LBB grew and learned, she has been such an important figure in his life.

Today, I called and signed LBB up for his first session of Toddler Storytime (which she happily agreed that he should start sooner than the recommended age...see what I mean, she's wonderful!) We had a nice conversation about LBB, what he'll be doing in Toddler Storytime, and then we started chatting about how we homeschool and that he will be starting preschool in October. What was so wonderful about the conversation was that she showed so much interest in what we were planning in his curriculum and even talked about some people she knows who homeschooled their kids. (Sidenote: These people were studying Pompeii and took a extended vacation in Italy for some "roadschooling"...that would be awesome.)

And then, she told me that if we ever needed help with books, to just let her know. :) Isn't that awesome?!?!? It feels so good to have a support system out there that knows LBB and his learning style and abilities, and is willing to offer assistance when needed.

See what I mean? I love our librarian. :)

Mr. Hygenic

:)

Interesting title, isn't it?

LBB soaks up everything he sees...and one of the things that he's picked up on is how to clip toe nails.

The other day, he walked into the bathroom while I was getting ready. Pulled the toenail clippers out of the drawer. Lifted his foot up onto the toilet (just like Mommy and Daddy). Moved the clipper around his foot. Put the clipper away. Waved bye-bye to the toilet water. (Can you tell we are prepping him for potty training?) Closed the lid. And flushed the toilet.

Then he proudly walked out of the bathroom and went about his merry way.

Such a smart little man!

What Kind of Knowlege Do You Have?

We were watching Good Eats today, and as I sat there listening to the nutritional anthropologist rattle things off about blueberries, I thought...

"Golly, she's smart."

OK. So maybe she had cue cards in front of her. Or memorized some lines. But I really don't think so...she seems like this is her life. And it got me thinking: How does a person retain ALL that information? I know bits and pieces of different subjects. (Like, for instance, that the B&O Railroad property on the Monopoly board game is actually named after the Baltimore & Ohio Railroads...which was one of the first railroads in the nation.)

Sure, I know that stuff...but I'm not an expert in anything, right?

And then, before I started discounting what I knew, I realized that my area of expertise is different than hers. In fact, my area of expertise is different than it was 3 years ago when I worked full-time. Now, I can tell you:

• When LBB says "sti-ti" he wants a sticker.


• That when LBB wakes up in the morning, he will be cranky until you've gotten him a sippy of milk and turned on Mighty Machines.


• If his temperature is over 102 degrees, it's time to be worried.


• That if I'm out of buttermilk, which I usually never have on hand, I just need to stir in 1 TBSP of lemon juice into a cup of regular milk and wait a few minutes to get a good substitute.


• That Thomas the Tank Engine is blue and number 1. Percy is green and number 6. Gordon is number 4 and pulls the express. Hiro was one of the first Steam Engines on the island of Sodor and is based on a Japanese version of the steam engine made by Kawasaki. That "diesels can be evil." And that Toby is a very sad sort of tram.


• That a 24 ounce bottle of Pepsi has 76 mg of caffeine.


• All 27 names of the Cars cars that LBB has...which comes in handy when we're missing one. We know just who to look for. (Case in point...I knew we were missing 3...Lightening McQueen with Racing Wheels, Francesco Bernouli, and Rod Torque Redline. We found them deep in the couch cushion tonight.)

Now, I'm sure there's more (I know most of it is just everyday stuff). Life isn't about just facts and figures. And deep down, I know as we go along our homeschooling journey, that I will learn as LBB learns. That, in itself, is exciting! I don't need to know everything, I just have to want to learn. :)

Waking Up On the Right Side of the Bed

I'm still under the weather. Dear Sweet Hubby is on his 4th day straight of working the closing shift (and 3 days were from 7-8...add his hour drive, and I feel like I'm living with a roommate instead of a husband). And LBB, is well, LBB. :-) Full spririted, energetic, demanding, and lovable. And awake this morning at 3:00 am.

Yep. 3 am. He had also woken up at 1:28 am and 2:15 am or so, and had a nice late bedtime of 9:30.

This mommy's exhausted.

But, somehow, as I sat here getting ready to go take a nap (which I really need to type faster and get to), I came across 2 or 3 different posts all on the same subject...

Starting your day off right.

Yes, God. I'm listening now.

See, I'm guilty of putting off taking care of myself. I'm guilty of grumbling as I roll out of bed at the crack of dawn as LBB pulls on my arm. I'm so guilty of skipping breakfast. Skipping lunch. And sneaking in a pepsi and a bag of Uncle Ray's Sour Cream and Onion chips sometime before I make dinner. And exercise...yeah...that doesn't happen often.

And as I read these different blog posts, it dawned on me that God was trying to tell me something.

What's that? If I don't take care of myself, God, my whole day will follow suit? If I wake up crabby and worn out, the rest of my day will feel crabby and worn out?

I need to start waking up before LBB. I need to eat better. I need to go to be before the nice late hour of midnight.

And then...on the days that I'm not feeling 100%, and family stops by to check on LBB and I, I won't feel ashamed...because let's face it, when you put off taking care of yourself, the house can look clean but gets messy way to fast. The things you are normally on top of fall to the wayside, and as you welcome people into your home, you notice the little things that sleep deprivation and grumpiness were hiding. :)

Now...I don't know if this is making a whole lot of sense (I am super tired after all), but I do know that God knew what was troubling me...and sent me right to the places I needed to go to bring those troubles to light. He is so very good that way, isn't He?

Drawing Cats

I asked LBB to draw a picture of Cat #2. He picked up the little writing book his Grandma got for him, grabbed his favorite color marker (yellow), and sat right in front of Cat #2. Then he opened up the book and started drawing. :) It was the sweetest thing, and he showed it to me when he was done. There is one leg and a round circle looking object, but I know just what he was working on. I love that little guy...he is so cute and shows such concentration when he is drawing. Each mark he makes is with extreme toddler precision.

He started using crayons when he was 4 months old, and he loved it from the start. Now he loves anything art related...clay, paint, markers, glue, crayons. You name it.

But as I write this, he is walking around with a yellow marker still. And he stopped...stared at the hallway wall and all it's nice white openess, and just as he lifted his arm, I said "We don't color on the wall." He slowly put his arm down, and walked toward me with a defeated look on his face. Ah. He cracks me up.

Murphy's Law

It's Murphy's Law that on one of the first super nice days in the past few months, I have to feel under the weather. I went to bed last night thinking about how excited I was to be able to have the windows open, candle burning, and just plain enjoying the day with LBB, and then I woke up. And I think a Smart Car must have run into me while I was sleeping. What was allergies turned into something worse. Boo.

And of course, while I was feeling under the weather, LBB is having an extreme toddler day. That's Murphy's Law too. :)

It must also be Murphy's Law that the Sunday I feel like crud is the one Sunday of the month that Dear Sweet Hubby is working.

I'm really hoping that Ol' Murphy doesn't feel the need to demonstrate his law anymore today...

*Side note: I'm still on the fence about yesterday's post...but I'm leaning towards making my blog public. Any more comments? I would greatly appreciate them. :)

I Need Your Opinion

So, I've been debating back and forth on making my blog a public blog so that anyone can read it. I did for a bit there, then got a little freaked out, and went back to have it set as private.

Now...you read my blog on a regular basis (right?)...would you say that it's pretty general and vague enough that we wouldn't be compromising our family's safety? I would love to have it public, but if it means that I would be putting my family's safety in jeopardy, then I definitely don't want to do it. I know there are people out there who blog, with children, that post their full names and location, and I know nothing has happened to them, but I wouldn't want to take a chance.

So, what do you think? PLEASE comment and let me know!!!

A Trip to the Wildlife Park

Today LBB and I got to go to the Wildlife Park with his GiGi and Auntie, and he had so much fun! He loved seeing all the animals, and it was so much fun watching him interact with them. And what a nice Wildlife Park! There were deer, chickens, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, llamas, a lynx, elk, a bobcat, racoons, foxes, and more that I am sure I am forgetting. :)

When we got there, we got a bag of animal feed. LBB lovingly fed a goose (which I think may have been his favorite...) and got to feed a deer. He watched the river otter, and then we made our way to the sheep area. He loved feeding them...he started off with just one, but they quickly became a group that obviously had a plan. Because just when we were least expecting it, the main sheep grabbed the feed bag out of my hand!!!! What a stinker! He dumped the food all over the place, and then ate the bag. Serious.

And my poor little LBB...it traumatized him! He stood there just screaming and crying, so his awesome GiGi made sure we rushed to get him another bag. :) It took him a while to get back in the hang of feeding the animals again...but right towards the end he regained his courage and fed one of the baby goats. It was so sweet.

I am so glad we got to go with my mom and sister! LBB had such a fun time and really got to see all the animals he is always learning about up close and personal (and in the case of the sheep, too personal!) There were so many sweet moments, but it's late...and I think that all the extra moments are best just held close to my heart. :) We'll definitely be going back sometime with Dear Sweet Hubby so he can watch our sweet LBB with the animals. :)

Happy September!!!

Wow. I can't believe it is September already. I think September is one of my favorite months because it is the beginning of fall in my opinion. We have one hot day (today...just perfectly timed for Dear Sweet Hubby's day off), but after this the days are supposed to get much cooler...20-30 degrees cooler, in fact. Yay for Autumn!!!!

Whenever September rolls around, I immediately start thinking about colorful leaves. Warm, comfy sweaters. Sleeping in a bed covered with blankets. Evenings when it gets dark earlier. A yummy candle burning and filling the house with nice Autumn scents. Sigh. I love Autumn. Hands down my favorite season. :)

I love all seasons, of course, especially since we live in a place where the season changes are so defined. And every season is a blast with LBB...but Autumn is easily my favorite! And this Autumn is sure to be a wonderful one. We have plans to go to a pumpkin patch. The apple orchard. Walks in the park. A trip to the firehouse. Hikes in the river valley. Halloween (LBB is going to be the cutest thing ever.) Thanksgiving. And just enjoying each wonderful Autumn day the Lord has blessed us with.

So, dear friends, Happy September! I hope that each day this month is filled with joy, fun, and just the right amount of relaxation!