Friday Funday



My Boys


This weekend we have some fun activities planned!

We are going to cook some two-ingredient cookies and Charlie will help out with that.  I can't wait to see him peel bananas and help stir the batter.

We are also going to the bookstore to get a baby book for little baby girl T so we can have a safe place for her ultrasound.  We have a second ultrasound appointment next week and I am hoping to see a good outline of her face.

Sunday our friend Mary is coming to babysit Charlie so Terry and I can go see a movie (Silver Linings Playbook, I think!).  We're having the hardest time dragging ourself away from the little bean.  We are away all week while at work and love our weekend time with him.  However we know that couple time is also important and Charlie might appreciate a new face.

It was a wonderful Valentiney week and Charlie got lots of valentines from his friends.  Today in the car he said some of their names: Aubrey, Sawyer and Annie.  I'm going to do my best to get it on video.  He also says 'trash' which is so freaking adorable and I'm hoping to get some video of that as well.  We made and sent handprint Valentines to the family and gave some chocolates to Charlie's teachers.

Also, it was the end of Mardi Gras!  We didn't spend much time on the parade route although we did make it out for an hour or so before Rex and Charlie got to walk on St. Charles and get exposed to the crazy costumes.  The best costumes were a group of oompa loompas waiting for the bus on Magazine, unfortunately did not get a picture of that.

Charlie also discovered Barney this week and absolutely LOVES him.  I have a feeling we're going to be watching a lot of Barney in the near future.  We're hoping to get him hooked on Sesame Street and last night he had a good giggle watching the wolf puppet from Little Red Ridinghood eat up a basket of goodies.  He also enjoyed some back tickling :)

MLK Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend filled with the normal things, shopping at Target, farmers market, Babies R Us, and also an unexpected trip to the tire store to get three of our four tires replaced.  We were sitting outside Xavier on the steps just hanging till the tires were done and a cop actually came by to make sure we were okay and didn't need anything.  A testament to the neighborhood the tire place is located, but it did reassure me and make me feel all warm and fuzzy. 

Terry had to work on Monday so Charlie and I spent the day at the park, napping, and skyping with Grandma Judy.  He loved skyping and was very engaged pointing and kissing and got a particular kick out of seeing himself in the little video window. 

Charlie has spent a lot of time paging through his books, that is his new latest hobby and it's pretty freaking adorable.  He is saying lots of words, we estimated about 15: baby, mommy, dadda, doggy, kitty, annie, no, mine, elmo, baba (bottle), nana (eat), apple, applejuice, eyes, nose, teeth, shoe, sock.  I think that covers it.

He has been very fascinated with trucks and the streetcar so our next adventure is to take him on the streetcar so he can see what it's like to ride.  Can't wait to see his expression!

Finally got sleep after a VERY long walk.

Picture of him sleeping over monitor, I love the position.

He loved climbing his bench and "jumping" over with mom's help.

Playing with the car race!

Walking on the bridge.

Playing in the leaves with his adorable Cubs jacket.

Walking up the stairs, his favorite.

Look at that face!

Not sure what he's watching, Downton Abbey?

Sweet face at snacktime.

Mean face LOL

Adjusting back to the routine

Charlie is having a tough time adjusting back to school and not being home all day with me and/or dad.  It's tough for all of us.  I am going looking for balloons so we can have some fun tonight!  For backup, a newspaper we can crumple up and throw around!

Just having fun

I decided that we really need a blog to post about our family because life can pass by so quickly and it's so easy to forget what you did and where you went and the fun, silly things that happen every day.  I think blogging encourages me to try new things and life life a little more fully.  I hope, I hope, I hope...

The trick is to enjoy life.  Don't wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead.     - Marjorie Pay Hinkley

Toddler Activities - Box Fort!

My toddler has so much fun at school during the day, sometimes I think he gets home and is wondering what happened to all the fun?  He needs to wind down in the evening and we have to eat dinner and all that, but we still have time for some activities and I think he does better when I have something planned and he isn't just running all over the house playing with toys. 

But I also need something REALLY easy because the last thing I have the energy for in the evening is lots of cleanup and complex games.

He loves playing with boxes but we always had boxes that were pretty small so he had to squeeze in and also he had a hard time getting in and out of them on his own.  But he loves to play with them, as I know  most kids do!

Yesterday he was out of school so I took the day to get him some new shoes (what a feat with his adorably chubby feet!) and I also stopped by the office supply store for a big box.  Unfortunately the biggest they had was 24 inches tall but I got it anyway, it would have to do.

Last night after dinner I taped the box up completely and then used a razor to cut a door and a window in the box.  We had lots of fun turning the box different ways, letting him climb in and out and open the door and close it.  I'm sure there will be many embellishments as time goes on but the simple box was good for him.  He had a blast and it entertained him and us right up until bedtime!

It's really fun to see them learn and experience new things. 

Motherhood - One thing I can't live without

There is one thing that, as a mother, I can't live without.  I bought it as a suggestion from a book or a friend, I can't remember now, and I've had it with me 24/7 ever since I gave birth 15 months ago.  It is...

This Timex watch!

 

It shows the day of the week, the date, the time (with seconds) and glows in the dark with one button push.

It has a ton of other great features and sometimes I use the timer or alarm but mostly the features I mentioned.  It's been my lifeline ever since I got it.  I used it all through night wakings and breast feeding and naptime and anyone who's had a kid knows you have to track everything! 

Not to mention it keeps you sane when you wake up in the middle of night without contacts and can't see the clock on the bookshelf.

Some people say, why have a watch when you have a phone?  But the phone is not right there every time you really need it!

The really cute thing is that my son loves it too.  He senses it there, he holds on to it, when the watch is there he knows it's my arm.  He even likes to wear it sometimes.

Anyone else have this same revelation after they had a baby?

Here's to a wonderful weekend, hopefully without the use of the watch for 2am wakings!

How to be a girl - exfolator and dry shampoo!

There are a few things I missed growing up like, how to be a girl!  Makeup, hair, clothes, cleaning, organizing, those types of things...just didn't get the foundation.  I was a tomboy, I guess, and have never put my focus on girly things.  But that's changing!  There is so much I want to know now.  So I'd like to learn.

First on my agenda, exfoliation!  I need to do it and I'd like to find a product or process that works best for me.  I did try a chemical and it seemed to work although I didn't find it to be the miracle that others made it out to be.  I did a little digging today and found this pineapple exfoliator:

It should be coming in the mail and I will let you all know how it goes!  I am very excited about it.  In addition to that I ordered a dry shampoo that's supposed to be fantastic.  Reviews to come!