I am three

Well we have had a busy few weeks here.  LM has been sick.  He has had a fever for EVER!  Nothing wrong with him according to the doctor, there is just some crazy fever sickness thing running crazy in his daycare.  We had it, got rid of it and are thinking that either he has it again or he is hung over from his birthday weekend. I will post picture from the party later, but until then, I wanted to pass on this neat idea I totally ripped off from pinterest.

Here is the thing, I take a ton of photos.  I make digital photo books every year (2 copies, one for LM and one for me and my husband) but I don't scrap book. I don't have a baby book for LM.  I have a xerox box with stuff thrown in it.  I understand my limitations.  I am a photographer and I kind of feel like it is a sin to cut up a print.  I just can't do it!  Have at it if that is your thing, it just isn't mine.  I figure that my legacy to my son is the photographic documentation of his and our lives.  I feel strongly about this.

I did want to do something that is a bit different and I have seen these all over the internet lately.  I am pretty skilled with technology so I though I could rip one out very simply.

Every year now that LM is old enough to talk and express verbally his very firm opinions, we are going to ask him a series of questions.  I plan on changing the questions as he gets a bit older and understands different concepts.  This year, my actual questions came from Oopsey Daisy.


Here it is:

Not too shabby huh?  I am linking it up to Skip to My Lou

Here is a sneak peak of the party... tune in next week to see more.

A Valentine

Valentine's Day is an interesting holiday for me. We don't really celebrate it at my house like others do. Hubby and I will exchange cards and some years there will be flowers waiting for me in the kitchen when I get up. But we don't go out (we hate crowds) and we don't buy gifts. I am thrilled and happy with this non-stress holiday! That said, I do have a little love in my heart for the valentines that kids give to each other.

This year, LM made his for his classmates and a few of his adult friends. If you remember, a couple of years ago we made these. 

Here is what we made this year. I am sorry for the crappy photos.  I took them with my iPhone at work.

Here is what you need to make these cute valentines for almost no money!

• regular brown lunch sacks
• clear plastic treat bags ( I had these, but you can use snack bags or anything you have around)
• Tag design and sticker paper- I printed off these tags on sticker paper from LittleSproutCreations.
• Stickers for closing the plastic bags and goodies to put inside.  I used extra heart stickers and M&Ms

1. Fill the clear bags with your choice of goodies.  I used M&Ms because I wanted something that I could pack flat.  I put between 1/8 and 1/4 Cup in. 
2. Use one of the heart stickers to hold over the folded plastic bag.
3. Open up the lunch sack and place the stickers on the bottom and the M&Ms on top of the stickers.
4. Fold the bag over.  I used the foundation of the bottom of the bag for the size to fold.  I wanted to make sure that my end product was somewhat flat so that it would be easy for my toddler to hold and that they were all a unified size.
5. Use the big sticker already cut out, to hold the bag closed.  I used sticker paper, but you could use double sided tape or string.  
6. Bobs your Uncle, you have a cute valentine.

Of course, I had wanted to decorate the crap out of these things, but I realize that my son isn't represented very much if I girl it up. But.... if you had a girl imagine how cute this would be with a strip of lace wrapped around the package and held down with the sticker.  You also don't have to do dinosaurs, but could do any other image and saying that you like.  I went quick and easy with mine so I just downloaded some already made.   I also just wrote in my son's name.


Do you have a cute Valentine's Day idea?

Linking back to:
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphisis Monday
Skip to my Lou

Too Long

Hi!  It has been awhile since I have posted.... I know there is no real excuse.  I have been busy with an online class I am taking to add an endorsement to my teaching certificates.  I keep all of my teaching certificates current just in case I might have to go back to the classroom (shudder).  The next thing I knew, Halloween was here and then Thanksgiving!  Here are some very late pictures from our fantastic trip to a local pumpkin patch.

Picking pumpkins is serious business and can make a certain little boy cranky when he can't find the perfect pumpkin!

You have to weigh the pumpkin.

Then you have to run around like wild guy and tolerate kisses from your Mama.  Play in some corn and slide down a cool slide.

And lastly.... take a minute to look around and appreciate everything put on this Earth for our enjoyment. Our cup runneth over with the perfectness of the day.

Halloween Fun

I am working on getting LM's Halloween costume finished.  This year should be fun as this will be the first time that he is able to Trick or Treat and actually get the entire process.  We also might begin implementing the Switch Witch this year.  How it works is that after selecting a few pieces of candy, LM will leave his loot out and the Switch Witch comes in the middle of the night and switches his loot for a present that he has been wanting.  In his case, I think it might be a few more matchbox cars.

How do you handle your kid's loot?

Lastly, here is a cool Halloween light show.  I love it but am thanking my stars that they don't live on my street or next door!

Jam

I have been reading a blog called Recipe for Crazy and every week they have a word of the week. You are supposed to link to a photo that you have taken that symbolizes that word to you. I have been lurking on this blog for a LONG time and this is the first time that I really thought of a picture that resonates with the word.... the word is JAM. Well here is my picture.

 This was LM's first birthday and I think it not only captures the word (as in jam it in) but also captures the pure joy that my son felt at this point.  He was sooo happy and sooo messy!  I am proud of us as parents because we were able to hold back the urge to clean him and to let him go crazy!

Maymester

Today was an eye opener.  Today was summer school orientation.  This means that Maymester is over.  Maymester was the time when I was going to catch up on old project and start new projects.  So far, one sort of large project has been crossed off, one medium project is crossed off, and I have added one additional project.  I am a bit sad to see Maymester ending, but I am excited to see my new students tomorrow.  It is always nice to start a new semester with new tools, new relationships, and new fresh outlooks.

On the home front, LM is once again suffering (?) from a massive double ear infection that has moved into both of his eyes.  I write the ? because this kid has to have a crazy high tolerance for pain.  He had no fever, no tugging or pulling on ears and didn't show any discomfort at all.  The only sign we saw at home was some sneezing and coughing... you know, like a COLD!!!  Since we didn't catch it in time, we totally feel like horrible parents.  LM goes for his 15 month check up next week and at that point, we are going to push to see and ENT.  I am concerned because he is beginning to try and talk now (hilarious to see those wheels turning as he tries to form the words) and I don't want this critical developmental step to be hindered.  Big teacher thing here I know :)

On another note, I leave you with my favorite picture of my Mom and LM.

GO! GO! GO!

GO! GO! GO!
This is what we have been doing!  The little man and I flew "up North" as they say down here to visit family from both sides.  We had a blast! 

LM did a GREAT job on the plane.  Such a good job that when we landed, people around us commented that they didn't know there was a baby sitting near them!  I was a bit nervous flying by myself with all of junk you need to take for a small child- stroller, car seat, diaper bag, and a 29lb child but we managed to do it.  As I predicted, the most painful part was getting the diaper bag, LM (who refused to walk) and the car seat down that ramp to the actual plane....pure hell.


Our time "up North" was so much fun!  LM got along great with all of his cousins, aunts and uncles and other Grandma.  It was full of meeting new play friends, playing with many LARGE dogs, exploring new play areas, feeling the cold again, and seeing tons of new and exciting things. 

Yesterday was back to the grindstone, but my spirits were lifted when I pulled out of the garage to go to daycare and LM said GO! GO! GO!.....just like when the planes took off and landed.

I am a wild and craaazy guy!

My kid is a wild and crazy guy.  He has now figured out how to run.  Yesterday he was playing in the sunroom, aka toy room, and I was being a bad mommy and catching up on my TV queue.  All of a sudden, the LM comes tearing out of the sun room screaming la, la, la at the top of his lungs.  He takes a lap past me, into the kitchen, around the island, backtracks to include the kitchen table and then goes back into the sun room to continue playing.  It cracked me up.  He would repeat this behavior every 10 minutes or so.  He totally reminded me of one of my all time favorite comedians... Steve Martin.
I used to have a poster of him on my wall that said "Best Fishes"- he had a fish in his jacket pocket.  The man is a genius and  for those of you who are current movie fans or who are not current movie fans, perhaps you don't know or remember him as a stand up or on SNL.  The man is just about as funny as it gets.



Oh, and those of you who hang your head and shame about Glee! Lift them up high.  It is already to have some harmless fun and some snarky Sue fun!