Christmas is coming and fast and we want to instill in our child that Christmas is about Jesus and also about giving to others who are in need.
Today Liam and I went shopping with a list of those things that children who are not as lucky as us need. We got the list from our in-laws church but it is for The Baby Fold here in Normal. I was doubtful whether Liam would understand that we were buying these gifts for needy boys and girls and felt I needed to remind him many times why we were walking up and down the toy aisle.
Remembering that usually it's the teenagers who get left out of donations we stopped and got some earbuds for both a boy and a girl. Some fun socks for infants and toddlers. A few baby books that Liam picked out. A Dora bath painting kit for a toddler girl and some legos for a boy. Liam also picked out a Jake and the Neverland Pirates paint book.
About once every 10 minutes Liam would stop the cart, he was "helping" me push it, and want to look at a toy because of how cool it looked. When I told him we had only about 10 more dollars to spend he stopped at a electric train thinking we should get that gift. It was $90. Also when we were picking out infant socks he wanted to stop and look at the toddler underwear. He really wanted us to get the spiderman underwear, his favorite superhero, but I had to explain to him that underwear wasn't on the list of things to buy. Maybe Santa will bring him some Spiderman underwear at Christmas.
I still am not sure if he truly grasped the idea but it is a lesson that I hope we are able to continue to teach him every year.
And as a special reward for helping me pick out all of these items the only thing he wanted was to ride the mechanical horse at the front of the store. As many times as he could before I had to drag him off of it.
picture
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Fall Photos
About 3 weeks ago we had a friend take some pictures in this beautiful fall weather. I absolutely love them and have to share a few of them.
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| Being Buzz Lightyear |
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| Quite possibly my favorite |
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| We still kinda like each other |
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| Liam laughing because I was singing him the dinosaur song (see prev post) |
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| Another of my favorites |
The letter H
Every day that Liam goes to the babysitters I will ask him what he learned today. Up until yesterday he never would tell me. Sometimes he would mention a craft that they would do or coloring but never revealing too much about his day.
Yesterday I asked the question and I heard from the backseat, "We learned about the letter H." With my mouth hanging open I asked him what he learned about the letter H. "You have to make one line down, then another line down, then a cross." With my mouth even wider I could not believe what my ears were hearing. Liam was actually describing for me how to write the letter H. So I dived a little deeper, asking him what else he learned about the letter H. Did you learn about what words start with the letter H? Not hearing anything in return I started naming words that start with that letter like hair, head, hat.....and then I had a brain fart. I could not think of anything except for the word Hannibal. You know, like the movie or the town in Missouri. As I was scrambling through my brain searching for another H word, Liam said, "How bout hand mom? Does hand start with letter H?"
If my mouth could have hung open anymore....it couldn't.
When we got home and I had him tell Evan the exact same thing, we got out a piece of paper and had Liam write the letter H for us.
It does not look anything like the letter H but we can see the effort and couldn't be more proud.
Yesterday I asked the question and I heard from the backseat, "We learned about the letter H." With my mouth hanging open I asked him what he learned about the letter H. "You have to make one line down, then another line down, then a cross." With my mouth even wider I could not believe what my ears were hearing. Liam was actually describing for me how to write the letter H. So I dived a little deeper, asking him what else he learned about the letter H. Did you learn about what words start with the letter H? Not hearing anything in return I started naming words that start with that letter like hair, head, hat.....and then I had a brain fart. I could not think of anything except for the word Hannibal. You know, like the movie or the town in Missouri. As I was scrambling through my brain searching for another H word, Liam said, "How bout hand mom? Does hand start with letter H?"
If my mouth could have hung open anymore....it couldn't.
When we got home and I had him tell Evan the exact same thing, we got out a piece of paper and had Liam write the letter H for us.
It does not look anything like the letter H but we can see the effort and couldn't be more proud.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Once in awhile
Once in awhile you get lucky...
Sunday afternoon before naptime, Evan was already asleep on the couch downstairs and Liam and I were playing upstairs. Until I laid down on the floor due to my lack of sleep (see previous post) and Liam asked me this:
"Why you laying down Mommy?"
"Well, Mommy is tired because someone keeps coming into my room in the wee hours of the morning while it's still dark outside and it's not time to get up yet. Do you know who that could be?"
"That's me! I like coming in your room."
"Well, I'm not such a big fan because then I can't get back to sleep and that makes me very tired. Maybe next time you wake up and its still dark outside you should stay in your own bed."
I had zero hope that this was going to have any impact on Liam's thinking at 5:30 am but I was wrong. Since that discussion Liam has stayed in bed, in his own room for the last 3 days. Here's hoping this will last forever.
Sunday afternoon before naptime, Evan was already asleep on the couch downstairs and Liam and I were playing upstairs. Until I laid down on the floor due to my lack of sleep (see previous post) and Liam asked me this:
"Why you laying down Mommy?"
"Well, Mommy is tired because someone keeps coming into my room in the wee hours of the morning while it's still dark outside and it's not time to get up yet. Do you know who that could be?"
"That's me! I like coming in your room."
"Well, I'm not such a big fan because then I can't get back to sleep and that makes me very tired. Maybe next time you wake up and its still dark outside you should stay in your own bed."
I had zero hope that this was going to have any impact on Liam's thinking at 5:30 am but I was wrong. Since that discussion Liam has stayed in bed, in his own room for the last 3 days. Here's hoping this will last forever.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Early bird gets the worm, right?
Liam has always been a great sleeper. We can put him to bed between 7:30 and 8 pm and he usually does not get up until 7:30 am or sometimes later. I have loved this.
Recently due to a time change we have not been so lucky. We are still putting him to bed at the same time but now it's 5:30 am that I hear his door open and close and his little feet come running into our bedroom. At first it was 6 am and so I just let him climb into bed with us. It was only for 3-4 days that I allowed this before I realized that I was setting myself up for failure. And to prove me right, he has begun rising earlier and still running into our room. Now I force myself to get up, take him by the hand and return him to his own room. Where he will continue to sleep until 7 am. Me? Not so much. I lay awake in my own bed trying to shut down my brain which has already begun to think of all the things you think of while you're trying to get to sleep such as, What if Liam grows up to be a real jerk?, -or- What if Liam falls in love with a girl who's a real jerk? -or- What if I die in a plane crash, will Evan be able to find another woman as wonderful as I am to help him raise our son? I mean he's got zero game and the only reason we're together is because I kept pestering him on the bus when we were 16, asking him questions even though he would hardly talk to me.
These are all serious questions that I must try to answer at 5:45 in the morning. Until I give up and get up around 6:30.
The only bad part about all of this is I am falling asleep at 8 pm. Which means that when Liam gets me up at 5:30 I actually feel refreshed and the whole cycle continues.
I must stop the vicious cycle! But the couch and my favorite blanket just keep calling my name.
Recently due to a time change we have not been so lucky. We are still putting him to bed at the same time but now it's 5:30 am that I hear his door open and close and his little feet come running into our bedroom. At first it was 6 am and so I just let him climb into bed with us. It was only for 3-4 days that I allowed this before I realized that I was setting myself up for failure. And to prove me right, he has begun rising earlier and still running into our room. Now I force myself to get up, take him by the hand and return him to his own room. Where he will continue to sleep until 7 am. Me? Not so much. I lay awake in my own bed trying to shut down my brain which has already begun to think of all the things you think of while you're trying to get to sleep such as, What if Liam grows up to be a real jerk?, -or- What if Liam falls in love with a girl who's a real jerk? -or- What if I die in a plane crash, will Evan be able to find another woman as wonderful as I am to help him raise our son? I mean he's got zero game and the only reason we're together is because I kept pestering him on the bus when we were 16, asking him questions even though he would hardly talk to me.
These are all serious questions that I must try to answer at 5:45 in the morning. Until I give up and get up around 6:30.
The only bad part about all of this is I am falling asleep at 8 pm. Which means that when Liam gets me up at 5:30 I actually feel refreshed and the whole cycle continues.
I must stop the vicious cycle! But the couch and my favorite blanket just keep calling my name.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Dinner music
The other night we were listening to some music while eating our dinner. Liam asked, "What song this is, Daddy?" "It's called, eat your chicken and rice. From the musical eat your dinner and stop playing with your food."
I love Evan so much sometimes.
(We were actually listening to The Planets by Gustav Holst.)
I love Evan so much sometimes.
(We were actually listening to The Planets by Gustav Holst.)
Saturday, November 2, 2013
The basics of toddler fashion
This morning Evan is taking Liam to the Normal Public Library for a special exhibit called, 'Trains, Trains, Trains!' Liam is very excited to be going somewhere with Daddy without me and reminded me numerous times this morning that, "Daddy and me are going to libaby and you are staying home with Butters." "You not coming Mom, only me and Dad are going to see trains."
So while Evan showered I told Liam that he should get dressed so he would be ready to go when Dad was. I set out a themed sweater for the train event and then thought Evan would not want to go anywhere with him in that so set off to try to find a t-shirt that had a train on it instead. When I came back into the room this is what I found.
With Liam telling me he was all dressed and ready to go,
As you can see he's still wearing his pajamas and just threw the sweater on top of his sleeper. I also think the boots add a nice touch. And no he did not go to the library like this and no I am not at all sad that I don't get to go.
So while Evan showered I told Liam that he should get dressed so he would be ready to go when Dad was. I set out a themed sweater for the train event and then thought Evan would not want to go anywhere with him in that so set off to try to find a t-shirt that had a train on it instead. When I came back into the room this is what I found.
With Liam telling me he was all dressed and ready to go,
As you can see he's still wearing his pajamas and just threw the sweater on top of his sleeper. I also think the boots add a nice touch. And no he did not go to the library like this and no I am not at all sad that I don't get to go.
Best Halloween giveaway is.....
These vampire teeth...that Liam continues to put in his mouth to try to scare us.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Starving
Today, about 30 minutes after lunch we had this discussion:
L: "I'm hungry, Mom."
M: "How could you be hungry? You had 5 dinosaur chicken nuggets, cottage cheese and half a banana. And when I asked if you wanted more food you told me you were full."
L: "Yeah, but my belly is not big anymore, see?" Lifting his shirt up to show me how skinny he is. "So I need more food so it gets bigger."
Did I give in? Yes, but he only got to eat a Halloween cookie after he used the potty.
L: "I'm hungry, Mom."
M: "How could you be hungry? You had 5 dinosaur chicken nuggets, cottage cheese and half a banana. And when I asked if you wanted more food you told me you were full."
L: "Yeah, but my belly is not big anymore, see?" Lifting his shirt up to show me how skinny he is. "So I need more food so it gets bigger."
Did I give in? Yes, but he only got to eat a Halloween cookie after he used the potty.
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