Flash Forward

We got Grant this little backpack at JoAnn Fabrics for $2. I thought it would be a nice little bag to keep in the car and fill it full of toys! I put it on Grant's back, just to see what he'd do. I figured it would come off the second I put it on, but he actually kept it on. He jumped on his bike and I had this horrible flash forward of him headed off to school on his bike saying, "Bye Mom, See ya later!!" It is hard to believe how quickly my little baby is turning into a big boy!! Each day he does something so new and so amazing!! Pretty soon my flash forward will become my reality, so I better enjoy these cute little moments while I have them.

PS- In my flash forward, let's hope Grant is actually wearing clothes, instead of a diaper when he heads off to school!!

*****Some of the New and Amazing Things Grant Can Do*****

• He points at a baby on TV and says, "Awwww" until I say, "Aw, cute baby." Then he smiles.
• He can make a tower of blocks 4 blocks high!
• He can tell me what a dog, cat, cow, and monkey say
• He makes a cute fishy face- trying to get a picture, but so far- no luck!
• He learned a dance from his favorite show that has 3 steps: clapping hands, stomping feet, and thumping his chest! He does all 3 in order!
• He sorts his stacking color shapes with the right colors- his favorite being yellow, like Daddy's pickup!
• He will give all his stuffed animals a hug and kiss before he puts them away

These may not seem so amazing to you all, but each of these little accomplishments makes me one Proud Mommy!!

Empty!

An empty bathtub...who knew it could create endless amounts of fun!! Grant has learned to climb in and out of the tub on his own, which is why we always keep the bathroom door closed. Well, Grant has also learned to open doors (we didn't even think getting levered door handles was a bad idea when picked them out: pre-parenthood, of course!). Well, this morning I was getting the laundry started and I come out of the laundry room and I hear a bang in the bathroom. I peeked in and saw him taking all the toys out of the toy bag, so I ran to grab the camera. When I walked in, I saw this look- so mischievous! The look on his face was like, "I'm so cute, so you can't be mad at me...right?" Of course not- anything that keeps him contained and occupied for 30 minutes is a blessing to me!! I think I like empty bathtubs!!

Where's Your Tongue?

So, turns out it didn't take Grant long to learn all his body parts! He can point to his eyes, ears, nose, teeth, hair, hands, feet, arms, legs, fingers, toes, belly, and belly button....but his favorite is his tongue!!! He sticks it way out every opportunity he gets!! He was eating a popsicle and with each lick, his tongue came all the way out and he took the biggest lick he could get! So silly!!

Here is a little video of Grant enjoying a DQ ice cream cone in the backseat with Mimi- showing off his tongue...again!!

Happy Little Fishy

Being thrown in the air- and LOVING it!!

The thermometer in my car read 102 degrees today! Way too hot to be doing anything that doesn't involve being indoors or being in water!! With my mom in town (which means an extra set of hands for me), we decided to try going to the big pool for the very first time!! Obviously, we have never been there before, but I read on the website that it had a splashing pool, so I thought Grant would like that!! Of course, when we got to the pool, there was no water in the splashing pool, so we had to get in the big part! I didn't think Grant would like it, since he tries his hardest not to get wet in his little baby pool! So when we got in, Grant seriously started laughing so hard, it sounded like he was screaming!! He really enjoyed floating on his belly, kicking his feet, splashing with his hands, being thrown up in the air, jumping off the side, and putting his face in the water. I have him signed up for swimming lessons in a few weeks, and I was worried that he wouldn't like it, but now I think he'll be a happy little fishy!

**Please disregard how hideous I look in a bathing suit and with wet hair!!

Run Grant, Run!!

I have literally enjoyed the pitter-patter of little feet lately!! Grant has figured out that walking anywhere doesn't get him where he wants to be quick enough. So now, he runs everywhere!!! I just love watching his little legs and feet move so speedily! Kind of reminds me of the RoadRunner chasing the Coyote! I especially love the sound of his little barefeet running on our hardwood floors, his laugh echoing down the hallway! I love that these small little milestones bring such joy to my heart!!!

He especially loves running on the beach!!

Mr. Manners

Grant ALWAYS has his fat little feet crossed whenever he is sitting somewhere- booster seat, car seat, stroller, whatever!! It's so adorable, and so proper!! I don't know how it started or how long this Mr. Manner's thing will last, but for now, I'm relishing in his cuteness!!! Oh, and I just want to eat those little toes!!

Dance, Dance

Grant has recently been interested in a show OnDemand called Hi-5. It's a great singing and dancing show that is thoroughly entertaining to him!! He's perfected a great dance move that he pulls out everytime his favorite show starts!! He's such an entertainer!

The Not-So Fun Playdough

What an expression, huh? It's been extremely hot outside, so I've been trying to find a variety of activities to do inside. I had a container of playdough leftover from some babysitting I did a while ago, so I thought I'd see what Grant thought about that!! Well, the picture above says it all!! He found every way he could to play with the playdough without actually touching it!! I gave him a little plastic fork and a wooden hammer, and that was fun!! But how dare I actually make him touch the playdough for any reason!! I think today we're going to make our own edible playdough to see if that experience is any different!

He looks like he's crying, but I told him to squeeze the playdough, and this was his attempt!!

This is fun- if I don't have to touch it!

ICK- this stuff is disgusting!!

Here is a little video of Grant attempting to play with playdough!

Like a Big Boy!

We've always made Grant sit in his booster chair during meal times, even when we're eating and he's not. I think its good practice for eating out in the "real world." However, we've always just used the tray that goes with the chair and put all his food on his tray. But I thought it was about time to get him eating at the table, just like a big boy!! Now that he's a little bit taller, I can push him up to the table and he's sitting at a good height to eat. So my next move was to get him used to eating off a plate. I thought it would be more difficult than it was, but he didn't even try to pick up the plate (well, just one time!) and he even used his fork for his chicken nuggets!! What a big boy!! Next thing you know, he'll be cutting up his own steak! Well, maybe not quite yet!!

An Oreo Indulgence

So I may or may not indulge Grant every now and again, especially when Daddy is gone!! (But with that face, its hard to resist!!!) Grant has been giving me a run for my money lately when it comes to meal times. I think it was mostly because he was cutting his upper canine teeth, but I think it also had to do with expressing a little independence. Whatever it may be, I'm pretty sure he went almost a week without eating anything!! So this week, he's been a very good eater, so I figured he was due for a reward! After a full meal of chicken nuggets, bread, and grapes, I gave Grant (and myself) a little dessert!! He'd never had an Oreo before, but Lord knows he's seen Levi and I eat plenty!! So I gave him the Oreo and figured I'd better get my camera, so I ran out of the room for 2 seconds and came back to find that Grant already twisted off the top and was eating my favorite- the white part!! Don't know how he knew to do that, since Levi and I don't eat them that way! But he seemed to be enjoying himself! After a few seconds, I could see the chocolately drool running all over the place, so he finished the Oreo without a shirt!! It didn't take him long to finish, and right after he was done, he pointed at the pantry and said "ESE?" which is Grant for "please." Not now buddy, but knowing your mom, it won't be long til next time!!

I think I like Oreo's!!!

Yep, I DEFINITELY like Oreo's!!

(This is now the face I get from Grant when I ask him to smile. It's cheesey, and I totally love it!)

We've Learned...

As I was helping Levi pack this weekend for another month out at sea, I saw his shoes lined up against the wall. To me, it was kind of ironic that all the "civilian" shoes were facing away, and his military boots were facing forward. Kind of telling for what life has been like for us lately!! Sadly, his "civilian" shoes haven't had much wear lately!! We calculated that out of 24 weeks, Levi's been home for 6 of them, and not consecutively, I might add!! But we know we can make it through anything!!

We've learned to always plan for the unexpected!!
We've learned to believe none of what we hear, and only half of what we see!!
We've learned how to write a really good, heartfelt email!
We've learned to make every second count, because we never seem to have enough of them!! We've learned that absence makes the heart grow fonder!!
We've learned that love knows no distance!!

Missing someone gets easier everyday because even though you are one day further from the last time you saw them, you are one day closer to the next time you will. -Author Unknown

Our Future Star

We thought it was time to get Grant acquainted with his superb basketball skills he inevitably will inherit from his parents! It's been quite rainy here in FL these past few weeks, and since Grant still wants to spend as much time outside as possible, we've been spending a lot more time in our screened-in porch. Thank goodness we have that! We've mostly been playing with balls and sidewalk chalk, but I thought a basketball goal would be GREAT and give Grant something really fun to play with!!! I've been starting to set aside time each day to work on fine motor skills, as well as gross motor skills, so this will be a great gross-motor activity for us!! We're still working on the throwing thing (although I'm really in no hurry to accomplish that- one less thing to worry about)!!

These are some pictures from right after Daddy put the goal together, so it's still in the family room. It was bedtime, so we didn't get to play long, but he enjoyed the few minutes that he had. He might not be the next Michael Jordan (as of yet), but we'll be proud of him no matter what!!

He shoots...

...he scores!!

SLAM DUNK!! (Look at that expression!!)

Daddy and Grant were all smiles after the big game!!

Here is a video of Grant's first-ever attempt at playing basketball! Not bad, if I do say so myself (although I may be slightly biased)!!!

Creative Juices

Back in early May for Mother's Day, Grant and I embarked on our first painting experience. We did the whole finger paint thing, without brushes. He wasn't too big a fan, as was expected. But I knew we'd brave it again someday!! So today, we went to Hobby Lobby to use a $15 gift card that I'd been saving. I knew I didn't need any more scrapbook supplies, since I hardly use the stuff I already have. So I let my gift card go to Grant (how typical of me!!). I'd been wanting to try the painting thing again, this time with a brush! I had a coupon (of course!) to Hobby Lobby, so I was able to get paints, paper, brushes, (and I couldn't help myself- some chipboard letters), plus sidewalk chalk, and a sand toy truck- all for $14.87!! After a nice nap, a yummy snack, and a quick disrobement- we brought out the paints!! I wish I had Grant's reaction on video when he saw the paints- arms flailing, squeals shrilling, smiles gleaming! It was GREAT!! He got pretty into it, and painted for a good 10 minutes!! He used the brush mostly, until the very end when he grabbed the painty end of the brush, and was completely grossed out. And so, our painting experience was over!! But he definitely got his creative juices flowing, and I know there will be much more to come!

Totally grossed out!!