Shed from the Shelf

I introduced you to Shed the other day, but let me show you what he's been up to since he arrived!

He's kept a watchful eye, and has even made Grant eat a few more bites of food than he normally would! Keep up the good work Shed!

Dream Come True

We've already gone through one tin of Christmas popcorn and its not even December yet! Levi kept saying, "I wish they had a whole tin just full of caramel corn!" That is all three of my boys' favorites! So, today Levi embarked on trying to make homemade caramel corn. Wyatt woke up early from his nap, so he got to be Daddy's helper. He loves sitting on the counter and watching me cook. And since this house has ample counter space, I let him! He watched Daddy stir and stir and stir and stir! And then, he got to be the taste tester, which I believe was his favorite part! Levi made two batches and filled up the empty Christmas popcorn tin FULL of caramel corn! A dream come true!!

Punkin Pie

No words are needed to express how these boys feel about pumpkin pie!

Mommy Moment part 2

Grant and I had a little one on one time this afternoon. We were looking for a coat for him and he was going to pick out a Christmas present for Wyatt. We went to Ross- a store filled with 95% junk but there are some good treasures to find, if you look hard enough! And almost always, they have some great deals on kid toys. After finding a great deal on a coat (a Nike coat that retails for $75, for $17.99!) we headed over to the toys. Grant immediately saw this set and his eyes totally lit up and he ran right over and snatched it up. "Mom!!!!! You might like this for Christmas!!! I want to get this for you for a surprise!!!  Please? You would really like it." He was so heartfelt in his voice that it almost made me tear up right then and there! I said, "You're right buddy, I would like that! I'll put it on my wishlist."  And then he was off to a Batman something or other. Although a fleeting moment, it will be  imprinted in my heart forever!

Mommy Moment

Last week, I showed Grant the super cool trick of holding an empty cup to your mouth and making it stick. I know, I'm the coolest mom ever!  Anyway, he was mesmerized and asked how I did that. My response- "Mommy Magic." The oldest excuse known to me, as my mom coined that phrase! That was her answer for everything! But now I know why, because to a child's eye, everything you do is magic! 

Today, while running errands in the car, Grant said, "Look at this cool trick Mom." I turned around to see him holding an empty cup to his mouth, just like I showed him! I said, "Wow, that's so cool. That was like the trick I showed you last week. How did you do that?" His response- "Grant Magic!"

New Camera

We bit the bullet on Black Friday and bought a new camera! And not just any ordinary camera- a fancy one, at least by my terms! We got a great deal at Costco on a Canon Rebel T2i. It was love at first click!! I can actually make out the little hairs the run down Wyatt's pink cheeks. The little bumps on his little chin. The fuzzy hairs growing out of Grant's round head. And their beautiful smiles that run ear to ear. I was lucky to even make out a face on my last camera it was so blurry half the time! I have TONS to learn to be able to make my camera do the things I want it to, but learning is part of the fun!!! Can't wait to capture Christmas moments through the lens of my Canon!!!

Christmassy

Our house is all trimmed out!! After weeks of anticipation, today was the day for decorating! I have to admit, as the days got closer, I had a slight feeling of disappointment knowing that half of our Christmas decorations are in storage in Enid and our tree this year is only 4.5 feet tall. I had a feeling it just wasn't going to feel "christmassy" enough! But I was wrong! All the decorations turned out great, even with our makeshift mantle :)  The boys loved helping decorate the tree and Grant was so excited to be able to put the star on top all by himself (on the little step stool.) Wyatt loved looking at the Jayhawk ornament and saying, "Rock Chalk" over and over again!

And our newest addition to our Christmas decor- our Elf on the Shelf, Shed. Yes, Grant named our elf Shed. No idea why. The only think I can think of is when we were trying to come up with names, he was obviously stumped. So I said, "How bout Sam, or Ed, or George." Somehow Shed was made! Oh, and did I mention I think Santa sent a Mexican elf to our house? (Who knew there were different ethnicities of elves?") He's already keeping a watchful eye on the boys! 

Looking forward to lots more Christmas cheer these next few weeks!

(PS- Thank you Levi for making me the ornament holder!! It's a perfect addition to our decor!)

Nature Walk

One thing to do on my Fall Craft Project checklist was a nature walk, complete with nature wreath. Apparently nature is hard to come by in San Antonio. Our street is sparsely scattered with Live Oak trees, which don't lose their leaves. Grass is no longer there and yards are just filled with weeds. So finding objects to place on our wreath was a lot harder than I expected! But that doesn't mean we didn't have fun looking!  Grant brought his magnifying glass and his superhero lunch box to hold all of our findings! We managed to find a few random leaves, some weeds, and a few random nuts. Wyatt loved using the magnifying glass and Grant loved picking "beautiful flowers." Pretty sure I'm the only one who cared about the nature wreath. But we got it done and our Fall Craft Project checklist is complete! And its a good thing, because I'm busting out the Christmas Craft checklist on Friday!!

Do You Want to Paint?

I want my kids to be creative, expressive, and enjoy life. But I cringe every time I hear the words come out of my mouth, "Do you want to paint?" I do it to myself! But I guess I just need to let go and live in the moment. I'll have plenty of time to regret my choice while I'm doing the 30 minute cleanup that is required after a 3 minute painting session!

Grant on Wheels

It's been about 2 months in the making, but he made it! Grant can officially ride a two-wheeler with no assistance from Daddy (well, once he actually gets on the bike!). It's totally awesome watching him just take off and keep going!  He still needs to work on his steering, but for the most part, he's an independent rider! I'm so proud of him for not giving up! He is so proud of himself!! And that makes me a proud Mommy!!

NO GIRLS ALLOWED!

A few weeks ago, Levi and Grant decided they were going to have a camp out. Grant has a small Thomas the Tank Engine pop-up tent he's been sleeping in on top of his bed. He thinks its pretty cool. So when Levi suggested they have a "boys only camp out," Grant was thrilled!! It didn't matter that we don't own a tent and it gets pretty cool at night. They made do with a make-shift tent in the playroom! Since it was a "boys only" event, I needed to make myself scarce! Fine by me- I always embrace a little alone time! (And actually, that night I was invited to my first ever Girls' Night Out here in Texas!) Levi set up the tarp with 3M hooks and binder clips! Not such a bad idea! The day before, the boys and I made some chocolate chip cookies and Levi made popcorn, so their tummy's were good to go! They were all set. Toy Story 3 was on the DVD, flashlights had batteries, and sleeping bags were out! I was out the door! I got home about 11pm and quietly crept up the stairs, using my phone as a flashlight. I snuck into the tent.....nobody was there. Everyone's bedroom doors were closed! I KNEW IT! Levi was still awake when I got home and I asked when the boys went to bed. Wyatt went to his bed at 8 and Grant at 9. He said they had a great time but Grant just prefers sleeping in his bed. I don't blame him, I'd do the same thing! But what memories they made! 

The Unfindables

(Disclaimer: Many of the words in this post will seem foreign to you, unless you have a 3.5year old little boy, hence all the links to check out what I'm talking about, if you really care to know! This post is mainly for my entertainment when I go back and read this a few years from now!)

Grant has loved all things Imaginext since last Christmas. He didn't receive any Imaginext toys then, but it was during that season he found his new love, leading up to his first Imaginext gift- his aircraft carrier- for his 3rd birthday. Since then, we have acquired endless amounts of Sky Racers Planes, DC Super Friends, Police Robot, Space Station, Rescue, and Dinosaur figures and accessories. The only set that has eluded us is the Ocean Rescue, which is quite possibly Grant's most longed for items. 

See, whenever we play Sky Racer planes, or DC Super Friends, or any other Imaginext toy- the mission is always the same: there is a baby sea creature in trouble and he needs to be rescued. We play this game ALL.THE.TIME!!!!  One would think we already had these toys, but no. It's because they are practically impossible to find!!! Sure, I saw them by the truckload about 6 months ago, just as Grant's hoarding  collecting of Imaginext toys began. I even remember back in May, seeing this boat and this submarine sold as a set for $39.  But not anymore! After searching Amazon.com, the Ocean Boat goes for $84.94 and the submarine for $44.94. No kidding!

So, when my wheels started turning for what to get Grant for Christmas, these two things were at the top of my list. And when I get my head stuck on something, I have to follow through!! So after endless searching- I am the proud owner of both products for less than $50!! Ok, so maybe the Ocean Boat is used and from ebay, but its in great condition and Grant won't know the difference! (His Batcave is from ebay too and he was happy as could be when it came in the mail!) As for the submarine- I had a lucky moment at Toys R Us- it was the only one I had seen on the shelves since we moved to Texas!! I grabbed it and ran!

I am so excited to see Grant's face light up when he finds two toys he probably thought he would never have!!

 And this little guy was a bonus find on Amazon.com. Grant has watched the 20 second demo video of the Ocean Rescue set on Amazon.com about 200 times and this six wheeler is a crucial part of the rescue process, so Mommy just had to include it on the Christmas bundle as well!

 

Merry Christmas my honey heart!! Can't wait to see your face light up!!

Mommy Moment

There are times in a mother's life where one moment means everything to you! It's funny how significant or insignificant that moment may be. But as a mother, you experience them quite often. Sure, the moment you see your child for the first time- life changing. The first time you see your child smile at you- breathtaking. The moment they first say "Mama"- overjoyed. But then there are other simpler moments that are equally as perfect. You watch your child learn how to use a new toy. You watch your child slide down the steps on their belly. You watch your child put their shoes on by themselves. It's in these moments that make being a mother the most rewarding thing you will ever do in your life. 

Mommy Moment:

Before naptime and bedtime each day, the boys and I read at least one book together. We always gather in the floor in one of their rooms and snuggle up. Wyatt, the independent reader, likes to sit alone and listen to the book while doing something else. Grant, the engaged reader, needs a front row seat. As I sit down on the floor, indian style, he walks up to me and asks, "Mom, can I get in you?" 

Melts me every time.

Grant loves having a front row seat for a good book. He always has, and I hope he always will. 

October 31, 2008 (7.5 months old)

Thanksgiving Gallery

I have been waiting for the day to do "school" activities with Grant!! I finally got him to start working with me  a few months back. On a daily basis, shortly after moving to Texas, he would ask me if he could go to school. I'd say, "When we move to Oklahoma, you can go to school. But we can do school games at home." He'd always reply, "No, I want a real teacher." (If he only knew how much I spent am spending on my education to become a real teacher!) Anyway, after adding school games to his chore chart (which is ok at this point because he thinks chores are cool!), we now do school work 3 times a week. I usually do 4 stations for him: a literacy station, math station, fine motor station, and logical thinking station. I have found some great preschool blogs that have given me lots of resources I could never make on my own. Hence, our ever growing Thanksgiving Project Wall!! We also had a Halloween Project Wall, but this one is far superior, as Grant has been a working man these past few weeks!! Most often, he asks to do more school work, even after our 4 stations are completed! I love it!! 

I've already got his Christmas work printed off, and project list made! Can't wait for our next gallery!

 We've also been doing a Thankful Tree. I thought up this idea mid-October, and since have seen numerous varieties on Pinterest. But I was happy that I had thought of it without any help! Anyway, I made the tree out of a brown paper grocery sack, and the leaves came from two groups of branches from the Dollar Tree. Easy peasy. Grant hasn't quite grasped things he should be thankful for, other than all his toys. But its a start!  I hope to make this a tradition for years to come!!

First Ever Family Movie Night

This whole daylight saving thing has really thrown off our routine. Usually, after dinner we'd go to the park and ride bikes or play outside with the neighbors. But now that it is pitch black after dinner, we have to find something else to pass the two hours before bedtime. And let's face it- sometimes those two hours can take a REALLY LONG TIME! So last week, I had recorded Aladdin on the Disney Channel, so we thought we'd give our first ever Family Movie Night a try! I bathed the boys and got their jammies on while Levi gathered some blankets and made us some popcorn. We had recently watched Beauty and the Beast and Grant seemed enjoy that, so we had high hopes. The boys did really well and sat very still for at least the first 45 minutes. The last 45 minutes was a little rowdy, but we went through two bags of popcorn, songs were sung, and smiles were seen, so I'd say it was a pretty darn good success!! I hadn't seen Aladdin in probably 8 or 9 years, so it was past due for me! (Levi too I think!). Can't wait for many more family movie nights! :)

Trim the Tree

Conversation with Grant last week:

G: Is today Christmas Eve?

Me: Nope, not for another 6 weeks or so.

G: Is tomorrow Christmas Eve?

Me: No honey, we still have to have Thanksgiving. Then we can start celebrating Christmas.

G: What's "trim the tree?"

Me: That means decorating the Christmas tree.

G: Can we trim the tree today?

Me: Not til the day after Thanksgiving.

G: But I want to trim the tree.

Me: Well, we could decorate your little tree for your room.

G: YYYYEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

And that's just what we did! Then of course, Wyatt wanted one too. So after a trip to Hobby Lobby and $9 later, they are happy little Christmas campers!! Grant was helping Wyatt choose what ornaments he wanted and Grant kept showing Wyatt snowmen, or cars, or santas and Wyatt kept saying, "No. Balls!" So that's what Wyatt picked! He didn't even want a star- he just wanted balls!! 

Each tree is about 12-15in tall and has a strand of 35 lights, just perfect for a nice nighttime glow! 

Merry Thanksgivingmas!

1 Year, 7 Months, 2 Weeks

You, my dear Wyatt, are a piece of work!! You are still just a tiny guy, but with a big attitude! You make me smile til it hurts and your hugs and kisses melt my heart!! I love being your mama!

You are slowly adding new words to your vocabulary, but you're still the strong silent type and prefer to grunt or just smile when we ask you to tell us what you want! Some words you say are: Mama, Dada, Bubba, Mimi, PawPaw, Dixie, ball, boat, bath, bike, star, bowl, backpack, "red belly" (a game you and Daddy play), more, please, no, uh-huh, bye-bye, hi. I know there's more! 

You love animal sounds! You woof, meow, neigh, moo, ribbit, or squeak whenever you see animals! Your favorite being dogs, or woof-woofs as you call them.

You love singing songs that have actions and get so excited when you hear them in the car! Your favorites are Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy, I Can Wiggle (that we sing at story time), and This Little Piggy.

You still LOVE all your lovies- big star lovie, small star lovie, white lovie, and woof-woof. You suck your thumb still when touching a lovie or even saying the word. We are trying to break you of it, but no such luck! We recently added a big pillow to your bed and you were very proud and excited about that! Mimi made you a pumpkin pillow case just like Grant's, so you thought that was pretty cool! You go to bed about 8pm and wake up about 6:30am. You take a nap from about 1-2:30. On average, you sleep 2 hours less than Grant each day- I say its because you want to spend extra time with me! :)  No attempts of climbing out of your crib yet, so hopefully it stays that way!

You're starting to get quite picky with your food. You seriously eat about a quarter of what you did a few months ago. But you're still growing and have plenty of energy! I'm hoping its just a phase and you'll be back to your garbage disposal self soon! You LOVE grapes, cereal, cheese, pancakes, and mandarin oranges. 

You love brushing your teeth each day and taking your vitamins! You call them "numma nums" because I refer to them as gummies. 

You love playing Little People, Batcave, riding bikes, and anything else Grant has his hands on. You boys fight constantly! And you're usually the bully! You yell "NO!" at the top of your lungs over and over.You're very lucky to have a big brother who doesn't fight back!

You are wearing 12 or 18 month shirts and 9 or 12 month shorts or pants. Small fry!! You're in a size 4 diaper and a size 5 shoe. You can't wear any of Grant's clothes he wore when he was your age- they are 2 size too big! You have 12 teeth. 

You're such a lovey little guy who still loves to be held and snuggled! You get jealous if I'm holding Grant, or if I'm cuddling with Daddy. You're very possessive of your mama!!

Part of me is anxious for you to get bigger, talk more, and play games with your brother! But the other part of me wants to bottle you up as you are and keep you tiny forever!!
I love you my little punkin!!!

3 Years, 7 Months, 2 Weeks

I can't believe how big you're getting Mr. Grant!! You are just this ball of energy, smiling and giggling at all times! These past few months have brought a lot of change upon you, but you still remain just as spunky and happy as ever! I'm such a proud mama!!!

Your favorite thing to play is superheros or rescue boat, which still involve superheros. You LOVE LOVE LOVE all your Imaginext toys and we play with them constantly. You love to make up storylines, but usually need my help to continue the story. I love your innocence when we play- the boys guys are always just misunderstood. The Joker will say, "I wasn't trying to hurt you, I just wanted play with you." Or the mean shark says to the little fish, "I wasn't going to eat you, I just want to be your friend." So cute!  You're alwyas on the lookout for the next Imaginext toy you want on your "wishlist."

I recently started a chore chart for you, and you love it! If you do all your chores for the entire week, you get to put a magnet on your chart- one step closer to picking something out on your wishlist! You have two chores each day- anything from putting laundry away to emptying trash cans to school work. You LOVE all your chores and think they are super fun!! You've done a great job with everything!

You're still a picky eater as ever! You love pizza lunchables (cold, without sauce!), mac & cheese, Mini-Wheats cereal, pancakes, and french toast. Making meals for you is VERY hard, and your bad habits are starting to rub off on your brother! Someday, hopefully, you'll eat like a normal person!

You're learning to ride a two-wheel bike, and if you cared at all, you'd be cruising down the street all by yourself, because you can definitely do it! You just don't know you can! 

You know all your letters, capital and lowercase, and are starting to spell words on your own and sound out words you hear! I love it!!!

You wear 4T shirts and 3T/4T shorts or pants. You wear a 9.5 shoe. 

Some funny things you've said lately:

"I miss Jeepers (Levi's parents old dog). But my hair is getting black which means I'm almost going to Heaven and I'll see him there."

"You're gorgeous mom!"
"Hello, Earth to me!"
Honestly, anything that comes out of your mouth makes me smile!!!
I love you my big boy!!!

Trick or Treat!

Did these boys have a Happy Halloween, or what!!! My goodness, they were eating it all up, both literally and figuratively!!  They practically jumped into their costumes with excitement and hit the pavement running! It wasn't even dark yet, but they were ready to hit the road! Last year, I think Grant went to 4 houses before saying, "I all done." The year before, I think we went to 2 houses. So this year, with Wyatt, I thought we'd hit 6 houses MAX! But I was dead wrong! We went up and down both sides of our street- probably 20 houses or so! Quite a few didn't have their lights on, so we mostly just did a lot of walking. Wyatt was loving seeing everyone in costume. He'd wave at them as they walked by and he'd say, "Bye!" He wasn't scared of anyone or anything- not even this creepy looking green-masked gooey guy passing out candy. Grant wasn't so sure, but Wyatt walked right up and opened his bag! They both got lots of compliments on their costumes too!! I thought they were pretty darn cute myself!! After making the rounds on our block, I thought the boys would enjoy coming home to pass out candy for the remainder of the night. And they did!!!! They both passed out candy to the rest of the kids until all our candy was gone!  It was a great night!! I'm sure the years to come will even be more exciting!

Amazing Blue Angels

Today was a beautiful day for an Air Show! We've been hearing them and seeing all the jets practicing the past few days, as our house is right under the flight pattern! They were loud enough to shake the house even! So we were pretty excited to get out there and actually see them in action! It had been a few years since Levi and I had seem them- I was still pregnant with Grant! And the boys had never seen them, other than the house fly-overs! It started off as a very chilly 41 degrees this morning, so we dressed accordingly- although it warmed up to about 80 so we were HOT. But we made due! Luckily we wore layers, but shorts would have been nice!

We got there after lunch and walked around all the static displays. We walked inside the belly of a C-17 and C-5 (you can see the boys in that one!). Grant saw the inside of a T-6, which Levi flies, so he thought that was pretty cool. They enjoyed a strawberry snow cone, bounced in a few bouncy houses, and then we camped out a spot to watch the Blue Angels. Both of our boys have pretty nasty colds right now, so they weren't at their best. And when you add no nap on top of it, we were expecting breakdowns just about the time the Blue Angels went on. Wyatt was a little restless, but Grant just camped in the back of the stroller relaxing, so it wasn't too bad! We found some good seats, right at center line, just perfect for viewing. Surprisingly, the noise didn't bother the boys at all, which I thought would be a major problem, at least for Grant! But all was good!

It just amazes me to watch the Blue Angels and how precise they are- absolutely incredible! Gives me goose bumps, actually!! Makes me even more amazed that Levi knows how to do aerobatics like that in his T-6. Well, maybe not JUST like that, but still- I can't even do a decent somersault on the ground! Pretty awesome, if I do say so!