Saturday, February 29, 2020

{iPhone Rewind} :: February

Uncle Michael came over and got to read special books before nap time...he definitely lives up to his Uncle Awesome title :)

I was able to officially kick off my birthday week with this yummy creation from Lindsay! It was every bit as good as it looks.

Celebrating her bravery at the pediatric ophthalmologist {her pick was Chipotle}. I love this girlie so much!

He's pretty easily entertained :)

You do you, baby boy haha. He asked for each one of these pieces. He's got his own sense of style :)

Actually getting to enjoy my Starbucks birthday drink {because it's just not always feasible to get to Starbucks for that birthday reward on my actual birthday. Just sayin' Starbucks...}

This group of ladies {plus several others} have been such a sweet blessing to me this year! I have loved diving into the Word with them in my BSF class!

Uncle Michael spent the night, which made for some pretty happy kiddos :)

Nothing like a giant birthday banner colored by your kids to make your birthday that much more special!

My little book worm :)

Grandma and Papa sent fun Valentine's Day presents, and Eli loved the lace cards he got! Maddie got frustrated and gave up, but Eli played with them all morning.

I can't make this stuff up. 

They LOVED building a snowman for Valentine's Day haha! My kids have never seen Frozen but they know Olaf...and think he lives in our neighbor's yard :)

He sure loved the Valentine's cookies that Aunt Lindsay made!

My lap buddy for the morning

Master painter #1

Master painter #2

Fun at Crayola Experience!

Mike tried his hand at cutting Eli's hair...and did pretty good for a first attempt!

When you set out chairs for community group and let Aiden roam free...

He's going to be our funny one, I just know it :)

"Don't you want to go play?" "No, I want to snuggle with you, Mommy."

"Beeeee" {aka "cheese!"}

Donut snack run

Taking a phone call


Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Aiden :: 1.5 Years

My baby boy is a year and a half! It feels like this past 6 months has flown by. He's walking and talking and generally not acting like a baby anymore. Cue ALL the mama tears.



Aiden,

Sweet boy, you are such a joy and delight in our little family! When I think about how God placed you in our family, I can't help but tear up as I feel so much gratitude that you are OURS. You fit perfectly into this crazy little life we have going on here, and I just can't imagine it without you. You are the definition of "full of life," and your endless antics keep us smiling all day long. We can tell that you are going to be our little jokester, as you attempt to do something funny and then look to make sure someone is looking and going to give you the laugh you want. And the snuggles, Little Man....my heart swells to overflowing when you wrap your chubby little arms around my neck. Or barrel into me for a hug, from out of nowhere. It feels like my heart might explode every single time. And I am trying to soak up every bit of those moments, because it's hard for me to face the fact that my sweet baby is no longer an actual baby anymore. But it is so much fun to watch you grow and learn and interact with your brother and sister. And I just can't wait to see how your relationships develop as you all grow up together. I love you, sweet boy, more than I can ever put into words.

Love, 
Mama


Current Schedule ::
7:15am      Wake Up/Breakfast
8:00am      Play Time {usually bothering your brother and sister}
9:00am      Nap {still hanging on to that morning nap, at least when we're home}
10:00am    Snack
10:30am    Play Time or run errands
12:30pm    Lunch
1:30pm      Nap
4:00pm      Snack
4:30pm      Play Time
6:30pm      Dinner
7:00pm      Bath Time
7:30pm      Bed Time



AIDEN MICHAEL

Clothing/Diaper Size :: you are still wearing a size 5 diaper and size 2T clothes...though I think you'll be moving to 3T pretty soon. that little belly just likes to peek out too much :)

Loves :: your Pooh bear, playing with balls, taking your clothes off {seriously, if you are upset and we know you're not hungry or thirsty, we ask if you want to take your clothes off and you start pulling at your shirt, trying to get it off...and you will happily run around in your diaper, even when it's freezing in the house}

Dislikes :: not being held/close/on top of a parent, waiting for food, not being in the middle of everything, haircuts

Eat :: you are an eating machine! you love food; we still can never get food in front of you fast enough. you love all food, but some of your favorites are oranges, sweet potatoes, and mac 'n' cheese- you can pound those foods. you have also started using a spoon {way sooner than your brother and sister ever did}, and you're actually pretty good at it! 

Sleep :: you are also our champion sleeper. you are still sleeping 11-12 hours at night, but are content to play in your crib quietly even if you do wake up early. you are still hanging on to that morning nap {but can skip it here and there if we're out}. I will ask you if you're ready for your nap, and you hold your arms up, ready to go. you will still sometimes fuss for a few minutes when I leave the room, but will calm down pretty quickly, even if you don't fall asleep right away. you have no problem taking a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon!

Play/Development :: you are walking and running everywhere. you are talking ALL the time, though most of your words aren't super clear yet. you repeat {or at least try to repeat} anything we say, and it's pretty cute when you growl your words :)  you can say "mama," "mommy," "daddy," "sasha," and a variation of everyone else's names. please = "beeee,"  excuse me = "{burp noise} me," thank you = "dant do." most of the time you are pretty happy, but you are in this strange {and LOUD} screaming phase, and boy is it ear-piercing. we are all definitely ready for you to move on from that stage. you are incredibly expressive! we never have to guess how you're feeling, because it is written all over your little face :)

Unique to You :: oh, my cutie red-haired boy...your nicknames include some variation of "cute/cutie"  : cutie bug, cutie pants, cute stuff, cutie boy. those baby blues look almost violet sometimes, they are so piercing. when I hold you on my hip, you will often subconsciously play with my wedding ring/band, or rub your fingers over mine, or pet my belly haha. you giggle uncontrollably when we try to buckle you in your car seat; I'm not sure why it's so funny to you, but you think it's hilarious. when we brush your hair, you immediately reach up to mess it up, pushing all of that mess of a mop forward {which we are letting grow out because you HATE haircuts}. you growl a lot. you run around after your brother and sister, never wanting to be left behind.



Thursday, February 13, 2020

A Vision of Beauty

Back in August, we noticed Maddie had a crossed eye. She had recently learned how to cross her eyes to be silly, and then we noticed that she was crossing them ALL the time. It took us {read: me} a bit to realize that she was no longer doing it on purpose and couldn't seem to straighten her eyes, so we took her to see the pediatric ophthalmologist. She didn't have any vision issues, so it meant that it was a muscle issue. So that old wives' tale is true; if you cross your eyes, you CAN get stuck! Particularly if you are a toddler with growing eye muscles. Oh, Maddie girl...

We started patching to try to retrain her eye muscles, but unfortunately that didn't seem to be helping much, so we got referred again to a pediatric ophthalmologist who specializes in surgery. She did really great with the vision tests...until they had to dilate her eyes with the "raindrop kisses." She definitely was NOT a fan. We found this cute little ladybug at the Dollar Tree next door to help her be brave for the second part of her appointment.


And while she kept repeating that she didn't want any more raindrop kisses, she was brave enough to allow the doctor to finish the eye exam. She is slightly far-sighted, but the prescription is definitely minimal. The original doctor had written it off since the prescription was so small {and one that small is very common and temporary at her age}, but the new doctor thought it would be worth one last try, just in case it could be enough to retrain her eye. So we left with a prescription for new glasses!

Maddie was not super excited about wearing glasses, even though Eli, Mommy, and Daddy all wear them. We were finally able to convince her that they might be an ok idea if she got to wear pink ones. When we went to pick them out, they {of course} didn't have pink ones to try on...so she really struggled with wanting to try on the ones in the store {oh, toddlers}. We have been trying to talk them up while we waited for them to arrive, and she seemed to be excited about her "double gum pink" glasses coming, but I was still not sure how she'd react when they came in.

It took A LOT of convincing {as she kept pushing them off, not allowing us to even put them on fully}, but she finally put them on, and seemed to do pretty well with them for the evening! Of course, we'll see how she feels about them tomorrow, as I'm sure she doesn't realize this is a temporary-permanent thing. Meaning, she has to wear them all the time for the next 2 months to see if it helps. But for now, she's the most adorable little girl in her "double gum pink" glasses :)





So now we have 2 in glasses, and we're praying that this is the ticket to correcting that cross eye for good. The next step would be surgery, so we'd like to avoid that if we can. For now, I am just loving my two adorable little glasses-wearers! 



Thursday, February 6, 2020

1000 Books Before Kindergarten :: 600!

We continued on the downhill countdown to 1000 books! My kids have always loved reading, always insisting on sitting down to read another book. When I have wanted a break {because it's A LOT OF BOOKS, Y'ALL}, I have been able to say that it's their turn to read books, that they could look at them. Well...we have quickly moved into the "but Mommy, I don't know how to read this book" phase. Looking at the pictures alone is not cutting it much these days. So I'm sorry to all those who decry learning to read early...if my kids want to and are ready, it's gonna happen. Mommy can only read so many books in a day :)

And maybe it will even out the fact that we are waiting so long to potty train...

{For the record...I'm not teaching my kids to read right now. They're not even close to that. But I can see them wanting to read early, especially Maddie.}

You can find the books we have already read here:



  1. Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck by Naomi Kleinberg*
  2. Good Night, Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli*
  3. Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos*
  4. How Do I Love You? by Marion Dane Bauer*
  5. Nothing Ever Happens at the South Pole by Stan Berenstain
  6. Rapunzel by Chloe Perkins*
  7. Gorillas Go Bananas by Patrick Wensink*
  8. Skinnamarink by Sharon Hampson, Lois Lillienstein, and Bram Morrison
  9. If Animals Kissed Good Night by Ann Whitford Paul*
  10. Snow White by Chloe Perkins*
  11. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
  12. I Took My Frog to the Library by Eric A. Kimmel*
  13. Following the Tractor by Susan Steggall
  14. Woodstock's Sunny Day by Charles M. Schultz*
  15. Heave Ho! by Heinz Janisch
  16. Get Up and Go! by Nancy Carlson
  17. Push! Dig! Scoop! by Rhonda Gowler Greene
  18. Bear's Big Day by Salina Yoon
  19. The Pickwicks' Picnic by Carol Brendler
  20. P is for Potty! by Lena Cooper
  21. Hello, Texas! by Christopher S. Jennings
  22. Wow! America! by Robert Neubecker*
  23. My Home by Marnie Forestieri
  24. Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett*
  25. Buenas Noches, Texas by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper
  26. Minnie, Let's Have a Tea Party Little Sound Book by Publications International*
  27. Mickey Mouse, I'm Read to Read Book by Jennifer H. Keast*
  28. My First Book of Things That Go by Alain Grée
  29. Transportation by Clare Beaton
  30. National Geographic Readers: Here to There by Jennifer Szymanski
  31. Trains by Gail Gibbons
  32. Planes by Gail Gibbons
  33. Cars, Trucks, and Planes by Gladys Rosa-Mendoza*
  34. Daniel Tiger's 3-Minute Bedtime Stories by Various Authors*
  35. Busy, Busy Cars and Trucks by Richard Scarry*
  36. Let's Take the Train! Elisa Peters
  37. Trains by Andrea Rivera
  38. Trucks by Andrea Rivera
  39. Twenty Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street by Mark Lee*
  40. Fisher-Price Little People: Cars, Trucks, Planes, and Trains by Nancy L. Rindone*
  41. Let's Go! by Susan Ring*
  42. My Big Truck Book by Roger Priddy*
  43. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin*
  44. Cinderella by Chloe Perkins*
  45. Ida, Always by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso*
  46. Croc & Turtle by Mike Wohnoutka*
  47. Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey
  48. Eraser by Anna Kang
  49. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey*
  50. My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone
  51. Old Hat by Emily Gravett
  52. Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles*
  53. Thomas & Friends 5-Minute Stories: The Sleepytime Collection by Various Authors*
  54. Daniel Tiger's 5-Minute Stories by Various Authors*
  55. Safety on the Playground by Lucia Raatma
  56. Please Play Safe! by Margery Cuyler
  57. Safety Shopping by Joseph R. DeVarenness
  58. Safety in the Home by Joseph R. DeVarenness
  59. Safety Around Strangers by Lucia Raatma
  60. The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers by Stan Berenstain
  61. Aliens Love Dinopants by Claire Freedman
  62. When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
  63. Bruce's Big Storm by Ryan T. Higgins
  64. Maggie's Monkeys by Linda Sanders-Wells
  65. Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey
  66. The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt*
  67. Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
  68. Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
  69. Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach
  70. Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin*
  71. The Three Little Rigs by David Gordon*
  72. Once Upon a Potty (Girl) by Alona Frankel
  73. Ten Little Fingers, Two Small Hands by Kristy Dempsey
  74. Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won*
  75. The Crayons' Book of Numbers by Drew Daywalt*
  76. Hiccupotamus by Steve Smallman*
  77. Dig, Dump, Roll by Sally Sutton*
  78. Hop, Hop, Jump! by Laren Thompson
  79. Harriet Dancing by Ruth Symes
  80. Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
  81. This Book Will Not Be Fun by Cirocco Dunlap
  82. The ABC Animal Orchestra by Donald Saaf*
  83. Let's Make Music by National Geographic Kids*
  84. The Orchestra Pit by Johanna Wright*
  85. Music Class Today by David Weinstone
  86. Poppy and the Brass Band by Magali Le Huche*
  87. Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman
  88. My Body Belongs to Me by Jill Starishevsky
  89. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Things That Go by Karen De Seve*
  90. When a Tiger Comes to Dinner by Jessica Olien
  91. How to be a Lion by Ed Vere
  92. Pottytime for Chickies by Janee Trasler
  93. Rain! by Linds Ashman
  94. Belly Button Book! by Sandra Boynton*
  95. Are You a Cow? by Sandra Boynton*
  96. But Not the Armadillo by Sandra Boynton*
  97. Dinosnores by Sandra Boynton*
  98. Love from the Very Hungry Caterpillar
  99. National Geographic Kids: Let's Make Music by Ruth A. Musgrave*
  100. Sealed with a Kiss by Beth Ferry*

*Some of our favorites


Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Toddler School: Spring Semester

We finished off our Fall semester of Toddler School really well! We stuck to our curriculum pretty well, and I was glad that Eli and Maddie were actually excited to sit through it all. I think keeping it really simple helped keep us on track. It never felt super overwhelming, and if we missed a scheduled day, we could just do it another day, since I only planned activities for 2 days a week. 

We have already kicked off our Spring semester, and I am learning what Eli and Maddie are excited about...and what they seem to tolerate haha. Books and fun activities/games are always a favorite, but they are not loving my on-theme-songs. They like music and listening to music, but the themed songs that I sing to them are a no-go. They basically just stare at me; and the more animated I am, the less they seem to be on board. Fun pre-school teacher, I am not. Oh well. Overall, they are talking more about the things we learn, so I know they are actually learning. So that's gotta be a win, yes?

Grandma and Papa got us a trial of the KiwiCo crates, and those have been a BIG hit. They LOVE them! They're such great little activities for them, and one of the boxes even matched a theme we talked about in January, so that was a few less supplies Mommy had to buy {win!} So I actually went ahead and ordered another few months of the boxes once the trial ran out. I know that I am personally enjoying the crates too!



This was our music box! We made a tambourine and a xylophone.

If you are interested in trying the crates {they make them for ALL ages}, then you can use my code to get $10 off! https://www.kiwico.com/Refer?i=ErinM1014 

So here's to another great semester of Toddler School! :)


Themes for the Spring Semester:
Where I Live
Transportation
Safety
Instruments
Emotions
Valentine's
Senses
Outer Space
Sports
Fruits
Vegetables
Jungle/Zoo
Easter
Weather
Body/Being Active
Oceans
Flower/Plants
Wester/Cowboy
Camping


Basics for the Spring Semester:
Letters: L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Numbers: 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Seasons/Holidays: Winter, Valentine's, Spring, Easter, Summer
Colors: Blue, Pink, Green, Purple, Black/White
Shapes: Oval, Heart, Diamond, Rectangle, Octagon