Thomas' Perspective

During the past week or so Thomas has been wanting to use my small camera to take pictures. I know that cameras are not toys, but there is just something so neat about seeing the world through the eyes of a little one. This is the world according to Thomas:

Trip to Orlando Science Center

I am apart of a mommy group which consists of several Seminole County teachers and when we have free time we get together for little playdates. Since the Orlando Science Center is free for teachers and babies under the age of two the group decided to meet there on Tuesday. We had a fun time, especially Thomas! You can imagine how excited he was to see the dinosaur exhibit. The huge T-Rex was his favorite. It made him think of one of his favorite movie, The Night at the Museum. There were several playareas for young babies which Nathan loved. Even though we were there for a few hours, the boys slept the whole ride home. It was certainly a fun, afforable way to the spend the day!

Butterfly Hatchings!

On the last day of school Ken picked up three milkweed plants from Lukas Nursery that had a few baby caterpillars and tiny eggs on the leaves. Thomas was so excited to watch them turn into butterflies. We thought that the lizards would eat the baby caterpillars so we went back to the nursery and bought a special net-like-cage for them. On Father's Day we watched them make a chrysalis (which was sooooo cool!) and this weekend we had four butterflies to release. We are excited to go get more milkweed and watch the process all over again! Here are some pictures of Thomas releasing his new friends (which he named).

Where Shopping is a Pleasure...

After visiting the library for storytime on Wednesday I needed to go to Publix for a few things. Thomas always wants to get one of their fancy, hard to steer, shopping carts, but my list is usually too long and their isn't enough space in the cart. Since we were going to the store midweek and it wasn't as crowded I used one of the special carts. He was so happy. They both behaved really well. Shopping in the middle of the week is a great perk to having the summers off from work!

Toy Story 3 Party

Last June the trailer for Toy Story 3 was on YouTube. I can't tell you how many times Thomas watched that video clip. Since he was three years old Toy Story and Toy Story 2 have been some of his favorite movies. We have collected all the figures from the movie including Jessie, Bullseye and Stinky Pete. They have become some of his treasured toys. When I started asking Thomas what kind of party we wanted for when he turned 5, he simply said, "a movie theater party." And when I asked who he wanted to invite (thinking he was going to say every child in his class) he only listed two names: Luke and Owen, who have been his buddies since he was three. Wish granted! So, after some minor scheduling conflicts we finally figured out a time to take the kids (and their families) to the movies. On Monday night we went with bags of popcorn secretly stored in tote bags to see the long awaited movie. I might say that it was possibly the best movie I have seen in a very long time. I think it made every mom cry and rethink giving their child's toys away!

First Swim Lesson

On Monday Thomas began his swim lessons. We signed him up at the Oviedo YMCA. The group meets on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:30 am. It is a half hour lesson with only 5 children in the group. Thomas is the oldest. Over the past two years he has had an intense fear of the water. Even after having two years of swim lessons, he is still afraid. When I noticed him "swimming" in the bathtub I thought this was the year to try lessons again. Well, he was upset that I signed him up. He said that he was afraid he would "sink". I told him that he would unless he learned to swim. Monday proved to be full of anxious feelings. He eventually got in the water with the instructor. On the Wednesday lesson he did much better. He seemed more comfortable. He even kicked and floated with assistance. Here is the only picture I have been able to get so far. The children are in the water with only the instructor and I am in a glass observation room on the other side of the pool. Maybe by mid July when the lessons are complete he'll be a little fish.

Happy Father's Day, Ken!

My children are at the age where it is nearly impossible to get them to smile at the camera at the exact same time. So, after a half a dozen tries, this photo was the best I could get. I guess that's okay, since it kind of captures their age at this moment. We gave Ken a great Father's Day. What Dad wouldn't want to go to Bass Pro Shops?! (And then a side trip to the Mall at Millenia?) Happy Father's Day to a great Dad!

Denium Diaper Baby

Huggies recently came out with a "denium" style diaper for babies. They are so realistic! Their design includes stitching and even pockets! Our neighbor shared a few from her pack with Nathan. Even though they were a little big, they were adorable!

Birthday Beanie Weenies

For Nathan's first birthday we gave him his first helping of beanie weenies. Needless to say, he loved it.....and needed a major bath when he was finished!

One Year Old!

Today Nathan turns ONE! A year has passed so quickly! Nathan has always been such a happy baby. Now at one year old Nathan loves to give hugs and kisses. He is already practicing to be 2, by knowing how to stomp his feet when things don't go his way. He is intrigued by Thomas' every move and loves to mimic him. He is a climber and learning to bite.... yikes! He's all finished with baby food and loves to eat hot dogs, chicken nuggets, green beans, carrots, black beans & rice, grilled cheese and fruit! He has slept through the night since he was 14 weeks old and he still takes daily naps. He learned to walk at 9 1/2 months old which has made life more interesting! Baby gates have become a permanent piece of furniture in our house. Nathan has his favorite lovey....his puppy. He uses it at bedtime along with sucking his thumb. At his one year checkup today he weighs in at a healthy 22 pounds and almost 31 inches tall. I am continuously amazed by how someone so small can bring so much joy to one house. So, happy birthday sweet, Nathan. We are excited to see what the year brings for you and our family. xoxo

Nathan's First Birthday!

We celebrated Nathan's first birthday on Sunday surrounded by our friends and family. Our monkey theme party was a lot of fun and I have to admit, it was fun to plan, too! Nathan chased all the kids around the house and wanted to see what everyone was getting into. I was glad that everyone enjoyed our lunch and yummy monkey shaped cake. Rather than purchase little party favors for the younger kids, we made stuffed animal monkeys like when you visit "Build-a-Bear Workshop". Each child stuffed their monkey will polyfill and then added a small foam heart inside. Afterwards, they took home a birth certificate for their new friend. I had fun watching the kids and their moms make them and I think it was a special way for them to always remember Nathan's first birthday. Nathan wasn't shy about trying his first piece of cake. I think he's a HUGE fan of buttercream frosting! Here are some highlights:

Summer Has Begun!

With only being out of school for merely hours we started our summer vacation! I have to admit that the past year brought on a complete new set of challenges for me and I am so thankful that I survived! Now that school has finished it is time to watch my babies have fun! We started by having some splashing fun in the backyard. Thomas got a Toy Story slip & slide, a super soaker and water balloons as graduation gifts. He had sooooo much fun throwing water balloons at Ken and I. For Nathan's birthday, Ken and I bought him a little crab shaped inflatable pool. He wasn't too sure of it but he had lots of fun at the water table. It was so nice to relax and enjoy the day without the numerous daily worries that I deal with. I have a feeling our summer is off to a great start!