Picture People

We never received notification that our last photo shoot had been uploaded. Here's the link.


And I just wanted to share this picture because I think he looks SOO much like I did as a kid. I don't have any pictures for comparison right now, but I do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great day yesterday; so different from last year. I didn't take too very many pictures, but I know Grandpa took a LOT, so hopefully he'll send some my way.

A warmed up really quickly yesterday. He was my adorable little walking man. As far as dinner, he ate a roll... and some crackers... maybe a little bit of cheese. Oh, and some tomato. That's all. Watching him "eat" the turkey was pretty funny, since he spit it out the instant it touched his mouth. The dark meat, which I figured would go over a little bit better, was treated as though it was covered in acid.

He had a great time visiting all his old toys that are at Grammi and Grampy's house. We also got him to take a decent nap.. thank God for AM radio and it's static--as long as that's playing, we can pretty much go into the bedroom and do anything!

We took A out for a little bit of Black Friday shopping as well. He and I went to AC Moore and Old Navy while Daddy hit Target. We all then went to the mall just to do some walking. While we were there, we stopped at Stride Rite to get A fitted for shoes. She said he is a 4 or 4.5, and to go with wide or EXTRA wide. Ugh; I hope this kid doesn't have my struggle with shoes, although men's shoes go wider than women's. Neverless, the saleswoman told us that he really only needs the wides because of his baby fat, that you can even see how chunky his hands are, and that once he starts running, it will probably be more manageable. What's not manageable is that the shoes cost $50 a pair. YIKES. So now I'm on the lookout for some decent walking shoes that aren't going to cost us a gazillion.

Tonight, we're going to game night at friends' house. We haven't seen them since A's first birthday party, when their little girl was only 2 months old!

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving, and a happy birthday to Grammi!!

Way Back Wednesday!

These were taken on Thanksgiving last year, November 25.



Wow, check out A's hair in that one.





Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all, a good turkey!

Drop off Today

A did a LOT of walking this weekend and is so much better than he was on Friday.

When we got to school, I put him on the floor, as always, while I filled out his chart. He went straight for the soft stuff for climbing. We then went into the kitchen; he walked the whole way through, and pushed open the door to get into the other room. While I put away his food, he went right into the room and started playing.

Again, he went straight to the soft climbing stuff. It was ADORABLE, because he climbed up this thing that had like stairs, and then slid down the ramp side...

I couldn't even get a good bye kiss outta this kid!

A Picture Roundup

I haven't been sitting here at my desktop computer in several weeks!! As a result, lots of pictures have been languishing on my camera's picture card... here's what's been taken in the last few weeks!


A very sleepy boy, pre haircut! October 25

Coloring! October 25


October 26

He loves to ride this horse, seeks it out, and giggles while he rocks. I think this was the day of his haircut... October 26

Standing on his own, October 27

Humoring Mommy? October 29

Mischief!! October 29

October 29

Teeth hurt? Check on something squishy--like a Tylenol bottle. November 2

We bought this for messages. It's taken on new purpose for our budding artist. November 8

Enjoying some pastina... all over his face. November 19

Not sure how THIS happened, but it cracks me up!

What's New?

Lots of things going on here, so what's new with our little chick (get it? Anyone?)...

Hugs continue often. We love it!
Kisses are given, mostly to Dada (A speak for Mama)... just like a little baby bird with his mouth wide open. Sloppy yet adorable.
Language grows despite no actual words. It's like he's having a whole conversation using a language we don't understand.
Understands commands incredibly well. Especially likes to nod yes to "Do you want a cookie?"
Does not like meat. At all. Even in different sauces. Very particular and stubborn about food... at home at least; not so much at school (although he won't eat meat for them either).
Prefers to hold a spoon while he eats, even if he doesn't use it to eat. Can feed himself using a spoon, but not very well.
Walking is getting better. If he is wearing socks only, he will take them off, because he slips too much with them!
Changing teachers at daycare... he apparently likes his new teacher a lot--I was worried about this when I heard the news. Attached to her as much as he was to his old teacher.
Very clearly has friends at daycare... when I dropped him off at school this morning, no crying when I told him to go play with a little boy who happens to be in his class. He walked right over to the boy and started playing with the toy he had.
Apparently, one of those friends is a girlfriend. He is especially nice to her, giving her toys all day long, according to the teacher! My boy the charmer!
Solidly in 18 month clothing. Still can wear 12 month shirts, but legs are too long for 12 month pants. Bought him a belt (!!), which is especially handy for jeans.
Prefers Daddy when upset. If Dada is holding him, he reaches for Daddy. Often inconsolable if Daddy leaves at bedtime.
Still LOVES his Mitten. Giggles lots when she walks by, and usually tries to pet her from his high chair.

Walking

M took this video this morning. Perhaps you'll see why I call him Charlie Chaplin...


Today, A also mimicked my "Ew," and also my "Ow." He's getting better with his language.

He has become very particular about his food. We bought these little baby tv dinners that Gerber makes. He REFUSED to eat his pasta with chicken (so strange that he wouldn't eat pasta; he normally LOVES it) but LOVED the peas, which looked more like canned peas than fresh ones. We have a really hard time just getting him to try certain things--things we know he likes.

The Loveable Huggable A

A has learned to give hugs. And boy does he love to give em, and how we love to get em. It's adorable. The funny thing is that M will be holding him and A will reach out to give me a hug. He CAN'T leave Daddy's arms to do it, though, or he starts yelling.


Yesterday, A was in the kitchen and I was in the family room. He looked over at me, stood up, and walked across the room.
Today, we were cleaning his room and I held his blanket like a matador's thing, and he took 5 steps toward it before grabbing it and falling down. So cute.

Random musings

Young presidents.... Since the turn of the 20th century, the presidents who were under 50 when they entered the office were Theodore Roosevelt, John F Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and now Barack Obama. Ole TR was the only of them who was a Republican, but he sure would be considered a liberal in today's world. The highly quotable JFK, although his term was brief and we really can't know what he would have achieved, had lots of great domestic policies. He also did a lot of good on the world stage, and would have done more had he not been embroiled in that pesky Cold War. Clinton, although plagued by scandal, brought the unemployment rate to its lowest in who knows when and gave us a balanced budget for the first time in however long.

Wouldn't it be cool if, in an effort to truly heal the wounds of the last several elections and the bitterness of blue vs. red in this country, if Pres elect Obama offered a position in his cabinet to Senator McCain? Surely, he could take advice from the man even though their politics are so different. I know, it'll never happen, but it would really be cool.

There are some schools of thought that believe a teacher should absolutely bring her politics into the classroom; it's so important to make our students engaged and interested, so we should show that we are engaged and interested. I don't follow that philosophy because, first of all, I don't want to get involved in that.... I don't want to at all be accused of trying to sway any young impressionable minds. Granted, of the students I've taught, the ones who disagree with my way of thinking aren't changing their minds no matter what I do. It's also far easier for me to play devil's advocate when they don't know what I believe. I suspect that many of my students believe I voted a particular way, but I can also think of one class that probably thinks I voted another way.

In the end, it doesn't matter. Students, their parents, and the whole country got interested in this election. That in and of itself is the historic part of this--the highest voter turnout since 1908?? Sweet. Whether someone voted/campaigned/talked to someone about candidate A or B, or did the opposite AGAINST candidate A or B... this is what makes our democracy thrive.

Eh, no real point here. Hope everyone is having a great Thursday.