What do we do all day???

Someone asked me awhile back "what exactly do you do all day?" They of course were not a stay at home mom and I honestly think that they thought I sit around and watch soap operas, take naps and eat all day. Well, I'll admit to taking a few naps here and there, but they seem to be a rarity these days! But with an active 4 year old and almost as active 9 month old, we stay pretty busy!! I took pictures of some of the things we have done this week just to give you a little glimpse into Daniel's days!

The activities are always changing, but each day there are some preschool lessons, different crafts, game time, play time and usually some type of cooking and always lots and lots of books!. In everything we do from lessons to playing outside, he is learning so much everyday! It's true what they say- that these little kids have brains like sponges (and verrryyyyyy long memories-at least to remember the things you want them to forget!)

He has his alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors down pat and knows a good number of opposites. He is really enjoying learning Spanish right now too. Craft time is always fun- I think he likes Playdough the most right now because you can "make anything in the world you want to make"! Painting might come in a close second just because it's messy and fun! We play ball inside and outside and he really enjoys that! I've been known to make up a game of running back in forth in the yard a time or two just to release some of that energy! When the weather is nice, we go for a walk or tricycle ride and see the ducks. And of course we always have time to be silly or just relax.

He loves to help in the kitchen whether it is making snacks or meals. He is getting good at measuring and pouring and of course mixing and making a mess! Luckily he's pretty good about helping clean up as well!

For years, he has loved books and we indulge him in buying new books frequently to help foster that love of books. So, I frequently throw book time in the mix a few times a day. He has a subscription to Zootles magazine and we learn all about new animals every month.
He occasionally gets some computer time for preschool activities- he definitely knows his way around a computer (probably better than most adults)!! And of course there are a few tv shows he likes. Some new educational ones are Sid the Science Kid on PBS and Imagination Movers on Disney.

Of course you also have to throw in the occassional appointments and errands into the mix- but I schedule things together so we can get them done in one swoop.It might not seem like a lot to you, but it can make for a pretty full day for us! After dinner, we all go for a walk and play ball at the park which is a nice way to end the day!

Tumble Class

You know the drill...it's tumble class again this week!! I can't say enough that this class is an awesome opportunity for Daniel! He is really thriving in the class and enjoys going each week! His teacher, Ms. Kelly said today that she is impressed with his accomplishments and has noticed a huge difference in him from his first classes. Of course Mama is VERY proud as well!! This week was "Safety first" where she reinforced moves to make sure they are always safe in each move. They are also starting to practice the "routine" that they will do for their little ceremony in the last class- that should be interesting! I moved to a different room to protect Arianna from a very over zealous toddler and realized that the glass in there is really bad- the pictures came out horrible. Yet, when I moved back to the main room, the pictures were much better. Oh well, live and learn! Maybe next week I'll have my new camera (hint, hint...)

Active Weekend

We had a busy weekend running around. Saturday, the Little Gym had their "Open House". If you ask Tony, he would describe it in one word "CHAOS". They had vendors set up outside, but nothing that really interested us this time around. So, we headed inside to let Daniel play a little. You can just imagine how crazy it was inside with kids of all different ages running around doing their own things. The older kids were trampling on the little ones so that was a little crazy. He had fun showing his Daddy a few of the things he has learned.

We took last weekend off from running when the weather got bad and Daniel had a cold. This weekend, we jumped back into it. We ran about 4 miles on Friday, 5.5 on Saturday and 6 miles on Sunday! Saturday and Sunday, we let Daniel pick the route by telling us which park he wanted to go to. Sunday was tough with lots of hills, but we made it somehow! Overall, we had a nice weekend and had fun with the kids!

First 9 Months!

It is amazing how much kids change in the first few months of their lives- it's almost like it's a completely different child! I was looking back at the kids and seeing how much they are looking like each other lately. Of course they each have their own look, but they have very similar traits! They are a perfect mesh of their Mama and Daddy and there is no doubting that they are siblings! They are alike in so many ways, yet different in so many others! It is fun and interesting to watch their personalities develop. And if you ask me... they are both PERFECT!

Here they are in the first 6 months of their lives...
And this is from 7 Months to 9 Months...

Have you watched a dinosaur hatch?

In the midst of our preschool learning, we like to do fun crafts or other hands on learning. This week, we watched a dinosaur hatch from an egg. This turned out to be a fun little project for Daniel. The eggs are called "Hatch 'em" and I bought them here (search for dinosaur egg). You submerge them in water and in a few hours, the egg starts cracking as the dino is "hatching". It takes at least 48 hours for the entire process to be complete. It's basically some type of foam that slowly absorbs water which causes it to grow and crack the shell. He was very excited about his new "friend", although it seemed to take "FOREVER" (at least in the mind of a 4 year old). Initially I think he may have thought it was going to be a LIVE dinosaur and I was a little worried about disappointing him. After about a day, he figured it out himself and seemed ok with that fact. So, here are some pictures of Daniel's new toy dino "DJ" being hatched!

Robot Week!

Yes, it's tumble day again today! Daniel was very anxious for class today as it was "Robot Week"! They learned a little bit about robots and how they work. They pretended to be robots and had a really fun time. We are back down to our original 5 kids and it's really a nice little class. One of the new things for this week were the rings. They learned some basic safety on the rings- hold each ring with one hand, do not cross your arms and do not flip (which can pull your arm out of socket- OUCH)! Each week they also reinforce basic safety rules and moves. We practice the balance beam with him during the week and he's really getting good at that! It's so fun to see his progress every week- it's already less noticeable that he is the youngest and least experienced in the class! This weekend, the Little Gym is throwing a "Family Picnic" for members and he is excited that he'll be able to show his Daddy some of the things he has learned. I'm interested to see what kind of discount they are offering for the next session!! It should be a fun time! Next week is "Surprise Week"...well, not really but Mom was a little preoccupied to hear what the theme for next week is... so it shall be a surprise to us!

She's on the move!

I often find being a Mom to be a bittersweet journey. As much as I love watching our kids grow and develop, it saddens me that it happens in the blink of an eye. I think that is why it is so important to us to really enjoy the moment with the kids and cherish our family time together! We love looking back at the scrapbooks and pictures to see how different they were just a month or two ago. I've never been one to get caught up in the milestones- I've learned that they all do things in their own timeframe (not yours). We have never pushed them to do things faster than they were ready for and much to my dismay, weighing down their diapers does NOT keep them from crawling or walking!! It's not that we don't want them to develop and grow- we just want to relish in today rather than always looking to tomorrow. They are growing up fast enough as it is!

Arianna has been doing a mean "Army crawl" for a few months now. She also learned to go from sitting up to her belly very quickly. She just recently decided to try out those knees. It took a few days of getting on her knees and rocking back and forth to figure out what to do. Now she can go a few "steps" on her knees. Then of course, she realizes her old trusty army crawl is much faster and flops to her belly! One good thing about her being mobile is that Daniel is forced to either keep his toys out of her "area" or suffer the consequences(sometimes it works...sometimes not so much)! It takes a little doing, but she can also now go from belly to knees to sitting- Daniel was very impressed with this move!

For months, she has been "crawling" to the coffee table and reaching up to get anything her little hands can reach. The newest thing for her is that she has learned how to pull herself up on her knees. I can see in her eyes that she knows she has opened up a whole new world of discoveries! It won't be long before she is pulling up on her feet and cruising everywhere!!
With every milestone Arianna meets, Daniel is right beside her cheering her on and anxiously awaiting her next move!

Another week...another class!

Time really does fly when you have kids! This was Daniel's 3rd class at the Little Gym today. The class seems to grow a little each week and this week there were 7 kids. The theme for this week was "Vegetables". They learned a little about why vegetables are good for us and used their imagination pretending with vegetables. Ms. Kelly is a great instructor and they had a lot of fun! Daniel's confidence and skills continue to improve each week. Most of all he has fun and is anxious to go to class each week! Miss Arianna likes to watch her big brother perform as well! Next week's theme will be Robots- that should be fun! (Sorry about the glare on a couple of pictures- I finally figured out how to get the pictures without the glare though- for next week).

Picture Time!

Anyone who knows me, knows how obsessive I am about pictures and scrapbooking (ask Tony how many backup harddrives we have for pictures)! When Daniel was born, I started taking a set of posed pictures every month as well as his footprint/ handprint. Now, I do this with both kids each month. In the scrapbook, I include their milestones, things they like, things they are saying and sizes that they wearing. I LOVE looking back through the timeline of their little lives and seeing how they have changed and developed! Everyone cooperates when I pull out the camera (well some days there is a little bribery)- or they at least put up with it because they know I will get my way! Some months it only takes one shot per pose and other months it's a little more fun (and maybe a little challenging). Have you ever been to Babies R Us or another studio when they are making horrid noises and acting crazy during photo shoots?? Well, that is why I usually do these photo shoots alone with the kids (excpet the family shots of course). I used to make fun of those photographers acting crazy, but they don't have anything on me anymore- and I have to admit that I get some great shots!
Here are some fun shots from this past month. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do (well, I'm not sure that is possible)!

Are you ready for Football???

Football season is definitely upon us!! Unfortunately, for the moment, I don't think A&M got the memo on that yet...there is still hope though!! And hoping the Cowboys do some good as well!

What gets you into the football spirit better than a shirt displaying your favorite team? I recently found a site Football Fanatics that has some great prices on sports apparel and other items. I know some sites kill you with the shipping charges, but they offer 3 day shipping for only $4.99 on any size order- that's an awesome deal!! If you are looking for something for your college team, NFL or other sport, be sure to check out this site!! This would be great for birthdays or Christmas gifts or just something for yourself! I can't say what I purchased just yet, but will post when I can!!

(SZ...I KNOW you need some more LSU stuff..yes??ha)

Gig 'em Aggies!!!

She is ours...

Anyone who knows Daniel knows that he truly loves his little sister. Recently, we went to the Dept. of Health to get Arianna's birth certificate in preparation for getting our Passports for our upcoming cruise (YAY!!!) Daniel asked what we were doing there and I told him we were getting her birth certificate. He of course asked "what is that?". Wanting to explain it on his level, I said "We are getting a piece of paper that says Arianna belongs to us". Without missing a beat, he quickly said "Oh Mama, SHE IS OURS- we don't need a piece of paper for that!" Things can be so simple in the mind of a 4 year old!

Tumble Time

Daniel had his 2nd class at the Little Gym today and he had a lot of fun!! We practiced his tumble last week and he nailed that at class today!! I already see a huge difference in him between last week and this week and I'm sure that will continue each time! This week was "Ta-Da" week and they got to use "Mr. Air Walk" which was a lot of fun. Sorry about the pictures...my camera batteries died (GASP) and the ones I got are blurry or have a glare!

Here is one where he is learning the donkey kick on the air walk
Here he is doing his "Ta-Da" and a little dance

This one was a little hard, but he'll get it

Looking forward to next week...

Looking for a gift??

Are you looking for a gift for that someone who has everything? Or just looking for something a little different to send? Need a little something to send to the college student in your life (hint hint SZ)? Here are some merchants that I have tried out in the last few months and highly recommend! (Just click on the merchant name and it will take you straight to their site).

Mrs. Prindables (Can't decide? You can't go wrong with a 4 pack sampler)
Cheryl & co (The iced cookies melt in your mouth)
Nuts on the Net (We recommend the Cashews and Mixed Nuts)
Dale & Thomas Popcorn (The Butter Toffee & Walnut Crunch are currently at the top of our list)

Hopefully this will help you find a gift for that special someone...or just find an awesome treat for yourself!! Enjoy!!