Tagged

Answer the following with only one word.

Where is your cell phone?.......................................purse
Your significant other?...........................................Daniel
Your hair?........................................................short
Your mother?.........................................................awesome
Your father?..........................................................loving
Your favorite thing?..................................................Benjamin
Your dream last night..........................................weird
Your favorite drink........................................root beer
Your dream/goal..................................Martha Stewart
The room you're in..........................................small
Your children?...................................................crib
Your Fear?.............................................spiders
Where do you want to be in 6 years?......................?
Where were you last night?................................bed
What you're not?............................................psycho
Muffins?............................................chocolate
One of your wish list items?....................mini cooper
Where'd you grow up?..........................Midwest
What'd you read last?.......................manual
What are you wearing?............................pajamas
Your TV?..........................................none
Your pet?........................................pugs
Your computer?........................................necessity
Your life?...........................................happy
Your mood?................................. tired
Missing someone?..................................Ollie
Your car?...........................................black
Something you're not wearing?.................shoes
Favorite store?...................................Michael's
Your summer?.....................................humid
Like someone?..........................Daniel
Your favorite color?.........................green
Last time you laughed................................minutes
Last time you cried?...........................................yesterday

I Tag Lynette, Michelle, Sarah, Erin, Amanda, and Alyn

Parents as Teachers

So yesterday was playgroup and Daniel came with us. It was so fun to have him there! This week they were working on the five senses.When we arrived they started an activity called "Make a cloud". You take a Ziploc baggie and put some shaving cream and a few drops of food coloring in and seal it. Then they squish the baggie for sense of touch and watch the cloud turn from white to blue for the sense of sight. Ben LOVED this! He used his mouth mostly to squish it, but he was entertained for a long time. I think we will do this activity on a regular basis. A few kids at playgroup made their bags explode, so I guess the older the child the more likely they will have an accident. They give us a handout every week and this week had more sensory activities so I thought I would share them with everyone so we can all benefit from this information! I think I will do this update every week and share info.

Yesterday we also started Ben on his first vegetable. I chose green beans and he really liked them! I made my own baby food and it was fun and didn't take very long! I cooked the beans in a pot with water and then blended them in the blender with the water they were boiled in. Then I put the green concoction into and ice cube tray. This way they stay fresh and I just use one ice cube at a time. When they are frozen you put them into baggies and back into the freezer. I was told it takes 14 times for a child to like a food if they don't right away, so I am excited to start different ones in a few weeks after the green beans run out. I am also excited to use the vegetables we will grow this summer!

Sensory activities:
Potting and garden soil- provide small garden tools and plastic flower pots
Sand(wet or dry)- Add sea shells, sand molds, or toy construction vehicles.
Snow in season- Bring snow inside and wear mittens
Fall leaves- These are great because they make rustling sounds. Bring several varieties inside and match colors and shapes
Shaving cream- Put an unbreakable mirror or shiny cookie sheet in the bottom of a container and let your child decorate his face. Supervise the child because shaving cream can sting
Ivory snow and water- Wash your dolls clothes clothes in the tub or bathe your stuffed animals
Water- Provide plastic pitchers and cups for pouring. Investigate how objects float and sink.
Dried beans, rice, or oatmeal- Provide scooping and pouring toys. Bury small toys for a treasure hunt
Cotton balls- pretend snow without the cold-have a snowball fight
Easter basket grass or shredded paper-bury plastic eggs and have an egg hunt
play dough and clay- molding helps your child's senses

Have fun!

Photography

I finally put some photos on my photography blog. You all should check it out! The link is just below my friends and family section.

Valentines day!

Daniel had to work so I spent the whole day preparing for his arrival. I prepared Fondue with steak and popcorn chicken, I wrote him a poem and put together a card, got baby dressed in this shirt that said "puppy love" and had a dog on it, made heart shaped brownies for my young women, and made these adorable chocolate cups for our banana splits. Daniel brought home sparkling cider from a winery here in Branson. It was yummy! We ate in our little apartment while Ben played in his walker. He was so good! Then we exchanged gifts. I got three boxes of chocolates!!! Daniel loved his poem and card. Then we were supposed to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's on a projector, but Daniel fell asleep by 7pm. He got up really early that morning to go to work and he was exhausted. Poor guy! It was such a fun day!

The many faces of Benjamin button

My baby is growing up way to fast. He is five months old and it seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital! He is now a smart and happy little boy. Man I love this kid! He has so many faces and is such an expressive boy so I thought I would share a little of his cuteness!

The Temple

Oh I love the Temple! Yesterday we made the trip to attend the Temple in St Louis. We left at 5 am so Ben would hopefully sleep while we drove there. He did! It is a four hour drive and he slept the whole way! I was so happy! Daniel and I got the chance to talk about life and our future. I really wanted to sleep, but Daniel was tired and I had to help keep him awake. So we get to the Temple just a few minutes too late for the 9am session, so Ben and I waited while Daniel went to get cash for renting clothes. He then went to the first session. Ben and I played in the visitors waiting room in the building where the distribution center is. We were the only ones in there so it was nice Ben could be loud and I could sing to him. I started to walk around with and sing with him and for the first time EVER he fell asleep on my shoulder! When Daniel was done we went to eat subway and then I heading in for my session. It was so peaceful and such a wonderful experience. I just love attending the Temple. After wards I found Ben asleep and he behaved wonderfully for Daniel, he never is good for anyone but me it seems like. So we started home. Ben didn't sleep the whole way home, just the last hour, but he was great. He only screamed the twenty minutes before he fell asleep. I am so proud of him it was such a long trip to make in a car seat! I hope it goes so well next time!

O happy day

I know this isn't a happy cartoon, but it described what I felt like before happy pills!

So I am finally starting to feel like myself again! I can actually want to clean my house and enjoy doing it again. I love spending time with my dogs and actually bathed them for the first time since Ben was born (I know I am awful). A new Michaels store opened here and I spent hours just looking at all the wonderful things I could buy, it was so fun! I bought some things and have loved working on that talent. I feel like my creativity gene kicked back in and I have so many wonderful ideas. I don't think I am crabby anymore, but I have been getting head aches still. I think my allergies have kicked into high gear and that would explain the head aches. I have found a play group that meets each week. I took Ben this week and we finger painted. I put an apron around him so he wouldn't ruin his clothes, and put his hand in paint. He did really well! He made it look like he was an older child who knew what they were doing. Then he decided to eat the paint...I deflected his hands and the paint went all over his face and hair. Too bad I didn't have a camera. Oh well, next time! By the way Ben has found out how much fun it is to yell at the top of his lungs so he spends most of the day in a high pitch squeal! Anyways, life is so much better now and I am so happy I said something to my doctor!