I know that I haven't posted in a while and I STILL need to add Lauren's 7 months info. BUT, I just HAD to add these pics. Guess who has learned to snort??
Showing posts with label New Things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Things. Show all posts
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Funny Faces
I know that I haven't posted in a while and I STILL need to add Lauren's 7 months info. BUT, I just HAD to add these pics. Guess who has learned to snort??
Sunday, February 20, 2011
The Snot Sucker
I just purchased The Snot Sucker based on the recommendation from a friend. I've always used a traditional nasal aspirator and had to literally hold down Claire while I was using it. It is a dreadful part of mommy-hood. Since both of my girls (22 months and almost 3 months) have nasal congestion right now, we decided to bite the bullet and spend the whopping $12 (*insert sarcasm here*) to purchase one. Now that I've used it...I would've spent DOUBLE the amount. Seriously. This morning I used a traditional nasal aspirator on Claire and she literally screamed, cried and got red-faced. Then we piled the girls in the car, drove 20 mins to a specific drug store that carries them and purchased one. When I got home, I tried it out and we sat in the floor and she LAUGHED when I used it. Yep! Laughed. Check it out mommy friends! It's worth it!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A Wilkie's World
Our lives lately:
Claire has been putting her dolls and her stuffed animals in all of Lauren's "baby" gear. Here is a doll in the headrest to Lauren's swing. The headrest is a makeshift Boppy. :)
Claire likes to put her Leapfrog Pet Pal in Lauren's car seat.
When I took the blanket off, I noticed that she'd fastened the buckle.
Bear is in the baby swing.
Bear is in the Boppy!
My little helper loaded the dryer for me today. I put all of the wet clothes in the basket and she took them out of the basket and put them in the dryer. She loves to say that she is "helping".
My little helper.
More "tot school". Here she is putting different shaped blocks into the appropriate holes in the bucket.
She loves to color. She decided this morning that she wanted to sit on her "beep-beep" (aka car) and color. I have also learned to not give her but one crayon at a time. Otherwise, she likes to just play with the crayons instead of color with them. :)
I could just eat this one up. She is such a sweet, sweet girl. She is so snuggly. She gives her Mama smiles all day long. She is eager to watch her sister play. I love this precious baby so, so much!
We finally got out in the double jogger all at the same time. It was great! Although, it was a little cold for the girls. I was only able to stay outside about 20 minutes with them. Hopefully the weather will continue to get warmer and by this Spring, we'll be out every morning!
Claire has been putting her dolls and her stuffed animals in all of Lauren's "baby" gear. Here is a doll in the headrest to Lauren's swing. The headrest is a makeshift Boppy. :)
Claire likes to put her Leapfrog Pet Pal in Lauren's car seat.
When I took the blanket off, I noticed that she'd fastened the buckle.
Bear is in the baby swing.
Bear is in the Boppy!
My little helper loaded the dryer for me today. I put all of the wet clothes in the basket and she took them out of the basket and put them in the dryer. She loves to say that she is "helping".
My little helper.
More "tot school". Here she is putting different shaped blocks into the appropriate holes in the bucket.
She loves to color. She decided this morning that she wanted to sit on her "beep-beep" (aka car) and color. I have also learned to not give her but one crayon at a time. Otherwise, she likes to just play with the crayons instead of color with them. :)
I could just eat this one up. She is such a sweet, sweet girl. She is so snuggly. She gives her Mama smiles all day long. She is eager to watch her sister play. I love this precious baby so, so much!
We finally got out in the double jogger all at the same time. It was great! Although, it was a little cold for the girls. I was only able to stay outside about 20 minutes with them. Hopefully the weather will continue to get warmer and by this Spring, we'll be out every morning!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Tot School
The past several months I have been trying to "teach" Claire some basic learning concepts: counting, colors, animals and animal sounds. But our teachable moments have been random and inconsistent. Plus, I don't feel as though I am a "teacher" at heart, so I'm just going over things over and over again, and I feel as though she gets bored at times. I almost feel a little silly writing this post because I know so many of you out there are already doing things like this with your tots. But, there may be someone out there (like me) who was unaware of things they can do with a child under the age of two...so I'm going to swallow my pride and write this post! Well, in the last week I have come across Confessions of a Homeschooler and 1+1+1=1 (thanks to my friend Heather for doing a similar post on her blog!) that have very detailed plans on teaching small children. Specifically, 1+1+1=1 has a "Tot School" link where she shares her ideas on what she's done to teach her tots. One thing that I got from these blogs is that I don't have to spend "formal" training time each day with Claire to teach her basic learning concepts. Just working on fine motor skills are helping her to learn. And while we "play" I can integrate colors and numbers and counting. So, today, I put practice into play. I went into her room with her and found toys that I could use as a learning tool and Claire LOVED having me "play" with her in her room. Here are some things that we did:
These little stackable cups were a gift from my mom last summer. She got them at Dollar General for just a few bucks! They are great because they are different colors so I can teach her about her colors. They also only fit into each other one specific way. Claire loved dumping them and stacking them and dumping them and stacking them.
I have put all of Claire's Little People into a gallon sized ziploc bag. We have been using Little People for a looooong time as a learning tool (we go over different animals, animal sounds, boys, girls, she has an angel, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus etc). But, today, we practiced taking them out of the bag and putting them back in the bag along with who they are and if they make a sound.
We have a TON of baby rings. You know the ones. They are small, plastic, and colored. You attach baby toys to them and dangle them over an infant for them to look at. Well, Claire uses them as "bracelets" and we have a ton of them. I have this tupperware container that I keep them in. She practices opening the tupperware and closing it (which takes a lot of practice), she puts the bracelets in the container and pours them out. Loving every second of it.
So, I have learned to just take it easy. No, I didn't get a degree in teaching like so many of my mom friends did. But, I can still teach my little girl basic concepts of learning other than what I'm doing now (primarily reading). Things that will give her a foundation to the schooling that she will start in just a few years. I hope to try some new things with her very soon. Things like stringing beads on a wooden stick, picking up beads and putting them in little ice cube trays, puzzles, etc. I plan on devouring the above links to find out more age appropriate examples of things to do with her. And I plan on loving every minute I have with this little toddler.
These little stackable cups were a gift from my mom last summer. She got them at Dollar General for just a few bucks! They are great because they are different colors so I can teach her about her colors. They also only fit into each other one specific way. Claire loved dumping them and stacking them and dumping them and stacking them.
I have put all of Claire's Little People into a gallon sized ziploc bag. We have been using Little People for a looooong time as a learning tool (we go over different animals, animal sounds, boys, girls, she has an angel, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus etc). But, today, we practiced taking them out of the bag and putting them back in the bag along with who they are and if they make a sound.
We have a TON of baby rings. You know the ones. They are small, plastic, and colored. You attach baby toys to them and dangle them over an infant for them to look at. Well, Claire uses them as "bracelets" and we have a ton of them. I have this tupperware container that I keep them in. She practices opening the tupperware and closing it (which takes a lot of practice), she puts the bracelets in the container and pours them out. Loving every second of it.
So, I have learned to just take it easy. No, I didn't get a degree in teaching like so many of my mom friends did. But, I can still teach my little girl basic concepts of learning other than what I'm doing now (primarily reading). Things that will give her a foundation to the schooling that she will start in just a few years. I hope to try some new things with her very soon. Things like stringing beads on a wooden stick, picking up beads and putting them in little ice cube trays, puzzles, etc. I plan on devouring the above links to find out more age appropriate examples of things to do with her. And I plan on loving every minute I have with this little toddler.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Little Chatterbox
This morning I was feeding Lauren when Bradley went to get Claire out of bed. I heard about 10 minutes of random comments to him from her. I couldn't help but laugh at all of her randomness. She gets so excited when she wakes up from her nap that she just starts talking to talk. Hmmm...I wonder who she takes after? Uh, certainly not my "chooses his words wisely" husband. :) Here are some things that I overheard this morning:
*"Daddy!"...with excitement that he came and woke her
*"I sit"...sometimes she sits up in bed when we come and get her
*"A nap"...she thinks that when she wakes up in the morning she's just woken from a nap
*"Book!"...she must've seen a book
*"Dora Seat"...she has a little couch in her room that has Dora the Explorer on it
*"Bear"...she was playing with a little bear last night before going to bed...she must've seen it
*"Neckie"...i.e. necklace...she was playing with it last night before going to bed...same as above
*"Diaper"...she gets her diaper changed
*"Mama, Lauren"...Bradley just told her that Mama was in with Lauren
*"Eat?"...even if she's not hungry...she asks to eat after waking up in the morning.
*"Dog goes 'ruff ruff'"...who knows why this was said!! :)
And of course...I overheard Bradley cracking up at our sweet little girl. She is so funny to us. Now that she's learning so many new words each day...she wants to "practice" saying them constantly. We love it and we love her!
*"Daddy!"...with excitement that he came and woke her
*"I sit"...sometimes she sits up in bed when we come and get her
*"A nap"...she thinks that when she wakes up in the morning she's just woken from a nap
*"Book!"...she must've seen a book
*"Dora Seat"...she has a little couch in her room that has Dora the Explorer on it
*"Bear"...she was playing with a little bear last night before going to bed...she must've seen it
*"Neckie"...i.e. necklace...she was playing with it last night before going to bed...same as above
*"Diaper"...she gets her diaper changed
*"Mama, Lauren"...Bradley just told her that Mama was in with Lauren
*"Eat?"...even if she's not hungry...she asks to eat after waking up in the morning.
*"Dog goes 'ruff ruff'"...who knows why this was said!! :)
And of course...I overheard Bradley cracking up at our sweet little girl. She is so funny to us. Now that she's learning so many new words each day...she wants to "practice" saying them constantly. We love it and we love her!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
3 months later...
Wow, my last posting was 3 months ago. And boy have our lives changed since then. First of all, I am about to pop with our 2nd child. Only 3 more weeks until my due date. The last few days have been full of washing and organizing newborn clothing, bedding and blankets. Earlier this week we moved Claire to the other bedroom and put her on a twin mattress (that rests on the floor). It made my heart sad to see my baby girl in such a big room in a big bed...but soon enough I know I'll be looking at an adult and wondering where my baby went. It seems all too far away now...but I know my mom and Bradley's mom and probably all moms out there that have adult children, wonder the same thing..."Wasn't it just yesterday that I was holding that little baby infant in my arms?".
Okay, okay, enough of the preggo woman's emotions...:). One of the biggest things to report is that Bradley and I purchased a small business 2 weeks ago. For years, Bradley has wanted to own his own business and for years I've protested (I am NOT a risk-taker)...but when the opportunity presented itself for this particular business...we both realized that this was right for us...no matter how frightful I was of the risk. All of you, I'm sure, are familiar with Sears. But, have you ever heard of Sears Hometown Stores? They are smaller versions of the mega-stores you see in malls. We are NOT scratch and dent stores though! We can order any item into our store that the mega-stores have. The general idea to the Sears Hometown Stores is that we provide all of the Sears merchandise to the local, rural communities. They are all locally owned and operated (the mega-stores are all still owned by Sears Holding Corporation). Our particular store is in Clayton, NC...a suburb of Raleigh. If you are on Facebook, check out our page 'Sears of Clayton' for great coupons and deals of the week. We are super excited about this opportunity. It's been a lot of work and a lot of "new" things for us...but we have really enjoyed working there, and we especially enjoy that we are "working" together. Given that I'm about to have a baby and that we have small children, our goal is for me to continue to stay at home...but I'm doing my part at home...accounting, marketing and keeping Bradley up-to-date on things that may need to be addressed at the store. It's also nice to think about the future....if Bradley has a long couple of days or weeks at the store...I'll be able to step in (once the children are a little older) and go to work for him while he stays at home with the kids. What an amazing opportunity for him and the children to spend more time together.
Below are a few pictures of the store.
Okay, okay, enough of the preggo woman's emotions...:). One of the biggest things to report is that Bradley and I purchased a small business 2 weeks ago. For years, Bradley has wanted to own his own business and for years I've protested (I am NOT a risk-taker)...but when the opportunity presented itself for this particular business...we both realized that this was right for us...no matter how frightful I was of the risk. All of you, I'm sure, are familiar with Sears. But, have you ever heard of Sears Hometown Stores? They are smaller versions of the mega-stores you see in malls. We are NOT scratch and dent stores though! We can order any item into our store that the mega-stores have. The general idea to the Sears Hometown Stores is that we provide all of the Sears merchandise to the local, rural communities. They are all locally owned and operated (the mega-stores are all still owned by Sears Holding Corporation). Our particular store is in Clayton, NC...a suburb of Raleigh. If you are on Facebook, check out our page 'Sears of Clayton' for great coupons and deals of the week. We are super excited about this opportunity. It's been a lot of work and a lot of "new" things for us...but we have really enjoyed working there, and we especially enjoy that we are "working" together. Given that I'm about to have a baby and that we have small children, our goal is for me to continue to stay at home...but I'm doing my part at home...accounting, marketing and keeping Bradley up-to-date on things that may need to be addressed at the store. It's also nice to think about the future....if Bradley has a long couple of days or weeks at the store...I'll be able to step in (once the children are a little older) and go to work for him while he stays at home with the kids. What an amazing opportunity for him and the children to spend more time together.
Below are a few pictures of the store.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Happy Birthday, Daddy!
This past weekend we celebrated Bradley's birthday by going camping at a local state park. And when I say "camping" I mean, the camper/air conditioned/bathroom type camping. Bradley's parents have a 23' camper that they graciously allow us to use. And we quickly found out when I was pregnant with Claire that when I am pregnant...we do NOT want to go tent camping! :)
Anyway, we had a wonderful time. Since the state park is under an hour from our home...Bradley towed the camper with the truck and I towed his boat with my SUV. Nothing relaxes Bradley more than fishing on a lake in his boat. Unfortunately, his boat quit working the 2nd day that we were there...but he had got in a lot of time fishing the first day. Claire is now walking really, really well and one of her favorite things to do now is to pick up rocks. Since our campsite was filled with little rocks (sort of like a driveway would be) she had a blast. She literally spent hours walking around our campsite, babbling, and picking up rocks and carrying them around.
The state park also has a swim area that we decided to go to one afternoon. After about 30 mins of prep (sun screen, swim diaper, swimsuits etc) we finally headed over to the "beach" area. Turns out Claire wanted NO part of the sand or the water. (See pics below). I know that it's terrible of us...but because she cries like that so few times...Bradley and I always think that it's so adorable when she cries. We couldn't help but chuckle at her. Poor thing. Looks like we've got a little work ahead of us when we go to the beach this summer.
All in all...we had a great weekend. It was wonderful to just relax with our small little family for 3 days. Bradley was able to fish. Claire was able to roam around outside. And my heart was happy just being with the 2 of them.
Bradley fishing on his boat. There was a little cove just across from our campsite that Bradley was able to tie his boat up in and come and have lunch with us.
Relaxing time on his boat.
The one and only smile we got when we were at the beach.
All she wanted was to cling to us. She didn't want to sit on our knees. She didn't want to stand up on the sand. She just wanted to be held.
Love that cute little pout that she has. We're on our way to the water....
Once we got to the water she clung to Bradley like a baby animal clings to its mama. It cracked us up!
She was NOT a happy camper! (look at those chunky legs...so precious!)
Hating that Bradley put her down.
Even after we picked her back up, she continued to let us know that she was not happy...:)
She didn't even want Bradley to hold her on his knee. She was only happy when he was standing. :)
Anyway, we had a wonderful time. Since the state park is under an hour from our home...Bradley towed the camper with the truck and I towed his boat with my SUV. Nothing relaxes Bradley more than fishing on a lake in his boat. Unfortunately, his boat quit working the 2nd day that we were there...but he had got in a lot of time fishing the first day. Claire is now walking really, really well and one of her favorite things to do now is to pick up rocks. Since our campsite was filled with little rocks (sort of like a driveway would be) she had a blast. She literally spent hours walking around our campsite, babbling, and picking up rocks and carrying them around.
The state park also has a swim area that we decided to go to one afternoon. After about 30 mins of prep (sun screen, swim diaper, swimsuits etc) we finally headed over to the "beach" area. Turns out Claire wanted NO part of the sand or the water. (See pics below). I know that it's terrible of us...but because she cries like that so few times...Bradley and I always think that it's so adorable when she cries. We couldn't help but chuckle at her. Poor thing. Looks like we've got a little work ahead of us when we go to the beach this summer.
All in all...we had a great weekend. It was wonderful to just relax with our small little family for 3 days. Bradley was able to fish. Claire was able to roam around outside. And my heart was happy just being with the 2 of them.
Bradley fishing on his boat. There was a little cove just across from our campsite that Bradley was able to tie his boat up in and come and have lunch with us.
Relaxing time on his boat.
The one and only smile we got when we were at the beach.
All she wanted was to cling to us. She didn't want to sit on our knees. She didn't want to stand up on the sand. She just wanted to be held.
Love that cute little pout that she has. We're on our way to the water....
Once we got to the water she clung to Bradley like a baby animal clings to its mama. It cracked us up!
She was NOT a happy camper! (look at those chunky legs...so precious!)
Hating that Bradley put her down.
Even after we picked her back up, she continued to let us know that she was not happy...:)
She didn't even want Bradley to hold her on his knee. She was only happy when he was standing. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)