Choo Choo Book

B’s Aunt A and Uncle J sent this “Choo Choo” book to our neck of the wood for Christmas. J used to enjoy playing with Thomas the Tank engine when he was little and must have assumed that B would enjoy the little blue train just the same…WHICH HE DOES!!!

For whatever reason, this has become the book of all books in our house.  When we ask B to pick out a book, he picks out Thomas Lost At Sea.  When we pick out a book to read to B, he listens to our selection and then hands us Thomas as if to imply “I sat through that book, now I would like to listen to my favorite.”

C and I have gotten quite accustomed to reading about characters like Ferdinand, Percy, Sir Topom Hat, the Logging Locos, the Island of Sodor etc.  All names that had never been uttered in our neck of the wood until about a month ago.

C claims to almost have the book memorized…though that really isn’t that difficult considering the little paperback pages are read more than 3-4 times a day.

In effort to keep C and I sane…I selfishly came up with the idea of heading to the library to check out some DIFFERENT Thomas “Choo Choo” books to read.

B seemed pretty excited about his first trip to the library…this is him in the car holding his very own library book tote.

When we arrived we headed straight for the children’s section. It was a little boy’s dream…a whole line of books just waiting to be pulled off the shelf!

Before the potential chaos of books being plowed off the shelf ensued, we sat down and read a couple books that initially caught B’s attention.

Then something even more exciting caught B’s attention…

A kid-friendly computer that he could sit at, look at, push buttons…and listen too!

B had absolutely no idea how to play the computer game that appeared on the screen…but that didn’t stop him…he loved every minute of “working”.

After saying “Bye Bye” to the computer, we checked out three books. I paid my $0.90 overdue fine from probably two years ago and then headed home for lunch, story time and a nap.

B was anxious to look through his new barrowed books in the car.

After lunch, I brought B’s book tote into his room to read the new books before naptime…I was so anxious to read about a NEW Thomas adventure so I started with the one Thomas book we had found at the library.  About two pages in, B climbed off my lap and headed for…you’ll never guess…

Yes…Thomas Lost at Sea!

So, we read (yet again) the infamous Thomas book! My selfishly motivated plan fizzled, just like Thomas’ fire box! 

I have to admit, I don’t mind reading the same book over and over again, I know there will be a day when he will be able to read on his own and not “need” me like he does now…plus the entire library outing was fun memory for B and I.

A & J…thank you for the book! B is being sure to squeeze every morsel of goodness out of it!

Happy Tuesday.

Be blessed.

A Chilly Trip to the Zoo

The other day, B and I headed to the Zoo in effort to get out of the house for another inspection.

After arriving at the Zoo, we learned that the majority of zoo inhabitants must be in cahoots with each other as there weren’t hardly any animals to be seen on the entire zoo premise…it must have been the  “frigid” 45 degree temperature outside?!?…seriously, most of the exhibits were void of animal friends!

We were however, able to see some monkeys in an inside exhibit and then checked out fish and other creepy crawly creatures in the Museum of Living Art exhibit.

B loved the turtles…

He B loved seeing animals…even if they were pretend!

After snapping the above photo, I over heard B saying “Cheeesssss”…as if to imply that we have trained him to pose in front of random signs…I think this photo looks like one of those forced family photos taken at Disney World or a National Park!

As we were leaving we walked past the flamingo exhibit…to our surprise, we could see them…like us, they were outside enjoying the brisk sunny weather.  We even saw this baby flamingo…who was trying to balance on one leg just like of of it’s grown up counterparts.

Though it was a quick trip…it was a good one. It is so fun to watch B point to the animals and tell me about them in his own little language.  Hopefully next time, we’ll be able to chat about more furry friends!

Be blessed.

Pajama Day

Last week was Pajama Day at B’s school…

Needless to say B was a little confused when C got him dressed and changed him from the pajamas that he slept in to another pair!

Happy Tuesday.

Be blessed.

Hanging Out in the Hill Country

This past weekend, we were blessed with the chance to pack up and head south to visit our dear friends the K family.

The K’s used to reside in Cowtown, but headed south a couple years ago. Since their move, they have had a little boy, T, who is a week older than B and they too are expecting a little girl about a month before little A arrives.

The K’s are always fantastic hosts…and this visit wasn’t at all out of the ordinary.

The weather wasn’t the most cooperative which forced us to get a little creative with the boys…however, J & R thought of some fun indoor activities, which the boys loved!  We also enjoyed some great relaxing time around the house simply watching the boys play.

One day, we enjoyed breakfast at one of C’s & my favorite restaurants, The Bear Moon Café. Then we packed up and headed to the San Antonio Children’s Museum where T & B played to their little hearts content!

There was a fun area filled with balls…

Another area had bubbles and water tables to play with!

T wasn’t sure what to think about the life size bubble that engulfed him!

J & C were great to play with the kiddos, this allowed R & I (and baby A as you can see in the photo) to stand back and simply watch.

B loved all the hands on activities…

C seemed to enjoy the activities as much as T & B.

There was a miniature airplane to play in…

And a trolley to ride…

And drive!

The museum was enough to wipe both boys out. Afterwards, we headed home and enjoyed catching up with J & R while both boys took their afternoon naps.

The next day, we headed to church where it was neat to get a glimpse of the K’s new community of friends. Later, we took advantage of a break in the rain and bundled up for a little nature walk/hike.

The boys were ready to go…as they sat side by side in their car seats…

B was off as soon as we got out of the car.

I simply love this photo…it so captures our little guy…especially the crooked hat.

Both B and T were totally in their element…it was fun to watch them trudge through all the mud…

It was a little boy’s (and dad’s) dream come true!

The trail we found led us to a little creek where the boys took their dads lead and “threw” stones into the water.

R & I wanted to try to capture a photo with our little guys (since we had successfully done so on our last trip)…as you can see, B was less than interested in entertaining that idea!

J & C were a little more successful!

It’s hard to believe how much the boys have grown…these photos were taken on our last visit to the Hill Country (around the same time last year).

C was totally in his element…it was fun to watch him experience the hike through B’s little eyes.

After the hike we headed home so the boys could enjoy another good afternoon nap. Later that night, J & R had the FANTASTIC idea of hiring a babysitter to watch the boys so the four of us could go enjoy a nice dinner out (minus high chairs).

Dinner was such a treat! We ate at the Welfare Café (J & R’s suggestion)…and it was DELICIOUS!  We actually had our very own private dining room as the main dining area was full, where we enjoyed authentic Hill Country cuisine…including schnitzel…which was fantastic!  Even more fantastic was the time we had to sit and talk…as adult conversation seems to be few and far between these days.

The next day, we packed up and headed home. We were able to capture one photo of the six of us before we left.

The Lord has blessed us through our friendship with the K’s. We wish that we can see them more, but are so grateful for the time we are able to spend together. It is hard to believe that our next trip will include two more little ones…which will make us a group of 8!

J, R & T…thank you for being such fantastic hosts! We would love to return the favor the next time you find yourselves in our neck of the wood! Also…I thought you might get a kick out of this walk down memory lane… http://ourneckofthewood.blogspot.com/2010/03/hill-country-hoop-la.html

Happy Wednesday.

Be blessed.

B’s Pajamas make an Appearance at the Dentist

Let me explain…

B and I left the house in a rush this morning in effort to be away while the house was being inspected.

(A little side note…we received a contract on our little home this past weekend…though it is bittersweet, we are praising God and praying that the inspection, appraisal and paperwork will all fall into place so that we can officially look forward to closing this chapter of our family’s life and move onto the next).

In my rush out the door, I neglected to grab B’s backpack (diaper bag). I did however have the foresight to grab our clean laundry (that hadn’t finished drying in the dryer), my bag of miscellaneous items that I had picked up around the house, my purse, phone etc. 

From there B and I headed on a myriad of errands to keep us both busy while the house was getting a “once over”.  The finale to our morning errand marathon was a  scheduled dentist appointment for B. 

Upon arriving at the dentist’s office, to my surprise, I noticed that  B’s pants and car seat were drenched.  I checked to see if his sippy cup of water had leaked…unfortunately…NO SUCH LUCK!!!  B’s diaper had sprung a leak…and there was no way around it…and this momma didn’t have his diaper bag and an extra change of clothes!

I carried my wet little boy into the office to check in and change his diaper (I did have an extra diaper in my purse…or so I thought).  I politely asked the receptionist if I could ask her a crazy question and she obliged.   I then proceeded to ask if it might be okay for my son to have his dental exam done in a clean diaper (sans pants).  The receptionist responded quite surprised… “Well, ‘mam, I don’t know, no one has ever asked us that before.”  She said she would go ask, while I changed his diaper.

I went the restroom to  change B’s diaper only to realize that my emergency purse diaper was nowhere to be found.  It was then that I had remembered that B had figured out how to unzip my purse…I put two and two together and figured that he must have pulled the diaper out while he was sitting in his car seat.

We politely excused ourselves to the car where I did in fact find B’s dry diaper sitting next to his car seat.  It was at that moment that a light blub went off inside of my head as I remembered that I had pulled B’s half dry pajamas out of the dryer in my rush to get out of the house…I shuffled through the damp laundry to find the pajamas and made the executive decision that wearing pajamas to the dentist was far better than wearing no pants at all.

So that explains the photo…B went to the dentist (and then to the grocery store afterwards) in his pajamas!

To date, this has been one of the greater pieces of humble pie that I have been served.  I feel like the entire waiting room of moms and dads just stared at B and I  as we waited for our appointment. I can only imagine the judgment taking place on my parenting skills…oh, how they must have thought I was too lazy to get my child dressed.  The hygienists and dentist thought our story was hysterical…and then our fellow grocery store friends gave us several glances and half-hearted smiles.

B continues to keep me on my toes…which I am humbly so grateful for! I can also say that I will be leaving a pair of emergency pants in the car for any future mishaps…because I am sure that this will not be the only time I forget the diaper bag.

Oh happy day!

Be blessed.

p.s. Please lift our little house up as we anxiously await details regarding our closing and begin our search for a new home.  This has been quite a lesson in patience and perseverance for this momma who likes to have her t’s crossed and I’s dotted! Thank you.

One of my (C) favorite B-isms

Each night I plug my phone in to charge on our night stand.  We also have an IHome that I use as an alarm clock.

B loves to come into our room and if my phone is still plugged in, he will unplug it and bring the phone to me.  While this is cute and great, what he does with the cord is even better, in my opinion.  There is a hole in the back of the IHome (I have no idea what it is there for) that he will often plug my phone cord into.  I would love to know what he thinks he is accomplishing by doing this or maybe he thinks that since I plug my phone in that the IHome should be plugged in as well.  Anyways, at least 3 times a week when I go to plug my phone in at night I will find the IHome ‘plugged in’.

Here is my phone as it looks when I have it plugged in to charge.

Here is the IHome ‘plugged in’.

Here is the scene when I unplug my phone and lay the cord across the nightstand so that it doesn’t fall down in between the nightstand and the bed.

And to get the full effect.  Here is S being a hand model and ‘un’plugging the IHome.

Like I said, no idea why I love this so much.  But it brings me such joy each night that I get to see his hard work and get to try and figure out what he was thinking as he plugged in the IHome.

New Phrase…

This is B’s new phrase…

That’s right, it is “No Momma!”

Just to clarify…we are not condoning these two words AT ALL!

Though it is pretty funny when he utters the words because at this point it is mostly just a filler in his play…he honestly doesn’t always mean it…though in this case I admit that he wasn’t really interested in heading to get his bedtime routine started.

The rubber has just about met the road in regard to parenting and sticking to our guns in our neck of the wood…I pray that C and I will have the patience and persistence to take on our sweet little toddler’s growing will!

Be blessed.

Snow…well sort of!

This past weekend, it snowed in our neck of the wood!

This is what B thought of it…

It would have been fun to have had some accumulation, but really we will take whatever we can get.

Happy Winter!

Happy Thursday!

Be blessed.

One of the Benefits…

Of living in Texas is kiddos can bike and play outside almost all the time in the winter.

When I was growing up, I would have never asked for a bike for Christmas…because I would have known that I wouldn’t be able to ride it for several months. I would have asked for ice skates, a sled, skis, etc. 

This was not the case with C as he can recall many times when he got to test out new bikes, rollerblades and other outdoor gifts in the comfort of shorts on Christmas morning.

With that said, B was able to  enjoy the benefit of living in the south this weekend because he got to test out his new tricycle (a Christmas gift from his Gram and Grandpa)!

B and C worked hard to assemble to the trike…

Then B hit the road…

He had no concept of peddling…he just rested hit feet on the peddles and let C and I take turns pushing him.

At this point, the toy is simply a glorified stroller…one that B would gladly ride because it has its very own bell!

It will be fun to watch his concept and understanding of the trike develop…there are sure many fun memories awaiting our little guy.

Be blessed.

Thank you Gram & Grandpa!