Jamey is So Smart!
You might have read Jamey's blog today. He had such a great idea, and we copied it. I have scooped off and on all day long, and now I've changed the game a bit. Thanks for the great idea, Jamey!
A New Button
My mom's favorite blog (in the category of "blogs written by people we don't know personally") has a new button that will take you to websites for kids. (The blogs that are written by people we do know personally are Mommy's real favorites, of course.) We'll post the button here for now and in our sidebar soon. Just scroll down a bit to see tons of links. You can get the button for your own blog here.
This favorite blog, Rocks in My Dryer, is also celebrating Works for Me Wednesday. My mom didn't get the post that she composed in her mind down into the computer keyboard this week, but you can still visit Rocks in My Dryer yourself and enjoy!
Man Babies
If you need a laugh today, click here. My dad thought it was pretty funny, so maybe some of you other dads out there will enjoy it (and maybe some non-dads, too.)
Lucky for Me
Daddy had planned an outdoor adventure for yesterday. He was going to climb a mountain with some other guys (big guys, not little ones like me.) Lucky for me, it was rainy and snowy up there, so Daddy stayed home. And the weather was cool and beautiful down here. I got to play in my sandbox while Daddy mowed the lawn...
Help him harvest some little garlic and little carrots...
and help him take Mommy out for an evening bike ride. As you can see, it worked out really well!
Quotes Too Good not to Post
"I had a long nap, apparently."
"May I please have some mayonnaise in my water."
And telling Great Grandma about what I saw at the aquarium:
"Those little houses for fish are called sea anenomes. I mean the ones with lots of fingers, those are sea anemones."
Doing Guy Things: Making Waffles
Our Sunday school classes are taking a break for the summer, and that gives us more time to do other things before church...like make waffles!
Calendar Time
Since I'm obsessed with numbers these days, and since I'm not going to preschool this fall, (and since my mom is a schedule person, but that's just my opinion,) we've been having calendar time. We've been talking about what month and day it is and counting through all the days of the month. I really like this part, especially since we only do it in short spurts each day (or two days if we forget.) It's been helping me with those really tricky numbers, 17, 18, and 19. And I really like going through the calendar and counting all the ones and all the twos. You may notice that my mom chose a Mary Engelbreit calendar. That wasn't for me, don't worry. Since my mom is the only girl in the house and she really likes Mary Engelbreit, I figured she could choose, just this once.
Why We Need Glasses: From Mommy
For those of you who are interested in details (and maybe a little nerdy, like us): All three of us have astigmatism. Apparently there are different kinds, and we have "against the rule" astigmatism. In "with the rule" astigmatism, instead of the eye being shaped like a sphere, it's shaped like an ellipse similar to an American football lying on its side. This eye can see vertical lines more clearly than horizontal lines. In "against the rule" astigmatism, which we have, our eyes are shaped like an ellipse similar to an American football standing on end. So, our eyes can see horizontal lines more clearly than vertical lines (although we've never noticed.) At any rate, astigmatism affects how the eye can focus. You can read about it here or here. It's very unusual for someone as young as Jonathan to have "against the rule" astigmatism and also rare for all three of us to have it, because it's actually more common in older people.
And, one more thing...I can see a whole lot better with my glasses. I told Jeff last night that it was like we had bought an HDTV (although we really haven't.) I'm seeing things that much better. Who knew!
Trains on a Rainy Day
If you have these wooden trains like I do, you might be interested in what Mommy just saw on Ikea Hacker. Paper train stations! If you click here, you can read the post on another family's blog. They share their pdf file at the end of the post so that you can make your own stations. I'm thinking of lots of you, little buddies, because I know you have wooden trains. And lots of you even like to color and craft, too. Enjoy!
Rain-updated
It got a little cloudy yesterday. We don't have clouds all that often, so we were happy to see the clouds. This morning, it's been really cloudy. And then...it rained! Just a little sprinkle-enough to get the sidewalk wet unless there's a tree hanging over it. And now the air is cool and moist...and wonderful. It reminds us of the places we used to live. We haven't had rain since February and aren't likely to have it again until the fall, so we are very thankful. We love the rain!
Update: It's really raining now! What a wonderful sound! We love the rain!
What Friends Are For
When I got up from my nap today, I was not too happy to be up. I think we're learning that I am a little like Aunt Amanda: I sleep hard and don't like to be interrupted. Anyway, after I got up from my nap, I had a hard time stopping the tears, let alone smiling.
Until I got this package.
My buddy, Jamey, sent me Lightning McQueen markers! It turned my day around!
Sorry that this doesn't look much like a smile, little buddy. It was the best I could do, and it was much happier than I was before. I'm really excited about my new markers. Thanks for the package!
Daddy's Bike
Tonight, we went to go get Daddy's bike at the bike shop. We found out that there was one bike drawing for our whole county to celebrate "Ride your bike to work week," and my dad was the winner for the whole county! What a deal. We figure this was a big surprise blessing from God, and we're so thankful for the surprise. We had fun at the bike shop while my dad took test drives on the bikes. I even test drove the most amazing tricyle. Since I didn't win, we didn't take the tricycle home. Besides, my dad's old bike was around 15 years old and needed to be replaced. My tricycle is doing fine. We're happy about your new bike, Daddy! (And I bet it works great pulling my bike trailer.)
The Eye Appointment
Here's the quick summary: Mommy and I both need new glasses. If you want to know more, here's the rest of the story...
Mommy and I went to see a new eye doctor today since we have vision insurance now. I had my one-year checkup since I've had glasses for a year, and Mommy had her first checkup ever. We were both very happy that I didn't have to have the scary eyedrops to dilate my eyes. Mommy has to go back and do that another day. My eyesight has gotten worse, and if my weak eye continues to get weaker, the doctor mentioned patching my strong one to make the weak one work harder. We really don't want to do that, so we're hoping and praying it's not necessary. Oh, and Mommy has astigmatism, just like me. Anyway, we chose some new glasses for me, and some first-time glasses for Mommy. Mommy has to wear her glasses when she's driving or doing close-up things like working on the computer, according to the eye doctor. The doctor says that Mommy can decide on other times she'll want to wear her glasses. I bet Mommy will also wear them for sewing, scrapbooking, and reading stories to me.
Mommy thought it was overwhelming choosing glasses with a wiggling three-year-old. I thought I should mention that just to be fair to her, but really it wasn't that bad. I had a lot of fun taking glasses out of their spots one at a time and then putting them back in. I even found the perfect spot for the glasses I already have. After we got my new glasses chosen, Mommy gave me lots of crackers and told me I needed to eat them in the stroller, which I did. She wished she had a friend along to help her choose some glasses, but the nice glasses lady helped her instead. When our glasses arrive, we'll take pictures and you can decide how you like them.
Mommy was so tired after our eye experience that we stopped for a Hot Dog on a Stick. This was a first for me!
And, since pictures have been few and far between on our blog lately, here's a picture of what I did when I got home:
And, since pictures have been few and far between on our blog lately, here's a picture of what I did when I got home:
I built a "palace for the princesses." I must have princesses on my mind since we were at Ms. Jetta's last night and I got to play with all of her daughters. We played with the kittens, climbed a new boulder barefooted, and played with a huge ball. It was great fun!
Going to the Mall Eye Doctor
Mommy: When we go to the mall today, I think you can walk in the mall like a big boy.
Jonathan: I think I'd rather ride in the stroller, since I know how to be still.
My Dad Won a Bike!
Last week was "Ride Your Bike to Work Week," and my dad decided to give it a try. When the weather got too hot, he decided to take a break. What Mommy and I didn't know is that he got to enter a raffle for riding his bike to work. And guess what...my dad won the raffle prize, which is a new bike and helmet! This is great news for my dad. He's had his bike for longer than he's known my mom. We're so happy for Daddy that he gets to have a new, free bike...and I bet he'll be proud to ride it to work!
Friends and Fountains (Flashback)
Friends and Fountains
It's been hot here, so today we had planned some fun at the fountains with Ella. I sure do love playing with Ella! Little did we know that the weather would cool off. It's a beautiful day! And it's barely warm enough for the fountains, which means we had them mostly to ourselves.
Here I am enjoying the playground all alone before Ms. Jen, Ella, and Delia got to the park. (By the way, I have decided that Ms. Jen should be named Jenna, so her name matches Ella and Delia.)
Perhaps I've grown and I need a longer shirt, Mommy.
Here I am enjoying the fountains with my friends in the background.
Whee!
Time to dry off with Ella. (And by the way, I can say her name with the "l" in it today.)
This game looks fun, but I ended up getting stuck in the corkscrew, so I'm not allowed to play it anymore.
You wouldn't know it from the pictures above, but I had a little bit of a hard time today. I was either really happy or really sad. I loved the fountains, but I hated getting water in my face. And I loved the playground, but I ran under the bridge and didn't quite make it...I was so tall that I conked my head and knocked myself down. And I loved climbing the corkscrew but got myself stuck inside it. All these things were hard to take. So, for all my video-loving little buddies, and to make sure we're being honest, here's a video of me being happy...and then sad.
Watching Him Grow-from Mommy
We always have fun watching Jonathan's latest developments...so here's what we've been enjoying most recently. He's very aware of numbers right now, and very into counting. He likes to count everything. He gets a little confused about what comes between 16 and 20, though. He asks me all the time about addition problems: "How many places does three plus one make? How many places does five plus nine make?" And the other evening, he said, "I have five [raising right hand] and five [raising left hand] and five [raising right foot] and five! [raising left foot.]" It's fun to see how he thinks.
He just figured out how to make the "l" sounds in most words and is pretty proud of himself about that, so he has a lot of fun saying words like "yellow" and "slowly" and "love." He still has some that have the "w" sound instead of "l"...like "Ella." That's a tricky one.
He's always had trouble with s-blends, so "smiling" sounds like "siling" and "skin" sounds like "sin," etc. He's becoming aware of that, too, but he has a long way to go with the s-sounds. We just love to hear him talk! On the way to the car the other day, he told me that he was skipping, and he even said it right, with the "k." Then he told me that it wasn't sipping, because that was what we did when we sip out of a straw, but it was skipping! He was so proud of himself. (Although he wasn't actually doing the skipping...and if he's anything like me, skipping will be a tricky physical skill to learn!) Jonathan fills our days with joy...hope you are enjoying him, too!
Micah (from Mommy)
We hope you've had the chance to follow Micah's story lately, but if you haven't, please do visit his blog and read about how he's doing. He's had some major ups and downs and certainly needs our prayers right now. We have been praying for him with Jonathan, and Jonathan has really developed a heart for the little guy. He asked God to "heal Micah's body" tonight when we asked for prayers that God would heal Micah's voice and help him to eat. We hope that you'll pray for him and his family, too.
Hot
It's hot. Here's a picture of me just sitting and being sweaty. And I didn't do anything really active this morning...I went to Moms Time Out for the last time this year. I stopped by Ella's house. And in this picture, Mommy and I are meeting Daddy for lunch. Let's face it, it's hot. Between the weather and $4-ish gas, we might not be getting out much in the days ahead!
From Mommy
I've been intimidated for weeks by this chair recovery project, but I finally jumped in today, so I thought I'd post my progress.
Here's one chair with fabric, and one chair waiting. Now I need to find matching trim to cover the raw edges. I don't necessarily know what I'm doing, but when I'm armed with scissors and a glue gun, I start forging ahead anyway!
A Little Sad
This is the week of endings for me. MOPS, BSF, and Moms Time Out are all ending. I said goodbye to my teachers in the two-year-old classes MOPS and BSF, and it's a little sad that I won't be with those sweet ladies in the fall. (Even though I'm three, I was placed in my classes by my age last fall.) I'll miss my teachers, so I gave them each a little begonia from Trader Joe's and told them, "Thank you for being my teacher!" I hope to see the same little buddies in the fall, but I know that some won't be back and there will be some new ones in their places. Our last Moms Time Out is coming up, too. I know summer break is a happy time, but Mommy and I are going to miss our regular outings. We'll have to invent some other adventures to keep ourselves busy.
"Sweet Sweeper"
Here is the "sweet sweeper" (street sweeper) that I built myself. If you look carefully, you can see the yellow sweepers on either side.
How We Spent Mother's Day
We tried to make Mommy feel really special yesterday. Daddy and I gave her some cards and a movie for her gift. (I didn't get to watch it-apparently, it's not for kids.) Daddy made her french toast for breakfast and I got to eat some, too. At church, it was Mommy and Daddy's turn to serve in the nursery, so I had to share my mom (and dad) with all the other kids. Then we took Mommy to a special brunch.
After my nap, I got to see the other mothers in our family who are local: Mommy's mother and Grandpa's mother. Unfortunately, I was pretty weepy when I saw Mommy's mother (Grandma.) I had just woken up from my nap and would have liked to have a little more sleep. I wasn't a very good sport about it. Sorry, Grandma! By the time I saw Grandpa's mother (Great Grandma,) I was in a good mood. I think I would have been in a good mood even without the cake and cookies she made for us. I always get to play with vehicles at Great Grandma's, and she had chosen some books to read to me, too. Here's a picture of me with Great Grandma. (Remember, I was not in the mood for pictures when I was with Grandma.)
I'm really thankful for all the mothers in my life: Mommy, my grandmas, and my great grandmas. I hope they all had a happy Mother's Day!
When Daddy is Gone
In this picture, my dad is home. I'm having a blissful night's sleep with my lion that I've had since I was a baby. (Recently, I've decided to sleep with it every night. Thanks, Uncle Mel and Aunt Jan!)
Last night, my dad wasn't home. He was busy getting ready to hike a "fourteener." So, of course, I did not have a blissful night's sleep. I woke up with my dinner all over me and my bed. A couple of times. Not fun. But, have you ever had bathtime in the middle of the night? Now, that's fun! As soon as my dinner came out, I felt much better. And I felt fine today. Who knows what was going on with my tummy?
Mommy was not thrilled about last night's events. Especially because, when she finally got almost to sleep around 2 or 3 a.m., our neighbors that we never see or hear decided to have some kind of very loud party. Mommy was not amused.
Since Daddy will be home tonight, I'm sure nothing out of the ordinary will happen and we'll all sleep well!
Today's Quote
"Last time when we went to see Paul, we goed to the zoo and saw "singrays," just like we saw "singrays" at the aquarium. We saw lots of "singrays" at the aquarium last night!
(I'm getting pretty good at remembering, aren't I?)
Margaret Wise Brown
I know we've been reading a lot of Virginia Lee Burton lately, but Mommy has also been noticing how many of the books that I've loved my whole life, or am just discovering, are by Margaret Wise Brown:
Goodnight Moon (baby gift from Mr. Jay and Ms. Meg)
Runaway Bunny (also from Mr. Jay and Ms. Meg)
Two Little Trains (I keep checking this out from the library)
Seven Little Postmen (a Little Golden Book from Doreen)
The Friendly Book (a Little Golden Book from Great Grandma. I think it's out of print-thank goodness Great Grandma found it at a yard sale!)
I bet there are a few others on our bookshelf in Mommy's Treasury of Little Golden Books. She's had it just about forever, and it's been taped and retaped and is still hanging together. I haven't read out of her treasury very much yet, but I'm sure she'll let me soon.
So, I'm wondering, little buddies, are there any books that you really love right now that you'd like to recommend? By any author that you love? I sure love to read!
Here's What You Chose!
Thanks to all who voted! Here's the new header...I love it! Special thanks to RS Designs for the great giveaway!
Movies
Jamey's post tonight inspired Mommy and me to look back at some old movies. We watched them over and over again! Here are two favorites: Flying an airplane with Sam and the car wash. I did that car wash about a year ago. I sure have changed!
What I'm Reading
I sure do love Virginia Lee Burton. I loved The Little House so much that I forgot to read most of my other library books. Today, though, I discovered Katy, my new favorite. I've only read it a few times so far, and I need to make up for lost time. By the way, little buddies, it has a great map in it that your parents could use to trick you into learning how to count to 30. I think my mom is trying that, but I don't mind too much. I love Katy!
Words and Numbers
I don't say "Gappa and Ngamma" any more...I say "Grampa and Gramma."
I still say "to-deg-ther."
I used to always count, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 6..." and didn't go far from there. Now, sometimes, I remember 13, and most of the teens, and I can get to 20. Then I say, "20, 8..."
Last Day to Vote...
Wednesday is the last day to vote on our new name for our blog. Take a look at the polls to the left and share your opinion! The sample below will give you an idea of what our header will look like when it's done.
At Ms. Jetta's
The first big thing that happened this morning is that Mommy and I went to talk to a lady about swimming lessons. Apparently it's time! I told Mommy, "I don't know how to swim," and Mommy told me that I'll get into the pool with some other little kids who also don't know how to swim, and our teacher will keep us safe and teach us how to kick and float and blow bubbles and other things. And she says it will be fun. I'm not so sure about this, but I'll tell you how it goes in June. After registering for swimming lessons, we went to Ms. Jetta's!
All of us who are too young to be in school were there. Anneliese and Helia came out to meet me at the car and brought their mommy kitty. Here's why:
Kittens! Six cute kittens! (And baby Peter in the background, and Cora was not in the picture.) Pretty soon, Jared, Ella, and Delia came over as well.
As you can see, I was pretty enamored with the kittens (except when I discovered they have tiny, sharp claws.)
We played outside the whole time and had lots of fun going barefoot and getting dirty while the mommies talked. Ms. Jetta even sent us home with some fresh lettuce from her garden.
A trampoline all to myself out in the country...what could be better? Thanks for the great morning, Ms. Jetta, Ms. Jen, and Ms. Amy!
Micah is in the PICU
I hope you're still praying for Baby Micah! He's in the PICU. His parents can't update his blog at the hospital, but they can email, so they are emailing updates to my mom, who is putting the updates on their blog when I give her a free moment. You can see pictures of him on their blog right now, anextra21.blogspot.com. Thank you for your prayers!
Christmas All Year Long
I found where Mommy's been keeping my nativity set. I can think about Jesus' birthday anytime, right? All the people and animals wanted to have their picture taken. I told Mommy about it, so she had me get into the picture, too.
Baby Micah is Still in Surgery
Hi everyone,
Micah is still in surgery and still needs our prayers. You can read the details over at his blog down on the left under "Nathan & Micah's Mom." That's where the latest updates will be. Thank you for praying!
DIY Geoboard
Aunt Anna, this post is especially for you, but also for all of Mommy's friends who have taken Math for Elementary Teachers. (And Mommy says you'll know what that means.) Mommy has a lot of friends who are, or who have been, teachers. I found a stretchy headband and decided to make some shapes. Mommy had to take pictures. Here's what I made along with what I called each shape:
"A triangle!"
"A line!"
"A diamond!"
"A loooong triangle!"
Baby Micah
Micah has been in surgery for about an hour now, if all is going according to schedule. We are praying for him and hope that you will, too. He's awfully little to have open heart surgery...pray, pray, pray!
Search Kindly
All through May, you can use your computer time to share donations with Compassion International, but it won't cost you a thing! Here's what you can do!
- Use Search Kindly as your search engine.
- Buy Kindly! Make your Amazon.com, eBay, iTunes, Target and Wal-Mart purchases through the Search Kindly homepage. This generates LOTS of revenue because sales are even better than eyeballs.
- Tell your friends and family about this, and ask them to to tell their friends and family.
- Make searchkindly.org your homepage. That’s worth about $3 a month because of your repeat visits.
- Add the Search Kindly banner to your blog or personal web page .
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