Pedal Pusher...

Well, its official. We are living with a pedal pusher. Granted, we know he's going downhill a bit here buthe definitely has the concept now and can keep it moving !!  Yeaaa!!

I didn't realize i was acting annoyed with my poor kid in the beginning of the video! I really wasn't annoyed at all - i promise!! lol... Oh well! 

Back to School Night...

Technically not 'back' to school. First, he isn't in 'school', he's in daycare. and Second, he's not going back, he's been there all along. But nevertheless, we always go to 'back to school night', like we are one of the 'others' who are actually doing this very thing.

Last year we went, and I blogged about it - click here to check it out for a flashback. Oh heck. I can't help it - i have to put it here too - can you believe this was the kid last year for back to school night?!? oh my little man!! those cheeks! that hair! sigh...

The way things unfolded last year - like the kid being so confused about showing up at his daycare, at night, with us, that he sorta freaked out, as if it were a 'final dropoff' of some sort - were the very way they unfolded this year. The kid did his freak out, husband ate lots of the free food, and we met with the kid's teacher, Miss Emma.

We love Miss Emma and so does the kid! He adores her. He includes her in his prayers every night (when he isn't refusing to say his prayers - a new thing recently, what is up with that anyways!?!), talks about going to see her, and from daycare reports, he cries when she leaves the room. Did I say he loves her?!

I know I know. It doesn't look like he he loves her but he does. I swear! Remember me saying he was a bit freaked out about being there, at night, for the second time that day? Yea. He's still freaked out here... obviously. I think he really freaked when i handed him over to her - oops! haha. He did get better eventually - when he was allowed to drink juice, eat popcorn, and even a few cheetos (oh how I was shuddering on the inside!) and he sat at his table to munch. Then he showed me his bin and his picture wall.

Miss Emma and I talked about the classroom curriculum and how the kid is doing overall (apparently well! Yea!). She feels he's ready for full fledge potty training in just a month or so. YIKES. Thats me saying yikes, not her...

He loosened up slightly for a picture with mom...

And got all happy for one with dad in front of the building... once we told him we were going home!

See that grin?? He was so glad to get out of there with mom and dad! haha... Since they will be learning about families in the next week at daycare, we took a family portrait when we got home, before the bedtime rituals... it isn't easy - getting a picture husband and i can agree on, and that the kid is smiling!

Hopefully he learns a lot about families next week so he can quit calling Uncle Chris Daddy when he looks at his picture on the fridge! haha...

Overall we love the daycare and have liked all of his teachers too! It feels good to have complete peace of mind about the care and attention he gets while he's in their hands! Sure can't put a price on that... now, if i only had a babysitter...

Day out with Thomas

We prepped him all week long, trying to pump him up for Saturday. We read Thomas books and watched a few Thomas movies and the show (which lasts apx. 8 minutes - weird). Saturday morning, we headed over to Strasburg, PA where Thomas the Train was coming into the station. It's a small railroad station thats been there for quite sometime and Thomas arrives a few times a year, along with thousands of people who want to see and ride Thomas! The station area is small so let me tell ya, i was quite taken aback but the mobs of people that flooded this place. You could barely move around, lines for anything were terribly long and it was just an overall zoo! the area is just too small to handle that many people. We parked out in a cornfield and were bussed in on a school bus to the train station. The kid was so pumped up to ride a real bus!! A bus! A School Bus! He shouted from the line.

Despite the crowd, the kid had a ball and enjoyed spending the day with his buddy Cameron. Both two year olds enjoyed the train ride and meeting/seeing Thomas and looking at the amish scenery. 

And I got to catch up with Cara, Cam's mama, while husband took pictures! I even took a turn using the camera that I don't know how to use just to ensure husband made it into a photo:) he prefers taking them over being IN them. 

It was a beautiful warm day and the Lancaster county farms were our scenery. The boys were both so well behaved and get along together so well too! On the drive home, the kid chatted all about Thomas, riding Thomas, seeing Thomas, watching Thomas, Thomas blowing smoke, etc. I told him I'm thrilled he had fun because we won't be going back to see Thomas again lol... the mania was all a little much for mom, can you tell?!? haha... truth is, i really wouldn't want to go back! Abram likes thomas and all but he isn't obsessed with him by any means. There's really one only guy he's obsessed with and thats Diego. So until Diego comes to town, I can avoid the mania for now...

hangin' with the big kids!

The kid loves to hang out with kids older than him. He's fascinated. Watching them, following them, copying them. My friend Michelle had a little back to school get together at a local park near her house and was sweet enough to invite us up even though the kid is only two and technically not going back to school. We never get to see each other between work schedules, kids, travels, life! So, the kid and i drove up to see her and the whole gang!

As we hopped into the car, I reminded him we were going to a party...

"I go party? But But But (he's searching for what he wants to say here) I go park!" he stutters, confused by earlier promises of going to the park tonight.

"Yes honey. We are going to a party at the park!"

"I go party? But I wanna go park!!"

"Okay, we'll go to the park," i respond just to agree.

"Uhhh..... (whiny voice) but party mama... i go party..."

He wasn't getting it and wouldn't until it was all over.

Heres the best picture i got of the whole group. And sadly I cut many kids heads off - oops! I was so busy trying to make abram stay in the picture that I could barely take one! Michelle has a better pic on her blog here.

Thats my little man right there in the front looking like a little statue lol... oh well, i was just happy he actually got in the picture! We met some really nice friends of Michelle's and the kid loved the whole thing.

On the drive home, he chattered on and on....

"I ate pretzels, I ate donuts, I ate pizza, I ate cookie...."

can you tell he never gets this stuff? ha... he was all about the food! ha...

We drove at ease with no traffic at 8pm on a friday night. A true blessing around here. We were quiet with the radio playing softly in the background.

"Mama?? Mama!!"

"Yes Abram?"

He'd had a revelation.... "I went to a party! At park! Fun!"

"You sure did honey. You sure did." i smiled to myself in the dark, as i drove us on towards home...

And we return...

It's always hard to return from a weekend away. A weekend where we have fun, sleep late, eat great food made by other people, see family and friends, and not do one thing that resembles work of any kind!

The kid fed the birds with his maw-maw each morning and monitored the food levels and number of birds. It's their routine and he looks forward to it each morning.  He's obsessed with waffles for breakfast on non-school mornings and boy did he get his fill of waffles. The munched on waffles and watched the birds eat their breakfast too.  We stopped by Pap's work to give him and big hug and kiss. "Pap work?" the kid would ask. "Pap Golf?" also follows. haha. Here he is paying Pap a visit on the job!

We ventured out and did some shopping, some eating, some visiting with family and friends, and lots of outdoor playtime went down too.  The kid played lots of baseball and golf in the backyard. Maw-maw and him had some fun. He loves his Maw-maw. 

He got to see two of his newer cousins, baby noah and baby jackson. The kid really was good with Noah and even insisted Noah get to have a banana snack with him.

Cousin Lucy stopped by for a visit too and we finally had the chance to take some pictures of these two grandkids together for the grandparents. A photo shoot with a two year old though? well, it could have been better obviously. lots of distractions and lots of things he'd rather do than sit still and smile!!! but we managed a few good ones that will be frame worthy i do believe.... 

And yes, this is the Lucy who was the flower girl in our wedding when she was FIVE. Clearly, she is no longer five but a beautiful middle school girl with an active social schedule apparently... 

Our trip home was uneventful and problem free. The kid filled his head with lots of dvd stories, his mouth with lots of snack, and his body with a nice long nap. 

He's been chattering all about some of these events ever since we got home.  The most popular are:

"I saw hummingbird!! It flew. It stop. It drink food!" 

"Me and Maw-maw feed birds! Lots of birds. They eat!" 

"I drive car with Scott. I turn it!" 

"I go see Pap at work!" 

"I saw Baby Jackson. He on bumpy road!" 

"I saw Baby Noah. He spill my water cup."

"Where's Scooter?!?" 

September!!

We were trying to take a self portrait. He loves to see the photo as we take it and cheese for the camera. If its not a self portrait, it can be quite challenging to capture him looking, much less grinning! And yes, it was thought out to do this on a day I actually looked decent -  I actually had on eyeliner. camera worthy i must say. a rare occasion. something i do ohhh once a month?

We start off our September with a trip to western PA to visit family and friends. The kid loves him a good road trip and so do his mom and dad:-) 


The trip begins with a departure time tomorrow of about 6pm with a dinner prior to that the kid won't eat because he's so excited. Therefore -  a packed peanut butter sandwich and crackers are made because the kid won't eat. Some other snacks thrown in there too, and oh his water cup. I flip thru the ole dvd collection of sesame stuff, veggie tales, and even an ABC little people one. Toss those in too. Bags are packed. We pack light. Dogs are taken care of by a neighbor - thank you Nancy, you are such a blessing!! 


Long weekend travels here we come!