tot school

Nathan is 24.5 months old

This was our best week of tot school in a while! Chad was gone out of town all week and I thought I was going to lose my mind!!! Thankfully planning and doing tot school activities with Nathan was quite therapeutic! Here's a quick overview of our week...

Music time: Nathan asked often for music and instruments - probably because his piano, trumpet, guitar partner was out of town!

We decorated the front door with some window clings.

Gluing pompoms on pictures was so much fun. I put down the glue and handed him the pompoms and he put them in the right spot. He LOVED this!

So proud of his pictures!!!

Craft time! Painting reindeer handprints was a blast... and I found a new use for Glad Press and Seal! It makes a great paint barrier!

Cork painting! I can't remember where I found this activity, but let me know if it was from you and I'll link you up. Nathan LOVED this too!

Sorting these hearts by color. This was way too easy for him and he quickly grew bored and just started putting them in the wrong holes and saying, "does that go there??? noooooo. silly nathan."

Letter C!

He loves to put the stickers on the finished project. He's so cute when he says, "apple starts with a and airplane starts with a. mommy ball starts with b and balloon starts with b. Mommy, cow starts with c and chicken starts with c and caterpillar..."

Thank you Amber for the inspiration to go ahead and start 12 piece puzzles with Nathan. He is a pro at them already. I was amazed as I watched him do it. He still doesn't understand edge and corner pieces, but he just creates the picture piece by piece. He is HUGE puzzle fan!

Stacking, building, and nesting

Fine Motor:

Who would have thought that hanging ornaments on a tots tree would be tot school? Check out that fine motor work!!!

Life Skills:

We had a fabulous week! If you have a tot and aren't doing tot school... PLEASE consider it! It's so much fun! Check out these other moms who blog about their tot schools!!!

2 year photos with Leo

Nathan has renamed his lion... he now calls it "da biiiiiiiiig lion". When asked what his lions name is? "da biiiiiig lion" is his response. : ) Too cute. Without further ado... here are the 2 year pics with that biiiiiiiiig lion... better late than never right?

Here are a few... the rest will come in the 2 year update! Man I'm behind!

Caught red handed... litterally!

So last night, I made some dinner that was less than appealing to the eye. Nathan, in fact, called it mud and wondered why I'd put it on his plate. Mud is supposed to stay outside, mommy. It was supposed to be gnocchi with a vege sauce, but the spinach and tomatoes pureed together turned brown. It was tasty, but not to my 2 year old. Nathan has an aversion to all kinds of pasta (except spaghetti-os). He also has an aversion to potatoes. Who was I to think he would eat gnocchi... potato like pasta? Well, I wheeled and dealed a bit to get him to eat it anyway, at least the sauce, and his reward was strawberries. I know, I live on the edge with desserts. I rationed out these beloved bites of goodness on purpose. Unfortunately, I also left the container of them on the counter... apparently in reach. After cleaning up a bit in the living room and returning to the kitchen to look for my all too quiet tot, this is what I rounded the corner to find...

He was in strawberry heaven, and of course, I had to photograph the cuteness. You see, he insists on having "big ones" that is stem and all. Don't even think about cutting the "trees" off his strawberry. He has his own method and has perfected it! See?

Success... trees gone, now to savor the strawberry.

Notice the pile of trees by his foot? Yeah, this container was only missing 3 strawberries when he got into it. Now it has 4 strawberries LEFT in it.

But who can resist strawberries? Certainly not my kiddo!

Piper!!!

This is my 2nd daughter... at least emotionally. My first? Izzy of course! I'd claim either one in a heart beat and I reserve the right to blog about them on our family blog all day long... because I love them so... and so does my hubby... and my kiddo... and yes, the dog does too. Oh yeah, I love the girls' mom and dad too! A whole bunch! Back to Piper... aren't these pics cute! She was chillin on my sofa the other day and I couldn't resist!

Awesome onesie... you did good Shelby!

Mommy of the Year award goes to...

Me...

...for giving my child yet another injury to the cheek. Yep, 3 in four weeks...

1. face to rocking chair

2. advertisement for church pictures... sign to same exact spot as injury #1.

3. the other cheek... mommy's fingernail. Poor kiddo... we were playing and it was an accident, but there was still skin under my fingernail... I feel awful.

Nathan's thoughts? (post tears and forgiveness to mommy)... "Mommy i got anudder boo boo on de udder cheek! Uh Oh!"

Poor kiddo. Neosporin and Mederma Kids are a staple in our house these days.

Grandpa and Grandma

I was blessed to spend lots of time with Izzy's Grandma and Grandpa and they are two terrific people! Bethany and I were able to share Thanksgiving together with our husbands, kiddos, and our parents! It was so much fun to join family traditions and have everyone gather around the table! Thank you everyone for coming and cooking!

The day before thanksgiving, I walked to the park with Izzy and her grandparents (whom Nathan calls Grandpa and Grandma, like Izzy), and snapped some of these pics. They warm my heart!!!

Wordless Wednesday

What do you mean you don't eat the gingerbread house??????