Turkey Blessings...

I can't believe that it's Thanksgiving already! Time flies when you're busy!   I feel like everyone wants Thanksgiving to hurry up so that they can go ahead and move onto Christmas.  I admit. This year, I am one of them. I already have my Christmas Tree and a few decorations up but we do have a lot to be thankful for and I'm especially thankful for having my wonderful family.  My husband is such a great dad and husband and is always thinking of us and what we need.  He always makes sure that whenever he is out to make sure that if we need anything before he gets home  to get it for us.  For instance, our outdoor fridge is always stocked with milk because both him and Hunter are such milk drinkers  so I never have to think twice about making sure to have any.  He is also working extra shifts every month to make sure that we make ends meet and to have a little extra so that I can stay home with the boys.  I truly am blessed.  Also, as you all know,  I am extremely thankful for my boys.  They couldn't be any more cuter and love that I have them to squeeze and kiss. I look forward to them as they grow and make memories with each other. 

 

This year Hunter and Tyler are thankful for the following things:

 

Hunter 

• His mommy and daddy and especially his baby brother =)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• All of his grandparents who all spoil him terribly (Nana and Grandpa Jim, Paw and Maw Maw, Grandma and Grandpa Weeks and Mimi)
• His swimming pool
• His play room where he can go bananas in and pull out every truck, toy and block and make mommy beg me to help clean it up everyday before bedtime =)
• His cars and choo choo's
• His Cars and Nemo movies

 

 

• His little school
• His milk, cookies, cake and peanut butter and jellies!
• His naptime for when he thinks he can get out all of his books and whatever else he can find from his shelves and put them all around his room before he finally passes out

 

• His "bubbas" (bubbles)
• His pockets in his shorts to shove as many cars into
• Getting out all of mommy's pots and pans out and matching the lids every evening while mommy cooks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• His Lullaby Elmo and "Googas" at night

 

Tyler

 

•  His mommy for producing his milk for him "on demand" and all times of the day.
•  His big brother who surrounds him with his toys on a daily basis and expects him to play (so cute!) and daddy for holding me and making silly faces at me while mommy makes dinner!
•  All of his grandparents as well who spoil him terribly!
•  His pacifiers! (this is one of mommy's too!)
•  His swing (unfortunately, this is the last week for him to be in it due to him getting a flat head...lol)
• His crib (during the day..lol)

 

• His activity mats and bouncer so he can exercise and coo
• His white noise machine because without this my mommy would not get any sleep

• All of the fans and lights that mommy and daddy have in the house because I am obsessed with them!

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  

 

 

 

 

The Moon and Googas!

Since Hunter was about 20 months old he has had this obsession for "googas" or as we know it, stars.  We have no idea where he developed this word for it and he is well aware what the real name of it is.  When we read a book and I ask him where the star is he will point to it and then say, "googa"!  If there is anything that has a "googa" on it, he wants it. This also crosses over into the marine life where he loves starfish too.  It's so funny.  I recently was cleaning out his closet and found his ladybug (which he thinks is a turtle) that displays the moon and stars on the wall when you turn out the lights:

 

He absolutely loves it and at bedtime he lays there and changes the colors of the moon and "googas" until he passes out versus banging his feet on the wall and getting up and trying to play while in the dark. This has kept us from going in there and telling him to stop.  We have also put a lot of the those glow in the dark stars on his wall but the brightness of the stars have worn out so they aren't as bright.  So in place of those glow in the dark stars the ladybug and also on his sound machine there is a slide that contains the moon and stars that he has to have on until he goes to sleep.  I'm sure that you have probably assumed that he is the number one fan of the "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" song.  We sing it to him every night while he throws a little fit about the idea of going to bed and while we sing it he realizes that he is tired and wants to get into bed and cuddle with his blanky's and the ladybug.  Also, when we are on Youtube looking at other random videos that he likes he will always make sure that he gets his fair share of some "googas" aka "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" songs too.   He is so cute about the "googas" and we wonder how long he will have this obsession and call them that.  (Please note that we when he says "googas" we always refer back to him as stars since we are working on his language development).

 

 

We have also decided on putting Hunter back in school part time.  Not just because I need a break for 5 hours 3 days a week but the fact that he does miss other kids.  Plus we know that it will help with his language development too just from interacting with them and so far it has been working really well.  I was somewhat hesitant on doing it because I didn't want him to contract all those viruses again and bring them home to his new baby brother but it hasn't been an issue (keeping my fingers crossed).  I admit its nice while its there because I can get a lot of work done around the house, work out and just spend some one-on-one time with Tyler.  So its been working really well for all of us. 

 

Other than that, we've been keeping busy and I have found some relief by keeping Hunter on a pretty strict regime here at the house.  Not that I didn't keep him on any type of schedule but I have just tuned it up more outside of his usual naptime and bedtime.  I have to thank my sister in law for this.  She is a pre-K teacher so she knows how well kids do when they have a more structured schedule.  I made notecards (nothing fancy) where I have written the word and a picture of what we will do next and made a little pocket where he puts them in when we switch activities.  Here is what I have:

 

• Whatever time he wakes to about 9:30 am (this time frame is for me because he obviously can't tell time)  - get dressed, eat breakfast, watch a little TV and playtime
• 9:30-11am - do an arts and crafts activity (this can range anywhere from painting to just simple coloring), snack and outside play
• 11 to 12:30 - lunchtime,  clean up  and naptime (my personal fave)
• whatever time he wakes - usually around 3 - snack, outside play or indoor play (I just let him pick).
• 5:30ish - dinnertime
• 6-8 pm - bath time, playtime and TV show if his choice (usually either Cars, Nemo or Barney)
• between 8-8:30 - Brush teeth, "googa"time and lights out!

I put this right at our kitchen where he sees it. 

Not that we didn't have some sort of schedule for him but having him actually put the new activity card in the pocket has really helped him have an easier time of switching activities so that there is no room for temper tantrums and there has been less Time Outs. This has taken about a week for me to see results but overall its worked pretty well.  There are times where we stretch some of the time frames or days where its raining and obviously we can't go outside so then I have to create something else for him to do.  Sometimes I even forget to have him change the card and he reminds me by running to it and having me find the card for him to put next.  So he really does pay attention to it.  That's my pat on the back when he does that. =) 

Love these boys.