Elem has not been one to like all kinds of cartoons, although dont get me wrong he has enjoyed his fair share. He has just been kind of picky with what he will actually sit down and watch and really be interested in. I would say the only 2 true cartoon loves he has had, which I have mentioned before are The Backyardagains and Dora. Those tend to rank highest in the past with us (and Barney if you can count that!) but now I introduce to you, a new love for Little Einsteins! He seriously learned this song leading into the show after about 6 episodes. It is so funny. He usually is a little more into it but will never let me catch him with the camera. So this will have to do. But this is sweet. he is trying and seriously does know every single word.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
I'm just sayin'
Elem has really gotten to the point where I don't even notice when he says new words anymore because it seems like every day he says some gigantic words or crazily thought out phrases that I can't believe he is using. Hard to image how much knowledge is crammed into this little person:
Here are a couple of examples:
"Hey guys, this is really a dangerous trick-you got to be careful or you might get hurt!"....insert amazing jump or acrobatic trick or breakdance move.
"Mom, you look so beautiful in your new shirt. I really like it. Did you get that from Target? "
"Dad, did you see that totally awesome throw when Ryan Mallett threw the ball to Joe Adams and he caught it? Thats gonna be me dad, I'm gonna get a touchdown just like him!"
"Mom, we live in Bryant, AR and we like the Bryant Hornets and the Arkansas Razorbacks and Ryan Mallett-the blue teams and the red teams, not those other teams. "
Thats just a small idea of the kind of things he says all day long every single day-not to mention a zillion why questions, which I am happy to say, that I still answer each and every one-hence my little pack that I made with myself, that I would always go out of my way to do that. However, there are 2 words that he has always used, but have just recently been switched up and I don't think he even realizes he is dong it. I know it is kind of silly, but he has changed so much and gotten so big and grown up, that it kind of makes me smile inside because it reminds me that he is still a little kiss. And even though when you look at him you might think he was like 5 years old, but when you hear his sweet little raspy voice saying words just a little bit off, it kind of melts your heart and makes you remember he is just barely 3 years old. :)
Lately he has been saying...."evenly" for the word even. This morning he said,
"Mom, I don't evenly know what you are talking about, so you're gonna have to tell me what you mean" hehe
He has also been say..."renember" for the word remember. He ALWAYS says,
"Moooooom, you renember? It is so sweet it is almost disgusting! Seriously.
Those are just a couple of things I wanted to remember. Crazy to think how much his vocabulary is building every day. We still read books like mad, have long talks and question and answer times throughout the day where we answer like 20 questions in a rown because he is curious about something, and spell a ton of words out because he wants to know how they are spelled. He is on a kick where he wants to spell all kinds of colors, my name, Cecilia's name, and a bunch of other random words that he thinks of on the spot. Its cute, and again, just cool to think what is going on in that little mind of his.
Here are a couple of examples:
"Hey guys, this is really a dangerous trick-you got to be careful or you might get hurt!"....insert amazing jump or acrobatic trick or breakdance move.
"Mom, you look so beautiful in your new shirt. I really like it. Did you get that from Target? "
"Dad, did you see that totally awesome throw when Ryan Mallett threw the ball to Joe Adams and he caught it? Thats gonna be me dad, I'm gonna get a touchdown just like him!"
"Mom, we live in Bryant, AR and we like the Bryant Hornets and the Arkansas Razorbacks and Ryan Mallett-the blue teams and the red teams, not those other teams. "
Thats just a small idea of the kind of things he says all day long every single day-not to mention a zillion why questions, which I am happy to say, that I still answer each and every one-hence my little pack that I made with myself, that I would always go out of my way to do that. However, there are 2 words that he has always used, but have just recently been switched up and I don't think he even realizes he is dong it. I know it is kind of silly, but he has changed so much and gotten so big and grown up, that it kind of makes me smile inside because it reminds me that he is still a little kiss. And even though when you look at him you might think he was like 5 years old, but when you hear his sweet little raspy voice saying words just a little bit off, it kind of melts your heart and makes you remember he is just barely 3 years old. :)
Lately he has been saying...."evenly" for the word even. This morning he said,
"Mom, I don't evenly know what you are talking about, so you're gonna have to tell me what you mean" hehe
He has also been say..."renember" for the word remember. He ALWAYS says,
"Moooooom, you renember? It is so sweet it is almost disgusting! Seriously.
Those are just a couple of things I wanted to remember. Crazy to think how much his vocabulary is building every day. We still read books like mad, have long talks and question and answer times throughout the day where we answer like 20 questions in a rown because he is curious about something, and spell a ton of words out because he wants to know how they are spelled. He is on a kick where he wants to spell all kinds of colors, my name, Cecilia's name, and a bunch of other random words that he thinks of on the spot. Its cute, and again, just cool to think what is going on in that little mind of his.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Early Fall Swim
Did somebody say swim????
Amazingly enough the weather has still been good enough to swim! Our family LOVES to spend time in the water-be it a lake, a swimming pool, a baby pool, or the ocean! ill take it any way I can get it (unless its chilly outside and then I am a chicken and only go in up to my waist, but still!) We love us some pool time. So glad Elem has continued to love the water too. This summer I really wanted to get him swimming lessons, but ended up missing out. He is still in that phase where he doesnt really want to go off with people unless he knows them, and the 3 year old swimming lessons were the ones where the parents didn't get to go with the kids, so I wasn't too sure about how that would work. I am positive he is going to be getting some lessons next summer though! I want him to know how to swim as early as possible, just to ensure he has a great love and understanding for the water and what not. Over the course of the summer Elem went from swimming with floaties, to just taking them off and standing up on his own in grammy and poppas pool and jumping around and getting around any way he could. He can't actually "swim" per say, but he can make his way around or hitch a ride from me or Seth and is totally fine. He loves jumping in and climbing on the later and is totally fearless-until he goes under. And then it takes him a second to shake it off and get the eyes focused, then he is ready to go again. In the baby pool-he is a mad man, and thats all I will say about that! He is like a dare devil, and does all kinds of crazy tricks and flips, and goes under like crazy. It is so funny to watch! And I forgot to mention that he likes to cram as many water guns, buckets, water hose, random toy cars, etc. etc. into the teeny tiny baby pool...I guess because it just makes it that much more fun. Uhm, and then I try to squeeze in there too-so usually a tight fit, but TONS of fun. And the slide makes for a perfect head rest when trying to lay out and cool off. Note to self.
Here are some swimming pictures from recent! I had to post because this could be tha last chance to go swimming. Its a little weird to be enjoying football season and thinking about heading outside for a dip in the pool-so we are most likely heading on into just playing outside rather than cooling off in the pool.
Here is Elem and his little friend Rowyn. Both of them loving the water-and if I remember correctly most likely naked because it was a spur f the moment. swim! Oh well. :) Rowyn is Uncle Spoons little boy and looks exactly like him-except for the red hair and pale skin! hehe.
Elem and Cecilia trying to paddle to the other side on their "boat".
Ahhh, just chillin and soakin up some sun after a long days work in the pool. Too cute.
Good bye swimming pools and hello colored leaves and football jerseys!!!!
Amazingly enough the weather has still been good enough to swim! Our family LOVES to spend time in the water-be it a lake, a swimming pool, a baby pool, or the ocean! ill take it any way I can get it (unless its chilly outside and then I am a chicken and only go in up to my waist, but still!) We love us some pool time. So glad Elem has continued to love the water too. This summer I really wanted to get him swimming lessons, but ended up missing out. He is still in that phase where he doesnt really want to go off with people unless he knows them, and the 3 year old swimming lessons were the ones where the parents didn't get to go with the kids, so I wasn't too sure about how that would work. I am positive he is going to be getting some lessons next summer though! I want him to know how to swim as early as possible, just to ensure he has a great love and understanding for the water and what not. Over the course of the summer Elem went from swimming with floaties, to just taking them off and standing up on his own in grammy and poppas pool and jumping around and getting around any way he could. He can't actually "swim" per say, but he can make his way around or hitch a ride from me or Seth and is totally fine. He loves jumping in and climbing on the later and is totally fearless-until he goes under. And then it takes him a second to shake it off and get the eyes focused, then he is ready to go again. In the baby pool-he is a mad man, and thats all I will say about that! He is like a dare devil, and does all kinds of crazy tricks and flips, and goes under like crazy. It is so funny to watch! And I forgot to mention that he likes to cram as many water guns, buckets, water hose, random toy cars, etc. etc. into the teeny tiny baby pool...I guess because it just makes it that much more fun. Uhm, and then I try to squeeze in there too-so usually a tight fit, but TONS of fun. And the slide makes for a perfect head rest when trying to lay out and cool off. Note to self.
Here are some swimming pictures from recent! I had to post because this could be tha last chance to go swimming. Its a little weird to be enjoying football season and thinking about heading outside for a dip in the pool-so we are most likely heading on into just playing outside rather than cooling off in the pool.
Here is Elem and his little friend Rowyn. Both of them loving the water-and if I remember correctly most likely naked because it was a spur f the moment. swim! Oh well. :) Rowyn is Uncle Spoons little boy and looks exactly like him-except for the red hair and pale skin! hehe.
Elem and Cecilia trying to paddle to the other side on their "boat".
Ahhh, just chillin and soakin up some sun after a long days work in the pool. Too cute.
Good bye swimming pools and hello colored leaves and football jerseys!!!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Elem's 1st Day of Preschool
Off he goes......
I mentioned before that one of the BIGGEST things going on with us starting in August was the introduction of Elem to his new Preschool. Elem attends Geyer Springs First Baptist Church Preschool 5 days a week! This is a huge transition for us and I could not be more proud of how Elem has handled this huge life change. Since he was 2 months old, he has spent just about every single second with me and our family. He has gone to school at the shelter, only being a few seconds away from me at most, or staid with immediate family, and even that has been limited. So when I say it was a big transition for him, I mean it was BIG. (For Seth and I as well). We have purposely not "left" Elem with anyone else just for our own preference and that being said, he hasn't really had the experience of being "babysat" by a stranger or even close family friend. Yes, we are kind of kicking ourself for that now, seeing as we haven' actually been out together just the 2 of us in forever, but it was well worth it for knowing that Elem was safe and we were spending every second that we could with him.
Seth and I both went to take Elem to school on the first day, and luckily had been able to meet with his teacher a couple of weeks before to ease some nerves and allow him a chance to see the room and get a feel for the place. To make things even a little better, his cousin and BFF, Cecilia, is in the same class. :) We didn't even plan it that way it just happened, so we went with it. Cecilia only attends 3 days a week, so they see each other just enough. Unfortunately, his school doesnt allow the kids to bring backpacks, and there is no need for lunch boxes, so I didnt get to get that ever so loved "first day of school with new backpack and school supplies" picture! So I had to take what I could get. Elem is still in this phase where he doesnt want me to take pictures of him-I dont understand it-so I have to take what I can get. And Seth thinks I am crazy for taking so many pictures, but I still try! These are a little gloomy for some reason, but it is safe to say the place was night and perky and full of little faces when we walked in.
On our way in-
Uhm-Mom? Dad? Are you sure you think I should go in here?
First things first-gotta wash our hands and get our name tag so the teachers will know who we are :) I had to make SURE everyone knew is his name was Elem (like L-M-N-O-P) and not EEElem with a long E. That drives me crazy.
Here he is on the bulletin board-he is the only kid that had a silly picture-go figure. Goes right along with his personality. ha!
And what do you know....look who is in the same table group together....
He went right on in and started playing with the manipulatives at the table and started talking to his teacher, Ms. Tracy. He was totally ready, and way more ready for us to go than I was. I seriously had planned on staying for AT LEAST 30 minutes and we pretty much left after 10! He told us he loved us and gave us lots of hugs and kisses and he was good to go. We told him Cecilia was on her way to school to and she would be there in just a couple of minutes and he was good to go with that.
On our way out, we found little miss sunshine, all perky and very happy for her First Day of School Pic to be taken!
I am so proud of Elem, there were no tears, no sad faces, no running out the door or anything! The whole first week went just like this, until Ms. Tracy was late one morning, and that was a whole different story. I wont go into how I started tearing up(crying really) because how Elem was crying and I had to leave him with a stranger!!! Because other than that he has just done so well! he is the second biggest kid in his class and his teachers love him! He does great at school and is well mannered and from what I hear from the teachers, has only had to go to time out once since he started! So thats a great report for me! Mommy's little boy is growing up so fast!
I mentioned before that one of the BIGGEST things going on with us starting in August was the introduction of Elem to his new Preschool. Elem attends Geyer Springs First Baptist Church Preschool 5 days a week! This is a huge transition for us and I could not be more proud of how Elem has handled this huge life change. Since he was 2 months old, he has spent just about every single second with me and our family. He has gone to school at the shelter, only being a few seconds away from me at most, or staid with immediate family, and even that has been limited. So when I say it was a big transition for him, I mean it was BIG. (For Seth and I as well). We have purposely not "left" Elem with anyone else just for our own preference and that being said, he hasn't really had the experience of being "babysat" by a stranger or even close family friend. Yes, we are kind of kicking ourself for that now, seeing as we haven' actually been out together just the 2 of us in forever, but it was well worth it for knowing that Elem was safe and we were spending every second that we could with him.
Seth and I both went to take Elem to school on the first day, and luckily had been able to meet with his teacher a couple of weeks before to ease some nerves and allow him a chance to see the room and get a feel for the place. To make things even a little better, his cousin and BFF, Cecilia, is in the same class. :) We didn't even plan it that way it just happened, so we went with it. Cecilia only attends 3 days a week, so they see each other just enough. Unfortunately, his school doesnt allow the kids to bring backpacks, and there is no need for lunch boxes, so I didnt get to get that ever so loved "first day of school with new backpack and school supplies" picture! So I had to take what I could get. Elem is still in this phase where he doesnt want me to take pictures of him-I dont understand it-so I have to take what I can get. And Seth thinks I am crazy for taking so many pictures, but I still try! These are a little gloomy for some reason, but it is safe to say the place was night and perky and full of little faces when we walked in.
On our way in-
Uhm-Mom? Dad? Are you sure you think I should go in here?
First things first-gotta wash our hands and get our name tag so the teachers will know who we are :) I had to make SURE everyone knew is his name was Elem (like L-M-N-O-P) and not EEElem with a long E. That drives me crazy.
Here he is on the bulletin board-he is the only kid that had a silly picture-go figure. Goes right along with his personality. ha!
And what do you know....look who is in the same table group together....
He went right on in and started playing with the manipulatives at the table and started talking to his teacher, Ms. Tracy. He was totally ready, and way more ready for us to go than I was. I seriously had planned on staying for AT LEAST 30 minutes and we pretty much left after 10! He told us he loved us and gave us lots of hugs and kisses and he was good to go. We told him Cecilia was on her way to school to and she would be there in just a couple of minutes and he was good to go with that.
On our way out, we found little miss sunshine, all perky and very happy for her First Day of School Pic to be taken!
I am so proud of Elem, there were no tears, no sad faces, no running out the door or anything! The whole first week went just like this, until Ms. Tracy was late one morning, and that was a whole different story. I wont go into how I started tearing up(crying really) because how Elem was crying and I had to leave him with a stranger!!! Because other than that he has just done so well! he is the second biggest kid in his class and his teachers love him! He does great at school and is well mannered and from what I hear from the teachers, has only had to go to time out once since he started! So thats a great report for me! Mommy's little boy is growing up so fast!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Good-Bye Summer-Hello School...
This post has been a while coming! I have been SO busy with all the changes that have been going on in my life, and I have majorly had to make some adjustments to timing and what I do in the little bit of free time that I have. I hate hate hate that blogging has taken a backseat and I haven't been able to document and keep up with everything as much as I was before. This is my ONLY form of scrap booking (unless you count ALL the tons of stuff I have saved in Elem's closet waiting patiently to be put in an actual book) :) that I use to keep memories and things in a timely order, and totally serves as a journal and outlet for me. So I really am going to try to commit more time to it because I know when I look back I am really going to regret not jotting down some of the little things that I love so much. For starters, our family ended the summer and kissed the 107 degree temperatures goodbye, with mixed emotions! I love the summer-swimming, the sunshine, pretty flowers, and all the school age kids at the shelter, but at the same time-enough heat is enough! The shelter summer program ended on July 31st and we had our annual graduation that gives the kids and the staff some closure!
Here is just a COUPLE of pics from the summer of Elem and I and our time with the kids at the shelter! I am so thankful he has been able to be a part of this culture and been able to come away with so many friends and good experiences! I think it has really contributed to who he is as a person (even though he is a little person). :) And even though it was really hard to work and have him there with me, again I just wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Even though I am still a part of Our House, Elem has recently moved on! In the pics you will see where he has made so many good friends, and definitely feels himself at home within the shelter and its programs. Awesome! And to top it off, he found his first true love...Ms. Caroline. She was one of my employees for the summer program, and the FIRST EVER teacher/person, Elem willingly wanted to leave me for to spend the day with. I am not shocked at all that he chose such a beautiful girl, inside and out! He has good taste. The first pic(once the slideshow gets started) is my favorite-Ms. Caroline missed the graduation and couldn't be there but Elem was sure to find a pic of her and hold on to it tight and even made it home with it!
I didn't realize you had to click onto a new page to watch the whole thing, so if you dont want to watch the slideshow, here is the pic of Elem and Ms. Caroline:
How can you not smile, right? Hehe. So sweet. Moving right along- here are a few updates that are going on in our lives! I am officially in Nursing School Full Time at UALR! Thats right, I finally took the plunge and decided to go back to school. :) I am super excited about making a shift in my career and I know it is a good choice for our family. Although, it is already proving to be seriously hard work, which I knew it would, it will be so worth it. I have been taking classes for a little over a year now, and going back as a "grown up" if you will, is way better! I really like going to school and I am super annoying in that I want to make an "A" in everything. However, it is difficult to find time to study with a kid around, so I kind of have to make do and have done some major shifting around with my schedule to make that happen. That being said, I am officially, part time at Our House Shelter. Which makes me sad because there could never be enough hours in the day to do my job, much less do it in a limited amount of time! So I just kind of have to do what I can in the time I am there. In addition to that, I took a huge step and got another job as well-I know I am insane! At Arkansas Children's Hospital, as a Patient Activity Specialist, where I basically play and provide activities, etc. for children in the hospital. It can range from bed side activities, to holding toddlers and reading to them, to organizing a playroom. I love it! That job is just a Zero Base job which means they call me and ask me if I can work when they have people needing to take off. Of course there is plenty of that! So I try to work about 1 shift a week or so. I know it was a huge risk in doing that, but I wanted to get my foot in the door at a hospital and really get some hands on training so I would feel comfortable when I was put in that atmosphere in clinicals. And I am so glad I did. Hopefully, when I graduate, I will be able to get a job a TINY bit easier with the hope that they hire within much faster that outside. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. And finally, Elem has started preschool at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church. He is officially a big boy and it was SO difficult for me to let this happen. I am very stubborn in my ways and controlling with the whole parenting thing-and even though I willfully admit it, it has been super hard for me to let go and let someone else do some of the teaching to our kid! And I mean SUPER hard. Ill go more into his school on the next post! Overall the shift in these lifestyle changes has gone pretty smooth with the exception of some serious role reversal on the part of me and Seth in regards to who is at home and who is at work, and with some severe exhaustion going on! We are so excited and happy about where our family is headed, so keep us in your prayers and send your positive thoughts our way, because we need it. And we are a little more on the poor side these days, so we don't really do much outside the house, but since we have about 2 more years of that ahead, it hasnt really made too much of an impact on our life! ha! For today, all are happy, healthy, and in good spirits!
Here is just a COUPLE of pics from the summer of Elem and I and our time with the kids at the shelter! I am so thankful he has been able to be a part of this culture and been able to come away with so many friends and good experiences! I think it has really contributed to who he is as a person (even though he is a little person). :) And even though it was really hard to work and have him there with me, again I just wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Even though I am still a part of Our House, Elem has recently moved on! In the pics you will see where he has made so many good friends, and definitely feels himself at home within the shelter and its programs. Awesome! And to top it off, he found his first true love...Ms. Caroline. She was one of my employees for the summer program, and the FIRST EVER teacher/person, Elem willingly wanted to leave me for to spend the day with. I am not shocked at all that he chose such a beautiful girl, inside and out! He has good taste. The first pic(once the slideshow gets started) is my favorite-Ms. Caroline missed the graduation and couldn't be there but Elem was sure to find a pic of her and hold on to it tight and even made it home with it!
 |
 |
| Free slideshow design customized with Smilebox |
I didn't realize you had to click onto a new page to watch the whole thing, so if you dont want to watch the slideshow, here is the pic of Elem and Ms. Caroline:
How can you not smile, right? Hehe. So sweet. Moving right along- here are a few updates that are going on in our lives! I am officially in Nursing School Full Time at UALR! Thats right, I finally took the plunge and decided to go back to school. :) I am super excited about making a shift in my career and I know it is a good choice for our family. Although, it is already proving to be seriously hard work, which I knew it would, it will be so worth it. I have been taking classes for a little over a year now, and going back as a "grown up" if you will, is way better! I really like going to school and I am super annoying in that I want to make an "A" in everything. However, it is difficult to find time to study with a kid around, so I kind of have to make do and have done some major shifting around with my schedule to make that happen. That being said, I am officially, part time at Our House Shelter. Which makes me sad because there could never be enough hours in the day to do my job, much less do it in a limited amount of time! So I just kind of have to do what I can in the time I am there. In addition to that, I took a huge step and got another job as well-I know I am insane! At Arkansas Children's Hospital, as a Patient Activity Specialist, where I basically play and provide activities, etc. for children in the hospital. It can range from bed side activities, to holding toddlers and reading to them, to organizing a playroom. I love it! That job is just a Zero Base job which means they call me and ask me if I can work when they have people needing to take off. Of course there is plenty of that! So I try to work about 1 shift a week or so. I know it was a huge risk in doing that, but I wanted to get my foot in the door at a hospital and really get some hands on training so I would feel comfortable when I was put in that atmosphere in clinicals. And I am so glad I did. Hopefully, when I graduate, I will be able to get a job a TINY bit easier with the hope that they hire within much faster that outside. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. And finally, Elem has started preschool at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church. He is officially a big boy and it was SO difficult for me to let this happen. I am very stubborn in my ways and controlling with the whole parenting thing-and even though I willfully admit it, it has been super hard for me to let go and let someone else do some of the teaching to our kid! And I mean SUPER hard. Ill go more into his school on the next post! Overall the shift in these lifestyle changes has gone pretty smooth with the exception of some serious role reversal on the part of me and Seth in regards to who is at home and who is at work, and with some severe exhaustion going on! We are so excited and happy about where our family is headed, so keep us in your prayers and send your positive thoughts our way, because we need it. And we are a little more on the poor side these days, so we don't really do much outside the house, but since we have about 2 more years of that ahead, it hasnt really made too much of an impact on our life! ha! For today, all are happy, healthy, and in good spirits!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The stand off
And I mean the stand off between Sage, and ALL the other dogs that Seth's "shelby" side of the family has decided to add o the brute. Okay so I am a dog lover. Don't get me wrong. I love animals, -of all kinds, except those that are like insects or bite me for some reason. You have a pet, Ill love it, you have a dog, Ill pet it, a cat, Ill hold it, etc. But lately, the canine population with our family and friends has surplused to the point of obsurdness!
Ali and Dustin have had on the upward side of 5 dogs living in their house over the course of the summer and Seth's parents have had 3. I am happy to say that we are sticking with one! Sage. And only Sage. She may be 9 and 1/2 and strong in her ways, but gosh darn she is a good little dog and doesnt expect much more than a little lovin when you walk in the door, and a Dingo Bone every single night around 8pm. :) hehe. And by the way, IS Elem's best friend and sister. Best big sis in the whole wide world.
Ali and Dustin have had on the upward side of 5 dogs living in their house over the course of the summer and Seth's parents have had 3. I am happy to say that we are sticking with one! Sage. And only Sage. She may be 9 and 1/2 and strong in her ways, but gosh darn she is a good little dog and doesnt expect much more than a little lovin when you walk in the door, and a Dingo Bone every single night around 8pm. :) hehe. And by the way, IS Elem's best friend and sister. Best big sis in the whole wide world.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
