I know, I know…I’ve been out of commission for….2 months now. Then I all of a sudden pop up out of nowhere to say MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hopefully after the holidays I will once again be able to post at least weekly!
Jenna, Scarlett, and Charlie ~ 2006
Today my dad and step-mom came to visit us and the kids. And how can the grandparents come without wanting to taking a trip on over to Toys-R-Us?? In the check-out line, after the kids each picked out a toy, Deby spotted some bubbles and decided to get those for them as well. When we got home, we all went out back to test out these new amazing bubbles…and amazing they were! There was no popping these suckers! They would land in our hair and stayed until you brushed them off. My dad demonstrated that you could actually BOUNCE them off one another! He also ran around the yard (being the kid that he is) to collect and stack his bubbles. I think he and Deby had more fun with them than the kids did! So here they are….the magnificent, incredible, unpoppable….”Catch-A-Bubble“!!! (On my dad’s fingertip, of course)
We were invited to a lovely Labor Day picnic at Maclay Gardens with our good friends, Tassy, Jeremy and their children, Caroline and Charlotte. I just recently got this one developed, which was taken with my old 35mm, and fell in love with it. Charlie and Caroline wanted to go down by the water before we had to leave. The expressions on both of their faces are priceless. It’s hard to believe by looking at this picture that Charlie had a massive meltdown right after this was taken. He didn’t want to leave! Who can blame him, it was a good day!
Lately I’ve been extra motivated to teach my son, who just turned 3, how to read. It never even dawned on me that he would even be capable of doing this at such a young age until one of my friend’s informed me that her 3 year old can read. So in July I began to really teach him the sounds that each letter makes and recognition of each letter. (Leap Frog Fridge Phonics was a great help) Obviously, I’m no expert and I’m not professionally educated in this area, but hey, they worked! Hopefully somebody will read this and will find it helpful. Anyway, here are the different things I have been doing with him (and he loves it!):
~ ABC notebook- I bought a cheap spiral notebook, rounded up some old parenting magazines, and broke out the scissors and glue. Each page in the notebook is assigned a different letter. The first page being “Aa”, we browsed through the magazines looking for any “Aa’s” and pictures that begin with the letter “Aa”. I’d cut them out and glue ‘em on the page, making a very creative “Aa” collage. He loves doing this, but usually only stays focused for about 15 minutes or so.
~ Letter of the day- On blank white stickers (nametags, labels) I’d write a new letter (upper and lower case) everyday and we’d each wear one. Throughout the day I’d ask him what letter we were wearing, have him point out something in the house that begins with that letter…etc. If he couldn’t remember, I’d have him trot into the kitchen to his handy Fridge Phonics to find out. He would get very excited every morning and would remind me if I forgot to get give him his letter. After awhile, I’d let him choose the letter of the day.
~ “-at” words- I got this idea from my good friend. Think of a bunch of different “-at” words such as “pat”, “cat”, “bat” and write them down one at a time. Have your child make the sound of each letter and put the sounds together. I was sitting at the table feeding Scarlett and doing this with Charlie at the same time, not thinking anything would really happen. Well, IT DID!!! He read “bat” and “hat” all by himself! It was truly one of the coolest moments in my parenting so far. I got all teary-eyed and he jumped into my lap (before I even had a chance to praise him!) to give me a huge hug because he was so proud of himself.
~ Storytime- Whenever I read to him, I ask him questions about the story/pictures after each page I read. I think this helps him understand the story a little better and he gets to voice his opinions/thoughts about the book and characters. Also, I sometimes hand him a book and tell him to read it to me. He loves doing this, he feels important and smart (which he is, of course) and although he can’t read all the words, he is able to tell a story by looking at a picture.
Some people might think, “Damn, give it a rest, he’s only three!”, but it’s such a wonderful time spent with your child. Charlie loves it and gets so proud of himself. It’s also pretty neat to sit back and watch him teach Jenna all the stuff he knows. They will go to the fridge, put in letter after letter and sing “ABC’s” over and over!
What greater gift can you (help) give to your child, than the ability to read?
My best friend, Jill, had her third, beautiful child September 29th, 06 at 9:06 am. Olivia weighs 6 lbs 12oz., is 18 and 1/4 inches long, and looks just like her big sister, Maddie! Congratulations Noble family! I love you guys and can’t wait to meet your newest (and perfect) addition.
Olivia Grace
Chris, Brayden, Jill, Madison, and Olivia
This was an awesome experience for my kids and myself. I had never been to a butterfly garden and it was so magical! We walked into this small greenhouse where there were over 500 butterflies fluttering about. They would land on us and we could also lure them with a gotorade soaked q-tip. Here’s a pic of a proud Charlie with his butterfly.
Charlie at the park…he is one handsome little boy. I think he gets sick of me taking pictures of him all the time! Oh well, he’s just going to have to deal with it! He’ll thank me one day… (oh, and that’s Eric in the top left corner)
We took the kids to the park the other day…even though it was MISERABLY hot outside…and Scarlett got to go in a REAL swing for the first time. She LOVED it! Every time we go to a park, she is in awe of everything. She laughs at any big movement, like kids in swings, or a kid running by, etc. So here’s a quick shot I was able to get…
My husband, Eric, captured this special little bonding moment between Lola and Scarlett the other day. As much as my dog can really piss me off, I must say she is sooo great with the kids! Charlie can crawl over that poor dog and she just sits there or plays with him. Lola will take a lot of crap. I’ve come up with a few nicknames for her over the couple years we’ve had her: Lol-er, Little Lolita, Lol-a-roni, and Mr. Belvedere (it sounds SORT OF like “Mr. Velvet Ears” (I know, it’s pushin’ it. But it’s fun to say!)
A few posts down, I blogged a picture of Scarlett in a shirt that says, “Bush is just like my diaper. Full of Poop!” I’d just like to spread the word about my friend’s (Rachel) business, Kustomized Kids. She is a stay-at-home mamma, doing this mostly for fun (and, hey, a little extra money on the side doesn’t hurt!). She has a wide-range of topics/designs including Natural Parenting, Seasonal, Babies and Kids with Attitude, Pregnancy, Wedding, Kustom Kids (for children with special needs), Birthday, and Personalized. She is also more than willing to take requests if she doesn’t already have something you’re looking for! Anyway, go check it out! They make GREAT gifts!!! Here are just a handful of her designs.
Was going through some old photos and came across this one taken by my dad. If I remember correctly, it was taken around 1986-ish which would make me four, and Jodi two (Jodi’s on the left, I’m on the right). Also, I’m pretty sure we were living in Panama City at the time. It’s always been a favorite of mine, so I thought I’d share. Miss and love you, Jodi!
