Sunday, August 29, 2010

X-Box Talk

The video game gene doesn't fall far from the tree. Landon is already becoming attached to the x-box and the remote controls. I have heard stories and I have seen first hand his love for them. Anytime Adam is playing Landon has to have his remote control so he can "play" along too. It is really adorable and of course I love seeing the two of them spend time together no matter what the activity may be.




Little Boy

Landon is growing up so fast. He is turning into a little boy right before my very eyes. Today we spent the morning/afternoon shopping together and hanging out with family. Since we are gearing up for football season in our house Landon wore his football jersey tee and shorts. I love dressing him up in t-shirts it makes him look like a little boy instead of an baby/infant. Soon I will have to accept that he IS growing up and turning into a little boy. Good thing I like to procrastinate.




"To become a real boy you must prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish."  - Pinocchio

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Happy Anniversay/Happy Birthday Wishes

We went to a great dinner with family and friends to celebrate Grandpa and Grandma Walls' Wedding Anniversary. Happy Anniversary to you two. Thank you so much for including us in your celebration. You two are such a wonderful example of what love, marriage, and family are all about.

It is always nice spending time with family especially those that we don't get to see as often. Landon of course was a dream at the restaurant. He is so well behaved. We did leave a bit of a mess on the floor and he wasn't able to sit in his high chair through the whole dinner but other then that he was fantastic.

My Sweet




I also wanted to wish our cousin Austin a Happy 4th Birthday tomorrow! We hope you have a FUNtastic day!

Austin and Landon

Summer Reading List

At the beginning of the year I set a goal two books a month. I wanted to read one book that would be for fun and one that would fit either in the self-help or educational category. I don't think it is even necessary to say that I am still on the first book that I started in January. I started out with good intentions but I under estimated the power of a new baby.

I have decided that while we are at the beach for our first family vacation I will try and make up for lost time. I highly doubt that I will read the 16 books I need to make up for the first part of the year but I am going to try. There is nothing better to diving into a good book while soaking up the sun and listening to the waves.

Here are a few of my selections so far:


When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

 
 
In the tradition of A Walk to Remember, this is a story of a teenage girl and her first encounter with heartbreak and love.
Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside?down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church.


The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels first love, love between parents and children that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

 
 
Hannah (On Mystic Lake) goes a little too far into Lifetime movie territory in her latest, an epic exploration of the complicated terrain between best friends-one who chooses marriage and motherhood while the other opts for career and celebrity. The adventures of poor, ambitious Tully Hart and middle-class romantic Kate Mularkey begin in the 1970s, but don't really get moving until about halfway into the book, when Tully, who claws her way to the heights of broadcast journalism, discovers it's lonely at the top, and Katie, a stay-at-home Seattle housewife, forgets what it's like to be a rebellious teen. What holds the overlong narrative together is the appealing nature of Tully and Katie's devotion to one another even as they are repeatedly tested by jealousy and ambition. Katie's husband, Johnny, is smitten with Tully, and Tully, who is abandoned by her own booze-and-drug-addled mother, relishes the adoration from Katie's daughter, Marah. Hannah takes the easy way out with an over-the-top tear-jerker ending, though her upbeat message of the power of friendship and family will, for some readers, trump even the most contrived plot twists.
 
 
 


I also have a slight obsession with war history and the people who fought them. I find war stories so fascinating. Here are few books that I am considering as well. These men were featured characters in the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific"



Friday, August 20, 2010

Kohl's Krazy

I had so much fun shopping at Kohl's last night for Landon. I am really looking forward to the fall now so I can dress Landon up in all of his new digs. Thanks to my mom for the gift card Landon got for his birthday I was able to buy him a lot of cute play clothes for the fall. I am still looking for a few pairs of shoes and a couple more "dressier" outfits but I think his fall wardrobe is just about complete.

two sweatshirts
long sleeve shirts
<>
pants

Birthday Bonanza

We had the best time celebrating Landon's first birthday this past weekend. I want to thank everyone who came out to help us celebrate and all of your wonderful gifts. I hope everyone had as much fun as we did.

Anyone who has met Landon know that he is a character. He has such a fun and lively personality so I though what better way to celebrate his birthday than to have a Dr. Seuss theme. Dr. Seuss wrote about so many different characters and really brought them to life in his books that I thought it would be a perfect match. I was actually surprised at how difficult it was to find Dr. Seuss related items. I thought for sure with it's popularity I could find party related items everywhere but boy was I wrong. I did luck out at a few stores with decorations and party favors to create a cute little party.

I found a blog about another mother who threw a Dr. Seuss themed party for her son. She gave me the idea for our invitations. I copied her design/concept but I had to create the invitation from scratch. I also wrote the little poem.



I also created little bi-fold cards with Landon's photo and a Dr. Suess quote. If I wasn't such a procrastinator I would have added more details but I made these at 1:00 am the night before the party after making 70+ cupcakes. Needless to say I was happy the way they turned out considering they were done the 11th hour.




I thought it would be so much fun to have a birthday caked that looked like a Dr. Suess book. I was going to make it myself and do all the decorating. I knew it would add another great element to the party. Luckily I gave myself a reality check and decided to order one from the store and I think it turned out great. I wasn't sure about the yellow at first but it really popped on the red tablecloth.


I had hoped to take more pictures but I guess being the mom you don't really get the opportunity to. I was so busy making sure everyone and everything was ok I didn't pick my camera up once. I wanted to get a picture of Landon with every guest so that he would have a photo memory for his scrapbook but I didn't get to it. I am counting on family and friends to send me pictures of the party. So if you have any please e-mail them to me.

Here are a few photos I did manage to snag off of facebook already.

Kindermusik

I am so excited about Kindermusik! Landon is about to start taking kindermusik classes at daycare soon. If you haven't heard of it before it is a great program that combines music and dance and a lot of fun. My mom had mentioned it to me before and what a great program it is so I am really excited that Landon is going to be able to participate in a class of his own. He really responds to music and loves to "dance" and shake his little booty. I can't wait to see how he responds to the class.

If you are interested in participating in a class of your own you should check out their website. They offer a free preview class before you buy.

Here is quick right up from their website:



What is Kindermusik? It’s learning through music and movement.
Simply put, Kindermusik is a music and movement program for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, accompanied by a parent or caregiver.
In class, you’ll play, listen, sing (encouraged, but optional!), move, dance, and giggle with your child. It’s fun. Lots of fun. But the best part – your child will be learning and developing skills along the way. Each of our activities is designed to stimulate your child’s brain, strengthen developing neurons, build gross and fine motor skills, enhance social-emotional development, and much more.

A trained, licensed Kindermusik educator seamlessly guides the class from one activity to the next. With expertise in childhood development, she’ll help you understand what your child is gaining from Kindermusik. Our age-based curriculum combines the latest research with proven methods. If you’re familiar with music education pioneers such as Orff, Kodaly, and Suzuki, you’ll find their influence woven throughout Kindermusik.
Along with the classroom experience, you’ll also get our fantastic take-home materials. These materials help you bring the Kindermusik experience home, not only to continue the learning, but to continue all the fun!



www.kindermusik.com

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Child Proofing

My husband and I are a little behind on the child proofing of our home. It has been in the back of our minds for a while now but Landon has really only started moving the past couple months so we hadn't gotten around to it. I think now that he is one and on the verge of walking and has now learned to climb stairs it is becoming apparent that this will have to be done sooner than later.

I took some time to do some research today on what all we needed to do to protect Landon and create a safe envirnonment for him to play in. I am amazed on what all needs to be done to make your child safe in his own home.

Here are a few of the suggestions in the article I read:

•Crib slats should be no further than 2 3/8th inches apart to prevent baby's head from becoming entrapped.

•No soft bedding which can cause suffocation.
•Remove hanging cords from window blinds and treatments.
•Plug all outlets. The more complex the outlet plug the safer it is, but more frustrating to use.
•Store electrical items out of reach when not in use (irons, hair dryers, curling irons, etc.)
•Install toilet lids that lock. This prevents baby from playing in the toilet and getting hurt or drowning.
•Poisons, including medications, should be stored high up where the baby or toddler can't find it. These should also have safety lids in case your kid out smarts you.
•Your water heater should be no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
•All baby items should have straps that go around the waist and between the legs to prevent baby from slipping out. This goes for high chairs, carriers, swings, etc.
•Install fire extinguishers.
•Soften all the hard and sharp corners of tables, the hearth etc.
•Drawers that you do not want the baby in have clasps or baby proofed closures. You might even consider this for the fridge.
•Door locks and hinge protectors are also good ideas for doors to rooms and closets.
•Have a plan for removing small objects from around the house every day.


If you are interested in learning more here is another great article that goes into more detail on child proofing.

http://babyparenting.about.com/od/healthandsafety/a/babyproofing.htm

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Lucky One

I am definitely one of the lucky ones. I have the best family hands down that anyone could ask for. My husband and I have been married for four years this past June and last year we brought our beautiful son Landon into the world. We don't have all the riches in the world but we have managed to create a loving home for the four of us to share. Everyday brings new challenges and adventures. I hope to share our stories as we embrace them and face them as a family.

I must admit this is my third attempt at blogging. I won't make any promises but I do hope to write a little note everyday. The little moments that occur from day to day are so special and are sometimes forgotten over time. I hope that keeping the blog and recording those moments I will not only be able to share them with you but also hold onto them longer for myself.



Landon, age 1
Savannah 3 1/5



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