It's a little TOO quiet...

As most moms will tell you, quiet is often a bad thing. Unless your child is asleep, quiet means they are likely very interested in something... and that something isn't always something you want them interested in. Either that or they don't want to get caught doing whatever it is they're doing. In those "oh, that's nice, Drew is playing quietly... wait... it's a little TOO quiet" moments I have found Drew pulling knives and/or scissors out of the dishwasher; he  has disappeared all the way upstairs (when I wasn't fully aware that he could climb a set of stairs on his own);  and I found him coming out of the bathroom with Jason's wireless mouse- "phew... I caught him just in time... oh wait... is that water dripping from the mouse? Crap!"

But actually, more often than not, I peak around a corner to find something like the sights I found tonight while cooking dinner...

My little genius playing with his abacus

This one actually could get dangerous, but he's been
enjoying emptying and filling the crayon box.

Both of these photos were captured in true "uh oh.. what is he up to now?" moments. Not pictured was the first "it's too quiet moment" which led to me pulling out the camera in the first place- I found him sitting in his play room, surrounded by toys, but with a book open in his lap. He was happily "reading" it to himself. :)

Water bug

I've been meaning to post these pictures for a while! I tried to post them on Wednesday as a Wordless Wednesday but they would NOT upload. I even closed the browsers, opened it again, and it still wouldn't work. I wasn't patient enough to restart the whole computer and intended to try again later, but... well... you know... at least now you get to read words! ;)

Getting in the pool

Picking out a toy

Dad's so silly when he blows bubbles!

The lifeguards are too distracting!

Doing our assignment- jumping into the pool!

Wheeee!

Seriously, the lifeguards were too much of a distraction for Drew. Any time he saw one just HAD to smile and wave until he got their attention!



Swim classes were fun. We didn't accomplish a whole lot except getting him comfortable in the water. He didn't learn to blow bubbles, or dunk his head, or kick his feet, but he's not even 1, so I think that's just fine! Actually, the best day was the last day because they let us play in the "water park" area. It was great because there were really shallow parts where Drew could walk around. There was a net thing that he climbed. And the best part was the water sprayers- he loved playing with them, but hated how they sprayed him in the face. But they were just too alluring and by the end of class he was soaking his face with the water and didn't even care! When we rinsed off in the shower afterward it was sooo much easier because he wasn't trying to claw me to get away from the water. Even bath time has been easier because if water drips off his head onto his face, it doesn't bother him anymore either. That's success in my book!

Making music

For real this time! Not this kind of music...



(Can you even remember him when he was that small!?!?!)

This kind of music!

(It absolutely amazes me how much babies change and grow in one short year!!)

He had a blast and was entertained for quite a while! I was even able to make a batch of purple pesto!! Okay, more like brown pesto, but I used my purple basil leaves! The problem is many of my leaves were turning greenish (as you can see on the tip of the leaf pictured, but that leaf was far more purple than most of them).

In any case, I've found a fun activity, and some awesomely loud pans. The trick is to only pull this out every so often so it's still a novel activity and not a "mom obviously wants to distract me, again" kind of thing.

Wanted: Fun Ideas

I am looking for some fun things I can do with my soon-to-be-one-year-old. I am enjoying having plenty of time to spend with him this summer, but I am finding myself running out of ideas (and, sometimes, patience) when it comes to keeping him entertained. And keeping this boy entertained is a must! He's at a very fun stage where he's curious and mobile... but this can also lead to a lot of trouble! Picture boy trying to climb pantry shelves! Having fun things to do keeps him occupied and out of trouble, and keeps me sane! The problem is, though he's at a fun curious stage, he's also at a stage where nothing captures his attention for long. He's also too young for a lot of fun activities like art projects and games.

Our typical day consists of these oh-so-fun activities...
Playing with toys- stackable cups, blocks, balls, stuffed animals, puppets, etc.
Playing with non-toys- the foods in the pantry, the pots and pans, even the recycling bin sometimes (cans make fun noises).
Going for walks up and down the street (Drew doing the walking) or around the house when it's ridiculously hot outside.

I try to change it up and get out of the house from time to time....
We run errands.
We go to the park.
We took swim lessons.
But it's just. too. HOT outside for getting out and about. I went to the park at 6:30 pm and had sweat dripping (yes, DRIPPING, that doesn't happen to me!) down just about every bit of my skin. My shirt even had that sexy wet trail between my boobs! Fabulous!

We've tried a few creative activities...
We've painted (fun for every once in a while, but not every day!!)
We've colored (he was NOT interested)
We've tried play-dough, bubbles, even bowls of water to play with.
All are fun, but haven't really captured his attention for more than... oh... 2 minutes?

What else is there to do? I don't mind messy! I would love any kind of suggestions you have! Indoor activities at home? Places to take him (that are suitable for a one-year-old)? Things we can do together? Things he can do alone so I get some household things done?

What do you do with a one year old??

Beautiful photo thanks to Doll Eye's Photography
You can just tell Drew's ready to move!

Foresight is 20/20?

I seem to be developing some psychic powers this week...

First, there were the "cutless" folders. I was organizing some things on my desk, so I grabbed a few folders from this box of "CutLess Folders". I thought to myself, "do people really get paper cuts from folders often enough that there is a need for 'cutless' ones?" only a few minutes before I got a really deep paper cut from one of them on my pinky finger. (Not so "cutless"!)

Then, there was the clothes rack fiasco. See, we have this clothes rack in our room. The purpose of it is quite different than the actual use. The purpose is to make putting away our clean clothes easier- put the basket on the bed, grab a hanger off the rack, and hang the clothes. When you're all done hanging the clothes you then put the pieces into the appropriate closets (Jason and I each have our own).

Well, the actual usage generally ends up being as a "third closet." Most of the time our clothes just stay on that rack instead of being put away. To keep it out of our way we generally have it pushed against the wall, so clothes only hang on one side of it. This seems like a "well, duh" situation. Heavy clothes on one side of a rack? It's obviously going to tip over. And honestly, yes, it's fallen over a few times, but it's generally only after one of us has swiftly grabbed a garment off a hanger, allowing the rack to sway. Otherwise it's pretty steady.

Clothes on both sides! What a concept!

But for some reason on Thursday morning as I carefully grabbed an article of clothing off the rack, I chuckled to myself as I thought, "I really should be cautious with this thing in the mornings. I can't imagine how Jason would feel waking up to this thing falling on top of him! I would probably think the house was caving in or an elephant decided to sit on me!" The very next morning it happened. Despite my carefulness, the entire thing came crashing down on sleeping Jason. Thankfully he was very graceful about it, getting up to help me pick everything up without a complaint.

All of this brings us to the final event this week that I'm not exactly proud to tell. After a diaper change I set Drew on the floor and he immediately crawled off to the springy door stop that he loves to play with (I remember being in awe, as a child, over the awesome "sproooiinnggg" sounds those things make!). I figured while he was entertained I would quickly wash my hands in the bathroom that is literally 5 steps away. With one foot out of the door in case I needed to run and grab him, I quickly washed my hands while thinking, "what would I do if Drew shut himself in his room? I wouldn't know whether it was safe to open the door or not! What if he was in the way and I whacked him? Or worse, what if his fingers were in the hinges?" As I thought this I heard "shunk" as the door closed.

I insta-panicked and screamed "BABE!" to Jason, just as Drew began to wail. I then gathered my thoughts as I slowly and carefully opened the door to find Drew sitting a safe distance away, unharmed except for the sudden shock of finding himself alone in his room with his mother screaming on the other side of the door.

Thankfully all turned out well, this time. But, as usual, this was a good learning experience. I did decide to make a trip to Babies R Us today, though, to pick up a few items I was in need of...

A gadget to prevent doors from closing or pinching baby fingers!

Straps to keep these sliding doors closed, also preventing pinched fingers

Corner cushions (I know, my furniture is dusty)

Crib rail protector for my little beaver

Mmmmm, works well!

In any case, I think I will just be keeping my thoughts to myself, thank you very much, before I cause anything else to happen.

Like this bookshelf falling over because it's not yet anchored to the wall...

Yeah, no worries, we're getting that fixed today!

P.S. My mom is in the hospital in Dubai right now after having a last-minute appendectomy. Please send your thoughts and prayers her way. She is doing well after the surgery, but we want her to continue to recover quickly as her and my dad prepare to fly back home later this week!

11 Things in 2011

I'm already accomplishing things in 2011! Check us out!

I somehow don't look nearly as wet as I was!

That's the finish line way off in the wet distance

Stacey and I ran the Atlanta Track Club's "Resolution Run 10K" yesterday!

I am soooo proud of us for a number of reasons. First, we ran the whole thing! We didn't train as much as we had intended to (holidays got in the way!) so we told ourselves it would be okay if we had to walk, but we didn't! Second, we ran in the pouring rain! It didn't let up for even a minute the entire hour + that we ran. We haven't trained in the rain, so that was a new experience and I'm so proud we didn't let the rain stop us from running. Third, we kept going! There was a 5K and a 10K. The 10K was just 2 loops of the same route so we could have just called it quits after one lap (we were wet, cold, tired....), but we didn't even blink as we ran past the finish line for our second round. (Ok, we did stop and stretch and take our 5 lb. drenched jackets to the car, but we didn't consider stopping). Oh, and did I mention we are both recovering from colds/sinus infections and that we nearly died on our way there??

Having accomplished this got me thinking... Since I had such a nice "10 things I did in 2010" list, and since I'm not currently very excited about 2011 (having to return to work and leave my baby at home), I thought I'd make myself an "11 things to do in 2011" list to help brighten the prospects of what this year may bring. These are not resolutions but more of a "bucket list" of things I'd like to do or accomplish within the year.

1. Run at least one more 10K (maybe a half marathon...?)
2. Go salsa dancing with Stacey
3. Take Drew to the beach
4. Get a new camera and/or take a photography class
5. Go on a weekend trip with just Jason (I'd love to go the Charleston, but anywhere will do)
6. Take a class with Drew
7. Complete my honeymoon scrapbook (maybe a project for summer vacation?)
8. Get a massage
9. Play in the rain with someone (most likely Drew)
10.  Volunteer somewhere
11. Plant more flowers in my garden

Hopefully I'll be able to keep you all updated as I check things off my list!

I had fun making my list! I encourage you to think of a few things you'd like to do this year. They don't have to be big accomplishments, but just things that you know you'll be happy to say you did when you reflect on 2011. Write them down, share them if you want to, and then do it!

P.S. I finally uploaded my photos from the holiday onto Facebook. You can check them out here, even if you're not on Facebook!

Hittin' the gym

Drew and I signed up for a free Gymboree class this week (you can too by going to the link!). Gymboree is a children's learning and play center. They offer developmental classes based on your child's age, and they also offer sports, music, and art classes (for the somewhat older children). We went to a "Play and Learn" class for ages 0-6 months.

Oh. My. Goodness... I had a blast! It was amazing just how interested Drew was in all of the activities. He generally doesn't seem to care much when I sing and do little hand games, but they taught us all sorts of neat tricks and fun things to do to get him not only to pay attention, but to encourage development of different areas, like vision, hearing, or hand-eye coordination.

Drew actually enjoyed tummy time too, for once! They put an unbreakable mirror on the floor and spun colorful balls all over the place. He was so interested in his reflection, the balls, and all of the other babies that he didn't seem to notice he was on his tummy (though he did roll over once onto the baby next to him when I wasn't paying attention- oops! I apologized several times for the both of us... well, for me really...)

We got to go play on some of the equipment too. Drew had fun rolling around on a huge ball (I didn't get pictures of that, sad!), rolling in a tunnel, and doing sit ups on a wobbly bridge.

(He actually did "sit ups" just about anywhere I put him- the teacher kept laughing at him getting his "work out" in.)

He also enjoyed bubble time, and had bubbles blown especially for him since it was his first class!

Oh man, if we had the money (and I thought I could handle the jealousy of Jason getting to take him while I work) I would totally sign him up for the classes! I am so glad I remembered to do this before I go back to work though. His smiles and awe were priceless!

(On a side note, because I know my family will be curious, I am likely returning to work in January. My doctor's orders were 6 months for recovery, which ends on December 29th. School is back in session January 3rd. I am no longer at the high school I was moved to as the Family Medical Leave Act only protects my position for 60 days. So that position was posted and filled, and, once again, I am kind of in the air as to where I'll be. So, if you're the praying type, keep us in mind and pray that whatever comes my way will be the best option for our little family.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I rose bright and early this morning, not to put a turkey in the oven or to bake tasty goodies, but to run! My mom, Stacey, and I ran in the Atlanta Track Club Thanksgiving Day 5K. 5K is only three miles, but it's three miles more than I have run in a long while (except the last month that I've been "training"). Before October it had been at least a year since I had run AT ALL, seeing as I found out I was pregnant in October last year and that was a good enough excuse for me to avoid it (I pretty much avoided running at all costs even before I was pregnant).

But I got this idea in my head that I wanted to run the Peachtree Road Race (10K) here in Atlanta on July 4th, so I started running. I found out about this 5K and decided it would be a good, easy goal to work towards. And we did it! So now we have already signed up for a 10K before the Peachtree- the Resolution Run on January 1st. Perhaps we'll actually make it to a half marathon in March?

In any case, check us out. Jason came out to see me run, even though it was much earlier than he would have liked to be up on Thanksgiving Day. If you came to our wedding you might recognize that building... it's the hotel we got married in!

That's me in the white shirt on the left of the picture, my mom in the middle, and Stacey on the right. We all got matching headbands... check mine out...

It says "Will run for margaritas". My mom's said, "You don't have to go fast, you just have to go" and Stacey's said, "Running is cheaper than therapy".

And Drew is awfully happy about me finishing the race! (I don't know my finish time yet, we should be able to find out later today when they post them online).

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving today!! We are obviously thankful to have a larger family this year. What are you thankful for?

Movin' Baby

While Drew is in no way crawling or walking yet, he is finding his own ways to be mobile. Case in point:

Drew was in the center of his play mat (yeah, way over there in the left of the top photo), but managed to not only scoot all the way to the corner (to gnaw on the post??), but also managed to knock over my glass of water!

And yes, I have begun putting a larger blanket beneath the play mat because of this new ability of his. While we actually vacuum quite frequently in our house (a necessity with 2 cats, a dog, and an very allergy-prone husband) I still don't trust that our carpets are all that clean. And that's even after having them professionally cleaned during my "nesting" phase. But again, there are 2 cats and a dog in this house... I think that's enough said. (What am I going to do when he IS crawling?)

Wiggle Worm

In other words, how to drive your mom crazy! 

I couldn't even finish buttoning up Drew's PJs because he was wiggling all over the place.  I decided to just let him wiggle and see what would happen...

Darn! She finally got me in my PJs!