Louisville Zoo

Austin wanted a  picture with the giant pumpkin.

Austin

Don't be fooled that David is actually drinking from a sippy cup. When we got to the car, I found that his shirt was completely drenched.

David Standing Up

I think he's a keeper

David- 9 months old

If you're happy and you know it...

Clap your hands! 

You just can't help but smile when you watch this video of David clapping his hands.

A little coffee and paint

Check-Ups

Austin's Four Year Check-Up:
- 5 shots
- Finger Prick
- 33 pounds; 39 inches tall
- around 25% for his age, which is normal for him

David's 9 Mo Check-Up:
- 2 shots
- 18 lb, 6 oz; 29 inches long
- 25% for weight; 75% for length- He's getting taller and thinning up, which is normal for an active crawler. 

The Boys- 60s Style- Edited in Picnik

Peek-a-boo! I see you!

Austin is growing up into such a handsome young man, don't you think?

"Mommy, you look beautiful"

Before I had kids, I always wore my contacts and at least a little makeup. Even when Austin was a baby, I fixed myself up for my job at the bank. However, at some point, I "let myself go." I went into survival mode when I got pregnant with David- glasses instead of contacts; little or no makeup; wild hair; ugly clothes. I stopped thinking about my appearance and would only realize at the end of the day how frumpy I looked. 

Well, now that David is 9 months old, I am finally caught up on my sleep. My hair is a little bit more manageable since my bangs have almost grown out. I've got a new brand of contacts and some new makeup, and I can fit into my skinny clothes again. I don't really have a good excuse not to take care of my appearance, so I've been trying to do better.

However, some days I wonder if it is worth it. I mean, do I really care what the people at the grocery or the doctor's office think? I work by myself in a law office and hardly ever see people there. Joseph and I have opposite schedules, so some days we hardly see each other. On the days that I stay home all day, I am especially tempted to forgo the makeup, put on some sweats and let my hair go wild. I'm just chasing after kids all day- what do they care if I have makeup on or not?

Well, Austin surprised me this afternoon. I did my makeup this morning and tried to pull my hair back cute, and after work, I put on some new jeans and a pink shirt. We ran some errands, and shortly after we got home, Austin looked up at me and melted my heart by saying in a sweet sincere voice, "Mommy, You look beautiful!" I couldn't have been happier.

How Austin Learned His Letters

Watching this video is how Austin learned his letters and their sounds. We have checked it out from the library several times, and Austin loves it. If you want to see a trailer for it, go to YouTube and search for "The Letter Factory."

Social Studies- What Do People Do All Day?

We are using this book for "Social Studies." It has pictures and stories of people doing different jobs. Austin loves it. You should be able to check it out from your local library. Of course we have it checked out now, so if you live in Louisville, you will have to go online and request it :)



Random House's Website

Preschool Resource- WeeSing and Pretend

Since we are doing preschool at home this year, I thought I would share some of the resources we find helpful. We are currently using a curriculum for children ages 3/4 from Sonlight. One of the resources they suggest include a CD from WeeSing. Since I knew I could find these CDs from our local library, I just went to the library's website and made a request. This CD is called WeeSing and Pretend. If your child enjoys pretending, he will probably love this. I was a little surprised at first because it wasn't just a music CD; it actually required the participation of the listener. Initially, I had no intentions of playing along, but Austin and I got sucked into the fun pretty quickly. If you go to the Wee Sing and Pretend website, you can listen to a few song samples. It was quite a workout. We were running around the apartment for over half an hour moving nonstop pretending to be race cars, trains, animals, etc. We went on a "walk" (run, hop, crawl...) through the forest chasing after a cute little squirrel. We imagined what it would be like to be a toy that came to life after the store was closed- the toy soldiers were marching, the ballerinas were dancing, etc. Great fun. We had to work in a few water breaks we were being so active.

Now, let me make a plug for the local library. Ours in Louisville is one of about 18 branches. That means there are tons of books in circulations that will never make it to the shelves of my local library in Crescent Hill. However, if you have a library card, you can go to their website, reserve books online, and they will ship them to the branch of your choosing for free. They will even send you an email when the books are ready to be picked up. It is a great service, and I don't think enough people know about it. Wherever you live, check out your library and its services. You help pay for the library with your tax money, so you might as well use it!

Laughter is Contagious

Once upon a time...

The Burger King ate Austin's Daddy!

Austin has become a great storyteller. He is on "holiday" at his grandma and papa's house in Tennessee for the rest of the week, so in light of that, I thought I would post an amusing video of him dressed up as the Burger King. (He has been dressing up a lot lately- boys things, of course.)

You'd better stop eating my cheerios!

Enjoy this sweet video of the David and Austin. You'll want to turn up your volume all the way, though, to see David transform from a sweetly singing bird to a growling lion. He's getting a little more aggressive with Austin these days. It's pretty funny to watch.