Marbles Kids Museum and Caroline's 3rd Birthday

This is actually one of the better pictures of the two of us that I cannot believe Virginia was able to snap! We went to the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh today to meet my dear friend Virginia. We had a blast! Landon was on his very best behavior and really made me so proud. He is even saying, "No Thanks" without prompting, instead of "Nope or NO!". Now, this "No Thanks" extends into his response for not wanting to accept discipline which is always funny.

Me- "Landon, you are going to time out now."

Landon- "No Thanks."

Landon "digging" vegetables up in the garden. He especially loved putting them in the grocery cart and then slinging it in the floor with plastic food just a flying!

Landon figuring out how to make the fish fly down into the water. He was hilarious! I don't think this was the intent of the water table, but her sure had fun!

Landon with his magnifying glass on the search for bugs...He actually ended up putting two of his cars he brought with him underneath the magnifying glass and was much more impressed with the cars than the ladybug!

Landon showing Virginia the fish- there was a Nemo, Marlin, Dorry, Bubbles...He could not have been more excited to show off his knowledge of all his fish friends with his good buddy Virginia.

Virginia was such a trooper. She climbed in the pirate ship with Landon, helped him when he would be able to see better if lifted up and basically was my third and fourth hands! She has 4 girls who are each and every one- wonderful- she would be a great boy mom too. Watching her explore with Landon was a treat. She is not only an outstanding and treasured friend, but one of the moms I most look up to. Love you Virg!

Speaking of treasured friends...Landon got to go to Caroline's 3rd Birthday over the weekend. He and I drove down on Saturday and came back that night in probably the 2nd worst driving conditions I have ever driven. I was praying the whole way home and you better believe when we pulled into our garage, I had Landon pray with me, thanking God for our safety.

Anywhooooo- the party was a blast and here are some fun pictures I captured. Allison did a fantastic job decorating and putting on a full throttle princess party. I am sure she was meant to be a girl mom...I am not so sure I would have gone to as many stores as she did in search of the perfect princess outfit for Caroline to wear at her party. :)

Pre-party giggles...

These two know how to have fun together- it is such a joy to watch!

Allison did have "Prince" crowns too, as not to leave out the little fellas!

And, last but not least, a very pregnant mommy with Landon's little brother! :) Hope you feel caught up now! :)

Proud

I couldn't leave my BLOG as I last posted...but thanks to all of you who have prayed and offered words of support. I appreciate it a great deal!

The title of this post is the truth. Landon had a great day of accomplishments today!

He slept through the night! Because he did this, he received his "Brown Tomater", one of the characters from the Cars movie. We have been promising this to him if he would sleep through the night as an incentive and it FINALLY worked. He has a sticker chart full of one sticker a day for his nap (which is great, I am not complaining), but couldn't seem to get two stickers to get one of his cars until today! It has been three weeks since we started the sticker chart, so I will let you know if the success continues. I am very proud of this major accomplishment!

He also went and got his hair cut today by CiCi. She is a wonderful hairdresser at Fantastic Sams and Landon absolutely loves going to see her- I think she enjoys it equally as much! You can see how happy he is, esp. with his lollipop she gives him. He has loved getting his hair cut from the first time he had it done. I am very proud of the way he sits in the chair like a big boy!

Landon also voluntarily sat on the potty and tried to poop today! We were talking about it and next thing I knew he had taken his pants down and was trying to put the potty seat on the potty so "he could get his "DJ"" (another Cars character) for pooping in the potty. I was amazed. I gave him his privacy and told him to tell me when he was done. He sat on the potty and called me - no poop in the potty, but I am so proud of him for trying!

So, such is the nature of the 2 year old. I am glad I am celebrating a day of accomplishments and compliance today. He truly is such a blessing. I would have him no other way.

Finished product. Happy little fella. Happy and proud mommy.

Landon's Fun Monday and Mommy Woes

Landon got to meet another turtle today! He is so fascinated with turtles and cannot seem to get enough of turtles or of any sea creature. JD, our next door neighbor, came over to play this morning and his Grandma DieDie stopped on the side of the road to pick up this turtle for JD and Landon to see. I tell you these grandmas will touch anything for these little fellas! Diana told me the turtle even peed in her car on the way here- YUCK! I think I need to toughen up before I have another boy! We kept the turtle so the boys could show their daddies when they get home from work. I could not believe how both boys were touching the shell and chasing the turtle. I don't know if you can see or not, but the turtle was quiet lively- his head was sticking out and he was the fastest moving turtle I had even seen!


Landon also shot his first hoops last Monday, but I managed to get it on film today. It was so much fun watching he and JD shoot the balls and actually get them in the basket! I have had that little basketball goal for about a year! Finally, some good use for these boys. I know it in only foreshadowing what is to come. I am so glad Landon has nice neighborhood boys to play with!

I actually got a picture of both boys smiling which was a miracle in itself...so sorry it is a little far away, but the fact that they are both smiling was worth posting!


So, such cuteness, how could there be mommy woes? Landon is such an amazing kid and I love him to pieces. There is no "BUT" only a... why do they have to become so dang defiant? It grips at me like nothing else and I hate it when I recognize that we are going to have to come down hard again because he is pushing too much. I think it is hard when I really feel like I am trying everything to help him feel secure, loved, cared for and he basically spits in my face (not literally). I think one of my best friends described life with a 2 year old the best...one minute you are laughing having a blast and thinking life could not be sweeter with this precious being, leaning in for a sweet hug... the next minute they hit you in the face for no reason.


On top of these trials, Landon is having MAJOR sleep issues. Stan and I are doing everything I know to do as a professional and a mommy and so far, nothing is working. I seriously cannot remember the last time he slept all the way through the night. I find myself asking, "Did he ever sleep through the night?" I know he did. Have all the changes leading up to having a new baby (new bed, new room, no paci, potty training) caused him to be stressed and it is coming out in his sleep? Mommy guilt, go away. I cannot believe he is having such sleep issues and I am looking at a every 2 hour waking and feeding schedule in the next 2-5 weeks. Please pray for my patience, it is so much harder when you are sleep deprived.


Why am I blogging then, when Landon is taking a nap? Because today he is not doing that either, and I have decided that I will leave him in his room for quiet time and what he does, is what he does. I am no longer going to stress about him skipping naps. But, it is hard when I truly need them. I used to think God was mad at me because I would pray and pray that he would help our sleep problems and they didn't seem to resolve. But now I realize, God is there, he has the best plan and truly, maybe not going through the shock of 8 hours uninterrupted (except for pee breaks of course) to maybe 2 hours at a time will be easier for me now that we are lucky to get four in a row.


Sorry for the woes, blogging is a good place to vent. Now I will go watch my soap and be mindless- unless of course Landon is actually sleeping, which is when I will take a nap. Thanks for listening.

Shower of Blessings

This past Sunday my family threw a shower to celebrate the new little fella coming in about 5 weeks! The picture above was aunt Patti and Teresa's idea for a little posed picture. From right, Anna (my sister in law), Allison (Stan's first cousin's wife), me, then Laura (Stan's first cousin)- they were supposed to all be offering me a treat- like I need any!! :) I think they will kill me for posting this picture, but it actually turned out to be one of my favorites! Sorry Anna!

Both of my moms made the day and I got a posed shot for good memories. It was great to have them both there, excited for sure about the upcoming new little bundle of joy. Mommom and Nanny cannot be more excited!

Here is the crew who threw the shower and I am so very thankful to each of you! I really love the Joovy double stroller and cannot wait to try it out! More than anything, I am grateful for the love of my family. The effort, coordination, attention to every detail and just the warmth were so comforting to me- the love you all have to give is something I am grateful to be able to be a recipient of. I could not have married into a more wonderful family. Thanks so much and I love you all!
One last picture- speaking of attention to every detail- I have to brag on Anna's cake. She even had a trial run on Labor day to make sure it was just right. The cake was not only beautiful, but it tasted great and had my favorite- raspberry filling- that she had to actually strain the raspberries to get the seeds out! Anna, you are the best!

After a great weekend away...there's still no place like home...

We spent Labor Day in the mountains with Mommom, Pop, Jim, Cathey, Joe and Riley. We had a great time and captured some of the highlights in the photos. Above, Landon got to see a real crab for the first time! My parents snagged some blue crabs for a crab feast like no other! Delicious! Landon didn't quite make it to try one (was asleep, then grumpy), but was very impressed with the live crab that Pop showed him before he cooked it.

Crab eating is a tradition in my family. We did it for years with my grandparents over 4th of July. We have kept the tradition alive on various holidays and plan to indoctrinate Landon the right way once he is a little older. My dear grandmother, Minkie, still holds the place for the best crab eater of anyone- managing to squeeze more meat out of those little suckers than anyone else! My brother, John, is a close second though and I heard him teaching our friends how to "do it like Minkie." :)

John made it home from the Navy for his first leave. He looked fantastic and was so grown up! He managed to survive boot camp and is excited to move ahead towards dive school as well as specialized training for his area of interest in Panama City! We are all very proud of him, and I would say he had a great time relaxing any enjoying my dad's cooking! Notice the military hair do!

Landon also had his first experience with swimming in a lake- not my fave...I hate the squishy sandish-dirtish-goo at the bottom and so did Landon! :) We made sure he had a good life jacket and it also turned out to be Lightening McQueen which was a double bonus!

And...to the sleep...not much. And as you can see, Landon fell asleep- actually, while he was getting his breathing treatment because he did not take a nap this day. Which is also why...it is so good to be home and sleep habits can become "on the right track" again. The sleep chart is working well...at home. He is napping now and the quiet is so nice. I have been trying to figure out...is my patience wearing, is he taking advantage of Stan and I, or is this behavior and whining normal for this age. The one thing I know is that sleep is required no matter what the cause is... Bring on Mr. Sandman, we are ready.

Where does the time go?

So, I just realized that today is September. I am going to have a baby next month. October has always seemed so far away...now it is literally right around the corner. We are preparing for this new little fella and mainly this means that we are spending some good quality time with Landon. Let me tell you that transitions between ages 2 and 3 are huge and Stan and I are so thankful daily that we have had this time to focus on him.

Since the Build a Bear posting, we have been doing pretty well. Landon has had some sleep regression, but I think we are on the right track. I cannot believe I was up at 2:00 am reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" but I think it is working. I highly recommend that book if ever you find yourself needing sleep advice for your children. So, we have instituted a sleep rules sticker chart. Landon went with me to the store to pick out the paper and the stickers. No surprise, it looks like an aquarium.

The rules are:

• Landon gets in his big boy bed and stays in his big boy bed


• Landon closes his eyes


• Landon goes to sleep


• Landon does not call out to mommy and daddy until morning

If Landon naps and sleeps well for one day, he gets a prize which the book said had to be enticing...my goodness, I am going to go broke buying enticing prizes! So, his prizes are Cars and this morning he got "Filmore" the hippie van. He was SO proud. But, he did put up a fight for naptime at school. I will let you all know how tonight goes...

Landon is a great kid. He is learning so much and has started making jokes. It is amazing how their little personalities unfold. I love it. I love being a mom and I love the hugs Landon gives me- totally like no other. What a precious gift, what a precious time in my life. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I am off to watch Lost with Stan- we are catching up on the series.