Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Linoski Night Out! Enough said ;)

Owen's Bean Basket

Through some of Owen's therapy we were introduced to plastic boxes full of fun things like rice, beans, even water-soaked floral beads (I really want to try this one!).  In an effort to give Owen more of what he gets with his therapists, and simply because it's just plain fun...I bought some pinto beans at the store the other day.

If your kids aren't huge fans of squishy/stranger textures, this can be a way to help expose them and make it fun. I.E. exactly why Owen started down this path in the first place!  It's a simple project and lots of fun!  Owen asks for his basket everytime we go upstairs to the playroom! BEANS Momma!

All you need is a container (you can purchase any cheap plastic storage tote in a size you like). I used a basket since those happen to be plentiful around my house.

Add beans, race cars, farm animals, measuring cups. Whatever floats your boat. Our bean basket and it's favorite side-kick are pictured below.

Killing the Winter Blahs

The winter blues are hitting the Linley's. In a BIG way!  After our last round of ear infections and runny noses...this Momma was day-dreaming of the warm summer days spent playing outside.  The ones that have proven to be germ-free for us for the most part!  Last summer Owen was healthy from May all the way to October!  It was glorious. 

BUT...back on planet "it's still winter" we decided to try and find something fun but something that may keep us from contracting the plague in the name of fun. The mall came to mind. Our local mall is nice and open, pretty quiet (as in not many stores, especially upstairs) and there is a fun bakery that puts cookies on sticks and decorates them with obsurd amounts of icing.  AKA Kids paradise!  If you are looking for major shopping...this is not your mall of choice.  BUT We've been taking Coop in the stroller and letting Owen run his little legs off. We never stop anywhere for too long as running a little energy off is the name of the game. Owen loves to hide behind corners with Jer and say "Shhh...here they come." as he waits for me and Cooper to find them.  He also LOVES the escalator.  We even popped into our local library (for a quick visit and we hand santized afterwards...oh yes we did!) We've made a couple trips so far. It's been a great little adventure for our family.

Here are some fun camera pics  :) 

Coop's Chariot!

Owen enjoying his cookie!!

Owen and Dadda trying to find a place to hide.

Hanging out in a chair at Macy's...

Momma did some window shopping

And some more window shopping.

Shhh!  Quiet. Here they come!

A quick run down...

Last week not only brought us Valentine's Day and my first full week at a new job but also, two ear infections, one for each kid (e.i. two trips to the doctor's office within two days), a preschool meeting for Owen, a date night on the couch (yes I said on the couch and it was marvelous! thank you Aunt Steff and Uncle B and Neemaw for the assistance with some relax time!) AND a busy Sunday spent organizing our lives so this week goes a little smoother.  I'm hoping to find a little bit more blog time in the evening this week! So with any luck this week will be a little less chaotic!! 

I have lots of updates coming your way...including all about Owen's new preschool and a little bit about our meal planning process which I'm currently perfecting as part of my goals for this year.  In the meantime...enjoy a quick cell phone photo dump courtesy of my iPhone in no particular order!

Diaper Champe replacement.  Good-bye smelly almost 3 year old champ. Hellow GENIE!

Owen waving hi to me on our way to...I honestly can't remember where now. HA!

Cooper's first big kid high chair dinner.  This dinner followed a haircut with Owen where I got bit, he almost threw up and we got the hairs cut but it was decidedly PURE.TORTURE. Momma and Dadda tried to redeem the evening by going to McDonalds afterwards. Cooper liked his seat...and was eyeing my cheeseburger while I fed him peas! I LOVE this chubby little face to pieces!

The fudgcicle incident.  Note to self...don't walk away from Owen while he's eating one because he will do this. It was also on his clothes, the entertainment center and the carpet. Awesome!

Spicy Thai noodles courtesy of Pinterest.  It's a new weekly fave in our house!!  And now I want to try these!

Date night dinner...not so pretty with my phone..but it was our usual Chicken Lomein and Beef and Brocoli. DELISH!

Coop's sad, sad face at the doc waiting to find out he had an ear infection. Poor baby :(

Coop trying out a sippy cup.  It was a winner! He's flying through the stages with food. So ready to be a big boy!!

Happy Day-of-Love Day!

I hope everyone is spending this fun and festive holiday remembering to say I love you...to those you love!  

Know someone who may not have a valentine showering them with love?  Reach out and let them know you are thinking of them ;)

Enjoy the hearts and glitter and cheesy sayings that abound!

And while I'm at it...Happy Valentine's Day to the amazing boys that have changed my life...I love you so much.  More than life itself!

Woot!

This Momma came home after a long and interesting day to find this:

I should also add my house was a spotlessly clean wonderland!

My hubby is the greatest :)

Happy Day before Valentine's Day!

Refrigerator art love...

Owen made this with Miss Angie today. Miss Angie is one of our therapists. We heart Miss Angie around here! I also heart him making pictures for us to hang on our fridge!

Thanks Miss Angie! You always have fun holiday crafts for us :)

Time Flies…

And without even realizing it, days add up and mesh together in a big blur and it’s April. Then it’s July. Then it’s December and you’re reviewing the year that just passed.  It’s funny how the year begins slowly and with so much promise. But it seems that all too soon the everyday schedule has once again regained control and the days slip by one at a time without realizing how fast they are moving. I’m so terribly awful about controlling life one week at a time instead of stepping back to look at the whole picture.  While I think there is some good to approaching each day as they come along…you can’t only view life that way! 

I wrote this post over 2 Decembers ago.  And it’s funny how many of my goals did not end up getting accomplished. It’s actually a huge failure on my part, both completing the goals and the following through of posting something about them.  There are some reasons why a few didn’t work here and there. But wow. I thought it was funny that I stumbled onto this post as I was contemplating this year and what I wanted to do with it...and also what I wanted to say about last year.

So what did coming across this do for me??  It made me want to picture 2012 as a whole…instead of setting myself up for failure off the get go.  No more stating that I will do certain things on a weekly basis or monthly basis or whatever.  There are some things oh like bills and grocery shopping...that mostly need done on a weekly basis.  But this space is where I log our memories. And I want 2012 to be chuck full of wonderful ones for our little amazing family! So no more weekly anything when it comes to our planning or memory making! I've learned first hand that life happens around whatever you think you have planned! Weekly library trips are great until someone is sick…or Dad is stuck at work late or we get invited to dinner with family or friends.  So the short version of what I'm saying is....that if I change the goal to say…Go to the library more…then even just going once a month is ok and not failing my goals!  And it's something fun to try out with the boys!  So the plan for this year is to change the way I’m viewing what I want to accomplish. More like guidlines or general brainstorming about fun things to do with our time over the next 300 and something days we have left!  

Here’s what I want 2012 to look like, if I have any say in the matter. By the season and/or family member but in no particular order of importance:

Winter 2012
Find some fun things to do with the boys on Friday afternoons (look up fun craft ideas for Owen, see about PlayPals for Cooper, maybe sign up Owen for a kids gymnastics or swimming class)

Potty Train with Owen

Take Owen sledding (if it snows enough anyway!  We have the snow suit…we just need the snow!)

Get him prepped for Pre-school

Celebrate Isabel turning 1 year old!! (Which we did here...and though Owen and I missed her party because he was sick, we were there in spirit!!)

Spring/Summer 2012

Celebrate Owen turning 3

Take Owen for a photo shoot - scheduled!

Help my hubby prepare for his PE, be his cheerleader and make our trip to Columbia fun - April

Spend the summer enjoying ourselves…swimming, BBQing, playing in the yard

Plant a Garden
Plant wild flowers in our backyard and hang some butterfly houses
Get better about buying bird seed...Owen loves helping feed the birds!
Hang humming bird feeders
Take Owen riding on his tricycle - lots!

Celebrate our newest niece or nephews birth!!  Congrats Jackie and Paul!!!!

Take Cooper for 1 Year photo shoot - scheduled!

Celebrate Cooper’s 1^st Birthday - space is scheduled!!

Get ice cream at the local ice cream place...the one that's only open in the summer months and makes homemade waffle cones!

Fall 2012

Celebrate Jer turning 30…do something neat

Celebrate 7 years of marriage 

Celebrate Peyton turning 1 year old!
Go to the Balloon Glow in Forest Park
Try to make it to Boo and the Zoo

For the boys

Take them on a for real train ride to Springfield or St. Louis
Visit Kirckwood Train Station

Take the boys to the Linley farm in Wisconsin for a camping trip
Visit the library more often and find some new books

Go to the Botanical Gardens

Go to the Zoo

Go to the Magic House

Take a hike through the Nature Institute and pack a picnic lunch

For myself

Steal my nieces away from their Mommas and do something fun with each of them!!

Blog more Thankful Thursdays –  use my phone to help me keep track as the weeks go on

Blog more in general…try some new things…post more pictures…

Save some money - budget, coupon clip, shop around.
Buy a sewing machine...and make some of the stuff I pinned on Pinterest...starting with these
Do a Pinterest craft and blog about it - try to do more than one!
Get more organized!

Go on more dates with my hubby - two scheduled for Feb already!

Take a couples-cooking class at Dierbergs with Jer

Re-organize my digitial photo files
Scrapbook with my bestie lots more

Revamp my scrapbook spaceFinish Owen’s baby book that includes his entire first year – over half way there.

Work on getting Cooper’s book up to speed

Do more Target runs with my bestie

Drink more wine...with my bestie!

Write more letters to my pen pal
Send more cards
Pray
Try Pilates or Yoga on DVD

Perfect my meal planning methods and try new meal ideas!

Read a couple new books (start with Hunger Games...7 chapters in...try to blog about it!)

Not take everything so seriously...I mean life is too short right!?!

And there you have it.  Just some general directions for me to head in 2012...I think it's gonna be a great year!

Giving Puffs a Try...

The first few were a little bit like...this:

But then we got the hang of it.  And before we could say Banana Puff, he was picking them up and working on getting them in his mouth!  YAY Coop!  What a big boy!



Sometimes...

A momma just needs a little pick me up. The other day...this did just the trick. 

Happy Monday everyone!

Happy 6 Months Coop!

So it’s here!  Half a year since and one day this little being entered our lives.  Wow.  I say it every month as I watch him grow, but I just can’t seem to believe how fast it’s all going!

I decided to save his diaper pics for the post with his doctor's update...so stay tuned for those.  In the meantime, enjoy a few pics of him doing his everyday thing...in his usual adorable fashion!

Weight: Will find at the doctor tomorrow!

Diaper Size: 4!!

Eye Color: Crystal Clear Blue and beautiful.  Just like his Dadda and Owen's

Other Stats:

**Continues to roll over and over.  He now sleeps on his belly all night long.  He even has begun to roll himself over and play in the morning till he goes back to sleep.  I love listening to him laugh and play in his crib.  Such a fun stage we’re getting to!

**Continues to sleep unswaddled…and after one brief hiatus from his usual 10 hours a night sleeping…is back to sleeping before 8pm and waking around 6:30 or 7am! 

**Oh the solid foods!!  How Cooper LOVES to eat!  This kid would prefer, I do believe, to eat every meal from a bowl or jar instead of a bottle J  His typical AM eating habits include 3 tablespoons of oatmeal mixed with formula and a container of fruit (any kind…he’s not picky but LOVE his bananas). His PM eating habits include a few scoops of meat (chicken, beef or turkey) mixed in with a veggies (peas are his very favorite!) followed by a whole container of some manner of fruit or Gerber blends yogurt.  It sort of feels like I’m stocking up for a bomb shelter when I buy baby food every week!  I counted it up.  Two containers of fruit a day x 7 days a week.  Plus a veggie each night x 7.  Plus 3 containers of beef or chicken a week.  It equals 24 jars of baby food a week!  Add that to his $25 a week cans of formula…holy moly!!!!

Is getting up his elbows and knees really well…crawling isn’t too far off in our future…and so are baby gates and all the safety stuff we need to get back out!

**LOVES to sit. As long as he’s got some pillows around him to protect him when he comes crashing down…he’ll sit 30 minutes or more and just play.  Every once in awhile he’ll look up at me with a great big smile.

Continues to laugh non-stop.

Loves to flap his arms with excitement at you…if you do it back he just cracks up

**LOVES his bouncer…I’m pretty sure after him we may need to question the integrity of the entire thing…and whether it would handle baby number 3 if they come along for us!

**Still very into pulling hair, touching, grabbing faces and putting things into his mouth.

**He loves to pull your face to his really close and put his mouth on you like he’s giving you a big sloppy kiss.

**Loves rubbing his Dadda’s beard.

**Isn’t very into sitting alone in a room, sitting in one place for very long or laying down by himself…go figure! He's our kid right?  Sitting still is for babies!

Also, in case you want to see what the past 6 months have looked like here are links to  

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4

Month 5

**Thanks Steff for this great idea! I saw you do this with PB’s Watch me Grow posts…even though we’re half way through I thought it’d be the perfect time to start!

Dear Cooper,

Hey baby boy!  What an amazing journey we are on in this life huh?? 

I read a blog recently that talked about the experience each of your children is for you. She was so right.  Sometimes I sit back and look at you and your brother lying on the floor next to each other and realize that we did in fact do it. We most definitely created a little family.  You and your brother are a piece of me and your Dadda in two amazing little bodies.  Two amazing little people that I helped bring into the world.  We are lucky buddy! Not everyone gets to do this. Not everyone has the rare gift of having babies.  For whatever reason though, God blessed us and put you two in our plans.  And not a day goes by that I am not thankful for that!!  6 months has come and gone so very fast.  In no time flat you’ll be one and two and then 14 years old.  So for now I’m gonna hang onto those chubby little legs and feet w/ the screwed on toes and kissable, bouncy cheeks a little bit longer. Kiss them an extra time or two every day.  Because before we know it…well...before you know it.

I love you so much bubba.  Happy 6 months!

Love, Your Momma

P.S. I didn’t get to do these letters for your brother…and I’m sad that the idea didn’t come to me. But I did decide that I want to keep writing these…and include you both. So after we celebrate your first birthday (I'm going to slip a few in to Owen before that!), I’m going to start addressing one to each of you and do some reflecting each month. That way I have them to go back to and even put in our family scrapbooks.  I think they’ll help you understand…just how very much Dadda and I cherish every square inch of you…our precious children!