Friday, September 28, 2012

To-Do List

Before the baby, I made several to-do lists a week. I loved being able to write it all down and seeing everything that needed to get accomplished. I mostly loved the satisfaction of crossing things off that list and knowing that I was making progress. Some people have told me that they often add on something they already did that day just to have something to cross off right away. I am no different.

I'm pretty sure that I haven't made a to-do list since Camp was born! That's almost 11 months, people. That i
/s just ridiculous. When Camp was about 2 months old, and Jonathan and I were headed to Jamaica for a friend's wedding, I made two packing lists and a very detailed daily schedule for Mimi to use. Pretty much every week, I print out or write a grocery list. But, for some reason or another <probably baby related> I have put away my to-do lists. I really miss them though, so I'm going to blog a lovely to-do list and see if that helps! Pause: Camp's waking up from his nap so this list will have to wait...to be continued...

Okay, I'm back. Here's the list with all the things I've been wanting, meaning, or needing to do:
  • Decorate the mantel for fall/football
  • Get my new Cricut out of the box and figure out how to work it
  • Sweep the kitchen floor (yay!)
  • Send a check to the pest control people to continue our service for another year
  • Go to the gym (should really leave this one on there so I'll do it more than once!)
  • Create/design and make/order Camp's birthday party invites
  • Plan a lunch and snack menu for upcoming playdate at our house
  • Make a shape sorter out of the box from Costco
  • Laundry
  • Put together binder with all the household/baby gear manuals
  • Send a few wedding gifts that are several months late
  • Read, plan, and study Sunday School lesson for this week
  • Clean both bathrooms
  • Repair USC wreath on front door (the letters need reglittering and reattaching) 
  • Back up and delete picture/video files from 2 of 3 camera memory cards (already did 1!)
  • Steam and puree broccoli for Camp
That's probably enough of a list for now. Seriously, these are just some of the things I keep thinking about and would like to accomplish in the very near future. This doesn't even cover the "home improvement" and "Honey Do" projects we have on tap. What's something big on your to-do list? Is there something you can already cross off for today? Well, I better go get Camp away from the DVR box and cord...

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Catching up!

I have so many pictures and videos stored up that all 3 of my memory cards are full! Yes, I have three different cameras that I use and all of them are useless until I can delete some files. Most of the pictures and videos have already been downloaded onto my computer, but I always hate to delete the files from the memory card, just in case! As I'm backing up and cleaning out, here are some gems you might like (age 10ish months):
new swing
loves mom's wallet

climbing the dishwasher

turkey beard

jumping the waves

beach bum...he did not like this!

sleeping on the porch due to crying baby

yoga mat fun

failed art project

curtain climber

playing with his new workshop

so tired but a proud Gamecock

feeding himself a spoon

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

One Dollar Wednesday: Hey Macaroni!


Today's fabulous one dollar idea came about because I had almost an entire box of whole wheat macaroni that was not going to be eaten by anyone here. So get yourself a box of macaroni from the grocery store (usually on sale so you can get it for less than a buck) and get ready to make a couple of fun projects.

I found good directions for the first project here. Get a few baggies, some food coloring, white vinegar, and your macaroni. Put the desired amount of macaroni in the bags, add less than a teaspoon of vinegar and a few drops of food coloring to each bag, and shake it up to get the noodles covered in color. Then, leave the bags open and let air dry. I must have used a little too much vinegar so I had to lay my macaroni out on paper towels to dry completely. You will probably need to dry them overnight, and you should end up with colorful, dry, and hard macaroni pieces. Put them all in an empty bottle or container and hot glue the lid shut.
ABRACADABRA: Macaroni Maraca 

Wish I would have used more macaroni for this one.

So curious.



The other "experiment" came about after Camp had so much fun with the water play bin. This idea is perfect for curious children who are eating finger foods. Boil your plain macaroni noodles til fully cooked, drain and rinse them with cold water, and put them in a dishpan or other container. Add some kitchen utensils and measuring cups, and let your little one go wild!
ABRACADABRA: Noodle Sensory Bin
The materials (I cooked about half a box of macaroni which made more than enough!)
Feeling the macaroni

Putting noodles in the muffin tin
This bin kept the little man happy and busy for over 30 minutes. Win!
Trying to pour it all out...
Whoa, Macaroni!
Shoveling them in...turns out maybe he does like the taste after all

Monday, September 17, 2012

Camp at 10 Months

Dear Camp,
You are now ten months old and still the most adorable, smart, and sweet baby boy in the world! I continue to be overwhelmed with the joy of being your mommy. You surprise me with something new every day, and it has been so fun to see you learn and grow. Your first birthday is coming up really soon, but I want to treasure every little minute that you're still a "baby."

A few things about you at 10 months-
Personality:
You can be friendly and happy with other people, but you definitely prefer your mom or dad to be around. The caretakers in the nursery at church tell us that you are very fussy for them. You are starting to "talk" more and more. Some of that talking is more like whining. You are very determined, and you get pretty upset when you don't get your way or can't do something. If we take away something you are interested in (like our laptops, phone, or other kid unfriendly items), you are just so mad. We have to be ready with an enticing replacement so you can find happiness in something else. Sometimes your talking is just friendly and quite adorable. You smile a lot and love being tickled. Adventure should be your middle name. You are on the move and continue to explore with your hands, feet, and mouth.
Looking a little goofy!

Size:
We don't have any official measurements this month. You still wear size 3 diapers, but your 9 months clothes are pretty snug. In one piece clothing like sleepers and rompers, you wear size 12 months. We have started shopping for your first pair of walking shoes, and you'll need a size 3 for your big feet! I think we might even need to get them in a wide fit. Your new carseat is waiting to be installed because you will very soon outgrow your carrier bucket seat (and mommy can barely lift you into the car in it).
Getting kind of big compared to your owl friend
Development:
After a couple of months of army crawling, you finally figured out the hands and knees crawl. I am impressed with how fast you can move. Your balance and cruising has really improved. You can walk around the furniture easily, and you will stand up while only holding on to something with one hand. Sometimes you just use your belly to lean against the table so both your hands are free to play. We have continued working on the clapping and waving skills, but you are still waiting for the right time to show off these tricks. (Note: You have waved a few times, but you are super selective on this talent.) As you are starting to talk more, you have developed several new sounds and are making new mouth/tongue movements. I now hear you say the "n" sound, and I'm pretty sure you have made the "b" and "l" sound a few times. I expect you to say, "Gamecocks" any day now. You still have 6 teeth! No more teeth have popped through in two months, although I have suspected some teething lately.
You don't stay still for long!

Sleep:
On our last trip to see your Augusta grandparents, you slept in your own room and did great! When we went to the beach with your Gaffney grandparents, you were in our room and did not sleep very well.  At home, you have been consistently sleeping through the night (knock on wood). There were about 4 days in a row when you were waking up at 5:30 am ready for the day to start. That is just too early, son. Generally, you are a great napper! Your two naps are around 9 am and 2 pm, and you will usually nap for 1-2 hours. At night, you sleep from 8 pm to about 6 am. If we are in the car for more than 15 minutes, you take a little car nap. You are just like your mama in that way.


Eating:
Now the fun with food has begun! You are still nursing 4 times a day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner/bedtime.  For each meal, you eat a variety of solid foods. The majority of your foods now are finger foods, but you still enjoy some mushy/pureed foods, too! Your newest favorite is thin-sliced deli turkey and blueberries, but you have not given up on your sweet potato love. For breakfast, you usually eat oatmeal with breastmilk (and often some mashed bananas) or a whole grain waffle and fruit. We have just started feeding you yogurt, and you seem to enjoy that just fine. At lunch, you like to eat turkey, frozen (or thawed) peas, string cheese, whole grain bread, and applesauce. Dinner is really fun because you can sometimes try what Mommy and Daddy are eating! Also, you like dinner because Daddy will feed you most of the time. For dinner you like to have chicken or beef sausage, sweet potatoes, whole grain bread or waffle, shredded cheddar cheese, and quartered grapes. With each meal, you drink a LOT of water from your sippy cup. You are a master of the sippy cup. We had to cut back on the water you were drinking at dinner because your diaper could not hold it all at night! So far, you are really happy with just water so we haven't given you any juice (except a while back when we tried diluted prune juice to keep you regular). We don't let you have snack food very often because we don't want to ruin your meals with snacking, but as we are getting your meals ready, you like to have Cheerios, puffs, or whole grain Goldfish. It is nice to have these types of treats available when were are out and about because they will keep you happy and quiet. With all the big boy food you are eating, you are starting to show a little less interest in your mom's milk. It won't be much longer until you can start drinking cow's milk! Yum yum.
Delicious lens cap

Playing and Fun:
You are starting to get a little bored with the toys and equipment we have already. You don't really like being in your exersaucer much anymore, and your happy time in the walker is limited. Pushing and walking with your hippo toy is okay, but you still prefer to walk around the coffee table or sofa on your own. We play with your little wooden alphabet blocks almost everyday, and your favorite thing to do with them is put them in a bowl and shake them all out! At 10 months, you love to dig in the diaper bag or any kind of container and pull out all the contents. You also enjoy playing in the kitchen drawers and cabinets. Just about daily, you will attempt to get into the trash can or the toilet, and I always have to say, "No!" You do not like being pulled away from these treasures. We have been on several playdates, and you are learning how to play with other babies. One of the best times was a playdate with a group at the pool. There was even a shallow baby pool with mushroom showers! Recently, we have gone to a few different playgrounds. You absolutely adore going down the slide with my help. The smile on your face is always so big when you get to the bottom. Just like you loved your baby swing, you really enjoy swinging at the park. I am so glad you have fun on the playground and being outside, and it won't be long before you can get full use of all the equipment!


I could go on and on all day about you, Camp. My love for you is immeasurable, kind of like the love Jesus has for us. I worry about you all the time, but I put those worries in His hands. You are His little one, and He will take care of you and us. Your Daddy and I are so proud of you already with how much you can do by yourself and how good you are for us. Have I mentioned how loved you are by your grandparents, family, and friends as well? You are certainly blessed, Mr. Buttlesworth.

Love,
Mommy

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

One Dollar Wednesday: Noodlebugs

I was this close to canceling the post for this Wednesday due to exhaustion, but I am going to attempt this, for all of you fans of course. You are welcome.

Today's wonderful one dollar idea comes from Pinterest, naturally. Camp got invited to a birthday party for his friend, Crawford, who was turning 2. I wanted to make her something special and fun, so I went straight to one of my pins. For this project, I got two different colored pool noodles and a pair of the thick shoelaces like the ones we would use for roller skates. That actually added up to $3 at the dollar store, but you really only need one foam noodle for ONE dollar to make the basic project. I sliced each noodle into 2 inch pieces (you could try 1 inch also) using an old steak knife. I piled up all the "noodlets" in a matching party bag and tied it closed with the shoelaces. Add a little gift tag with a label for the toy and...
ABRACADABRA: Noodlebugs!!! 
 (Thank you to my husband for creating the name for these cute mini noodles)



Little ones will have fun and develop some great skills by stacking, threading, counting, and sorting the Noodlebugs. They would also make for a very enjoyable snowball noodlebug fight!

I heard that Crawford enjoyed her gift, but it was noted that her older brother, Wesley, was getting in on the fun as well!
Wesley was having some Noodlebug time before his sister woke up! (Photo by his mom, Lauren)
I do not recommend this project for the baby who still likes to put random objects in his mouth as the foam is probably not safe for eating. I tried a few different times to get Camp's set out for him, but he was only interested in taste-testing. And they are now personalized...with bite marks!



Quick! Go stock up on pool noodles while there is still some summer merchandise available!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

One Dollar Wednesday: Water Play Bin

Last week was a little rough for us. We were stuck at home for a couple of days due to rain and a dumb rental car. Camp was being extra clingy, and I was running out of things to do with him. I have several ideas floating around in my head and pinned on my Pinterest boards, but all of those take some prep work and a shopping trip for materials. We had to come up with something fast and easy and on-hand to keep the little guy entertained. And so today's "One Dollar Wednesday" idea was born. It's so simple it's brilliant.

First, I grabbed a plastic dishpan from my teaching days out of the garage. You can use any type of container that you have, but investing about $2 in one of these will be worth it for future play or storage. Almost any discount store carries them, but I know they have them at Family Dollar and Wal-Mart. You could also try out an aluminum roasting pan ($1 at Dollar Tree). Next, I headed to Camp's bathroom and snatched some baby bubble bath and water toys. Then, I filled the dishpan with water and bubble bath. Last, I placed the filled container on a beach towel on the kitchen floor with the toys beside it. 
 ABRACADABRA: The Water Play Bin!!!
Exploring the bubbles. His baths never get this bubbly!
Tasty bubbles
Playing with the Caterpillar Spiller toys

Putting his face in the water...good water baby! Or maybe he just got thirsty.
I told you, this one is a no-brainer! And our water play bin cost us nothing because we used items we already had around the house. Just be ready for a wet mess!
Warning: Camp attempted (and almost succeeded) several times to dump the entire bin of water out on the floor. You may want to use less water than we did.