What We're Reading

We've recently made a jump from board books to regular kids books. Not that we didn't have any before, but Thomas wasn't interested in sitting for a whole regular book. However, as I said, we've recently started reading the normal books and he is loving them. We've been going to the library every week for story time (during which the highlight is most definitely handing the librarian his library card), and we've been getting new books each week. Here are some of Thomas' favorites.





The one I've been the most suprised about is Blueberries for Sal. Not only is it long, but the pictures are black and white. It has probably been Thomas' favorite book that we've checked out so far! (Followed closely by Go Dog, Go!)

I've really liked this one, and one called The Growing Book (which I couldn't find online) about a dog, some chicks and a boy that grow. It's cute!

Riding Red

Bobi Ann's car is in the shop for a new transmission and yesterday she called me when I was on my way to Bible study to ask if I minded giving she and Kati Ann a ride home. I said no, and then realized that all the stuff that I had picked up from Brax's parents' house the day before for our yard sale was still in the back. PLUS, there is a lady in our Bible study small group who had knee replacement surgery this week and I had two coolers in my car to pick up the meals from the ladies in the Bible study that I'm delivering. Needless to say, we had to do a little rearranging. I had to lay down one of the back seats, so Thomas and Kati Ann had to sit next to each other. They didn't mind at all, although Thomas really wanted to hold Kati Ann's hand, and she was much less sure about it! (Bobi Ann took these pictures on her fabulous iPhone.)

*On an unrelated note, Bobi Ann and I walked this morning with the kids at 8:00 and it was 50 degrees. PERFECT!

Wii Mario Kart

We have a Wii and this weekend we got Mario Kart for it. We LOVE Mario Kart. We had it for our Game Cube and it's a really fun game to play just Brax and me, or with other people too! Well, Mario Kart on the Wii involves actual steering wheels, which of course got Thomas involved. He keeps saying "play 'that game' " which means Mario Kart. It doesn't work very well to have him steer with someone, so instead Brax and I have just been taking turns playing one player and letting Thomas hold the other wheel. He feels like he's driving too, and we get to have some good family fun!

Ride My Horsey, Please!

The other day I was driving down the road and I passed a yard sale and saw this horse in the yard. I thought I'd go see how much it was. They were asking $25, but they took $15 for it and Thomas has a new horse. It's actually on the deck now, but this is the first day we had it and I just put it in the driveway. He was so excited! His favorite part is getting up and down, and he's particularly proud that he can do it himself. He does like it ride it too.

Another funny thing about it, is that we talked about that it had been another child's but he didn't need it anymore, and now Thomas could have it. Thomas says usually at least once every time we're with the horse, "Nother kid not need it. Thomas need it now." Just another reminder that he remembers EVERYTHING we say!

Becky Came to Visit

This last week Becky (my best friend from Arkansas) game to visit for a few days. She and I got to visit lots, we played Settlers with Brax, and just hung out in general. Thomas had a great time with her, and I loved the break. She got down on the floor with him, brought him a "Noma's Ark" craft, played the barn game and even did glitter with him. He's still talking about the fact that she put new batteries in his crib aquarium. (Just for the record, Becky did wear other clothes. We just keep our house nice and cool, and she came prepared.)

Thomas' First Hunting Trip

Thomas got to go dove hunting with Daddy and Papa a few weekends ago. He even has a fake shot gun that the shells come out of. He was nervous about the sound of his fake gun when we were at Mimi and Papa's house (he wouldn't even touch it and it does not make a scary noise at all!) so, we weren't sure how he would feel about actually being at the dove field where there were real guns. Apparently he LOVED it! He wanted his gun, and was very obedient to Daddy and Papa and wore his "earmuffs" the whole time. (And just for anyone that is concered, Brax and his Dad ALWAYS eat the meat that they kill. They don't hunt just for the sport of it.)

Thanks to Papa for the great pictures actually taken at the dove field! I forgot to send my camera and he had his with him.

Continuous Shooting

Today I played with continuous shooting on my camera. I knew it could do it, but I couldn't figure out how to make it do it. I finally figured it out and asked Thomas to be the ginea pig for me-running away from me and then running towards me. I obviously still need pratice. When he was running back the pictures got blurry because I had my big lens on there. (It was funny to have the falling picture though-after it was all over and of course everything was fine.) The whole point was that I was going to use the feature to take pictures of him as he rolled down the hill in his car, but by the time I figured it out, my battery died. Alas. Also, I don't know how to get more than four pictures on my blog at one time, and I can't arrange them how I want them with the writing. I've been blogging for two years now, so I feel like those are things I should know how to do...Anyone that wants to give me tips would be appreciated!
P.S. You can always click on the picture and it will show up bigger!

Consignment Sale

This week was the consignment sale and I found some fun new toys for Thomas. The highlights have been a Sit N' Spin and then this Little Tykes car. This car is actually from Mimi and Papa, and tomorrow it will be going to their house to live. However, I thought Thomas might as well enjoy it at our house for a few days until we took it. He had SO much fun this morning because our driveway is sloped. He'd push it up the hill, get in, ride down, and push it up the hill again! (Apparently in the bottom picture he's manuvering a particularly scary curve!)

Adjustments

Thomas started waking up VERY early in the morning-usually anywhere between 5:45 and 6:15 and not going back to sleep. That may not sound VERY early to you, but as a pregnant mom it feels MUCH earlier than 7:00. And it was consistent, not just a couple of days. So Brax and I talked about it and decided to move his bedtime back 30 minutes to 7:30, and for sure read several books before he goes to bed. Usually we read Goodnight Moon and a Bible story or little prayer book, but we feel like it helps get him settled to read for 15-25 minutes. So, we started, and miraculously it worked! For several days in a row he slept past 7:00 which was amazing! Then yesterday morning he woke up at 5:22 and 6:22 and called out. My rule is that I don't get him till 7:00, and so I left him. Well I woke up again at 7:00 and he wasn't making any noise so I went back to sleep. At 7:45 I got up to take a shower. Finally at 8:30 after I was completely ready for Bible Study I thought I should go in and get him, even though he wasn't making any noise. I thought surely he'd be awake, just hanging out with his blanket. The above picture is the sight that met my eyes. He was definitely asleep, so I ran downstairs to get the camera (I don't have many asleep picture opportunities anymore). Today he woke up at 6:45, which is much more like what I would expect. We'll see how it all plays out...

Pictures

The other day I was working in the kitchen, and it got quiet, so I called out to Thomas to ask what he was doing. He said, "Looking at pictures. Pops!! Gram!!" I walked into the family room and discovered that he had pulled out one of our photo albums from our semsester in London. He was so excited to have found pictures of people he knew (and those he didn't too!). He kept pointing people out and saying "Mommy!! Daddy!! Different Daddy!! (which is what he calls any man that he doesn't know)" I love pictures-obviously-and it was so fun to see him so excited about looking at the pictures.

Ready for Winter...Sort of

The other day I was going through some fall/winter clothes and found these gloves for Thomas. He tried them on, thought they were fun and wanted to put on his jacket too. It's a little small, but we put it on anyway. I got the camera, because I thought it was funny, but as soon as I pulled it out he thought it was very unfunny and immediately wanted his gloves and jacket off.

Chores

Putting away silverware is still one of Thomas' favorite jobs. I usually empty the dishwasher while he's eating a meal/snack because he is contained in his booster seat. He asks everytime to do the silverware, but we don't always have time for that to work. We did have time a few times recently and I thought I should document it, since he loves it so much! The funniest part of it is that every time he pulls a knife out to put it in the drawer he says, "Knife...be very careful!" while waving it around!