The Monster - By Kyle Andrew

This story was told to me by my darling son.  His effects are in blue, my responses are in red.  Enjoy.


I was walking in the street one day and then (pause for dramatic effect *PFDE*) here he came.  *GASP*

It was a big blue MONSTER.  With pointy ears.  *PFDE* (and visual aides) and he growled and roared with sharp teeth.  I told him "NO POINTY EAR MONSTER!"

And Mommy, mommy are you listening? (Yes Kyle) Ok good, this is the best part.  *PFDE with GASP* I fought that monster with a sword!!!!  (Where did you get the sword?)  In my pocket.  It was folded up like an errplane (duh mom face).  So I said, "Listen here snake monster!"  (I thought it was the Pointy Ear Monster)  It is mommy, but he is a pointy ear snake monster that sounds like this *ssschhhuuuggghhsch*  So I fought it and it ran away. *GASP*

That was a good story right mommy?  (It was the best I have ever heard.)  Way better than your stories mom.  Remember it.  (Yes sir.)

Lazy Saturday

Since I am still trying to 100% recoup from having the plague this past week (long gross story, IV fluids, hardcore antibiotics, losing 6lbs, etc.)  We decided to cancel all plans we had for today and take it easy. 

I found this Circo-Paint-Your-Own-Bird-Feeder at Target, missing the paint that comes with it, for only $4.99.  Kyle has been really great this week while I was sick, so I decided he deserved a bit of fun!  We have tons of paint at home, so I will take $5.00 off any day!

 

We let it dry in the sun while we went to Home Depot and let him pick out bird seed for his project.  We also grabbed some spray lacquer so that Daddy Kyle could spray it down and make it a little more weather proof.

 

It is now proudly hanging on an old garden flag stake in our corner flower bed.  It adds just the touch of color I wanted, without having to plant flowers.  (Which if you didn't know, Daddy Kyle hates all plants but grass)

How did you spend your day?

3.4 years old

Some of this might be a bit boring, some of it entertaining.  I will fill in with a few of my favorite pictures by the amazing Sarah Giles we had done around his 3rd birthday. 

This post is mainly so I don't miss the small things that go by so fast...

Kyle Andrew - A Survey


What is your favorite thing to play?  My airplanes, I want to play airplanes, that is my favorite.

What is your favorite color? I don't know, just white.

What is your favorite show? Highlighters is my favorite movie.  (For the record, dad and I have no clue what this is)

What is your favorite animal?  It is a donkey.

Who is your best friend at school? Aaron

What is your favorite thing to do at school?  Worksheets.

What is your favorite food?  Hot stuff. 
What makes you scared?  Bad dinosaurs

What makes you sad?  It looks like this (insert huge pouty lip)  *Rephrased question - Mom I already showed you.
What makes you happy?  Daddy makes me happy.

What makes moms happy?  Daddy makes you happy.

What makes daddys happy?  Mommy makes daddy happy.

Tell me something funny.     Sometimes you are like bugga dugga. (Insert uncontrollable laughter)

A mom's survey

Height - 40 inches

Weight - 40 pounds

Sleep - bed around 8:30pm, wakes up to an alarm (which he turns off himself) at 7:20am, and usually naps around 12 or 1 for about 2 hours

Eating - He had a few months where I was pretty sure he was starving himself.  However in the last two weeks a change is in the air.  Example, dinner tonight - 6 nuggets from Chic-Fil-A, large fruit cup, chocolate milk, a bowl of cereal, a nutrigrain bar, a cup of yogurt, and a juice box.

Potty/Bath - He is almost 100% potty trained and having very few accidents.  He truly enjoys wearing big boy underwear, but sometimes totally forgets to slow down and go to the bathroom.  We are working on that.  As for night trained, he knows he is allowed to get up, go to the potty and then return to bed.  So usually he gets up shortly after he goes down, then again about 20 or 30 minutes before his alarm goes off.  So far no issues.  He is however, still in pullups at night, just in case.  He refuses to let us help him bathe, and loves taking showers on his own.

Physical - He has finally learned how to peddle his tricycle, and loves it.  He also loves running, swinging, playing catch with daddy (he has a pretty good arm), and playing football.  He has a great three point stance he won't show anyone.  He absolutely loves fishing.  He can cast better than me, and loves to inspect any fish that has been caught by poking it in the eye.

Clothing - He is wearing big kids size XS or 5T when they are made.  He can still rock 4T shorts and jeans, but the jeans are pushing it on being too short.  He loves picking out his own clothes, down to the underwear, but we have to limit choices daily or it turns into a fight.  His favorite items always include sports players, and shirts with jersey style numbers.

Education - Kyle is School has been great for him, growing his verbal skills in leaps and bounds.  He is doing 5 year old level puzzles and worksheets.  He knows his alphabet, knows his numbers, but still refuses to talk about it.  He can read his name and write a good chunk of the alphabet.  He can use scissors and loves to cut out shapes.  His favorite thing to draw is happy faces and monster trucks.

Random -  He loves to sing made up songs, but only when he thinks no one is listening.  He likes to see both of us before he goes to bed.  He gives amazing hugs and kisses that are unprompted and super sweet.  He uses his manners, and apologizes easily if he has done something wrong.  He has a ridiculously cute dimple in his right check that stands out when he gives you a smile that would melt your heart.  On occasion if he wakes up before I leave for work he walks me to the door gives me a hug and tells me to have a good day at work.  He loves babies.  He loves superheros, monster trucks, Scooby Doo, Transformers, and all things boy.

The Tough Parts - I tagged this on here because I don't want to blindside myself if we ever do this again.  He is hard headed, stubborn, and likes to scream when frustrated.  Someone at school must call names, because he has taken up this nasty habit and it is a hard one to break.  Just like the whining is hard to take and hard to make stop.  Discipline that works - we have to vary it, judge his mood and go with it.  Some days it is time out, other days it is swats, other days (most days) it is having his toys taken away.  At one point he had them all taken away, he is earning them back one by one.  Just like most kids it is worse when tired.  He also has his trigger issues.  For example, if he decides on something, most likely it is going to be a knock down drag out to change his mind.

Promises, promises

Well, well, well, blog, we meet again.

I often wonder the following things:

1.  What should I put in this blog?
2.  Who actually reads this thing?
3.  Oooo look at the pretty shoes...
4.  Ohhh, there is another mess made by someone named Kyle
5.  Money, yup that is it, just money (good, bad, more, less)

I think for now I should probably only concentrate on #1.  I could probably figure out #2, but #4 makes me want to buy #3 which leads to me thinking about less of #5.

Anyway...

So, since I am trying my hardest not to blow up Facebook with random status updates about the littlest Kyle and about my new found life as a working mom, I think that is what #1 is going to be about.  I can't promise any posting on a regular basis, because lets face it people, I haven't touched this blog since December, and that was to get free Christmas cards!  Score!

Stay tuned....

Tradition

Growing up I remember helping my mom get Christmas cards together each year.  She always sent out the best cards.  I can still hear her saying, "The best Christmas cards are not just cards, you get something with it or out of it."  One year we had seed packets that were laced to the front cover.  Another year we had a old time newspaper with recipes and neat crafts hidden in the pages.  Like I said, she always did the best cards.

Now that I am grown, I am in charge of the Christmas card list, and the design of the card.  I might not be as creative or as giving as mom, but I do love to think that a photo card gives the recipient a little more than just a traditional card.  I have tried several companies, but by far I have always been impressed with the quality of Shutterfly's quality of 5x7 folded photo cards.

This year I came across a GREAT deal that Shutterfly is offering to bloggers.  50 free photo cards if you do a post about them, and the giveaway.  Umm, OK!!!!  I love their products and had planned on using them this year anyway for not only Christmas cards but also fun gifts for grandparents like photo calendars and birthday cards for Kyle's birthday party.

So, hmmmm, which one will I choose this year?????  So many great options!  I really like the ones with multiple photo spots since we just took pictures with our FAVORITE photographer the fabulous Ms. Sarah Giles with Butterfly Chaser Photography and I can never just choose one of her pictures.

Here are some of the ones I am considering:

So blog readers, which one do you like????

If you would like to take part in Shutterfly's blogger give away, make sure you stop by their website.

Merry Christmas!!!!

They say it's my birthday!!!

Well today, 28 years ago, my mom went thru 28 hours of Hell to get me here.  So first and most importantly, THANK YOU MOMMY!

28...

Hmmm, that just doesn't seem possible.  I vividly remember all my birthdays under the age of 19 because my mom made sure they rocked!  So once again THANKS MOM!

Today I woke up, had breakfast in bed with my favorite little man while watching Minnie's birthday party on TV.  I reminded little Kyle that today was my birthday, his response, "SURPRISE!  Isn't that right mommy?"  Yes sweetheart, that sounds great!

Once we got dressed we headed over to the mall to spend a gift certificate (thanks Gini & Hollis!) at Sephora.  Love that place!  Anyway, then we ate lunch at Chic Fila and watched the "Too many people" trying to stay out of the Houston heat.  Then we strolled down the mall so that he could play in the big kid playground.  The playground now has a cotton candy vending machine next to it. 

Are you kidding me???  Not bagged pre-packaged cotton candy either.  Freshly made, on a long stick, light and fluffy cotton candy.  I am not sure there in much else I love more than cotton candy.  I am sugar junkie.  I will admit it.  So what?  I'm thinking, yes, it is my birthday, and I have a 2 year old.  What better excuse than to spend $2 on Heaven on a stick?  After Kyle finished playing we got our cotton candy and went and sat down on a bench to let me him enjoy his sugar on a stick.  He took one bite and said, "Ewww mommy this is terrible, you eat it."  NOT A PROBLEM KIDDO!

Insert mommy sugar induced euphoria here.  Play the elevator music of your choice.

At this point I chose to use my birthday to spoil my son.  Why?  Who knows, but it made me happy to hear him tell me "Mommy this is totally awesome!"  while riding the ridiculous choo-choo train around the mall.  It made me laugh and smile to watch him pretend to be Buzz Lightyear on the trampoline bungee jump thing.  So I guess that is a pretty good birthday present to me after all.

Now he is napping, I am enjoying chips and salsa while watching crap TV, and we are going out to dinner tonight.  I am not sure I could ask for a better birthday :)

Dinosaur-cation 2010

We took a weekend getaway to Historic Glen Rose Texas to take in the sights.  We stayed at Americas Best Value because they had an awesome deal where you got tickets to all the area sights for a discount.  Also, the prices were not that bad to begin with.

We got there LATE Friday night and little man wanted nothing to do with going to bed as soon as we got there.  After crawling into bed with him and wrestling him to sleep, we finally dozed off at 2am.

Saturday morning we woke up, got dressed and headed out to Dinosaur World to take in all the life size dinos they have there.  It was really interesting, but in hindsight we should have taken the stroller.  Not even halfway little man got tired of walking and daddy got the job of keeping him on his shoulders the rest of the way.  Boy was it HOT.  It hit 102 degrees before we left Dinosaur World.  Little man, loved all the dinosaurs and wanted to touch each one (explicitly NOT allowed) so we had to move quickly to avoid a little dare devil climbing fences.

We then headed over to Dinosaur Valley State Park.  They have several different track sites where you can see actual dinosaur tracks.  (Also known as dinosaur choo choo tracks).  We took the main hike first and got to cool off as we crossed over the shallow rocky Paluxy River.  We saw several that were roped off and under some stagnate water, but then we saw some off to the side that were dried out.  So cool!

After making it almost all the way back to the car without slipping and falling in a puddle, little man did just that.  Ending up with soaked sand covered pants that had to be removed before getting in the car.  We didn't have any spares in the car so little man got to ride back to the hotel in style.

We grabbed lunch and headed back to the hotel where we all enjoyed real Dublin Dr. Pepper (if you haven't ever had this pleasure, find it, indulge, and thank me later) and some fried chicken.  After lunch we made it over to the hotels indoor pool.  It was EMPTY!  Yay for small favors.  Once I finally talked a little man into wearing his life jacket, he had a BLAST swimming by himself.  We swam and splashed and jumped for almost 2 hours.  Insert awesome 2 hour family nap here.

Post nap time we headed back over to the state park to check out some of the other track sites and a few of the trails.  It was still pretty hot so we didn't stay too long.  For dinner we went to Riverside Grill which was inside a beautiful historic home right off the square.  Little Kyle kept saying we were eating dinner in the White House.  Great food and amazing dessert!!  After all of that we were pretty much exhausted so we went back to the hotel watched a little TV and then went to bed WAY earlier than the night before.

Sunday morning we woke up in time to enjoy breakfast at the hotel before we checked out.  We left the hotel and headed over to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. This was great!  We got the bag of feed from the front and let little man stand in front of the passenger seat.  He had a wonderful time feeding the different animals by hand, including zebras!  He thought it was pretty cool that all the animals came up to him and he got to pet them and feed them.  We had lunch at the halfway point in Overlook Cafe.  A gorgeous view of the property was everywhere you looked.  The second half didn't take as long, but we did get to see a giraffe, a cheetah, and a rhino.

We headed back to Houston and decided to make a short stop at the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco.  Little man had a good time running around and trying all the different buttons and crafts they had laid out.  Our last stop in the museum was the soda fountain where we enjoyed a (as usual) extremely yummy Dublin Dr. Pepper float.  So good!

All in all we had a great time, took WAY TOO many pictures, and decided we want to go back, but maybe in cooler weather.

If you want to see more pictures from our trip you can check out the scrap book I made with Picaboo.  By the way, LOVE this program.

To view the book, click the following link:


http://app.picaboo.com/WebView/Project.aspx?clientID=9da9681f821529e89a43eb710be36781&version=25171