3 Year Photos...Again

A few weeks ago before we went on vacation, I decided to try to take some more 3 year pictures of Grant. I did some in his birthday shirt right before he turned 3 but I wanted more in some of his cute and under-used outfits. He was super cooperative, even with outfit changes (probably because he knew we were playground bound when it was over) and I think I managed some good pictures of him.

We went to down town Clayton and I was planning to make use of their train tracks so I first put Grant in overalls (little boys in overalls are so cute!). But before we even got out of the car a train came through...which excited Grant but then he wouldn't get near the tracks. Can't really blame him, eh? 

I tried not to tell him what to do. I just took
pictures while he fooled around :)

Then I changed him into his little gentleman's outfit. Its the outfit I bought him for my sister-in-law's wedding and he just didn't want to wear it that day. He was having too much fun that day to bother with a blazer. But I managed to keep it all on him this day and I love the way it looks on him. He didn't even seem to mind it too much.

He told me he wanted to sit down. I thought
he was tired so I said ok...then he posed :)

Can't you see the mischief in that face?

My favorite of the day!

We did one more outfit change. "Then we go to the playground?"  he asked me. And very cooperatively changed outfits when I said yes (and sweetened the deal with a lollipop).

I've said it before: photographer, I am not. But I'm a mom who likes to take good pictures of her kid...so I try. I had a lot of fun with him that day and lots of fun playing with the pictures. And he had a well deserved fun time at the park :)

High Five for Friday

Today I'm linking up with Lauren to share some of my favorite stuff from the past two weeks. I didn't do a post last week and last week was fun so I'm adding it in :)

1) A few days before we went on vacation last week, I decided to do a little photo shoot with Grant. I hadn't done one in a while and he has several adorable outfits that he doesn't have much occaision to wear. So we headed to downtown Clayton for some pictures. He was super cooperative (even with outfit changes) so I took him to the park afterward for some playtime...and a much deserved lollipop.

More pictures to come in a later post!

The park is always a good thing.

2) We spent a long weekend in the mountains! We headed up to Banner Elk, NC on Wednesday and came home Sunday. More on that (and pictures) in a later post but we had a great time. Love the mountains! Especially in the fall :)

Family pic!

On the Blue Ridge Parkway

Famous movie spot on Grandfather Mountain!

3) I don't decorate for Halloween. Its not a long enough season for me to get into all that so I have very little stuff to put out for it (though I should try harder for Grant). BUT my sister gave me my Mom's adorable Halloween candy dish so I filled it with Hershey Kisses and made a spot on the table for it. I will try my best to keep it as well stocked as my Mom did! And I think Husband is going to try his best to empty it as fast as I fill it.

Isn't it cute?

4) I stayed home sick with Grant yesterday. Though him being sick was not a *favorite* of the week, I do enjoy unexpectedly spending the day with him. Especially when he's so snuggly. And we even sat down and watch The Wizard of OZ together - my favorite! The whole thing. It was so nice to watch it with someone who doesn't know to be annoyed at my constant quoting of the lines.

5) Also yesterday, I made some glazed cinnamon scones. So I could have one with my morning coffee and share the others with people at work. It's been a while since I made scones and they were good! (I'm reading a book set in England and they talk about scones a lot so I've really been craving them!)

Yummy.

Happy Friday!

I hope you have a great weekend :)

Conversations With My Toddler

We had salad with our dinner a couple times last week and I finely shredded the carrots that I put in there (bad decision - that has nothing to do with this but they just weren't as good like that). So Grant says:

Grant: Are there carrots in here?
Me: Yes, little ones. I made them too small this time.
Grant: Big carrots are for bunnies. We feed them big carrots. (There is a bunny at his school)
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Grant likes to watch me cook (and he helps when he can). Saturday he was watching me cook breakfast.

Grant: Oh you have cheese! Can I have a piece of cheese?
Me: You're going to have cheese on your eggs.
Grant: Can I have a piece...not on my eggs?
*************************************
This summer when we went to NY to visit my family, my Aunt Bonnie gave Grant a fish stuffed animal. He's pretty strict about the animals he sleeps with but saw his fish the other night and wanted it.

Grant: What's his name?
Me: I don't know. I guess we haven't given him one yet.
Grant: You name him.
Me: Why don't you name him? He's your fish.
Grant: No...ok. His name is...it's...he's Driver Spice.
*pause for confused look on my face*
Me: Why...is his name Driver Spice?
Grant: Well, because...because...hm. It just is.
***************************************
This is less conversation, more just funny. We were playing soccer in the living room Sunday but before we could play, Grant had to line up his softballs, baseballs, and basketball...not sure why. Husband asked what he was doing (since we weren't using those).
Grant said: "These are my balls."
*pause for immature giggling*
So the soccer begins and a wonky kick from me messes up the line of balls.
Grant yells: "OH MY BALLS! I gotta put my balls together!"
*more giggling*
More soccer. Then the balls get messed up again.
Grant yells: "OH MY BALLS! They're hurt!"
At that point, I decided to put away everything but the soccer ball. Otherwise I might never have stopped laughing.

High Five for Friday

This week has been a bit rough, so its nice to look back and remember some of the fun I've had. I'm linking up with Lauren to share some of my happenings from the last week.

1) On Saturday I got invited to go see Wizard of OZ in 3D with my friend Elizabeth and her family. So awesome! It is, hands down, my favorite movie EVER and it was my first 3D movie. I'm so glad I got to go and spend some time with some great people too :)

Fun cow art they had in the lobby at the IMAX

2) Sunday found me having a surprise snow cone with Grant followed by some baseball in the park. Having spent the previous weekend out of town for work, it was great to take some time just for Grant and I to enjoy.

Snow cones and popsicles are his #1 favorite treat!

Catch!

3) Also on Sunday, we stopped by Party City to check out Halloween costumes and ended up getting one for Grant. October is one of my busiest months at work so I'm glad we got his costume early so I'm not last minute (like last year). His pick? Iron Man. And he's so in love with it...asking often to see it "for just a minute" or to wear it and telling us he'll never take it off.

Immediately striking his Iron Man pose after trying it on.

I wonder if this is how Tony Stark watches TV too?

4) I had an eye appointment on Monday and got my pupils dilated for the first time. Ever. I had managed to avoid it all this time! But they got me. Aside from being blinded when I left the place, I had fun afterwards freaking out the post office workers and the grocery store clerk.

That's not weird at all.

5) At the Mountain State Fair, I randomly signed up for something and got some junk mail this week. I guess I didn't print my name clearly.

It's been 2 days and I'm still laughing about it.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Have a great weekend :)

Three Years As A Mom

My life changed the day my Mom died. I never expected to be a mom without my mom. But if we hadn't been expecting Grant, things would have been very different for me. Because of Grant, I had to get myself out of bed every day. Even before he was born. There were things to do. A job to go to. Life. I couldn't drown myself in pity parties all day. 

Then he was born. Then five months later, my Dad died. And I became what has been referred to as a "Parentless Parent". I tried reading a book about being a parentless parent (called Parentless Parents), thinking it may help with the grief (yes, I know this is not a substitute for a grief counselor) but I quickly realized this book was not for me. The author of this book was in a similar situation. She lost her mom before she had her first child and her Dad died before she'd even had her second. But this woman was very judgy on what makes a person officially parentless. And she seems to think it's ok to let yourself feel different from the people around you. And to resent your friends and family that still have one or both of their parents. She says your parents are your cheering section, the people you get to brag to because your kids may be going through things your friend's kids have already done...so your friends may not care. Huh? My real friends care about what's going on with Grant. And I care what's going on with their kids. I didn't read much of the book before it made a permanant home on my bookshelf.

The truth is, while I would obviously LOVE to have either of my parents as a part of Grant's life, I can't resent the people in my life that still have their parents. That's just not right. When we decided to become parents I always knew that I wanted to be my own kind of mom. Obviously I learned from my mom, but I wanted to learn from me too. I didn't read parenting books or articles or magazine's because I don't care how other people think I should raise my child. 

So what has three years taught me? That I will always miss my parents. I always want to know if I was doing the same things that Grant is at his age. I don't know when I crawled, walked, talked. I can ask my aunt...but I want to ask my parents, you know? I can't imagine that going away. 

Three years has made me less lazy. Ok, three days made me less lazy! But now there are very few "lazy days" and more play days in the park, bike rides after dinner, weekend morning walks, baseball after breakfast. And I'm more willing to explore to find fun new things for us to do. I even like the beach now (for the most part) whereas before I could really take it or leave it.

Some people are natural teachers. I am not. I'm terrible at explaining things. But having a little one makes you a teacher anyway and it makes me WANT to teach. I don't want to leave everything to school, so we at least try to teach and I love helping him learn things. Trying to write, trying to read, coloring, counting, ABC's, even learning to cook (I love that he loves to be in the kitchen and asks questions and tries to do things!).

I make mistakes. He's a little spoiled. Come on, he's our only one (AND an only grandchild too). Do I want another? Yes. Will it happen? I don't know - and that makes me sad. But so far, I think we're doing good. Nothing has been as bad as some people would make you believe. Two wasn't terrible and so far three might have a bit of an attitude at times but it's been fun watching and helping him grow into his own little person. And now I have more knowledge of monster trucks and superheros than I ever thought I would. 

"A baby changes everything" how often do people tell you that, like it's a secret or some brilliant wisdom that you'd never considered before. Of course it does. If it doesn't, you're doing something wrong. It's hard. But it's so awesome.