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I think Fall may be my favorite time of year. I just love the crisp air! We enjoyed a fun day at the pumpkin patch last weekend with the grandparents. We picked out the perfect pumpkin, ate hot dogs and ice cream, and relished in some bounce house fun!
We recently went to Sesame Street Live Elmo Makes Music and since I forgot my camera, the iPhone was all I had for taking pics. I can’t wait for my upgrade next month so I can have better quality pics out of my phone!
Here’s my little guys at 20m. Super J (on the left) is now 4, baby boy just turned 20 months. I just love them!
This is my lil guy’s second season of t-ball and he can’t seem to get enough of it! This weekend was his first game and the team did so well. I’m happy he’s followed in the family’s foot-steps and enjoys playing a great sport!
It seems like every day we wake up to hear of yet another bullying story in the news. I’m not sure if we’re hearing about more cases because the schools and media have taken a stance or if there’s just more cases, period. Just this morning there was another news story about a teen who was picked for Homecoming court, only to learn that it was a prank by many of her peers to embarrass her. While this particular story had a positive outcome because the teens community got wind of the story and many local businesses began offering to pay for her dress, homecoming dinner, etc, encouraging the teen to still attend her Homecoming dance, not all bullying stories end this way.
As parents, I feel that these news stories are reminders (or lessons) that give us an opportunity to teach our children about bullying and what is acceptable behavior. Since my son is four and started preschool this year I’ve briefly touched on the topic of bullying so he can be aware of what it is and what to do if a situation were to arise. I have instilled in him that if you are kind to others they will be kind to you.
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A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of working with Dayna from Madeline Garrett Photography. We couldn’t have had a better experience and she captured beautiful pictures of our boys that we will treasure always! We started our photo shoot at Dinky Dock park in Winter Park.
I saw this in my facebook feed and it rang very true with me. Especially after using those exact words in my Happy Story! 🙂
*picture derived from couponcabin.com
Recently I took the boys to experience Disney on Ice for the first time. Although Rockin’ Ever After features several of Disney’s Princesses it is undoubtedly for any child boy or girl. We were also invited backstage before the show to meet the star of Disney’s latest blockbuster hit “Brave”. We dined on a kid-friendly meal and took pictures with Mérida.
We took our seats and anticipated an amazing show. Rockin’ Ever After kicked off with Mickey Mouse and friends. Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pinnochio were all there!
In this technologically advanced society it’s no surprise that children as young as three and four are getting in on the trend. Studies have shown that children who have computers at home performed much higher in reading and math than children who do not have access to computers.
My 4-year-old son is a perfect example of this statistic. Since the age of three he has been fascinated by the computer and tablet we own. Considering he sees Mommy and Daddy using them quite often, it makes a lot of sense he would show interest.
Super J has been reading since age three. Yes, reading. He knows how to spell, write age appropriate words, and many other advanced learning skills. We have seen the benefits firsthand of a child using technology and we’re impressed.
There’s an overwhelming amount of educational games and age appropriate learning apps that exist for preschoolers. Many of them help children trace letters, fine-tune motor skills, teach them how to spell, read, and encourage imagination.
Some of our favorites are:
I highly encourage any parent to take the time to show their child how to use a computer or tablet. If you don’t own one, there are many county libraries that offer computer access. Even one day a week can make a difference.
We of course limit the amount of time our son spends on the tablet/home computer. It’s typically an hour a day based on good behavior. It’s a great reward system tool and it benefits his learning in the end.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own and may differ from yours. No compensation was received for this post.
Breaking news!! My baby boy went on the potty for the first time last Wednesday. He also turned 19 months on the 2nd so I went in search of a picture of both boys at the same age and you will not believe what I came up with….both boys on the pot at 19m! LOL!
Crazy coincidence or pure genius I tell you! 🙂
(Super J on left, Baby boy on right)
Happy Wednesday!
We are two weeks into the school year and my lil guy is still excited to go to school each day! That’s a good sign, right? 🙂 I’m pretty sure I was more nervous than him. My 4-year-old had spent the summer wishing it right along so he could start school. It was really cute.
Meanwhile, I somewhat dreaded the school year because I knew there was an underlying issue that needed to be addressed. He also failed miserably at being a “daycare kid” because he had separation anxiety from age 4 months through his entire first year of life and then some. He only wanted Mommy, even grandparents couldn’t hold him, and it was rare he wanted Daddy either. So dropping him off at daycare every day for a year was very rough on me to say the least. After several discussions with my husband we agreed to make a family change and from that point on I was a stay at home Mom.
I made sure to keep him social by taking him to the library for storytime, many playdates, and I also watched a little girl so he always had a playmate here at the house. He’s now one of the first kids to walk up to any child on the playground and say, “wanna play”. He’s very independent and I am SO proud of him! Still I had the slightest hesitation that the newness of school would wear off and he’d want Mommy. So far, so good! 🙂
On the other hand, baby boy is the one having a rough go of the changes. I hadn’t realized what a strong bond the boys had developed and that my 18-month-old would be the one crying for his brother every day. It’s so sad to watch. Each day I drop my 4-year-old off at pre-k baby boy says, “play, play”. He’s telling me he wants to stay with his brother. He doesn’t understand why brother stays at school and he goes home with Mommy. Apparently I’m chopped liver. 😉
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Oh my how they grow up so fast! I can’t believe my baby is 18 months already (far right)…..and my first baby (far left) is 4 & 1/2!
Here is a side-by-side of the boys at the same age. They look really different in this one!
Happy Wednesday!
Ahhhhh! I want this week to go very, very, slooooow! I can’t believe my 4-year-old is starting Pre-K next week. I chose to become a stay at home Mom when he was 1 and I’ve loved every minute of it. Okay well maybe not EVERY minute of it, but you get my drift. 🙂
Many of you may have caught my post here about his recent diagnosis. Thank you so much for all of your kind words and encouragement. I am still a bit nervous about how he will do in a class setting, but I’m going to remain positive and hope for a good year. He is so excited about school and that makes me very happy.
On a different note, I’m looking forward to having quality time with just me and baby boy who is 18 months now. He’s never had that undivided attention like my older son had with me. It will be a great bonding experience for him and I.
I do however need some suggestions. Baby boy still takes a nap and it typically follows lunch so he’s asleep by 12:30/1pm and it lasts for an hour or so. If I have to pick up my son from Pre-K by 2pm what should I do about baby’s nap? I’m afraid if I make him wait, he’ll fall asleep on the way and then I have to take him out of the car to get his brother so he’ll probably wake up. That would only be a 10 minute nap which equals a cranky baby. I’m sure there’s a lot of Moms who have been in this predicament so I welcome the comments.
Does anyone else have a first child starting Pre-K this year? How do you feel about it? How do they feel about school? I know I’m totally gonna be that Mom who doesn’t want to stop hugging their kid, and then I’ll have a good cry in the car. LOL!
My son’s nurse told us a dolphin trick that she learned during a backstage tour at SeaWorld so on our recent visit to the park we just had to try it out….and it worked!! At the underwater encounter area near SeaWorld’s all new Turtle Trek you can literally play with the dolphins!
Dolphin trainers use water bottles to train the dolphins to follow them so my husband attempted the trick and they were happy to play! I recorded just one of the many dolphins that came over to play along! At one point he had three dolphins following him. It was a really neat experience!
For the past two years I’ve noticed tics in our older son. During his yearly check-ups I would mention it to the doctors and they would more or less brush it off as “normal” behavior. To me it was a red flag. Why, because my brother was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome around the age of 6. My brother’s TS is on the milder side with mainly non-verbal tics however he does have one verbal tic which is clearing his throat. The verbal tics (vocalizations) that include shouting, barking or obscene language is very uncommon actually.
Tourette syndrome or TS is a neurobiological disorder characterized by tics–involuntary, rapid, sudden movements and/or vocal outbursts that occur repeatedly. Genetic studies indicate that TS is inherited as a dominant gene, with about 50% chance of passing the gene from parent to child. Sons are three to four times more likely than daughters to exhibit TS. The very unfortunate thing is no definite cause has yet been established in finding the cause or cure for TS over the last several decades however considerable evidence points to abnormal metabolism of at least one brain chemical called dopamine.
Over the past few months I’ve seen an increase in our sons tics which include raising his eyebrows, blinking, clenched jaw and a shoulder movement. The tic’s are typically more noticeable when he’s upset or tired and are intensified after playing a computer game or iPad/iPhone game. After a recent in-depth conversation with my brother about TS I was even more certain that our lil man had “it”. I cried my eyes out when I got home. It was my bad genes! I felt so guilty I had passed this onto our son. After speaking with my husband, we were in agreement that it was time for action. I called the pediatrician and remained firm that I wanted our son tested by a specialist for tics.
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Something I constantly hear from friends, family and strangers alike is how different my boys look from one another. I too, agree that they look different. As time has gone on my older son has grown from this adorable baby to a handsome little man and my baby boy is well, still so stinkin’ cute! I took a look back through some older photos of my first son and put this side-by-side together of the boys at the same age, 17 months. I can see the resemblance much more when I look at them this way (minus the blinding blonde hair from our first-born) versus now.
Remember to enjoy the moments because they are gone so quickly! Happy Wednesday! 🙂
Oh my goodness I just had to share! The boys were watching Winnie the Pooh and I came around the corner to find them like this. I grabbed what was nearby and unfortunately my iPhone camera stinks. I just love the brotherly love! 🙂
With our first son potty training came naturally around the age of two. Since he was our first child I had no idea how to potty train and thankfully a friend from high school passed along a genius e-book. (Thanks Kristin!) After showing several signs of readiness we decided to give the 3 day potty training method a go. We followed the steps and although it was challenging, we were very impressed that the method worked. “Super J” was potty trained in just 3 days!
Disclaimer-I’m not being paid in any way to share this information. 3 day potty training has no idea I’m writing this post. This is our true experience.
Certainly with anything new, there were bound to be a few accidents, however (amazingly) I can count the number of accidents on one hand! I thought for sure once we had another child that one was “going to give me a run for my money” as they say. Training our first child was just way too easy so that only makes sense right?
Now that baby boy is here, he adores his big brother and wants to do everything he does. I feel like he’s trying to grow up entirely too fast! 🙁 Although he’s only 16 months, he’s already showing signs of readiness when it comes to potty training. He’s constantly pulling at his diaper and sometimes manages to pull it off.
This picture cracks me up! (No pun intended)
Hi all! Welcome to the site. 🙂 I’m Jennifer, blog owner of My Boys and Their Toys. I thought I’d introduce myself.
I’m local to the Central Florida area where I make a happy home with my Teacher Husband and our two sons. I chose to leave the corporate world to be a stay-at-home Momma when our first son turned one. It turned out to be the best decision for our family! As many other SAHM’s can attest we need adult conversations too so I’m so thankful to have found the blogging world in 2009.
After writing for two well known and outstanding bloggers for over two years, I’ve decided to branch out on my own. The goal for My Boys and Their Toys is to share personal posts about our family, provide honest product reviews, services and entertainment, and promote giveaways of the latest items on the market.
Thank you so much for stopping by the blog and we hope to see you again! If you’d like to learn a bit more about us, check out the About Us page above. You can also keep up to date with the latest My Boys and Their Toys news by following us on facebook or twitter! We’d also be happy to have you follow us by signing up for emails, rss, etc. Those links are located at the Connect with Me section to the right.
