I LOVE At Home Photo Shoots!

I got the ornaments out and he loved them.

I loved the way his face got covered in glitter.

I love to take pictures of my kids. I love to set up a fake at home studio. I love to play with my digital camera. I love having free pictures of my kids that are just what I want. I love our at home photo shoots. I love seeing how many decent shots I can get without doing any editing (the only editing I usually do is cropping). I love the faces my kids make when we take pictures. I love how much fun we have. So, I set up a shoot on the first of December (when we were decorating the house). Hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do!

Nine Months Old

So a while back (a week or so), TB turned nine months old. And right around this time- he changed! I mean really changed! Not just the wake up and wonder how much weight or how many inches he gained in his sleep sort of change, but the I can't believe you are my baby anymore change.

Here are some of the things TB now does regularly- as the new him.

Crawls on hands and knees- no more belly dragging for him. This new way is comparable to the speed of his belly dragging but much cleaner and seems to be easier for him.

Understands what "no" means- this, of course, does not mean that he listens. Usually it takes a few "nos" and often redirecting for him to stop the behavior- but he knows that he is disobeying at least.

Hates baby food- baby food is for babies and he is in NO way a baby. He weaned himself from breastfeeding and only eats a few bites of baby food. He loves to feed himself fistfuls of grown up food and has even begun to vocalize "ba" (bite) and "ba-ba" (bottle) to let us know what he wants.

Prewalking- TB had begun mild cruising on furniture before, but never took many steps at a time. Now he prefers to be upright and walking. If you hold his hands he will walk and practically run to get to things.

Plays with toys- although he still puts everything in his mouth, it as if he has discovered that toys can have a secondary purpose to chew toys. He has begun to show toy preference and wants to play alongside his sisters.

TB has 5 teeth with 2 more breaking through. He wears clothing from size 3 months (church pants) to 12 months (onesies). He hates to have clothes on, especially socks and shoes. He still loves electronics and is doing much better at leaving our electronics alone. He is growing up so quickly! I love my charming little boy!

Catching Up

There is so much to tell. I plan on trying to spend the next few days catching up. The stories probably wont be in order, but I will try to add them as I can.

Snow People

I am so excited about this idea and how it turned out- I had to blog about it as soon as I was done! (besides, maybe if I get it on here now other people can try it before Christmas)

I wanted them to color-coordinate, but feel free to mix it up

So, we have a bunch of the containers from baby snacks- and they were just begging me to be dressed up. I was planning on doing people with them, but today I realized they would make WONDERFUL snow men! I figured if I filled them with "snowballs" I could give them as gifts.

With the lids on they will be airtight for storage

So, here is what you will need:
containers- (I used the ones from baby easy dissolve puff snacks.) Cleaned and dried.
Felt
pipe cleaners (I did white and brown)
Ribbon or fabric scraps
buttons
glue gun
permanent markers (black and orange- though my daughter wanted them to have pink eyes)
wire cutters (for pipe cleaners)

Puppy chow is one of my favorite foods!

And for the "snowballs"
chocolate chips
peanut butter
Kix (or other ball-type) cereal
powdered sugar
zipper baggie (bigger=better)
saucepan/pot (I should've used a larger one. It will need to be enough for your chocolate and peanut butter- but also your cereal)
I used this recipe.







So, you just decorate your snow people as you see fit. Then you fill them with "snowballs". Then you give them away, or decorate your house with them, or give them to your kids to play with (after you've taken pictures of course!)

All ready to gift!

I am seriously going to go buy more puffs and store them in zipper baggies to have more containers to decorate. Have fun!

Thankful For Family

We went this year to Indiana, to visit my family for Thanksgiving. TLOML drove all evening/night on Wednesday so we could get there earlier on Thursday. I got to meet 2 nephews and a niece for the first time. It was the first time I had been home since May 2009. It was GREAT!!!!

TB liked the trampoline

Even when his sisters were bouncing on it

But NOBODY likes it as much as DTE

Who could resist that smile (#11)!

Mom with #9

#5

#1

#2

Mom with #3 and #4

#2 and #6

#10 and #11

#10, #11, #12

Dad

#7

DTY (Daughter The Younger)

Of all of my children DTY is the one that reminds me most of myself. 

My kids look so much like TLOML- it is hard to see me in any of them- except for occasionally in DTY. 

DTY loves being a part of a family. She wants to always be in charge and take care of everyone. 

She is (almost) always happy and wearing a smile. 

When she is sad, or mad, or anything-but-happy she instantly breaks down and cries.

She has an imaginary best friend who shares her name but gets everything she wants and can't have.

She loves to talk about what she has been- 

"when I was a mom, I had a baby, and my baby changed his own diaper!" 

She loves homeschool- no matter what it is we are (or aren't doing). 

She believes that there is only one school in TN that is not homeschool.

She has recently begun to ask to make phone calls and will talk for lengths of time on the phone.

She used to always have to be close to Mommy and rarely went off and played with others. 

Now she tends to disappear to play with someone else or on her own. 

She still checks in on me, but is no longer attached.

She tries so hard to be just like her older sister- and can't wait until "when I am older than you."

I love DTY so much! She is such a brightness in our lives! She is loving and kind (mostly) and tries hard to please us. I love watching her grow and seeing her personality really shine through. DTY will always be my baby, although she is quickly growing right out of baby- out of toddler- and blazing through that preschool phase.

FOUR!!!

My 4 year old!

I can not believe my DTY turned 4 already! Seriously, on her birthday I was sure for a moment that she was turning two. Everyday she does something that blows me away with how grown up she is becoming. For her 4th birthday, she requested a Minnie Mouse party, and because we don't really have friends in the new area to invite yet, it was a family only party. She loved it (almost as much as me, I think. I have really begun to love making great parties for my kids). Now, for the picture highlights. (sorry- I have more to post- so I don't want to take the time to make the pictures nice)

Decorating her hat

Hats and presents

decorations

 

gift baggies

letters from family

Blowing out the candle

Present!

Colored spaghetti

Minnie Mouse cookie