Yankee Candle!

Very sorry there was no post yesterday, the day just got away from me.  But I have some more photos of our trip to share today, hopefully that makes up for it!  We took a trip to the Yankee Candle Company, what an awesome place!

This cool car was in the car air freshener section of the HUGE candle room.  Im talking rows upon rows of candles! Every scent you could possibly think of including pine trees and harvest.. which I happened to like.  There was even a place where you can make your own candle; pick out the scents, fill up a jar and have them melted into a candle.  Little made one as a souvenir for Gramma, she loved it! 

Santas workshop was a huge room full of wall to wall toys, was pretty much every kids dream!!  We wrote a letter to Santa from Little (written by Mama), in the letter Little asked Santa for a ball for Christmas.  

We stumbled upon these shelves of Little's favorite animal toys and it took awhile but he finally settled on a Dada, Mama and baby deer.  Im sure it was hard for him though because it was like tiny animal heaven!  Hmmm that sounded weird..

Hopefully this test run with "Santa" will help when we take him to see Santa in December.  His picture last year was terrible (ly funny) and I promise i will share it here! Oh and that hair is crazy, we love it!

The Christmas section was AWESOME!  There was snow, a little Christmas town and a toy train that ran above us around one of the rooms.  There was a room of Christmas trees, a room of ornaments, a room for the Christmas town and smaller rooms of much much more.  Definitely put me in the holiday spirit.

Of course I had to show the Halloween town that was set up, I especially love the pumpkins.  

Outside there was music, food and balloon animals waiting for us.  Little loved the flowers and the commotion.  We didn't get as many pictures as we would have liked at Yankee Candle, there was so much to see. But that happens when you're trying to wrangle a crazy toddler while oohing and aaahing.  But we all really enjoyed our trip to Yankee Candle and would love to go back one day.  I have more photos that I will be sharing throughout next week, Ill try and give you guys a break from our New Hampshire fun!  That last photo is hilarious, Im not sure what he was doing exactly but Im gonna call it a strut!

<3 Mama Chuca

Park Days

November 2010

February 2011

March 2011

September 2011

March 2012

September 2012

As I was looking through iPhoto today, I noticed that we have a number of pictures of our little family at the park!!  When Little was born we had a park literally 2 steps away from our tiny apartment and we took him there often.  After we moved it got a harder to take trips out to a park, which is when we decided to sign Little up for Gymboree.We didn't take photos every time we went to the park, but I wanted to share a few shots of Little from when we did remember to bring the camera along.   The weather is getting more and more pleasant these days so I foresee many more park trips, hopefully I will be catching some more huge smiles from a happy Little swinging in the park in the near future.

<3 Mama Chuca

26 Months

 

Favorite Foods:  Little didn't have much of an appetite the a few days ago, he just wouldn't eat and we were worried.  We made it a point to cook his favorite foods and buy his favorite snacks but he wouldn't budge, it didn't help that he had a stomach virus for a day or two.  Then all of the sudden he was back to his hungry self and we were so relieved!! Loving mac and cheese, rice, chicken, pasta, ice aqua and all the usual! Thank Goodness!!

Watching:  Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, Little Bill and recently he loved Lilo and Stitch!  Still cutting down on TV, but we're a little more lenient now that Little goes to school full time.  Knowing that he spends his day learning and playing at school with his friends makes us feel a little better when we let him watch a cartoon or two. 

Reading: Happy Halloween Little Critter, The Very Hungry Catapillar, Potty and any bookhe finds laying around.  He usually picks up about 3 or 4 of his favorite books for us to read at bedtime. 

A few of his favorites:  He has been trying to sing! If I start singing he starts a little hum, more of a sing songy voice, and he repeats the last word I say at the end.  Wheels on the Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, ABC's- just little tunes like that.  Dada and Little have created a game; Little names our family (Dada, Mama, Jude) and then jumps or throws himself on the bed and laughs like crazy.  Little loves putting all of his little toys to sleep, carrying around Stitch his stuffed animal everywhere, lining all his toys up and making them jump off whatever they are lined up on.  For some reason all of the sudden NO is Little's favorite word. He doesnt scream it or get upset when he says it, he just simply says,"no" when you ask him a question.  

Mama: Can we try on this sweater?

Little: no

Mama: Come on, its gonna be cool! Look it has a dinosaur on it!

Little: no

This is pretty much how our conversations are now, not too fun.  

A few of our favorites:  He has been trying to count, he can count to 5 on his hand...sort of.  He'll start to count his toys but sometimes he gets confused and his numbers get mixed up.  Either way he's trying and we are encouraging him, he definitely has 5 down though!  Little is talking more and more, he can repeat everything we say which is good because I do want him to learn.  But a huge new development is that he is starting to say 2-3 word combinations on his own! While we drive he says "go under trees" and he'll say "no wohw wohw" (no dog), I love it. Ive been working on manners with Little lately, its so cute hearing him say tantu (thank you) and peeece (please).  Every Friday Little brings home the work he's done all week at school, it makes me sooo happy and is my favorite thing about Fridays!

Watching Dada and Little run around the park I kept wondering; how on earth Little was going to grow up to be as big as Dada. Its a funny thought, thinking that this tiny little boy who is eventually going to be a huge guy like his Dada.  Chances are he'll look just like his Dada, since everybody tells me he already does- I don't see it!  I got really excited thinking about the fact that I get to watch this kid grow up, I am one lucky Mama!

<3 Mama Chuca

Big Boy

I know I've said before that I have a big boy but I think its really starting to sink in with this Mama.  This big boy of ours has become a master builder lately.  He received a small lego set for his birthday and when he remembers he has it, takes it out and builds away.  He'll build a towering car and say "MAMA big brrroom", in return I tell him what a good job he's done.  So over and over he builds a huge car or airplane, calls me to look and then knocks it down to rebuild.  I also find him reading to himself, or at least a version of reading.  He sits with a book and flips through pages saying... uh nuh...uh nunhh...uhn uhnhuh.... in a sing songy voice.  He could possibly be mimicking my voice when I read to him, either way its darling to watch. Does this mean he's ready to start learning to read?? Ok ok I won't get a head of myself!!

Yesterday I went to pick up Little early from daycare and caught the him doing the cutest thing.  I walked inside and saw him in a little line of kids (his age) all walking with their hands behind their back, he was walking and laughing with another kid.  WHA?? Hold the phone!! He can be good, follow directions and have fun without Dad or I around??  Perhaps I haven't been giving him enough credit.  When he comes home with me I see a little baby turning into a big boy, but maybe I already have a big boy.  All the times I worried about him being at school alone, I never even stopped to think that he is a big boy who can handle it!  Part of me thought he spent the hours we're apart thinking about me, as I do here in my office about him.  But no my big boy is learning and laughing with his friends at school, as he should be.  I can not wait till he can actually come home and tell me all about his day. 

<3 Mama Chuca

Rewind

september 2010 

september 2011

september 2012

I just had to do a Rewind post today because I ran across the cutest picture of my chubby baby from exactly 2 years ago today!!  When he was that small I would always wonder to myself what he was thinking about.  Now that he's beginning to speak more I can sometimes get a small glimpse of whats going on in his mind.  On more than one occasion he'll ask for or tell me about a number of things; brushing his teeth, prayers, doggies, books, school.. pretty much anything that pops into his mind at at that moment.  I am very much looking forward to my baby growing up and sharing with me everything and anything that is on his mind, even if its about brushing his teeth. 

The irony is not lost in the fact that I chose to do a Rewind post on this day of all days. Always on this day, for the rest of our lives we will rewind at least once.  We will all take a moment, even if not aloud, to think back to where we were this day 11 years ago.  One day Little will come to me and ask me about the stories he hears and the specials we watch about September 11th.   I will have to tell him what happened and do my best in answering the "why's" that will follow.  But the good thing about this is that I can also explain to him the light at the end of this tunnel, that even when all seems lost there is still a glimpse of hope that we by nature possess.  I will tell my son to remember that day, say a payer for those families and to always embrace that hope like so many people did that day 11 years ago. 

<3 Mama Chuca

Im Loving Right Now

It really seems like Little is scared to move in this photo. lol

A three day weekend to spend extra time with my Little!
That Little and Tia Lorri were both a pretty scared of the goose (?) in the photo above.

Listening to Little and Squishy squeal as they run around and play with Papaw.

That Little has just learned the word "itch", at night before bed he says ITCH and 

points to a spot on his body for us to rub lotion onto. 

Littles new sleepy gang; Donald the Duck, Winnie the Pooh and a stuffed weenie 

dog he named Wowoah.

and completely grateful for my amazing little family of three. 

<3 Mama Chuca

25 Months

Favorite Foods: Macaroni and cheese, cheese, yogurt, juice, oranges, water, rice and of course pasta.

Watching: Toy Story 2, Pocoyo and Diego.

Reading: Lately, Little has been wanting to read the same books over and over again (see monthly posts 21-24).  So Dada and I decided that we would change up the books that we read at night before bedtime, of course if Little fusses were not gonna put up a fight.  So we're reading the following books:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, 8 Silly Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,  Potty, Just Me and My Puppy and The Very Hungry Catapillar.  There are a few more but these are the books that he seems to enjoy the most, especially the hungry caterpillar. 

A few of his favorites:  Little's new favorite friend is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (Leonardo) that Tia Linda gave him for his birthday.  He has also been loving bubbles, running around outside, daycare (yes praise the good Lord), playing with a little golf set his Dada bought him, and brushing his teeth.  Brushing his teeth is one of Littles favorite parts of his day, lately he has been wanting to brush on his own so I usually let him have a go then I brush them after.  He has also been loving going "under" things lately, especially while driving!  As soon as we get in the car he starts asking for under, then when we go under a freeway, a tree or a stoplight he is all grins and gets very excited. At dinner time as soon as I put his plate of food together and get him in his high chair, I put his plate in the freezer to cool off and we count to ten.  I count out loud and show him my fingers as I am counting, he follows and tries to mimic my fingers all the way to 10. By the time we reach ten his food is warm enough for him to devour, he has been eating like crazy lately. 

A few of our favorites:  Little has been following directions very very well, of course he is a toddler and sometimes he just isn't having it when we are trying to calmly show him something.  But Ive found that if you ask him questions or give him options he behaves better and will follow directions more willingly.   This is deemed as a favorite because although we aren't having full conversations (not that he should be right now) we do know that he has a comprehension of what we are asking.  A favorite "game" of mine is to ask Little if I can give him a kiss, then he'll point to where i can kiss him- mostly his shoulder, head or knee.  He also has been finding random cuts or older gashes and says "bobo" for me or Dada to kiss.  As I said before conversations have yet to ensue but he is learning more and more words everyday and is starting to repeat words, lately we (Dada, Little and I) have been working on numbers and letters.

Dada and I are constantly telling Little that he is a big boy, mostly to congratulate him when he accomplishes something.  Now when we ask him where the baby is, instead of pointing to himself (like he did before) he points to a picture on the wall of him as a baby.  This makes me laugh and it makes me sad. Yesterday Dada sent me an old picture of Little at around 5 mths, barely sitting up smiling like crazy and bald! He asked if I missed that baby and I replied, "Yes because I could squish him and he wouldn't beat me up afterward".  

Oh right, I forgot to mention that Little recently realized that Mama can wrestle too, and he doesn't take it easy on me either. 

<3 Mama Chuca 

*Sorry for the double post of photos from our session, but I really loved these pictures and they are the most recent... perfect timing if you ask me!