Sunday, October 12, 2008
Savor The Days
Well, we'll be having our little girl on Monday, October 20th (unless she decides to come sooner) and I don't expect to try to keep up with a blog for each child. Therefore, I won't be posting to Nicholas Footprints anymore. Instead, please check our our new family blog called Savor the Days at www.savorthedays.blogspot.com. See you there!
Hunting Panthers
This morning, Stuart was doing some work in the backyard while Nicholas played nearby. At one point, I went out to check on them and Nicholas informed me that, "I'm hunting panthers so I can make Panther Nuggets!" Oh, yummy Panther Nuggets. Guess I won't have to worry about what to make for dinner tonight!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Making a Birthday Card
Nicholas loves to make birthday cards for people. He has a big "art cart" that we roll out to the kitchen table and he has all kinds of neat supplies to choose from - paint, crayons, markers, stickers, foam stamps, yarn, magazine cutouts, pipe cleaners, craft sticks, etc. Yes, I think my love for arts and crafts has rubbed off on him a little bit.
Here he is working on a birthday card for one of his teachers. He did the art work and wrote his name then he told me what I could help write on the card for him.
Nicholas writes well but he writes really large so he often can't even get his whole name on one line. But this is a common for beginner writers so I don't say much about it. However, it does kind of bug me when he runs out of space and then he just crams the rest of the letters in nearby. See the card above how he wrote the S above the A when he ran out of space. It drives me a little crazy but I just bite my tongue. He's doing great and will work this out in his own time.
Here he is working on a birthday card for one of his teachers. He did the art work and wrote his name then he told me what I could help write on the card for him.
Nicholas writes well but he writes really large so he often can't even get his whole name on one line. But this is a common for beginner writers so I don't say much about it. However, it does kind of bug me when he runs out of space and then he just crams the rest of the letters in nearby. See the card above how he wrote the S above the A when he ran out of space. It drives me a little crazy but I just bite my tongue. He's doing great and will work this out in his own time.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Super Sibling!
This weekend Nicholas attended a class at the hospital where his little sister will be born. The class is for 3-5 year olds who are about to become a big brother or sister. The class was really great and we all enjoyed it.
The children started with decorating a foam picture fram that we will put in the baby's bassinet once she is born so the first face she wakes up to is her big brother looking over her.
Next we all watched a video about how to be a "Super Sibling!". It was a great presentation of what to do and what not to do with a little baby. For example, it showed a cat carrying its kitten by the nape of the neck. Then they asked, "Is this how your mommy will carry your sister?" And of course all the children said, "NO!" The video then talked about how to properly carry a baby. Next all of the children got on the floor in a circle for storytime and to look at pictures of real babies.
The next part was really fun. Each children got their own baby doll and blanket and they learned how to properly swaddle a newborn. Nicholas did great and loved holding the little baby.
Nicholas was impressing us with his big brother skills and soft gentle touch. Then we saw this....
Do we squeeze the baby by the head? NO!
Each child also got a medical hat, mask, and gown like all of the daddies will wear in the delivery rooms.
Finally, we all took a tour of the hospital. The children got to see how neat the bed are and how the buttons can make them move in different ways. They also got to see a couple of real newborns in the nursery.
Of course, Nicholas got most excited with the revolving door as we were leaving. What fun!
The children started with decorating a foam picture fram that we will put in the baby's bassinet once she is born so the first face she wakes up to is her big brother looking over her.
Next we all watched a video about how to be a "Super Sibling!". It was a great presentation of what to do and what not to do with a little baby. For example, it showed a cat carrying its kitten by the nape of the neck. Then they asked, "Is this how your mommy will carry your sister?" And of course all the children said, "NO!" The video then talked about how to properly carry a baby. Next all of the children got on the floor in a circle for storytime and to look at pictures of real babies.
The next part was really fun. Each children got their own baby doll and blanket and they learned how to properly swaddle a newborn. Nicholas did great and loved holding the little baby.
Nicholas was impressing us with his big brother skills and soft gentle touch. Then we saw this....
Do we squeeze the baby by the head? NO!
Each child also got a medical hat, mask, and gown like all of the daddies will wear in the delivery rooms.
Finally, we all took a tour of the hospital. The children got to see how neat the bed are and how the buttons can make them move in different ways. They also got to see a couple of real newborns in the nursery.
Of course, Nicholas got most excited with the revolving door as we were leaving. What fun!
Starving Our Child?
Tonight we were running some errands and we were all getting a little hungry. Nicholas said that he wanted to go to a restaurant to eat - He loves going out to eat just like his Mommy :) Anyway, we were trying to just get home and make some dinner but he kept on and on about wanting to go to a restaurant. Finally he said, "But we HAVE to go to a restaurant. You don't want me to starve do you?" Yes, he gets a little melodramatic at times :)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Glow in the Dark Tattoos
Nicholas loves glow sticks and flashlights and he loves Halloween. So when I saw this pack of glow in the dark temporary tattoos, I just had to get them.
Nicholas loved going through them all and picking out two that he wanted to try out tonight. He picked a spider web and a creepy guy carrying a pumpkin.
Check out the cool picture that Stuart got of the tattoo glowing in the dark. Awesome!
Nicholas loved going through them all and picking out two that he wanted to try out tonight. He picked a spider web and a creepy guy carrying a pumpkin.
Check out the cool picture that Stuart got of the tattoo glowing in the dark. Awesome!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
This Week at Preschool
My birthday was on Tuesday of this past week and apparently Nicholas told his teachers about it because they helped him make 2 birthday cards for me plus a little bouquet of carnations. He was so proud to be able to give me these gifts on his own.
Montessori Works:
Nicholas did a great job on a push pin work. This project takes a lot of time and can be rather tedious but is great for strengthening the pinceer grip used in writing. The student has a small piece of paper with a simple design on it, in this case an outline of a tulip, and he uses a push pin to punch small holes in the outline. He does this until the entire design is perforated and he can just punch out the tulip. Nicholas usually gets bored with it very quickly but this week he finished two push pin projects and he says, "I took my time and worked really hard on them."
Nicholas also worked on metal insets and sorting.
Language:
Nicholas learned the following sight words: the, to, pig, wig, and x-ray. He continued to practice his musical phonics. This week the class focused on the sounds of C and X.
Math:
Nicholas learned how to use the Table Top Blue and Red Rods and he played addition games with them. He is quite good at basic addition and subtraction. He often adds and subtracts numbers together just for the fun of it.
Good Shepherd lesson:
Exodus
The class got to see the x-rays of another student who had hurt his arm. Nicholas really enjoyed telling me all about it.
Montessori Works:
Nicholas did a great job on a push pin work. This project takes a lot of time and can be rather tedious but is great for strengthening the pinceer grip used in writing. The student has a small piece of paper with a simple design on it, in this case an outline of a tulip, and he uses a push pin to punch small holes in the outline. He does this until the entire design is perforated and he can just punch out the tulip. Nicholas usually gets bored with it very quickly but this week he finished two push pin projects and he says, "I took my time and worked really hard on them."
Nicholas also worked on metal insets and sorting.
Language:
Nicholas learned the following sight words: the, to, pig, wig, and x-ray. He continued to practice his musical phonics. This week the class focused on the sounds of C and X.
Math:
Nicholas learned how to use the Table Top Blue and Red Rods and he played addition games with them. He is quite good at basic addition and subtraction. He often adds and subtracts numbers together just for the fun of it.
Good Shepherd lesson:
Exodus
The class got to see the x-rays of another student who had hurt his arm. Nicholas really enjoyed telling me all about it.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Baby Shower Fun
Nicholas and I got to participate in a fun event today. Stuart's boss, Karen, secretly invited us to a surprise baby shower for Stuart. I didn't tell Nicholas until this morning after Stuart had left for work to be sure that the secret didn't leak out. Nicholas was so excited about surprising Daddy that he talked about it all morning.
We headed out to Plano later in the day. Karen had people watching Stuart so she knew when it would be safe for us to sneak in. We got to the room where the shower would be and Nicholas instantly discovered the pink and white balloons on the floor. Boy, did he have a blast! I had told him to be still and quiet and not too disruptive since this was where Daddy works and we had never met most of these people that were going to be at the shower. He promised to behave but when you throw balloons into the mix, well, it's all over. He ran around throwing balloons up in the air, kicking them, and rolling around on them for a good 15 minutes before we had to get him to settle down because the party was about to start.
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I was so impresed by all of the work that Stuart's boss and his team had gone to in order to make this shower special. There were tons of presents, two cakes, lots of decorations, and about 30 people in attendance.
.JPG)
Karen finally brought Stuart into the room and we all said, "Surprise!" Stuart looked shocked and didn't want to walk into the room at first. He was so overwhelmed that he didn't even notice that Nicholas and I were there at first but Nicholas couldn't help but run over to see his Daddy. It was so much fun.
Everyone had filled out advice cards for raising a little girl and Stuart read them aloud. There were some really sweet ones and some really funny ones.
Next Stuart opened presents and again we were both overwhelmed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of everyone who put this together. Not only did the baby get lots of gifts but Nicholas got three gifts as well - a dump truck toy, a t-shirt that says, "I'm a big brother", and a book about being a big brother. Needless to say, Nicholas was thrilled. He ran over to one of the ladies to tell her thank you and kissed her on the cheek.
Nicholas also had lots of fun playing with the baby toys.
He was also very excited when Karen told him that he could take the balloons home and she got giant bags to put them in. Nicholas was so proud!
As excited as he was all morning and considering all of the exercise he got playing with the balloons, it was no surprise that Nicholas fell asleep shortly after we left the party to head home. He was one tired little guy!
Later tonight we met with our Bible study group. We knew that they were doing "something for the baby" but we were just execting a cake or something. Instead they had the room decorated with pink balloons and a cute banner welcoming the baby. And there were more presents - we are blessed to have such thoughtful friends! Check out the diaper cake. Isn't that cool?! It is made of little diapers wrapped around a tub of baby wipes. I know it will come in handy but I hate to ever have to disassemble it!
We had a great time at the shower and we did actually do a little of our Bible study. While the adults were busy with the shower and the Bible study, the kids were upstairs making a scene from Daniel in the Lion's Den. Each child made their own lion for the den.
Nicholas and his buddy also had fun playing with costumes.
Of course, Nicholas loved getting more balloons, especially the giant baby balloon. Here's a pic of him kissing the baby...
We headed out to Plano later in the day. Karen had people watching Stuart so she knew when it would be safe for us to sneak in. We got to the room where the shower would be and Nicholas instantly discovered the pink and white balloons on the floor. Boy, did he have a blast! I had told him to be still and quiet and not too disruptive since this was where Daddy works and we had never met most of these people that were going to be at the shower. He promised to behave but when you throw balloons into the mix, well, it's all over. He ran around throwing balloons up in the air, kicking them, and rolling around on them for a good 15 minutes before we had to get him to settle down because the party was about to start.
.JPG)
I was so impresed by all of the work that Stuart's boss and his team had gone to in order to make this shower special. There were tons of presents, two cakes, lots of decorations, and about 30 people in attendance.
.JPG)
Karen finally brought Stuart into the room and we all said, "Surprise!" Stuart looked shocked and didn't want to walk into the room at first. He was so overwhelmed that he didn't even notice that Nicholas and I were there at first but Nicholas couldn't help but run over to see his Daddy. It was so much fun.
Everyone had filled out advice cards for raising a little girl and Stuart read them aloud. There were some really sweet ones and some really funny ones.
Next Stuart opened presents and again we were both overwhelmed by the generosity and thoughtfulness of everyone who put this together. Not only did the baby get lots of gifts but Nicholas got three gifts as well - a dump truck toy, a t-shirt that says, "I'm a big brother", and a book about being a big brother. Needless to say, Nicholas was thrilled. He ran over to one of the ladies to tell her thank you and kissed her on the cheek.
Nicholas also had lots of fun playing with the baby toys.
He was also very excited when Karen told him that he could take the balloons home and she got giant bags to put them in. Nicholas was so proud!
As excited as he was all morning and considering all of the exercise he got playing with the balloons, it was no surprise that Nicholas fell asleep shortly after we left the party to head home. He was one tired little guy!
Later tonight we met with our Bible study group. We knew that they were doing "something for the baby" but we were just execting a cake or something. Instead they had the room decorated with pink balloons and a cute banner welcoming the baby. And there were more presents - we are blessed to have such thoughtful friends! Check out the diaper cake. Isn't that cool?! It is made of little diapers wrapped around a tub of baby wipes. I know it will come in handy but I hate to ever have to disassemble it!
We had a great time at the shower and we did actually do a little of our Bible study. While the adults were busy with the shower and the Bible study, the kids were upstairs making a scene from Daniel in the Lion's Den. Each child made their own lion for the den.
Nicholas and his buddy also had fun playing with costumes.
Of course, Nicholas loved getting more balloons, especially the giant baby balloon. Here's a pic of him kissing the baby...
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Do They Have A Button On Them?
After school today, I took Nicholas to get a haircut. He loves getting haircuts because he knows that they will give him a lollipop when he's done.
On the way home, I told Nicholas that I had a surprise for him. I told him that I had two new Halloween decorations in the front yard. He got excited and asked, "Do they have a button on them?" I knew what he meant by that question - does it have lights and sound? He just loves going to the Halloween store and seeing all of the ghoulish decorations that have red eyes that light up and make scary sounds. Well, he was a little disappointed that I didn't have anything ghoulish but he did run over to them and hold their hands.
On the way home, I told Nicholas that I had a surprise for him. I told him that I had two new Halloween decorations in the front yard. He got excited and asked, "Do they have a button on them?" I knew what he meant by that question - does it have lights and sound? He just loves going to the Halloween store and seeing all of the ghoulish decorations that have red eyes that light up and make scary sounds. Well, he was a little disappointed that I didn't have anything ghoulish but he did run over to them and hold their hands.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Guess What Nicholas Is Going to Be For Halloween?
Darth Vader, of course!
Of course, depending on what day it is, he sometimes decides that he would rather be a Transformer or Batman or a Skeleton. Fortunately I was able to pick up a couple of different used costumes at Once Upon A Child consignment shop so he actually has several costumes to choose from for Halloween and to play dress up with later throughout the year.
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