Fleur de Aleta

I am participating in the 1000 words and a picture.  To learn more about the 1000 words and a picture prompt and to participate, click here . Of course, I went with Halloween for this week :) The below picture was taken in our neighborhood.  I’m tickled to see more and more neighbors getting into the seasons again.  Before Katrina, it was an assumed thing – to decorate.  But after the storm, it knocked the joy out for a while.  This particular neighbor went all out, though you might not be able to see all the details in the picture.  The black fence is not part of their normal yard, so yes, they bought it just for the Halloween season.  There are wooden coffins and all sorts of creepers. We love to decorate the house and the front yard for Halloween.  Greg will typically play some really scary music and put small speakers outside so that the kids hear it as they are approaching the front door… some need their parents to...

Mommy made an oppsy... she ummm, bought an outfit and didn't realize the size.... ehhhh, it's for next yeah, k? BUT... I did buy a "First Halloween" outfit.. that's just a TAD too large too.  Gregory wears a snug size 12.  This is a Size 18.  We'll just roll the sleeves and pants.  That'll work, right? The shirt reads "My First Halloween" and he has a pumpkin on his butt.

31 posts, seriously?  whew...

I am participating in the 1000 words and a picture.  To learn more about the 1000 words and a picture prompt and to participate, click here . For the 1000 words and picture – the word options this week are: Spell Binding Fear Spell, makes me think of witches, cauldrons, Halloween.  Perfect word choice for this time of year.  Though my brother has often told me that I missed my TRUE birthday (Mine is on Oct 28 th  Today:), he claims..  I’m still a witch.  Lol.  Not that I do spells or anything.  He was just sharing brotherly love with insults. Binding, this makes me think of the oriental tradition of binding feet.  I read a book about this, went in-depth into the horrors.  Click here to read the book review . That said, I don’t want to write about binding. Fear ~ my word choice.  I could write about my fears:  roller coaster rides, spiders, abandonment, but this post is because I didn’t “fea...

We started Gym Rompers this month and I really do wish they offered classes every day.  It's great exercise, both mind and body, for Gregory.  He responds well to the activities. Couple of pictures :) There are games using musical instruments during the class.  This is Gregory's favorite: While singing the puppet songs, Gregory was giggling every time the instructor looked his way.  He was just too cute! The gym room has a bunch of different toys.  One is a huge ball.  Mommies balance the babies on the ball and roll it from side to side and back to front.  Gregory likes this too. There's also a large donut roll, where the babies go inside, laying down and the mommies rock it back and forth.  Gregory doesn't want to lay down though. Towards the end of class, we have the parachute song.  Some songs are done under the parachute and some on top.  This was the first time Gregory did the top parach...

Matthew and his family live one street over from us.  It's funny.  My husband became good friends with Matthew for many years before we met.. which means Greg was driving just a few homes away from my house for all those years.  Small world. Matthew came by for a visit and Gregory was just as content as could be. OK, some I'm about to do something on my blog that I rarely do.  Politics.  Everyone has an opinion and everyone has a right to that opinion.  God bless everyone :)  That said....  Matthew talked about the health care and how he heard on the radio about a lady who went to see her general doctor for her annual visit.  "New system" the receptionist said... "We have to ask you some questions to update our system."  We've all heard this, right?  No biggie. Until the litany of questions were delivered.  The woman was furious... "They asked me not just how many children I have, but wanted to know how HEALTHY my chil...

If my son is grunting and nothing happens... well, it's time for apples.  They are good for him anyway and typically do the trick to clear out his system.  But when apples don't work?  I decided to see if my son likes the combination of apples and prunes that Gerber makes.  And yes, he liked it. And yes, the prunes worked... a little too well!

We live so close to the park, but never really took advantage of it... but with a baby?  That's going to change!  Gregory and I met up with Erica (my cousin's girlfriend) and Layla (my cousin's daughter).  It was a fun visit.

My husband doesn't have many moments when our son will sleep with him.  So, when Gregory gets tired, the kind where he is fighting sleep and it makes him really.... REALLY... grumpy.... well, then Gregory is given to Mommy. I don't know why Gregory will take naps with me.  I put his activity gym on my bed and bean pillows around him... mostly because he kicks his legs and I'd rather the pillow take the brunt and leave me without bruises!  But yes, after a few minutes, he goes to sleep. This is the first time though, that he has fallen asleep like this!  On his side, one foot up, one curled under, holding himself up with one arm.  My son cracks me  up!

Soon after our son was first born, my husband introduced the iPad to Gregory.  Our son especially likes the Uzu app, where the colors go across the screen and change based on touch.  It used to be that Gregory, as a newborn, would love to watch. But now?  Gregory is quick to grab, even if that app isn't playing. Even if Granny is spending time with Gregory and she has an iPad by her... he is going to reach for it and this can often times mess up the games Granny might be playing.  So, Granny has to keep Gregory on one side of her on the sofa and the iPad on her other side, out of Gregory's eyesight.  Hehe.  My son is not afraid of technology :) Here's a picture of Granny rocking Gregory to sleep. And in the below picture - Grandfather, Daddy, Baby

I am participating in the 1000 words and a picture.  To learn more about the 1000 words and a picture prompt and to participate, click here . For the 1000 words and picture, the word options this week: Fall Leaves – thought I covered this with Autumn challenge word in the past Textiles – my mind goes blank on this one Earth – it’s round, blue and green… ehhh, I’m not an activist and though I think it’s a pretty awesome place to be, I didn’t find inspiration here. I really didn’t know what word to choose and came close to skipping this week.  But inspiration hits in the least likely of ways… See, I never, ever, ever (can I write “ever” 1000 times and make that count, because believe me, I was feeling it)… thought I’d be competing with a leaf or traumatizing my son by doing so.  (Whispers:  “I think I just heard Mother Nature giving a snort laugh… it wasn’t a pleasant sound and definitely not ladylike!”) I love fall colors in th...

Time to share a conversation....  I brought my son over to my parents' home.  I explained to my mom how Greg and I sometimes take the baby and the cat out for a stroll (the cat fits into the lower part of the stroller, but it's open, so the cat can jump out).  It's neat, but I'm constantly worried the cat will freak out with a loud sound and run out of the stroller.   I said, "I'd rather put the cat in the cat stroller (yes, we have one, where the cat is closed in with a mesh) and then take them out."  Mom replied, "Yes, then Greg can walk the cat and you can walk the dog." I responding quickly, "the baby." Mom covered her mouth in a gasp and burst out laughing. You see.. earlier my mom fed the baby and while this happened their yard people came and cut the grass.  Of course, the lawn mower and leaf blower makes a lot of noise.  My parents have a dog and the dog barked up a storm at the yard people. While the ba...

It's a good thing that NaBloWriMo allows picture posts, otherwise a good 90 percent of my posts this month would have to be scrapped :) First some football pictures: Ok, so my son is a touch too small for the outfit, but I had to put it on him considering the season.  It's brown and has the football strings on them.  (Are they called strings?  I'm sure Greg will say something about it, hehe) I love changing the Facebook cover picture :)  Here's the latest one: Gregory is doing so much better with sitting unassisted for a nice duration of time.  He was actually doing very well with sitting until I grabbed the camera.  But I still managed a few good pictures. Loves to sit up, look at that smile! And this funny face - cracks me up!  I wonder what he was thinking? Gregory:  "Mommy, look, I'm sitting up with just one hand!!" (That didn't last long.)  "I've fallen and can't get up." Surprisingly he did...

I have a couple of pictures to share and also a video.  In the video you can hear me call my son an "ewok" but my husband declares it to be a chewbacca sound (Uncle Matthew agreed with Greg). Picture share... Gregory:  "Mommy.... can you read??" My Morning Sunshine: To view the video on YouTube, click here .

Who is 8 months old today? "Mommy, Mommy,  I know the answer!" My sweet little boy made 8 months old today!   It's hard to believe it's already 8 months.  I look back on his birth pictures and it still surprises me, how much he has learned.  His personality is coming through too.  Oma, his grandmother, calls him a "tough little dude."  He's strong... both in body and will.  If he doesn't want to sit, by golly he is going to stiffen those legs until you have him standing!   Early on, I read how sign language is good for children and parents, during the time when babies are learning what things are, but not able to communicate other than through a cry.  Sign language is also a good skill with hand-eye co-ordination.  Every time we gave the bottle to our son, we did the "milk" sign and said "Baba".  Now, Gregory is saying the words and making the hand motion as well. My husband and I think ou...