going to the moon

My son recently read a book where one of the characters turns his house into a rocket and jets off to the moon. He thinks this is a great idea and is full of complicated plans for us to do the same. He has, however, thus far been thwarted by the logistics of such an endeavor.

 

His initial thought was to use our inflatable pool as our rocket, since it is already equipped with four seats, meaning that all three of us and his aunt could go together. We would pack lunch and probably dinner, since we would likely want to stay in outer space for a while. However, the pool doesn't have seatbelts, and he wasn't sure how to make them, so this plan has been abandoned.

 

His next step was to do a little research into space travel. He and his aunt got some books at the library and read up on the moon, space, and the planets. They painted pictures of the solar system. They talked about how long it would take to get to other planets.

 

The solar system

 

Thus equipped with all the knowledge of space travel that was available in the children's section of our local library, he resumed construction. The new plan was to turn our house into a rocket using materials we already have on hand. I found him poking a chunk of concrete in the backyard. "Mom," he said, "is this the right kind of metal to make a rocket?" Unfortunately, it wasn't, and things got quiet on the planning front for a while.

 

It seems he may have turned to a greater power to get us into outer space. I asked him what he was going to wish for when he blows out his birthday candles this weekend, and he responded, without hesitation, "I will wish for our house to turn into a rocket."

bubbles

During our visit to my parents' house, my mom had the house totally stocked with great kids activities, including this bubble fan. My son spent a lot of time blowing bubbles, chasing bubbles, and counting bubbles.

a fun day

My son and I spent last week at my parents' house. Just like our visit last year, we had a blast!

One day, we went to a park, where my son and Nana played at the playground while my dad and I went on a bike ride. It was a special treat to ride through meadows and forest, and along a creek.

 After the park, we grabbed lunch at a restaurant with the perfect view for a 3-year-old.

bike ride in the park

My son and I went to the park on a cool, cloudy day recently. He brought his bike, and I brought my camera. Here are a few photos I took while we were there.

are you ready for your 7-minute workout?

A friend recently told me about this 7-minute workout from the New York Times. It's great! Challenging (at least for out-of-shape me), but short enough that I can actually fit it into my day. I like to do this while dinner is cooking and doesn't need my attention. My son always joins me; I love his enthusiasm.

He's so enthusiastic, in fact, that he's started leading his own 7-minute workouts at our house. They are intense! Fast-paced and filled with unusual, but strenuous, moves, including the "pillow lift" and a modified push-up where you jump your legs up to meet your hands and then back to push-up position. At the end of each workout session, we show off our new muscles to each other. We are getting pumped up.

what we did this weekend

Here's what we did over the weekend:

 

 

We've tried potty training before, but it never really stuck. This time my son really took to it. As my mom says, if you wait long enough, potty training is easy. He pretty much trained himself! And my husband and I are so very proud of him. Since I took this picture, my son has blasted through the potty training chart and has almost made it to the final reward.

 

P.S. That reward that looks like a tablet? That's just for a new app, not a whole tablet, as he initially thought. Luckily, a new app is almost as exciting to him as a tablet.

 

Ice Cream Reward for the Big Boy!



cabin smiles

I mentioned that we recently spent the weekend in a cabin. It was so relaxing and peaceful. It was all the great parts of camping (hiking, being outdoors all day), without any of the bad parts (sleeping [or not] on the ground, being dirty, trying to cook without a kitchen. And the restroom facilities, of course.). I'm telling you, I might never camp in a tent again.

Our cabin had a little porch that overlooked the bird watching area. We spent some time out there watching the wild turkeys.

One afternoon, my son had a blast making a "book-making machine" out of some fallen branches.

Apparently, I enjoyed sitting among the remnants of an old tree.

My husband enjoyed the people-watching (the bird watching area was very popular) and exploring with my son.

hike

We recently spent the weekend in a cabin. On our first morning there, my son got up early, took the sheets off his bed, and pulled his clothes out of his overnight bag. Although the temperature outside was only about 50 degrees, he was ready for a hike! We were on the trail by 7:45 am and spent a leisurely 3 hours exploring and playing in the stream (and snacking, of course). It was the perfect day. No cell phones, no schedules, no chores to do. Just walking in the sunshine among the trees. I felt so at peace that I said to my husband, "I think this is what I was made for."

At the halfway point of our hike, we stopped at a bench, and my son got to work.

It was such a lovely spot, with views of the mountains across the valley. And a handsome man.

 

He could have stayed there all day, I think.

 

a surprise

When I got home from work the other day, my son was excited to show me something. He told me to follow him into the living room, but not to look in the direction of where my husband was sitting. I closed my eyes and let him lead me into the living room and position me where he wanted. The two things that passed through my mind as possibilities of what the surprise was were: 1. My husband had injured his leg and was sitting on the couch, leg propped up, with a huge bag of ice on it. 2. They had gotten me a huge, beautiful bouquet of flowers.

As it turns out, I was way off. When my son told me to open my eyes and look up, I found my surprise:

Here it is, a little closer:
 

 

Yes, folks, that is fake poop, and it is stuck to the ceiling. Hooray. They both thought it was pretty hilarious. Ahh, the joys of living with boys...

his favorite photos

My son was helping me insert photos into blog posts recently, and he decided he wanted to pick some of his favorites, too. So here they are!

 

 

 

 

swing

My son loves making swings for his stuffed animals. Last weekend, he made one for Paduba, his dog, who has been his BFF since Christmas. I think they both enjoyed their time together in the swing.

details of our lives

I tend to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that I miss some of the small moments. I've been trying to pay more attention to the small details lately. Here are a few that portray the essence of our lives right now.

dinner on mama-and-son night

Here's what the counter looked like while I cooked dinner on Mama-and-Son night last week. My son was so patient while I cooked. He cooked his own food out of Play-Doh. It's so sweet to cook with him - whether the food is real or not.

restaurant

Don't worry... the couch cushions are here! At the restaurant, of course.

These signs are posted on the wall outside the restaurant.

A little closer:

This one says "Do Not Enter."

And, of course, his March Madness bracket.