Warning! This blog post is not for the faint of heart. Lots of commentary and pictures!
August was a busy month for us and filled with a lot of memory makers.
The first was our second camping trip to Mount Madonna County Park in Gilroy. This trip was much more successful than our first camping trip when Mitchell was only 18 months old. We had a great time hiking and enjoying yummy food that was all previously prepared by yours truly. You know, I love camping, but as the mother, it falls on my shoulders to pretty much get us all ready, and preparing all the food prior was a ton of work, but well worth it. Our car was still packed full which is what I was trying to avoid, so it's a mystery to me how to make camping more Corolla-friendly.
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| Todd and Mitchell having one of many "sword fights" with our hot dog skewers. Todd taught Mitch a few things that were less than appreciated by me this camping trip- sword fights, how to light a match, and driving the car. Awesome. |
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| Mitch's first hot chocolate experience. |
Then came Mitch's 3rd Birthday! I'm pretty sure I was more excited about his birthday than he was. I went over the top with presents, but I justified it by saying he hadn't gotten any new toys (except one!) since Christmas. Eight months is a long time for a kid to not get any new toys, right? To say the least, he is definitely the most excited about his new bike. Ever since he learned to ride a bike several months ago, he's loved it, so it was time for a big-kid bike.
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| We didn't have a big party this year for him like last year, but we did decorate cupcakes with a couple friends and that was a lot of fun! |
Then Mitchell started Joyschool! I knew I wanted to do some sort of at-home preschool with Mitchell this year and it turned out perfect because a friend of mine is also following the Joyschool curriculum, so we combine our lessons once a week (it's designed for twice a week), and it's been so awesome to have something so structured for Mitchell, and to have a curriculum that is so well-written and have at least twice a week where he's engaged in a school-type lesson. I'm so excited about the rest of the year because it's been awesome so far.
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| First day of Joyschool! |
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| Making gingerbread men to learn about our bodies. This was a great activity! |
This month was filled with milestones for Mitchell, not the least of which was moving from his crib (with the side taken off) to a big, twin-sized bed. We found a great deal at Costco and this is the time of year that is our one opportunity to make bigger purchases that we need, so we sprang for it! Unfortunately, I forgot to budget in the cost of bedding, but thankfully we found $15 sheets at JC Penney and we've hung onto Todd's old twin-size comforter from when he was single. Score!
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| He looks so small in his big bed! And might I add, it's so much nicer to lay with him in this bed than it was in his crib-sized bed! |
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Mitchell also had his first trip to a fire station this last week! Todd was going for a Scouts service project to clean up a fire engine, and I suggested that it would be a thrill for Mitchell to tag along. He was more than willing to take him along, and he had a great experience, and I had a good time with a couple hours at home to myself! Todd reports that Mitchell was in heaven and that the firemen were really nice to him and showed him all sorts of stuff around the fire station. Mitch was completely hyped-up when they got home, so I know it was a grand success! Might I add, as a mother, it's so fun to see your kids have fun experiences! Thank you Todd for taking him along!
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| Contemplating life on the big-rig. |
And last, but not least, there has been a demand or two made about seeing pregnancy pictures. I told myself that I would be better about taking pictures this time around, but really, I haven't been. Whoops. I've still got time.
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| 23 weeks |
