The Big Five

I have a FIVE year old! How did this happen? :)
Parker Charles, your mama and daddy love you to pieces, to the moon and back, 100 million times! :) You make having kids look easy (most of the time!) :)

Here are a few things I want to remember about you right now:
Your Contagious smile. Your endless amount of Energy. How your voice changes "big" when you're talking with or helping daddy with something. How you are always up for an adventure. How flexible you are. How much you love to help others. Your natural ability to lead (your teachers tell me all the time that you are definately the leader of the class. :)) How calm and happy you are to have your own quiet play time every once in awhile with your trucks and trailors, Rescue Heroes and little toys. How much you LOVE to be outside...whether cold or hot, rain, snow or sunshine. According to assessments--and obvious observations :), two of your highest areas on the charts are 1. social skills and 2. physical coordination/skills. You are not afraid to go up and talk to anyone, but sometimes you shy away when someone comes up to you and you talk "baby"  until you're comfortable around them or the situation. You will tell me how it is. :) You love to tell us stories that you make up in your head. Very observant. Too smart for your own good (haven't I said that before?). Very friendly and caring. A ray of sunshine wherever you go.

Some favorites: trucks, trailors and 4-wheelers, Rescue Heroes, Curious George, Cat in the Hat, Rescue Heroes movies, Wild Krats, Callilou, singing, the color blue, playing outside (always), going to Preschool and seeing your friends, adventures, healthy food (weird, right?), helping people, learning new things, movie naps, your cowboy boots and snow shoes, going to the park...truly one of the only things I have discovered you do not like is scary people. At least, that is what you tell me. :)

You prefer Supper to dessert. Playing outside and adventures over television. Staying up over sleeping. Laughing and talking confidently over quiet time. Playing sports and cars and trucks over artsy stuff (although sometimes, you can get excited over the crafts and games we play and do.) Morning, afternoon and evening...not one over the other. :) Fruit and veggies over bread and dessert. Learning something new over sitting still and relaxing. Busy over not busy. Did I mention you are energetic? ;)

Randoms: You love reading your Bible and have taken it to school the last 4 days so that you could "share it with your friends." You are pretty good at sharing with and helping Cooper (sometimes that's debatable though :)). Currently, for winter enrolled in swim lessons. Will take soccer and gymnastics later this year. Birthday party at Chuck E Cheese in a week (inviting your school friends for the first time..you and your friends are so excited.)

Me (today): "Parker, what is something that I do for you that let's you know mama loves you?"
Parker: "Well, I love when you cook us good, healthy food for meals. You are a good cook."

Above proof that I am not making up the whole veggies and fruit thing...this is what you have asked me to have for breakfast before...bell peppers pictured above.

Weight: 43 lbs (67%)
Height: 43 1/2in (58%)
Shoe Size: 12
Clothing: 5T (pants) and 4-5's (shirts)

 Mama and Daddy love you, Little Man. Keep dreaming always and never give up when life gets tough. Love the Lord with all your heart; keep trusting in Him and leaning on Him every day. May your eyes shine bright and your heart fill full all the days of your life, for you know who is with you always even to the end of the earth. We are so thankful to have you as a part of us!! How blessed Daddy, Cooper and I are!!!

Happy Birthday Little Man!! 

 

"Dashing through the Snow"

"Dashing through the snow In a one horse open sleigh O'er the fields we go Laughing all the way Bells on bob tails ring Making spirits bright What fun it is to laugh and sing A sleighing song tonight Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way Oh, what fun it is to ride In a one horse open sleigh Jingle bells, jingle bells Jingle all the way Oh, what fun it is to ride In a one horse open sleigh!!!"

visiting Santa: Macy's Santaland "A Day in the Life of an Elf"

Since moving to Minnesota, I have wanted to visit the downtown Macy's at Christmastime to see Santa. After attending the 2011 Macy's Santaland I do not know if we will miss a year going forward. North Pole, here we come!

The night before going to see Santa downtown, Parker wrote out his wish list...he was also kind enough to write out a few things for Cooper too. :)

(quite enthusiastically I might add...)

I was a little nervous when all but one item on his list was completely different than anything he had mentioned ever before. Looks like Santa will be working late in his toy shop this year.

The 2011 theme that Macy chose was "A Day in the Life of an Elf." As soon as one stepped into the magical tale, you learned the story of the young elves and all that happens at the North Pole as they prepare for Christmas.

Once we stepped into Santa's Workshop we looked on to see: "Elfin Sleeping Quarters," "The Laun-tree," "Santa Claus Square" and other magical North Pole wonders...

the "Reindeer Stable"

"Elfin Classroom" including Sleigh Routes and Toys 101

"Elfin Dining Hall"

"Santa's Workshop: Once your letter's received, elves know just what to do!"

"North Pole-Stal Station: the daily mail is quite a sight!"

"Reindeer Flight School"

"Christmas Tree Forest: At the Do-Re-Tree Songfest, the music's a wow! After each concert, the trees take a 'bough'"

Parker was running so fast from one enchanted room to the other that we had to keep calling him back to us. Both boys had huge smiles on their faces throughout the exhibits. That was my favorite memory of all.

After seeing the elves at work at the North Pole, we were able to squeeze back into a special room to sit with Santa. Cooper surprised me by not crying when he sat on Santa's lap, but instead acted quite intrigued by the whole experience. (Although by the end of the 5 minute period, his little lips threatened to quiver a bit.)

Parker, on the other hand, was nothing but excited to see Santa this year (unlike years in the past). When Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas and handed him a special pin for his shirt, our little boy beamed.

After visiting with Santa, we headed over to the big man's special mailbox where we dropped in a letter with our Christmas requests.

Whenever we visit downtown, Parker likes to take out running through the skyways like he owns the place...brownie points for the 3 year old who was willing to stop and let his mama take a picture of him.

We wrapped up our morning out with a lunch downtown. On the way, Parker stopped to listen to a band playing Christmas music.

Santa, we look forward to your visit so very soon! Thanks for letting us come visit with you today and good luck with your last minute toy making!

a book about Parker

This afternoon I put together this little 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" book as a tool for Parker's new daycare provider. He will only be going one day a week, so this will help as an introduction to him. It will hopefully assist her as she gets to know him and his personality. Included in the small album are his likes, dislikes, emergency contact info, about his family, etc.

I would love to take credit for this great project, but I totally got the idea from Ali Edwards. I love how she documents everyday life as well as historical family memorabilia.

Below are a few of the pages from the album. I was thrilled to get to use paper from the "Zoom Collection"; I had used it on an older layout of Parker's, but was waiting for an opportunity to use it again. I love the distressed, solid colors and the fun, vintage print from this Crate Paper collection.

Supplies:
Paper: Crate Paper - Zoom Collection
Cover: Graphix Clear Craft Plastic
Binding: 7 Gypsies small binding rings

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!! :)

a picture of his personality

Photo taken on September 3, 2010 just before leaving for his half day of daycare. Parker was so excited to be going to play at Kindercare with his friends for a few hours. (First chilly morning of fall.)

I love this picture because it shows his true personality of an excited, busy, always-up-for-an-adventure, fun little boy.

I love you Parker.

Thank you for your daily smiles and loves.

You make your daddy's and my life more entertaining each and every day. We are so very proud of you. :)

Love,

Mama

an evening outside with a boy and his froggy boots

What can make for a more magical evening than

 a homemade orange popsicle,

froggy boots,

a little rain,

a glowing sunset

and a full spirited,

ready-to-explore-the-rainbows-and-night-air

little boy of the age of two and a half?

I can't think of a thing...can you? :)

a sweet reminder about friendship

Documented Saturday, June 19, 2010
Conversation with Parker:
After playing for several hours with friends/neighbors, Alexia and McKenzie, Parker and I came home for a quick lunch and nap. He was sitting at the kitchen table as I was preparing our lunch. I asked him what his favorite thing was about playing at Alexia and McKenzie's.
His response: "Ummm, paying wif Lexie and Kensie." (sounds something like Lesee and Tensie)
I responded, "Well, what is your favorite thing to play when you go over there?"
Parker: "paying with Lesee and Tensie."
Me: "That's fun. Do you like to play with the lawn mower and help mow the grass?"
Parker: "Yes."
Me: "Did you have a good time playing in the pool?"
Parker: "Yup."
Carrie (thinking he didn't understand the original question): "So what is your very favorite thing to do at Alexia and McKenzie's?"
Parker (very confidently and matter of factly): "Umm, paying with Lesee and Tensie."

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I am such a fool sometimes. My two and a half year old had just reminded me of a very important lesson. Life should not be valued from your material possessions, but the relationships that you carry daily. Here I was trying to get him to understand and correctly answer my question by telling me his favorite thing about playing at his friends' house and he was stating the response all along..the simple, sweet and pure answer.
His favorite thing about playing at Alexia and McKenzie's house has nothing to do with things...it's simply being able to play with his friends. 

Thank you, Parker, for that sweet reminder.

A carefree boy

He makes his mama smile...

Easter Sunday

Our weekend was full of activities & small, sweet blessings! I hope each of you had a blessed Easter! Among all the packing & house stuff to take care of, Parker & I found plenty of time for an Easter egg hunt, a special "breakfast" dinner that consisted of Mickey Mouse pancakes, bacon & strawberries, a new Easter movie for Parker (the classic "The Easter Bunny is coming to Town" with Fred Astaire), a fabulous Easter lunch with friends, & of course an Easter service at church to celebrate our Lord, the risen Saviour! We missed Clay & our other family very much this weekend, but our parents, grandparents, siblings, etc :) were great to keep us company with phone calls & frequent text messages letting us know they were thinking about us! :) Love that!

Parker enjoyed leaving out carrots & water for the Easter bunny Saturday evening & enjoyed waking up to an Easter basket filled with treats the next morning! Sidewalk chalk in the shapes of eggs, a new book, bright colored bath tub letters & numbers, a new movie, popsicle treat holders, some fun matchbox construction trucks, & even a little bit of candy hidden in the Easter eggs were left for our little man by Mr. B himself.

Following Easter basket treats came church, where Parker was so excited to sport his new Easter outfit from Nana & Poppie. (well, maybe it was his mama that was so thrilled to see him in his first spring outfit for the season...especially since every year that we have lived here there has been snow on the ground at this time..this year no snow!) It was the first day we have dressed in short sleeves & shorts in months, so I think the excitement just bubbled out of every step we took that day! Though we didn't get to see the service (I was working the nursery), I know it was amazing. It was just great to be there period & to celebrate the reason for the special day.

After church, we went with a dear friend to have Easter lunch with her family! Parker had an amazing time getting to run around outside with the other boys & then have a delicious lunch. It was wonderful having the food, friends & fellowship that day. (Thank you Tressa!)

our afternoon of play at home & "About Parker at two"

Parker & I played hard today...

Since it was a bit too cold to get outside, we spent the whole afternoon around the apartment. It ended up being a fun day with a serious mission to play with each & every toy that this little tot owned! Except for the Fisher Price Airport & his small set of colorful blocks, we accomplished just that!

We also managed to read 14 books, watch a short Fisher Price Little People DVD, play with playdough & get a little cleaning done (at the end of our day that is...). While I was dusting the living room, he even managed to convince me to let him run & play on the balcony for a few minutes. That boy would still be begging to play outside if it was 2 degrees...that definitely comes from his daddy's side! ha ha!

Warning: Do not read if you are short on time or could care less about random two year old facts or am anal about grammatical errors. I need to do a quick update so I don't forget this before I have time to scrap it!

Random facts about Parker at 2 years & 3 months: He recognizes & says the letters "P", "B" & "E." Loves trains, planes, cars, trucks & balls...that hasn't changed since he was an infant! Is still eating anything you put in front of him...we haven't found a food yet he won't eat. Has a strong, independent personality like his mama & daddy (imagine that!). LOVES anything to do with outdoors. Is currently outgrowing all 2T clothes & moving into 3T (Clay & I are going to have to do some shopping in the next couple of weeks!) He is already wearing 3T shirts for the length. Is in a size 8 tennis shoe. Wearing size 4 diaper...soon to be potty trained hopefully! Loves being rocked to sleep in the afternoon by mommy or daddy...he actually smiles & makes this joyful glee sound when we nestle him in our arms! Sleeps with his blue blanket & Mickey every night in his crib. Is up & ready to go between 6:15-7am every morning (I get really excited on those 7:00 mornings!!) Goes to sleep between 8-8:45pm. Enjoys reading books during rest times. Extremely active. Does the hand motions for Itsy Bitsy Spider & Deep & Wide. Asks to sing "LMnP" (aka "the ABC's) when we're driving in the car. Goes to Tornado Toddlers at Lifetime every Tuesday morning. Is good at sharing with others (most of the time :)) Has the philosophy: "the more the merrier!" He loves having people around him! Likes to watch mama & daddy cook. And likes it even more when he gets to help in the kitchen! Does great at restaurants. Pretty easy going & happy. A jokester like his daddy. Can pitch a tantrum like no other (we might only get a couple of real "is this seriously my child?" tantrums a month, but when they come...oh boy, do they come! ...his mama never did that when she was young... :)) Is into talking a lot more that he was 6 months ago! Since December/January his vocabulary has really started excelling...we saw a jump in the early fall but for the most part it has really taken off since this winter (for a long time he was a lot more into taking it all in than talking about it.)

Says his name..funny story...we hadn't really tried to get him to say it & the other night (March 22 or 23) I decided it was time he did. So, after bathtime I was drying him off & he was asking for NuNu. I told him he could have it during storytime unless he wanted to tell me his name & I would get it for him then (starting bribery at an early age...don't judge me :)) After asking him," What is your name?" he smiled & replied, "Pahker." I was so excited I had him tell it to Clay too. He then got his paci. There is no telling how long that little stinker could have been saying that.

Still asks for his NuNu's a lot but for the last several weeks has only been using them when he's upset or for sleepytime. It doesn't take much to get his mind off of them these days! Yea!

Uses his left hand to hammer things, pick things up...seems to use this one predominately. Holds his fork in his right hand & uses his left hand to pick his food up (when he's not using utensils.) We think that him watching mama & daddy eat with their right hand has confused him a little! Throws balls mostly with his right. What will he be? A lefty or a righty? Family history: His Nana (Clay's mom) & Uncle Taylor are both left lefties. His Rassie (my mom) was left handed as a child but her teacher made her switch to her right hand...otherwise she would still be a lefty.

Is really good at picking up his toys. I think he likes order (whew, I hope that stays with him!) in the house like his mama & daddy. Loves when I pull out the vacuum. Wants to go for rides in Troublemaker with his daddy whenever he can. Likes lemons & black olives (a lot). Enjoys all fruits & begs me for them when he opens up the refridgerator. Doesn't like sweets much (that sooo doesn't come from his mama! Clay doesn't care much for sweets either.) Had cucumber with cream cheese & pepper today with his lunch & loved it.
Doesn't want to miss anything from any of his days...where's the party? I'm there!
As of March, we've noticed him coloring characters in coloring books & not just randomly on pages. I wish I had a scanner & I would show a cute example (note: first time we noticed it was at Red Lobster (March 13) on their kids menu...he only colored the circles with the animals in them)
Likes to play with playdough & other fun crafty things but if given the choice, would rather kick the soccer ball & throw the basketball or baseball. When he scores (in basketball or air hockey) he throws up both arms & yells something to the effect of, "Gohhhg" for goal or score..we're working on that pronunciation.
Loves seeing new sights & riding in the car (always has..that hasn't changed at all.) Can crawl in his carseat by himself.
Plays by himself contentedly (some), but would rather you be playing with him. Still loves to play with your hair when you're holding him. :)
When he goes to the gym he wants to play basketball on the big boy courts. The end.
Is good at building things with his blocks (also likes knocking them down.)
Wants to help mama & daddy whenever he sees us doing something that he's not.

T.V.: Watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Curious George, Clifford, Dinosaur Train, Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, Word World & Thomas the Train (usually 2 shows each morning depending on what time we have the tv on. He doesn't watch all or even half of these in a day...ever!!!!!) When he wakes up, either Special Agent Oso or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is on so he watches that almost every morning. Enjoys watching the movies Cars, Mary Poppins (likes the singing & dancing), 101 Dalmations, Classic Disney Cartoons, & VeggieTales.

Says colors: Green, Blue (likes this one!), yellow, orange & red
Says animals: cow, pig, horsey, bird, dog, giraffe, alligator ("aldo"), octopus, fish, duck & a few others..says the sound that these make as well. Other animals he mostly says what they say...for instance, "Cat" is "Meow"...after watching Word World one day he randomly said, "Dragon."

Favorite books: Little Cloud, Corduroy, Old Bear, Harold & the Purple Crayon (also still loves the ones we read to him A LOT last fall such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, I am a Bunny, Big Red Barn, Bunny's Noisy Book, any books that focus on trucks, planes & boats, Where's Spot? etc)
We read a large variety of books to him but at times focus specifically on a few & these are some of our recent & past focuses.

Personality: sweet & caring, sensitive, strong-willed & independent, has an opinion about quite a few things, easy going, flexible, neat, sports enthusiast (which his daddy loves!), busy, happy, a jokester

Clay & I love "our little man", our "Pman", our "precious Parker", our "Parker Charles".