Day 213: I Want to Ride My Tricycle, I Want to Ride My Trike!

Because I am desperately trying to finish my semester up, Ms. L came over this morning to watch Little Buddy.  They had a bunch of fun playing outside on the boat.  When it got too hot, they came in to color pictures and make food for Little Buddy's stuffed animals.  I missed playing with him, but every so often he would come to the bottom of the stairs and yell, "Momma!" up to the office.  I would walk out and smile down at him.  The happy giggle and smile I got from him always managed to pull me out of my paper writing frustration.

After Ms. L left, we had lunch and then Little Buddy took a nap while I continued to work.  I really can't wait to be down!  Once he woke up, we watched some Elmo and then went to get Daddy.  While I was at class, Daddy and Little Buddy worked on some tricycle skills.

Revving his engines...

And he's off!

Cool dude!

His legs are still a little short yet, but I know he will get a handle on it soon!

Night everyone, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 212: Ketchup Bread

Little Buddy and I had another full day with boot camp, quesadillas, and Elmo.  Then I had to go do a presentation so Little Buddy and Daddy had dinner together.  My little guy's meal of choice for the evening?  Bread dipped in ketchup.

I'm glad he's so easy to please.

I hated being away from my guy tonight, especially since I will be away again tomorrow night because of class.  It's my last class of the semester, though, so I am thankful for that!

Night all, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 211: Grocery Carts and Rowing Arms

It was grocery shopping day and Little Buddy was ready to get into the fun by helping Mommy and Daddy to pick out some healthy food! 

"We need more beans, Dadda!"

We even tried something new today: Little Buddy got his own cart!  Although he is no shape to get his driver's license anytime soon, he followed along pretty well for the majority of the trip.

"Time to get more food!  I think we need butter.  And peanut butter.  Lots of peanut butter."

After Little Buddy's Olympic shopping trip, we decided to watch some of the actual Olympics.  I was quite pleased to introduce him to my favorite sport: Crew!  He actually got very into watching rowing, extended his arms out and yelling "Row!  Row! Row!" repeatedly.

"Row!"

Cheering as the US Women's Eight make it to the finals!

The rest of the day was pretty lazy, except for when Little Buddy fell and bumped his head on the tile.  *Sigh*  Some days I think toddlers just exist to give their parents gray hair.  He's thankfully fine, but has quite the goose egg on his forehead and wasn't too happy for awhile.  Some dinner and a shower managed to cheer him up though.  I am afraid to see what the bump looks like tomorrow: it will either go down or he'll look like a unicorn!

Night all, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 210: Haircuts, Tigers, and El-fants, Oh My!

Little Buddy is a very busy and important person, and today proved it!  We had a day just packed with action and excitement.  He was a trooper though and seemed to enjoy everything!

We started the day with swim class, where Little Buddy just couldn't wait to jump in, followed by a hair cut!  No more shaggy, only snazzy now!

He did so well during his haircut that we decided to treat him to a carousel ride.  Since we were the first riders of the day, we got treated to two rides! 

Ride 1:  Mommy, Little Buddy, and his favorite Tiger 

Ride 2:  Daddy, Little Buddy, and the Cat (aka: The Baby Tiger)

We ran a few more errands at the mall, including scheduling some pictures for Little Buddy and letting him play with puppies in the pet store!  After a tasty lunch, we headed home for naptime.  It was important to rest up, because our next stop was picking up Uncle C for the circus!

Intensely watching the circus with Uncle C!

Of course he loved the tigers!

But he was really excited by the "el-fants!"

He really couldn't get enough of the elephants.  He called out for them during every act!

Mesmerized by El-fants.

Upon leaving Reliant Stadium, Little Buddy had to tell every "cow" sculpture goodbye.  He also told every trash can goodbye, since he had to run up and point out every "W" and "M" (from the Waste Management System logo).  Everyday is Sesame Street around here.

We finished our adventure with a visit to Smashburger.  Little Buddy actually deviated from his normal grilled cheese to get a cheeseburger (we may, however, have convinced him of this by telling him it was grilled cheese with meat).  He loved it and looked like such a big boy eating his burger!

Yummy!

The only bad part about the burger is that Little Buddy now loves ketchup and he also loves to tickle people.  His messy toddler fingers were soon coated in the red condiment and Mommy and Daddy were the oh-so-thrilled recipients of "ketchup tickles."  Guess I will start the wash once we get home!

After such a day of adventure, Little Buddy was still pretty wound up on the car ride home.  Thankfully, he settled down pretty quickly and seemed to welcome bedtime.  Maybe he'll dream of el-fants! 

Night everyone, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 209: Faster, Higher, Stronger!

Dear Little Buddy,

Happy Olympics!  Your Daddy and I are so excited to share your first Olympics with you.  You seemed pretty excited too, starting the day off with a crib full of your biggest fans:

After another day of boot camp, we went over to Ms. C's house to play with N, C, and B's new playhouse.  You had a lot of fun climbing up the ladder and going down the slide!  However, not even all that fun could prevent you from taking a break for a good lunch.  An athlete needs his nutrition!

Sadly, you tripped and fell, splitting your lip a bit. But like any good athlete you soldiered on.  After a hug and a kiss, you were ready to head back to playing.

After all the excitement of the morning, I thought for sure you would need a nice, long nap.  Turned our your endurance is truly Olympian.  After a brief moment of respite in the truck on the ride home, you were awake and ready to go as soon as we pulled in the driveway.  Oh boy!

But you did have to hit the showers today.  Not once, but twice.  I'm starting to think that baths may becoming a thing of the past with your new love of this indoor "rain."

Even athletes need to be well rounded and have other interests.  Looks like you are becoming quite the piano player too!

Our Little Schroeder

Soon it was time to start the Olympic games!  You were all ready to cheer for your heroes on Team USA.

"Ok, team..."

"Let's go!  USA, USA!"

Paying very close attention to his team.

Unfortunately, you couldn't stay up to watch the entire opening ceremonies (Mommy and Daddy could barely stay awake the whole time!).  However, I wish you could have seen the people carrying the Olympic flag toward the end of the night.  I know the Olympic motto is "Faster, Higher, Stronger," and while I certainly want you to achieve in these areas, the Olympics are about something more too.  The flag bearers weren't athletes.  They were people who worked for "the advancement of human rights and understanding."  What a beautiful thing!  That's what the Olympics are really about, all nations coming together, recognizing that we are all people with exceptional talents that deserve to be nurtured and celebrated.  That's an important lesson to remember!  So as you work to be faster and stronger, I also want you to work on being kind, understanding, and helpful.  That's the true Olympic spirit.

I love you Little Buddy!

Always, 

Momma

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 208: It Was that Kind of Day

Today was the kind of day...

...when your little one decides oral hygiene is unnecessary and sobs while you try to brush his teeth.

...when your little one loses his mind when you tear apart his grilled cheese to cool at lunch and then begs you to "fix it."

...when your little one wakes up early from his nap before you've had time to shower.

...when your little one lets you alone long enough that you can actually answer an important email, only to find that he's been clogging the toilet the whole time.

...when your little one poops in the shower.

...when your little one "helps" feed the dog.

...when your little one hits himself in the eye with a childproof gate.

...when you're counting down the hours until your husband returns from his business trip.

It was not a boring day to say the least.  However, it also wasn't a terrible day.  It was actually a lot of fun minus the bruised eye and poop in the shower.


Today was also the kind of day...

...when Little Buddy got to play with his friends

 

 

..when Little Buddy climbed into the big bed and asked for Momma to come cuddle.

...when Little Buddy was overjoyed with his grilled cheese. Again.

 

...when Little Buddy passed out asleep as soon as we pulled out of the parking lot.

 ...when Little Buddy and I made up our own verses to "Wheel on the Bus" and sang them all afternoon.

...when Little Buddy and I took an impromtu trip to the pool and played "keep the ball out of the filter" and "jump to Momma."

...when Little Buddy thought "throw the pillow down and Momma will pick it" would be a hilarious game (and it was!).

...when Little Buddy and I giggled all day together.

Truly every day is a challenge, but the challenge is not to lose sight of the daily treasures.

Night all, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 207: A Shared Bunny and a Big Boy in a Towel

Little Buddy woke up early today.  So early, in fact, that he got to see Daddy before Daddy left for work.  I think those two enjoyed eating breakfast together.

We made it to boot camp (a little late, but not terrible) and, afterward, Little Buddy had a great time playing with his friend, B's, older sister, S.  S was being very sweet and sharing her bunny with Little Buddy.  They were doing great at taking turns, a skill we're trying hard to develop in our little guy.

Yay for bunny sharing!

Yay for hugs!

We then played at the tree for a bit (until Little Buddy tried to escape three times just for fun) and then picked Daddy up for lunch.  Daddy was so happy to see Little Buddy so much today because he is leaving to go out of town tonight.  He won't be gone long, but he always misses our guy a ton.

After Little Buddy woke up from his nap, we met some friends at the pool.  He was a big fan of splashing around and doing around the lazy river to say "hi" to the statues of the bird and the gator.  When we were done, I dried him off and looked at my big boy.  I can't believe how grown up he looks!  Such a difference, even from the time I started this blog to now.  It makes me happy that I have this blog, as a record to follow his growth into a little person. 

All wrapped up.

Then we came home for dinner and a bath.  Although he wondered where Daddy was, he was thankfully sleepy enough from the pool to crash pretty quickly.  Here's hoping to another fun day tomorrow!

Good night, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 206: Sprinklers Make Rain (and Fun)!

Because it was Tuesday and I had both a phone interview to conduct and class to get ready for, Little Buddy and I stayed at home today.  That doesn't mean we didn't have lots of fun though!  As soon as we were done with breakfast, I went ahead and broke out Little Buddy's new sprinkler that he got for his birthday from a friend.  He was a little hesitant at first, but then he was all over it!

"Momma, it make rain..."

"Hmm...what should I do with this ball?"

"Drop it in the top?"

"Hahaha, it pops back out at me!"

He was still playing "pop the ball" in the "rain" when our neighbor girl came over to watch him while I did my interview.  Little Buddy loves to have him read to her.  They had so much fun that after my interview, Little Buddy was really ready for lunch and a nap.

Once he woke up, it was time for me to get ready for school.  I really don't like Tuesdays very much because I don't get to spend as much time with Little Buddy as I would like to.  I am thankful there are only two weeks of class left!

Good night, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 205: We Need To Be Helpers

Dear Little Buddy,

There are some things I want to talk to you about.  You may be a little young to understand now, but one day you will be old enough to understand.

It's been a rough week in our country.  You've probably noticed that Mommy's eyes have been teary after I've watched the news and that Mommy's hugs have been little bit longer, a little bit tighter.  A few things have happened that are very scary to Mommies and Daddies everywhere.  The first is that last weekend, a man chose to do a very terrible thing and he hurt a lot of people.  As you know, it is not nice to hurt other people.  Many people are very sad and very mad and very confused.  We just can't figure out why someone would do something so terrible.  I'm sure that man's mommy doesn't know why he did something so terrible.  And I know that the families of the people he hurt are wondering the same thing.

One of the people that was hurt was a little girl, a few years older than you are now.  She is now in heaven.  It hurts Mommy so much to think about that little girl's family.  If I think too much, I start to cry.  A lot of times that is when I need to give you a hug.

The thing is, Little Buddy, terrible things are, sadly, always going to happen.  You'll read about things like Pearl Harbor and 9/11 and Columbine when you go to school.  It can make you feel overwhelmed with sadness and disappointed in people.  I read a quote this week from Mr. Rogers (you'll hopefully read about him, too, as you get older) that helped me.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” ~Fred Rogers

What a beautiful thought.  His mommy had the right idea.  Any time something terrible happens, besides hearing of the tragedy, you also hear of the people who were brave and helped others.  These people are heroes.  I hope when you hear of terrible things in the future that you will look for the helpers.  Moreso, I hope that you will always work to be a helper.  It doesn't need to be in an extreme situation, either.  If you see a friend that is sad, maybe you could cheer him up.  If you see a classmate that is lonely, maybe you could invite her to play.  Maybe if everyone was more concerned about helping each other, no one would have time to think about being mean to one another.  It is never right to hurt people, with our actions or with our words.  Remember that.

Maybe if people would have thought more about being helpers, another bad thing could have been stopped.  You see, the other reason Mommy has been sad is because another man did a another bad thing and hurt a lot of children.  Other people found out about it, but decided not to help.  Maybe they were scared or unsure about what to do, but ultimately they did not help the children or stop the man from hurting the children.  It is never right to hurt people, with our actions or with our words or with our inactions.  Remember that too.  We have to be helpers.  We have to stand up for what is right.

And we have to know when to ask for help.  This is very important, Little Buddy, so listen closely.  You can talk to me about anything.  Anything.  Don't let anything or anyone ever prevent you from telling me something you think you should tell me.  Ask me anything.  Tell me anything.  Or tell Daddy, or Uncle, or Grammy, or Mamaw, or Pop-Pop, or Papaw.  We will always believe you.  We will always value what you say as important.  We will not judge you.  We will help you.  I promise you.

Sometimes being a Mommy is hard because you worry too much.  I love you so much, Little Buddy, and all I want in the world is for you to be safe and happy and healthy.  Right now, I can control a lot of that.  But as you get older, I know there will be times you are not happy.  That's ok.  Just know that whenever you are unhappy, you can come to me.  We can talk if you want.  Or I can just listen.  Or I can just sit with you until you feel better.  Or we can go do something together that does make you happy.  Just know that I will always be there for you.  I will help you in whatever way you need me to help you.

There will be times, I'm certain, that you are not happy with me.  That's ok, too.  It might result from my desire to keep you safe.  Just know now that when we get to the time where we have rules about driving and curfew and such, those rules aren't there because I don't trust you.  They are there because I don't trust all the other people out there to value your safety as much as I do.  Please promise me that you'll take care of yourself and that you'll value your safety too by making good choices.  You do that and I will promise you that I will try not to be too over-protective.  Deal?

Even with the recent tragedies, you have managed to keep me aware of how much joy and hope there is in the world.  Whether it is when you rock your "baby" to sleep or when you say hello to a horsey..

...you help me to appreciate every day.  You are my biggest helper!  Thank you for giving me so much happiness.  I love you.

Love you always,

Your Mommy


LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 204: Pancakes and Diaper Rash

Little Buddy was pretty tired after the birthday party last night, so he slept in a bit.  That gave me an opportunity to make a nice stack of pancakes for breakfast!

Little Buddy was definitely in favor of more pancakes.  Hopefully I made enough extra to keep him happy for most of the week!

He played for the rest of the morning and then, after nap, Ms. L and Ms. S came to watch him while I worked on a proposal.  He had a lot of fun with them and I hope they can babysit more in the future.  Unfortunately, Little Buddy developed some pretty bad diaper rash today, so we made the necessary decision of letting him go diaperless after dinner.  I tried to keep him busy by helping him feed his baby, but he still wet the carpet twice (after denying he needed the potty, of course). 

Feeding the baby.

It was then time for a bath, nail cutting (one of my least favorite activities), and bed.  I missed playing with my little guy today and I can't wait to have a fun day with him tomorrow!

Night all, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma

Day 203: Puppy Hats and Balance Beams

Little Buddy had another great morning at swim lessons!  The only bad thing is that he has no fear anymore and is perfectly willing to jump to Daddy in the water, regardless if Daddy is ready for it or not! 

After swimming, we ran a few errands.  The first was to JoAnn Fabrics so that I could pick up a pattern and look at their schedule of classes.  I would like to get a refresh course on my sewing and knitting.  While we were there, we found this hat and couldn't resist.  Bonus: It fit him!

My favorite Little Puppy Buddy!

Then we went to Trader Joe's for the first time.  Little Buddy was pretty excited to check out the food (and their shopping bags!).

We really liked the food selection at Trader Joe's and think we will do a test grocery run there next week. 

Later on, it was time for Little Buddy's friend N's birthday party!  It was at The Little Gym and my little gymnast was in full swing!

Hanging out on the uneven bars.

Obsessed with the balance beam!  He wanted to do it the entire time.  He was getting pretty good at the end!

Wasn't too sure about this part...

Eating with his friends!

We had such a great time with our friends!  Thanks for inviting us!  Little Buddy went to bed pretty easily after all the excitement. 

Good night, 

LBM

Little Buddy's Momma