Vlogging update and weekend

I posted days 2, 3, and 4 tonight.  They aren't the full videos.  I still haven't found a good editing app for my tablet.  That being said day 2 has two videos uploaded seperately.  I inadvertently uploaded part two without a title.  It's title is December 2 instead.  I have yet to figure out how to change it!    I also realized I posted my username wrong.  Sorry about that.  It is Rascalflattfan24. 

We had a great weekend!  The craft show went well.  We had more customers this year than last.  Things are turning around.  The last few years had not been so well due to the economy.  But things are looking up!  I sold lots of my small pine cone baskets!  Though I only sold a few of my scrabble tile jewlery.  It's a shame because I really enjoy making those.

As always the fireworks were wonderful!  Though I wish the wouldn't allow people to stand on their soap boxes.  I'm all for free speach but it ruins everyones good time.  I realize it was somethi g that was done in colonial williamsburg but not with speakers!  It was fun when the crowd began singing carols to drown him out.  Which of course gave hom something to feed on, "you won't be singing jingle bells in hell."  Good grief.  But the carols added some extra cheer and once the fireworks started you forgot they were there.  Liam loved the fireworks!  It was his first ti e seeing any and he didn't cry.  He even trjed so hard to finish watching them even though he could barely keep his eyes open!  I can't post pictures yet as I haven't unloaded the camera but I will soon.

All in all it was a good weekend, a good start to the holidays!

Vlogging!

One of the ladies on the June mommy's group I belong to on facebook decided to do a vlog everyday from now until Christmas.  I thought this might be an interesting challenge for me.  I recorded my first one tonight.  Search Rascalfan24 on youtube.  Although I didn't get to take all of my clips and put them together.  I recorded it on my tablet and tried using a free video editing app to do my editing.  I was very excited because the app did everything windows movie maker does. Unfortunatley after I rendered the video it wouldn't play!  So therefore I could only upload the first part which actually started out to be the only one I was going to do because my son was being cranky.  I need to find a better set up for my video recording.  Liam and I were sitting on my bed, only because Country Christmas was on tv and we were recording during comercials!  But the tablet was being propped up by the blankets and Liam's toys.  I also looked terrible by the way.  I never did get a chance to do my hair today.  Oh well.  Just one of joys of being a mom!  I'm going to call it a night jn case the little booger decides to wake up every hour!

Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful thanksgiving!  We took Liam to his first trip to his aunt's house in Wlimington, nc.  I do believe we came home with a spoiled child!  He was held just about every minute of the day.  We almost didn't go, poor little guy has an ear infection.  We had no idea.  He was a little congested so to be on the safe side I took him in to see the doctor and low and behold she found the ear infection.  Knowing he would be cranky we didn't want to impose with a crying baby we gave his aunt the option of us staying home.  She said it would be fine she was use to babies with ear infections.  Her son had tons of them whe  he was little.  So Wednesday morning we packed up the car and made the 5 hour drive down.  Liam did suprisingly well and sleep most of the way.  When he did wake we stopped to kill time until he was ready for another nap.  Needless to say our 5 hour drive took more along the lines of 7, but we had a happy sleeping baby. 

Thursday, Thanksgiving.  More family came and we had a wonderful meal cooked by my sister in laws husband.  Liam even had a taste of the sweet potatos.  :(  I brought some sweet potatoes and pumpkin I had pureed for him.  He is really liking the whole solids thing!

Friday we introduced the family to geocaching.  We went to a local park to find some caches.  Liam even got his first swag, a rubber ducky!  My sister in law is hooked.  She spent mich of that evening looking at a map of geocaches.  I think we may have created a monster!

Saturday we went to play disc golf at a beautiful park by the beach.  I've never played in the sand before, it gave the game an interesting chalange.  I forgot my camera in the car.  I was disapointed I did not get a chance to take pictures of the beautiful course.  All the more reason to go back!  After disc golf we headed downtown to eat lunch and do a little more geocaching.  We found some pretty interesting ones and I can't wait to go back and find others.  We only found ten all total for the weekend.

Sunday we packed up and went home.  I think Liam missed everyone. He wasn't too happy just seeing me all day yesterday and today!  I had to escape the house to my moms this afternoon just to make him happy.  Oh the things we do for our kids!

Mingo, WV

Each year my family takes a trip to the mountains.  This year we went to Mingo, WV which is just a few miles outside of Snowshoe.  My husband and I went skiing at Snowshoe a few years back.  It looks so much different in the snow!  Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the way the mountains look with all the colors.

This was Liam's first trip to the mountains.  It definitely won't be his last!

Oh my!  I started this post last week!  I just happened to come in the office and realize I never finished it.  I'll share a few of the pictures from our trip and call it a day on this one.

It's been a while...

The AC is out.  With that being said it is very warm in the office!  I haven't had the motivation to sit in a hot room and mess around on the computer.  It cooled down a bit tonight so I thought I would write a few words.

I love yard sales, thrift stores and flea markets!  My mom and I went to a few church sales today.  Liam may not have been born into a family with lots of money but he sure won't be missing out on anything.  We found some great things today including a swing for the tree in the front yard.  Our greatest find for the day by far had to be the two rear and forward facing car seats for fifteen dollars a piece.  They were in great condition!  I can't wait to use them.  I'll give him a few more weeks in his infant seats then I think I will graduate him up to a big boy seat.  I just can't carry those seats anymore.  It's killing my back to drag it in and out of the car.  He seems to do well in the one my mom has.  I honestly think he enjoys it better being as he insists on being sat up all the time now.  No more laying down for him.  Now if only he would roll over.

Pictures, pictures and more pictures

I finally uploaded our pictures from the weekend.  Liam had his first ride in a big baby swing.  At first it seemed he wasn't too sure he liked it, but after I started making funny faces and noises he changed his mind.  He also dipped his toes in the lake for the first time.  He was indifferent.  Next summer he will get to go swimming!

Super baby!

Not impressed.

Sleeping with grandpa

Getting ready for bed.  He sure looks tired doesn't he?

I finally finished the train rug for the Wednesday Bible study class.  It took much longer than I had anticipated.  Liam did not like me painting it and would promptly cry every time I picked up the brush.  I also had issues with the paint.  I really need to buy a new paint supple one day.  Most of it worked great then I would get on a role and halfway through outlining a train the paint would get clogged.  I think I spent more time unclogging paint than I did painting!  But thankfully it is done!

The weekend

I am aware there are tons of errors.  I typed this on the tablet so I have to hen peck.  I unfortunately found it much easier to type this rather than try and fix the errors using the tablet.

It's been a few days since I have written.  I've already broken my intentions on writing a little something everyday.  Though in my defense there is no reception at the lake.  But there is no excuse for yesterday, just laziness I guess.

Liam got to meet some of the extended family this weekend.  But sadly it was because we had to attend a funeral in NC.  I am glad however that they got to meet my precious little boy.  On the way home we decided to spend the rest of the weekend with Terry's parents at their house at Lake Gaston.  Liam took his first ride in a swing and dipped his toes in the lake.  I woukd have taken him swimming but the little guy slept right through swim time.  I'll post picturee tomorrow as I haven't taken the pictures off of the camera yet.

We took a long walk after dinner today, about 2 miles or so.  We were going to find a geocache that has been eluding us.  We unfortunatelybhad to turn back before we arrived in fear we wouldn't make it home before dark.  i worked on the train rug for a little while i'm still not finished with it yet.  for some reason liam thinks that every time i pick up the paint brush that is his cue to cry whether he needs anything or not!  i hope to have it finished tomorrow afternoon.  i also still need to finish water proofing the placemats.

thats all for now.

First day of school

Today was the first day back at Bible study and Liam's first trip to the nursery.  Although his aunt and our good friend work in that room.  So other than new surroundings he still has familiar faces!  My mom and our friend work together in the 3,4 and 5 year old room.  We always start our day with free play.  This gives the kids an opportunity to get to know one another and socialize with friends they haven't seen in a while.  This also gives us time to individually work with a child on a special project if we have one planned.  Today we made our place mats for snack time. A few kids at a time sat at the table and colored and dot painted on a piece of construction paper.  I'll print their picture and add it and then cover it with clear shelf liner to make it water proof.

The kids love eating off of their place mats and it helps them recognize their names in the process.  It's a win win!  The parent's meetings ran short today so we had to cut our day a bit short.  Usually after free play the children sit on the carpet for story time and then we do a craft.  Today's lesson was "God made the world"  God said "Let there be light."  I folded a piece of paper in half and they glued bits of black paper to make dark.  On the inside I wrote God said "Let there be light." on the left side and the kids glued yellow bits of paper to make light.  I forgot to take a picture.  After craft the children ate a snack while I set up a light hunting game.  I wish I had taken a picture of this too.  I'll get better at remembering these things.  I made a large tent and put cut out stars and suns all around.  We turned out the lights and passed out flashlights.  The kids loved searching for the stars and suns in the dark!  I only wish we had had more time!

Wednesdays are going to be long days.  I will work at church in the morning then baby-sit from 3-7.  Little Liam will stay with grandma and Terry will pick him up after work.

Here are the pictures of the train rug process I promised.  It's not finished yet but it is on my schedule for Monday!  Enjoy!

The first rug

Changed rugs the first one was too short

Measured out space for ten trains.  It will be a bit tight but it will have to do.  I didn't have any other rugs!

Mommies sleepy little helper.  The best he was all day!

I drew and cut out a template for an engine, a box car and a caboose

Outlined the templates

The beginning of filling in

Baby, trains and crazy things

So my goal is to write a little something everyday even if it is just a couple of sentences.  I am aware that with work and a 2 month old it may be a challenge, but I'm up for it!

I didn't work today so Liam and I stayed home.  Did I mention Liam isn't a fan of staying home all day?  Well he isn't.  I needed to get a few things done for the start of the Bible study tomorrow.  We always have the kids line up to go to the gym, playground or bathroom.  In the past I have traced their feet on construction paper and lined those up on the floor.  But since this room is also used on Sunday for Sunday school I can't leave them there so I end up taping them.  Well the tape doesn't stay well and by the end of the session most of the feet are ripped.  This year I thought why not use a rug runner.  I am painting train cars on a rug and will unroll and roll it up every class.  Liam decided that he would let me get the cars traced but not colored in.  So there for I do not have it finished for tomorrow's class.  Next week it is then.  I have pictures of the progress but quiet frankly I'm too tired to take them off the camera.  Tomorrow I promise!

We went to dinner at Terry's parents tonight, something we have started doing once a week.  I remember looking forward to going to my grandparents for dinner each week and want Liam to have the kinds of traditions I enjoyed as a child.  His grandma rocked him to sleep which she loves.  Ordinarily I would object but after his cranky afternoon I said what the heck have at it!

We noticed last night the dishwasher stopped working.  Terry decided to take a look at it tonight.  Unplugged and pluggd it back, nothing.  After pulling it out from under the counter and lots of water on the floor it worked!  Why?  Have no clue.  He pushes it back in, no more lights.  He is still in there figdgeting with it now.  Hopefully he can figure it out.

I put little Liam to bed at 10 tonight here is hoping for a good night sleep to make up for last night!

Labor day fun

You'll have to bare with me, my writting isn't that great but I've always wanted to start a blog.  So here it goes!  I'll share little tid bits of our daily lives and what new things our little boy is up to.  I teach a Bible class to a group of 3 and 4 year olds as well as Sunday school to 2 and 3 year olds.  I'll share with you what we do in class from the games we play to the art projects we make.   I'm hoping that this will help others who teach preschoolers.  There are lots of great sites out there that give information on lessons and crafts. But sometimes I wonder if they have ever taught to preschoolers.  Some of the activities and crafts are way to complicated for this age.  I'll share how I did things and whether or not they worked.

So here goes nothing...

Our little Liam had a great  night sleep last night!  Eight hours!  Our little boy is growing so fast!  But mommy and daddy love the idea of getting a full nights sleep again.

We decided to do a little geocaching today so we loaded the gps with stroller friendly caches, packed a few extra bottles for the baby and headed out.  But before we could even think about hiking we needed to grab lunch.  Firehouse subs sent us a coupon for a free medium sub for Labor day.  I love their steamers!  It turns out all of the caches loaded in the gps were park and grabs.  We decided to take a chance and headed out to stumpy lake.  The paths were littered with debri from the recent hurricane. It made for hiking in flip flops a bit challenging.  Because we chose stroller accesable caches to begin with we didn't bring any tennis shoes.  Needless to say we decided not to push the stroller.  I used the mobby wrap.  I love it!  I have a bjorn carrier but it hurts my back.  I did a little research and came across the moby wrap.  I'm still getting use to putting it on but practice makes perfect right?

We didn't have any luck on the trail, we will have to go back when we have the propper footwear.  We decided to grab one near the road before heading out.  It was a pretty easy matchstick container by the lake.  Beware of the poison ivy!  My husband insists he has it, he says his ankles itch already.  We marked that one off our list and headed to walmart.  I know, not very smart on Labor day but it really wasn't as busy as I expected it to be.  Grabbed broccoli, cheese and a spark plug for the lawn mower and headed home.  While I  made broccoli salad my husband attempted to mow the knee high grass.  He got about two thrids of it done before the lawn mower died.  We had dinner at my husbands sister's for her husbands birthday.
It was bath night for the little booger!  I was so proud of him he didn;t cry once while in the bath, he usually does not like his hair washed.  He did however cry when he got out.  Here is hoping for another eight hours tonight!