Bittersweet

It's a bittersweet moment when you realize your baby toddler can now do so many things independently.

 

Over the past week, this realization has hit harder than ever as our little Bear has ventured to do lots of new things all by himself.

A few examples...

 

 Playing solo in the water fountains at Market Street. No Mama or Daddy necessary!

Learning things. Of course he still needs guidance and help, but he wants to do activities alllll by himself.

Sliding. This is a new one, as we've always helped Bear down slides and been right there to catch him at the bottom. Now he can climb up to the top, position himself, and slide down all by himself without a "catcher". Big boy!

Exploring. He wants to pick up and inspect everything, including bugs (to Mommy's dismay). No shorts? Even better.

 

 

Zach and I love this stage so much. It's full of adventure, and Bear is such a little sponge. It's challenging as a parent, too, because I find myself still wanting to help Bear with every little thing. It's difficult to let go and realize that independence comes with age, and we have a growing boy. We're also enjoying hearing all the new words in Bear's vocabulary. Newest one? TA DA!!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Weekend in Sweetwater

Last weekend, Bear and I traveled to Sweetwater to see family, friends, and play in the Swing for the Cures ovarian/breast cancer benefit golf tournament.

 

We missed Zach terribly, and Bear was really sick for a few days, but it was still a great weekend! We love any chance we get to spend time with family.

 

 

Bear and Pops fed the ducks every evening.

Bear and Mommy got matchy-matchy in overalls & Saltwaters.

Bear and Duke/Grandma Candy were best buddies.

In all our years of competitive golf, my brothers, Dad, & I have never played in a foursome together. We had so much fun playing for a great cause.

 

This week has been really busy; we're excited for a PJ's and Pancakes Party in the morning at Bear's BFF, Peyton's house. :)

Happy Hump Day!

Monday (Summer) Inspiration

 

Just a few sunshiny quotes to start your week off right! :)

 

Happy Summer!

 

A Color Teaching Activity

Hi, friends! Happy Father's Day to all the amazing Dads out there!

 

I wanted to share a quick activity that is really helping Bear with color recognition. He's just starting to learn colors at 18 months (everything is "boo"), so I knew this would be a great time to get started with some lessons like this. My friend Whitney (@whitneyorick) posted this activity on Instagram, so she deserves the credit!

You need:
-buckets/baskets in various colors (primary colors would be ideal)
-paper/pen/washi tape for labeling
-colored sticks

We found everything at Dollar Tree, so the entire "game" cost us $5.

The task is to drop each colored stick in the matching basket. So far, Bear doesn't get this right every time (or even half the time), but we're working on it and he's having fun in the process! We don't do it everyday, so he won't get bored with it. 2-3 times a week for about 20 minutes seems to work best.

 

That's it! So simple but really fun & educational for toddlers.


Do you have any similar games to help with learning? I'd love to hear them!

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

 

 

Zoo, Concert, & Lots in Between

Last week, my parents and grandparents came to visit and we had such a fun time. We went to the zoo, ate lots of yummy places, and celebrated my Mom & Papaw Joe's birthdays (#84 for Papaw!). The day after they left, I went to a Backstreet Boys concert with two girlfriends and we had a blast reliving 1999. Overall, it's been such a great couple of weeks!

 

 

Bear got a little sleepy at the zoo...

 

but he quickly woke up!

 

Bear & his great-grandparents

 

lunching with the fam at Jason's Deli

4 generations

Bear doesn't mind the heat we've been having lately; he welcomes sunshine and rosy cheeks!

The sunsets have been pretty nice, too.

These two hit up the splash pad and then Chick Fil A, which explains their big smiles. Bear & Peyton are BFFs.

Professor Bear giving lessons in shapes

Backstreet's back, y'all. They put on such a great show!

 

We were all pretty much voice-less by the end of the night. Well worth it.

 

Hope your summer's off to a sweet start!

10 Random Things

Bear took a very short nap and this momma is running on fumes today, but still wanted to do a blog post. No time to upload photos, so I'm going to give you a random list of facts about myself. Likely not very interesting, but I do love reading these on other blogs so I would love it if you'd do one, too! I enjoy learning more about my blogging buds!

1. I'm the middle child and only daughter. I have an older brother, Shane, and a younger brother, Ryan.
2. I was born with a hole in my heart but it healed on it's own. I still have a murmur.
3. I lived 10 miles from Zach the first 15 years of my life but didn't meet him until I was 22.
4. I have traffic anxiety, especially as a passenger. It drives Zach nuts. (pun intended)

5. I'm a candy-holic. I had my first root canal at age 12, and almost every tooth in my mouth has a filling. I should be embarrassed but I'm totally not. Pass the Tootsie Pops, please.

6. I always dreamed of having a little girl, but I'm obsessed with being a boy momma. I really, really love it.

7. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love everything about it, especially the music.

8. I'm obsessed with concerts. I'm going to see the Backstreet Boys (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) tomorrow night with two friends and I couldn't be more excited. A few of my favorites that we've seen: Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Goo Goo Dolls, Stevie Nicks, John Mellencamp, Sara Bareilles, John Mayer, Backstreet Boys (last year...they really were awesome. stop laughing.), Carrie Underwood, Train, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band, Journey and hopefully lots more after this summer. Okay, that was more than a few...that was like half of the concerts I've been to. I can't help it...they were all awesome!
9. I'm a shorty. 5'3 1/2 (yes, I claim that half inch).
10. My middle name is Michelle, after my aunt.

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Happy Hump Day! Hope you're having a fantastic week!