The Excited Mom

I can't believe it!  A whole summer of just me and my Little Lovebug!  Tomorrow marks the official first full day of summer vacation for us...and I plan to use the whole summer wisely - a perfect blend of the free and the structured.  It's going to be amazing!!!

The Wifey Mom

Happy First Father's Day to my #1 Man!!!  If there was an award for "Best Daddy," there would be no other contender! Took my boys to a Mets Game on Saturday night, and spent Sunday at a friend's baptism.

The Proud Mom

On June 3, my Little Lovebug got his first haircut at Frankie's Place on Metropolitian Avenue, went to the park on the swings for the first time and went to his first circus.  With the exception of Mommy leaving the circus tickets home and having to leave dinner early to get them...it was a wonderful day.  Little Lovebug had an amazing haircut...the hairdresser was nice, kid friendly - and fast!  He sat in a little mock taxi cab, watched Seasame Street, ate cheerios and went from "Punk Rock" to "Prep School Boy."  He didn't cry at all...well, until the very end, but it is unconfirmed whether he cried from the haircut, or from the realization that Granddaddy was there!  Grandmommy made a good point - he's too young to associate scissors with anything negative.  Disaster averted...for now!  He got a lock of hair (one for his memory tin, one for mine,) a goodie bag and even a certificate for "surviving" his first haircut.  How handsome!!!

Just color his tips, hand this boy a guitar and teach him the phrase "No one understands me!"

My little man!  Isn't he handsome??? <3

The Philadelphia Mom

This Memorial Day vacation was a Mother's Day gift from my husband!  We spend Saturday, Sunday and Monday exploring and gallivanting through the "City of Brotherly Love".   Arriving at close to 11:30 on Saturday morning, our first stop was at Bobby's Burger Palace for lunch.   After parking our car in a lot (parking in Philadelphia is a lot like parking in NY - not possible...,) we visited the Academy of Natural Sciences (where I was in "geek" heaven!), The Franklin Institute and walked through LOVE park.  Dinner was at Elephant and Castle, which was unbelievably delicious.  Actually, every meal we had was beyond scrumptious!  On Sunday we took a tourist trolley ride (which was incredibly informative) through the entire heart of Philadelphia, but not before visiting the famed Liberty Bell.  We stopped at Reading Market for lunch, then walked through the Eastern State Penitentiary, which was informative, yet creepy!  The weather was so incredibly hot as we walked through the Philadelphia Zoo.  We glimpsed at the Rocky Steps and Benjamin Franklin's grave before heading to dinner at Amada, a Spanish tapas restaurant.  Ice cream for dessert at the Franklin Fountain.  The Aquarium was our first stop on Monday morning and was our favorite part of the trip.  My Little Lovebug loved looking at the colorful fish and trying to touch them.  A scuba diver even swam down and took his picture with him.  We toured the US Mint and Betsy Ross' house and had a fantastic dinner at Bistro Romano and shakes at Dairy Queen before heading home!  Not the most relaxing vacation, but a fun one nevertheless.  What I loved about Philadelphia was how many things were "hands-on" and appropriate for my Little Lovebug's little hands to touch.  He had a great time - we all did!

Eating Sweet Potato Fries and a Burger at BBP

Touching the T-Rex

Sleeping at the Franklin Institute

The LOVEbugs

Liberty Bell

 

Ben and Ben

At the Philadelphia Zoo

Piggy-back Ride at the Philadelphia Zoo

Feeling the Fish

My Little Chomper at Adventure Aquarium

Future Scuba Diver?

Cute Little Octopus

Philadelphia Skyline

My Little Patriot

The Detoxing Mom

My Little Lovebug is spending the day with MY grandma today, so my husband can have off this weekend (yipee - we're going away!!!)   This is the first time he's been there since he's started moving from one place to the other.  She's a little...different than I am when it comes to parenting...all of which I understand because it's nerve-wracking watching someone else's child, I get it...

• No Alone Time -  I often just place him down and watch him when he explores by himself.  She, on the other hand, hovers over him and doesn't move her eyes off of him for one minute.  Sometimes, children just need to be!
• Solid Foods Not Allowed - She had a bad experience once when a child started choking from a food he was given while on her lap.  So now, I'm not allowed to leave any "solid" type food, such as his Gerber Puffs or Finger Snacks.  
• One Toy at a Time - This is the most bizarre of all.  She only allows him to have one toy at a time, because she wants every toy to be a "treat" for him.  Hopefully, she won't come to my house.  It looks like a toy store.  
• Blankets - She puts blankets all over the floors and no matter how many times I tell her - he can't move on them!!!!  He wants to move and explore and the blankets frustrate and immobilize him! 
• Lunchtime - Sometimes I come home (or her house in this case) to visit my Little Lovebug.  But, she takes him out of the room because she feels I need a break!  She doesn't realize - he IS my break!  I come to see him and be with him!  Or else, I'd just stay at work!!!

On the other hand, I'm extremely grateful I have someone like her in my life.  She loves my little guy so much too!!!  She claims it's "her baby" when watching him, that's the kind of close care watching she gives!  He's very lucky!

The "Mom of a Ten Month Old" Mom

My Little Lovebug is 10 months old today!!!  He's big, but still so small!  His teeth are growing in and he's eating food from my plate like pulled pork, hamburgers and mashed potatoes!  He figured out how to put the balls in the hole of one of his toys.  He is so exploratory, curious and more alert than most adults I know.  Every day he's becoming his own little person.  Happy 10 months to my little guy!

The Dentist Mom

...teething stinks!!!