Practicing for BINGO

Logan enjoyed some art time using BINGO dabbers -- watch out, Great Grandma, he's pretty good at it!

 I find it interesting that he's using his right hand here for art -- he definitely favors his left hand while throwing and hitting with implements (like last night when he was using a bowling pin to hit a plastic orange around the room...and would pick it up and throw it -- as a Southpaw -- in a line drive right at my face from about 8 ft away).

Thumbtack Art

Morning art time :: thumbtacks are a) pretty and b) stick easily into a pumpkin.  Mommy made the "M" for some fall decoration.  James was extremely focused while bedazzling his silly pumpkin face (looks kind of like pumpkin chicken pox, haha). Logan was banished from sharp-object-art time (but was really good at finding the ones we dropped on the floor).  He's been so silly lately and sticks his tongue out all the time :)

Outlined

Playground art - James thought he was so funny with his leg out t the side.

Play Dough Time

James is enjoying some time with Play Dough today! He has been entertained for over an hour straight...why didn't we bring this stuff out sooner?!? He's loving the fact that he doesn't have to share with any of his friends from school :-) and I have to give all of his teachers,  past and present, for having such strict Play Dough Playing rules.

Octopus Painting Project

After bowling, we needed an afternoon project to make waiting for Daddy to get home go a little faster.  James has been asking me if he could paint for about a week now -- I've been avoiding it at all cost because of time to set up, risk of paint everywhere and clean up time, but I finally caved today (not before getting him to go potty on the toilet, wash his hands and help clean up his playroom first)

 Found a use for old paper towel and toilet paper rolls :: paint and then cut slits into the bottoms to make them into an "octopus"

Logan got in on the art project action too -- I had James pick out 3 colors and put blobs of them at the bottom of an empty animal cracker container -- insert toilet paper roll and let Lowgs go crazy shaking/rolling it around

Our paint wasn't yet dry at picture time, but this may be as close to a "finished product" picture as I get :-)

July Randoms

Above :: light vs. dark colors
Below :: 1st drawing described to me by James as "Our Family" -- used the Doodle Bug app on my iTouch (I feel this one is a huge milestone, very proud)!

Practicing those fine motor skills with some stacking at school

Daddy making a James burrito with my yoga mat -- James thought it was a riot!

Trying to get a picture of him and Brother -- of course, kept missing the extra cute photo ops. I think I was about 34 weeks pregnant here.

"No pictures, Mommy"

Playing around with Dad

Drawing of Our Family

James was using the DoodleBug app on my iTouch and this is what he described as "Daddy, Mommy, James" :-) His first drawing of our family!

Apron Art

Enjoying some art time at home with Mom
He had missed making an apron at school, so his teacher let us borrow the fabric paint to make one...gotta give his teachers credit, it was not easy to set up, coordinate so as not to have a huge mess, and then clean up with him running around -- and they have more 2-year olds running around at once! He used his fingers and then a popsicle stick to decorate.

I got out the hose to clean up afterwards and James loved it...so much so that he was soaking wet and screaming when I made him put it away to go eat lunch :-) He even accidentally sprayed himself on the head a few times and didn't freak out -- Easton got to cool off, too!

"Easton! Hug!" Very demanding hug giver

School Randoms

James loves the house on the playground -- he's always "I cookin' "

Superheroes Mommy and James showing off some of his scratch-off art work

Future tree huggers of America (Corey will be so proud) :-)Good idea of James' hand print at just over 2 years old -- I'm happy he is willing to get dirty now and enjoy more of the art projects :-)

James is really perfecting those circles! He holds a crayon the "right" way that will lead to future writing skills and is helping with his above-average fine motor skills (i.e. he insists all the blocks must be straight while building a tower, whereas most of his age will build the tower but just let it fall when it goes off balance....a future engineer? Daddy and Pops will be proud)!
During a "farm" themed week at school, the kids enjoyed painting with corn on the cob -- how fun?!?!?!

More Toddler Room Art Work

We got some of James' old art work back as he has transitioned to the Young Preschool room. Kind of fun to see him hard at work almost 8 months ago!
Look at how good he's gotten at drawing lines -- and in both directions!

JoJo had to be behind this art project -- Go Team Canada as she would say

Month 23 Pics

Playing quietly in his new playroom -- we moved the dining room into the living room since we really never used either of them

Much messier eater this time -- insisted on feeding himself his mac'n'cheese

Speaking of cheese -- James eating it for breakfast

"Mommy, picture!"

Valentine's Day art work

First time eating cereal w/ milk in it -- stole my Special K w/ strawberries -- "James try, James TRY!" Why couldn't he like cheap cereal?

Lounging on the chaisse, watching (most likely) Elmo

Transitioning to the Toddler Room

One of James' first art pieces from his new, Toddler classroom! It's his first "self portrait." He started transitioning 2 weeks ago and officially moved up to the new room last Friday, April 30. Usually it's a slow transition process, but he was so darn excited to be playing with his old friends he just stayed all day :-) They moved him up a bit earlier then usual but he was more than ready and being a little stinker by pounding on the babies cribs when they were sleeping!
He took Daddy's Blackhawks hat and did some laps around the kitchen to celebrate a win!

He loves to make the toy make noise by making baskets. And he did like to hit the baseball, but Easton just ruined that by chewing on the bat so we had to recycle it :-( Boo, poor puppy must be bored (although I was just throwing his squeaky toy about 20 seconds before he started on the bat).

Exploring, Playing, Growing and Just Plain Being Cute

James has had a lot of fun playing with all his new toys since his Birthday (well, the ones Jim has put together anyway). He's also been working on his creative side at school with a lot of art projects using different mediums. He has painted using swatters with different shapes on the ends, played with Goop (cornstarch and water in a baggie -- it changes from liquid to solid and back again when played with, Ms. S was very excited to show them the Goop), used plastic shapes to play in Cool Whip (Ms. T's big project for the week) and painted with brushes of different shapes/sizes. For some reason, James is always the kid with the most paint/whip on his face -- hopefully he doesn't turn into a glue eater also! Yesterday was Multi-Cultural Day at school -- his classroom did a poster on Poland. They had pictures of all the kids taste testing boiled pierogies and kolaches -- the faces they all made were hilarious! Each child also got to hand paint a section of the flag for the poster -- James had a red section -- of course, it was all over his face in the picture (his one teacher says that means he's getting ready to go to Toddlers because that's what they all do -- eat everything -- good thing they discovered how to make non-toxic paint or James would never get to do art projects)! At school and home, we've gone on walks to enjoy the nice weather and let James explore the outdoors. At school they put all the kids in the 8-person buggie and walk away -- there's a really cute picture of James passed out in his winter coat on the ride (I only have a hard copy of the pic from school, so I can't share on here). When we go to take him out of the car, he points to the back window -- telling us "hey, that stuff stopped moving out there!" (well, at least that's what we think the message is relaying -- it could be "get me outta here" too I guess :-) ). He's also become a master at "Uh-Oh" -- his 1st official phrase that he definitely knows how to use correctly! He will say "uh-oh" and then drop his sippy -- I'm trying to work on the whole concept that intentional dropping is not an "uh-oh," but it's not going too smoothly...he is just too cute saying it though to always correct him :-) Onto the 12-month dr. appointment updates: he weighed in at 19lbs 11 oz (moved up to the 15th %tile) and 29 1/4 inches (moved up to the 40th %tile, woo hoo). We've been weaning him off the formula and onto milk (he's at a 2oz formula to 4oz milk mixture today) and are also trying to phase out the bottle to get him on all sippy cup-action (he does very well on this at school with his friends around him, not as well at home). Everything checked out well -- she's very impressed with his mad walking skillzzzz and he was still nice and congested for her, so she gave us a name of an allergist to take him to see to hopefully get to the bottom of it once and for all. Going along with the sippy cup is to phase out the baby food too, but the Stage 3 foods (a bit more chunky) will do for his really picky days -- he did eat the heck out of a California Turkey Burger and sweet potato with me last night, he ate more than half of the patty and almost 1/2 of the potato -- chunky monkey -- good thing I planned in advance so I got to eat something!
Above :: James loved the book Ms. S made him to remember his Birthday -- he carried around the pictures of his friends all night long (good thing it was laminated)
Below :: cute overalls pic -- he had green on for St. Patrick's Day (that was his first, "2nd" holiday) but the onesie didn't make it long into the day

Working on the sippy cup action (the pic kept flipping, so just tilt your head for the full effect)

His 4-leaf clover painting for St. Patrick's day

James loves getting in and out of his Super Coupe from GG and Pops

Playing with the ball popper from the York's -- he loves to hit the button to start it and then dance as it pops the balls

Taking his pal Scout for a ride

Sleeping in his safari camo -- it was hard to find him this morning :-)