Silly Singing

We have mad love for Sesame Street these days!!!!!! I'm sure I've mentioned before how much we love Elmo, Big Bird and the gang . . . but it's really getting serious! At the end of a long day of playing with school friends, art and recess, I think Linc enjoys a bit of down time with the Sesame Street characters. During dinner, we watch "Sing Yourself Silly" to relax, have a few laughs, and of course sing! Grumps burned us a DVD from Allyson's old (from when she was 2!) videos. I already knew the words, Lincoln was sold from the get-go, and Kevin has embraced the humor and value. Of course we all have our favorite songs . . . especially Lincoln. When Kermit is helping Don Music come up with the lyrics to "Mary had a Little Lamb", there's no disturbing him. They finally figure it out (and Mary ends up with a bicycle instead of a lamb), and Lincoln raises his arms to conduct the singing of this masterpiece. Without fail, each and every time he does this. It's too funny!

He also does this when they sing the song about the number 7 with the Alligator King. Apparently these are the best ones! I am partial to Elmo's Song, which Lincoln always helps me sing. Thank you Sesame Street for providing laughs and learning, and for not making me feel guilty about letting my kid watch TV.

A note to the Mom's who read this blog: Amazon.com has both "Sing Yourself Silly" and "Elmo's Sing Along Guessing Game" in stock. I promise you won't regret it!!!!!

Book Break

Grumps, Minnie and Ally came to visit for the long weekend, and we've been busy! Playing at the park, blowing bubbles, working on our ball skills, and a bit of shopping occupied the last few days. Grumps and Linc took a break to read a book . . .

I'm not sure what book said, but Lincoln thought it was funny!

Linc has a great time playing in his room. He reads lots of books, rearranges the closet organizer, empties the diaper stacker, and climbs in and out of his chair. What fun!

Future Homerun King

I wasn't kidding when I said Lincoln was already working on his baseball skills . . . batting practice has been going really well. Check out Linc's swing!

Fun at the Food Festival

Another year at the Taste of Addison Food Festival for Lincoln . . . and this year was very different from the last. For starters, he was awake the whole time and enjoyed every minute! He got to sample cheese fries and nachos, and he ran around everywhere!

Here's a picture from last year - sleepy and small!

Here's a picture from this year - hyper and big!

Just because . . .

. . . this is the cutest pic!

Batter Up!

Lincoln and Daddy have a new favorite activity - tee ball! They practice every evening, and Linc's getting pretty good. The bat is a little big, but that doesn't stop anyone! Kevin sets the ball up and gets Lincoln into position then he swings like a pro! Just so you know, Kevin always positions Linc so he'll be right-handed. I'm sure it is very important to focus on that now, and I know it will pay off big time when we get the big MLB contract!

Because we're such baseball nerds, we're watching the Rangers as we're practicing. A little obsessed???? After Linc hits the ball, he chases it with the bat and hits it "golf-style" down the hall. Even better . . . he'll be in the Bigs and on the Tour!

Mommy Phase

(Please excuse the blurriness of this picture.)
This is a VERY frequent event lately . . . Lincoln running to me with a sad face and loud whine. He's definitely in "Mommy Mode" right now. He did so well with the transition to the Toddler Room at school, but there is one side effect: he only wants his Mommy all the time, and I seriously mean all the time. Daddy is on the back burner and often gets his feelings hurt. The only way someone else can hold Linc is if I leave the room! He's so dramatic lately! While I love all the hugs and snuggles, I also want him to not be so clingy. I know this is just a phase, and I'll be complaining soon that he's not interested in me anymore.

Road ( and air) Trip!

Hold on everyone . . . we've got a lot to tell in this post! Lincoln and I travelled to Arkansas on Wednesday for a family weekend. Allyson's high school graduation was the main event, but we had plenty to do other than that. If you're going to travel, do it in style! We caught a plane to Little Rock, and Linc got his own seat. (He only got his own seat because crazy Mommy hogged the entire row!) He enjoyed a little Mickey D's, milk and Sesame Street on the hour ride. He was a total pro on the flight in.

Allyson's softball team made it to the state tournament, so we went to cheer her on. Lincoln clapped as each player was introduced and did lots of clapping as the game went on. Unfortunately, the Lady Hounds didn't win. I can't believe softball is over for Allyson. Well, I'm sure there will be many intramural and league teams chasing after her in college!
Hannah, Allyson, Rachel and Hanah have been playing ball together since they were five. They are all smart, talented, beautiful girls.
After the softball game, we headed back to Newport for Graduation! As Salutatorian, Allyson spoke at the ceremony. Of course she did a wonderful job and spoke about perseverance. I couldn't believe I was watching her graduate. Oh, the tears!

To Allyson: We are so proud of you. You are a great sister, aunt and friend. I love you so much, and I know you'll be successful in college and beyond.

Lincoln was so great on the trip. He had a few meltdowns, but nothing out of the ordinary for a toddler. He's really perfecting the art of the "fit" though. He came home with one additional tooth! (Notice the chewing in the above picture!) Lincoln learned that he likes Auntie's blueberry muffins and Minnie's brownies. He also learned that his Grumps (like his Pops) allow cell phone play. Mommy and Daddy are strict about the cell phones, but apparently grandfathers don't mind! The flight back was much different from the one there. We made it to the back row of the plane so crazy Mommy could ensure the one empty seat on the plane went to Linc. (Seriously, it makes things so much easier with the extra room!) As we taxied out to the runway, the pilot announced that we had to wait due to lightning in the area. Lincoln did NOT like this news and proceeded to completely meltdown! I'm not kidding . . . the flight attendants came running to see what the blood-curdling screams were about. We hung out in the back galley, but singing and patting and shushing had no effect. The flight attendants even took turns holding him and walking him down the aisle to calm him - it didn't work. Finally 23 rounds of the ABC song got him quiet, and I'm not exaggerating! All of a sudden, happy and smiley Lincoln was back. We went back to our seat and snacked and read like nothing had happened! After one hour on the tarmac, we were allowed to take off. What a trip!

Happy Mothers Day!

I wonder who came up with Mothers Day . . . probably a few tired Moms who wanted a little recognition! The longer I'm a Mom, the more I love it! Sure, there's tons to do, remember, decide, plan, and deal with. But there's tons of smiles, giggles, laughs, hugs, kisses and snuggles too. Lincoln was very sweet this Mothers Day. He was (fairly) good at church and (pretty) good at brunch. In his defense, he just wants to play and talk and walk and not be still and quiet!!! He was a little too distracted to eat much at the Hyatt until I discovered the fish sticks. By fish sticks I mean "Macadamia Nut Crusted Butter Fish Fillets", but Lincoln just thought they were fish sticks. Move over Van de Kamps . . . you've got some competition! I managed to sneak a few home in the empty snack container for later! Enjoy the pictures of my cutie.

Happy Mothers Day to my Mom, Kevin's Mom, and all those who "Mother" me . . . I appreciate you and your wisdom more each day.

Bye Bye High Chair!

One more thing that's changing around here . . . Lincoln's no longer using his high chair! The Toddlers sit at a little table for snacks and meals, so we decided to mimic that at our house. The high chair converts to a booster seat, so we strapped it on a chair to give it a try. Lincoln was not too bothered by the change. I'm still in the market for a few good kiddie place mats if anyone has suggestions. I need something that will stick on the glass top and is easy to clean. I know I see them all the time, but can't find anything now!

Having Sesame Street Sing-A-Long videos playing helps keep dinner calm. Kevin and I sing and make Lincoln laugh, and he doesn't get bored or impatient. When the cow comes on, Lincoln always shouts "Moo!" Every single day he amazes me with new things and his ability to adapt. I guess he's ready to be a Toddler!

School News

What a week it's been so far! Lincoln is "transitioning" to the Toddler Room at school . . . each day he spends a bit more time with the big kids until he moves permanently next week. Luckily his besties, James and Liam, are ready to move with him. They've been having all kinds of fun having snacks, playing on the playground and even eating lunch at the big table. Linc cried the first time Ms. Toke dropped him off at the new room, but he's been eager to play every other time. Since we'll be in the big kid room, we couldn't take a baby diaper bag anymore - Linc needed his very own backpack! Daddy showed it to him before school.

Um, it didn't go so well. I don't think Lincoln is ready to carry his own backpack yet!
I learned my lesson and didn't try to make Linc carry his own backpack after that! Check out his excitement when leaving for school this morning.
All smiles . . . ready to get to school and play!

I met one of his new teachers, and I really like her. She's our age, really creative and has lots of arts and crafts in mind. I know Lincoln will be happy with the big kids - wait, I think he is one of the big kids!

More Wedding Pics

Mommy and Daddy all cleaned up.

Maybe we should buy one of these chairs . . . Linc loved playing with it!

What a good looking bunch of guys!
Awwwww . . . so cute!

Wedding Celebration

After months and months of preparations, Samantha and Eric's wedding finally arrived! The day was gorgeous, the ceremony was lovely, and the scene was beautiful. Since Kevin and I were both in the wedding, we thought that kinda meant Lincoln was too. He needed his very own tuxedo just like the guys . . . and he was precious! Of course it was a nightmare trying to get a still shot, and he was too busy to pose when and where I wanted.

Running around! (This is the theme for all of Linc's pictures.)

Pops and Linc did lots of bonding, and he only wanted to walk or be held by Pops.
Daddy and Linc - one of the MANY action shots! Someone was always chasing him to keep him out of trouble.

At one point he was trying to get into the wine stash . . . not until you're 21, Mister!Linc made a few new friends, and I think he wondered why they didn't dress up It wasn't long before he started ripping buttons of his vest!

We waited too late to get pictures with the bride and groom . . . it was almost time for Lincoln to head home for bed, and he wasn't being particularly smiley!

I'm so glad we could be a part of their special day, and I'm so relieved that the weather held, the food was great and the day went off without a hitch.