Family Musings

I feel like we hardly stopped this week. We did something neat and fun every day! Monday . Would you believe that we have done so much this week that I can't remember where we went this Monday? I know we did something that morning, but it is escaping me. My excuse - baby brain . I guess I need to start this post at the beginning of the week and add to it daily. Tuesday we visited a new park with our playgroup. It was further away than expected so we got there kind of late, but so did our friend Jackie and her son Cayman. But that was alright because we just stayed later and played longer. We also got to vote on Tuesday. Wednesday was the Kindermusik preview class at the Lake Morton Library. Charlotte did not like sitting in my lap while we sang. I was worried about that, but the teacher, Debbie Mondale, made us feel at ease about her wandering. In the end though, I decided to not join Kindermusik this Fall because I am feeling a bit overscheduled... and I don't want to be one o...

I have several little bits of information to share... Enjoy clicking! ******************************* I was in the Ledger back in April and didn't even know it! No pictures, but I am quoted at the very end. ******************************* I have entered a picture of Charlotte into an amateur photo contest . Would you head over and vote for her as the cutest baby? ****************************** Do you have kids that love to build? K'nex is holding it annual contest to find the most ingenious kids out there. Their will be 3 winners in 3 different age categories, each winning $10,000 for college. Plus, another 7 semi-finalists will be chosen. Boys and girls in the following age categories are invited to enter - 5 to 6-year-olds; 7 to 8-year-olds; and, 9 to 12-year-olds. The prizes are too numerous to list here, so go over to the K'nex website to learn more and enter your budding architect! You can even browse other K'nex creations for some inspiration. The picture to the ...

Yesterday, there was another round of elections in FL. These were mostly local positions we were voting on, but we still went. Remember, all politics is local, right? We took Charlotte with us to vote and this is actually her second polling experience. I posted about her first voting experience here . I know she won't remember these, but by blogging about it, I hope she realizes how important voting is to a healthy democracy. Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com ***************** My new friend Andrea has 2 giveaways on her blog that you should go check out - Little Fit & Boon Bath Toys . Also, I am a featured blogger this week at NewBaby.com . Click over and check it out. This site isn't just for new moms though, but for anyone with kids. NewBaby features content specifically targeted to expectant moms, all the way up to kids who are 4 years old.

I host giveaways and contests because I think it is fun to share new products and books with my readers and because I hope it builds reader loyalty. Since I anticipate that giveaways will become a regular feature of Family Musings, I decided to outline a clear giveaway policy. There is no limit to the number of times you may win. I won't prevent you from winning just because you've won before. Sometimes I will use a random number generator or choose a winner and sometimes I will choose based on other criteria. I will always tell you in the contest announcement which one it will be. You do not need a blog to win, but you have to leave some way for me to contact you. Winners will be contacted via e-mail or in a comment on their blog and if they do not respond within 72 hours, the prize will go to another commenter, whom I will choose based on whichever criteria I care for a the moment. Each entry should be left as a separate comment. That means one comment for your first entry, 1...

This giveaway is now closed. The winner has been contacted. My baby girl LOVES yogurt. I try to give her some every morning to go with her fruit and cheerios. I started out buying the Stonyfield Farms yogurt because I wanted to avoid a ton of extra sugar. I have been slowly trying to phase high fructose corn syrup out of our diets and would like to keep it out of Charlotte's from the very beginning. Honestly, I just bought the Stonyfield because I assumed it was the healthiest choice. However, when I was offered a chance to try Yoplait Kids yogurt for free, my frugal self just couldn't pass up the opportunity. I found out that Yoplait Kids uses no artificial sweeteners or flavors, plus it has "25% less sugar than the leading kid's yogurt." (I wasn't able to verify that statement, but it came with the marketing materials for the prize pack.) This morning, Charlotte tried the Banana Yoplait Kids yogurt and really liked it. She even let me feed her almost the ent...

Have you ever had one of those days when you felt like a complete failure? You know, nothing seems to go right, no matter how hard you try? Ever had one of those weeks? Yeah, me too. I recently had a day like that and at the end of it, all I could do is cry. I knew deep in my hard that my problems that day had been caused by my prideful heart. I didn't want to repent. I didn't want to ask for forgiveness. I wanted so badly to be right, for the people I had wronged to come to me and accept responsibility for my actions towards them. You know what? It didn't happen. You know why? Because I was the one that was wrong. Did they have their own sin? Possibly. But it wasn't for me to deal with or confront. I had to look into my mirror and suck it up and own up to my negative attitude, my unkind words, and my hasty reactions. I had planned to meditate on John 3.17 this week. The church we have been attending has used this as their adult memory verse for the month so I've be...

This week we had a blast! Charlotte and I went to the gymnastics studio again , only this time I remembered the camera! And, then I figured out how to use One True Media to edit the videos so I could share this with you: Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com We also had fun visiting Explorations V, a children's museum in downtown Lakeland. Charlotte finally got to paint! They do art projects on Fridays and this week was foam painting. She didn't eat too much of it, and got cranky when I took the paint brushes from her, but I think we might have a budding artist on our hands. I didn't think to take my camera with me, so this photo of her painting will have to do. I will confess that I made the purple moon and the red C. The rest though, was all Charlotte. She even mixed the blue and yellow paint to make the green. I was impressed with how easily she cleaned up too. The paint was made with glue, shaving cream, and tempera paint and came off her face with just a wipe ...

I have been posing here kind of randomly since April 2007. In the beginning, I was pretty inconsistent with my posts, but now, a day rarely goes by without me sharing something with you. It is wonderful to me to be able to share with you and then receive feedback from you. As it stands now, I have a gazillion post ideas floating around in my head all of the time. Apart from trying to remember all of them, I thought it would be beneficial to you, my lovely and endearing readings, to come up with some sort of schedule for sharing my stories , pictures , reviews , and giveaways . This, of course, is tentative, and subject to change based on my whims and fancies. Sunday - I'm taking the day off from posting. Go and do likewise. Spend some time with your family or in quiet solitude. Monday - I'll share my take on different portions of scripture. It's called Monday Meditations . I will begin going through Lies Women Believe on September 8th. Why not get a copy and join me? Tuesd...

This is Charlotte the first week she was home. Her head was still a little cone-shaped . During her 2nd month at home, we got to have dinner out at Chili's. I don't think she was thrilled about their babyback ribs! By month 3 she was loving her bath time . I particularly like the inquisitive look on her face. Books. Lots of books. At 4 months old, she began reading on her own. Okay, I'm kidding, but it sure looks like she is reading in this pic doesn't it? By month 5, Charlotte had been to Bok Tower too many times to count. And I always took too many pictures of her! Here's another restaurant picture.This time, in month 6, we are in our fancy Chico chair at the not so fancy Pizza Box. Another Bok Tower picture. This is Charlotte in her Easter dress, during month 7. Not only had she become a clothes horse by month 8, she also learned to love bags. On the move, crawling all over everything in month 9, she claimed this shelf as her own. In month 10, she then claimed ...

This giveaway is now closed. Winners have been contacted. It's that time of year again. Students where I live went back to school this Monday and now have their lives scheduled for the next 9 months. Family vacations are dictated by school calendars. Parents have to get lunches packed daily. School uniforms have to be washed and ironed. Boy am I glad I only have 1 big kid to pack lunches for. He is happy with leftovers and irons his own clothes! Now though, I really am home alone with Charlotte all day. We've found lots of things to occupy our time - playgroups , new birthday toys , red balls , you get the idea. Our schedule is actually pretty full. Between that and Charlotte being too young for some things, I have a big giveaway this week. I received my virtual swag box from BlogHER, courtesy of BSM Media and can't use all of the goodies they sent me. So, here is what you can win this week: Disney Moms Panel Mouse Pad, Kung-Fu Panda Activity CD (plus an extra for you to...

I have made many new friends since I started blogging in April 2007. One of my more recent friends, Esme's mommy , honored me with the Share the Magic award last week . RDH Mom , the creator of this award, says, "It is lovingly called the "Share the Magic Award". It is for sharing your magic in the world of blogging. I have met some incredible people since I have started blogging. I think of you as my friends and liken you a pen pal. I have met bloggers from all over the world, from as far away as Australia to as close as a nearby city.... We share our lives, our hopes, our dreams, and our most embarrassing moments. I don't know how I stumbled upon my first blog, or why I got the notion to start one of my own. I have unleashed a passion for writing that I never knew I had. Because of the encouragement you give me with your comments, I am nurturing this passion, and loving every minute of it. That is the Magic of Blogging.....and for that reason I am bestowing th...

Last week, I started making a more deliberate effort to "teach" Charlotte. It isn't anything formal, I mean, she's only been 1 for a week! But I needed something to focus my energies and this site , shared with me by an old friend, helped. Each 2-week lesson includes a Bible verse to recite for Charlotte. I don't expect she will learn too much from this right now, but as I mentioned previously , it is my job to be an example to her. The verse I meditated on last week, and will again spend time considering this coming week is Proverbs 1.5. "A wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance." There are lots of things that I am good at. I can cook a pretty tender chicken, changing a diaper is no problem (now), and I'm pretty good at keeping up my e-mail correspondence. One thing however, that I am very NOT good at is listening. Ask my dad. We can be talking on the phone and all of a sudden he'll ask me if I...

Newsflash: My guest post on pedicures is up at Chic Critique today. Remember, if you love me, or even like me, head over and leave a comment.

I hadn't mentioned it yet, but we found a playgroup! Yeah! Charlotte and I have met several fun moms and kids. We've enjoyed going to playdates at a few new to us places around Lakeland. This past week, we went to play in the pool of one of the moms. It was neat to see how all of the babies (9 months - 19 months) play differently in the pool. Some of the babies were very brave and wanted to be let loose in the water. Their moms however, wisely kept them close. My baby liked to hang out in her hippo float and didn't mind just watching and taking in all that was going on around her. I am only showing pictures of Charlotte since I never asked permission from the other moms to share pics of their kids. And I don't have any of the pool because pools and digital cameras don't mix. This first image is my favorite from the day. Charlotte is peering around her stroller to watch some of the older kids playing around the pool. I love the look of curiosity in her eyes. Her firs...

Charlotte got into the Olympic spirit Friday morning while wearing her 5 Fuwas shirt that a friend in China sent us (not the friend that I linked to, another one). Which Olympic sport do you think Charlotte should play? Basketball? How about Shot Put? Hmm... maybe not. Or should our little girl be a track star? As for me: You Are Gymnastics You are agile, expressive, and precise. You have the drive to practice until you get something perfectly right. And you have the confidence to perform difficult moves when under pressure. What Olympic Sport Are You?

Bruce has allergies. And sometimes I do too. We take the generic Claritin that I buy super cheap at Sam's Club using my parent's membership. (Is that too cheap?) Bruce also likes to travel . Wouldn't it be nice for him to know what to expect allergy-wise as he made his trips? Well, now he can. Zagat Survey, of travel-guide fame, has teamed up with GlaxoSmithKline, have created a new resource for travelers called Out & About with Allergies: An Insider's Guide to Enjoying the City . This is a free (see why my frugal self likes this?) guide that features restaurants and attractions in 20 different cities. " Each destination is reviewed in the unique Zagat style, featuring input from people who have actually been there. The guide also includes simple tips that can make spending time in the fresh air easier for adults and children with nasal allergies." You can sign up for your own free copy by clicking this link . If you complete the optional survey afterwards...

Charlotte's 1st birthday pictures were taken a week ago today. If you want to view them, you'll have to click this link. This one is my favorite. Which one did you like best?

I want to share some websites with you that were generous enough to choose me as their giveaway winner. Some of these were recent giveaways, and some happened a while ago. And, if you make it all the way to the end of my short list, there are some pictures of Charlotte. Don't Give Him Crackers! - I won a $10 CVS gift card plus a TON of coupons from Jessica. Her site is funny and refreshing as she shares tales of her red-headed toddler. Gotcha Baby - I won a Hallmark Keepsake ornament from Michelle. She has a cool relationship with Hallmark since her husband won a dance contest that they sponsored. I didn't understand it until I read about it too. Living to the Hilt - I won 3 books about Africa from this cool lady, who, according to her profile loves "books, British detective movies, opera, NPR, cooking, orphans, not-so-big living, raising chickens, dark chocolate, sewing, social justice, sweet wines, simple living, aprons, thoughtful music, locally-grown food, flowers, ...

Now that Charlotte is all of one years old, she thinks she is grown. First, she slept from 7 pm until 3 am Sunday night. That has NEVER happened! Then, she woke up this morning and decided to hang out on the couch and watch a little TV.

I received a box of goodies last week from BSM Media as part of their Virtual Swag Bag from BlogHer. When I opened my Fedex box and dug through the packaging, I found 2 limp bags of melted Raisinets. First thought - Ew. Second thought - Who sends chocolate in the mail to FL?! Third thought - I bet I could put these in the fridge and they would all better again in a couple of days. Guess what? I was right! I ate one bag yesterday and one bag today... now I think I am in love with Raisinets. Blurry photo courtesy of Flickr . Oh, and Raisinets is spelled with only 1 T and no E at the end.

You are 31 years old today! And to prove you aren't an old man yet, I thought I'd share a couple of recent pictures of you being extra silly. Don't hate me... :) Playing with Charlotte's new tunnel. Trying to get a smiley picture out of Charlotte. Hamming it up for the camera. Birthday image courtesy of Photobucket .

Jennifer has let me be a guest blogger today. Thanks Jenn! I am a home schooling mom of 3 kids and have come across two products I would like to review for you. I subscribe to The Old Schoolhouse magazine. This is a home schooling magazine. They have developed a planner with a wealth of forms and ideas for keeping a busy mom (home schooling or not) on top of her game. There are calendars, topic ideas and recipes for every month of the year. There are home schooling forms for record keeping and planning. There is a section for household forms for grocery shopping, babysitting, vacation planning, and anything else you need for running a smooth household. The best thing I like about the planner is that it is written in Adobe and you can customize the pages to fit your needs better. You can also save what you have done. The graphics are great and this is something I know that I will enjoy using this entire year. The other product I would like to review for you is the digital versi...

She knows 2 signs - "all done" and "hug." As her Daddy mentioned , she made up the sign for hug herself. She can put herself to sleep at night now, though still likes a little attention every 3-4 hours at night. Crawling is only used if something is almost in arm's reach or she is tired. Otherwise, Charlotte is on her feet running back and forth between Mommy and Daddy. The ring stacker is no challenge for her, but putting them on in size order is. Every time she plays with it, she always, without fail, waits to but the rounded, unpainted piece on top, right where it belongs. Ring Toy from Jennifer S on Vimeo . She climbs the stairs faster than her G-ma. When it comes to playing with her shape sorter, she can get all of the shapes in their holes, if we show her the right hole. Charlotte doesn't like to be fed. She especially exerts her budding independence at the table, only wanting to eat foods she can put in her mouth herself. Her favorite foods are ...

I am not sure that any other baby has ever had almost 500 pictures taken of her on a single day - until last Saturday. There were 4 different people taking pictures at her party. I had my work cut out for me in choosing the best to present to you. The Gifts The Food (including the cake) (Click here for the before pictures of the cakes.) Is 15 pictures too many? I hope it didn't take your page too long to load. :) If I get a chance, I might share some video later this week too.