Family Musings

Since we live so close to Lakeland, Charlotte and I have started spending a lot of time at the local library. I have found that Charlotte definitely has a preference for some books over others. Here are her, and my, current favorites. Snuggle Puppy Sandra Boynton - This book is a lot of fun to read. It became even more fun when I found a snippet of the song this book belongs too! You and Me, Baby by Lynn Reiser and Penny Gentieu - I love the cadence of this book. The words flow off the tongue and the bright pictures invite Charlotte to interact with the words. Little Monster's Book of Numbers by Frances Thomas and Ross Collins - The main character is so ugly, he is cute. In the first counting book on my list, we go from 10 to 1 using interesting rhyme and bright illustrations. Let's Be Honest by P.K. Hallinan - It is never too early to start helping our children build character. She might not understand everything I read from this book, but it is all going somewhere in her...

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 ...

Inspired by Esme's mommy , I did a google search for "Charlotte Needs" just to find out what she might be needing right now. Here are the top 13 results: Charlotte needs YOU. She needs you to love her and to comment on her mommy's blog. Really, go ahead, leave a comment. :) Charlotte needs volunteers. Maybe she is organizing a big birthday party for her daddy and needs to recruit some help? Charlotte needs repairs. Is she broken? You'd think I would know that! What does she need repaired? Charlotte needs to control fans. Well, she does like to stare at the fans and the lights in the ceiling. And I bet if she could reach them, she'd have fun turning the wall switches on and off. Charlotte needs mass transit, like, now. Yeah, totally dude. Let's ditch the cars and save the earth! Charlotte needs to look beyond banks. Of course, she is storing her treasures up in heaven . Charlotte needs to tell. "Go tell it on the mountain. Over the hills and ever...

I spent so much of my blogging time in May sharing great Mother's Day ideas that I knew it would only be fair to share some noteworthy Father's Day ideas with you. In the interest of full disclosure, I am hoping that my husband, a new father, will hint around and let me know which ones he thinks are the coolest! Birth Keychain - Isn't this precious? And definitely something every father could use. The price is too high, but maybe you could find something similar at Things Remembered? ($99) My Dad, My Hero - Something like this, maybe? Definitely cheaper and you can include a photo of your children while still having something personalized. ($20) Shaving Gift Set - Does your man drown in estrogen at your house? If so, why not get him something that is exceedingly manly? ($88) New Wallet - Are you married to a George Costanza? Then this will help your husband find a little balance in his life. ($33) Baby Carrier - For the attached daddy, why not give him his own super-cool ...

Umm, this week's Thursday Thirteen theme is 'gross.' Since I don't feel like doing a post about gross baby stuff (you know, poop and vomit), I will share with you 13 gift-of-the-month items. (Because, you know, there are 12 months... yeah, the connection to 'gross' is lame, but it's the best I can do with the theme) Fruit of the Month - Probably the most common club. It might give someone you love a chance to try a new or exotic fruit they would not have otherwise purchased. Cheese of the Month - Since cheese goes good with everything this club would be great. Just don't send it to your Aunt Goosey who is lactose-intolerant. Chocolate of the Month - Show me someone who wouldn't like this and I'll show you a crazy person! Coffee of the Month - Great idea for someone who likes to mix it up and is a real coffee connoisseur. (Not me, but maybe my dad) Flower of the Month - Brighten some one's home year-round with a fresh bouquet of flowers. Perfu...

Okay, my family probably thinks I am desperately trying to angle for the BEST Mother's Day present. (See previous gift idea posts here and here .) Really though, I'm not. I just keep coming across fabulous options. These would work well for birthdays too! I received an e-mail in my inbox recently from World Vision about 5 gifts they think would make excellent gifts for moms this year. I agree but decided to expand the list to 13 for this weeks edition of Thursday Thirteen . They are: Hope for sexually exploited girls - If a family sells their daughter into prostitution, it is often done out of desperation. That family needs food or medical care for another member. WV has shelters to take these girls in and rescue them from 12+ sexual encounters a day. ($35) Provide a goat for increased income - If a mom has a goat, then she has the means to feed her family a sustainable product. Then, one day, that goat might have babies that she can sell. ($75) Enroll a girl in school - As an ...

This week we have a themed Thursday Thirteen. I'm going to share with you 13 places I've been and what I liked about each place. Orlando, FL - Umm, this is the vacation capital of the world! There is literally something for everyone. Well, okay... not quite. If you like climbing mountains, then FL isn't for you. We are below sea level and flat as a board. Remember 2004 when we had all of that plywood everywhere? Chicago, IL - Visiting the Field Museum and seeing a baseball game were the highlights of my time there. Oh, and the shopping. There is a LOT of good shopping in down town Chi-town. New York, New York - I've been here a couple of times and need to go back. The energy coming off of the street is amazing. Must do's - Broadway, morning talk show, and breakfast at a diner. Beijing, China -For a completely different experience... wow! And if you like shopping, this place was made for you! The Pearl Market actually sells all kinds of jewelry and silks and miscella...

Since this is my first year as a mother, I thought I would help Charlotte out and make a list of 13 things I would like to receive this year. Momma Bling - Doesn't every mom need a piece of jewelry that proclaims her title? And what better way to receive it than in a Tiffany Blue box? Less Expensive Momma Bling - I've been following Lisa's designs for a while now and she always has an interesting take on expressing emotions. If Tiffany & Co. is too far out of Charlotte's budget, she should check out Lisa's site. Chocolate - What woman wouldn't want a box from Godiva? Quiet Time - Can I have some time to quietly enjoy that box of chocolate? Massage - After endless nights of laying on my side to accommodate Charlotte, my back is not the same. I am too young to feel this old. Pedicure - Does anyone see a theme here? I need some pampering! Sleep - As in, may I please sleep in more than 1 time in a month? Bruce and I have a deal that on Saturday mornings I ge...

Hmmm... I've already done 13 reasons I haven't been posting so I can't do that list again. How about 13 things I love about Charlotte Moon instead?! Her name . Her dimples. She has 2, one one each cheek. Her smile. The way her nose crunches up when she smiles with her eyes (see the last picture). How soft and smooth her baby skin feels, especially after a bath. The large wave-like curl that is growing on the top of her head. How when she first wakes up in the morning she likes to just look around and grab her toes . The smile I get when she first sees me, in the morning, or when I pick her up. The way her hand rests on me while she is nursing. Her laugh . It is infectious! How she snuggles up to me at night and uses my bosom as her pillow. When she melts into the snugly comfort of my arms as she falls asleep. And finally, I love how she now knows what to do when the camera comes out. She just perks right up and flashes a cheeky grin for us! I could go on forever probably, ...

Recently, I realized that there are a lot of blogs that use the word musings in their title. So, for my 3rd edition of Thursday 13, I thought I'd share some of them with you. I only read 1-2 of the most recent posts on each of these and in no way am I endorsing them as having content you will value. Musing Minds Magpie Musings Thailand Musings Middlezone Musings Science Musings Tai Tapu Musings Musing The Musing Mommy The DeafBlind's Musing Random Musings Musings of a Maternal Mind California Musing Musings by Mommy Disclaimer: Linking to these sites doesn't mean I agree with them... they are just here to illustrate that musings are a common theme among bloggers. If I wanted to include posts that had the word musings in them, this list would have to be posted on the Thursday Three-Thousand site! :) Visit Thursday Thirteen for more list goodness.

My blog hasn't even been around a year, but people do go looking for it on occasion. I'm not sure why anyone would want to read my little blog, but they go searching for me (or completely unrelated topics) and these are 13 of the best phrases they use to find me. "jenny sabin and new baby" No one calls me Jenny anymore so this must be someone from waaaayyy back... if that was you, you should have left a comment and said hi! And seeing as you've been back several times using that search phrase, why don't you just save my homepage as a favorite, or add me to you blog reader ? It would be easier than always have to go to the same post . "pottery pictures" "pictures of pottery" This search seemed odd to me since I am not a pottery blog, but it brought someone to my site at least 7 times, and this is where they ended up. I'm proud of my family's artistic endeavors, but I doubt this is what someone was looking for, then again... 7 tim...

That's how long it has been since I posted to this blog. I have some good excuses for not being here in the last week, but you probably don't care. Just know that the threat of having the Barones move in next door was enough to get my keister back to the keyboard! 1. I was visiting my mom last weekend. 2. Then I was taking care of a sick husband. 3. Then the sick husband got pink eye so he couldn't entertain Charlotte. 4. I cut caffeine out of my diet, but Charlotte isn't sleeping more, so we are playing more. 5. We have gone to bed early a few nights this week due to 2 & 4, 6. I get home later now that I go to Curves each day after school. 7. I have to shower after I workout. 8. I couldn't find my camera to post pictures. 9. I was too busy reading these forums . 10. My planning periods were too busy to post a blog. 11. I'm sleeping in later so no time to post in the morning. 12. My baby brain can't remember all of my great post ideas. 13. Did I mention ...

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