Wow! October starts tomorrow and it is my absolute favorite month of the year! My husband and I were married in October and this year is our five-year anniversary!

Cooler (relative) weather is supposed to reach Florida tomorrow.  I’m so excited because I am hosting a private art show featuring seven local artists at my house! I’ve been busy preparing for a few weeks.  As this is my first show of anything like this I am anxious to see what happens.

A special thank you to the following women who will be participating in tomorrow’s event.

Tina Adkins
Danean Hoenicke Ermentrout
Kate McKuhen
Joni Rollen
Beth Smith
Elizabeth Sullivan

~Life as Mom

As a new stay-at-home mom, I am still getting my feet wet.  I am learning new routines, new sources of frustration and new sources of joy.  Although we don’t have a strict routine established yet, we have ditched the pacy (or shi as Aden called it), and are learning to use the potty.  I think we have a ways to go on that one. 

One of the best toy purchases I have made recently was a bug catching net.  Endless hours of entertainment for a young boy of two! We have already caught spiders, butterflies and lizards!

Unfortunately, my fear of spiders and most bugs doesn’t help in this source of entertainment.  However, I am NOT afraid of lizards and can be of great help to the young champion rescueing whatever lizard he can get his hands on!

~Life as Mom

Aden at Dudley Farm

I have been dusting off the rusty photography skills in contemplation of moonlighting as a photographer next year.  As I have been doing so I have been combing the Internet for photographers that I admire and look to for inspiration. 

I used to work as an event photographer back in the day before digital photography.  Man oh man, have things changed!  Way, way, way back in the day I used to edit pictures by hand with colored pencils!

It occurred to me that perhaps I should share this list as well as my passion!  This particular list is of children’s photographers.

They are all amazing and all have a unique style which is why I study them as I am working towards a style of my own. 

Zena Holloway www.zenaholloway.com
Pure Magic!  I can’t tell you how amazing this photographer is.  You just have to see for yourself!

Footprints Photography www.footprintsphotography.com
I aspire to be this great!

Audrey Woulard in Chicago, modern children’s portraiture www.alwphotography.com
Absolutely Beautiful!

Do you know of any wonderful photographers that you would like to share? I hope to share more as I find them.

Enjoy the eye candy! 

~Life as Mom

It was definitely a race to beat the clock.  Not only did I have to get there quickly, feed my son while there, shop for Valentine’s Day cards and check out the children’s clothing specials, but I was supposed to find myself something gorgeous to wear.

I planned way too much to do in an hour and a half.  Note to self:  When going to mall only plan one thing per trip.

On a side note:  I am always UTTERLY frustrated by the lack of choices in boys clothing.  How is it that boys can only have one rack of clothes and girls can have a whole department?  I’ve talked about this before, but it is still forever frustrating.

Maybe the whole mall trip didn’t go the way I planned because I’m just increasingly frustrated about being four years away from the big four zero.  Ugh!  How could I have gotten this old?  How can I be this old and have a child so young?  I have been seriously evaluating my life now that the big one is within sight.  Have I got a lot of work to do! Ugh.

Speaking of shopping for boys, finally someone is getting the fact that women are photographers!!! I absolutely love this line of photography bags!

This is what I want for my birthday! A very special girly camera bag!

@kellymooreclark is giving away a bag! Go enter to win! http://kellymoorebagblog.com/

~Life as Mom

(DISCLOSURE: This is not a paid advertisement.  This is a contest entry for a Kelly Moore Bag.)

We will be in Lake Mary this weekend and wanted to make a quick trip to Orlando on Sunday.  Downtown Disney is great for this purpose because you don’t have to pay an entrance fee therefore if you can’t stay all day you don’t feel as if you have wasted your money.  You get the Disney experience without the Disney price.  Don’t get me wrong you still spend money!  Who can resist all the wonderful Disney things you can buy since it is just a giant outdoor Disney mall.

As I prepare for the weekend I realize that traveling with Aden will be different than in the past.  Even a trip as recently as our beach trip, Aden wasn’t moving around too much.  Now he is a little crawling motor that can’t be turned off.  How does one prepare for that?

I have my travel strategy planned, a couple of outfits per day, lots of diapers and some toys.  I need to add to that his favorite Baby Einstein movies, the portable DVD player, his favorite spoon, stroller, hats, swimsuits, and what else?  I’ve studied these travel tips and this travel blog, DeliciousBaby.

Everything I have read has said to be prepared.  I have to prepare for him actually being awake while we are driving.  Hmmm, what games can you play with a 10-month old that can’t move?  Peek-a-Boo comes to mind.  I think I’ll bring our puppet too, but Aden has been kinda scared of him lately.  Perhaps bubbles?

How do you entertain a crawling baby in a hotel room?  Why play with toys when he can explore the room.  I hope they have their own pack and plays as we don’t intend to bring ours.

We love traveling and hopefully with a little forethought this and future trips with Aden will go smoothly.

~Life as Mom

I have read the series and enjoyed the delightful imagery immensely.  I love that the movies manage to capture that sense of fantasy even though they leave out tons of details.  I hope to share the stories with Aden when he is old enough.  I hope they will be as timeless as they are ageless.

I have always loved that sense of fantasy that a fantastically written book can give me in another engaging world.

Harry Potter reviews

I was a BIG reader as a kid mostly because I was shy.  Reading led me into worlds where being shy didn’t matter and I could have the adventures I craved.  I hope to inspire Aden to be as big a reader although I don’t want him to be shy and scared of real life’s adventures.

For serious muggles

Another aspect of the Harry Potter movies has given me is the boy’s point of view.  I had a younger brother growing up but somehow boys always mystified me. What lessons should I take and apply to Aden?  Should I find Aden a Dumbledore figure to wisely guide him through challenges but not interfere with his life?  Do boys really need this older wiser male influence?  Does he need relationships like the Weasley’s can provide? How do I nurture the special talents that will emerge in Aden?  Will he have the same talents as his father? Will he have some of my talents?

Where are they now

We have relatives that won’t watch Harry Potter because of religious views.  Harry Potter is all about witchcraft therefore is of the devil.  It is a shame that such a wonderful story which has renewed interest in reading for millions of children around the globe has to be denied to some children.  If only Cinderella were so benign I wouldn’t argue the point.  It is hard to say how the Harry Potter franchise has influenced children in general.  I know I would love to live in that world, have special talents, meet magical creatures and drink pumpkin juice!

~Fantasy Life of Mom

I try not to get caught up in the toy mania that is Toys R Us.  Believe me I wish we could buy Aden every toy on the market.  Sometimes I feel like I am depriving him of valuable entertainment and possible learning experiences without the latest and greatest toy.  Is that the reality or just the marketing?

Will he be a happy and self-satisfied adult having known he hasn’t had the latest Vtech?  Will he still learn all the things he needs to in order to be a functioning student?  I don’t know, but I do know when the wailing begins these are my go-to toys.

1.  Pool Noodle

As stated in a previous post, the pool noodle is about the best thing going for a young toddler’s confidence.  Aden thinks he is the strongest little man when he lifts it.

2. Wooden spoons

I love wooden spoons.  I wish I had more of them as I like cooking with them.  The feel of a wooden spoon in my hand is different than a plastic or metal spoon.  Somehow I always feel as if the food will taste better if I use a wooden spoon.  Aden has taken over the two wooden spoons that I have and I believe those are his favorite teethers.

3. Activity table

As soon as Aden starting crawling, he started pulling up.  Although this is the more expensive of his toys it is definitely one that is worth getting as he loves it.  When we first brought it home, he stood at it for hours.  He even uses it as a walker since he can push it across the room.

4. Plastic cup from Sonny’s BBQ

On a whim I kept a child’s cup from Sonny’s.  I thought when Aden got older we would need cups.  When he got into the plasticeware cupboard he pulled this out and kept it with him.  It is one of his favorite teethers.  He is always rolling it around chasing after it.  And the great thing is that it washes easily.

5. Balls

Just recently we have put balls into Aden’s toybox.  He has a big one that he can lift with both of his hands.  A bunch of small ones that he can fit in one hand and a medium size squishy one that he loves to bite and carry around in his mouth.  I love that he can fetch now.

6. Keys

What kid doesn’t like keys.

7. Plasticware cabinet

I read somewhere that making one cabinet child-friendly with objects they could pull out will entertain them.  What a brilliant idea.  Aden thinks he is hot stuff because he is getting into something and can throw plastic lids all over.  He likes the fact that he is with me too and can see me when I am in the kitchen.

8. Stuffed giraffe music box

This was a shower gift and a crib staple.  It was the first toy that Aden recognized and was able to put his little arms around.  The long neck of the giraffe has been squeezed a lot.

9. Plastic egg

For Easter I bought some plastic eggs for a $1 thinking that Aden would be into them in a couple of years.  It was love from first egg.  We now have to have an egg with us wherever we go.  I keep them in the diaper bags too.  It is the perfect toy to fit in his little hand.  He feels safe when he is holding his egg.  Best $1 investment ever.

10. Remote controls

Sometimes I think the toy manufacturers make everything colorful and shiny for the parents because everyone knows a baby will head towards the plain black remote everytime.  Without fail.  How is that for product testing?

~Life as Mom

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I say, fall off the bandwagon!  Leaving spring cleaning to the birds!  In fact, open your house up and the birds will come in and do it for you as they need nesting material right now.

Clearly from the articles, the spring cleaning fling is for SAHMs (Stay at Home Moms).  Who else would have a couple of hours a day just to spend clearing countertops of clutter?  My theory is if you are a stay at home mom and you wait till Spring to clear your countertops than you don’t have much going on the rest of the year.  Shouldn’t your home already be clean?  Of course, I am leaving the WAHMs (Work at Home Moms) out of this because having a job a home and being a stay at home with no job are two different things.

I, on the other hand, am a WM (Working Mom).  I don’t have time for two hours a day regular cleaning much less Spring Cleaning.  I use 5 minute strategies.  If that doesn’t work I complain to my husband until he gets it done.  Needless to say, our bathrooms haven’t been cleaned in a couple of months.

So that being the confession, I just need regular housework done, not bone-grinding baseboard cleaning work.  I have to admit sometimes I get the urge to clean the lighting fixtures of all the bugs that accumulate up there but then I think of the time involved and I think, “what will I have to talk to my son about?”  If there are no bugs in the light fixtures how will we be able to relate to each other?

I’m starting an anti-Spring Cleaning movement.  Don’t Spring Clean.  Spend the time outside, track in mud!  Enjoy the wonderful weather before it gets too hot!  Let the clutter build.  Is your mind really that much more clear?  Will the dust bunnies under the bed really keeping you from acheiving lasting peace?

~Life as Mom