The Family Learning Factor

I learned today (actually just a few minutes ago) that a friend of a friend recently started a new parenting blog and I’d like to share her with you. It actually comes at a great time because just last week one of my favorite bloggers posted about structured learning at home. The general consensus was that supplemental structured learning was overkill for our babies, but we also want to make sure we are doing what we can to enrich their learning experience in everyday life. I think TheFamily Learning Factor is a good mix from an experienced teacher. Her posts are honest, real, and in my opinion, motivating. Read her first post here. I think she does a good job explaining her philosophy and her purpose for her blog. I haven’t read every single post (give me a break, I got the link about 20 minutes ago!) but I like what I read and I think her enthusiasm is refreshing. I think her posts are a great talking point and could lead to some really great discussions. 

Enjoy!

Lily

My son

My son. I love this little boy more than I can even say. He's such a person and a boy and it makes my head spin to think how fast he is growing. He loves Minecraft and Skylander Giants and he's so smart I can't keep up with him. He gets frustrated like me and deliriously happy like me and has a personality all his own. Those crocs on his feet in this picture? He has worn those shoes pretty much every day for an entire year (and they are still in decent condition...way to go crocs!) He loves those shoes! Even though they are fur lined he wore them all summer. He wouldn't wear flip flops, he didn't want to wear his sneakers. I don't think I could ever look at those crocs and not remember how he, all of sudden, grew up in them. He must have the bathroom door closed now when he goes, and won't change in front of me...or says "Don't look!" if I'm in the room. He's not really a little boy anymore. He's most definitely a child, and he's still just a little peanut, but this boy is only just beginning to show what he is capable of. Sometimes it's hard for me to grasp that he's not just an extension of me. That he's having his own experiences and shaping his own life independent of my own. Sometimes I forget. But then I see him working things through, learning how to understand things from his own perspective. When he's trying to understand something he furrows his brow and goes very quiet and you can almost see the wheels turning in his head. He'll talk with me if I prod but otherwise he just sits with whatever it is he's thinking about. 

His grandma took this picture. I wasn't there and I don't know what was happening or what he was thinking, but I love this. This is so BUD! And his underpants sticking out of his jeans? They kill me. This picture is just so perfect. This child of mine is just so perfect. 

Lily

Piseco 2013

This weekend we went on our annual hike in Piseco! The weather this year did NOT cooperate like it has in years past and therefore most of the pictures I wanted to get weren't possible, but we made do! 

You may remember from last year's post (<--that's a link) that I compared my pictures from the previous year. Yeah, that's going to happen each year now...it's so much fun to see how they grow!

Although our relationship status is much different than last year, we decided to take the kids together, and not just because I'd have no idea how to get up there without him driving. :-) I really want the kids to still have family traditions, even if the other 364 days of the year are spent apart. I want them to have at least one day that they can always look forward to. When I told Babe we'd all be going together she said to me, "That means I get to be with both of you?? At the same time???" And then she did a little gasp and clapped her hands. So adorable and so heartbreaking all at the same time! So yes, this tradition will continue, with both of us going despite our relationship status, until they are teenagers and refuse to be seen with either of us in public. 

Now on to the fun stuff...

We are standing in a cave made by a tree that blew over. It was pretty cool!

Babe has a good smile in this picture but she was NOT happy to be under there with us! Thankfully she's too much of a ham to ruin the shot with a sad face! :-)

Pretty girl!

This is one of the best smiles I've ever gotten out of him!

I don't think his feet touched the ground more than a handful of times. He was hopping from rock to rock like it was his job!

Babe held our hands for most of the hike but a few times she got adventurous and did it all by herself!

Bud...we couldn't keep up with him!

He climbed on every rock possible! No surprise there!

I included this picture because I have no idea why he felt compelled to stand there with his belly pushed out! I love this kid!

Standing on the big rock. (I promise it's there, I just don't have a zoomed out view right now and if I wait this will never get posted!)

Also on the big rock. We were having a good time!

Chair rock...taking up more space than last year!

Big rock

Bud ASKED to take a picture with me. I think that was a first!!

LOVE this picture!

Almost to the top!

What a view...of the fog!

And now a few comparisons...

 Chair rock (last year on left, this year on right)

It was a little hard this year to get the exact same picture because the rock was so wet so neither of them was willing to sit where I wanted them to. But you can still tell they take up more space than last year!

Last year on the left, this year on the right. 

The top one is last year...and what the view is supposed to look like

The bottom is this year and I swear it's the same place!

Lily

Apple Picking

I don't know what's going on with the weather here in Central NY but it has been almost 70 degrees every day and it's October. I will take it!!!! We took advantage this weekend and got a little apple picking done while my mom was up for a visit. I don't think you can ever have a BAD time apple picking! Eating fruit straight off the tree and deep breathing in the fresh air? You just can't go wrong. And I have the pictures to prove it...

She is always up for having her picture taken!

Not Bud though...he HATES IT!...

Even when he gets to hug Nana in the process...

But even he can't hold out in an apple orchard!!

And it helps if he can tease his sister!

She's got this posing thing DOWN!

She was just being silly here but I love how this came out!

  

My kids are getting pretty good with my camera!

Now I get to replace the 3 year old pictures on my desk with some new ones! Yay!

Nothing like an apple straight from the tree!

Perfect, perfect day! 

LOVE THIS!

He had to show us EVERY apple!

I love this picture!

\

Very Serious Business

Three generations

Babe looooves her Nana!

Bud is showing off the two biggest apples of the day!

We really had a wonderful day! After picking we played at the massive play area they had for the kids! A pirate ship, and a slide hill, a hay bale maze, a petting zoo, and all sorts of other fun stuff! This was our first time at this place but you can be sure we'll be going back again!!



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A long time ago I heard/read/possibly made up in my head that there is only so much space on blogger to save your pictures and if you go over your limit you begin to lose the older pictures without notice. With that I started using photobucket to post my pictures but some people have mentioned they can’t always see the pictures (firewalls and such). If anyone has another way they post pictures (besides uploading to blogger and using photobucket) please let me know!!

Lily