6 months!

Our newbie is growing up...6 months as of last Wednesday! It's been so fun to watch him grow and learn. No matter what else is going on in our lives, Kai's angelic face always melts our hearts and brings a smile.

At six months, Kai is sitting up and standing like a CHAMP! He is lunging into a crawling position from sitting, but has not gotten mechanics down yet. He is eating cereal as of Sunday (we delayed a little on purpose). Kai loves being on dad's shoulders, playing airplane, sitting on your belly as you lay down (so he can look down at you), smiling, giggling, getting tickled, playing with toys, riding in his stroller, and getting carted around in the Ergo. Kai does NOT like not being able to see you at all times, being left to play along too long, being sick, tummy time, or sitting still too long. He is currently on his 3rd cold and it's a nasty one - poor little man!

Here is a preview of his beautiful 6 month photos, courtesy of Sarah at Elaine Bella Photography.

Love is spelled T-I-M-E

...An oft heard quote among our circles. I found this post from The Mother Huddle blog (which I love):

Displayed on a shelf in the entry way of my mother’s home is a book entitled To A Child Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E. I have often thought about that statement and how much truth it holds. It’s easy for us to say “I love you” but those three words, devoid of action and the gift of our quality time, are simply that—just words. As we celebrate this season of sentiment and affection, let us show our littlest valentines just how special they really are.

40 simple ways to show your child love

1. Take them to a movie they want to see.
2. Go on a treasure hunt (collect all the loose change around the house/car) together and then make a trip to the arcade with your findings.
3. Take a long nature walk together, at their pace. Let them lead the conversation.
4. Find qualities about them that you genuinely love, and compliment them in front of others.
5. Frame a photo of the two of you, and display it in their room.
6. Put a few Hershey’s Hugs in one of their coat pockets, and Kisses in the other.
7. Play a game with them.
8. Let them win.
9. Make bath time special. Add lots of bubbles, colored soaps, maybe you could purchase a new tub toy or let them play with things found around the house. I let my kids play with things like colanders and funnels from the kitchen—they love it. Don’t forget to warm the towel!
10. Send them a handmade card in the mail with a coupon to go get ice cream with you.
11. Gather all the home movies that feature them as the “star” and have a movie night complete with popcorn and treats.
12. Using blankets and chairs, or a card table, build a clubhouse together and have a picnic inside.
13. Read “I love you” books together.
14. Let them stay up past their bedtime with you and watch cartoon classics together.
15. Do a chore that is normally reserved for them.
16. Tuck an encouraging note inside their lunchbox.
17. Give them your full attention.
18. Tell them some of the ways they make you happy.
19. Make them laugh.
20. Laugh with them.
21. Make their favorite treat to welcome them home from school with.
22. Show them your joy when they arrive.
23. Ask for hugs and kisses.
24. Listen, and let them make their own decisions whenever possible.
25. Make them a coupon book filled with things they’d enjoy doing, or things they’d like to get out of doing.
26. Take a day off from everything: work, household duties, technology, etc. and focus entirely on them.
27. Cook together.
28. Write them a poem using the initials of their name.
29. Decorate their room for no reason.
30. Create a sign that lavishes them with praise.
31. Kidnap them from school and take them out for lunch.
32. Make home a fun place to be.
33. Make a treasure box from an old shoe box, fill it with “gold” (chocolate coins) and make an official looking treasure map with clues for them to locate the hidden treasure with.
34. Go to the store and let them pick out all the ingredients to make banana splits. Make and eat them together.
35. Wrap up in a warm blanket together and take turns making up stories to tell each other.
36. Make a list of things you love about them and put it on their pillow before bedtime.
37. Talk about what they did in their day at dinnertime.
38. Sit down together and write a list of fun activities to do in a day. Write each idea on small slips of paper, roll up the papers and stick them inside balloons. Blow up all the balloons and then pop one balloon at a time until you’ve completed all the activities.
39. Play back rub/tickle games—ie; Spider crawling up your back…
40. Make a CD with all their favorite tunes and have a dance party.

Fascination behind Mormon Mommy Blogs

Check out this interesting and witty article about why non-Mormon women are followers of Mormon Moms. Excerpt:

"...why, exactly, are these blogs so fascinating to women like us -- secular, childless women who may have never so much as baked a cupcake, let alone reupholstered our own ottomans with thrifted fabric and vintage grosgrain ribbon? ....Well, to use a word that makes me cringe, these blogs are weirdly "uplifting." To read Mormon lifestyle blogs is to peer into a strange and fascinating world where the most fraught issues of modern living -- marriage and child rearing -- appear completely unproblematic. This seems practically subversive to someone like me, weaned on an endless media parade of fretful stories about "work-life balance" and soaring divorce rates and the perils of marrying too young/too old/too whatever."

I must say that my itstowertime blog doesn't come close to these prolific bloggers mentioned, and I don't pretend to have lots of followers. I had high hopes for itstowertime, but life got in the way. Interestingly, I have heard several women in the LDS church almost apologize for not having/not keeping up with a blog. The super-mo bloggers make us feel inferior too! But, I do agree that looking at beautiful crafts and cherishing the family is very fun. I love them too! :)

I'm a Mormon

Oh, how I love these new videos the church put out: http://mormon.org/me/2PGJ-eng
This one reminds me of my eternal love, Aaron.