1. Longtime love and appreciation for music- Most who have known me for lots of years know I come from a musical family and have enjoyed singing with my Dad and sister Anna for lots of years. Singing is something we grew up doing (in church, at home even on stage locally) and that always brought us closer as a family unit. Music was such an important part of my childhood and what I attribute to helping me get comfortable in front of large audiences at a young age. I know Sam may not grow up loving and appreciating music as much as I did in my childhood, but I do feel it’s important for us to give him as many opportunities as possible to learn and express his creativity in unique ways. Jonathon has also grown up loving and appreciating music (mostly of the 80’s rock variety- HAHA!) and our joint love for music is one of the main things that drew us together in the early days.
2. Sam’s beautiful little “singing” voice- Those who have been around Sam for extended periods know about this sweet voice that come out, especially when he hears music on the car radio or from the TV and when he is “singing himself to sleep” (often heard on the monitor or coming from the back seat of the car). :-)
The class was only about 45 minutes long, just enough time to captivate Sam and keep his attention. The class for babies Sam’s age focuses on encouraging movement through musical nursery rhymes. We began by “warming up” with slower songs that encouraged us to rock, sway, etc. and then got up and on our feet with some faster beats that helped us move (this was Sam’s favorite part). Sam loved playing with the instruments (especially the bells and shakers) and playing with the bubbles and toy ball.
Sam’s teacher Ms. Annette could not stop giggling at Sam’s singing voice throughout the class. None of the other babies in class with us (about 10 of them ranging from 3 months to about 18 months) got into “singing” the way Sam did and I have to say it was SO PRECIOUS! We can’t wait to go back next Saturday morning.
After music class, Sam napped while Mommy ran errands with Grammy and Aunt Anna. I picked up a couple of fun new things for S while out and about:
• “Your Baby Can Read” set- I have heard incredible things about these DVDs and am excited to try them out with Sam. Do I think realistically that he will be saying words like “quadrilateral” in the next couple of months like the babies in the infomercial? Probably not. But, if he’s going to watch DVDs as he grows older we might as well provide him with something educational to enjoy. We are planning to give Sam the set for his first birthday (don’t worry- we won’t be the stuffy parents who only give educational gifts. He will likely get a toy or two, as well. :-))
• A+ Cinnamon All Natural Whole Grain Spelt Sweet Potato Pancakes- As Sam enjoys eating more and more table food, I’m always in search of healthy foods that S will enjoy. He absolutely loves mini waffles and pancakes with fruit for breakfast. He always claps his hands when we say “pancake” (thinks we’re saying patty cake- so cute!). I found these at Fresh Market and thought they would be fun for him to try. The verdict? They smelled delicious while heating (cinnamon- YUM!) and Sam really liked them. I think we have a new winner!
• Organic Frozen Strawberries- Sam’s first time eating them was this weekend and it may have been his last. I even tried mixing them with his all-time favorite, bananas, and he promptly spit out the strawberries and chewed up the banana. Guess Little Man knows what he likes! We may try them again with a little dash of Splenda.
• Old Navy onesies- Sam is quickly growing and is mostly in 12-18 onesies. I found these adorable ones at Old Navy this weekend for $5 each. Love them!
… And I think I also may have to order this one online for obvious reasons.. HA!
Saturday afternoon, we pulled Sam around the neighborhood in his new wagon while walking Ella and Addie. He loved it!
Sunday afternoon, we took Sam out for his first TCBY yogurt on their patio. He LOVED the taste of the No Sugar Added Vanilla (Mom’s choice) and White Chocolate Mousse (Dad’s choice) and was grabbing both of our spoons for bites. Looks like Sam has taken after Mom and Dad and we may have a little frozen yogurt addict on our hands. :-) Sam also enjoyed spending some time blowing bubbles in the backyard with Mommy and Daddy (although he got a little frustrated because he couldn’t hold the wand and dip it himself).
All in all, a fun family weekend with no commitments on the calendar- my favorite kind! I hope we have many more of these weekends in our future.
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