23 Steps

For my college friends (AKA The Core 4 and Kers), some of whom lurk obsessively but never comment, some of whom maybe sometimes remember to check my blog but never comment, and some of whom never check it because they aren't as obsessed with blogs as I am, I named this post for you. Remember 23 Steps on Franklin Street? I think we spent several fun nights there, probably studying while drinking hot chocolate. (I'm not sure if The Core 4 and Kers' parents read my blog :)

Now for the real reason for this post:

Kingston took his first steps tonight!!! And his entire family was here to witness it! He walked from me to Nana a few times. Maybe 3-4 steps in a row, unassisted, before he collapsed or fell. We were so proud!! We will practice more tomorrow and I will attempt to get some steps on video. Stay tuned!

Granted, it probably didn't add up to a total of 23 steps, but give me credit for some creative titling, anyway, please. If you don't, it's just because you're jealous that you never went to 23 Steps. So there. My kid can walk.

Not Me Monday!

I'm jumping right in before I forget the "Not Me"s that I just thought of. If you're new here, I'll explain in a minute!

---I have NOT neglected and/or forgotten to post "Not Me Monday" for the past, say, 10 Mondays. I'm always SO on the ball.

---I have NOT given Kingston unwashed blueberries and strawberries in the grocery store the last 2 times we've been just to keep him quiet and not trying to get out of the cart. Gross. Who would do that? And I have definitely NOT started a new routine for shopping, and now he expects something sweet as soon as we get in the produce department. Good thinking, Mom!

---I would NEVER enjoy a day of working at a wedding expo all day, talking to a bunch of high-strung brides, simply because I got to do it without a toddler hanging on my leg. And my dear husband would NEVER be totally exhausted when I got home after spending the whole day in the house with Kingston. Us moms don't really work very hard. ALL we do is stay at home with a kid all day. That doesn't take ANY energy at all. Why would we be tired at the end of the day?

---I am NOT wondering if my kid will EVER walk.

---I did NOT nearly freak on Kingston yesterday when he dumped the dog's full water bowl over and then crawled through the said water. Did I mention that I wasn't trying to cook dinner at the time and that Nigel was officially "off duty" as soon as I got home? Right.

So those are my Not Me's for this fine Monday. If you don't know, Not Me Monday is "sponsored" by MckMama over on her blog, My Charming Kids. It is tons of fun to let it all out and tell all of my thousands of readers (giggle) what I didn't do this week (but that I might have done if I were to do such things). Go to MCK's and check out what other people didn't do. Or hey, get crazy and leave me a comment and tell me what you didn't do! Take a walk on the wild side! I mean, it is Monday. Go nuts.

Adventures in Self-Feeding

I've been trying to start giving/teaching Kingston a little more independence. Boy, is it messy!Who says you have to eat yogurt with a spoon?

Welcome to the world of self-feeding. Please leave your manners, utensils and washcloths at the door.

At least he's really enjoying himself. Even if it does take 15 minutes just to clean him up. I'm just trying to avoid the 7 year old who needs help feeding himself a bowl of cereal, ya know?

Hold Onto Your Hats!

We've got big news here. Kingston ate raisins for the first time today. And dried peaches. And loved them both.

I've gotten pretty slack about finding good snacks for Kingston, and the old trusty Cheez-It's really weren't cutting it anymore. (Have you ever seen a kid turn down a cheese cracker?! Kingston is offended that I even offer them to him. He dismisses them with a firm shake of his head. And he was never into Cheerios. Seriously?) So while obsessing over perusing MckMama's blog, I noted the picture of Small Fry with her foot on the table and her apparent snack of raisins. Now, Small Fry is a few months older than Kingston, so she may be a bit advanced, but if I remember correctly, she has even fewer than the 6 teeth that Kingston currently has. So if Small Fry can do raisins, so can Kingston. And can he ever! He loved the little nuggets. Much more, I must admit, than his mother does, but probably not as much as his Grandpa. Grandpa will put a raisin on or in anything! Peanut butter and raisins sandwich? Eeeewww! Now, an oatmeal raisin cookie? I'm game!! (And since I have cut out sugar for a little bit, that sounds really, really good right now.)



So having snacks on the brain, Kingston and I headed to Food Lion. After grabbing a few things for dinner (nothing great, not worth posting about) we went for the raisin aisle. The raisins that I fed Kingston this morning were leftovers from over a year ago, so I wanted to get him some freshies that would probably be a little softer and tastier. (Why do I remember when I bought the raisins? Well, because I bought the raisins because of Kingston and what his birth did to my digestive system and bathroom parts, that's why. Sorry. Too much information.) I thought Kingston might like some other versions of dried fruit, and he was starting to get fussy as I looked. I grabbed the first thing I saw. Dried peaches. I pulled one out and realized that they were 1/2 peaches and huge and tough. But I had already opened the bag. I'll admit, I thought for a second about just putting it back on the shelf but I did no such thing. (My mother once ate a peice of candy from the pound candy bins that used to be in Food Lion when I was a kid without paying for it and probably still stresses about it to this day. Do you, Mom? I come by honesty honestly!) Instead, I went for it. I gave him the whole thing. He loved it! And it lasted the entire shopping trip, and the ride home. He couldn't chew it, more gnaw/suck on it. Not until we started walking up the stairs into the house did he cram the whole thing into his mouth (for the first time! I know, I was shocked that he hadn't done it sooner, too!) only to have me fish it out and throw it away. 1 dried peach 1/2. Entertainment for at least 30 minutes. Well worth it.

So now we have 2 new, very healthy snacks added to Kingston's repertoire. I'm so excited! You are, too. Admit it. Now please don't think about my mother any differently. It was one chocolate covered peanut. You've done it before, too. Admit it.

A Word of Advice. . .

Don't chase your 1 year old around the bathroom with the waistband of his pajama bottoms on your head with the striped legs hanging down like long ears. It doesn't go over so hot. Just take my word for it.

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Yet another big day for the Family Haynes. We went to the YMCA this morning and swam in the pool. (Yikes. A bathing suit? In January? Yeah. Yikes. Trust me.) Kingston had a great time. I have to admit that it is a bit tricky to change out of my dripping suit while attempting to make sure the crawling semi-naked baby didn't either crawl into the hallway or crawl into an unsuspecting Y-goer's bathroom or shower stall. More than once I nearly forgot that I was not entirely clothed while chasing Kingston through the locker room. Lucky for me, there's not too much going on in the locker room on a Saturday morning. That is, except for the 2 little 9 year old girls who asked me to help them with a number of things such as pinning the straps of their bathing suits so they wouldn't fall off (to which I heard them whisper "she was really nice" as they went around the corner!) and shutting their lockers tight and untying a knot in their bikini string.

This afternoon we went for a bike ride to the park. It was a bit chilly for a ride but we went for it anyway. Nana and Grandpa met us there for a quick visit on their way to K-Mart.

The boy loves to swing. Is this pure pleasure, or what?!

Climbing, sliding, etc. It was a good time.

Until. . .

Time to leave. 3 big things wrong here. 1. Nana and Grandpa were leaving. 2. K was forced to put on the dreaded helmet. 3. It was cold as all get-out. Kingston was pissed! He cried a good portion of the 5 minute ride home and dropped his pacifier twice. His face was a juicy mess what with the tears, snot and drool, and had to have been freezing by the time we got home. As I was getting his helmet off, my frozen, hard, too-long nails pinched his little neck and the crying started again. Oops. Good times.

Overall, we had another fun day. Man, I can't wait til the spring when the weather warms up and stays warm. That will insure easier bike rides and trips to the park.

Oh, What a Day. . .

. . . and it's only 1:30!

We had pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Kingston and Nigel's favorites, respectively.

At one point, I think the whole thing was in his mouth. Yum.

We all 3 went to Manteo for haircuts. Thanks for Kingston's first haircut, Anna! You are the best!

The finished product. Just a little trim across the front, over the ears and in the back.

Then we met W, S and H at the NC Aquarium. It was Kingston's first time looking at the fish (because when we went to the crazy Halloween night he didn't really get a good look!). He probably would have enjoyed it more if he wasn't about to pass out tired, but he went through the whole thing in his stroller and never wanted to get out, so he must have been at least somewhat entertained!

Help, Mom! The shark is trying to get me!

After the aquarium we had lunch at the Hungry Pelican. Thanks, W, S and H! We had so much fun. Is H still asking if different actions are "no-no's"? Good luck with that one!

I wonder what this afternoon will bring, post-nap? I am planning on cooking something very uninspiring for dinner. I don't want Kingston to start to think we have this much fun all day, every day!!!

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Happy 2009!

Kingston spent the night at Nana and Grandpa's last night and Nigel and I went to our friends, Pete and Brooke's house. We were home by 11:30, for various reasons, and (I) watched the ball drop from the comfort of our bed! It was my kind of New Years' celebration! This morning we went to Will and Sherry's house for their annual New Year's Day Brunch and it was fabulous as usual. So much good food and good friends.



I thought it would be fun to re-cap the year with a few pictures from 2008. Enjoy! I can't believe how much we have all changed in a year! Wait for it. . .

From Kingston 2008

Here's to a happy, healthy and fun '09!