Hot Hot Lava!

Poppy and Mammaw gave Mason a Childrens Encyclopedia for Christmas this year and it has a whole section beginning on page 61 about "Our Violent Earth" Thats where Mason first really learned about the "hot hot lava" Our neighbors down the street have a 2 year old little boy who came over to play one day and Mason was telling him all about volcanoes ....well...Corbin brought a volcano he made at preschool home with him and he invited Mason to come over to watch the eruption! How cute that kids remember things and think of others (or maybe his mom reminded him, either way, a very cute invite for Mason) Ever since then Mason has been wanting to make a volcano of our own. But he asked if we could make it bigger than Corbin's volcano, which consisted of one little plastic cup with some foil around it. So I asked him what we could do to make it bigger and he said let me get my chalkboard and draw it for you (its the little board right there on the table) He began, very seriously, drawing and mumbling to himself while scribbling harder and harder and then he said, " how bout we use 3 cups" so I said okay and our volcano was underway!

Of course he knew I'd have the camera out but he made me laugh out loud with this particular picture...he wanted to pose for it he said, "Okay mommy you take my picture when I'm ready" So I waited, expecting a big cheese smile, you know the kind where Mason is smiling so big that his eyes are shut tight,...I waited and waited and he was frozen in this pose then I realised that he wasn't painting the volcano, that he was pretending to paint to capture the moment! Once I snapped the shot he said, "Okay mommy, let me see that one"...LOL

Micah was there all along too...just watching on the table in his bumbo...Mason really wanted to touch him with his painted fingers and I did consider stripping Micah down to his diaper and allowing him to finger paint too to help with this family project but it was too close to his nap time...sorry Micah.

Here we are in the bathroom the volcano erupted in the bathtub (which, was a nice way to clean the tub ...baking soda and vinegar) The eruption wasn't too grand we didn't really have to evacuate but later in the evening while Mason and I were hiding our eyes while daddy hid for hide and seek Mason leaned over to me and whispered, "Hey mommy, I really had fun doing the volcano"...aww...sigh...he has my heart erupting!

KISSES

Micah is full of hugs and kisses...he grabs my face with his cold, wet, and sometimes sharp fingers opens his mouth, smiles with his eyes and with all he has in him he kisses and hugs...its the most adorable thing and wonderful feeling ever! And it stays with you because he leaves behind so much drool and scratches on your cheeks and neck...I love it!

Wanna Ride on My Ship?

So Mason is on and off with playing with his toys he'd much rather simply look around the house for anything he is allowed to use and create something. For a while he was always wanting to wear his Buz Light Year PJ's that he got from Poppy and Mam Maw for Christmas. These are no ordinary pajamas, according to Mason, the screen printed buttons all have different functions and his favorite button is the "fly button" when he pushes it he says "uh somethings growing" as he raises his arms out to the side all the while some lime green netting that is attached to the sleeve and sides of the pajamas is now seen and they form wings so he can then push the "Fly button" and take off...he then instructs that as he flys by you are supposed to say to whomever is in the room "_____ whats that zoom? Did you see that zoom?" So in the evening and mornings when he has those PJ's on he pretends he is "a superhero with wings"coming to your rescue...which has been wonderful because his super hero skills have included things like getting a diaper, pacifier, toy or simply talking to Micah or he'd also pick up trash, take things to the sink, clean up... while he still enjoys to be a super hero, his newest joy and satisfaction in playing is in the form of building. Not your typical building with blocks, Lincoln logs, Lego's (which we have plenty of in his room and the bonus room)...no... Masons building requires the use of our 4 throw blankets that I keep rolled up in a basket by the couch, our two large floor throw pillows, three blankets from his bed, three pillows from his bed, 4 step stools (yes I have lots of step stools...remember I'm short) and sometimes he uses Micah's little ocean gym and little bouncy seat. You can see the wheels turn in his head as he invisions his masterpiece. Its more than simply blankets, pillows and steps stools its a ship with rooms that have made up names like "haplash, careifshish" and sometimes the rooms turn into swimming pools that are hot or warm or ice cold. Some of the rooms you must hurry to get to so that you can be protected from the dragon, while another room keeps you safe from the hot lava and still another allows you to transform the ship into a rocket that takes you to outer space and the moon. He is the captain and everyone else must follow his lead! And whatever you do DO NOT step off of the ship or you will sink into the deep deep water...however if there is an emergency like Micha's diaper needing to be changed or dinner needing to be cooked then Captain Mason can give you special shoes to walk on the deep deep water, a special suit to protect you from the hot hot lava and a cannon ball to throw at any dragons or pirates that might try to get you. So, if you come to my house at any given day you will see this ship sometimes its in the living room, sometimes the hall, sometimes it can cover almost every piece of carpet upstairs. At times I've thought, "should I really let him be dragging out the blankets all the time and then I think...why not?" I like the ship, I have fun on the ship and the most wonderful thing is that as long as he is on his ship he is safe. I hope and pray that he always feels safe to explore, create, pretend, and imagine. I hope that the many journeys in his life and the attacks of 'dragons' or 'water to sink in' or 'lava to burn in' that he will always have a way 'out' a way to be safe, a way to overcome and I hope he always wants me to help him so yes Mason I wanna ride on your ship!

Tooo Long

Okay so its been like 6 months since I've made a new blog entry...in my defense I have had just a little going on bringing a new human into the world on Halloween...but come on...6 months to get back to blogging? And really, how long does it take to enter a new post?? Shame on me, now I've missed all the entries about Micah Christopher Haynes from the story of my labor 2 weeks early with the break of my water, the delivery...all 6lbs 10oz of it, bringing Micah home, big brother Masons awesome adjustment, his first time at the gym nursery, going back to work, his first time at church nursery, how cute he was all swaddled to sleep, me stopping work, his bellybutton falling off, his first bath, his first outing, the updates on his growth from the pediatrician, his diagnosis of torticollis, his amazing grins and giggles, his recovery of torticollis, unswaddleing, finding his hands, sleeping through the night, his first foods, rolling over, finding his toes, all the similarities and differences between he and Mason... obviously the list goes on and on...there's just too much to go back and cover so...sigh...I guess I'll just have to start from here.

I love this kid so much! He has to be the happiest baby ever...really, I'm not just saying that because hes 1/2 me and I'm pretty happy all the time...he really has been laughing out loud and smiling for well over 3/4s of his life! He is such an awesome addition to make our family of 3 a more comeplete family of 4!