Alayna's Adventures

Today is my baby's THIRD birthday, and I can't hardly believe it.  Time passes so very quickly, yet so slowly too.  I have heard it said that the days are long, but the years short, and that is truly the case.  Lots of long, hard days raising my little Isaiah and yet here we are three years later.  And in those three years, he's grown so very much.  He is funny, silly, intelligent, talkative, inquisitive, and so much more.  He sleeps in a big boy bed, is potty trained, and has a best buddy.  My little man.  I love him so very much.    Happy 3rd Birthday Isaiah!   In April 2010, I wrote the following bit about Isaiah's arrival, and I'm reblogging it here for you today.  It's very funny that things don't change, we had a hard time getting Isaiah to bed tonight too... And without any further ado:  I was having a hard time getting my darling baby boy to bed tonight and I was getting to the end of my patien...

My son loves trains.  He loves to watch trains and trolleys on their tracks.  He loves to build train sets in the living room or on the porch and drive his trains.  He loves to watch Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs at nearly any chance he gets.  He has three different kinds of Thomas engines and tracks and they are *always* in the middle of my floor.  He even has a set of Thomas Pez dispensers that came in a Thomas lunch box, courtesy of Gram E.  He just loves trains.  While it may be close to an obsession, I know that there are other little boys that love trains even more, so I'll classify my son as only mildly obsessed with trains and Thomas.  And I suppose that makes me feel better as a mom, too.   So to feed, or not to feed, my son's mild trains and Thomas the Tank Engine obsession?  I let him watch the Thomas DVDs only half the time he asks, only because I really prefer most other kiddie DVDs to Thomas.  Like, I prefer almost eve...

Confession time.  I'm not going to hold back, so here it it.  I have used the f-word many times in my head lately, especially in the last week.  Many.  And I used it in a text message to my husband.  Eeek.  If you know me, you know that I do not swear with any regularity.  If you knew me a long time ago, you may wonder what the big deal is.  But that's another story for another day.         In reality, it's been more than that.  I have been angry with my son.  Like, wanted to smack him across the face, angry.  I didn't, because I don't think it's right to do, but there were a few times that I really, really wanted to, and had to stop and breathe to avoid doing something stupid.  I have screamed at my children.  Like, I wonder if the neighbors have concerns about what is going on, screamed.    I almost always apologize, but that's hardly the best way to conduct myself when they dr...

What do most people know about the Carnegie Science Center?  It's a great place to learn about science stuff for kids and adults alike.  It has a bunch of cool exhibits... about science.  It's open almost every day of the year to see science and stuff.  It's on the North Shore by Heinz Field.  Oh and they have sciencey stuff. But is that all there is to know about the Carnegie Science Center?  Not at all!  There are so many special events hosted throughout the year, and it's in your best interests to keep up to date on these awesome opportunities!!  You can even host your own special events for a wide variety of needs whether it's a corporate business meeting or a birthday party !  So what are some of these events that you can attend?  Well, let me give some examples to whet your appetite for all things sciencey and awesome!  And make sure you bookmark the Carnegie Science Center website and Carnegie Science Center Facebook...

Broken crayons...  I think anyone who owns a box of crayons, also owns broken ones.  I like to keep things in order, nice and neat, and if it were up to me, the crayons would always be in color family order in the big box of 64 Crayola crayons with the mini sharpener on the back.  But apparently, I had to lay my desire for nice and neat aside, because I have a two year old.  He doesn't feel the same way that I do about crayons, so they are busted and beat up in an old plastic Huggies wipes container.  With broken ones comprising at least a quarter of the bin.  The trouble with broken ones is that I now have an 8 month old...  Who crawls... Everywhere.  So now, I have to worry about tiny crayon bits looking like food to her.  One more choking hazard on the floor.  What to do, what to do?!? I'll tell you...  I made cute crayon rounds from our broken bits.  Here is my fun photo tutorial for what to do to recycle broken crayon...

Fireworks.  What is more American than fireworks?  I would contend that there isn't much...  So what does every true red, white, and blue American do on the Fourth of July??  Watch fireworks, of course! This Fourth of July, we watched the city of Pittsburgh's fireworks show from the North Shore on the lawn of the Carnegie Science Center.  And honestly, it was probably my favorite location for fireworks yet!!  Next year, it's a destination that you should seriously consider, and here is why.   1.  Ahhhhh mazing view!   Seriously, it was one of the best vantage points that I have experienced for the downtown Pittsburgh fireworks display.  I have watched the fireworks from two different locations in Point State Park and a location near Station Square, and all of those locations were good.  BUT the Carnegie Science Center lawn was amazing, because the Pittsburgh skyline was the backdrop for the fireworks display, which made pic...

Educational day-long outings with little ones can be quite the experience, to put it kindly.  Most moms would rather stay home than deal with all of the tears, puke, tantrums, poop, lost toys, and lost patience that an outing with littles can produce.  Yet, I seem to keep going on outings with my littles, often taking along my best friend Jamie and her littles.  We amount to two moms and four littles under the age of four.  We must be extra loving, extra graceful mommas who just want their littles to flourish - or suckers for punishment.  I'll let you decide!   On this particular outing to the Carnegie Science Center (CSC) in February of this year, we were two moms and four littles under the age of three.  It was a little insane and a little trying at times, including wet clothes, lost children, and lots of potty breaks, but let me encourage moms of littles out there, you too can take your babes to the Carnegie Science Center, and have a blast!...