This last week has been full of new adventures, new friends, new beginnings, and new *family members*. This is going to be a full post as well, filling you with tidbits of "stuff" going on around the Lanum household!


Big Boy(s):
Last week Reece began his new adventure in the 2-year-old room with Ms. L! This move has been long-anticipated, but we knew that we were not ready for it. In his new room he'll practice potty-training, eating new foods, making new friends, learn shapes, colors, and numbers! It's also the beginning of more independance! We've noticed a bit more of "self-play" with him, too, even only being in this new room for a week! He crashes cars together, calls on the firemen to "help", and feeds his animals. Every new discovery for him made us sit back in awe of a toddler's brain works!



While we're anxious to start potty-training, we must first get over the hurdle of his "fear" of actually going potty in the potty! He'll sit, and he went one time (we made a HUGE deal of it with dances and a ring pop treat) and has never gone again. Grrrrrr. Ms. L promises to work with us to (hopefully!) get Reece out of diapers before summer. Fingers crossed for that!



Trey also turned 34 this weekend! We were going to go to Sea World again for his birthday, but the weather turned sour so we'll have to save it for another day. We opted instead for a dinner of shrimp-kabobs and Publix carrot cake!

Lastly, I've been feeling this little guy inside of my give me some HUGE reminders that he's in there! Chase (his name!!!!) kicks and punches non-stop whenever I eat fruit or baby carrots (which is pretty often these days, it's all that really sounds good!) I'm over 20 weeks now, halfway there, and love feeling those kicks!


Big Savings:
I've recently started to "coupon" (can that be a verb?!) and I've kind of started to figure it out! By shopping the ads and searching the internet for coupons, as well as modifying our weekly menu to eat off of the ads, we're saving significantly each week and it's kind of fun to see our bill at the grocery store! This week I saved $62 in coupons (our bill would have been "the norm" about $150, and we spent $90!!! I could get used to this!)



Big Bite:
Part of that $90 this week included this rubber alligator that Reece just had to have. In fact, he's so wobbly and rubbery and floppy that it was funny not to get it! For the past 24 hours he's had this thing in his hands, talking to it, feeding it, taking it for rides on the lawnmower, and giving him a bath. The alligator "watches" Reece take bites and sips of things. The alligator even "watched" Reece brush his teeth last night. Don't worry, though, he's a nice alligator and doesn't bite. Unless you're a dog. Then he'll bite you. (Again, soooo funny how their little brains work!)

Last night I caught the alligator hanging around Reece's dinner plate. When I opened his mouth, he had a hot dog and a strawberry shoved in there. Oh my. I got them out before he took a dip in the bubbly tub. No eating while swimming, ya know.

My life is full of surprises, none of which cease to amaze me on a daily basis.