What are my son’s favorite books?

Dominic LOVES books. He loves to be read to, he loves to “read” by himself, talk about the pictures, pick out words that he knows. He is ALL about bedtime stories. I’m fortunate if I can get away with 5 stories, usually it is A BUNCH, and I have to re-read them ad nauseam.

Currently, Dom has 3 favorite books that I can personally suggest to anyone with a small child!

1) Just Go To Bed by Mercer Mayer

Just Go To Bed

This is Dominic’s ABSOLUTE favorite. He has it memorized, mimics the daddy’s voice when he tells Little Critter to go to bed, the whole deal. It’s really cute.

I, personally, am pretty warmed that Dom does like the Little Critter books so much, because most of them are at least as old as I am. We used to get these little book order forms from Scholastic at school, and the Little Critter stories were usually super cheap. My little brother and I had them all.

Since he liked this one so much, Santa brought him about a dozen more for Christmas.

Dominic reading Just Go To Bed

2. I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rosettie-Shustak

This one is just really adorable. Back when he was learning them, it was really helpful in teaching his body parts, but it’s really just a sweet story.

I Love You Through and Through

3. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess

A classic, and a bit cliched.

Green Eggs and Ham

What’s funny is that, while he’s generally so-so about the story, he is REALLY excited that there is a goat in it. For some reason, he thinks that the whole dang story is about that goat. In case you’re like “When was there a goat in Green Eggs and Ham?” like I was when he was calling it “The Goat Book,” here is the star of the show.

Would you, could you, with a goat?

Apparently, my son loves goats. So completely random. He even got to feed one a couple days before Christmas.

Babies who stare at goats

Coming back from the conversation about goats, Dominic loves stories. He doesn’t just like these three and rotates the ones he wants to read pretty frequently. We’re always getting him new ones and always trying to expand his little baby horizons.

The next series I want to get him are those cute little Llama books. Like “Llama Llama Red Pajama” and “Llama Llama Mad at Mama” because we’re working on rhyming (and because they’re really cute!)

Is hippopotamus milk bright pink?

It’s fun fact Friday!

Whoooooo!

I really enjoy fun facts. In fact, my head is around 80% useless trivia.

Today, we’re gonna check out one of the “fun facts” that I’ve seen runnin’ around the interwebz!

“Hippopotamus milk is bright pink!”

Actually, it isn’t. Hippo milk is the same weird off-white color that it is for other mammals.

…

BUT hippos do secrete a red-pink liquid (think sweat) from their skin.

Why?

It does triple duty. The hippo ooze repels bugs, prevents infection by warding off bacteria and keeps them from getting sunburned. How cool is that? It’s basically bug spray, suntan lotion and hand sanitizer all in one!

 

(Source)

 

How much has Dominic changed this year?

Every year, I make a collage of Dominic’s little face for…I dunno. Fun. I go through my files and chose which picture I like best (or that shows his face best) of all the pictures that month, and then I put them on a little collage. I used to use Picnik, but since they’ve closed, I’ve used PicMonkey.

Wanna see? You know you do!

2012

So, that is Dominic in 2012! It is extra easy for me, because Dominic was born in January, but I’m sure it could be done with like belly shots or sonogram pictures for a baby that’s born in another month.

Wanna see the other two?

2010

2011

Ooooh, he was so tiny. Where did all the time go? ;-;

Do I have any New Year’s Resolutions?

Why, yes, I sure do!

I have 13 of them. (Get it. 2013? 13 resolutions? I dig symmetry.)

1.       Be organized!

·         Especially with school, this is an issue. I have started on it with a whiteboard organizing system, but I am considering doing one of those “life binders” I have been seeing on Pinterest.

2.       Become a morning person

·         Last semester, as I got up early to get some homework or studying done for later that day, I realized how much I get done when I’m up by myself in the morning. No toddler to chase around, not much noise. Just blissful peace and quiet in which to drink coffee and do what I need to do!

3.       Clean more!

·         This is kind of a point of contention between myself and Greg. I’m not the neatest of people. My car alone is horrifying. Not like…disgusting, with half eaten cheeseburgers from last week, just lots and lots of paper and the like.

4.       Cook at home instead of eating out

·         This one kind of goes along with the cleaning one. I like to fancy myself as a modern-day June Cleaver (especially before I lost my job), but last semester kicked my butt time-wise, and I regret to say, I ate a ridiculous amount of fast food. It’s pretty sad.

5.       Get a (good) job

·         Yeah…this one stands without much additional explanation. On the plus, at the end of this semester, I’m going to be qualified for a job as a phlebotomist.

6.       Graduate with Associate’s degree

·         I’m set to graduate around next Christmas. Yay!

7.       Keep a journal (as close to every day as I can)

·         Oh, hai! Welcome to mah journal.

8.       Learn to manage my time

·         I’m a procrastinator. A busy procrastinator. This is baaaad. A whole suitcase filled with bad.

9.       Lose weight

·         I’m sure this one is on everyone’s list. But as of my weigh in yesterday, I weigh 275lbs, which is the most I’ve ever weighed. I’m sure there are smaller cows. I have a plan. It has everything…nutrition, exercise, rewards. The whole shebang. Not eating at McDonalds every dang day will certainly help on this front. I’m taking the goals in quarters, with my first being to lose 35 pounds and my final goal is weighing 125 lbs.

10.   Participate in charity events.

·         I plan to host a thing for Extra Life, which goes for the Children’s Miracle Network, participate in 2013’s Project for Awesome, and keep on the campaigns of the Harry Potter Alliance, and really, whatever else I can do. I don’t think my life has enough charity in it, and that makes me sad.

11.   Read at least 30 books

·         I’m finishing up “Looking for Alaska” by John Green right now. 30 is actually a kind of low number for me, but I expect school to take up a bunch of time.

12.   Send out birthday and Christmas cards

·         This one is just for fun, really. My family doesn’t really do the whole card thing, especially Christmas cards. I’ve already skipped out on my poor older sister, but in my defense, her birthday is New Year’s Day. I will physically give her a card (along with her birthday present) the next time I see her.

13.   Spend more time with Dominic

·         This one is a “duh.” I spend a LOT of time with Dom already, but I want to focus on the quality of time with him this year, or changing things up. Such as taking him to the park to play instead of the backyard, or over to the Children’s museum (since he’s old enough to really understand it now.) Also, I aim for him to learn to read completely this year. He already has letter sounds and lots of sight words down, so I’m pretty sure this is very achievable. A big goal is to continue reading to him every night. He *loves* it, and there are few things that make a bibliophile as proud as when her kid becomes a baby bibliophile himself.

These are definitely not the only things I want for this year. I want to make the Dean’s List, learn to sew, go to Ren Faire, and a whole host of other things, but these are the thirteen major changes I want to make this year.

Who am I?

For my first post, I think I will skip the vague, philosophical musings of a questions like “Who am I?” and answer the more…obvious points.

I’m Amanda. I’m 26 (and I think I may start counting *backwards* on my next birthday. How long do you think I can pull off 25?)

I have a little boy, Dominic, who is about to turn 3, and a boyfriend, Greg, who sometimes acts like he’s about to turn 3. I have 3 sisters, 2 brothers and still have both parents.

I live in Northern Illinois with my son, my boyfriend and his lovely parents, am a full time student and am…how do they say it? In between jobs.

I’m an avid reader, a certified fangirling geek, a worrier and nearly always have my camera in hand.

That is me, in a nutshell.

Happy New Year!