Tinker

“…So many kids are not allowed to flourish their creativity. But I was the kind of kid that would take apart the family piano. I can remember I had a perfectly good bicycle I got for Christmas and a few days later I had sandblasted it and painted it a different color. Not that my parents understood why I was always ripping things apart and redesigning them but I was certainly tolerated. So I think it did contribute (to my future career) in a lot of ways. I wish for a lot of other kids that they could tinker like I did.”

~David Kelley, founder of IDEO and the Stanford d.school 

Switching Rooms

With baby Stella on the way, Brian and I decided to make some adjustments to our home. We are switching bedrooms with Porter so that our bedroom will now be on the first floor, and his room will be on the second.

Brian and I have enjoyed residing upstairs for the last 3 years, but we believe this new arrangement will be best for our expanding family. The picture above and below are what our "old" room used to look like.

By this weekend, we should have some photos posted of Porter's "new" room which will include freshly painted walls, a brand new bunk bed, dresser, and rug, and a "creative" space for him to work. We're really excited to see this project reach completion!

Stella's Nursery

Stella's room is officially underway!  Over the weekend, Brian painted her nursery two beautiful shades of yellow making it quite bright and cheery.

Our baby girl's room should be complete within the next week.  We have her rug, lamp, and wall decorations ordered, and Brian and I will be picking up her crib, dresser, and chest of drawers later this week.

We are so excited to bring our baby home in February to a beautiful nursery!

The Joys of a Highlighter

Porter has always preferred drawing with a highlighter over crayons, colored pencils, and markers.

If anyone could make a beautiful work of art with a neon yellow highlighter, it's Porter!

Davenport Park

On our walk around the neighborhood today, Porter decided that he wanted to visit Davenport Park. This park is just a few blocks from our home and has a playground that Porter enjoys.

Porter tried his hand at the hanging money bars today.

Although they were a reach for him, he was able to grab hold of one.

He wouldn't let go of it for anything!

After a little bit, he was able to get both hands on the bar.

In Porter's words while he was hanging from the bar, "Whoa!"

Throwing Rocks Never Gets Old

Since today was beautiful and sunny, we decided to take a drive out to the West Branch State Park for a walk along the lake. 

Of course, Porter's main objective was to throw as many rocks as possible into the water.

Even Daddy joined in on the fun!

Here's Porter looking for a BIG rock to throw in the water. No one can accuse this kid of lacking self-confidence!

Cracker Barrel

It has been years since either Brian or I have been to Cracker Barrel. So we thought it might be a nice place to grab lunch today.

Porter was absolutely mesmerized by the table puzzle. Here he is deep in thought on his next move!

Naturally, after the table puzzle, Porter was interested in seeing how wide he could open his mouth. You've got to love this kid!

Here's a video of Porter being his silly self:

Don't Drink and Smile

The result could lead to your beverage running down your face!

Hidden Possibilities

“The child is endowed with unknown powers, which can guide us to a radiant future.  If what we really want is a new world, then education must take as its aim the development of these hidden possibilities.”  

~Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

2012 Thanksgiving Card

Check out our 2012 Thanksgiving card made at Snapfish.  Love it!

Wingfoot Lake State Park

Porter has been in a real need to get outside and play.  Last week, we weren't able to get out much due to Hurricane Sandy.  It was cold and rainy for the entire week!

So today, we decided to get into the car and drive to Wingfoot Lake State Park.

Although it was a bit chilly, Porter and I both enjoyed going on a walk (of course, Porter ran most of the time) and seeing the beautiful lake.

A few months ago, Porter and I actually got to see the Goodyear Blimp land at its hanger while we were walking at Wingfoot Lake State Park.  We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the blimp again today, but this was to no avail.  Next time perhaps!

Porter's Sundae

Tonight, we went to Bob Evan's for dinner. Our waitress brought Porter his very own ice cream sundae just to be nice. He was very pleased!

Cooking with Porter

Today, Porter helped me make Cream of Wheat. Oddly enough, we made this common breakfast delight late in the afternoon. I'll admit, I've had some interesting cravings while carrying Miss Stella!

Porter was a great helper.  Here he is stirring the contents of the pan:

After our food was cooked, we added just a pinch of brown sugar to make it utterly delightful.  Yum!

Innovation

“Innovation = changing your world for the better … innovation could be changing the way you raise your children in order to encourage them to think more creatively and seek knowledge better. That would be a truly noble innovation and one that would profoundly change the world of your family, your children and their future. Frankly, to my mind, it is also a far greater innovation than 99% of the corporate innovation I read about.”

~Jeffrey Paul Baumgartner