Why I love Saturday's. A photo essay by Hillary.

This morning Cameron babysat Owen for 5 hours so I could go to craft day at church! Thanks!
Now I get to baby sit Owen for the next 3 hours so Cameron can go to his football game! No problem!!Then when he gets home we shall all do some fun things together! Great!

Menu magnets

(click on picture to make it bigger)
I love magnets in all forms. I found this idea on a blog and could not resist but to make them. It took about 3 hours start to finish. It's very easy and very inexpensive.
The author of this project used old advertising magnets, like the ones you get on phone books or in the mail, but I didn't have any of those lying around so I bought a roll of magnetic tape at Wal Mart in the craft section for just over 3 dollars. I also eliminated a step by printing out the meal options directly on to some scrapbook paper I already had and trimming it to printer size, 8.5 x 11. Instead of scissors I used my paper-cutter.
Oh, and if you do make this and get magnetic tape, make sure that all of your rows on the Microsoft Word table are exactly 1" high.

Oh, and I got my font for free from www.dafont.com

Have fun if you decide to make one, too!
I am also thinking about making some magnetic words from my leftover tape... like those cute little magnet words that you use to make several different kinds of messages.

Safe Blogging

Last month in the Ensign there was a one-page article about blog safety. It was good for me to read to remember the importance of keeping my blog safe. There is the option of making a blog private, but I do not want to limit access to those friends and family members who like to look at our blog and would consider a log-in and password to be a bit of trouble.

My goal has always been to keep my blog as non-detailed as possible about where we live or work. I also try to never post dates like when we are going to be away from home. When Owen was born I did not post his full name or where he was born. I do all of this because I never know who is reading. I am always surprised to find out that there are many, many more people reading than just those who post comments. Which would make sense; I don't always post comments on blogs that I read.

“Better Blogging: Tips for Safety and Courtesy,” Ensign, Oct. 2009, 27
Blog Safety: Avoid Specifics
Chelsea Belton, who blogs to keep in touch with family and friends, never posts personal information online. She avoids mentioning addresses, birth dates, anniversaries, and other details that would make it easy to locate her family. Some bloggers also use partial or fictional names or general phrases like “my son” or “our friend” when referring to individuals in blog posts.
Moderate Comments
David Habben, who maintains both personal and business blogs, says that reviewing comments is an important part of safe blogging. While an author’s original post may be harmless, comments from readers may be less innocent. Some entities also use blog commenting to advertise or disseminate unwanted information. David uses a security feature that informs him by e-mail when someone wants to make a comment. He can then review each comment and delete those that are inappropriate or unwanted before they appear online.
Selectively Post Pictures
“Once I posted [a photo of] a birthday party invitation I had made [for my son],” says Rachel Davis, creator of a group blog for LDS women. “I used photo editing software to blur out the location of the party because I just didn’t want [to take a] chance. It was a small thing to do, but it made me feel safe.” Be aware of information you may be giving inadvertently in the photos you display on your blog. Wisely screening photos will allow you to share ideas while protecting yourself and your family.
Blog Courtesy: Think before You Post
Search engines are the “conscience” of the Internet. They can call up almost any Web site from any period of time. So assume that what you post on your blog is permanent. The pictures of your children doing silly things as little kids may be funny or cute right now, but imagine those same pictures appearing when your children are 12 or 45. Carefully consider the pictures you post and the things you write.
Be Positive
“I have been surprised when … ward members or even old friends from high school read my blog,” says Kacy Faulconer, who writes personal and group blogs. Blogs should not be a “forum to complain or criticize people behind their backs,” she says. Instead, keep your comments positive. You never know who may be reading.
Respect Others’ Work
Sue Anderson, who began a blog because she loved reading her daughter-in-law’s, says it’s important to respect other bloggers’ work. Instead of copying and pasting something from a blog you like, “send friends a link to the blog itself.” She also recommends that “if you want to use something on your blog from someone else’s, [including photos], ask them first.” This protects others’ work and keeps you honest.
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I try to be a safe blogger so I can protect him!

Halloween

Does this look like something out of a fairy tale?

Soon Owen will be getting a new car seat. This one has been nice because it is bigger and fits a baby up to 30 lbs (Owen is currently 20). But we only use it in the car. Owen rarely sleeps in it anymore and it's way to heavy to carry him in it.Halloween was fun. We ate pumpkin pancakes for breakfast and Cameron and I got to eat the classic caramel corn for a late night treat. We also took a drive out to the country and took a family picture for Christmas. Then we drove around to a few ward members' homes to trick or treat. Owen got sick of getting in and out of his car seat so many times!
When we got home Owen enjoyed looking through his Halloween bag and finding his new "toys." I threw the Play-Doh away because as soon as I gave it to him he nearly tried to eat it.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

10 months old?!

Owen has a lot of toys but they get boring after awhile. Today I put him in the laundry basket and dragged him around the house!
Last week the power went out because of a snow storm. We bundled up a little bit because our house got kind of cold inside.
Recently Owen started feeding himself a cracker!!
Owen is sooooo chunky these days.
Look at that BELLY!! I mean that's about what I looked like a year ago when I was pregnant with him!
Can you tell what his FAVORITE toy is since it is pictured in almost every above photo?? I can't ever get a picture with all the wooden circles ON the holder since the minute he sees it he takes them all off. We'll have to work on putting them back on!
I had to take Owen out for a photo shoot in his Halloween costume (a pumpkin.) The back of it says, "Boo to you."
He is looking more and more like his dad.
He is THE cutest pumpkin I've ever seen.

Hemming Jeans

If you are short like me you are probably frustrated that you can never find jeans or pants that are the right length. "Regular" size is about 2-4 inches too long and "Short" size is like wearing long capris. So I found this tutorial on hemming jeans that is wonderful. I hemmed 3 pairs of jeans yesterday and it only takes about 15-20 minutes/pair. The great thing is you can keep the original hem so that your hemming does not look homemade. Here is the link:
http://www.cardiganempire.com/2009/08/how-to-hem-jeans-in-3-easy-steps.html

Our big boy

I don't know why it is but I am always finding Owen underneath something... the couch, the bed, the high chair. It is hilarious. He reminds me of a cat.
At the rate Owen's head is growing I am sure he will fit into this hat in no time.
But the rest of him is growing, too. Except his tiny little feet.
Owen's reflux is so much better. He spits up maybe once a day now, and it is hardly anything. He is really packing a belly these days and all of his onesies are pulling on his shoulders so I guess it is time for size 12 M clothing. We went to the doctor last week before our trip to Texas and these are his current stats:
28.5 inches long (55%)
18 lb 8 oz. (15%)
Head circumference... 68%
As usual Owen LOVES to eat and this is what he regularly eats:
Strawberry bagels
Whole wheat bagels
Spaghetti-O's
Mandarin oranges (he can't decide if he likes it or not)
Saltines
Cheerios
Macaroni & Cheese
Lasagna
Sweet potatoes
Bananas
Lunch meat
Yogurt melts and Cereal Puffs if we are out and about
Sweet peas (I use canned for simplicity)
Yo-Baby yogurt (I mix baby fruit in it)
Should I mention that he still does not have any teeth?!
It has really been fun giving him different foods to try. He eats many times a day (3 regular meals a day and maybe 2 in-between smaller meals, and 3 nursings). He will also drink from a regular cup but we haven't got him going on the sippy cup, yet. He is army-crawling and sitting up very well. He is clapping his hands and becoming very interested in certain, specific toys. He is also saying "Dada" though I am not sure if it is discriminately. And he is a great little traveller!