Hallmark Recordable Story Books



Blaine Playing with his Recordable story book.

We purchased "All the Ways I Love You," out of the Hallmark Recordable Books Collection, as a way for Daddy to stay involved in story time without him actually being with us. It has been wonderful and that it is a comfort to both of my kids to have this tangible connection with there father. I feel that this is also a wonderful option for families that live away from Grandparents, or beloved aunts and uncles.
Hallmark has come out with a good variety of titles, including holiday books, made for one reader and sometimes two, and new books often.
All the books are good quality and are hard cover with thick sturdy pages that stand up to 'toddler treatment' without pages tearing or the binding coming unglued. Story books are easy to set up and record, And there is a lock on the recording, so little fingers don't accidentally erase pages. I love this feature because then you don't have to watch wandering little fingers or try to keep them away from the buttons on the controls.


Front cover.




Recording Controls are not visible when book closed but on the bottom portion of the book starting from when the cover is opened.



1st Haircut!

My son had his first haircut this week, and it was an experience. I never went through this with my daughter because i let her hair grow, I don't even think I had it trimmed until she was three of four. It really makes a huge difference in how they look, they loose the 'baby' look and he now looks like the toddler he is. In that way it is both exciting and a little bit sad. We went to a specialty children's shop, which I think made it less stressful for both of us, they had animal crackers and fun stuff to look at, and the staff were friendly and very use to dealing with young children who don't have any experience with sitting still and having someone mess with there hair and head.

It made for a fun break from routine getting out and doing something different and even a little bit fun. The shop was a fun experience, and even offer packages so you can make a party of your child's first hair cut, I personally think it is a bit over the top to have a party for the occasion, but to each there own.

Before and After Pictures, he looks so much older to me after his haircut!

What A Crazy Week!

I waited to start this blog until I decided I had time for one more thing in my life, things were kind of calm, and I was sure that I would have plenty of time, an hour here and there to sit down and work on it.  That wonderful period where you have everything going in the right direction before it all falls apart at your feet, and all your careful planning goes down the drain. In the last week I have had my daughter fail a mid year progress test at school, I have now figured out this is her silent rebellion for everything else going on in her life (she is still passing in all areas of the second grade, just bombed one standardized test). I also had to change my entire life plan for the next two years, we are no longer going to San Diego in August, but going to Washington state for a year, then down to Cali. Change and cancel movers talk to military housing offices in two states, and everything else that goes with getting ready to move. I have learned a lot about how to bend instead of break in the last few years, but even for us this is getting down right ridiculous.
 The life my family chooses to live is not easy and defiantly not for everyone, but it is the life we have chosen to live. It is hard for both myself and my husband to be away from each other, and especially hard for him to be away from the kids. Right now he has only been gone for about three weeks and already commented on how much the baby has changed since he saw him last. When I think of how hard it is for us all to be separated, i just have to remember that he is doing what he does not just to serve his country, but for the love of his family. Because of him I don't have to put my baby in daycare and I have the time and energy to be active in my seven year old's life and activities.
What I guess I am trying to get across with all of this is that it may not look like the perfect picture of a family or be any ones ideal, but this life and these ever changing plans are our what we do, and I happen to like my life.