Fall 2013

The 4-legged & 2-legged McGowins are doing well.  Samantha, Seth, & I have taken a few trips this fall; one to Seabrook Island for a two-day beach trip and one trip to Chapel Hill, NC, for a wedding.  Samantha got to be the flower girl.  She was soooo cute.  Unfortunately, I was too busy making sure Seth didn't pull the table clothes of the tables, knock dishes over, eat/touch all the food, drown in the nearby creek, etc., and did NOT take a picture of Samantha.  We got to visit with friends in Chapel Hill and with friends in Columbia, SC while on our voyages.  Samantha is enjoying her art-based preschool and Seth is jumping into the routine of taking his coat off and "pumping his hands" (sanitizing) upon arrival at Samantha's school.  He is always sad when I rip him away from the cars and blocks in order to leave.  Seth & I attend Kindermusik and he gets a visit from a special friend weekly.  His special friend is actually a speech therapist.  He may have apraxia of speech, but it is a bit too early to tell.  In the meantime, we are working on basic sounds and combining sounds to form words.  Samantha dressed up as Sleeping Beauty and Seth dressed up as a bear!!

Usborne Books Wish List

Since Samantha and Seth cannot yet read, I am documenting my future book purchases for them.  You might like them as well.

Wipe-Clean book (with Pen)- Telling the Time

Wipe-Clean Mazes

Wind-Up Tractor Book with model tractor and 3 tracks

Build your own cars sticker book

Take Turns Max and Millie 

Construction Sites Lift & Look book

Dot to Dot Book: Things that Go

Flip-Flap Body Book (How do your Senses work?  What happens to your food?)

On the Beach Flip Book

Bats (internet linked)

Bugs (internet linked for additional games & fun)

The Boys Activity Book

Greeting Cards to color

See Inside Your Body

Santas Workshop sticker book

What IF Monster
Secrets of The Apple Tree (need flashlight)

Usborne Books and More

I recently became a consultant for Usborne Books and More.  Usborne Books is a publisher of children's books.  the "more" part of the company name refers to Kane Miller books, which include fiction & non-fiction, culturally rich, & sometimes really silly books.  The quality of these books is very high and the books themselves keep kids' attention and interest.  Usborne Books has activity books, doodle books, special interest books, in additional to all their awesome non-fiction books and encyclopedias.  Many of their books include internet links for additional learning.  Trust me, they are super cool!

Check out my website to find out additional information on Usborne Books & More.  You can shop right from my website or you can schedule to host a home party and purchase books via a home party.  Hosting a party is a fantastic opportunity to get a ton of FREE books.  You can host an online party or have one at your home!! Let me know if you are interested.  I would love to get you FREE BOOKS.

Books are a great gifts for your friend's kids or your own kids.  They make great gifts for parents or grandparents to buy for their own kids/grandchildren.  I'm going to get my Dad to buy books for Samantha & Seth for x-mas.  Sam has expressed interest in a book on bats (the incredibly ugly animals that fly in the sky; not baseball bats).  I have a ton of other gift ideas for her this coming Christmas!

Check out this link to my Usborne Books and More website:

https://y3148.myubam.com/EventPicker

Sam back in school

Sam has transitioned back into preschool smoothly.  she loves being back with her friends and loves her new teacher this year.  Her other teachers have stayed the same :)  Her friend, Ava, is probably moving to Austin, TX and Samantha already has plans to visit her in Austin, and visit Ava's grandparents in Alabama.  We are in discussions about what extra curricular activities to enroll sam in.  She is doing Playball International again and we may start her in tennis and spanish.

Seth is cruising along, but has delayed speech skills.  He has started speech therapy and it has been effective.  We have a great in-home speech therapist.  He understands EVERYTHING, but has limited expressive language skills.  here are some recent pics.

Ella (our dog) had a hematoma in her ear from scratching it so the kids and I made several trips to the vet this last week.  Ella has a drain tube in her ear for a few weeks and is on medication for a double ear infection AGAIN.  Samantha went to the dentist this week and her teeth were perfect.  Phew.  I feel so busy.

Sam is 4 & Seth is 2

samantha celebrated her birthday by having a Playball Party with her closest friends (minus a few who could not come).  We had a lot of fun and so did Samantha.  Seth celebrated his birthday last week by gem mining with the family!

Pictures from Ashley

Click here to view these pictures larger

Halloween

We returned to a halloween festival held by a local church this year.  Last year the event was held outside, but due to cold, winter-like weather, this year's event was moved inside.  So, Samantha did not get to "ride the ponies" again.  Despite that disappointment Samantha had a great time hanging out with her friend, Maggie, and celebrating with her schoolmates at preschool.  Samantha dressed up as a "kitty"cat or leopard type-thing and Seth squeezed into Samantha's old duck-costume.  His head was really too big for the duck hat so people had a difficult time figuring out what he was.   Seth's head circumference is now at the 85%ile, down from the 95%ile at previous doctor visits....