Summer Fun -Preschoolers and Caves!

We took our kids to Carter Caves State Park yesterday!. My husband and I have been before (a few years ago prior to having kids) and we thought it would be fun for our 4 year old. We walked through the X cave and a few trails. Our 4 year old had a lot of fun and got to see a bat! He was excited!

You can view some photos below!




A bat!


Going back out of the cave!
Two Brothers!
First time in a cave-a little afraid!
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Fun Free Things To Do with Baby or Toddler During The Summer

How is everyone's Summer going? Is it hot? I'm sure it is. Have you run out of ideas to do with your baby or toddler during the heat? Well, here are a few ideas to try out this summer with your baby or toddler or even your preschooler! My baby and preschooler just love to do these things!

1.) Catch lightning bugs together in the evening. Put them in a jar and name them! Take some photos of them then let the bugs go!

2.) Go on a Bug/Frog hunt. Look for worms, ants, flies, Junebugs, beetles,etc.. Also look for frogs or turtles. Name them and talk about them. This is a really fun learning experience! My son and I was just out yesterday trying to catch frogs and bugs! We also saw 2 deer cross behind our home. They were beautiful!

3.) Play in the water! This is what kids love during the summer! Play in the pool or squirt each other with water guns! Let them play in the rain too ( unless it's lightening or thundering! Safety first!)They will be thrilled!

4.) Have a fun carwash! Let the kids help! You will have every car clean in no time!

5.)Have a picnic in the yard! Everyone loves a picnic especially the kids!

6.) Blow bubbles! You can either by them or make your own really cheap! Play bubble blowing games!
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Kentucky is the Unhealthiest State!

According to a special report from the Louisville Courrier Journal published on the main page of yahoo today, our state- Kentucky- is the unhealthiest state due to smoking, traditional southern fatty foods, and sedentary lifestyles. I guess I am among the minority in Kentucky because I do not smoke, I dont overindulge in fatty foods ( except reese cups..oops! but I'm really working on changing this) and I am not sedentary. How can I be with 2 small kids? I also walk daily and my husband and I have recently started an Exercise/weight training program. Yay for us! We are among the few not "killing ourselves". To read the full article on yahoo go HERE
I really hope the state can work on this crisis and focus on curing the problem. Education and awareness for the younger generation is imperative.


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Photos of my 2 boys from this week and a Bee!

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The rain from hurricane Dennis is on it's way!

The rain from hurricane Dennis is on it's way to us! It started sprinkling this morning and we are under severe thunderstorm watches for the next week! I wonder if my 4 year old will go slightly crazy if he has to stay inside for an entire week! I hope the rain is isolated!

Enter Your Baby or Toddler in our Free Baby Photo Contest Today

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Milk-Free Baby -No, our baby doesn't drink Milk

Here is how it all started with our milk-free baby...

I breastfed my son until he was a year old (not too long ago). I still breastfeed at night if he needs to. I also supplemented with alimentum (since he had a protein sensitivity) in a bottle when we were out. Recently we were encouraged by his doctor to give him low fat milk. We tried that. It made him ill. We then tried soy milk. It made him puke for about a week! So now our baby is on a milk-free diet. No milk at all. He gets water in a bottle for a nap if he absolutely "needs" a bottle. I try not to give him a bottle too often because I dont want him to get used to it. I'm actually trying to get rid of it too! I feel awful for stopping everything around the same time.
Another thing, our baby is a picky eater. For a while he ate everything and now all of a sudden he doesnt like much of anything. I need some nutritious calcium rich food suggestions for him...HELP!!!! :)

Got a Cute Baby? Love Taking Photos?

Got a Cute Baby? Love Taking Photos of your adorable babies and toddlers. If so, then enter your baby in our Free Baby Photo Contest . We have lots of prizes to give away! Our contests are sponsored by work at home moms. We have four winners each month. This is a great way to start putting your baby into contests and pageants. It's a lot of fun! If you have a child ages 0 to 5 then enter them today. It's fun and free!

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Tips on Taking Better Pictures of Your Baby or Toddler

How To Take Better Photos of Your Baby or Toddler
Every Mom wants to take great photos of their babies and toddlers. We all want professional looking photos for our children without paying a fortune! This better baby photo article will help you take the best photos you can and you don't even have to own an expensive camera.

When I had my first baby 4 years ago, I became extremely interested in photography. I wanted to capture every precious moment and every important milestone on film. I am sure you are just like me in wanting to take these same precious photos of your baby or toddler. I now use a digital camera and take professional looking photos everyday of my 2 little boys from these 5 simple tips below. These 5 tips will help you take better baby and toddler photos.

1.) The first tip I suggest is to be aware of the lighting. The best place to take photos is outside in a natural setting. You should take photos early in the morning or late in the evening right before the sun sets. Remember to use your flash for fill flash outside. This lighting produces stunning results!

2.) The second tip I suggest is to get closer to your baby or toddler and get down to their level. Never photograph your baby or toddler from above.

3.) The third tip I suggest is to make the setting/background simple. Try to place your child near a simple or plain background.

4.) The fourth tip I suggest is to take lots and lots of photos. The more photos you take, the more photos you will have to choose from. You may just get lucky with an adorable one of a kind photo of your baby! You may capture the perfect moment! So, never stop taking pictures!

5.) Invest in a good digital camera. It doesn’t have to be an expensive digital camera. You can buy a good digital camera for under $300. I use an inexpensive Kodak digital camera and great photos of my baby every time.

You are now on your way to taking better baby and toddler photos.

Copyright 2005 –All Rights Reserved About The Author: Amanda Compton is a work at home mom to 2 little boys. She owns and publishes a fun site for Babies and Moms, http://www.ContestForMoms.com featuring a free baby photo contest, mom forums, and lots of baby & mom information!

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are kept as-is

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Here are a few more of the photos that I took by using the tips above and inexpensive digital camera equipment.

My Son's Haircut!

My 4 year old's hair was becoming unruly and shaggy so we decided to cut it off. His daddy buzzed his hair. Some photos below. Before and after. He looks so different ( plus he has a big boo boo above his eye from running into a table today- ouch) but still soooo cute!

My Sister is afraid of DragonFlies

This is for my sister. She is afraid of dragonflies! :) I took the cute photo this weekend! Other than that, I have no information about dragon flies! Does anyone else?

Some photos from the fourth of July!

I'm having serious blogger issues. It's not wanting to let me upload my photos. I'll try again later with more!