Quips and Quotes

Buddy made the Woody and Cinderella dolls kiss each other.  "Kiss, kiss!" He said as he smashed their faces together.
Big Sis protested, "Cinderella can't kiss Woody!  He's just a cowboy, not the prince!"

Let Pre-K begin!

Even though Bear has been asking when she would start school for at least a month, when it came time to going this morning, she had a harder time than I expected.  "I don't want to be away from you!" she exclaimed.  Those are words that can break this Mom's heart.  I tried telling her about the schedule she would have, "But I don't know those things."  "That's the point, you are going to learn, and you're going to make new friends, and have a lot of fun."  I took some pictures by our door before we headed out, since I did not know if I would have time to snap some in the drop-off area.  I love the progression in her expressions and poses:

Not feelin' this, Mom.

I'm smiling because I have to.  Sort of.

I might be sweet now.

Ok, I'm ready to have a fun day at Pre-K!

Now I'm just being sweet and sassy. :)

By the time she got to school, she was ready to go.  She even chose to let me just drop her off at the drop-off point versus walking her into the classroom.  I knew Buddy might want to stay if we went inside, so we opted for the big-girl plan.

One last hug from Mom

Heading in for her first day of Pre-Kindergarten!

As soon as I got back in the car, Buddy looked at her empty seat and asked for Sissy.  He's asked for her a couple of times since then,  but mostly seems to like trying to body slam me as I type this. :)
****
Bear says she had a good day, but she doesn't want to tell me about it. (Is that a sign she's growing up, or what?!) They painted hand prints and she was chosen to be the line leader.  However, she was disappointed that she had to play with blocks and puzzles instead of ponies.  That's my girl.

Sister Bear's First Day of School

Tomorrow is Bear's 1st day of Pre K.  Her late October birthday means she can't go to Kindergarten in a public school until she is almost 6.  And my feeble attempts to try to establish an educational system in our home have resulted in sheer frustration for both of us.  I'm not saying I don't try to teach her things or will not keep trying.  That comes with parenthood.  (In case you doubted.) 

Tomorrow she starts Pre K part time, and both of us are excited.  We went to Open House in her classroom today.  She found her name on the wall chart, met her teachers and some of her classmates.  She can't wait to begin!

Finding her name on the wall

A hug from Ms. Julie

buddy's 2!!!!

Our little man is already TWO years old!  We were not able to have any family join us to celebrate.  But some of our new friends here came over for pizza and cake, and we had a GREAT time hanging out.  Their kids are essentially the same ages and developmental stages as ours. Plus, while the kids and Moms get together on occasion, the Dads had not hung out since our guest helped us moved in.  He chose a "Cars" cake with Lighting McQueen and Mater, his main toy (among several smaller gifts) from Mommy and Daddy was a car ramp, and Grandma and Papa provided a big boy bedding set with all sorts of vehicles on it.

I haven't taken him in for his 2 year check-up yet.  No rush.  (I'm not a first time mom.)  However, he does know his basic body parts, he's saying so many words I've lost count, and last week he said his first phraseas Sissy left the room:  "Bye, bye, have fun!"   If something is broken, he calls it "hurt."

He is sleeping in his big boy bed, skipping the toddler stage of his convertible bed all together since we have an extra twin bed in his room.

 Oh, and it goes perfectly with the other odds-and-ends bedroom accessories. 

Just picking up packages at the office was a present for the kids, especially when one arrived on his actual birthday.  I couldn't get them to look at me at the same time.:

So, more about my boy:
He tries to say some 3 syllable words: umbrella and elephant
He loves to sing.
He is a monkey.... loves climbing on myback.  And sliding down daddy's legs.  He can also hold his own in a wrestling match with big sis. Or jumping on furniture that I really should be teaching him to not jump on.
His laugh is infectious.  You can't stay mad at him or in a bad mood when he belly laughs.
When he sees steam or the oven is on, he says, "hot!" and sometimes "ouch!"
He LOVES to brush his teeth.  Or at least suck and chew on the toothbrush.  Future dentist?
He is very affectionate... loves to give and receive kisses, tickles and hugs.
He's a pickier eater than I remember Bear being at this age.  Sometimes he just won't eat.
He fills out size 2T tops pretty well, but can still wear some 18 month pants and shorts.  Most 2T pants are still a little long.  (He has his Daddy's "athletic" shoulders.  Funny, his daddy wasn't really an athlete but he wears an athletic cut suit coat.)
He still clings and fusses when we drop him off at the nursery, but eventually settles down to play.  Most of the time. At Bible study this summer, they put him in Bear's class to keep him happy.  It worked, and the teachers raved about how she is such a great big sister.  (Which she is.)
Another favorite phrase: ", Set, go !" (With or without the ready.)  He does this when launching his cars down their ramp, racing Sissy, or tackling a victim.

Height/weight stats to come... eventually...

where we've been, what we're doing, yada, yada, yada

I post so much on a social networking site now that I forget to update here.  Poor, neglected blog.
What was supposed to be 1 week in FL at my parents', turned into almost 2, thanks to a minor yet embarrassing accident that cost us our deductible and the insurance company almost $2400.

The kids and I drove down on Tuesday, taking about 8 hours including stops.  It's the farthest I have driven by myself, with or without the kiddos.  I don't intend to drive any farther than that by myself, but it really went well.  They are good travelers, most of the time, thanks in part to the invention of the portable dvd player that straps to the back of the seat.

Granwendy and Grandaddy showed us around the area on Wednesday, which proved to be a well needed break in between our drive and our visit to the Magic Kingdom. (My first visit ever.)  We met the Happy McFamily at the gate and took the ferry across the pond to the park entrance (instead of the monorail).  The girls literally ran into each other's arms when they saw one another, it was so sweet.  I've always been pretty skeptical of the over-commercialized hype surrounding WDW, but I must say, the place is contagious.  When a friend described it as a well-oiled machine, they were just about right. I say just about, because there was one rude employee who was more intent on moving people out of the way of his exit than the guests comfort during a torrential (yet normal, from what I hear) afternoon shower.  Other then that man, the employees were friendly and helpful.
The kiddos met Daisy duck, Pluto, the fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Snow White, and we saw the show with countless others on the steps of the castle.  We did not meet Ariel.  We rode all the youngun' friendly rides we could, and watching Brandon's response was especially magical.  Hannah and Juliana are old enough to understand pretend vs. real... Brandon was so enamored with the experience that he glowed.  He was such a trooper, barely napping until he fell asleep between the Electric Parade and the fireworks show.  My Dad and Uncle Brett really helped when I needed an extra set of hands to hold B, especially when my hip acted up.

Hannah says her favorite things about Disney World are "Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and most of all Snow White."  Apparently the monorail ride ("train") back to the parking lot was her favorite ride, though she sure fooled me.  She seemed to enjoy Dumbo, the Magic Carpet Ride and Its a Small World the most from my observations throughout the day.

When Brandon saw Snow White in our path, he immediately exclaimed "Why!" (his pronunciation of White- we have that movie).  He hugged pluto and seemed amazed by his size.  He had fun crawling around the princesses beautiful gowns when we visited them in the ToonTown meet and greet area.  He also LOVED the dumbo ride, and when we went through the Winne the Pooh ride (he rode with Aunt Becca), he exclaimed "Pooh!"

The next day, we were supposed to go to the beach, but it rained.  The girls did get to see a couple of manatees in the bay while they stood under a picnic shelter with Granwendy and Grandaddy.

Saturday morning... beach attempt #2.  I had a run in with a post at the atm, so mom, my kids and I never made it.  I did find a shop and get the car dropped off, however. Juliana, Becca and Grandaddy did make it to play in the sun, at least. (It was J's first time to the beach. Ever.)

So, while the kids and I waited for our car to be repaired, we also were able to go to Weeki Wachee State Park.  We saw their mermaids' version of the Little Mermaid, rode a boat down the Weeki Wachee River and saw lots of wildlife and crystal clear spring-fed water, and the kids pet a kind snake and baby alligator at their reptile show.  Oh, apparently I got bit by a large spider, because I ended up with a welt on my arm, 2 puncture marks, and a trip to the doctor to get antibiotic and steroid treatments just in case. We also spent a decent amount of time at the pool and beach, which was fun.  I really need to take advantage of our pool here at the apartment more than I do.

We enjoyed our time with my mom and dad, but we were also ready to get home to our own little place.  We made the return trip in 9 hours, got our laundry done, etc..., rested a bit, and then headed to the other grandparents for July 4th weekend.  thankfully, Daddy drove that trip.  Mommy napped.

We really enjoyed our extended weekend in Memphis, too, especially playing with cousin Ella, who is almost one year old already!  We saw the fireworks in G-town, visited Jo-Jo and her family, and relaxed.

No we're home and I'm attempting to get into a semblance of a routine. Ha.

*****
What the kids are up to:
Bear is sweet and sassy.  Mostly sweet, but her sass definitely kicks in. One minute she tries to help, the next she resists anuthing I say.  I bought Hooked on Phonics 2 months ago, and have finally started the program with her.  We'll see how that goes. She just doesn't like to listen, period, and for some reason I am not as patient with her as I was able to be with other people's kids when I taught/tutored.  However, she has known her letter sounds for a while, and it is time for her to begin learning to read.  Her later birthday keeps her from entering Kindergarten in the public school system, even though she is academically ready.  So we're putting her in a 3 day pre-k Program in the fall, something that I feel more and more excited about as the beginning of school approaches.  She loves being around other kids, and in our case I think we both need this.  She is fun-loving, social, and mostly tenderhearted... with a little villainous streak in there from watching too many old cartoons like She-Ra.  We took a break from gymnastics for the summer, she has been asking about dance lessons for about 6 months, so we'll see.

Buddy is our little bundle of physical energy.  He's picking up new words weekly.  "Again" and "Too" are his new favorites, joining "Why?" and "how?"  He loves music, too.  And tackling people with hugs and kisses.  Unfortunately, he also likes to bite Mommy for some reason.  He's also taking interest in potty training, to some degree.  He usually poops on the toilet once or twice a day, given the opportunity at strategic times (after meals), sometimes he tells us he needs to go, but it's not regular.  And I'm not motivated enough to push it just yet... because just when I think he is completely ready, he fights being put on the potty, and it's just not worth a battle of the wills to me.  Nor do I feel like switching to underpants just yet, as an accident in this small space could mean accidentally messing on furniture, toys, etc... and there simply is no place to moved things out of the way.

People ask where Bear got her curls (which are really more waves the older she gets), and where Buddy gets the Blondish hair.  (Both Mommy and Daddy had lighter hair when we were his age.

breakfast time

I left the cabinet open and asked Buddy what type of cereal he wanted to have.
He grabbed a packet of pop tarts out of its box, "bop bart!"

NO CAVITIES!!!!

Little Miss had her first dental appointment today.  Yes, I realize all the expert parenting sites and her doctors suggested that she go when she was 2, then 3, etc. Whatever. We brush her teeth, and with the trouble she gives me doing that, it wasn't going to happen any sooner.

This was the right time.  She charmed her dental assistant/dental hygienist/dentist.  I had her go first because it had been so long since my last cleaning and I've had some TMJ issues and sensitivity, I thought it was smarter for her not to see mommy wince before her turn.  Not only did she do great, having the x-rays done while I was still filling out paperwork in the lobby, cooperating fully, talking when her mouth wasn't full of tools, etc., when it was my turn, she peered into my face from the opposite side of the hygienist, stroking my hair, and exclaiming how cool my teeth looked.  She didn't even mind the splatter.  Oh, and she let me hold her My Little Pony who came along.

No cavities for my big girl.  The x-ray computer processor broke down in between us, so I have to go back for my x-rays... but Mommy didn't have visible cavities either.  Considering my last cleaning was oh, 5+ years ago before I knew for sure I was expecting my baby girl, I am quite relieved.

Letting go of the little things

I never thought I'd be one to get sentimental about hair.
That was before my daughter had beautiful (albeit crazy) curls.
Brushing/styling her hair is typically a challenge, to say the least.

So when she asked to get her hair cut shorter, like a girl we saw at the park, I rejoiced.  I knew the risks... her hair has been straightening out in the back for a while now.  But the benefits outweighed them, or so I thought.

And then we went to the salon.  Both kids were very well behaved.  I even considered having them cut Buddy's hair, but opted to wait a bit longer.  Bear insisted that she wanted it "Shoulder length."  It is, in the back, well-almost. 

As you can see.. the sides and front still curl.  But the back curls are almost gone.  Just a few waves.
Bye-bye baby curls.  Mommy's not going to miss the tangles , but I do miss the good hair-day cuteness already.

I do like it short, and more importantly, so does little miss who's always loved her "mermaid" and "princess" (longer) hair. But in this case, I can't just say "oh, well, it will grow back."  And that makes me a little sad.

Mother's Day

We had more of a Mother's Day Weekend... laid back, family time, the way it should be.

Saturday: Stone Mountain, GA

Sunday: lunch out, after nap visit to a park near our home

New word on the block

"MINE!"

Honestly, I expected it a bit sooner.  Big Sis uses it quite a bit.  But it's here now, and it's here with a vengeance.

There are other new words, too, but that's the one that stands out at the moment.

*****


Big Sis has taken a liking to the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.  Her favorite person to impersonate?  The White Witch.

diaper change dialogue

Mommy:  Buddy, it's time to change your diaper.
(He walks over and sits on my lap. I adjust his position and begin changing him.)
Buddy: Poop!
Bear:  I hope he doesn't put his fingers in it.  Then it will be stinky pinkies!

Ok, I know this type of conversation after a month's hiatus is not exactly favorable to some people.  But I thought it was funny.

Quotable

As we drove through Atlanta in the pouring down rain the day before yesterday, Bear exclaimed,
"Mommy, look! The chimpanzees are getting wet so they can grow bigger!"  Thankfully, the traffic light turned red so I could look for the source of her excitement.  She was pointing to some "pansies" in a flower bed.  I laughed and explained the difference.

So, at the library yesterday I happened upon a book about chimpanzees with a big photo on the cover and asked her what the book was about.  She answered correctly.  :)

18 months and growing

My baby boy is a year and a half already.  We took him to his check-up today... Daddy took off work, just as much because I knew Bear would be difficult during her boosters.  She fought more than Buddy.

I was given "homework": teach  the kiddo his basic body parts.  When Doc asked if he points to them, I told her he would if I had taught them to him.  Hey, at least he's not like the 57 pound 3 year old with a pacifier in her mouth that we saw in Wal-mart.  Other than that, of course he is growing normally.  57th percentile for height, 43rd for weight, 95th for head circumference.  (More room for his brain... must not neglect that and teach him his body parts... pronto! ha!)

The Pediatrician is nice to the kids, seems to know her things, but Mommy and Daddy  suspect that she does not have kids of her own yet.  Maybe our prior experiences at a more laid back family practice just spoiled us, maybe pediatricians teach to the lowest common denominator, we don't know.

Here are some things he does:
*climbs on whatever he can: kitchen table, chest, couch (to reach the light switch), beds, toilet seat (to reach whatever is on the counter).  He has been known to move something to step on it and reach something else.
*plays peek-a-boo with the blinds
*takes the clothes off the princess Alexa doll that sings
*language development.  Some words are understandable, some are only to us, but he is vocal.  His jabbers are adorable, and he likes to "talk" on the phone.  Or just listen to whoever is talking on the other end.  Frequently heard (in his language): hi, hello (huhwo), bye, please, thank you, dada, mama, bah (bottle/cup/box/bath) uh-huh, this (dis), that (dat), up, door, juice, uh-OH!, book, brush (b-ush) shakes his head yes and no, points and grunts
*he's beginning to show interest in the potty.  When I told big sis to go potty and brush her teeth the night before last, he followed her to the bathroom, tried to open his potty seat, pointed at it til I did, then sat down on it with his clothes on.  When he was done he closed the lid, stepped on it, and asked for his toothbrush.

learning by doing

I love when a child becomes excited about learning. It's especially exciting when it's your own child who wants to learn.  As a Mom, sometimes it's hard to find the balance between letting a child help and getting things done quickly.  As I folded laundry today, Bear wanted to help me.  Her folds of anything larger than a dish towel ended up being more like clumps.  She tried so hard to help.  She even put some of her folded clothes away in one of her dresser drawers and was thrilled to do it all by herself.  And she grew frustrated when I tried to help her fold the towels better.  But eventually, with a little teamwork, we did it well enough.  :)

Bear cut out her first paper hearts tonight, with just a little assistance from Mommy.  I had finally found some blunt-tipped scissors for her, and came across them when I straightened the counter last night.  So as I checked my e-mail after putting Buddy in bed, I gave Bear some paper and a pair of scissors and she began snipping away.  She has used a pair of plastic "fake" scissors that don't cut worth beans, and she also has some jagged-edged plastic-coated craft scissors (kid-safe scrapbook-ish style), but they have seemed difficult.  With her other scissors, she would end up ripping more than cutting. 

After showing her how to hold them correctly, she snipped away at a piece of grocery list paper.  Her pieces were much smaller than I would prefer, but she had so much fun and did not draw blood when she did touch her skin with a blade.  Since my kids are not in pre-school, I don't know when most kids begin using scissors on their own.  I have a big scar from playing with scissors as an elementary kid, I haven't rushed that motor skill with her.  But I heard somewhere that it's a skill they like kids to have in Kindergarten, so I figured it might be good to introduce it to her.  

After we totally demolished the "list" and made the tiniest little paper man with arms (she is so creative, she wrapped a narrower strip around a rectangle and called it arms, and asked me to give it a head), I found some construction paper.  I decided it might be safer to have her cut along a line than continue free-styling.  So I folded the pink paper in half, drew half a heart, and set her up.  She needed me to help her around the curved part a little bit, but for her first real cutting experience at home, I was so proud of her.

She asked why I taught her to cut tonight.  I told her I thought it was something she would enjoy doing, and that she would need to know how to do when she goes to school some day.  I asked her if she wanted me to be her teacher until she goes to school.  Her face lit up, "You mean like Aunt Cheryl teaches Emmy and Maddie?!"

Maybe we will wean away from all that TV time we've defaulted to lately.  :)

 

oh, and she seemed to favor holding the scissors in her left hand... I wonder if she'll be a lefty or ambidextrous like her Grandpas?

knows what he wants

Buddy left his half-full sippy cup on the floor, so I put it in the fridge.  Not 5 seconds later, he ran from the living room to the fridge yelling, "ba! ba!ba!" at the top of his lungs while trying to pull the fridge back open.  Guess he wasn't done.

first words

I have not tracked all of Buddy's 1sts as well as I did with Bear.  He is definitely becoming more verbal.  He likes to say Mama and Dada, of course.  He says a nice throaty "aaaagh" while holding his baby triceratops toy or Bear's pterodactyl.  He tries to say or sign "please" and "thank you" when prompted.  His current favorite?  "Hot", which sounds a bit more like "ha."  He'll point to his plate and say, "hot."  When something is in the oven, he does the same.  This morning he walked over to the stove and pointed toward the steam rising from my pot of water for tea.  You guessed it, "Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"  (He actually kept me from ruining another pan.)  And last night when we were out about, he said, "co" in reference to the COLD winter air.  No problem with this kid's comprehension.

"laundry" time

"What is she doing?"

Laundry doesn't belong IN the basket, people, I do!

unless I have sis trapped underneath....

Bear took the initiative to fold... it was not mommy's idea.  And she did not even ask for a check mark on her chart!

I don't think I like the "improvements" blogger has made to photo-posting.  Back to Facebook I may go....

Happy New Year!

I should have thought before opening up the living room by moving the ottoman right next to the door... Buddy's already trying to figure out how to unlock both locks.

We're in the process of implementing a reward system for Bear.  She gets check marks for doing simple, age-appropriate chores. She has something in mind that she wants to earn, and has been asking for an allowance.  But we don't keep cash on hand.  I somehow ended up with the pink glass rocks from my sister's wedding (flower arrangement accents).  So this morning we decorated her "job jar."  We'll count up the check marks each day and at the end of the day, put the rocks into the jar.  When the jar is full, she will get the reward she has earned.... right now she wants a lap desk that has a cup holder in it.  Thanks to Aunt Becca for the idea for this system!

So far so good, but she did just come up and ask if she gets a check mark for washing her hands.  :)

(not-so) accidental milestone

Buddy was bathing and a familiar expression crossed his face.  I really did not want to have to bleach the tub and all its toys again... so I grabbed the padded potty seat, scooped him up, and set him on there.  We've had false alarms where nothing has transpired before.... this time was not a false alarm.  I think he liked the praise he received for using the potty, because he kept climbing out and wanting to sit on the potty seat again. 

The funny thing was that I pulled Bear's training potty out of storage today.  It makes a good step stool and the two of them have been fighting over the Dora step stool ever since Buddy has become obsessed with brushing his teeth.  Looks like it might be mutipurposed.

there's a new name...

in Buddy's vocabulary
and it's ella's, yes it's ella.

(sometimes la-la.)

He giggles and grins with pride as he looks at his 4 month old cousin and calls her name.

Precious.