In the two weeks since I posted this post, things have gone from bad to worse. Julia continued to climb out of her crib, often multiple times a night. One night we went to check on her and found her sound asleep on the floor...bare butt up in the air and pee all over the floor. She had taken off her pajama pants and her diaper, but the kicker is that she put the diaper in the diaper pail and her pants back in her drawer. Very deliberate! Another night she was in her bathroom screaming at the top of her lungs (at 2 A.M.) that she wanted to brush her teeth. One morning when I heard her screaming for us, I went in and found her sitting by her nightlight, surrounded by books and all of the wipes from her container, some of which she had shredded. When I came in, she simply handed them to me and said, "Deese all gone." She learned how to push her stool over to the light switch to turn on the lights. She figured out not only how to climb out of the crib, but also how to climb back in...a process that frightened me when I saw how she did it. She determined that her changing pad would be a nice place to sleep, so she pulled it off of the dresser and set up camp--dragging her blanket and baby along with her. She's destroyed multiple books by ripping all of the "lift the flaps" out of them. And of course, she figured out how to get out of her room.
All of this meant that Mama and Daddy had to figure out how to fight back. So, we decided to remove her crib. I was worried about her climbing back in, and also felt that having the crib and "grown-up bed" (as she calls it) might be confusing for her. Well, she was (and probably still is) pissed about that decision. So, I read anything I could about getting a child to sleep in a big bed, and the only method I found that was noted as reliable was to spend several nights in "boot camp"--anytime they get out of bed, you silently and with no fanfare put them back in bed. We gave it a shot one night, but cried uncle after 65 times of putting her back in bed. She was very upset about the whole process, but never once laid down in the bed. As soon as we put her there, she got right back up. Clearly we had to come up with a different plan. (Though a couple Zach met at the park said they put their two-year-old back in bed 164 times the first night when they did the process, so maybe we need to try harder.)
I hated the idea of locking her in her room, but that's basically what we resorted to. We got the doorknob covers that make it so little ones can't turn the doorknob, and put them on her bathroom door and her room door. We switched the light switch so that it won't turn on from the switch; it's now just controlled by pull cords on the fan. We moved all of her toys out of her room and put the basket from her changing table in the bathroom each night. Now she points at the doorknob covers and says "Those keep me safe," which is what I've told her, with only small pangs of guilt. And, she tells me, "Light no work anymore."
So now she's "locked" in her room, but refuses to sleep in a bed. She has slept on the floor every night, but of course does not sleep through the night, instead waking up and screaming for hours at a time. Her newest trick is to sleep with her face pressed up against the door, her mouth right up to the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor. This affords her two advantages: first, it makes her screams and cries louder and harder to ignore, and second, once she falls asleep in this position, it makes it so we can't come in and check on her and move her to her bed. This weekend, I put her crib mattress back in the room in the hopes that she would at least sleep there if she wouldn't sleep in the bed, but so far no luck with that. She'll often get in one of the beds, hunker down, appear to be nice and cozy...only to jump right up and scream as soon as you leave the room.
While this makes great blog fodder and my friends find the stories quite amusing, it's actually supremely frustrating. She's overtired, as are we. We're all getting less sleep than we did when she was a newborn. And worse, nothing we're doing seems to make a difference. I'm second-guessing every move I make: "Should I do some attachment parenting and just go in and comfort her until she falls asleep? Should I sleep with her? Let her sleep with us? Or will that make it worse? Do we need to take a harder line and help her learn to comfort herself? Why does she not know how to comfort herself? Should we cut out any sugar or treats after supper? Should we put the crib back in? Will she be scarred by being unable to get out of her room? WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG?"
And, I guess that's the worst part about it: I know we've done nothing wrong. From a textbook standpoint, we've done everything "right" all her life--she's had a consistent bedtime and nap time and a consistent, wind-down bedtime routine. She's always slept in her crib. She has "lovies" that she's attached to. And yet, we're still dealing with this nonsense. I do remember that Will went through a phase of wakefulness around this age; at the time, we attributed it to the stress of a new baby in the house. And of course, his wasn't nearly as bad because he never climbed out of the crib. Like all phases, that one eventually passed, but probably not quick enough for our liking. So, for now, I guess we'll just keep on keepin' on. That seems to be about all we can do.
Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers
Lilypie Fifth Birthday tickers
Lilypie First Birthday tickers
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Julia is TWO
**Baby girl, this is over a month late, but that's just how our life is these days. And, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't written Will's four-year-old letter yet, and I think I might have missed one for his third birthday, too. So, consider yourself ahead of the game.**
Dear Julia,
As always, I'm amazed at how quickly time passes and how you are growing up right before my eyes. I can't believe you're already two! But even more, I can't believe that you're the age Will was when you were born. In so many ways you are so "grown up," but in so many ways you are still a baby...my baby.
You are such a big personality. Often, when we hear words like "spirited" or "strong-willed" they're not meant in the best way, particularly for girls. Yet, I love that you are independent; I love that you know what you want and are not afraid to go after it. I hope those qualities will last because I believe they will serve you well later in life. Of course, the qualities I love the most are also the ones that can drive me the most crazy. It's easy to say that I admire your independence, but it's another thing altogether when you are constantly asserting that independence--constantly wanting to "do it myself," constantly getting into things you shouldn't, constantly testing limits to see exactly where the line is...and then choosing to step right over it. We're going through some bedtime battles with you right now, and while I'm somewhat sympathetic because you get genuinely upset, I'm also beyond frustrated that you make life (yours and ours) so difficult. You are just a child who has to do things the hard way.
Yet, you're also a very affectionate child. You've recently learned to say "I wuv you" and it melts my heart every time. You often like to go through a list..."I wuv Daddy! I wuv Mommy! Mommy wuv me!" You love to give kisses and hugs, you love to hold hands, you're always checking on people if you think they're sad, and you often request "I want hold you". But, despite being independent and wanting things your way, you also seem to want to be with us all the time and get upset when we're separated. This makes leaving you at daycare or with a babysitter REALLY fun, I tell ya. I finally had to teach you that "Mama always comes back" because you seem to think that might not be the case. And many times, when I see you after a day at school or a night when we've gone out, you exclaim with glee, "Mama come back!"
Physically, you can do almost anything you set your mind on. With an older brother to keep up with, you never want to be left behind. So, you're always running--you've gotten very fast--or dancing, playing, climbing, hopping, or jumping (well, you think you can jump, but you really just crouch down and then stand up really fast). For your birthdays, you and Will got a playset in the backyard. Based on your reaction, you would have thought we built you your own DisneyWorld. You LOVE to swing and get this blissed out look while you're flying through the air. You will swing as long as someone will push you. You call the playset "my own playground" and each morning when you get up, you ask, "I go my own playground?"
In addition to playing outside, you adore playing with baby dolls. It's so funny to see your nurturing side...you are so sweet and gentle to those babies. You love to rock them, give them a bottle, or wrap them up in a blanket. You also love animals--both toys and live animals. You want to pet almost any animal, and again are very gentle, and you had a blast riding a horse recently (twice!). Another favorite toy is your tea set that you got for your birthday. You set it up and will play quietly by yourself...putting the cups in place, stirring the tea, pouring the tea. It's rare to find something that will truly keep you occupied like that! You also love to read books, do stickers, and draw, but when we draw, you always want us to "draw your hand". I guess this is something you do at school, because you always request it. Of course, being the second child, you have access to lots of things that Will never had at your age. You know what the Wii is, you build with Legos, play with cars, and you've even started doing games on the iPad. But without a doubt, the toy that is always the most fun in your eyes is any toy your brother currently has.
Eating is not your strong suit, and lately, neither is sleeping. Like everything else, it's always on your terms. So, you may eat nothing for breakfast, but then go through an entire chicken breast for supper. Of course, they claim you eat fine at school, so maybe you just know that Mama and Daddy are pushovers and will eventually cave. For the most part, you eat pretty healthy foods--at home you're almost a vegetarian (by your own choice)--but you won't eat many things that I consider "toddler staples". You hate pasta, so that rules out mac and cheese or ravioli. You're fickle about chicken nuggets, won't touch a hamburger, and you're not fond of PB&J. However, you love almost all fruit (except you declare pineapple to be "too sour"), black beans, CHEESE, pizza, quesadillas, grilled chicken, hummus, bagels with cream cheese, cereal or granola bars, crackers...and that's about it. Well, except for treats, of course! This is another way that you benefit in being the second child...there is no shortage of popsicles in the house, especially after the hot summer we just had.
As for the sleeping, you just don't seem to need as much sleep as the average toddler. You've just about given up your nap (the recent move to a big-girl bed has really sealed nap's fate), and you often seem just fine without it. I sometimes call you the energizer bunny because I really can't figure out a way to wear you out. You're not bad, you're just beyond energetic. Even when we were at the beach playing, swimming, and running all day long, you still seemed to have energy to spare. By evening you might be dragging a little bit, but you never let on because you never want to miss anything.
And really, most of the time, we don't want you to miss anything either because we don't want to miss time with you. You add such a wonderful (albeit loud) dimension to our family and we love having you around--love hearing your sweet singing and watching your crazy dancing; love getting your perspective on things, since like your brother, you never stop talking; love watching your face light up when you smile; love watching your eyes sparkle while you admire your older brother; love the way you do your own thing, but know when to say "I need help!"; love how you run into my arms after a long day away.
Julia, I am SO proud of you and the person you are becoming. I am thankful for each day I have with you and couldn't love you any more. Thank you for being you and being such a light in our family.
Love,
Mama
Dear Julia,
As always, I'm amazed at how quickly time passes and how you are growing up right before my eyes. I can't believe you're already two! But even more, I can't believe that you're the age Will was when you were born. In so many ways you are so "grown up," but in so many ways you are still a baby...my baby.
You are such a big personality. Often, when we hear words like "spirited" or "strong-willed" they're not meant in the best way, particularly for girls. Yet, I love that you are independent; I love that you know what you want and are not afraid to go after it. I hope those qualities will last because I believe they will serve you well later in life. Of course, the qualities I love the most are also the ones that can drive me the most crazy. It's easy to say that I admire your independence, but it's another thing altogether when you are constantly asserting that independence--constantly wanting to "do it myself," constantly getting into things you shouldn't, constantly testing limits to see exactly where the line is...and then choosing to step right over it. We're going through some bedtime battles with you right now, and while I'm somewhat sympathetic because you get genuinely upset, I'm also beyond frustrated that you make life (yours and ours) so difficult. You are just a child who has to do things the hard way.
Yet, you're also a very affectionate child. You've recently learned to say "I wuv you" and it melts my heart every time. You often like to go through a list..."I wuv Daddy! I wuv Mommy! Mommy wuv me!" You love to give kisses and hugs, you love to hold hands, you're always checking on people if you think they're sad, and you often request "I want hold you". But, despite being independent and wanting things your way, you also seem to want to be with us all the time and get upset when we're separated. This makes leaving you at daycare or with a babysitter REALLY fun, I tell ya. I finally had to teach you that "Mama always comes back" because you seem to think that might not be the case. And many times, when I see you after a day at school or a night when we've gone out, you exclaim with glee, "Mama come back!"
Physically, you can do almost anything you set your mind on. With an older brother to keep up with, you never want to be left behind. So, you're always running--you've gotten very fast--or dancing, playing, climbing, hopping, or jumping (well, you think you can jump, but you really just crouch down and then stand up really fast). For your birthdays, you and Will got a playset in the backyard. Based on your reaction, you would have thought we built you your own DisneyWorld. You LOVE to swing and get this blissed out look while you're flying through the air. You will swing as long as someone will push you. You call the playset "my own playground" and each morning when you get up, you ask, "I go my own playground?"
In addition to playing outside, you adore playing with baby dolls. It's so funny to see your nurturing side...you are so sweet and gentle to those babies. You love to rock them, give them a bottle, or wrap them up in a blanket. You also love animals--both toys and live animals. You want to pet almost any animal, and again are very gentle, and you had a blast riding a horse recently (twice!). Another favorite toy is your tea set that you got for your birthday. You set it up and will play quietly by yourself...putting the cups in place, stirring the tea, pouring the tea. It's rare to find something that will truly keep you occupied like that! You also love to read books, do stickers, and draw, but when we draw, you always want us to "draw your hand". I guess this is something you do at school, because you always request it. Of course, being the second child, you have access to lots of things that Will never had at your age. You know what the Wii is, you build with Legos, play with cars, and you've even started doing games on the iPad. But without a doubt, the toy that is always the most fun in your eyes is any toy your brother currently has.
Eating is not your strong suit, and lately, neither is sleeping. Like everything else, it's always on your terms. So, you may eat nothing for breakfast, but then go through an entire chicken breast for supper. Of course, they claim you eat fine at school, so maybe you just know that Mama and Daddy are pushovers and will eventually cave. For the most part, you eat pretty healthy foods--at home you're almost a vegetarian (by your own choice)--but you won't eat many things that I consider "toddler staples". You hate pasta, so that rules out mac and cheese or ravioli. You're fickle about chicken nuggets, won't touch a hamburger, and you're not fond of PB&J. However, you love almost all fruit (except you declare pineapple to be "too sour"), black beans, CHEESE, pizza, quesadillas, grilled chicken, hummus, bagels with cream cheese, cereal or granola bars, crackers...and that's about it. Well, except for treats, of course! This is another way that you benefit in being the second child...there is no shortage of popsicles in the house, especially after the hot summer we just had.
As for the sleeping, you just don't seem to need as much sleep as the average toddler. You've just about given up your nap (the recent move to a big-girl bed has really sealed nap's fate), and you often seem just fine without it. I sometimes call you the energizer bunny because I really can't figure out a way to wear you out. You're not bad, you're just beyond energetic. Even when we were at the beach playing, swimming, and running all day long, you still seemed to have energy to spare. By evening you might be dragging a little bit, but you never let on because you never want to miss anything.
And really, most of the time, we don't want you to miss anything either because we don't want to miss time with you. You add such a wonderful (albeit loud) dimension to our family and we love having you around--love hearing your sweet singing and watching your crazy dancing; love getting your perspective on things, since like your brother, you never stop talking; love watching your face light up when you smile; love watching your eyes sparkle while you admire your older brother; love the way you do your own thing, but know when to say "I need help!"; love how you run into my arms after a long day away.
Julia, I am SO proud of you and the person you are becoming. I am thankful for each day I have with you and couldn't love you any more. Thank you for being you and being such a light in our family.
Love,
Mama
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Night, Night, Sleep Tight
She looked so peaceful sound asleep, except for the fact that...
Well, let me back up a bit here. Last week, I was out of town almost all week for work. Zach said the kids were fabulous for him (of course) and he got major props from everyone for being such an amazing dad and taking care of HIS OWN kids while I was gone (of course). Then I returned home on Friday, but Zach had to leave for his work trip on Sunday. Apparently Julia had had enough of this "being good" business and all hell broke loose when I tried to put her to bed on Sunday night. She's always been good about going to bed, but on Sunday she decided to scream like I was cutting off her arm. Luckily, my parents were here and helped deal with Will while I was trying to calm Julia down. Eventually, after over an hour and a half of rocking, comforting, etc. from both me and my mom, Julia finally gave up the fight.
Same scene on Monday night. Except this time, she's added a new trick: climbing out of her crib. She did that once while we were at the beach, but hadn't done it since, so we thought things were fine in that department. Will NEVER climbed out of his crib, so this is new territory for us. So, Monday night...my wonderful parents are here again helping out. I put Julia down, she's screaming, and then we hear a big thud. She had climbed out of the crib and fallen on the ground, luckily unhurt. I comfort her, try to get her to calm down, and then put her back in the crib. Where she climbs out again, this time more skillfully--no thud. I put her back, she climbs out. (Are you seeing a pattern?) Finally, mom rocks her until she is so exhausted she can't fight it anymore, and she stays in bed. (Only to wake up at 12:30, at which point I gave in and brought her to bed with me until she woke up for the day at 5:30. But that's a whole 'nother story.)
Fast forward to tonight. Mom can't come help, so I'm on my own, praying that Julia will shape up. Things are going pretty well, until I try to put her in bed. I put her in her crib, leave the room, and she immediately starts screaming and climbs right out of her crib. Luckily, she can't open the door to her room yet, but I can hear the cries getting closer to the door, so I know she's out of the crib. I decide to take the hard line...no more rocking. I firmly tell her that it's "night night" and put her back in her crib. She climbs out. And repeat. The third time I put her in the bed, I hear her crying, but it doesn't seem to be getting any closer to the door. I figure she must have been tired and stayed in bed, and her crying subsides pretty quickly. Yes! Victory! Now onto getting Will to bed...
Around 8:30, which was about an hour after I put Julia to bed, I go in her room to check on her. Now here's where we pick up from the beginning of this post. She looked so peaceful sound asleep, except for the fact that SHE WAS IN THE CHAIR! Yes, that's right, the last time when I thought she was in bed, thought the cries weren't getting any closer, thought I had won the battle...she had instead snuggled herself in the rocking chair and rocked herself to sleep. This is what we're dealing with around here.
A little while later, I successfully moved her from the chair to her crib without her waking up. We'll see how long that lasts...
Well, let me back up a bit here. Last week, I was out of town almost all week for work. Zach said the kids were fabulous for him (of course) and he got major props from everyone for being such an amazing dad and taking care of HIS OWN kids while I was gone (of course). Then I returned home on Friday, but Zach had to leave for his work trip on Sunday. Apparently Julia had had enough of this "being good" business and all hell broke loose when I tried to put her to bed on Sunday night. She's always been good about going to bed, but on Sunday she decided to scream like I was cutting off her arm. Luckily, my parents were here and helped deal with Will while I was trying to calm Julia down. Eventually, after over an hour and a half of rocking, comforting, etc. from both me and my mom, Julia finally gave up the fight.
Same scene on Monday night. Except this time, she's added a new trick: climbing out of her crib. She did that once while we were at the beach, but hadn't done it since, so we thought things were fine in that department. Will NEVER climbed out of his crib, so this is new territory for us. So, Monday night...my wonderful parents are here again helping out. I put Julia down, she's screaming, and then we hear a big thud. She had climbed out of the crib and fallen on the ground, luckily unhurt. I comfort her, try to get her to calm down, and then put her back in the crib. Where she climbs out again, this time more skillfully--no thud. I put her back, she climbs out. (Are you seeing a pattern?) Finally, mom rocks her until she is so exhausted she can't fight it anymore, and she stays in bed. (Only to wake up at 12:30, at which point I gave in and brought her to bed with me until she woke up for the day at 5:30. But that's a whole 'nother story.)
Fast forward to tonight. Mom can't come help, so I'm on my own, praying that Julia will shape up. Things are going pretty well, until I try to put her in bed. I put her in her crib, leave the room, and she immediately starts screaming and climbs right out of her crib. Luckily, she can't open the door to her room yet, but I can hear the cries getting closer to the door, so I know she's out of the crib. I decide to take the hard line...no more rocking. I firmly tell her that it's "night night" and put her back in her crib. She climbs out. And repeat. The third time I put her in the bed, I hear her crying, but it doesn't seem to be getting any closer to the door. I figure she must have been tired and stayed in bed, and her crying subsides pretty quickly. Yes! Victory! Now onto getting Will to bed...
Around 8:30, which was about an hour after I put Julia to bed, I go in her room to check on her. Now here's where we pick up from the beginning of this post. She looked so peaceful sound asleep, except for the fact that SHE WAS IN THE CHAIR! Yes, that's right, the last time when I thought she was in bed, thought the cries weren't getting any closer, thought I had won the battle...she had instead snuggled herself in the rocking chair and rocked herself to sleep. This is what we're dealing with around here.
A little while later, I successfully moved her from the chair to her crib without her waking up. We'll see how long that lasts...
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Things I Learned on Vacation
In no particular order, here are 15 (yes, 15, that's all I could come up with) things I learned on our vacation. We had a wonderful time. I can't wait to post some pictures once I figure out how to get them off of my new camera (translation: don't hold your breath for those pictures).
1. It is quite possible, in fact, probable, to return home from vacation with more stuff than when you left (especially if grandparents are involved).
2. It's pretty easy to parent when the only items on your agenda for the whole day are 1) run around on the beach and 2) swim at the pool.
3. Will is no longer a boy. He is actually a fish.
4. "Treat" is actually a food group while on vacation.
5. Running around after/with your kids is pretty good exercise. Not good enough to counteract the cocktails and vacation food you ate all week, but pretty good nonetheless.
6. One of the hardest parts of motherhood is conquering your fears so that your children don't inherit your neuroses. So, let's say that you're hypothetically afraid of close contact with sea creatures. Even if you would REALLY rather not, you must still pick up starfish and throw them back in the ocean so that your children can see you do it and want to try it themselves. (Although, Julia really needed no encouragement.)
7. Doing laundry on vacation is not such a bad thing if it means you do not have to do 18 loads of dirty laundry when you get home.
8. Children CAN actually subsist on air and milk for days at a time. I've witnessed this first-hand.
9. Julia does not like bike riding. She much prefers horse riding, but ONLY IF it is the "white pony". Don't you dare try to put her on the brown pony. No, no, NOOOO brown pony. Don't even try it.
10. Two and four are the best ages. I'm looking into ways to keep them this way.
11. I am jealous of Julia's tanning ability. And yes, we put sunscreen on her all the time.
12. Will makes up a lot of games. They all have complex rules that you will never get right. And, all rules favor him.
13. "Vacation" does not mean the same thing to children as it does to adults. For example, "Sit by the pool and read your book" was not on the kids' list of fun vacation things to do.
14. As an addendum to #13, my children don't understand the concept of "sleeping in" on vacation. In fact, they seem to think that you should get up even earlier so that you can fully enjoy all of activites that the day holds.
15. I really like hanging out with my kids. I almost decided that we should all stay at the beach and never come home. The long car rides, the multiple grocery store visits, the packing and unpacking--it was all worth it. This was the perfect vacation.
1. It is quite possible, in fact, probable, to return home from vacation with more stuff than when you left (especially if grandparents are involved).
2. It's pretty easy to parent when the only items on your agenda for the whole day are 1) run around on the beach and 2) swim at the pool.
3. Will is no longer a boy. He is actually a fish.
4. "Treat" is actually a food group while on vacation.
5. Running around after/with your kids is pretty good exercise. Not good enough to counteract the cocktails and vacation food you ate all week, but pretty good nonetheless.
6. One of the hardest parts of motherhood is conquering your fears so that your children don't inherit your neuroses. So, let's say that you're hypothetically afraid of close contact with sea creatures. Even if you would REALLY rather not, you must still pick up starfish and throw them back in the ocean so that your children can see you do it and want to try it themselves. (Although, Julia really needed no encouragement.)
7. Doing laundry on vacation is not such a bad thing if it means you do not have to do 18 loads of dirty laundry when you get home.
8. Children CAN actually subsist on air and milk for days at a time. I've witnessed this first-hand.
9. Julia does not like bike riding. She much prefers horse riding, but ONLY IF it is the "white pony". Don't you dare try to put her on the brown pony. No, no, NOOOO brown pony. Don't even try it.
10. Two and four are the best ages. I'm looking into ways to keep them this way.
11. I am jealous of Julia's tanning ability. And yes, we put sunscreen on her all the time.
12. Will makes up a lot of games. They all have complex rules that you will never get right. And, all rules favor him.
13. "Vacation" does not mean the same thing to children as it does to adults. For example, "Sit by the pool and read your book" was not on the kids' list of fun vacation things to do.
14. As an addendum to #13, my children don't understand the concept of "sleeping in" on vacation. In fact, they seem to think that you should get up even earlier so that you can fully enjoy all of activites that the day holds.
15. I really like hanging out with my kids. I almost decided that we should all stay at the beach and never come home. The long car rides, the multiple grocery store visits, the packing and unpacking--it was all worth it. This was the perfect vacation.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Girlie Thursdays: Be Happy
Carol gave Julia a pink t-shirt that has a picture of a bee and then the word "happy": Be Happy. Julia loves it and constantly asks for her 'be happy' shirt. If one of us says, "Don't Worry," we've taught her to respond with "Be Happy!" And, if she sees anyone who is sad (or pretending to be sad to get her attention...not that I've ever done that), she'll go up to them, pat them on the hand, and say, "Be happy, Bubs (or whoever it is)!"
Don't worry, little girl. It's hard not to be happy with you around.
Don't worry, little girl. It's hard not to be happy with you around.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday Will-isms
I've been saving up a couple of Wednesday Will-isms during my blogging break, so here they are:
One day, Will was playing with something that I didn't want him to mess with...I don't even remember exactly what it was, but it was something small, like paperclips, and I just didn't want him to play with it. I told him, "Will, don't mess with those things."
"Why, Mama? Are they expensive?"
Well, whatever it was was certainly not expensive, and I told him so. "Will, do you know what expensive means?"
"Yes, I do. It means something that is only for grown-ups."
Strangely enough, he's not too far off!
*******************************************
When we went to Ohio, Will immediately took to his older cousin, Henry, who is about eight. Henry was so sweet to Will and very patient with him, and they had a great time playing together. The first night we were there, Margaret (Henry's mom) and I were discussing where everyone would sleep. Will overheard us and piped up with, "I need to sleep in the room with Henry because he's my best friend."
I love how, when you're a child, a best friendship can be formed in four hours and over a mutual love of swing sets and trains.
One day, Will was playing with something that I didn't want him to mess with...I don't even remember exactly what it was, but it was something small, like paperclips, and I just didn't want him to play with it. I told him, "Will, don't mess with those things."
"Why, Mama? Are they expensive?"
Well, whatever it was was certainly not expensive, and I told him so. "Will, do you know what expensive means?"
"Yes, I do. It means something that is only for grown-ups."
Strangely enough, he's not too far off!
*******************************************
When we went to Ohio, Will immediately took to his older cousin, Henry, who is about eight. Henry was so sweet to Will and very patient with him, and they had a great time playing together. The first night we were there, Margaret (Henry's mom) and I were discussing where everyone would sleep. Will overheard us and piped up with, "I need to sleep in the room with Henry because he's my best friend."
I love how, when you're a child, a best friendship can be formed in four hours and over a mutual love of swing sets and trains.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Bad Blogger
I know, I know. I've been a very bad blogger. Time keeps getting away from me, and then I realize that I haven't posted in almost a month. Even though we don't have kids going "back to school" (because they never left), this time of year is just busy. We're trying to squeeze everything we can out the last few days of summer--even though it will be hot until November--and with two end-of-summer birthdays, things get hectic. With Zach traveling for work, the whole family traveling for fun, planning two birthday parties, making two sets of birthday doctor appointments, finishing up swimming lessons, signing up for soccer, trying to convince Will he likes his new school, listening to Julia talk non-stop, hosting our favorite aunt, buying a new camera etc., etc....there just hasn't been time for blogging! But, I have to remind myself, AT LEAST WE'RE NOT MOVING!
Since I have been delinquent, here's a snippet of things that I haven't been blogging about over the past few weeks:
Since I have been delinquent, here's a snippet of things that I haven't been blogging about over the past few weeks:
- A fabulous trip to Columbus, Ohio to visit some of Zach's cousins. Will loved playing with the big kids, Julia had fun taking us on wild-goose chases through their house, we all enjoyed the zoo and the pool, and most importantly, we had a great time catching up with family that we never get to see otherwise. Don't get me wrong, the actual travel to and fro was not my idea of a good time, but it was worth it for the time we were there. (Of course, I took no pictures.)
- A visit from five-months-pregnant Aunt Melanie who came to visit us for 1) our love and affection and 2) all of Will's baby clothes and gear for her baby boy who is due in November. (Or, was it the other way around? Was the gear really the #1 draw to B'ham?) Hooraaay! We loved seeing her, even for a short visit, and can't wait to meet the Willfull nephew/cousin.
- Julia's new found vocabulary. Just like her brother, she does not stop talking. I find myself asking her to "please be quiet, just for a minute". Which, I might as well be talking to a wall for all the good that does. But, I love hearing her chatter (usually), and I love hearing her version of new words, like "bob-boo" for bottom or bottle, "appie juice," "neh-nin" (naked), and "took-ie" (cookie). I also love the way she thinks about things; for example, she really only knows Elmo from Sesame Street, so any other characters are just "Pink Elmo" or "Cookie Elmo". And, she's really starting to communicate well with lots of new phrases, like, "I come?" which she asks anytime I tell her I have to leave the room, to say, go to the bathroom or take a shower or something crazy like that. Or, "I kiss Mama right der." Because, despite her reputation, she is a super-sweet, super-affectionate little girl these days.
- Will's new school. Will moved to Canterbury in the middle of July for a variety of reasons, and we thought it was working out well. When we pick him up each day, he seems to have enjoyed it, and he's making new friends. But, when we drop him off each morning, he acts like we are sending him to the firing squad. The past few days have been really terrible, with lots of sobbing involved (just him, although it almost sends me over the edge, too.) He constantly tells us he doesn't want to go to school, and he's started "acting up" more in general--whining, tantruming, having trouble going to sleep. So, this is a really fun phase! I don't know where it's all stemming from, but I'm hopeful we can see some improvement soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
