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    Footprints

    September 24th, 2011

    Another set. I was impressed that I didn’t even have to prep G for it this year. He knew exactly what we were going to do and was pretty excited about it. I doubt it’s just from remembering from last year. He said they do footprints at school a lot. Either way, good news for me, because it makes this project easier.

    Definitely a lot more surface area to cover this year. I’m gonna need a bigger ink-pad 🙂


    The physics of frisbee

    September 24th, 2011

    S and I just got a lesson in aerodynamics from 3yr old G, trying to explain to us how frisbies work. I didn’t understand anything (in his babble) except the end when he finished with “it goes far.” Aaah! Just like physics class.


    Foto Friday

    September 22nd, 2011

    Happy boy! (A frequent walking view these days)

    Not so happy boy. (Because I want to remember this face too)

    Talk about working with someone looking over your shoulder. G’s just primed for upper-level management 🙂


    Quiet time

    September 21st, 2011

    We had two very successful quiet time experiments this week w/ G. On Sat. he didn’t want to nap, so he was to stay in his room for an hour. And he did. Quietly read his books. Hooray!

    On Sunday, after pissing S off, he stayed in his room for another quiet time, since clearly there was no nap to be had with dad around. But after about 10-15 minutes his room got really, really quiet. Anyone that knows my child should by now know that complete and utter silence is rarely a good thing, so I peaked in his room. Much to my surprise, I saw this:

    That’s right. G had curled up in the rocker, with a few of his friends, and fell asleep.

    So of course, I did what any insane mom would do: I hopped over his gate, camera swinging around my neck and took pictures. He slept through the shutter going off too.

    Why not the bed? Probably because it was occupied by the rest of his friends.

    He was out for easily two hours that day. Either way, more of this please!!!


    The new world order

    September 21st, 2011

    You know what sucks? Tantrums. You know what sucks even more? Tantrums right before dinner. Or during dinner. Why? Because getting a cooperative kid eating, even when their favorite food is sitting at the table, just doesn’t happen when you have to put them in a timeout for hitting (during said tantrum).

    I’m SO over it. Done!!!

    I’ve been paranoid about G’s food consumption because he’s small and had given us a hard time about eating since he was an infant. However, I now realize that succumbing to his picky-ness just so that he would eat ‘something’ is not helping any of us out. It’s not enriching his palate, he’s not getting his nutritional needs met (when I offer him oatmeal 3 nights in a row to appease him), and his food consumption isn’t much different if he eats a miniscule sample of his requested item vs. what the rest of us eat. S and I not in control of our house at mealtime.

    And I’m done with it.

    So… new rules: food is placed on table. You are given a heads up it’s about to be served. You are given a notification when it is served. You are either there to eat it or you’re not. There are no special invitations or pleads. There are no special meals (unless you are under 18m, due to illness have different needs, or we are dining out). At a friend’s home, kids will eat what is prepared for kids, if done special. When the adults are done eating, and the baby is fed all plates leave the table, finished or unfinished. Exceptions are made if someone is still actively eating. Leaving the dining room table to return to play constitutes as being done with dinner. Treats (including toddler rice husk crackers) are available only after meal-time to those who have sufficiently eaten. Puffs are negotiable. Milk and water are the only things available on demand at any desired quantity. Past plates being taken away, meal-time concludes and there will be no make up meals until the next formal dining period. Snacks in between meals are just that. They will be provided only in snack-sized quantities.

    That’s it! Yes, I’m writing this angry, and I may make some revisions as necessary, but this is it. Pre-schoolers will not rule meal-time!!!

     

    … now… let’s see how long this lasts


    Stranger Danger

    September 20th, 2011

    This week daycare is talking about stranger danger. It was something I’m curious about because I wonder if Shane and I set a bad precedent to the kids if we engage people we don’t know in conversation while out. So yesterday I asked Ms. J how they are handling the talk and if there’s anything special they’d like us to enforce at home. G hears this and immediately interrupts:

    G: We already talk about Stranger Danger!!!
    Me: You did?
    G: Yeah!
    Me: Great! Are you supposed to talk to strangers?
    G: No!
    Me: And who is a stranger?
    G: Nobody.
    Me: Nobody is a stranger? Than that means you can talk to anyone.

    Hmn… lesson lost. Clearly we have some work to do here.


    Foto Friday

    September 8th, 2011

    This week’s Foto Friday is brought to you by Kelly M Photography. Kelly took photos for G’s 3rd birthday, and S2’s 9m. They were taken at a secret photo location I scoped out a few months ago. I was saving it for S2’s 1st birthday pics, but I was quite frankly at a draw for what to do for this session. I’m super thrilled we did it now though, because the weather was perfect for that spot, and the pictures came out great. Thank you, Kelly!


    Backseat driver

    September 8th, 2011

    My father would be proud, for at the tender age of 3, G is well on his way of mastering the art of back-seat driving. Ever since we turned G’s seat around his skills of observation have extended themselves to ‘helpful’ driving suggestions.
    For example, he likes to tell you when the light turns green, and insists that you “GO!!!!”… even if it’s not your light. He also likes to tell you where to turn (and gets mad when you don’t)… even if the direction he insist you go is the opposite way.

    I think someone needs his very own backseat driver’s license.

    I’m pretty sure that the smart parents keep their kids facing backward, not just for the impact safety aspect: it’s for their preservation from driving (no pun intended) mom and dad crazy.


    Can I just get ONE puke-free day?

    September 4th, 2011

    I effin’ hate reflux! Every morning without fail Storm spits up. Big time. He’s perfectly happy about and it doesn’t seem to bother him any, but I end up playing “Dodge the baby-puke”.

    It’ll be one thing if he did it after a certain time of eating. Then I can predict it. Instead (and by no fault of his own) S2 spits up right after eating, or right after being dressed, or right after I get dressed, or as I buckle him in the car. The other day I didn’t even bother getting a shirt on for work. I just threw it in my purse and walked out in my pajamas. Just in case.

    G had to stay on his meds until he was 2. I was hoping we were going to do better with S2 and start weaning at one. Not increase instead. Arg!

    I also know that we are lucky in regard to this condition. S’ sister’s family had it SO much worse. Still… cleaning up after a trail of baby doesn’t feel so lucky.

    Oh and for the record, S2 re-enacted the Exorcist scene twice today. I wore it both times :-*


    Foto Friday

    September 1st, 2011

    This is a big one (mostly ‘cuz I’ve slacked and I have a big back-log on my phone)

    Speedy McGriff

    He’s a determined biker

    How to eat a cup-cake:

    Presiding over his first conference

    Chef and Sous-Chef

    Trouble

    Real men wear tights.

    If only he was just a liiitle bit taller…

    Someone army crawled right out of his pants:

    It’s SO hard not to want to cuddle this each night

    Wait…. is this baby jail?

    Chubby thighs