I never would've guessed it, but Leon loves helping!
Michael started showing signs of wanting to help last month. Both boys enjoy "helping" with the dishwasher, which typically involves removing dishes to see which ones will shatter when hurled at a ceramic tile floor. (Answer: All of them.) They also like to play with knives to see what we really mean when we shout, "NO! Sharp!" (Yaaaaay boys!) Thankfully, we've only lost two bowls and have no stab injuries from their "helping," and we've mostly learned to only load and unload the dishwasher when they are safely confined to their high chairs or cribs.
However, sometimes we do have to do dishes when the boys are around. I typically load or empty the dishwasher as fast as possible and then slam the door shut. Since I wouldn't let him play with all of the fun things inside the dishwasher, last month Michael started helping me close the dishwasher. It is such fun to watch my lazy little boy must up all his strength to push the door closed. And then he is so proud of himself.
But Leon has wanted none of that. He just gets mad that we aren't letting him play with all of the lovely "toys" inside the dishwasher.
Michael also helps in the bathtub. When I tell him it's time to wash, he digs around for the wash cloth and hands it to me. Although I can't think of any other examples right now (stupid mommy brain!), I know there are other ways that Michael helps. Leon has been a whole other story though.
Last Friday night I was getting ready to give the boys baths, and Leon was following me around whining and asking to be picked up. You know, the usual. I really didn't feel like dealing with him, so I thrust a pair of pajamas at him and barked out something like, "Here are your jammies." Amazingly, the little guy grabbed them with both hands and proudly walked to the bathroom. He knew what to do. At that point I stopped and told him what a good little helper he was. He beamed.
So I decided to try again on Saturday night. Same thing. So now, each night, he helps by carrying his pajamas to the bathroom. The funniest part is since he's helping, he apparently feels he has earned the right to select his pajamas. I will be holding two pairs, one for him and one for Michael, and Leon will inevitably elect to carry the pair that was intended for Michael. Leon wants to make sure he gets the "good" jammies.
Leon also helped Jeff over the weekend. We were getting ready to go to the grocery store, and the boys' shoes and socks were piled on the living room floor. I think it started with Leon bringing Jeff a shoe. So Jeff told him to go get another one, and he did. After getting all four shoes, Jeff told Leon to go get the socks. And he did, proudly carrying a pair of socks in each hand.
I know this all normal toddler behavior, but Leon spends so much time apparently staring off blankly, that it's amazing to discover that he is in fact observing what's going on around him and processing. And he's willing to help! If only he would be this helpful in 14 or 15 years...
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
False Advertising
Our first winter in Wilmington, the temperature only dipped below freezing on about three mornings. I proudly told people that this was why my husband wanted to move south. Last winter is a complete blur, but I know there were more than three mornings below freezing. And from what I hear, it normally only snows every other winter here, but we actually got two snows with accumulation last year. Crazy!
And then there is this winter. Holy cow, it's like real winter! Which, to be quite honest, I am mostly enjoying. We've had numerous days where our highs have stayed in the 40s, and a few days with highs in the 30s. I've been able to wear sweaters that have been in storage since we left Ohio. (Granted, they are mostly out of style, and they look a little odd on my body post babies, but let me just enjoy the itchiness of the wool! It's given me a whole "new" wardrobe! It is such fun! I am such a dork!) And there is something wonderful about a warm, cozy bed piled with blankets. I love snuggling down, even when I know that at any second I will have to respond to the screech of one of my offspring. There's always the hope that THIS will be the night EVERYONE sleeps through the night. It could happen...
Last Friday's forecast called for rain turning to snow over night with accumulation of 1 - 4 inches. I wrote off the forecast figuring I would believe it when I saw it. Apparently most people took it seriously. I had the misfortune of being in Walmart on Friday afternoon attempting to do a regular shopping while everyone else was preparing for the apocolypse. And Valentine's Day. It was...an experience. Thankfully, the kids weren't with me, so I navigated as best as I could, stuck to my weirdo organic products that were in stock, and caught up on my check out line reading. Did you know that Brad and Angelina are back together this week and trying to make more babies after just last week they were apparently broken up and he was trying to get back with Jennifer? Crazy stuff, I tell you.
The temperature dropped and dropped on Friday, and it was actually below freezing when the precipitation started. Shortly after tucking in the kids for bed, Jeff called me to the back door. We looked out, and our backyard was covered in white.
It actually snowed all night, and this is what we found on our back porch in the morning.
The rest of the back yard. It's hard to believe we're only a couple of miles from the beach!
Of course we had to take the kids out to play in it. I am fairly certain we spent more time bundling the kids than we did playing in the snow. After hating it last year, Ree did like the snow this year. The snow was perfect for packing, and she discovered she could make snowballs. And she threw one at Leon's head. Fortunately, he thought it was hilarious. (He always has been odd like that. He must have fond memories of Michael beating him up in utero.)
Jeff and I both assumed Michael would love the snow and Leon would want to be held, but it turned out that Leon was much braver. Michael spent the entire experience sitting, mostly on a blanket. It didn't help that with their heavy winter coats on, both boys looked like Ralphie's little brother Randy from A Christmas Story. Their arms pretty much went straight out sideways in the shape of "T"s. After sitting on the blanket for awhile, Leon got brave, touched the snow, then crawled off the blanket to explore it more. (He had already discovered that he could not walk in snow up to his knees.) Unfortunately, he suddenly found himself in an untouched patch of snow which was 4 or 5 inches deep, and he panicked. He had no idea how to get back to the safety of the blanket island. At that point everyone was about done in the snow, so we headed back inside. We made Ree hot chocolate which she loved, as soon as it was nice and cold.
Less than an hour later, Jeff noticed the sky clearing, and we ended up having a beautiful day, punctuated by the constant sounds of dripping snow.
We still had some snow on Sunday morning, but by last night, it was almost all gone. And today I walked across campus for a work meeting wearing just a t-shirt and blazer. The snow was wonderful, but I'm pretty sure that's the weather I was promised when we moved here.
And then there is this winter. Holy cow, it's like real winter! Which, to be quite honest, I am mostly enjoying. We've had numerous days where our highs have stayed in the 40s, and a few days with highs in the 30s. I've been able to wear sweaters that have been in storage since we left Ohio. (Granted, they are mostly out of style, and they look a little odd on my body post babies, but let me just enjoy the itchiness of the wool! It's given me a whole "new" wardrobe! It is such fun! I am such a dork!) And there is something wonderful about a warm, cozy bed piled with blankets. I love snuggling down, even when I know that at any second I will have to respond to the screech of one of my offspring. There's always the hope that THIS will be the night EVERYONE sleeps through the night. It could happen...
Last Friday's forecast called for rain turning to snow over night with accumulation of 1 - 4 inches. I wrote off the forecast figuring I would believe it when I saw it. Apparently most people took it seriously. I had the misfortune of being in Walmart on Friday afternoon attempting to do a regular shopping while everyone else was preparing for the apocolypse. And Valentine's Day. It was...an experience. Thankfully, the kids weren't with me, so I navigated as best as I could, stuck to my weirdo organic products that were in stock, and caught up on my check out line reading. Did you know that Brad and Angelina are back together this week and trying to make more babies after just last week they were apparently broken up and he was trying to get back with Jennifer? Crazy stuff, I tell you.
The temperature dropped and dropped on Friday, and it was actually below freezing when the precipitation started. Shortly after tucking in the kids for bed, Jeff called me to the back door. We looked out, and our backyard was covered in white.
It actually snowed all night, and this is what we found on our back porch in the morning.
The rest of the back yard. It's hard to believe we're only a couple of miles from the beach!
Of course we had to take the kids out to play in it. I am fairly certain we spent more time bundling the kids than we did playing in the snow. After hating it last year, Ree did like the snow this year. The snow was perfect for packing, and she discovered she could make snowballs. And she threw one at Leon's head. Fortunately, he thought it was hilarious. (He always has been odd like that. He must have fond memories of Michael beating him up in utero.)
Jeff and I both assumed Michael would love the snow and Leon would want to be held, but it turned out that Leon was much braver. Michael spent the entire experience sitting, mostly on a blanket. It didn't help that with their heavy winter coats on, both boys looked like Ralphie's little brother Randy from A Christmas Story. Their arms pretty much went straight out sideways in the shape of "T"s. After sitting on the blanket for awhile, Leon got brave, touched the snow, then crawled off the blanket to explore it more. (He had already discovered that he could not walk in snow up to his knees.) Unfortunately, he suddenly found himself in an untouched patch of snow which was 4 or 5 inches deep, and he panicked. He had no idea how to get back to the safety of the blanket island. At that point everyone was about done in the snow, so we headed back inside. We made Ree hot chocolate which she loved, as soon as it was nice and cold.
Less than an hour later, Jeff noticed the sky clearing, and we ended up having a beautiful day, punctuated by the constant sounds of dripping snow.
We still had some snow on Sunday morning, but by last night, it was almost all gone. And today I walked across campus for a work meeting wearing just a t-shirt and blazer. The snow was wonderful, but I'm pretty sure that's the weather I was promised when we moved here.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
One Problem, Two Solutions
So that she could sleep today, Jeff turned off ALL of the noisy toys in our house. That alone must've taken a good chunk of the day.
Upon finding a favorite toy turned off, Michael analyzed the situation. He tried each switch and lever. No luck. He muttered to himself trying to figure out why it wasn't working. He then systematically tried each switch and lever again. When that failed, he crawled off in search of something else to do.
It wasn't long before Leon came across the same toy. Leon too discovered it was off. So Leon forcibly hit each switch and lever. No luck. So Leon yelled at it. No luck. So then Leon threw a book at it. He'll show that toy whose boss!
At least they approach TV the same way. As close as possible.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
New Words
Ree's vocabulary is expanding like mad. This is partially due to a feature on Sesame Street called Word on the Street in which you see how many times they can use a word in a single episode. (Jeff and I frequently have flashbacks to Peewee's Playhouse, and we have to stifle our urges to scream and jump around every time we hear the word of the day.) The Word on the Street has taught Ree how to properly use words like environment, camouflage, and scrumptious. This is good.
It's also partly due to her voracious (look at that big word!) appetite for books, which is also good.
And it's partly due to her listening to others. For instance, Jeff, Ree, and I were standing in the backyard, trying to determine the best location to plant a garden. She suggested a spot by the fence because "the grass looks crappy." Oops. Maybe learning from us is bad.
But whether good or bad, with so many words being processed, wires occasionally get crossed. After months of calling it "hairpoo" Ree has actually started referring to the stuff you use to clean your hair as "shampoo." I have to admit, this makes me a little sad. Hairpoo was just so darn cute. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of other interesting phrases she uses.
You know that game you play at Chuck E. Cheese where little rodents pop up and you bash them on the head? (And why do we deem this appropriate for children???) Most of us know this game as Whack-a-Mole, but to Ree, it is "guac-a-mole."
And that toy where you crank the handle and a clown pops up? Most of us call it a Jack-in-the-box. To Ree, it is a "Jack-in-the-lantern."
But my current favorite new phrase came while she was singing last night. She busted out "Home on the Range," which is apparently where the "deer and the cantaloupe play." I can't help but have a mental picture of a buck goring cantaloupe with his antlers. But maybe that's just me.
It's also partly due to her voracious (look at that big word!) appetite for books, which is also good.
And it's partly due to her listening to others. For instance, Jeff, Ree, and I were standing in the backyard, trying to determine the best location to plant a garden. She suggested a spot by the fence because "the grass looks crappy." Oops. Maybe learning from us is bad.
But whether good or bad, with so many words being processed, wires occasionally get crossed. After months of calling it "hairpoo" Ree has actually started referring to the stuff you use to clean your hair as "shampoo." I have to admit, this makes me a little sad. Hairpoo was just so darn cute. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of other interesting phrases she uses.
You know that game you play at Chuck E. Cheese where little rodents pop up and you bash them on the head? (And why do we deem this appropriate for children???) Most of us know this game as Whack-a-Mole, but to Ree, it is "guac-a-mole."
And that toy where you crank the handle and a clown pops up? Most of us call it a Jack-in-the-box. To Ree, it is a "Jack-in-the-lantern."
But my current favorite new phrase came while she was singing last night. She busted out "Home on the Range," which is apparently where the "deer and the cantaloupe play." I can't help but have a mental picture of a buck goring cantaloupe with his antlers. But maybe that's just me.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Still Crazy After All These Years
My brain is just not working right.
Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I went to get a new can of formula from the pantry because the one on the counter was almost empty. There wasn't another can. Crap. Leon is off bottles, but Michael still drinks them before naps and for breakfast. Jeff was already asleep. I tried to figure out how to get them formula and finally decided I would run to Target on my lunch break. Not that big of a deal, but I was looking forward to a week where I didn't have to change my work schedule to accommodate a doctor's appointment or to run errands. (I only take a half hour lunch, so everything disrupts that schedule!) Plus, this contributed to my insomnia.
For the past few weeks, I have been completely unable to fall asleep. My mind just races. This is weird for me. Even when I've had insomnia before, my trouble has always been staying asleep. I've also passed out just fine, and then my brain has loved staying awake from 1:00 - 5:00 a.m. This is different.
So that's where I was last night. I tried going to sleep at 10:45. Laid there. At least the bed was really comfy because I had finally remembered to get our winter blanket and down comforter out of Ree's closet and put them on the bed. (Yeah, I know, the really cold weather should all be behind us now. Oh well. Better later than never!) At 11:20, Leon woke up screaming. I have no idea what was wrong. I don't know if he's old enough to have nightmares yet, but that's definitely what he was acting like. Totally freaked out. It actually took me a few minutes to fully wake him so I could try to calm him back down. He was shaking and just yelling, "Mom! Mom! Mom!" which is especially weird, since he normally calls me "Emma." I can't help but wonder if the little guy is gonna have night terrors. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I got Leon settled back down and headed back to bed myself. Laid in bed some more. At midnight, Ree woke up totally disoriented. She's sick, and she asked to go to bed at 5:00 p.m. to take a nap. Around 5:30, she passed out with lights on, radio blaring, the boys and dogs being themselves, and the usual evening chaos. I tried to wake her at 6:00. She didn't even stir when I said her name. Tried again around 8:30, again, no movement. We decided to just let her sleep, hoping she would sleep through the night. No such luck. She was wide awake at midnight, after 6.5 hours of sleep. I reset her several times, but she was awake in bed until at least 3:30. At that point I headed back to my bed (I had been laying on the floor in her room) and passed out. When Leon woke up at 5:15 for breakfast, she was asleep.
I decided that since I was pretty much up until 3:30, and I needed to go to the store, I would flip-flop my schedule and work a half day today and a full day on Friday. That way I could take a nap this afternoon and buy more formula on my way home from work. I also decided to sleep in til 7:00, even though I usually get up at 6:30.
Max had other plans. At 6:27 he started whining to go out, waking both me and Jeff. Jeff yelled at him to go lay down, and while Max totally ignores me, he actually listens to Jeff. I snuggled back down in bed, but quickly realized that I was wide awake, and the kids were asleep, so at 6:35, I gave up and got up hoping to get ready early and sneak out the door without anyone waking up. Since Jeff was awake, as I was leaving, I told Jeff about Ree's being up and the lack of formula.
That's when Jeff looked at me like I was crazy. He said there was a full can of formula on the counter. I told him, nope, it was empty. He said that wasn't possible. We went back and forth until he finally got up, checked the can of formula himself, and proclaimed it full. What???? So apparently, I haven't actually made a bottle since Michael ate breakfast at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Jeff had subsequently replaced the empty can with a new one. And it never occurred to me to pick up the can and check it myself. Damn. Brain just not working.
Thankfully, I have a backup brain in the form of a three-year-old little girl. She's the little mother hen that takes over when my brain goes on the brink. As I was giving the boys a bath tonight, she came in, snotty nose and all, to supervise. (The child is now refusing to blow her nose. It hurts her ears. So she just continuously wipes the nasal drip. It's...different.) I was sitting next to the tub flipping through a magazine when she walked in. I looked up to talk to her. Before I could even process what was going on in the tub, I heard her say, "Leon, sit down! We sit in the tub!" and then as he sat she said, "Thank you. That's better!" I thanked her, reminded her to leave the parenting to me, and decided to actually pay attention to the boys. That's when she decided to busy herself cleaning the bathroom floor. Again, before I knew what was going on, she said, "Mommy, I put your magazine on the counter, " and it was waaaay back on the counter, "so that Leon and Michael wouldn't get it." I thanked her for her services. What else could I do?
Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I went to get a new can of formula from the pantry because the one on the counter was almost empty. There wasn't another can. Crap. Leon is off bottles, but Michael still drinks them before naps and for breakfast. Jeff was already asleep. I tried to figure out how to get them formula and finally decided I would run to Target on my lunch break. Not that big of a deal, but I was looking forward to a week where I didn't have to change my work schedule to accommodate a doctor's appointment or to run errands. (I only take a half hour lunch, so everything disrupts that schedule!) Plus, this contributed to my insomnia.
For the past few weeks, I have been completely unable to fall asleep. My mind just races. This is weird for me. Even when I've had insomnia before, my trouble has always been staying asleep. I've also passed out just fine, and then my brain has loved staying awake from 1:00 - 5:00 a.m. This is different.
So that's where I was last night. I tried going to sleep at 10:45. Laid there. At least the bed was really comfy because I had finally remembered to get our winter blanket and down comforter out of Ree's closet and put them on the bed. (Yeah, I know, the really cold weather should all be behind us now. Oh well. Better later than never!) At 11:20, Leon woke up screaming. I have no idea what was wrong. I don't know if he's old enough to have nightmares yet, but that's definitely what he was acting like. Totally freaked out. It actually took me a few minutes to fully wake him so I could try to calm him back down. He was shaking and just yelling, "Mom! Mom! Mom!" which is especially weird, since he normally calls me "Emma." I can't help but wonder if the little guy is gonna have night terrors. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I got Leon settled back down and headed back to bed myself. Laid in bed some more. At midnight, Ree woke up totally disoriented. She's sick, and she asked to go to bed at 5:00 p.m. to take a nap. Around 5:30, she passed out with lights on, radio blaring, the boys and dogs being themselves, and the usual evening chaos. I tried to wake her at 6:00. She didn't even stir when I said her name. Tried again around 8:30, again, no movement. We decided to just let her sleep, hoping she would sleep through the night. No such luck. She was wide awake at midnight, after 6.5 hours of sleep. I reset her several times, but she was awake in bed until at least 3:30. At that point I headed back to my bed (I had been laying on the floor in her room) and passed out. When Leon woke up at 5:15 for breakfast, she was asleep.
I decided that since I was pretty much up until 3:30, and I needed to go to the store, I would flip-flop my schedule and work a half day today and a full day on Friday. That way I could take a nap this afternoon and buy more formula on my way home from work. I also decided to sleep in til 7:00, even though I usually get up at 6:30.
Max had other plans. At 6:27 he started whining to go out, waking both me and Jeff. Jeff yelled at him to go lay down, and while Max totally ignores me, he actually listens to Jeff. I snuggled back down in bed, but quickly realized that I was wide awake, and the kids were asleep, so at 6:35, I gave up and got up hoping to get ready early and sneak out the door without anyone waking up. Since Jeff was awake, as I was leaving, I told Jeff about Ree's being up and the lack of formula.
That's when Jeff looked at me like I was crazy. He said there was a full can of formula on the counter. I told him, nope, it was empty. He said that wasn't possible. We went back and forth until he finally got up, checked the can of formula himself, and proclaimed it full. What???? So apparently, I haven't actually made a bottle since Michael ate breakfast at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Jeff had subsequently replaced the empty can with a new one. And it never occurred to me to pick up the can and check it myself. Damn. Brain just not working.
Thankfully, I have a backup brain in the form of a three-year-old little girl. She's the little mother hen that takes over when my brain goes on the brink. As I was giving the boys a bath tonight, she came in, snotty nose and all, to supervise. (The child is now refusing to blow her nose. It hurts her ears. So she just continuously wipes the nasal drip. It's...different.) I was sitting next to the tub flipping through a magazine when she walked in. I looked up to talk to her. Before I could even process what was going on in the tub, I heard her say, "Leon, sit down! We sit in the tub!" and then as he sat she said, "Thank you. That's better!" I thanked her, reminded her to leave the parenting to me, and decided to actually pay attention to the boys. That's when she decided to busy herself cleaning the bathroom floor. Again, before I knew what was going on, she said, "Mommy, I put your magazine on the counter, " and it was waaaay back on the counter, "so that Leon and Michael wouldn't get it." I thanked her for her services. What else could I do?
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