Posted Monday, November 17, 2008 1:15 PM
William: Dada, when I was in Mama's tummy, where was baby Ellen?
Eric: She was in there too. She was just really small. You got big and came out, and then she got big and came out.
William: Are there any more babies in Mama's tummy?
Eric: No.
William: I didn't think so.
Posted Monday, October 27, 2008 4:31 PM
Will: Let's play Mighter Fighters.
Mama: Okay.
Live Wire (Will in a gruff voice): Hello. How are you?
Skull Face (Mama in a gruff voice): Good. How are you?
Live Wire: Good. Here's a book to stand on.
Skull Face: Thank you.
Live Wire: You're welcome. Let's talk about Wednesday.
Posted Thursday, October 23, 2008 1:40 PM
Just thought I would give you a quick rundown of our day so far... there's really no such thing as a "typical" day, but I wanted to record this one to laugh at later.
7:15 Ellen wakes up. Only woke once to eat during the night - yay Ellen!
7:30 You wake up. Only woke once to yell something about commercials during the night.
8:00 Dada goes to work. Ellen is dressed and already getting tired. You and I are still in pjs.
8:15 Ellen falls asleep in her swing. I get you diapered and dressed and get myself dressed, and both of us eat some cereal for breakfast.
8:30-9 You play on my laptop on the Fisher Price website, which tends to lead you from games to product pages.
9:00 I call your playdate's mom to let her know that you seem to be getting a cold, but that they are still more than welcome to come over. Other mom cancels playdate and encourages me not to bring you to preschool tomorrow with a cold. Thanks.
9:15 Ellen wakes up and I feed her; then I halfheartedly pay attention to each of you as you both let me know you would prefer to have my full attention.
9:58 Ellen is getting tired. I realize that there's a story time at the library at 10:15 so I get you socked and shoed and go looking for my shoes (although you are adamant I not wear shoes today).
10:05 You decide to bring your new ModiFighter, Live Wire, with us to the library for story time. I am not enthused but allow you to put Live Wire into a bag.
10:10 You manage to get the knob off your drawer of movies, as you are trying to pick out a movie to watch during the 2-minute drive to the library. I fix the drawer and you select "Elmo's Magic Cookbook."
10:13 We get into the car. I realize that Live Wire is still inside but say nothing. Ellen, per usual when in her carseat, is sobbing like her heart is breaking.
10:15 We arrive at the library just as the intro to your movie is ending. Ellen is still crying. I get Ellen into her stoller and get you out of your carseat and we trundle to the door of the library.
10:16 As I am reaching for the library door, you realize that we do not have Live Wire. Meltdown ensues. Both my children are now sobbing as if their hearts are breaking. Faced with either going to story time without Live Wire or just going home, we decide to go to McDonalds to try out the indoor playground.
10:25 We arrive at McDonalds. Ellen has just fallen asleep but our arrival wakes her up, so she can resume her wailing.
10:27 You are deshoed and into the little playscape. I am holding Ellen and bopping her around to get her back asleep.
10:27:30 You are stuck in the playscape and need me to drag you out, so I place Ellen in her carseat (guess what she does then!).
10:29 You are back in the playscape, Ellen falls asleep in my arms.
10:32 You manage to get back out by yourself. I gingerly place Ellen back in the carseat and Hallelujiah, she stays asleep. To celebrate I buy you a chocolate chip cookie and me a medium Coke. Then I buy you a milk. We spend until 11:00 hanging out at McDonalds.
11:02 I strap Ellen into her carseat and she stays asleep. Things are looking good.
11:03 You see the HotWheels display by the door (how did we miss that coming in?) and start to freak a little. You are amazingly easy to distract this time and out we go.
11:04 An ambulance goes by and wakes Ellen as I am strapping you into your seat. Commence sobbing.
11:15 We return home, I feed Ellen (who at this point I fear is about to lose a limb from pure grief) and the computer comes back out to entertain you.
11:45 I put Ellen down for a nap (unsuccessfully) and call the guy I backed into last week... then call the insurance company.
12:00 I put Ellen in her swing and she finally falls asleep.
1:00 I talk you into eating a floppy waffle and banana.
1:20 you bite my finger and I bop you on the head in surprise.
1:30 I bring you upstairs for your nap and you decide you'd rather sleep on the wooden trunk on the end of you bed than IN your bed for your nap. I walk out.
1:41 I start this entry.
1:42 You call me upstairs, as there is one of those flat bugs in your room. I get the bug and you and I go outside to release it. You return to your trunk.
2:07 Right this minute, you are still awake and I think you are yelling for me. But look, I have survived 26 minutes since starting this entry!
I love you. Really, I do.
Posted Friday, September 26, 2008 3:39 PM
Hi baby!
Well you are napping after your eighth day of preschool, and it is going well! You are still getting used to me dropping you off and walking away, but Mrs. Nagy says you're having a lot of fun while you're there. It is interesting trying to get you to tell us about your day - you are there for three hours, SOMETHING must happen! - but overall you are enjoying yourself. Last Friday you were "star of the day" and brought in banana cookies for snack. Originally you had wanted to bring in blueberry muffins, but when you decided that you only wanted to bring in ONE blueberry muffin, so that you could have one and the other kids couldn't, we nixed that idea. Sharing is not your strong suit right now.
You are the ringbearer in Page's wedding tomorrow night and you are VERY excited. You'll wear a little black suit and walk down the aisle. I am pretty sure you won't freak out, but hey, you never know! Tonight is the rehearsal dinner at the Christmans' and I am a bit worried by the fact that you won't have Grandpa Lew all to yourself... and that you're expecting a car in the car cabinet, when really this evening isn't about you (for the first time ever).
My parents are on their way and hopefully will be here in about 45 minutes - they'll be staying with us through Monday, which is always nice!
Right now you are full-on into Wow Wow Wubbzy again, after a loooong obsession with Max and Ruby and fleeting interest in Little Einsteins. You have also mastered using a computer mouse, which opens up the huge world of self-guided online activity. You started off sticking to the Hot Wheels website, but now like the Noggin website. I welcomed this change at first, as Noggin games are at least somewhat mind-involving (unlike games like "Pickup Panic") but then you discovered that the Noggin website has VIDEOS. So you'll go online and watch TV. Sigh. We should try the Sesame Street website again, that was a favorite way back when.
I love you!!!
Posted Wednesday, September 10, 2008 10:25 AM
Hi!
Well you are at your first day of preschool at Trinity Preschool of Berwyn with your teacher, Mrs. Nagy, and thirteen other three year olds. You have been so excited and I am so hoping that you're having a great time! You were pretty happy when I dropped you off, except that you weren't in the same classroom that you were in for our "meet and greet" with Mrs. Nagy on Monday. That was a concern for you. But you were really doing fine (unlike some other kids who were quite upset) so I hope you're hanging in there!
It will be interesting as we move through your first year of "school" and to some extent we get to know you as a "student" and me as a "mother" - since I am a teacher myself I have always been intrigued by what kind of mom I would be when you made it to school. And now I know I'm the kind of mom who forgets to send your backup change of clothes on the first day. :)
This morning you came into our room and climbed into bed, and said "I was dreaming about preschool. I was thinking about what snack I should bring when I'm Star of the Day." So far we've thought of blueberry muffins, banana cookies and chewy gooeys. I'm not so sure on the chewy gooeys but the other ideas are great!
You're such a big boy and my baby and I am so proud of you!
Posted Thursday, August 28, 2008 2:36 PM
Hi my baby.
Well it's the end of August now, and upon rereading my "Perfect Storm" post from weeks ago, I have to say that things are pretty good. Ellen was born 7/30 - she'll be a month old in two days! - and she is a good baby. She LOVES to sleep, but like you, is not so hot at getting there sometimes. But that's okay. She is starting to smile a little bit, which is nice, as otherwise she is mostly a floppy ball who is either sleeping (so I have to tell you to stay quiet) and is not good for squeezing (which takes some reminders to be gentle). Overall you are dealing well with the new reality that my life now has two centers, you and your sister. It is tough on both of us sometimes but it will only get easier as she gets 1) more social and 2) more conscious.
The bathrooms are done, at least from the builder's perspective; since Dada is doing the painting, the painting isn't finished, and since the trim isn't painted in the hall bath, there's no window shade and the shower curtain isn't up yet. But overall they are done and we live here now without Oliver, John or other random workers.
Preschool is about two weeks away. You got a letter in the mail the other day from Mrs. Nagy, your teacher, and you and dada have read it many times. You are looking forward to preschool, and we've decided to lay off the potty training a bit. You know that you have to use the potty there, and you say you will, so at this point we'll leave it at that. We have found with you that whenever you have control of an aspect of your life - be it sleep, eating or now the potty - you tend to be inflexible. So we'll let this ride for a while more. When they start calling me to come to preschool to change your diaper, then we'll have to talk.
And speaking of sleep, things got better with sticker bribes, so that was good. But now it's bad again, really bad, as you rattle off lists of needs and concerns and turn on the (LOUD) waterworks at any mention of sleep, bedtime, etc. Last night was pretty terrible and tonight we have to have a talk before bed to avoid the crying, timeouts, yelling, pajama changing, potty practicing, sippy switching, et cetera that went on last night. You seemed interested in a sticker after this nap, and you went down without TOO much manipulation, so I guess you can have a sticker.
School is starting and it feels strange to be home. Honestly it feels a little scary. I know things will get easier - and right now, when you're both asleep, I can catch my breath - but the idea of a whole year at home is overwhelming. But I know each week will be easier than the previous week, and you and Ellen will start to entertain each other, and Ellen (and you) will start to sleep through the night. I know these things will happen because you got bigger, so Ellen will get bigger too.
I love you my Magoo.
Posted Tuesday, July 15, 2008 3:45 PM
You, just after your nap: Did I have good dreams?
Me: Yes, I think you did! What did you dream about?
You: Oh, I dreamt about you.
Me: I dream about you a lot too. What were we doing? Were we home or were we out?
You: We were at Ah-pa Lew's house. (pointing to your diaper) I think this is quite wet now.
Me: (laughing) Do you want me to put you in a dry diaper?
You: No, I think it's okay. It's okay for right now.
Posted Tuesday, July 15, 2008 3:06 PM
Hi!
Before I get into the meat of this post, I will say that you had a great birthday party this weekend with Dada's family... Page and Jim, Lindsey and Mike and Ah-Pa Lew and Grandma Sue all came over. We opened LOTS more presents including a Lightning McQueen toy with interchangeable parts including MONSTER TRUCK wheels, and some Geo Trax stuff, which came with a movie that you have watched about a dozen times in the last 48 hours. You had a Lightning McQueen ice cream cake and had us sing you "Happy Birthday" twice - once before you blew out your candles and once after. So now you are officially three!
The title of this post refers to the events that we have coming up and the reality of our life right now. Of course, the true reality of our life is that we are all happy and healthy, have enough money and food and a roof over our heads. So the big stuff is covered.
It's the little stuff that's freaking me out right now. Your baby sister will be here pretty much any day (I am 38 weeks pregnant today) and I know that will turn everything upside down. Our upstairs hall bathroom is ripped down to the studs and I have no idea when it will be finished, but there are workmen walking in and out of the house all day; we've been spending our lunch- and naptimes at your grandparents. You are not interested in potty training, but it is required for your preschool that starts in about six weeks. And your nap- and bedtimes have disintegrated into a complicated dance, where you want me, Dada, or sometimes both of us to lie down with you until you wiggle to sleep.
I know I will look back at this time and say "Boy! That was a crazy time! But the baby is great, the bathroom is done, Will uses the potty like a champ and loves preschool, and he falls asleep all by himself. Plus he eats a variety of foods." But right now I can't imagine any of it.
I love you!