Friday, December 19, 2008

Decorating gingerbread houses and other moments from the camera



Some friends and their kids came over to decorate gingerbread houses today. I must admit to cheating a bit and buying kits from Target. While the decorating happened at the big table, North and his little friend Eli sat at a little table and fed each other o's and pirate booty. The two toddlers entertained each other so well that I forgot about them for awhile. Is this what it is like having twins?
I got off easy this year as North could care less for the sugar and candy. The older kids went a little nutty for a few minutes, then either moved on to another activity or in the case of the two bigger girls, Olivia and Trula, decorated their houses for the remaining part of the afternoon.


North with Hecate. He loves this cat!

Reed dragged this piece of leftover construction material back to our yard. (I am pregnant and we don't have construction all around us this year. Yea!) He and North had to try it out.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

He knows what he wants!

Hello everyone, this is Reed, I just thought I'd share a story from tonight. I normally try to put North to sleep a few times a week to give Mom a break and help get him used to someone else putting him to sleep. Hopefully this will aid babysitters and family if ever they were to be spending the evening with North. It has become something that I enjoy even after a long days work because it gives us time alone together and that is when he truly shines his brightest. But, after books,brushing teeth, and saying goodnight to nearly everything within eyesight, North eventually realizes that Dad is putting him to bed again and he won't be falling asleep with a breast in his mouth. Which is what he really wants and loves(hard to blame him) :) That's when he breaks down and lets his displeasure be known.

Tonight however was completely different. We went out to dinner at the Brew with the View, as always it was very loud, North decided that he had no problem keeping up with that kind of energy and was like a Tasmanian devil! We returned home and Mom needed a hot bath so I planned on playing with North until his wild energy dissipated, which I figured would take at least an hour. But after a few minutes we found ourselves upstairs in his room reading books. As he was winding down quite quickly, I thought I'd change his diaper and clothes. That way when he did get tired he would be ready for bed. At this point I am still expecting another half hour or so of play. However he sat up and promptly begins saying "baa - bye" to everything in his room, curious I played along and we walked over and turned off the lights. This is when the breakdown usually occurs, but he just kept right on "baa - byeing" and pointed out the door. Really surprised at this point, I walked him out of his room to our bedroom thinking "there is no way he is really going to sleep." As soon as he saw our bed he said "mama?" in his slightly sad little boy voice and I told him "mama is taking a bath and you're going night-night with dad", he turned to me and said, in his most confident and assured voice, "baa bye", while waving and nodding his head up and down, turned and reached his arms to the bed, I sat him down, he crawled to the corner, bumped his head against the wall, kicked his legs a few times, and promptly fell asleep, leaving his father stunned and smiling all at the same time. He never ceases to amaze. Life is cool.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Open up Santa's bag- should I check the toy list twice?

With holiday gift giving approaching, I am trying to be prepared for the new items that might come home with us. It seems that when all the family gets together, the season's overwhelming good tidings and cheer can overcome the common sense of Reed and I. Things that we feel are unsafe or unwise for North are accepted because it was given with love and good intentions. I won't go into my own personal philosophy of toy purchases for North, the guidance I follow that is, but I do want to be aware of the chemicals I am exposing him to as the information becomes available.

So I found this website: http://www.healthytoys.org/index.php

I already follow several "eco- fill in the blank" websites but this site is the most comprehensive. I like that a person can search by both brand and type of toy. Not all toys are listed of course, but many Melissa and Doug toys are. If people are buying their toys from thatmanufacturer because they think the toys are safer, well, just check the site...

So Mom, I hope you are reading this before you buy and wrap. I am going to be more strict now that I can verify the toxicity levels!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Thoughts about a Toddler



On some days I look at North and wonder where the little baby has gone.

North has changed so gradually into a toddler that I can hardly keep up. A big factor is from a personal struggle I have as a parent to try to stay inside his moments of play and imagination. Sometimes, as I share a quiet moment with him before napping, I realize that I am seeing him for the first time that day. Somehow I have once again got caught up with the dish washing, house keeping, errand running, ect... of the day and neglected to be present with him. North is so patient with me; he is usually content to follow me around the house, bringing along an interesting toy or object He really is a creative little person. In the laundry room, he likes to pull the refrigerator brush ( the little brush that cleans the coils under the fridge) down off the wall. He sweeps the floor or waves it around like he is a Knight chasing a Dragon. I still need to find that balance of nurturing the growing independece with the being present with his ideas.

This morning he looked out the window, then went to the front hall for his boots. He brought them to me and told me in no uncertain terms that he was to go outside! I have found that playing outside each day brings new discoveries and physical growth in him. Considering that those boots come up almost to his knees, he really gets around! One of his favorite places outside is a large bucket of water set out for the dogs. North will throw things into and at the bucket while trying to get as wet as possible. However, most of the time, we will just wander around the yard looking and talking about the things we see. North has found that if he holds a rock and throws it, Bruin will play with him. That is a big development for both as the dog still holds jealous feelings towards North. (Bruin was our first child, you see)

I also hadn't expected the imaginative play to emerge so soon. I see North pushing cars around on the floor while making motor noises and I see him placing people (and animals) into the driving seat. When I fold and stuff his diapers, he will take as many inserts as he can carry and put them in the most random of places around the living room. Books are an essential part of our day. No matter what I am doing, when he brings me a book, we will read together. A few weeks ago, his reading style was to flip through the pages as fast as he could. Reed and I had an interesting discussion as we debated the merits of teaching North to wait for the completion of the words on each page. We decided that North was busy exploring the concept of a book (beginning, middle, end) and to force him to understand both the visual and auditory concepts of a book would be a unwinnable battle. Thus a few weeks later, we now have a child who brings us books and will flip to a page with a favorite song (currently the "Incy Wincy Spider").
On a side note, today North ate throughout most of the day. He loves Pirate Booty!



Wednesday, December 3, 2008

What we have been doing around here

North has been practicing his bike riding skills. Watching him "help" Daddy put the bike together was hilarious. He was right beside Reed from start to finish, moving the tools as soon as they were put on the table. I think North might have enjoyed the construction process as much as he enjoys the finished product!


North likes to eat his fruit peeled and whole. The dogs don't like the leftovers, but the chickens do!


Last Saturday promised 20 foot swells, so we had to take a look.


Misc:
I have been feeling very tired and grumpy. Reed is trying his best to stay positive, but maybe he is wishing I was still on a family visit!?
We are both trying to encourage North to be more consistent with his eating. North seems to enjoy eating, he just doesn't appear to eat very much at a time, going for long stretches between snacks/meals. I feel confident that our nursing is rounding out his caloric and nutritional needs; I have never doubted the wisdom of nursing through toddlerhood. However, I just don't feel like my own body is getting enough itself to stay in a peppy mood.
To make matters worse, I can never remember to take vitamins when I feel tired (which would help me feel so much stronger). I am trying to remind myself that this phase will not last for much longer. I just need to get through the next month or so. But how to stay cheery when a person is feeding for three on an appetite that is minimal? Augh.