Perfect Match

If you know me, you also know that I LOVE to play board games.  Long before children, when it was just the two of us, it used to take a lot of begging and pleading to get Daddy O to the table.  It was then that I wished for a child that would enjoy playing a good game now and then.

Boy did my wish ever come true.  Boy O and I play all sorts of fun games before bedtime-right now we are wholeheartedly enjoying UNO, but we also enjoy a good game of Sorry, Monopoly, Sequence, Memory (thank goodness we are past Candyland!).

The other night he got creative and spent at least a half hour making his own:

My favorite part was the cards....I like the one that says 8 or 9...I always choose 9.  The game pieces were M & M's.  Whoever wins gets to eat them.  Smart choice on his part-considering I don't care for them.  He's a winner every time.

His time spent making the game even got Daddy O to the table-and I consider that quite an accomplishment.

Loving his creativity, loving his humor, and loving my son.  I am so lucky to be his Mom.

This Is Love

Love comes in all different sizes, shapes and forms, but tomorrow it's coming as a surprise in Boy O's lunch box and it's in the form of a pizza lunchable.

Apparently (according to Boy O) I'm pretty old school when it comes to lunches-it's a standard boring lunch meat on whole wheat bread sandwich, fruit, juice, and some sort of snack like pretzels or a granola bar.  Every once in awhile, I add a cookie or a piece of candy, but he knows what to expect from day to day.

Last week he came home and asked me if I knew about something called 'lunchables'.  Yes, I've heard of them...they even existed way back in my day.  He said, "Mom, they even have pizza lunchables.  They are so cool.  Can we get that?"  I responded by saying (old woman that I am), "No, absolutely not.  I make your lunch.  It's healthier."  He looked pretty crestfallen knowing that his only experience with a pizza lunchable would be to look on from the sidelines in the cafeteria.

I happened to come across this so called lunchable today and thought it might be a nice treat to open up his lunch box and see this:

This is love.  Seven hundred mg of sodium love to be exact, not to mention other interesting nutrition tidbits, but I guess it's okay every once in awhile.  The large heart message from his mother might cancel out some enjoyment, but he'll never get away from that one.

Good Tidings of Comfort and Joy

This was given to Boy O last week by a very sweet teacher.  I laughed and laughed when I saw what he had done.  Apparently it just ate him up inside wanting to know what kind of 'joy' was inside.  He was so disappointed to learn that it was just a piece of Styrofoam.  He said he was sure it would be some type of candy.  In his own words, "Mom, it says that there is joy inside-but there's nothing in there.  You can have it if you want."

Hee, hee, hee.....still laughing.

Serious Business

I think I've finally met my match.  Competition wise that is.  This is how Boy O and I spend our evenings.  It's usually a five game minimum of the game 'sequence' for kids.  At the moment Boy O is ahead.  But there is always tomorrow....

Maximum Load

The rule at the pumpkin patch is that you have to be able to carry it out by yourself.  He managed to lug the largest pumpkin he could possibly lift all the way up to the scale, where we took pity on him and transported it to the car for him.

SEVEN!

Wow.  Seven.  I can't believe Boy O is seven.  It's a common theme in my posts now-time seems to be moving forward at an incredible pace.  I had hoped to have a birthday party with friends and family, but with Newbie O and life in general, I just could not get it together enough to plan the fabulous superhero themed party I had envisioned in my head.  There's always next year.  So instead, we celebrated in superhero style in our usual low-key way.  Family, food, presents, and all the superheroes you can imagine.

It started a bit early the night before-we let him open one birthday present early for movie night.  If you guessed The Avengers, you would be right on track. He was thrilled-especially since I had promised a fun evening of watching the first presidential debate I had taped previously.

Here the boys are in good spirits the next morning having a wonderful Spiderman breakfast.  He opened one more present at breakfast-an extra 30 minutes at bedtime.

Then it was onto our favorite Ethiopian restaurant where we met family and feasted on injera, shiro and other traditional favorites.  I got a big kick out of Boy O-his cream soda looked like beer and he looked like such a mini grown-up whenever I glanced over at him.

We were so full from lunch that he actually opted to save the birthday cake for later.  Presents definitely held a much higher priority.  Beyblades, superheros and legos were at the top of the list this year.

Boy O wanted a 'Beyblade' cake this year.  This was a hard one and I thought long and hard about how to create it.  Not my greatest masterpiece, but it's the thought that counts, right?  He said he loved it and even though I thought it looked a bit evil, it was mighty tasty.

And as tradition dictates, a letter to my oldest son on his seventh birthday:

Dear Boy O,

It's been another big year of changes for you.  We moved again, switched schools and added another member to the family and although I know you miss our old neighborhood, house and quality time alone together, you have managed to embrace it all with an incredible amount of enthusiasm.  You amaze me.

I want you to know that despite your brave face, I see how difficult it is to adjust to all these new things that have been thrust upon you.  I feel your frustration when seeing our time diverted to a tantrum throwing three year old and a new infant.  I want you to know that our love has and will never diminish-not even one bit-for you.  I want you to know that it weighs heavy on my mind.

You are seven.  Seven!  You still love superheroes.  You love commercials more than the intended television program.  You love wearing long pants on sweltering hot days. You love competition (and HATE losing).   You love soccer, building forts, swords, and capes.  You love to lay down on the floor of the library and surround yourself with books.  You love to chase and antagonize your brother.  You love to make your sister smile.  You love to help out in any situation.

Physically, you have grown by leaps and bounds.  In just one year you have outgrown 4 shoe sizes and at age seven, your feet and hands are as big as mine.  It will not be long before you tower over me.  It's so hard for me to pick you up now, but I try as much as I can because I know I won't be able to hold you in my arms and carry you to bed much longer.

You are so fiercely independent that I know I won't have to worry too much as you get older.  But I still want you to know that your Dad and I will always be here to hold your hands and swing you up in the air anytime you need it.  Once again, I can't tell you how lucky I am to be your Mom.

Much love to you and please don't grow up too fast.

Mommy O

Milestones

Large strides have been made this week.  It hasn't just been the general progress and growth, it seems as if every member of the family has reached a major milestone.


AMPHIBIANS O

Starting with the youngest and newest members of the household: Larry, Dr. Jean, and Buddy-our tadpoles.  Larry sprouted his two forelegs on Friday/Saturday, Dr. Jean almost has two hind legs and Buddy, well, not much is new with Buddy-but he seems to be surviving and that's got to count for something.

Observing the life of a tadpole has been great entertainment during mealtimes.


 

NEWBIE O -  HALF WAY THERE

Just had our 20 week check up on Thursday and once again, everything seems to be going great.  We were happy to learn that she has all her limbs, 10 fingers and toes and her head measurements are normal.  She is now the size of a 12 ounce soda can.

Here she is, fully cooperating and waving to everyone.

Here's me and Newbie O at exactly 20 weeks (this one is for you, Mom).  According to other people, I look great, but I know that's just what you are supposed to tell a pregnant lady.  If you told me I was on my way to looking like Bea Arthur-which is how I feel-I'd probably clobber you.  I would also like to add that I haven't completely given up on my platform shoes.  If you know me well, you know that I never leave home without them.  We'll see how long it lasts....

BABY O

Baby no longer.  For a child who climbed over baby gates before he could even walk, Baby O has never attempted to climb out of his crib.  Until last weekend.  We were under a bit of a time crunch, considering he needed to transition to a bed (without bars) by midsummer and this was just the push we needed.  For now we have just taken one wall off and will put him in a real bed in a couple of months.  He felt like he had won the lottery and the picture below shows him 'practicing' sleeping before the first night. 

We were anticipating at least a week of no sleep, but it went off without a hitch.  He wakes up every morning, gets out of his bed, slams his door shut, runs down the hall to our bedroom and proclaims (for all the world to hear), I got up all by myself!

Potty training is going better after a weekend of potty boot camp.  We switched to underwear during the day and are making more of an effort to get the ball rolling.  There have been a few accidents and mop-ups, but he has asked to go to the bathroom a couple of times.  Sometimes I wonder who is potty training who though...

BOY O AND THE MARBLE JAR

The marble jar has been going on since late October.  It has been a fantastic method to encourage good, responsible behavior and discourage other bad habits at the same time.  Daddy O and I got really tired of reminding Boy O time and time again to brush his teeth, put on lotion, make his bed, turn off his nightlight etc...

So, if he remembers to do these things without being told before school, he gets a marble for each chore in the Spiderman jar.  If we have to remind him-there is no punishment (no marble in the villain jar), but there is also no reward.  Sometimes good deeds that go above and beyond the call of duty are also cause for a Spiderman marble.

Behavior that warrants a marble in the Mysterio jar are lying, arguing, talking back, not being nice...you get the picture.  As you can see from the photo below, we are very lucky parents-we don' have too much trouble.  We told him that when he filled up the Spiderman jar he could choose a fun activity to do (within reason).

It took a few months but he finally filled it up!  And after much thought and debate, he decided he wanted to see a movie at the theater.  We went this past weekend to see the movie of his choice (3D of course) and we made sure to record our fun in the photo booth after the movie got out.

MOMMY AND DADDY O

We kind of bought a house.   I say 'kind of' because we still have about a week until we officially close, but it looks good.  Inspections went as expected, minor repairs are underway and we are incredibly excited to move in after Boy O finishes out the school year in this neighborhood.   I feel like we have been living in and out of boxes for the last eight months-I can't wait to have space for all of our things and find my bleeping bowls and cookbooks again.

To recover from such a big week, we are relaxing at home on Spring Break for the time being.  Not much to do except soak up the sunshine and walk to the park.  Not a bad way to spend the time... 

Runs in the Family

I am one proud Mom today.  Boy O finished his first 5k (3.1 miles) race!  Not only did he finish, but he didn't stop once and finished first in his age group of 6 other kids, not to mention that he passed quite a few kids older than himself (including adults) as well. 

Signing him up was no big deal, the flyer came home about seven weeks ago and I thought it would be neat if we could all participate and run as a family.  We were all fired up and made a plan to train 3 days a week until race day.  It sounds ideal right? 

It was harder than I thought.  There was no doubt in my mind that my son could do this, after all-he had run 2 miles with me just one year ago and has been known to bike ahead of me for up to 10 miles while I run.  He's no slouch. The thing that I failed to account for was the attention span of a six year old versus the attention span of two competitive adults (aka his parents).  Some days were frustrating and some days we managed to remember that he is only just 6 years old, doesn't care about a steady pace and would much rather spend his energy and thoughts hopping from from rock to rock, high-fiving the branches above him and racing down the hills at break neck speed. 

In seven weeks of training Boy O managed to log in 25 miles in preparation for this morning.  He kept track by adding 1 bead per mile to a necklace he kept for himself.   Not too shabby.

Race day packets are like goodie bags in this family...who doesn't love endless brochures, magnets, key rings and other junk?

Just before we left for the starting line.

Boy O, all smiles after the race and one proud, tired mom.  It's hard to keep up now...

A few hours later at the awards ceremony and a typical response to, Hey everyone, look at the camera!

Super Valentines

These valentines were so cute they deserved their own post. Who wouldn't appreciate a homemade message-especially if they come with a lollipop in the middle?  If you are looking for a unique idea that doesn't include the whole superhero theme, pop on over to Pinterest.  I'm kind of an addict.  I spend way too much time browsing that site finding all sorts of DIY crafting fun. 

While Boy O cut out the capes, I made the hearts and printed out a message that he also glued on himself.  I would also like to add that I did not ask him to wear his superman pajamas last night.  That was all pure coincidence.

I cut out the masks a few days before and have to admit that I felt as if I was constructing small bikini tops for a Barbie doll.

Signing them took the longest.

Voila!  Finished product ready to deliver on Tuesday.

The Birthday Truck: Year Two

If your Mother is sending you messages expressing that she is tired of the coffee cup picture, it's time for a new post.

Is busyness even a word?  According to google, dictionary dot com and thesaurus dot com it is and more on  Family O October busyness soon. Seriously.  Now for some back blogging.

The birthday truck has been making frequent stops at our house recently, it is a crazy month for birthdays and special events for Family O.  Unfortunately, Boy O doesn't get to enjoy the arrival of the packages as much as he used to now that deliveries usually occur while he's at school but he has certainly been eyeing the growing mound of packages in the living room.  Daddy O and I doused the house with balloons, spiderman streamers, green lantern rings, and carefully placed batman place mats and other superhero party favors on the dining room table.  Boy O had a fun-filled day starting with a waffle breakfast and then onto school, where not only did he get to wear a special birthday hat all day, the annual kindergarten pet parade took place early in the morning.  I was slightly concerned that we didn't have any actual pets and sent him to school with a stuffed animal.  Luckily, this was the 'norm' and he was flanked by stuffed bears and even an ostrich.  Some students proudly showed off their live dogs, cats, ferrets and chinchillas (the parents had tied the cage to a rolling chair...hilarious).  The best was  a girl who carried her goldfish around in a Britta pitcher.  All in all it was extremely entertaining for Baby O (who kept pointing to the poor ferret on a leash, calling it a mouse) and myself.  We had a great time. 

Daddy O surprised Boy O by joining him for lunch at school and then we all (MeMe included) brought in cupcakes for his classmates later in the afternoon.  And it doesn't end there....we came home, opened presents, had a special Ethiopian meal, Superman cake...it was a full day of celebration.

A letter to my eldest son on his sixth birthday:

Dear Boy O,

So much has happened in one year.  You have gone through at least 13 pairs of shoes, two bicycle tires, countless pairs of jeans and grown six + inches.  You have learned to swim, read, add and subtract.  I don't think there is one thing in this world that you cannot do or accomplish if you set your mind to it.  You are that rare person that is just good at everything you try.  It is an amazing gift that not everyone has and I truly hope that you learn to appreciate it later on in life.

You have this wonderful ability to make friends everywhere we go.  You are always the first to go up to a person and ask if they want to play.  Sometimes they respond immediately, sometimes they have to think about it for a minute, and one time you even tried hard to engage an 87 year old great grandfather to join in your game of tag.  He laughed and laughed at your invitation, and I had to have the don't-talk-to-strangers-talk afterward, but that is you to a tee.  You love to play and don't mind making the first move to introduce yourself.  Believe me, I have been taking notes and trying to follow your lead. 

You are a good natured, kind, gentle and happy six year old boy and every one's best friend.  Your Dad and I are always watching and learning from you and love you so much.  We are proud of you, look forward to watching you grow and are so thankful to be your parents,

Much Love,

Mommy and Daddy O

What It's All About

Q: How many kids are lucky enough to have their MeMe ( + Mom and little brother in desperate need of nap) visit them on Grandparent's Day at school? 

A:  This one.

School Days

Transitioning to "Phase II" is going well and aside from all the complaints from my previous post, all really is well.  I have quite a bit of catching up to do.

Boy O started Kindergarten a week after moving in.  He was incredibly excited and I was incredibly scared, but after registering him for school, I left feeling much more comfortable and somewhat impressed.  All day Kindergarten, small class sizes, separate music, art, computer, physical education classes...it is more than I can give him here at home.  Activities began even before class officially started-a school parade, meet-your-teacher night...it was good for the parents as well as the students and Boy O was no exception.

Meeting the school mascot on back-to-school night:

The big day-Boy O woke us up at 5:32 am, dressed and ready to go.  He also complained of a bad stomachache and it took quite a bit of convincing along with a small serving of pepto bismol to eat some breakfast. 

Breakfast:

Walking to school as a family (we are only one block away!):

Confessions?  Here are a couple: 1) I ran into to the school counselor at the boo hoo breakfast for parents, hosted by the school (I did not boo hoo, but I did come close) and made her promise to check in on Boy O at some point during the day.  I bet you anything there is an asterisk in Boy O's file noting that she needs to check on me at some point. 2) I found myself taking Baby O on a 'walk' to the neighborhood park, which is located just beyond the elementary school and watched Boy O for a half hour at recess from a quarter mile away.  I knew he would be easy to spot in his bright yellow and blue striped shirt and it was good to see him flit around the playground, having the time of his life.

I love hearing about his day at school when we pick him up at the end of the day, I love hearing new vocabulary, new names and the goings-on during recess.  I especially love listening to him use his teacher's words in his conversations, for example: "Mom, I made good choices today", or "So and so had to be separated today" and the best was when he told me, "Mom, did you know that the nurse at school doesn't give shots?  She told me she wouldn't give me one! Isn't that great?"

As I suspected, Baby O adjusted quickly to the extra one-on-one time and has become a great, if somewhat demanding running partner, insisting on stanza after stanza of the 'peanut butter' song and 'Mary had a little lamb'.  Both boys are enjoying their new freedoms and schedules-three weeks in and Boy O continues to be up and dressed by six o'clock in the morning, skips all the way to school, and barely gives us a glance as we wave goodbye from the hallway.  Day by day things are falling into place and becoming more familiar.  Now if I could just find which box the lampshade is in and where my bowls are...

One Down, Nineteen Or So More To Go...

Boy O lost his first tooth yesterday!  It's been hanging on by a thread for the last month or so and we were getting worried that it was just going to rot away eventually. 

This picture was taken at least two months ago when the adult tooth started to grow in behind it.  I rushed him to the pediatric dentist the very next day only to have her take one look in his mouth, say that this was completely normal and give me a look which I interpreted as, Lady, you need to take a chill pill or something.

This was yesterday morning, a bit gruesome with all the blood, but I honestly think this was the most excited I have ever seen him.  Even more than the water park.  And yes, we are still into capes.

This was the pillow my grandmother made for me a couple of decades ago and it is still going strong.  I also liked the blue treasure chest the dentist gave us.  It made it much easier for the tooth fairy to make a clean exchange before she crawled into bed.

How exciting!  It took him quite a while to get to sleep last night. He was very concerned about how exactly the tooth fairy would be entering his bedroom.  I convinced him that we didn't need to leave the window open-she is after all, magic.