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!

The Drink Pouch Debacle And Other Observations

ON PREGNANCY

Other than having emotional oubursts from time to time (the drink pouch debacle-see below), I'm feeling pretty good. 

I still run most days and although I've reduced my weekly mileage by a lot, I'm still proud to say that I can run eight miles on any given Sunday.  'Runs' have been reduced to something akin to a slow crawl and my routes are planned carefully around restroom stops, but as long as the doctor says it's okay, I have resolved to pull the belly band over my spandex, put on a baggy shirt and be that weird pregnant lady that runs/waddles around the neighborhood every afternoon.

Cravings?  I eat Ramen noodle soup like it's going out of style and at least a pint of strawberries every day.  Sometimes I like to change it up with pear flavored gourmet jelly beans and something doused in soy sauce, but Ramen noodles seem to do me just fine.  Cheap too.

Having enjoyed my morning coffee and my evening aloholic beverages, I have been pleasantly surprised that abstaining has not been at all painful.  I can no longer stand the smell of coffee or alcohol.  All alcohol smells like rubbing alcohol to me now-whether it's wine, beer, liquor, or mouthwash.  The smell of peppermint is pretty bad too.  I now brush my teeth with baking soda.


EMOTIONALLY CHARGED

I'm sure everyone has had their own version of the the drink pouch debacle.  I've heard different stories from a couple of friends-the tater tot incident, the which-way-the-toilet-paper-roll-should-be-installed (over or under?) argument-in other words, an overreaction to something that looks insignificant to almost everyone else.  But criminy, when the 'lunch helper' informs Boy O that his capri-sun is too hard to open and to please tell his mother not to pack them in his lunch anymore, it irked me.  Yes, I understand that the organic brand is harder to open, but isn't the lunch helper supposed to...ahem...help?  Infuriated, I quickly scribbled a scathing note to the so-called helper (attached to his drink pouch) and stomped around the house until it was time to leave for school.  Daddy O attempted to gently express that I might be overreacting a tad  as well as remove the note from Boy O's lunch box.  This of course only made me more resolute in my mission to march on over to the school and make sure lunch helpers everywhere were set straight on their duties.  Luckily for everyone involved, the intensity of emotion subsided by the time I dropped Boy O off and I just casually mentioned it to the teacher.  Then I went home, cried and ate some ramen noodles.

WHY AM I STILL CALLING IT, IT?

Newbie O is doing just fine.  Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary and every appointment has gone well so far.  I do spend a lot of time worrying about whether the baby is still there or not.  My first request upon entering the doctor's office is to make sure the little heart is still beating.  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm afraid they are going to say that it was never there in the first place.  And why am I still calling it, it?  I honestly don't know...last week we found out that Newbie O is not an it, but a she.  And I'm excited.  She doesn't have a name yet, but I have to admit that it is just so fun to look at all the dresses and accessories for little girls.  And on that note, I'll end with one of her first pictures...

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.

Valentine Party Number One

Valentine's Day starts today as far as we are concerned-party number one was for all the toddlers in the Mom's group that we are a part of.  Baby O and  I had a great time making our own valentines for the event and even Daddy O got into the swing of it by taping all the miniature masks onto the superhero blow pops (Boy O will be making his this weekend, so there will be a separate post on these homemade valentines).  Here he is in full craftiness mode trying out new techniques:

Besides the obvious benefits of being part of such a great group of Mom's is that we usually do all the messy stuff at the community center.  We do have to clean up the aftermath, but it is so nice not to worry about my table or furniture.  As you can imagine with 27 toddlers present-add in water colors, paints and frosting-the mess can be quite large.

What do you get when you turn your back to reach for your camera?  Lots and lots of sprinkles.

Exchanging valentines was lucrative!  At the moment Baby O is napping, but I have a very good feeling he won't be down for long...

Let's Celebrate...Again

Forget the schools that are rated as so called party schools.  Kindergarten is the place to be.  Pajama day, western wear day, fifties day, inside out day, crazy hair day....you name it, they've done it.  Add in a couple of juice boxes and some goldfish and it can turn into one wild party.

This week's party: 100 days of school. The kids and teachers dressed up like they were 100 years old.  The teachers outdid themselves and many students didn't recognize them with walkers, canes, white hair, spectacles and some questionable extra padding.  Absolutely hilarious.

A little baby powder and eyeliner can go a long way...they looked more nerdy/silly than old, but they sure had a great time.

Boy O doesn't get to have all the fun-while he's off partying all day long, Baby O and I have some fun too.  Gymnastics is a great activity for Baby O.  As a former gymnast and coach I can say that I am quite impressed with his fearlessness. 

The librarian is our rock star.  She brought in the firefighters this week to read a story, talk about fire safety, show us the firetruck and of course make valentines (with the firemen and firewomen!).

Glue is one of Baby O's favorite things to mess around with.  I try hard to keep it out of sight and reach in our household and am always glad when someone else provides it and I don't have to clean up the mess.

Valentine's day is next week, so stay tuned...more crafts and parties to come!

Dragons, Snakes And Other Tall Tales

DRAGONS
Having a son in Kindergarten is endless celebration and fun.  Last week was the Chinese New Year and after focusing on the Chinese culture through books, crafts and  food (attempting to eat noodles and rice with chopsticks), they celebrated the year of the dragon by parading through the halls as the giant beast itself.  This took quite a bit of time and preparation of course....

In full parade mode:  Boy O as part of the dragon body:

Documenting anything in the classroom can be a difficult task for me.  I would call it at best-controlled chaos-and then add in trying to keep Baby O from playing in the water fountain/sink that is just his size.  Two seconds after this photo was taken, I had to mop up a large puddle that Baby O had a fantastic time creating.

The kids had a great time taking turns being the dragon's head during the parade.

Each Kindergarten class walked through the halls as all the other grades stood outside their classrooms, cheered them on and gave them high fives.  It was so loud that even Baby O covered his ears. 

SNAKES 

To the outside world, Baby O looks like a normal toddler (left), but in secret actually resembles the picture on the right.  

               

He will eat like there is no tomorrow and then take a few days to digest his meal.  Daddy O's sister calls it the "snake phase".  Does anyone else feel this way about their toddler's eating habits?



OTHER TALES
Teeth are coming in and being lost at race pace lately.  Baby O is getting the last of his second molars in and teething seems to be remarkably smoother than when the first set made their appearance early  last year.  Maybe this set just doesn't hurt as bad, maybe it's the fact that he can communicate better this time around, or maybe it's the large bottle of Ibuprofen I have at the ready, but we have not experienced the sleep deprivation to the same degree.  Whew.

Boy O lost his third tooth last week.  It had been loose and hanging by a thread for months and as a result, the adult tooth behind it was already half way in.  The tooth came out while he was eating lunch in the cafeteria and if you ask him the best way to pull out a tooth, he will tell you to eat a large chunk of salami.  Best dental advice ever.

Baby O is clearly talented.  He is exceptionally verbal.  He has the vocabulary of a three year old and speaks so clearly that even his pediatrician said she has never seen anything like it.  It will be interesting to see how this gift plays out in the future.  As his parents we are always dreaming big, thinking of future professions as a famous linguist, orator, or maybe a U. N. interpreter.  He's going to need it because although he may be next to incredible with his speech...his skills are lacking in the potty department.  We have done everything we can do to potty train this kid and although he will happily sit on his froggy potty for hours, I just don't have the time anymore.  I'm tired of stickers, M & M's,  making up songs about doo doo and celebrating with poop parties.  Put him on at the right time and everything works beautifully.  But he will not TELL me if he has to go or not.  So, if I look at the accomplishments of my two year old and then into a crystal ball 25 years from now- I see a PhD in linguistics/still wearing a diaper. 
 
At the moment, two out of four of us are under the weather.  Last night I spent four hours in the E.R. with Boy O.  After carefully monitoring his temperature all day, it climbed to 104 degrees at 7 p.m. (with Ibuprofen).  I drove dangerously fast to the hospital where they gave him a dose of Tylenol. In just an hours time he was building forts with the sheets and bouncing off the walls.  He was the poster child for perfect health.  I felt relieved but ridiculous when the doctor walked in to examine him three hours later to say he just had a viral infection and that I could give him Tylenol and Ibuprofen at the same time.  Daddy O officially woke up with the virus this morning and I'm sure that Baby O and I will have it soon.  We are all in our jammies watching the old speed racer cartoons. Good times!