8 years ago
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Stylin' Saturday #22
First he dug out the size 6 shirt from the very back bottom corner of the drawer. Then, "Need dat party hat peese. Need red bag. Take a peeshur a me Mommy!"
Friday, April 15, 2011
Happy 2nd Birthday A!
Birthday party today
Supposed to be over 5:15 but last guests left closer to 6:30.
Popped boys in front of videos a bit longer to clean up.
Just after 7... "Can we go for nap now?"
Darling little boys.
Extra long rocks tonight, and conversation....
The favourite part of the party?
"Cupcake" (Vanh).
"Cake" (Max)
And for me
a sudden understanding of why B writes like this.
Popped boys in front of videos a bit longer to clean up.
Just after 7... "Can we go for nap now?"
Darling little boys.
Extra long rocks tonight, and conversation....
The favourite part of the party?
"Cupcake" (Vanh).
"Cake" (Max)
a sudden understanding of why B writes like this.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Supper time
(The boys ate the corn, a little grilled cheese, a ridiculous number of garlic sourdough croutons, and asked for peaches.)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Pssst! Wanna be on my list?
If you have an adoption blog and are wondering why it isn't in either of my blog lists in the sidebar, please let me know - I'd love to add you!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Back to the park!
Oh park, how we've missed you. It's been a long winter, even with three playrooms, an indoor playstructure, and a love of any and all all videos about vehicles or other machines.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Potty post
I've heard many different stories about potty training (aka toilet learning), from the 14 month-olds who do it by themselves overnight to the 5 year-olds who are still battling after years of struggles. I thought to be fair I should contribute our experiences, but I am not going to go on and on about this. The next post on this topic will be when we are done - be it in months or years.
So, at the first signs of readiness I jumped in with some reinforcing incentives, but things quickly fell apart as one boy was simply not physiologically capable of doing what his brother could do, nor was he psychologically capable of understanding why his brother was getting ANYTHING (treat, sticker, praise) that he was incapable of earning. So we compromised with relaxed encouragement, and while they obviously understand what goes where and have shown they can do it, they have not been much interested in doing so.
I wonder how much my own feelings have to do with things. I mean, this is it, the last stage of babyhood. Once they are toilet trained they will be 100% little boys. We probably won't have any more babies of our own to diaper (our "daycare babies" will continue for a few years, no need for anyone to volunteer babies in diapers for us to change).
This was all a few months ago, and we since decided to try this strategy. We've been telling the boys for weeks that they will stop wearing diapers "when it gets warm out", and we are going to start the next step over the four day Easter weekend - but if it doesn't work it doesn't work.
Yesterday the boys picked out their own "potties" for the second bathroom. Vanh chose a trainer and we tried to get Max to pick something simple but he could not be distracted from the deluxe Cars model with real engine sounds. They have certainly been enjoying trying them out so far - and with some success too I might add!
You go boys!
So, at the first signs of readiness I jumped in with some reinforcing incentives, but things quickly fell apart as one boy was simply not physiologically capable of doing what his brother could do, nor was he psychologically capable of understanding why his brother was getting ANYTHING (treat, sticker, praise) that he was incapable of earning. So we compromised with relaxed encouragement, and while they obviously understand what goes where and have shown they can do it, they have not been much interested in doing so.
I wonder how much my own feelings have to do with things. I mean, this is it, the last stage of babyhood. Once they are toilet trained they will be 100% little boys. We probably won't have any more babies of our own to diaper (our "daycare babies" will continue for a few years, no need for anyone to volunteer babies in diapers for us to change).
This was all a few months ago, and we since decided to try this strategy. We've been telling the boys for weeks that they will stop wearing diapers "when it gets warm out", and we are going to start the next step over the four day Easter weekend - but if it doesn't work it doesn't work.
Yesterday the boys picked out their own "potties" for the second bathroom. Vanh chose a trainer and we tried to get Max to pick something simple but he could not be distracted from the deluxe Cars model with real engine sounds. They have certainly been enjoying trying them out so far - and with some success too I might add!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Something's different...
We have a young friend staying with us while he's between apartments, and he'd been growing his hair out for a year or so. Yesterday he came home with it all cut off. He looks great but the difference is quite startling. The boys noticed immediately that something was up as they greeted him with laughter and "Hey! Dave! Where's your sunglasses?"
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
No nos here
I hear a lot of parents talking about their child's fondness for the word no at this age. Well, I don't like to brag, but our guys never say no. Here is a sampling of questions we asked them just this evening:
- Do you want to stay outside forever?
- Is that cupcake all you want for dinner?
- Are you supposed to pour water out of the bathtub?
- Are beds for jumping on?
All of which were answered with a resounding, "Yes!" Perhaps the rest of you are just asking the wrong questions?
- Do you want to stay outside forever?
- Is that cupcake all you want for dinner?
- Are you supposed to pour water out of the bathtub?
- Are beds for jumping on?
All of which were answered with a resounding, "Yes!" Perhaps the rest of you are just asking the wrong questions?
Monday, April 4, 2011
Full Day Junior Kindergarten
I know, relax, it is still another year before we will be even registering the boys. This post is about me - barring any major surprises, it looks like I will be teaching the new full day junior kindergarten program next year. I've taught full-day senior kindergarten and half-day JK/SK, so this will be a familiar but new experience. Oh, and I will have a partner teacher with me, and she has been doing it this year... so a lot of support!
In Ontario children start school the year they turn 4, so in September I will have around 30 3 and 4 year olds to play with! I am so excited about the chance to make a difference in so many little lives. I love being the child's (and often the child's family's) first experience with school. I want my students to feel like they are just playing all day (including playing school), and most of all I want every single one of them to want to come to school every single day. I want to provide for the child who is ready to read and write from day one, and even more I want to accommodate the child who needs to spend most of his day playing with trucks for now, because both of them are exactly where they should be and deserve to enjoy their learning. Luckily I happen to have lots of books about trucks!
PS If you're a daily reader you may have noticed I've been backdating my posts - that's because I'm trying to do M3's post a day in April and haven't caught up to myself yet.
In Ontario children start school the year they turn 4, so in September I will have around 30 3 and 4 year olds to play with! I am so excited about the chance to make a difference in so many little lives. I love being the child's (and often the child's family's) first experience with school. I want my students to feel like they are just playing all day (including playing school), and most of all I want every single one of them to want to come to school every single day. I want to provide for the child who is ready to read and write from day one, and even more I want to accommodate the child who needs to spend most of his day playing with trucks for now, because both of them are exactly where they should be and deserve to enjoy their learning. Luckily I happen to have lots of books about trucks!
PS If you're a daily reader you may have noticed I've been backdating my posts - that's because I'm trying to do M3's post a day in April and haven't caught up to myself yet.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Hey, we can just open this door and walk right out...
So they boys generally wake up sometime between 6:30 and 7, but they've never gotten out of bed before we come to get them, sometimes as late as 7:15. Guess what they did for the first time today? No more lazy mornings of peaceful child-free ablutions for mommy and daddy...
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Off to a birthday party (S.S. #21)
We almost never get invited to birthday parties; our last one was long before the boys picked their own clothes. So it was really fun to have them redirecting me when I tried to dress them in cute coordinated outfits. They didn't get free rein - Max really wanted plaid pajama bottoms, and Vanh really wanted green fleece pants - but they easily accepted the "these or these" compromise I offered.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Joy
I read this in a blog
I want to challenge everyone to write something good about mothering. It is tough, we all already know that. But write a poem, a song, a post, a story or even a photograph that tells what is awesome about having kids. If 15 years from now this is the one and only surviving thing that your children get to read about this time in their lives, what you want it to say? What would you want them to know?
This morning I head the unmistakable sound of the rocking chair hitting the floor coming from your room, before I realized you were awake. (One of your favourite ways to let us know you're up.) It stopped as soon as you heard me at your door, but I saw you quickly flop back down in your bed.
"What was that banging?" I asked, to which you replied,
"I not banging."
"But Max, I heard the noise of this chair hitting the floor..."
"I not banging. I riding my motorcycle!" And you straddled the side of your bed and demonstrated...
Your quiet, "Don'go wouk Mommy," breaks my heart every time, so I noticed right away when you came out with a confident, "You not goin' to wouk today Mommy!" instead. I started to remind you that yes, I had to go, when you interrupted with a big grin and a, "No Mommy. You 'tay home. You sick!"
You tell me broccoli is for Mommy and Daddy, "not for boys." You love chocolate, and marshmallows, and lollipops.
Vanh, if there is a choice you will always choose blue.
Max, if there is a choice you will always choose monster trucks.
More than anything, baby boys, I want you to know how much joy you bring. And when your daddy turned to me last night, as you were running and giggling and jumping around the kitchen, and said, "Did you know it would be like this?" I knew exactly what he meant.
I want to challenge everyone to write something good about mothering. It is tough, we all already know that. But write a poem, a song, a post, a story or even a photograph that tells what is awesome about having kids. If 15 years from now this is the one and only surviving thing that your children get to read about this time in their lives, what you want it to say? What would you want them to know?
This morning I head the unmistakable sound of the rocking chair hitting the floor coming from your room, before I realized you were awake. (One of your favourite ways to let us know you're up.) It stopped as soon as you heard me at your door, but I saw you quickly flop back down in your bed.
"What was that banging?" I asked, to which you replied,
"I not banging."
"But Max, I heard the noise of this chair hitting the floor..."
"I not banging. I riding my motorcycle!" And you straddled the side of your bed and demonstrated...
Your quiet, "Don'go wouk Mommy," breaks my heart every time, so I noticed right away when you came out with a confident, "You not goin' to wouk today Mommy!" instead. I started to remind you that yes, I had to go, when you interrupted with a big grin and a, "No Mommy. You 'tay home. You sick!"
You tell me broccoli is for Mommy and Daddy, "not for boys." You love chocolate, and marshmallows, and lollipops.
Vanh, if there is a choice you will always choose blue.
Max, if there is a choice you will always choose monster trucks.
More than anything, baby boys, I want you to know how much joy you bring. And when your daddy turned to me last night, as you were running and giggling and jumping around the kitchen, and said, "Did you know it would be like this?" I knew exactly what he meant.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Talking 'bout babies
As mentioned A. is expecting a baby brother or sister next month, and we explained to the boys that his mommy has a baby "in her tummy" (I added, "In her womb," but I don't think anyone heard me). When she arrived to pick him up that afternoon they greeted her with, "You 'ave baby in dere? Baby in tummy?" and when she agreed that yes, she did indeed have a baby "in her tummy" they interrupted with pleas to "Open! See baby!"
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Two-and-two-thirds
Happy 32 months on this earth baby boys.
1 month old
3 months
5 months
7 months
8 months
9 months
10 months
11 months
12 months
13 months
14 months
15 months
16 months
17 months
18 months
19 months
20 months
21 months
22 months
23 months
2 years old
25 months
26 months
27 months
28 months
29 months
30 months
31 months
32 months...
We're off for a walk around the neighbourhood - and of course some commemorative photos...
(PS 31 pounds)
1 month old
We're off for a walk around the neighbourhood - and of course some commemorative photos...
(PS 31 pounds)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Daycare post
As most of you know, in addition to our twins we have two more little ones who come to play with us while their parents are at work. (I say "us" but it's mostly Daddy, as since September I am only here before and after school and during school breaks.) We had hoped to keep the same two children until they started school, as they have become part of our family. It has been such a pleasure and a privilege to watch little A. grow from a baby to a walking, talking, dancing, laughing toddler with a talent for music and a discriminating sense of humour. It's hard not to be overjoyed that he's expecting a sibling, as he will be such a great big brother, and the world will be a better place for more people like him and his family. His mom will be keeping A. home with her once the new baby has settled in, starting late July.
What this means for us is that we have a home daycare space opening mid-July; we could manage as early as June 1st in a pinch. August 1st would also be an acceptable start date.
We Offer:
* a 2nd loving family for your child - characterized by sensitivity, high
standards, and flexibility
* stories, books, music, dancing, singing and crafts
* engaged play, building on child's interest at developmental level, as well as free play
* a wide variety of toys and learning materials
* a large, bright multi-room ground-floor playspace, fenced backyard, and quiet bedroom for naps
* a positive approach to discipline – teaching not punishing – natural
consequences - “No” used only for situations involving safety.
* daily communication
* respect for individual differences
* healthy foods; whole grain, organic when affordable
* outings at least once daily; as weather permits
* no exposure to television or video games
If you are not a regular reader you need to know we have two cats and a lively little dog.
The cost is $50 a day and includes everything except diapers/wipes. Hours are 8 to 5:30.
Please feel free to pass this post on to anyone who might be interested!
PPS We will have 2 more full-time spots starting in the summer of 2012, as our boys start full-time Kindergarten in September 2012...wow sure hope they are toilet trained by then...!
What this means for us is that we have a home daycare space opening mid-July; we could manage as early as June 1st in a pinch. August 1st would also be an acceptable start date.
We Offer:
* a 2nd loving family for your child - characterized by sensitivity, high
standards, and flexibility
* stories, books, music, dancing, singing and crafts
* engaged play, building on child's interest at developmental level, as well as free play
* a wide variety of toys and learning materials
* a large, bright multi-room ground-floor playspace, fenced backyard, and quiet bedroom for naps
* a positive approach to discipline – teaching not punishing – natural
consequences - “No” used only for situations involving safety.
* daily communication
* respect for individual differences
* healthy foods; whole grain, organic when affordable
* outings at least once daily; as weather permits
* no exposure to television or video games
If you are not a regular reader you need to know we have two cats and a lively little dog.
The cost is $50 a day and includes everything except diapers/wipes. Hours are 8 to 5:30.
Please feel free to pass this post on to anyone who might be interested!
PPS We will have 2 more full-time spots starting in the summer of 2012, as our boys start full-time Kindergarten in September 2012...wow sure hope they are toilet trained by then...!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Stylin' Saturday #20
Everything is size 12 or 18 months. Except the boots, which light up in two places. Max's shirt says "Canada Rocks" - bravo on the triple entendre baby.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Stylin' Saturday #19
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
