Spring Break

I dropped the children off at school today. As I was driving home, I got a bit sad because I will miss them! It was nice having them home for 11 days!

We got a lot of stuff off of our list. It was fun, and easy. I really like having a plan, and I know that Bode does, too. So we decided to keep adding to the list as we thought of things. I have added a lot of "must see while in Portland" items.  

We saw the Paul Bunyan statue, went to OMSI, went to story time at the library, went to the Lake Oswego Creamery for ice cream, took a walk, planted seeds (peas, peppers and basil so far),  went on a (road) trip to Sunriver and Bend, OR, and played in our backyard.  

Treeing Walker Coonhound

Nico walks on his own so far these days

Paul Bunyan statue

Deer on the road

 ice cream

flowers on a walk

I was having so much fun that I didn't snap many photos. It was nice to just "be in the moment" and enjoy my children.  I think we all loved being together.  (I wonder if they miss me this morning as much as I miss them?)

Happy Tuesday.

xo

Easter

Gianna dressed up in her Easter dress (A dress gifted by her Nana over a year ago. It's been a loooong wait on that dress for Gianna!).  Bode rolled out of bed and put on his favorite Earth shirt and leggings.  Everybody wore Easter Bunny ears.  And everybody (except Nico) immediately started eating the candy out of their baskets. The Easter Bunny left jelly beans,  chocolate bunnies, and 2 Peeps in Bode and Gianna's baskets, along with a jump rope.  Nico got a basket with a ball (that had an Easter Bunny on it). 

While the children were looking through their baskets, RWF was outside hiding eggs. At one point, Bode looked out the window and yelled, "Hi, Daddy!" and I quickly told him to sit down and "count your candy!" or something silly like that.  I don't think he knew what RWF was doing, but I didn't want him to catch on...because it's supposed to be an Easter Bunny thing, not a Daddy thing.

Bode and Gianna were so polite to each other during the Easter Egg hunt. They turned into acquaintances before our eyes, saying, "Here, you go first..." and each of them deciding that a blue one was meant for Bode, and a pink egg was meant for Gianna. "Here, Gianna, I found a pink one for you!" I don't know where they got that but it was so funny. And they would give each other eggs so easily...not worrying about how much each one had.  Well, except at the end, when Bode announced, "Mommy, I have MORE eggs than Gianna, right?" (He didn't but we all eventually agreed to agree that everyone had the right amount of eggs.)   

I made a simple Easter dinner (late lunch) of ham, roasted potatoes and green beans. Nobody wanted deviled eggs and so I left those off, too.  I thought a lot of my mom while I was cooking.  I really miss her every day, but a lot more during holidays. For his first real Easter meal, Nico ate everything except the ham. He had nothing on his tray except for the tiny bites of ham I had put there. He kept screeching at the table.  I kept offering things but he  would answer "No," and then screech again. Exasperated, I said, "I don't know what you want!"  Finally, RWF took a slice of ham and gave it to Nico.   Nico immediately started eating it, caveman style. He then demanded another piece once he had finished his first slice of ham.  

It was interesting to watch our children morph from mild-mannered, cheerful beings into screechy, whiney monsters! (Not judging anyone but this is why I do not give my children candy! It was actually painful as the day wore on and RWF & I swore again and again, "no more candy!") The plastic eggs containing candy were not opened until the 2nd day. It was Gianna who discovered that opening the eggs revealed - surprise! - more candy. (we certainly weren't going to tell them!)

Gianna ate much more candy on the sly (no surprise there) whereas Bode hoarded his candy and did not eat much (no surprise there, either).  I think Gianna had 3 jelly beans left, and Bode's basket was still filled with all kinds of candy. 

We let them eat and keep their candy for 2 days.  And then, it magically disappeared (into the trash).  Monday night, I went around the house and gathered all Easter items and stored or threw them away. The next morning, I was bracing myself for whining and questions, but nothing happened. It was almost as if they were 'done' with Easter, too.

RWF and I both really, really missed family this year.  We talked a lot about our New York Easters and decided that we needed to invite family over for a visit every year.  You're invited! Make your plans now!

Happy Easter & happy Spring!

xo

16/52 and 17/52

16/52

Bode: loves exploring and going places

Gianna: happy to be carried after a long walk

Nico: refusing to get dressed after a nap (and lying on the dog bed - eeek!)

17/52

Bode: checking out the dam on a recent road trip (and teasing me about saying "dam" every time I said, "Bode, look, there's the dam!")

Gianna: snoozing on the road trip

Nico: bundled up in his down jacket (again!)


Linking up with Jodi and her 52 project.

Spring Break has sprung

Bode and Gianna are officially on Spring Break!

Truthfully, when the teachers dismissed the classes yesterday, announcing, "Happy Spring Break!" I felt kind of...sad.  And unprepared. Like, "Really? Already? Are you sure that you don't want to keep them in school for the rest of the week?"  Because I was not ready to have my two monkeys full-time for the rest of this week, and the next!

After school, we dyed Easter eggs.  I had (mistakenly) told the children that we would color Easter eggs and of course, they were beyond excited.  They were so excited that I had to commit to the activity like, immediately.  

This morning, over breakfast, we brainstormed on what to do with our Spring Break. 

Here is our list (fantastically artistic styling by yours truly). You can probably guess who chose what activity.  They actually had a fun time coming up with ideas.  I only had to nix, or modify, some of the suggestions. 

1. Buy a book (Bode)
2. Buy a dress (Gianna)

(Okay, pause for my internal thoughts:  First of all, BUY A BOOK? Why? When you get a book (or two, or three, actually)  gifted to you once a month?  Also, buy a dress?  You have a closet full of dresses and really, only wear 2 of them on repeat. Moving on:)

3. Plant seeds (Bode. We already started this, but we have more to plant.)
4. Go on a trip (Bode. I gleefully wrote this one down.)
5. Go to OMSI (me, because the forecast calls for - you guessed it! - rain! all week.)
6. Go to backyard (Bode. Eh...okay.)
7. Go to library (me, I think)
7. Paul Bunyon statue (me, all of us. I searched for suggestions on my phone and they picked this from what I read aloud.)

Are you paying attention?  TWO number 7s on the list.  This is called motherhood. This is called "Me, on no coffee, at 8 AM."

8. Zoo (Bode & Gianna. Eh. I have my own opinions about zoos. This is a big MAYBE on the list.)
9. Ice cream (Gianna)
10. Eat breakfast out (Bode)

We will see how much we get done in a week's time, especially if we go on our trip.  The children are just really, really excited about having a list! of things! to do!  Bode has been walking around with the list in his hands all morning, announcing various things to do.  Of course, it's 10 o'clock in the morning and we haven't done anything but get dressed.  The delay is due, of course, to this little dude:

I insist on keeping the nap schedule.  I want him to at least get a morning nap in before we set off.  Bode and Gianna are so anxious to leave the house (it's raining!) so I need to be able to 'get' as soon as Nico wakes up. So that means I must close this and publish.  

But first...a note on our nook table. You may have noticed that our nook table does not fit the nook. It is actually (you could probably guess) the children's table.  

I'm terribly, terribly embarrassed by this set up.  So here's the story, and it's what I tell everyone who walks into the house (whether they care to hear it or not).  When we moved in, I was determined to find a nook table immediately. That nook is actually one of the only features of the house that I like.  So one of my "alone time" activities when we moved in was searching for the perfect nook table.  I soon found out that it does not exist.  Well, I found out that it does exist. You can buy it from Pottery Barn! But...I don't want to spend Pottery Barn pricing on a nook table for a house that we are soon to move out of (I hope!).  I don't want to live here anymore. So now the nook table hunt is...well, off the table (pun!).   I am annoyed by the kid table set up but not annoyed enough to fix it. And really, the children are the only ones that sit there (a lot) so it kind of fits them (???).  So! That's the story.  That is why you see a kids table (that doesn't fit)  in a breakfast nook.  Don't you feel better now that you know? ;)

Now to take something off that Spring Break list....

xo

Reading

We have been going to the library and picking out a new "chapter book" (as Bode calls it) every week.   Bode is on a Roald Dahl kick. So far, we have read "James and the Giant Peach," and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." 

Last night, we started "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," and I think it will be a winner just like the other Dahl books we have read.

Once Bode is ready for a new author, I want to introduce him to "Charlotte's Web." And of course,  the whole "Little House" series will be on our family reading list.

I loved all Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume books as a kid (and still do!).  But I think I want to wait on those for when my children are independent readers.  Some things are best discovered on your own. I have to admit,  I will try my best to influence their reading material!

Did you love reading as a child? What were your favorite books and authors?  I'm excited to see what types of books and authors that our children read as they grow. I hope that they are always readers!
xo

Cheese, part three

Nico had his 18 month check up a couple of weeks ago. As I had feared, his weight is on the light side.  I knew that he was definitely not chunking up, and seemed to be staying the same size (for a long time). So I was disappointed, but not surprised, when the pediatrician announced his weight.

Of course, I immediately went home and looked up Bode's weight for 18 months.  I knew that Bode was a big toddler and I knew that he would dwarf Nico at this age (not that it matters).  It doesn't matter what the weight difference is - I tell myself all the time that Nico looks, feels, and is smaller.

I looked up an email I had written about Bode at 18 months.  It really took me back.  It was so neat to read about Bode and what he was like at 18 months.  I'm so glad that I kept these notes. Reading about 18 month old Bode started a new "love affair" with him.  I watch Bode now with fresh eyes, seeing him as the toddler  he was, and as the 5 year old he is now. I reach out and squeeze him, thinking of that happy little guy with the easy laugh, who used to toddle around with a bottle hanging out of his mouth. 

Bode, 17 months

(are you kidding me??? swoooooon.)

Now, whenever I feel like this blog is stupid and pointless, I'm going to keep writing anyway.  The old notes on Bode's and Gianna's babyhood just confirmed for me that I want these memories written down. I can try to hold these memories in my heart, and in my head, but some things just need to be recorded. I won't always remember how their baby skin smelled so sweet, what each child's voice sounded like when they first started babbling, or how their laughter rang through the house each morning...but at least I can write about milestones and events, and hopefully, that will trigger some of the rest.

Bode, 18 months

The pediatrician suggested that we give dairy another go with Nico. Based on what I've told her about his reactions, she doesn't think that it is an allergy.  So we will start again on dairy (and eggs!) and hope that his body accepts it. We started with some mild shredded cheese. Nico was very happy to eat it (of course, I think the worst: my baby is hungry). We're going to keep giving Nico little bits of dairy at meals.  I'm also trying to 'fatten' him up in other ways.  I'm dousing his pasta in lots of olive oil, offering avocado (he doesn't like it), and yogurt (made with coconut milk). Any other ideas for high (good) fat meals?
Hopefully, this time, Nico will not have any reactions to dairy.  Keep your fingers crossed!  

xo

The weekend

We had a fairly busy, fairly relaxed weekend.  We stayed busy, but it wasn't so crazy that I felt like I didn't get any rest.

Friday, we found out that the owner of the house we are renting is planning on chopping down a tree in our front yard. This upsets both me and RWF.  The tree is mature and beautiful. It provides a lot of coverage and is a great "climbing" tree.  We studied its placement, and found no cause for it to be removed.  So, we voiced our concern to the owner. We are waiting to hear her decision.  Friends, this house has been one thing after another and my patience is...done!!! Please send some good thoughts our way, that we might find a great house and place to live. Thank you.

Hugs from Nico

Saturday, RWF and Bode went skiing.  Gianna, Nico and I traveled to Vancouver, WA for a birthday party.  It is so close!  We just crossed the Columbia River and boom! we were there.  I do not like crossing bridges and high overpasses.  This town is testing my limits on an almost weekly basis! I get anxious when approaching a bridge, and I've had to  give myself a pep talk about crossing bridges.  I can drive on the bridge, but I can not talk, think or do anything else but concentrate on driving across and getting over it as quickly as possible! ACK!

I was amazed by Gianna's independence at the birthday party. I guess, since she is always with me or Bode, I was surprised at how she just broke away.  She wasn't really interested in hanging out with her friends. The party was held at a park, and she ran off and played on the playground, independent of me or any friends.  I kept my distance, to encourage her independence. But I also found that I was a tad anxious, worried about keeping an eye on her, and Nico, who was also roaming about.  When we got home from the party, I told RWF, "Never again!" because I hated worrying that someone was going to snatch one of my children while I was watching the other. Does that sound extreme?  Maybe it is, but in a large park, it was hard for me to watch them both when they both wanted to do different things.   My one comfort was that other parents that knew Gianna were present and were at least "aware" of her.   

Sunday we went on our usual family walk. I don't mean for "usual" to sound boring.  It is comforting and relaxing to do this walk every Sunday. It is a nice routine for all of us, a quiet walk in the woods, together.  And of course, any time to soak up the sunshine is welcomed!

This week is all about Easter preparations! I have bought more candy since I ate the first batch. I'm planning on making little Easter bunnies featured in Martha Stewart. They look so cute, and I hope that the children like them.  Please send some energy my way so that I will finish these bunnies in time for their Easter baskets!  Tomorrow, we will dye Easter eggs, I think. And of course, read our Easter stories this week so that we get excited for the Easter Bunny's visit!

Happy Tuesday!

xo

15/52

A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2014. Linking up with Jodi and her 52 project.


Bode: playing "spaceship" on a weekend walk

Gianna: "girl talk" with Mommy

Nico: early, early morning wake-ups

Nico: 18 months

Dear Nico,

Wow - you are now a year and a half old.  That is amazing because it feels like you've been with us forever, and yet...you have only been here for a year and a half.  And you have done so much in that year and a half!

Your most favorite thing to do these days is to go outside and splash in the puddles.  We have many puddles to splash around here, and you think it's the bomb!  Your favorite place is at Bode and Gianna's school because there are really big, really deep puddles in the woods.  Every morning, along with your brother and sister, you put on rain gear: rain jacket, rain pants and rain boots.  You love it.  "Boot? Boot? BOOOOT!" you'll demand once Bode and Gianna start gearing up.  "Yes, sir!" I reply as I sit down with you on the kitchen floor, and begin the very official business of putting on your rain gear and boots.  You also love being outside. We play in the backyard every day. You might say, "Outside? Outside?" to make sure that I know where we are going.  "Yes, sir!" I reply and take you out the door.

We started swim lessons a few weeks ago. You could leave it, I think.  But you are such a good sport, and put up with the changing of clothes, the cold water, and the (stupid!) water games that we play with your teacher.  You don't like being handed off to your swim teacher. You'll cry for a minute, but then, stop, and just put up with it (her) until you're handed back to me. I put you in swim lessons because I had a nightmare.  And now that the horror of this nightmare  has faded, I'm ready to ditch the swim lessons, too.  I don't like the cold, the wet, and the bother for either of us.  So once this class is over, we won't be back. We won't be back until you decide that you're ready, or  when you're a little bit older and can deal with the cold, and verbalize things better.

You enjoy all the B word things and say them so well: balls, bagels, books (flipping through them by yourself, pulling them off the shelf, or throwing them), bites (yogurt bites),  baths, and babies!  Your vocabulary is great - thank you, sibs!!!  You have two great teachers who love to play with you, and their chatter is a constant lesson to you. I can only imagine how much your brain "records" throughout the day. 

You are starting to carry cars around in your little hands.  You go, "Brrrm! Brrrm!" to make car noises. You'll watch cars go on the road, and repeat, "Brrrm!"  Cars are what you play with when I am cooking, or when you have a minute to yourself. You'll drag them across the floor, or push them violently away to make them "go" but they'll skitter and crank across the floor, because you don't have the coordination yet to have them "glide" across the floor.

Your little personality is wonderful. You are such a happy guy, and you smile easily.  I think that you're going to have a very easy, mellow temperament.  I hope so, as this will serve you well in life!

We have started a parent-child class this week. It is a mixed aged class and there are two baby girls in there who are 6 months.  You really enjoyed squatting in front of these babies and just smiling at them. It's pretty funny to watch.  There are also some older children in the class (2 years), too, and I'm not anxious for you to pick up new skills from them! I want you to stay just the way you are right now.  Yesterday, we had a little talk. I asked you, "Nico, will you please stay like this at 18 months for awhile?" and you said, "Okay."  You said it so easily, so readily and I was happy that we had an agreement. But a second later, I realized that I did not define "awhile" and therefore, even though we had an agreement, you could easily grow, and become 19 months...next week.

But most of all, you love me! You and me, baby, we are so close. I understand what you are saying, and what you want/need more easily than anyone. You want me before anyone else. And I love it that way.  At nap time, or at night, when you wake up, it's almost a curse, because you cry, "Mama, mama..." and Daddy will joke, "He's calling for you." When I  have a baby sitter watch you and your siblings, you get so sad. You'll cry and cry. And I'll cry inside, too. I usually time it so that I put you down for a nap before the errand. That way, you sleep through the sitter and I'm home by the time you wake up! See how easy I make your life?  No drama for my baby! Not yet, anyway. Maybe when you are a little older.  

You have become a hugger.  You will give "Anna" a hug when you see her. And then you might go over to "Bobo" and give him a hug as well.  You love your "Dada" and enjoy wrestling and tickle matches with him.  You also pat "Pa'dah" (Priscilla) and often tell me "Pa'dah outside" when she's out, or "Pa'dah night-night" when you see her sleeping.  

We are a very busy family and often on the road, but you make these excursions so easy right now.  Thank you for being so agreeable,  skipping naps and full meals for car rides, and always sitting patiently while your brother and sister do gymnastics or swim. 

Happy 18 months, Nico. It has been a wonderful year and a half for all of us!
Love,
Mommy
xo