Howdy! We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...
During that break, the kids had the audacity to keep growing. They're both at fun ages, but for different reasons. The 8 year old is a full "big kid" and stretching his wings with learning how to do more complex tasks (organizing! setting priorities! pocket knives!). He still has that truthful observation talent...
such as this afternoon, when we driving home, and I didn't see a guy on a bike crossing the road. Well, at FIRST I didn't see him, but stopped in plenty of time to wave him across. We watched him pedal awkwardly, and then realized it was because he was carrying signs for the presidential candidate that is my least favorite. So I muttered: "Oh, he supports THAT one. I guess I should've hit him." Kaden laughed, but I immediately corrected myself: "No, that isn't right. We are one country and need to treat each other with love and unity. I shouldn't say things like that." Kaden laughed again, and said, "Yeah, that's Dad's language! You know better..." Then it was my turn to laugh. (disclaimer: it's the middle of football season, remember, so language can get salty around here!)
The two year old is entertaining in other ways. Mostly when he's not being exasperating. Every day at dinner, we ask each other "how was your day" and take turns listening to news or feelings. And every single solitary time, he calls out "MY TURN. I went to froggies." (The nickname for his class.) No other information, but he looks you straight in the eye and nods when he says it.
Lately, though, he's been adding more details. Like when I asked him how he got the bruise on his shin (he climbs *everything* so I'm fairly certain it's an innocent mark!). He looked at the leg, looked me in the eye and said, "giraffe." What? Is that on the playground? He nods and says yes.. I'm imagining an animal themed slide. Then he elaborates, "giraffe hit me. then we went under water." I have no idea what he's talking about.
Which is fairly typical. he talks A LOT, but we're rarely 100% sure that we're all on the same conversation. He's also taken a liking to dinner prayers. When one of us starts, he shouts MY TURN. GOD. FOOD. AMEN. THANK YOU. AMEN. Or he mutters it softly, all as one word: Godfoodthankyouamen.
Other times, he rolls his eyes and runs away when we try to talk to him. Toddlers! And he's screaming less these days, but occasionally one comes out that's particularly funny. Last week, we were talking about Halloween costumes, and Kaden said "I'm going to be Batman,. You can be Superman." Sam replied by yelling: NO! I - BAT - MAN! He actually sounded a wee bit like Michael Keaton...
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Monday, October 19, 2015
The Cub's Hobbies
A few months ago, we had to do an "All About Me" poster for Cub's day care. It felt a little odd, like writing a personals ad for someone else. But we did it, and I may have gone a teeny bit overboard with the photos and descriptions, as compensation for not documenting his every move on this blog.
The poster came back a few weeks ago, and I'm glad I went overboard. It's hanging in the boys room, and we all like looking at it a bit. Without the benefit of all the photos, here's the summary of our 20.5 month son!
"Hi! My name is Sam. I was born in Hershey, PA. This is my family (immediate and grands only, as there's over 20 people if we start counting uncles and aunts and cousins). I love my big brother. I like to climb and hide. I like playing football, going outside and listening or dancing to music."
In the few months since that happened, I realized we could add another hobby to the list: coloring. It's more accurate to say "scribbling", and probably the MOST accurate to say "graffiti" since he writes over EVERYTHING. Really. Kaden's homework, cards people have sent us, newspapers, books, tables, the floor, the walls. Yes, plural: walls. While he will write/scribble/graffiti will any writing instrument he can find, he tends to prefer colored Sharpies. Yes, the permanent ones.
It's a bit disheartening to have a new masterpiece pop up before we're finished cleaning the last one off the wall. We have already moved all the pens and markers and crayons out of reach, but somehow there's always one escapee. Or perhaps his climbing comes in handy?
Also- in the few weeks since we wrote the post about his words, his vocab has exploded this past week. He's not quite stringing together sentences, even the 2 word kind, but he is great at understanding what we mean (go get the blue shirt). He's decent at making his wants known, if he's not in a meltdown that is, too. He likes to put on his shoes and point to the door, "Go? Go?"
He's also a great little parrot, repeating (or trying to) almost everything we say. Unless we're in church, when he just wants to talk loudly or cry. But that's another post. It's funny that he will also parrot animals (woof, woof) or other people we pass by (hello, baby). He's on the verge of all the fun preschool exploring, and it's good to see him growing in wonder and starting to master skills.
The poster came back a few weeks ago, and I'm glad I went overboard. It's hanging in the boys room, and we all like looking at it a bit. Without the benefit of all the photos, here's the summary of our 20.5 month son!
"Hi! My name is Sam. I was born in Hershey, PA. This is my family (immediate and grands only, as there's over 20 people if we start counting uncles and aunts and cousins). I love my big brother. I like to climb and hide. I like playing football, going outside and listening or dancing to music."
In the few months since that happened, I realized we could add another hobby to the list: coloring. It's more accurate to say "scribbling", and probably the MOST accurate to say "graffiti" since he writes over EVERYTHING. Really. Kaden's homework, cards people have sent us, newspapers, books, tables, the floor, the walls. Yes, plural: walls. While he will write/scribble/graffiti will any writing instrument he can find, he tends to prefer colored Sharpies. Yes, the permanent ones.
It's a bit disheartening to have a new masterpiece pop up before we're finished cleaning the last one off the wall. We have already moved all the pens and markers and crayons out of reach, but somehow there's always one escapee. Or perhaps his climbing comes in handy?
Also- in the few weeks since we wrote the post about his words, his vocab has exploded this past week. He's not quite stringing together sentences, even the 2 word kind, but he is great at understanding what we mean (go get the blue shirt). He's decent at making his wants known, if he's not in a meltdown that is, too. He likes to put on his shoes and point to the door, "Go? Go?"
He's also a great little parrot, repeating (or trying to) almost everything we say. Unless we're in church, when he just wants to talk loudly or cry. But that's another post. It's funny that he will also parrot animals (woof, woof) or other people we pass by (hello, baby). He's on the verge of all the fun preschool exploring, and it's good to see him growing in wonder and starting to master skills.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Vo-ka-BU-larry
The babe is getting older...and bigger... and more talkative.
This week, I was talking emphatically.
He stood next to me and imitated my tone and hand motion exactly.
Sigh.
A few weeks ago, I was lamenting his 'lack' of vocabulary. Then I started listing his words. They're not pronounced perfectly, but still. We got a decent list down, and then... it was like he knew I was counting! Because it just exploded. He can mimic almost any word (when he feels like it) but here's his most consistently used palabras:
Hi
Bye
Mama
Mooooommmmm
Dada
Bruh-bruh (brother)
Nana
Pop
Gran-ma
Kah-DEN (Kaden)
Yesh.
Go.
GO, GO, GO, GO!!
Peas (please)
Piz (peace) (at Mass)
Uh oh.
Done.
More
TA- DA !
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Letting Go
There are a hundred posts I could write from the last 6 months... the gap in posting is actually helping me figure out what, exactly, I want to write- and why I have the blog. It started as a family thing, morphed into a semi-official record, then a sporadic venture into figuring out this parenting thing, and then... lapsed.
And now- file this under the Explore-Parenting tag- in the past few days, I've run across a few articles with the same theme:
Raising Kids to be Rule Breakers
The Alternative to Controlling your Child
I will NOT obey
Guess God is telling me to lighten up ;)
PS- Cub is a year and a half, and then some, if you're counting. If we're not connected on Facebook, let me know and I'll be sure you can see his curly adorableness!
And now- file this under the Explore-Parenting tag- in the past few days, I've run across a few articles with the same theme:
Raising Kids to be Rule Breakers
The Alternative to Controlling your Child
I will NOT obey
Guess God is telling me to lighten up ;)
PS- Cub is a year and a half, and then some, if you're counting. If we're not connected on Facebook, let me know and I'll be sure you can see his curly adorableness!
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