I wonder what people will think when they come into our house and see this in our ceiling fan above our family room??
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Keegen at 2
So, some two months past your second birthday, you:
have wild hair. I've contemplated cutting it, but i don't know that that would help anything. And i honestly love how crazy it is. Goes perfectly with your personality.
are the definition of Mr. Messy.
talk. A LOT.
love love LOVE fruit. Any and all. But especially bananas, apples, grapes, raspberries and strawberries.
common answers to requests/questions of late--"why?", "because", "I will"--example: Me: "Keegen, eat your chicken!" Keegen: "I will eat my chicken!" (as he grabs another grape).
try really hard to keep up with big brother. And you guys play really well together.
Fred-Flinstone your trike and are starting to ride a scooter.
have terrifying jumping skills. You jump off of the ottoman, off of the chair, off of the high steps, with zero thoughts about your own safety.
are still madly in love with your binkies. We'd weaned you to only having them when you're sleeping, but they've somehow crept back in lately. You are very happy to sleep with one in your mouth while holding four in your hands.
are in that determined to "do it myself!" stage.
in time for this post, for the very first and what had better be last time, BIT your brother on his belly. When I asked you the first time why you bit him, your response? "Beca-ause."
There's so much more to you. You are so much fun and i'm so glad you're a part of our family!
This video doesn't do the jumping justice, but will have to do.
have wild hair. I've contemplated cutting it, but i don't know that that would help anything. And i honestly love how crazy it is. Goes perfectly with your personality.
are the definition of Mr. Messy.
talk. A LOT.
love love LOVE fruit. Any and all. But especially bananas, apples, grapes, raspberries and strawberries.
common answers to requests/questions of late--"why?", "because", "I will"--example: Me: "Keegen, eat your chicken!" Keegen: "I will eat my chicken!" (as he grabs another grape).
try really hard to keep up with big brother. And you guys play really well together.
Fred-Flinstone your trike and are starting to ride a scooter.
have terrifying jumping skills. You jump off of the ottoman, off of the chair, off of the high steps, with zero thoughts about your own safety.
are still madly in love with your binkies. We'd weaned you to only having them when you're sleeping, but they've somehow crept back in lately. You are very happy to sleep with one in your mouth while holding four in your hands.
are in that determined to "do it myself!" stage.
in time for this post, for the very first and what had better be last time, BIT your brother on his belly. When I asked you the first time why you bit him, your response? "Beca-ause."
There's so much more to you. You are so much fun and i'm so glad you're a part of our family!
This video doesn't do the jumping justice, but will have to do.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Utah
WAY to overwhelming to document our trip in its entirety (is that a word? i'm tired). So instead, here are some pictures for your enjoyment. That's what you come here for anyway, right?
It was a draw for "favorite uncle" status between Nick and Trevor
Easter Sunday at Temple Square--we're either being beamed up or translated. i can't decide.
Maybe I can photoshop these two pictures to make one good one?
Taking care to cross carefully at BYU
The AWESOME children's museum in SLC
Cousins at the aquarium
More from the children's museum. Over and out!
It was a draw for "favorite uncle" status between Nick and Trevor
Easter Sunday at Temple Square--we're either being beamed up or translated. i can't decide.
Maybe I can photoshop these two pictures to make one good one?
Post-Easter egg hunt haul at Trevor and Bethany's
Learning to throw/catch a frisbee at the park after egg hunt
Mr. Mischief in the flesh
Taking care to cross carefully at BYU
The AWESOME children's museum in SLC
Cousins at the aquarium
More from the children's museum. Over and out!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Here Fishy Fishy
I can't remember if i mentioned that we inherited Angela's kids' betta fish. Since they're moving, they've had to find homes for two gerbils, one tweety bird (parakeet?) and a betta fish. They're keeping the dog but she's already living in Utah with relatives.
So. I was willing to take the fish. I'd toyed with getting the boys a fish as a first pet so it was an easy decision.
The boys dubbed him "Fishy" and I gave the boys some ownership by letting them choose a bigger bowl to move him to, choose new pebbles and nice it up with a plant. I fretted about the water temperature in his bowl since we keep our house pretty cool. I was assured by Angela that he is a hardy fish and that his water is always on the cool side.
I gave a lot of thought to the cool water and considered putting the bowl on a hotplate (at a very low temperature!). Erin suggested a heating pad. In the end, i ended up putting the bowl at one of my kitchen windows so the sunshine could heat it up somewhat. When i commented to Doug that the fish was stressing me out and he told me it wasn't something worth getting stressed about, my response was, "I expect living creatures in my home to be healthy and happy!" And this includes fish.
From the get-go, Fishy seemed a bit dull and often lifeless. Angela did say they'd had him about a year, which she thought was a long time. So, in addition to the plant, and in an attempt to perk Fishy up and make his home a happy one, we decided Fishy needed a companion. We bought an African dwarf frog. Yes, the boys dubbed him "Froggy." He's really fun to watch. Very active in comparison to Fishy. But i still fretted about the water temp and now fret about Froggy's welfare, too.
Yesterday, the boys wanted to see Fishy and couldn't get a good look at him. I spun the bowl around so they could see and realized Fishy was no longer with us. D-E-A-D. I quickly directed the boys back to their snacks because i didn't want to deal with death and dying right there and then.
After Bode's quiet time, i told him i needed to talk to him. I told him that Fishy died this morning. Bode's eyes got so big. I asked him if he knew what the word "died" meant and he said no. So i told him that Fishy's body stopped working but that the thing that made him alive (his spirit) went to Fishy Heaven. Is that too over-the-top? Oh well. I was sort of winging it. There could be fish in heaven, right? He said something about Fishy living forever and I told him Fishy had a good long life with lots of friends (including Bode, Keegen, Zeke and Froggy) and we just happened to get him at the end of his life (I was NOT going to get into the concept of resurrection and eternity!!;>). I asked if he wanted to see Fishy's body and he did. I asked if he thought we should bury him in the backyard (frozen) or put him into the pond on the golf course and he opted for the pond. He said something that made me think he thought that if we put him in the pond he'd come back to life, so i told him that wouldn't happen but that he'd help feed the plants (ahem). Anyway. He then asked if Froggy would live forever and i said no, but he's alive and kickin' now so enjoy him while he lasts (not in those words). I thought he took it all very well.
Tonight Froggy gave me a scare. Was acting very lethargic. I quickly (had Doug) scooped him out of the bowl he'd shared with Fishy and cleaned the thing out. Get the smell of death out of the bowl and give the guy a fresh start, right? He seems to have perked up. Now, does Froggy need a companion? We'll see.
So you know what put me in hysterics this afternoon? When we got home from church and i saw what Bode had done in his Sunbeams class. The topic was "I Am Thankful for Fish." And they played a fishing game. HA! Quite the co-ink-ee-dink.
We are thankful for fish indeed. May you rest in peace.
So. I was willing to take the fish. I'd toyed with getting the boys a fish as a first pet so it was an easy decision.
The boys dubbed him "Fishy" and I gave the boys some ownership by letting them choose a bigger bowl to move him to, choose new pebbles and nice it up with a plant. I fretted about the water temperature in his bowl since we keep our house pretty cool. I was assured by Angela that he is a hardy fish and that his water is always on the cool side.
I gave a lot of thought to the cool water and considered putting the bowl on a hotplate (at a very low temperature!). Erin suggested a heating pad. In the end, i ended up putting the bowl at one of my kitchen windows so the sunshine could heat it up somewhat. When i commented to Doug that the fish was stressing me out and he told me it wasn't something worth getting stressed about, my response was, "I expect living creatures in my home to be healthy and happy!" And this includes fish.
From the get-go, Fishy seemed a bit dull and often lifeless. Angela did say they'd had him about a year, which she thought was a long time. So, in addition to the plant, and in an attempt to perk Fishy up and make his home a happy one, we decided Fishy needed a companion. We bought an African dwarf frog. Yes, the boys dubbed him "Froggy." He's really fun to watch. Very active in comparison to Fishy. But i still fretted about the water temp and now fret about Froggy's welfare, too.
Yesterday, the boys wanted to see Fishy and couldn't get a good look at him. I spun the bowl around so they could see and realized Fishy was no longer with us. D-E-A-D. I quickly directed the boys back to their snacks because i didn't want to deal with death and dying right there and then.
After Bode's quiet time, i told him i needed to talk to him. I told him that Fishy died this morning. Bode's eyes got so big. I asked him if he knew what the word "died" meant and he said no. So i told him that Fishy's body stopped working but that the thing that made him alive (his spirit) went to Fishy Heaven. Is that too over-the-top? Oh well. I was sort of winging it. There could be fish in heaven, right? He said something about Fishy living forever and I told him Fishy had a good long life with lots of friends (including Bode, Keegen, Zeke and Froggy) and we just happened to get him at the end of his life (I was NOT going to get into the concept of resurrection and eternity!!;>). I asked if he wanted to see Fishy's body and he did. I asked if he thought we should bury him in the backyard (frozen) or put him into the pond on the golf course and he opted for the pond. He said something that made me think he thought that if we put him in the pond he'd come back to life, so i told him that wouldn't happen but that he'd help feed the plants (ahem). Anyway. He then asked if Froggy would live forever and i said no, but he's alive and kickin' now so enjoy him while he lasts (not in those words). I thought he took it all very well.
Tonight Froggy gave me a scare. Was acting very lethargic. I quickly (had Doug) scooped him out of the bowl he'd shared with Fishy and cleaned the thing out. Get the smell of death out of the bowl and give the guy a fresh start, right? He seems to have perked up. Now, does Froggy need a companion? We'll see.
So you know what put me in hysterics this afternoon? When we got home from church and i saw what Bode had done in his Sunbeams class. The topic was "I Am Thankful for Fish." And they played a fishing game. HA! Quite the co-ink-ee-dink.
We are thankful for fish indeed. May you rest in peace.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Direct Quotes
Driving home from Costco at posted speed (55MPH)
B: "Hey Mom!"
Me: "Mmmm?"
B: "Honk at that guy!"
Me: "Why?"
B: "Because he's driving too slow!"
Apparently the 2 years he spent with me in the DC area has stuck with him. My little aggressive backseat driver.
Conversation at Costco.
B: "Mom, when will my 5 birthday be?"
Me: "Eleven months."
B: "Eleven months?!
Me: "You just turned four, don't be in such a hurry."
B: "When will Christmas be again?"
Me: "Nine months."
B: "Well, Mom. When will Keegen be two?"
Me: "One month. He has his second birthday next month."
B, exclaiming: "One month?! Like one month?! One month isn't forever like everything else is forever!"
Remember when that one whole month till Christmas was, like, forever??!
Conversation between B and Z regarding Z's impending move to Utah which B knows nothing about
Z: "Bode, when our house gets old, we're moving to Utah!"
B: "Oh! Ya! We are too!" (Uh, no. Not in any potentially foreseeable future. Z is his bestest friend so he of course would want to be anywhere he is going).
Oy. (Did you catch the "gets old?" Gets SOLD). Funny kids.
B: "Hey Mom!"
Me: "Mmmm?"
B: "Honk at that guy!"
Me: "Why?"
B: "Because he's driving too slow!"
Apparently the 2 years he spent with me in the DC area has stuck with him. My little aggressive backseat driver.
Conversation at Costco.
B: "Mom, when will my 5 birthday be?"
Me: "Eleven months."
B: "Eleven months?!
Me: "You just turned four, don't be in such a hurry."
B: "When will Christmas be again?"
Me: "Nine months."
B: "Well, Mom. When will Keegen be two?"
Me: "One month. He has his second birthday next month."
B, exclaiming: "One month?! Like one month?! One month isn't forever like everything else is forever!"
Remember when that one whole month till Christmas was, like, forever??!
Conversation between B and Z regarding Z's impending move to Utah which B knows nothing about
Z: "Bode, when our house gets old, we're moving to Utah!"
B: "Oh! Ya! We are too!" (Uh, no. Not in any potentially foreseeable future. Z is his bestest friend so he of course would want to be anywhere he is going).
Oy. (Did you catch the "gets old?" Gets SOLD). Funny kids.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Cracks Me Up
Last night i decided to have Doug remove Bode's bedrails (again. They've been removed before but our active/restless sleeper kept ka-booming onto the floor so back on they went) and just put the boxspring and mattress sans frame on the floor. Then i situated his bed against the wall like a daybed to make more room. He has a big but awkward room.
Tonight as i was making dinner, (REALLY overextending myself with the frozen TJ's chicken nuggets and frozen Spud Puppies AKA tater tots...) Doug was upstairs in Bode's room playing with the boys. I went up and saw that they were playing trucks and got down on the floor with the three of them while they played. I started picking at one of the dents left in the carpet by B's bedframe until i realized....
I was so totally ruining their fun. They had a few Matchbox vehicles (a Hummer, steamroller and ambulance to be more specific) and a couple larger vehicles (a monster truck and a digger). The smaller trucks were "falling" into the "holes" and the bigger trucks were there to pull them out. Keegen was yelling, "Hep me! Hep me!" when his went in and Bode would promptly push him out. Bode is yelling, "Watch out for that big hole. You will get stuck!" And then we're all reciting the words to My Truck is Stuck...
Oh the teamwork and silly play just makes me smile. I'll speak for myself and say Dad's really do play differently with their kids. I don't think i would have come up with that idea for playtime!
Tonight as i was making dinner, (REALLY overextending myself with the frozen TJ's chicken nuggets and frozen Spud Puppies AKA tater tots...) Doug was upstairs in Bode's room playing with the boys. I went up and saw that they were playing trucks and got down on the floor with the three of them while they played. I started picking at one of the dents left in the carpet by B's bedframe until i realized....
I was so totally ruining their fun. They had a few Matchbox vehicles (a Hummer, steamroller and ambulance to be more specific) and a couple larger vehicles (a monster truck and a digger). The smaller trucks were "falling" into the "holes" and the bigger trucks were there to pull them out. Keegen was yelling, "Hep me! Hep me!" when his went in and Bode would promptly push him out. Bode is yelling, "Watch out for that big hole. You will get stuck!" And then we're all reciting the words to My Truck is Stuck...
Oh the teamwork and silly play just makes me smile. I'll speak for myself and say Dad's really do play differently with their kids. I don't think i would have come up with that idea for playtime!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Bode at 4
Wow. The leaps and bounds you've made this year! You've done a lot of OT and it has helped immensely with your sensory processing issues. You've always been a happy child, but now we see that more frequently.
At age 4 you are:
- using the potty! Woo hoo! Woo hoo!! Maybe someday you'll poop in it, but we're taking what we can get right now
- riding a 2-wheeler with training wheels
- favorite foods are whole wheat waffles with jelly, any kind of treat, chicken nuggets, broccoli
- Phrases: "Oh Brudder!" "Yep! I sure did!" --"i'm cwuisin'!" That's' awesome! Cool! I'm smokin' ya!" One new phrase that is causing a problem is "Dat's not choosing da wight." You say this whenever you're admonished or disciplined (and you're not saying it about yourself/your choices, but about ME). You used it on your friend Mariann who is in the CTR5 class and she was quite offended and you ended up in a timeout for the fight that ensued!
- are doing this hilarious "thumbs-up" gesture that totally cracks us up
- favorite toys are the GeoTrax trains and trucks and the elliptical trainer in the basement (not meant to be a toy, but whatever keeps you happy...)
- imagination and pretend play is a huge thing lately. You've had pretend friends over for hours and admonished me for not cutting up one friend's "food" very well. Not enough effort on my part. Sorry kiddo. Today there was a lot of lava to be dealt with outside by the playset
- are awesome with Keegen. When you were still in nursery and he was crying you really tried to help him feel better and play. Last night, you were so patient with him as you showed him how to recharge and use the remote control cars.
- do well in your classes. Preschool is going great and you love Sunbeams, mostly (apparently) because you rock at Bingo
- love to read. You really enjoy storytime and discovering new books
- are starting to put letters together to make words
- do a bang-up job writing the alphabet and your name, "DAD" and "MOM"
- are very perceptive and notice lots of details i think most people wouldn't see
- are most willing to talk at bedtime. Not so much during the day. It's almost as though you need the hours of the day to process that day's events and then you have lots to say. So we have a nice little bedtime chat each night where you tell me what was good (or, as you said tonight, "I'm going to tell you everything that made me Super Happy today!") and things that bugged you; etc.
- are 40 pounds and 42" tall and wear a size 12-13 shoe
Oh and so much more. You are a sensitive, fun, persistent little guy. You are learning so much everyday and it's a beautiful thing to hear you say, "I'll do it myself...I want to try...I can do it...I want to help..."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
