Today was not so fun. I really, really screwed up. Here it goes. Joshua was not so enthusiastic today. He ate his breakfast, but was pretty upset about having to wear underpants to school. He didn't want to wear anything under his jeans. Particularly no underpants. (I will attach the video of him telling me all about it. Funny.) He also didn't want to meet "new friends". He didn't want to see the new Emma, he wanted to see the old Emma (his cousin from Keller, TX). And he wanted to see old friends, particularly Nolan and Dylan. So here is where I screwed up. On the way to school I explained to him that in just TWO days he would be seeing his friend Nolan. He was so excited! I calmly explained that he will go to school today, then sleep tonight, then go to school tomorrow, sleep tomorrow, then when he woke the day after tomorrow we would get on a plane to Scotland and see Nolan, Karissa, Keira, and Gregor. ("Gregor at work?", "No, Gregor is in Scotland with Nolan." "I want to go to Scotland." "We will, day after tomorrow. We will get on a plane to Scotland and see Nolan." "I want to get on a plane with Nolan." *SIGH*)
We get to school and Joshua is very excited. He says to me, "Nolan at school." And I immediately realize why he is so excited now. I explain, "No, Nolan is not at school. He goes to a different school." At this point, we are walking up to the door. "I want to go to different school with Nolan! I want to go to a different school!" He is yelling, parents and toddlers and teachers all around. I quietly explain this is his school, and he begins crying, telling me not to leave. I take him to the bathroom, then to the room where his teacher, Ms. Amy, is leading a well behaved, sweetly cooperating group of toddlers through songs. My child is crying loudly. And getting louder. They tell me to leave, that they will call if he doesn't calm down. So I go to the parking lot and stand there, holding Jacob, and cry because I can still hear him wailing. Last update, the teacher had taken him upstairs to play and to give him a chance to calm down. It has been 45 minutes and no call, so I assume he stopped crying. But this is not a good day so far and I am a sad, sad mommy.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Joshua's First Day of Preschool, Part I
I was very anxious about today. I actually had nightmares about getting Joshua to school late. In my dream, I was driving. I took a corner too fast, had to off road it over some construction (New Shocks!! I remember thinking.) and then somehow I was separated from Brad and Joshua, had to take a highway where the police were doing a huge bust of about 100 people, causing traffic delays. I finally made it to Joshua's school an hour late and didn't recognize him. Brad had dropped him off, I guess. Weird dreams, but lets you know the anxiety I was having. So last night I was determined to have him in bed early. We had some Thai food for dinner, saving the planned meal for tonight because Brad got off late. The boys had chicken satay, then baths, and Jacob was asleep by 8. Joshua finally headed to bed at 8:45, and didn't wake to come to our bed until 6:30. I woke at 7 to begin preparing for the day. A cup of coffee, then go get Jacob, then begin breakfast. I woke Joshua at 8:15 with a "Hey, Jacob, would you like an M and M?" Joshua was out of bed like a light. Two M & M's and eggs/cheese/avocados later, it was 8:48 and Brad was at the door to take us to preschool. Joshua ran right in, and seemed very at home in the nice play yard out back of the school. When it was time for us to leave, his face looked a little frantic. I gave him a very big wave, his face lit up with a smile and he waved enthusiastically back. And now I am at home, Jacob is napping, cupcake surprise is in the oven, and I am trying to hold back the tears because I miss my little golden boy and I want him home!!
But, I am a big girl, right? And he is having a good time, right? And this is what is best for him, right? So here is a cute little interview we took of him on the way to school. His answers aren't scripted, clearly, but it sure was fun. I stole this idea from Erin Cutshall and am going to try to interview him each year on the first day of school. Should be a fun catalog of Joshua time.
But, I am a big girl, right? And he is having a good time, right? And this is what is best for him, right? So here is a cute little interview we took of him on the way to school. His answers aren't scripted, clearly, but it sure was fun. I stole this idea from Erin Cutshall and am going to try to interview him each year on the first day of school. Should be a fun catalog of Joshua time.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Jacob Loves Yogurt
Just because I finally figured out how to post video directly to my blog. Fun! Jacob can eat his body weight in yogurt, and will do so if we let him. He ate 6 - yes, 6 - containers of yogurt in less than two days. And that is me limiting him to 6. So, I am going to have to finally bite the bullet and make my own yogurt because this is getting seriously expensive. But, he is so cute when he is eating it, how the heck can I resist?
What the Boys Have Been Up to...
So I was working in the kitchen when I heard the boys playing in the other room. This is what I found!! What fun it is to be a mommy to my two boys.
In Germany Now!
We have been in Germany now for two weeks as of today. We are finally adjusted to the time change, finally. The boys are happy and literally Joshua bounded out of bed, joyfully, gleefully, shouting "yea!". That was a very nice way to wake up. Particularly since it was before 8:30. I was getting a bit worried that he wouldn't be able to wake for school. His preschool begins tomorrow at 9 am. If this morning is any indication, we are in good shape! We were told we would need two weeks to adjust to the time change, and that looks about right.
The past two weeks have been an amalgam of emotions and behaviors. It is interesting to watch the kids adjust. This is the first move we have had where the boys were affected so strongly. Joshua in particular. He would go from happy, sweet, affectionate boy to out of control, crying, monster. There were definitely moments when I thought I would lose my sanity. And this time has definitely brought home the concepts of routine and consistency. Even in these situations, it is possible to have consistency. Primarily we worked on getting the bedtime back to normal - gradually but systematically. This meant on Day 1 the kids went to bed around 11 pm German time, but 4 pm Texas time. Joshua woke at 2 am for the first 3 nights, for anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. We tried to limit naps to an hour, but let them sleep in for the mornings. Then it was 10 pm, then 9, etc. Last night both boys were asleep by 8 pm. And while Joshua did wake at 3 am, he just came into bed with us and fell right to sleep. I put him back to bed and that was that! Jacob still wakes asking for milk, and then needs a diaper change for leaking through his diaper because of the milk, but we are gradually weaning him from that, too. I didn't put him to bed with milk, I just gave it to him in the middle of the night. Better, right? *sigh*
So far, we have been "out" to the pool four times, a park two times and on base at Ramstein to the commissary, the BX and to the new mall. The mall is very nice. It even has a Cinnabon, which I LOVE. There is a nice little play area off of the food court that the boys love. Joshua in particular loves the little coin operated basketball goal. He gets a lot of help from any kids present in the area, but he doesn't mind and has a ton of fun. It has also become a wonderful reward for just about ANYTHING! Now that I have a driver's license - yipee! - we can walk to where Brad works to pick up the car. It is a bit of a walk, a little over a mile and uphill, but the boys don't seem to mind and I can pretend I don't! We pick up the car and then can drive to any of the MANY AWESOME playgrounds at Ramstein or to the pool. The boys just love the pool and it is fun for me, too, so we bought a yearly membership and hope to go often.
Germany is beautiful, a bit chilly nowadays, but beautiful. I can't wait to explore more, particularly other parts of Europe. Life, as always, is an adventure!
The past two weeks have been an amalgam of emotions and behaviors. It is interesting to watch the kids adjust. This is the first move we have had where the boys were affected so strongly. Joshua in particular. He would go from happy, sweet, affectionate boy to out of control, crying, monster. There were definitely moments when I thought I would lose my sanity. And this time has definitely brought home the concepts of routine and consistency. Even in these situations, it is possible to have consistency. Primarily we worked on getting the bedtime back to normal - gradually but systematically. This meant on Day 1 the kids went to bed around 11 pm German time, but 4 pm Texas time. Joshua woke at 2 am for the first 3 nights, for anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. We tried to limit naps to an hour, but let them sleep in for the mornings. Then it was 10 pm, then 9, etc. Last night both boys were asleep by 8 pm. And while Joshua did wake at 3 am, he just came into bed with us and fell right to sleep. I put him back to bed and that was that! Jacob still wakes asking for milk, and then needs a diaper change for leaking through his diaper because of the milk, but we are gradually weaning him from that, too. I didn't put him to bed with milk, I just gave it to him in the middle of the night. Better, right? *sigh*
So far, we have been "out" to the pool four times, a park two times and on base at Ramstein to the commissary, the BX and to the new mall. The mall is very nice. It even has a Cinnabon, which I LOVE. There is a nice little play area off of the food court that the boys love. Joshua in particular loves the little coin operated basketball goal. He gets a lot of help from any kids present in the area, but he doesn't mind and has a ton of fun. It has also become a wonderful reward for just about ANYTHING! Now that I have a driver's license - yipee! - we can walk to where Brad works to pick up the car. It is a bit of a walk, a little over a mile and uphill, but the boys don't seem to mind and I can pretend I don't! We pick up the car and then can drive to any of the MANY AWESOME playgrounds at Ramstein or to the pool. The boys just love the pool and it is fun for me, too, so we bought a yearly membership and hope to go often.
Germany is beautiful, a bit chilly nowadays, but beautiful. I can't wait to explore more, particularly other parts of Europe. Life, as always, is an adventure!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The California Condo...
We have lived in Pasadena now for almost 2 years. It has been a wonderful experience, much better in many ways than we ever anticipated. The house was one of my highlights - I loved making it ours. Here is a video of the place "before", "during" (more or less) and then following is the "after". Lots of video, but kind of fun to see the transition!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Jacob and Thoughts on My Life.
It is hard to watch carefully as Jacob does his "new" things. He is quietly going about his day, doing all the latest baby extraordinary things, and we are so busy living sometimes that I forget to notice. It is particularly difficult because Joshua is also doing new things all the time that we want to notice. I can't seem to make note of each one's particularly fabulous moments every day. But, I have to try.
He is a wonderful walker, and lately has begun trying to figure out how to jump. He will stand there concentrating and give a little bounce. He loves the trampoline and thinks he is jumping even though his feet don't leave the ground. He has also begun trying to jump from his little chair onto the ground. Not easy to do if you still don't bend your knees when you jump!!
One thing about Jacob that strikes me is his cautious nature. Anybody who knows Jacob knows him to be a big, burly little guy, but to also be extremely careful. When my girlfriends and I gather with our children at Karissa's house, we never worry about Jacob and the stairs. We never really have. We watched him once or twice attempt to go up or down and knew we didn't have to worry. He attempts the same stair 6 or 7 times until he KNOWS he can conquer it, then attempts. If there is a curb he wants to go down, he literally turns around, gets on all fours, and scoots backwards over the curb. Beginning about 3 feet from the actual drop off. And until this past week, he was terrified of swings. Hated them, wouldn't go in them by choice, and if you did force him in, he would claw at you and pitifully moan until you picked him up. He is finally adjusting to swinging through lots of prodding, but it has been a challenge. He is just not much of a risk taker.
He has begun trying to talk, and his vocabulary is pretty good even if not always very clear. He loves to try to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "ABC's" and joins in whenever he can on whatever else we sing. He repeats words all the time, and is really trying to figure out this verbal world. He blows kisses and points to his nose, and loves to clap and dance to any sort of beat.
Jacob is also one of the happiest kiddos around. He is quick to laugh and smile, and loves to play silly games. If he is upset, silly noises are enough to bring him out of it and make him happy again. He makes a wonderful trilling noise with his tongue - it is amazing, and surprisingly loud, particularly during church. He loves his pacifier, but more often than not is just holding it sideways in his mouth, not using it to suck. Just more of a comfort, I think. He goes to sleep easily, but still wakes at night. He loves any toy or object that makes noise, pops up, stacks or goes into another. He loves his plastic piggy bank and coins and puts the coins in the slot over and over. He also loves to play with Joshua's cars, my cooking utensils (which I frequently find strewn about the kitchen floor) and throwing things away. Anytime I can't find a shoe, or socks, or hey, the can opener, I can look in the trash can. That of course ensures frequent trips to take out the garbage.
He has such wonderful moments. He is cuddly and will snuggle right into you. He loves to be held and will sit contentedly on your lap as long as you can handle it. He also pitches the greatest fits. I know it sounds crazy to include that in his wonderful moments, but if you look at the video you will see why it is such a moment.
Jacob is more than we ever dreamed. I remember how cautious we were about having a second baby, worried about it detracting from Joshua, worrying and wondering if we could ever love another baby like we do the first. And I know all parents think the same. But we needn't have worried. I don't think we do love our babies the same. It is different because you have a different relationship with each one. I love both my boys so much it is about more than I can comprehend. And I don't love one MORE than the other. It is just different. And Joshua hasn't lost out on anything through having a baby brother. I believe his life is more complete and fun and happy and joy-filled because Jacob is a part of it. Watching Joshua be a big brother is a wonderful moment I get to have each day. If he has a graham cracker, he wants Jacob to have one. If Joshua gets two jelly beans for going peepee in the potty, he thinks Jacob should get some, too. What more could I ask?
Being the mom of these two little guys and the wife of my husband is such a privilege. I know how lucky, how blessed I am and I am trying very hard to pay attention and not take it for granted.
He is a wonderful walker, and lately has begun trying to figure out how to jump. He will stand there concentrating and give a little bounce. He loves the trampoline and thinks he is jumping even though his feet don't leave the ground. He has also begun trying to jump from his little chair onto the ground. Not easy to do if you still don't bend your knees when you jump!!
One thing about Jacob that strikes me is his cautious nature. Anybody who knows Jacob knows him to be a big, burly little guy, but to also be extremely careful. When my girlfriends and I gather with our children at Karissa's house, we never worry about Jacob and the stairs. We never really have. We watched him once or twice attempt to go up or down and knew we didn't have to worry. He attempts the same stair 6 or 7 times until he KNOWS he can conquer it, then attempts. If there is a curb he wants to go down, he literally turns around, gets on all fours, and scoots backwards over the curb. Beginning about 3 feet from the actual drop off. And until this past week, he was terrified of swings. Hated them, wouldn't go in them by choice, and if you did force him in, he would claw at you and pitifully moan until you picked him up. He is finally adjusting to swinging through lots of prodding, but it has been a challenge. He is just not much of a risk taker.
He has begun trying to talk, and his vocabulary is pretty good even if not always very clear. He loves to try to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "ABC's" and joins in whenever he can on whatever else we sing. He repeats words all the time, and is really trying to figure out this verbal world. He blows kisses and points to his nose, and loves to clap and dance to any sort of beat.
Jacob is also one of the happiest kiddos around. He is quick to laugh and smile, and loves to play silly games. If he is upset, silly noises are enough to bring him out of it and make him happy again. He makes a wonderful trilling noise with his tongue - it is amazing, and surprisingly loud, particularly during church. He loves his pacifier, but more often than not is just holding it sideways in his mouth, not using it to suck. Just more of a comfort, I think. He goes to sleep easily, but still wakes at night. He loves any toy or object that makes noise, pops up, stacks or goes into another. He loves his plastic piggy bank and coins and puts the coins in the slot over and over. He also loves to play with Joshua's cars, my cooking utensils (which I frequently find strewn about the kitchen floor) and throwing things away. Anytime I can't find a shoe, or socks, or hey, the can opener, I can look in the trash can. That of course ensures frequent trips to take out the garbage.
He has such wonderful moments. He is cuddly and will snuggle right into you. He loves to be held and will sit contentedly on your lap as long as you can handle it. He also pitches the greatest fits. I know it sounds crazy to include that in his wonderful moments, but if you look at the video you will see why it is such a moment.
Jacob is more than we ever dreamed. I remember how cautious we were about having a second baby, worried about it detracting from Joshua, worrying and wondering if we could ever love another baby like we do the first. And I know all parents think the same. But we needn't have worried. I don't think we do love our babies the same. It is different because you have a different relationship with each one. I love both my boys so much it is about more than I can comprehend. And I don't love one MORE than the other. It is just different. And Joshua hasn't lost out on anything through having a baby brother. I believe his life is more complete and fun and happy and joy-filled because Jacob is a part of it. Watching Joshua be a big brother is a wonderful moment I get to have each day. If he has a graham cracker, he wants Jacob to have one. If Joshua gets two jelly beans for going peepee in the potty, he thinks Jacob should get some, too. What more could I ask?
Being the mom of these two little guys and the wife of my husband is such a privilege. I know how lucky, how blessed I am and I am trying very hard to pay attention and not take it for granted.
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