Saturday, December 15, 2012
Old Photos from Jonas' First Sledding Trip
Found some old photos of Jonas' first sledding trip. Gill is now wearing this jacket, and it's already too small for him. These two photos must be from about two years ago. We haven't seen a snowfall in Kansas City yet this year.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Gamma Visits
Gamma arrived on Thursday, 11/15. Cookie production followed shortly thereafter. Gingerbreads (with molasses and real ginger) are her favorite, but they also made sugar cookies. Mostly, they made a mess. But they had fun doing it!
After baking, we all went outside to rake leaves. Jonas & Gill had a special way of helping.
 |
| Sampling the product |
After baking, we all went outside to rake leaves. Jonas & Gill had a special way of helping.
Jonas was attacked by the leaf monster,
but he survived!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Captain America, the Skeleton, and Friends
The month of October brought the Vogt boys lots of fun. After the Red Barn Farm party, we came home to decorate the house for Halloween. This year's theme was spiders. We hung spiders from the portico and stretched fake cobwebs all over the front of the house. The whole thing was topped off by spider lights (and webbing) on the iron railings above the portico. Ghouls hung from each column and the birch tree. We carved pumpkins but they rotted quickly in the unseasonable heat.
The costumes (Captain America and Lightning McQueen Skeleton) were donned for an early party at pre-school. There was a bouncy house, pumpkin patch, haunted house, bobbing duck game, photo booth, and food! Best pals Amelia (Gill) and William) were there too, and they came back to our house for more merriment.
Halloween night was spent going up and down the block on tricycles. Treats ranged from pixie sticks to fortune cookies. There was even a bloody finger among the Twix and Snickers. The boys were exhausted. We lit the fire pit and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. Noni and Scooter were in town for their fall visit, and we had a blast.
Have we mentioned how cute the girls next door are?
Jonas is progressing well in pre-school. He can now write his name, but won't always do so on command. He stunned us with this revelation. He went from no letters to a full name, in one day. And he started drawing pictures of stick people, and objects. All drawings before now had been purely abstract. He is still less interested in art and more into constructing things with gears, tinker toys, and marble runs.
We had Jonas tested by a school psychologist for possible speech therapy. He passed a hearing test with flying colors and shares a weekly speech session with a little girl named Samantha. Though she is much bigger than Jonas, her speech impediments make me feel guilty for sharing her time with the speech therapist. Jonas has trouble with "th" and "s" sounds, among others. I'm told that these issues will be quickly resolved with a little attention. I enjoy our Monday morning speech appointments at Borderstar. I don't often get to spend time with just one child, and Jonas especially basks in the individual attention. Every day when I pick up Jonas from school, he has something to show me that he's saved all day; it's usually something he's constructed though once in a while it's a drawing. I think I am more excited to have him start Kindergarten than he is. It will be nice to work in his building a few days a week.
As Jonas matures, he gets better and better at listening, picking up his toys, and showing affection. He tells us that he loves us, gives spontaneous kisses and even wiped my tears the other day when Noni left after a week-long visit. When she leaves, he pulls her photo down from the mantle and puts it on a table where he can see it daily. He calls her on the phone (by himself) and on Facetime. They have a relationship independent of me or Ed; he loves to talk with her about his day. On the other hand, I have to ask a million questions to find out what went on at school.
Gill has been singing his ABCs quite regularly, and can count past ten. He is always happy unless you take away a toy or one of his beloved paci's. Though he no longer bites (still holding our breath on that one), he will often get into a bout of hair pulling with Jonas. It always seems that Jonas is the one left crying and hurt. He is almost fully potty trained at school, though he seems to regress at home, telling us "no" every time we try to make him go potty. He's wearing Lighting McQueen pull-ups and feels like quite the big boy. He communicates well when he remembers to remove the paci from his mouth before speaking. He doesn't have it with him all day at school, and I think we might finally be at a point where we can start phasing it out at home, except at bed time. He is eager to learn about teeth brushing, and has mastered spitting much more quickly than Jonas did. He still prefers to eat his toothpaste, though, and likes to lick powder as well. (gross!)
Both boys have become finicky eaters, though I suspect that Gill is simply copying Jonas, as he does with everything. Corndogs are universally popular, and we've found a restaurant that will serve them for breakfast (Niece's on Troost). Yes, I'm a little ashamed to admit that. Another popular snack are the little waxed wheels of Gouda cheese. I suppose it's slightly healthier than string cheese. We have to watch Gill, though, as he will help himself to 3 or more at a time.
Whenever Papa is out in the garage organizing or working, Jonas likes to come out and build 'robots'. He collects miscellaneous tools and parts and arranges them in a specific way to make a robot. He then explains what his robot does as he continues to add more parts.....
At school they have different roles that need to be filled everyday. The problem is that there are more kids than roles, so they have each child's name written on a construction paper paper doll attached to a popsicle stick. Every morning the teachers pull out eight of the paper dolls, and the kids get to pick a role. Jonas checks quickly every morning. When his paper doll is out he usually picks line leader, or lunch helper.
Gill was outside with Papa Saturday when Papa was working on the garage. Of all the bikes that Gill could have picked, he picked the strider bike. The strider bike challenged his ability. Heck, Gill even fell off a couple of times. Finally Gill asked Papa why the strider bike didn't have pedals as though pedals would make the bike more stable.
Over the summer when Jaclyn was staying here, she introduced the family to the 'Tickle Man'. "Here comes the Tickle Man walkin' down the street, he's gonna tickle everyone he meets. He loves to Tickle." The kids have come to love and hate the Tickle Man. Sometimes they ask for the Tickle Man, but Papa introduced 'Hug Man' when they don't want to see the Tickle Man! Jaclyn lived in our basement for two months and we don't have a single photo of her! We had to steal this from her FB page. She's a really cool gal. We will miss her!
We've been to church the last three Sundays in a row. Every week it seems there's been something that has resulted in a cake after church. This past Sunday they both had two pieces of cake. Of course they eat the frosting first and then attack the cake. Gill went into a bit of a frenzy shoving the cake into his mouth and eating right off the plate sans hands. After a while he had a distinct sugar rush and spent a few minutes spinning in a circle.
During children's time in the service, Jonas and Gill now sit on the alter quietly; we don't have to sit with them, just within vision. Our new minister, Pastor Chase, challenged the children to yell "Hey You!" to the people sitting in the balcony, which included Ed and Noni. Jonas boldly pointed out that his Noni and Papa were up there. The next week, he spoke up to answer a question about communion and when Pastor Chase praised "Gill" Jonas spoke up to correct him that he was "Jonas Vogt" It's funny how he always refers to himself by his first and last name.
The costumes (Captain America and Lightning McQueen Skeleton) were donned for an early party at pre-school. There was a bouncy house, pumpkin patch, haunted house, bobbing duck game, photo booth, and food! Best pals Amelia (Gill) and William) were there too, and they came back to our house for more merriment.
 |
| Jonas decorates a picture frame |
 |
| Batman & Best Friend William |
 |
| Gill finds a pumpkin just his size! |
 |
| Yes, they prefer the garage sale and thrift store rides instead of the new expensive ones we bought them! |
Have we mentioned how cute the girls next door are?
Jonas is progressing well in pre-school. He can now write his name, but won't always do so on command. He stunned us with this revelation. He went from no letters to a full name, in one day. And he started drawing pictures of stick people, and objects. All drawings before now had been purely abstract. He is still less interested in art and more into constructing things with gears, tinker toys, and marble runs.
We had Jonas tested by a school psychologist for possible speech therapy. He passed a hearing test with flying colors and shares a weekly speech session with a little girl named Samantha. Though she is much bigger than Jonas, her speech impediments make me feel guilty for sharing her time with the speech therapist. Jonas has trouble with "th" and "s" sounds, among others. I'm told that these issues will be quickly resolved with a little attention. I enjoy our Monday morning speech appointments at Borderstar. I don't often get to spend time with just one child, and Jonas especially basks in the individual attention. Every day when I pick up Jonas from school, he has something to show me that he's saved all day; it's usually something he's constructed though once in a while it's a drawing. I think I am more excited to have him start Kindergarten than he is. It will be nice to work in his building a few days a week.
As Jonas matures, he gets better and better at listening, picking up his toys, and showing affection. He tells us that he loves us, gives spontaneous kisses and even wiped my tears the other day when Noni left after a week-long visit. When she leaves, he pulls her photo down from the mantle and puts it on a table where he can see it daily. He calls her on the phone (by himself) and on Facetime. They have a relationship independent of me or Ed; he loves to talk with her about his day. On the other hand, I have to ask a million questions to find out what went on at school.
Gill has been singing his ABCs quite regularly, and can count past ten. He is always happy unless you take away a toy or one of his beloved paci's. Though he no longer bites (still holding our breath on that one), he will often get into a bout of hair pulling with Jonas. It always seems that Jonas is the one left crying and hurt. He is almost fully potty trained at school, though he seems to regress at home, telling us "no" every time we try to make him go potty. He's wearing Lighting McQueen pull-ups and feels like quite the big boy. He communicates well when he remembers to remove the paci from his mouth before speaking. He doesn't have it with him all day at school, and I think we might finally be at a point where we can start phasing it out at home, except at bed time. He is eager to learn about teeth brushing, and has mastered spitting much more quickly than Jonas did. He still prefers to eat his toothpaste, though, and likes to lick powder as well. (gross!)
Both boys have become finicky eaters, though I suspect that Gill is simply copying Jonas, as he does with everything. Corndogs are universally popular, and we've found a restaurant that will serve them for breakfast (Niece's on Troost). Yes, I'm a little ashamed to admit that. Another popular snack are the little waxed wheels of Gouda cheese. I suppose it's slightly healthier than string cheese. We have to watch Gill, though, as he will help himself to 3 or more at a time.
Whenever Papa is out in the garage organizing or working, Jonas likes to come out and build 'robots'. He collects miscellaneous tools and parts and arranges them in a specific way to make a robot. He then explains what his robot does as he continues to add more parts.....
At school they have different roles that need to be filled everyday. The problem is that there are more kids than roles, so they have each child's name written on a construction paper paper doll attached to a popsicle stick. Every morning the teachers pull out eight of the paper dolls, and the kids get to pick a role. Jonas checks quickly every morning. When his paper doll is out he usually picks line leader, or lunch helper.
Gill was outside with Papa Saturday when Papa was working on the garage. Of all the bikes that Gill could have picked, he picked the strider bike. The strider bike challenged his ability. Heck, Gill even fell off a couple of times. Finally Gill asked Papa why the strider bike didn't have pedals as though pedals would make the bike more stable.
Over the summer when Jaclyn was staying here, she introduced the family to the 'Tickle Man'. "Here comes the Tickle Man walkin' down the street, he's gonna tickle everyone he meets. He loves to Tickle." The kids have come to love and hate the Tickle Man. Sometimes they ask for the Tickle Man, but Papa introduced 'Hug Man' when they don't want to see the Tickle Man! Jaclyn lived in our basement for two months and we don't have a single photo of her! We had to steal this from her FB page. She's a really cool gal. We will miss her!
 |
| The beautiful Ms. Jaclyn and the man she left Kansas City for (her husband, Jason) |
We've been to church the last three Sundays in a row. Every week it seems there's been something that has resulted in a cake after church. This past Sunday they both had two pieces of cake. Of course they eat the frosting first and then attack the cake. Gill went into a bit of a frenzy shoving the cake into his mouth and eating right off the plate sans hands. After a while he had a distinct sugar rush and spent a few minutes spinning in a circle.
During children's time in the service, Jonas and Gill now sit on the alter quietly; we don't have to sit with them, just within vision. Our new minister, Pastor Chase, challenged the children to yell "Hey You!" to the people sitting in the balcony, which included Ed and Noni. Jonas boldly pointed out that his Noni and Papa were up there. The next week, he spoke up to answer a question about communion and when Pastor Chase praised "Gill" Jonas spoke up to correct him that he was "Jonas Vogt" It's funny how he always refers to himself by his first and last name.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Girls, Barns, Birthdays and Pumpkins
At this time of year, it seems like everyone with children in the KC area heads out to one of literally hundreds of "farms" to hunt pumpkins, join hayrides, feed smelly goats, ride horses, pick apples, and otherwise enjoy nature.
We got a jump start on the season with an invitation from the blonde next door....Hope turned two and had her party at Red Barn Farm. We spent a whopping 4 hours in brisk wind basking in mother nature. It was nice to watch the kids run without worrying about them getting into trouble. They wore their boots (we had lots of welcome rain the day before) and we didn't worry a second about mud, though we went home caked with it.
The party was a blast. The boys were the only representation of their gender, surrounded by 5 blondes and 1 brunette....all under the age of 6.
We got a jump start on the season with an invitation from the blonde next door....Hope turned two and had her party at Red Barn Farm. We spent a whopping 4 hours in brisk wind basking in mother nature. It was nice to watch the kids run without worrying about them getting into trouble. They wore their boots (we had lots of welcome rain the day before) and we didn't worry a second about mud, though we went home caked with it.
The party was a blast. The boys were the only representation of their gender, surrounded by 5 blondes and 1 brunette....all under the age of 6.
The birthday girl showing off her plastic pig topper!
A photo of the ladies and brothers Vogt....
Gill in action mode, complete with boots and muddy pants. He was very excited about the pumpkins, but could not be persuaded to pick one, rejecting every one we could find without a flaw.
Jonas taking a ride on a fake horse. He declined the real pony rides. He was more excited about cooking the pumpkins than carving them. He also enjoyed picking apples and immediately eating them.
An interesting twist to the end of our day. The pumpkins we carefully selected, harvested from the fields, posed with for a family photo, carried back on the hayride, lugged up a hill, watched over carefully during the picnic, and schlepped to the check-out line were left there when we realized it would take an hour to pay for them.
So we went home....pumkinless, exhausted, and happy.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Bed Time
For years, bed time has been a stressful occasion. It still is, but we are either finally acclimating to it, or the kids are getting better at it. Probably a little bit of both.
From a parenting perspective, we are total failures at bed time. The "good" parents have their kids fed at 6, bathed at 7, asleep by 8. While ours are usually fed by 6 and bathed by 8:30, they often don't fall asleep until 10 or 10:30. We tried the 6, 7, 8 thing and put them in bed by 7:30. All it meant was a 3-hour fight, filled with frustration. So we gave in. We sometimes still try at 9, and Gill will go down. But Jonas is hardcore until 10.
Often, laying down with them is a remedy. Tonight, as I lay between the boys, I realized it was my favorite moment of the day. Jonas was curled into me on one side, told me he loved me with his blue trusting eyes, and I heard his breathing slow and become a gentle snore. He often sleeps with both hands cushioning one cheek. On the other side, Gill's springy hair tickled my neck as he lay with his head on my shoulder. They both love to cuddle so I often have one on each side. Jonas loves covers; Gill hates them. Bedtime stories (2-3) are a must, and tonight, singing became a tradition. Jonas and I sang "there were 10 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over, so they all rolled and one fell out." He likes me to do the math on the first end, and he sings the 2nd part. Gill began to chime in about halfway through.
Jonas then requested the farmer song with the wife and animals. Since Ed knows this one, we had to pull him away from his computer and work. He came up and we all lay in the double underside of the bunk bed and sang the old American tune together, with Jonas and Gill doing the "griffy griffy" animals noises.
Sometimes we have to let everything slide, give our children the attention they love and crave, and just enjoy these moments with them. I did tonight, and I'll never regret it.
From a parenting perspective, we are total failures at bed time. The "good" parents have their kids fed at 6, bathed at 7, asleep by 8. While ours are usually fed by 6 and bathed by 8:30, they often don't fall asleep until 10 or 10:30. We tried the 6, 7, 8 thing and put them in bed by 7:30. All it meant was a 3-hour fight, filled with frustration. So we gave in. We sometimes still try at 9, and Gill will go down. But Jonas is hardcore until 10.
Often, laying down with them is a remedy. Tonight, as I lay between the boys, I realized it was my favorite moment of the day. Jonas was curled into me on one side, told me he loved me with his blue trusting eyes, and I heard his breathing slow and become a gentle snore. He often sleeps with both hands cushioning one cheek. On the other side, Gill's springy hair tickled my neck as he lay with his head on my shoulder. They both love to cuddle so I often have one on each side. Jonas loves covers; Gill hates them. Bedtime stories (2-3) are a must, and tonight, singing became a tradition. Jonas and I sang "there were 10 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over, so they all rolled and one fell out." He likes me to do the math on the first end, and he sings the 2nd part. Gill began to chime in about halfway through.
Jonas then requested the farmer song with the wife and animals. Since Ed knows this one, we had to pull him away from his computer and work. He came up and we all lay in the double underside of the bunk bed and sang the old American tune together, with Jonas and Gill doing the "griffy griffy" animals noises.
Sometimes we have to let everything slide, give our children the attention they love and crave, and just enjoy these moments with them. I did tonight, and I'll never regret it.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
A lesson in sharing...
The boys shared a birthday party this year. It was an experiment, and a success. Since their birthdays are only 2 weeks apart, it makes sense, and is cost effective. We rented a big blue bounce house that came in the shape of a castle. It had an interior climbing structure which led to a slide. Here we are at the top of the slide.
It was amazing. The best part was that is was delivered and picked up. The service we hired cleans the structures thoroughly between parties. Best part of the deal. We used the bounce house for 9 hours straight...no kidding. Gill's party started at 10 and was supposed to end at noon, but didn't. Jonas' party started at 2 and was supposed to end at 4, but didn't. The last person left at 7:30 and the bounce house was picked up by 8:00.
We were excited to have "real" guests for the boys - kids that they choose to interact with and know well. Gill had a girl from his class join us (Avery) and Jonas' best buddy from his class (William) came as well. They really enjoyed each other. Here's Williams making sure Jonas gets his gift of a Batman action figure.
And of course Lincoln and Devon were there. Lincoln especially enjoyed jumping off of the slide into the bounce house.
Danielle and Hope were there too. They play so well together, and are darling little girls. I love these photos of the girls with our boys.
Though it was a lot of work, I feel like I got two parties for the price of one. When you pay for IVF twice, you enjoy the cost savings you can find throughout the remainder of your children's young lives.
Jonas and Gill engage in a lot of physical play. Jonas often gets the initial advantage, but this serves to enrage and encourage Gill who responds with aggression. The child crying at the intervention point is usually Jonas.
In general, Jonas is the more sensitive child. Example: when Gill pulls Jonas' hair, Jonas cries for a while, mostly because his feelings are hurt. Today, Gill was trying to stick his fingers into an electric socket. When I reacted very strongly and sternly to him, he laughed. We went through several rounds of this, before I resorted to slapping his hand every time he attempted to stick his fingers in again. Each time he laughed. Each time I slapped his hand harder, getting uncomfortable with the physical interaction. At no point did he take me seriously or respond as if I'd hurt him - physically or emotionally. He is one tough kid.
New song from Jonas: ABCDEFG, thank you all for feeding me. He hums when he builds, which is his favorite play activity. The toys he gravitates to most from the huge pile of birthday gifts received is a tinker-toy set I bought at a garage sale for $15. 360 pieces total. And it's not old, just used. He merged it with his trio blocks, which makes for some interesting designs. His preferred objects to construct are guns, but he also makes super cars, megaphones, instruments, etc. Ironically, the guns he makes don't shoot. He does talk about killing people, and we are re-directing him on that. Ed's response today was comical when confronted with the issue of killing the bad buys; he told Jonas that our moral imperative was to retreat first. I'm pretty sure it was over Jonas' level of comprehension, but one is really never sure.
A funny thing happens when Ed comes home. When the boys hear Ed, they run to hide from him. The game continues when Ed appears in the room where they are hiding. They giggle and give themselves away within seconds. I think Ed loves it as much as they do.
Like Jonas, Gill enjoys being in the kitchen and his favorite activity is to make coffee. He's not bad at it. He puts the beans into the grinder, grinds them, and we then usually intervene. Sometimes there's a mess, but not as much lately. He is a very messy eater, and now sits on the bench Ed made the boys instead of sitting in his high chair. Much of the food Gill eats ends up on the floor or on his face. There is a critical point where he is full, but continues to play with his food, and we aren't sure if he's done eating. Before you can blink, all of his tator tots are packed tightly in his cup of juice. And he's not above eating them after that. He's definitely not a picky eater and loves black olives. He puts them on his fingers and eats them in rapid succession. Both boys like pickles and braunschweger.
When sleeping at night, Gill refuses blankets, kicking them off, while Jonas will often totally cover himself, head and all. It's a bit alarming to find him that way, so I usually try to uncover his face at the very least. He still fights going to sleep, and Ed and I are so weary of this game which has been going on his whole life. Gill, on the other hand, goes down quite easily for both his nap and bedtime.
There are loving behaviors between the two. They will spontaneously share (food more than toys) but just as often will fight over the same toy. Gill will bite the toy in an effort to mark it and keep it. He also licks things. Tonight, he insisted on licking Ed's hands.
The major motivation for Jonas (to get in the car, finish his bath, or do anything, really) is to create a race. Each morning, we rush to get the boys to "school" (daycare) and the most helpful time saver is the seat belt race Jonas and Gill have.
Another big mile-marker in this month of birthdays was a visit from Noni and Scooter. We scheduled Gill's baptism, performed by Harold Ivan Smith, the day before he turned two. The boys were wriggly in church, but Gill did just fine with the parading around the church and sprinkling of water. Godparents Aimee and John were the perfect choice.
As exhuasting as they are, as frustrating as life with them can be, we have moments of crushing love for them often each day.
It was amazing. The best part was that is was delivered and picked up. The service we hired cleans the structures thoroughly between parties. Best part of the deal. We used the bounce house for 9 hours straight...no kidding. Gill's party started at 10 and was supposed to end at noon, but didn't. Jonas' party started at 2 and was supposed to end at 4, but didn't. The last person left at 7:30 and the bounce house was picked up by 8:00.
We were excited to have "real" guests for the boys - kids that they choose to interact with and know well. Gill had a girl from his class join us (Avery) and Jonas' best buddy from his class (William) came as well. They really enjoyed each other. Here's Williams making sure Jonas gets his gift of a Batman action figure.
And of course Lincoln and Devon were there. Lincoln especially enjoyed jumping off of the slide into the bounce house.
Danielle and Hope were there too. They play so well together, and are darling little girls. I love these photos of the girls with our boys.
Though it was a lot of work, I feel like I got two parties for the price of one. When you pay for IVF twice, you enjoy the cost savings you can find throughout the remainder of your children's young lives.
Jonas and Gill engage in a lot of physical play. Jonas often gets the initial advantage, but this serves to enrage and encourage Gill who responds with aggression. The child crying at the intervention point is usually Jonas.
In general, Jonas is the more sensitive child. Example: when Gill pulls Jonas' hair, Jonas cries for a while, mostly because his feelings are hurt. Today, Gill was trying to stick his fingers into an electric socket. When I reacted very strongly and sternly to him, he laughed. We went through several rounds of this, before I resorted to slapping his hand every time he attempted to stick his fingers in again. Each time he laughed. Each time I slapped his hand harder, getting uncomfortable with the physical interaction. At no point did he take me seriously or respond as if I'd hurt him - physically or emotionally. He is one tough kid.
New song from Jonas: ABCDEFG, thank you all for feeding me. He hums when he builds, which is his favorite play activity. The toys he gravitates to most from the huge pile of birthday gifts received is a tinker-toy set I bought at a garage sale for $15. 360 pieces total. And it's not old, just used. He merged it with his trio blocks, which makes for some interesting designs. His preferred objects to construct are guns, but he also makes super cars, megaphones, instruments, etc. Ironically, the guns he makes don't shoot. He does talk about killing people, and we are re-directing him on that. Ed's response today was comical when confronted with the issue of killing the bad buys; he told Jonas that our moral imperative was to retreat first. I'm pretty sure it was over Jonas' level of comprehension, but one is really never sure.
A funny thing happens when Ed comes home. When the boys hear Ed, they run to hide from him. The game continues when Ed appears in the room where they are hiding. They giggle and give themselves away within seconds. I think Ed loves it as much as they do.
Like Jonas, Gill enjoys being in the kitchen and his favorite activity is to make coffee. He's not bad at it. He puts the beans into the grinder, grinds them, and we then usually intervene. Sometimes there's a mess, but not as much lately. He is a very messy eater, and now sits on the bench Ed made the boys instead of sitting in his high chair. Much of the food Gill eats ends up on the floor or on his face. There is a critical point where he is full, but continues to play with his food, and we aren't sure if he's done eating. Before you can blink, all of his tator tots are packed tightly in his cup of juice. And he's not above eating them after that. He's definitely not a picky eater and loves black olives. He puts them on his fingers and eats them in rapid succession. Both boys like pickles and braunschweger.
When sleeping at night, Gill refuses blankets, kicking them off, while Jonas will often totally cover himself, head and all. It's a bit alarming to find him that way, so I usually try to uncover his face at the very least. He still fights going to sleep, and Ed and I are so weary of this game which has been going on his whole life. Gill, on the other hand, goes down quite easily for both his nap and bedtime.
There are loving behaviors between the two. They will spontaneously share (food more than toys) but just as often will fight over the same toy. Gill will bite the toy in an effort to mark it and keep it. He also licks things. Tonight, he insisted on licking Ed's hands.
The major motivation for Jonas (to get in the car, finish his bath, or do anything, really) is to create a race. Each morning, we rush to get the boys to "school" (daycare) and the most helpful time saver is the seat belt race Jonas and Gill have.
Another big mile-marker in this month of birthdays was a visit from Noni and Scooter. We scheduled Gill's baptism, performed by Harold Ivan Smith, the day before he turned two. The boys were wriggly in church, but Gill did just fine with the parading around the church and sprinkling of water. Godparents Aimee and John were the perfect choice.
As exhuasting as they are, as frustrating as life with them can be, we have moments of crushing love for them often each day.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Sigh of Relief
4.16.12
Ed and I have really enjoyed our boys these past few weeks. Even though they get into lots of trouble (Gill got in the refrigerator and "pacqued" a whole dozen dyed and hard boiled eggs all over the floor; Jonas poured cinnamon sugar on the floor and I found both boys on their hands and knees licking it up), they are little people now. We can communicate with them, and reason with them (most of the time).
Gill's hair remains curly and he is a happy boy, though we now see evidence of a temper when he doesn't get his way. He loves to eat and has moved beyond the high chair, but must constantly be reminded to sit down and not get on the table.
We are really trying to get Jonas to dress himself. His shoes are often on the wrong feet and his underwear is occasionally on backwards. Mostly, he is very reticent, and insists that he doesn't know how to dress himself. It's interesting to see how quickly he learns when we threaten to take away iPad time.
Friday night, I took the boys to my school where they spent about 10 minutes running through the halls and 45 minutes on the playground. We went home, had dinner, then took at bike ride (with Ed towing the boys in the bike trailer) to Foo's for frozen yogurt. Then, we stopped at Borderstar's playground until it got dark. Gill went right to sleep when we got home, but Jonas is our energizer bunny, and didn't go to sleep until 10:30. Ed and I were watching Hugo and Jonas was fascinated with the boy living in the clock and the heart shaped key. I think I fell asleep before he did. Ed enjoyed the movie but was the only one who saw the ending.
Yesterday, we went to Loose park to fly a kite (unsuccessfully) then Jonas helped Ed repair the tiller while Gill napped. The boys were partially responsible for the kite failure, as they kept snagging the line. Gill decided he wanted to bite it, and Jonas followed suit. They looked like they were flossing.
Last night, we had dinner at the Sniderman's house. The boys were highly entertained by Ethan, Paul and Dean and their heavy arsenal of toys. At 10:45, Jonas told me that he wasn't ready to leave, and never would be. And this was after Dean bit him, probably because Jonas took a toy from him. I see him do that often with Gill.
Today, they spent time outside with us while we cleaned up the yard and Ed tilled the front, readying the shade garden soil.
We had a late lunch today at The Well, and the boys behaved fairly well. It feels so good to have options again. We can go places with them and not fear something disastrous or terribly embarrassing will happen. Of course, when we were at the playground, Jonas had a poop emergency and we had to talk the custodian into letting us use their bathroom.
Ed and I have really enjoyed our boys these past few weeks. Even though they get into lots of trouble (Gill got in the refrigerator and "pacqued" a whole dozen dyed and hard boiled eggs all over the floor; Jonas poured cinnamon sugar on the floor and I found both boys on their hands and knees licking it up), they are little people now. We can communicate with them, and reason with them (most of the time).
Gill's hair remains curly and he is a happy boy, though we now see evidence of a temper when he doesn't get his way. He loves to eat and has moved beyond the high chair, but must constantly be reminded to sit down and not get on the table.
We are really trying to get Jonas to dress himself. His shoes are often on the wrong feet and his underwear is occasionally on backwards. Mostly, he is very reticent, and insists that he doesn't know how to dress himself. It's interesting to see how quickly he learns when we threaten to take away iPad time.
Friday night, I took the boys to my school where they spent about 10 minutes running through the halls and 45 minutes on the playground. We went home, had dinner, then took at bike ride (with Ed towing the boys in the bike trailer) to Foo's for frozen yogurt. Then, we stopped at Borderstar's playground until it got dark. Gill went right to sleep when we got home, but Jonas is our energizer bunny, and didn't go to sleep until 10:30. Ed and I were watching Hugo and Jonas was fascinated with the boy living in the clock and the heart shaped key. I think I fell asleep before he did. Ed enjoyed the movie but was the only one who saw the ending.
Yesterday, we went to Loose park to fly a kite (unsuccessfully) then Jonas helped Ed repair the tiller while Gill napped. The boys were partially responsible for the kite failure, as they kept snagging the line. Gill decided he wanted to bite it, and Jonas followed suit. They looked like they were flossing.
Last night, we had dinner at the Sniderman's house. The boys were highly entertained by Ethan, Paul and Dean and their heavy arsenal of toys. At 10:45, Jonas told me that he wasn't ready to leave, and never would be. And this was after Dean bit him, probably because Jonas took a toy from him. I see him do that often with Gill.
Today, they spent time outside with us while we cleaned up the yard and Ed tilled the front, readying the shade garden soil.
We had a late lunch today at The Well, and the boys behaved fairly well. It feels so good to have options again. We can go places with them and not fear something disastrous or terribly embarrassing will happen. Of course, when we were at the playground, Jonas had a poop emergency and we had to talk the custodian into letting us use their bathroom.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Spring
Jonas' favorite color is now green. We had special green shakes from McDonald's today in celebration of Gammaw's delayed flight.
Gammaw has been visiting for the past two weeks, and the boys have enjoyed seeing her. She eats popsicles with them and help dye Easter eggs. We dyed 5 dozen; about 1 dozen were immediately cracked by an exuberant Gill. Jonas tried to protect them from "Gillzilla." There was a lot of screaming.
During Gammaw's visits, she inevitably catches the germs that they bring home from school, so we always send her home sick. But she keeps coming back. After the arrival of cousin Olin just 2 miles down the road from her, we thought we might see less of her, but were pleasantly surprised with this recent visit.
Gill's hair has stayed curly. The longer it gets, to more curls. And when it's freshly washed or humid outside, it's really curly. I like to brush it out and make it look wild.
Jonas is talking more than ever. He was given the Denver II test at school, and scored low in verbal and social development. My theory is that his constant, year-long ear infections really cost him some language development. Gill had tubes early and is talking up a storm too. Jonas is also a bit "slow to warm" and become reserved in large group settings. There are 35 kids in his class, though only 20 on any given day. That is a lot of kids to interact with. In any case, I'm getting his hearing checked and having him tested further. His teacher did come to visit us at home and observed that he is much more talkative and social than she sees at school. She does note repetitive behaviors and some rigidity to routine. He particularly does not like to get his shirt wet or his feet dirty. He will also get quite upset if his morning chocolate milk (dosed with Miralax) isn't placed on the shelf above the toilet in the master bathroom.
My favorite thing about Jonas is what a cuddler he is. He is a very loving child. Though he and Gill fight, he is protective of his brother, and very oriented to his company. He likes to have him home when he's home. When he gets out of class at the end of the day, he runs to Gill's room. Gill, who is almost always in a good mood, will hop up and down when he spots Jonas. He follows Jonas everywhere and mimics everything that Jonas does.
The boys will be getting a kite and parachute circle thingee, plus a few Sid the Science Kid videos for Easter. And minimal chocolate, hopefully. Noni already sent two packages and Easter is still a week away. The first package had a Clifford DVD, edible Easter grass, and candy. The 2nd package contained a hopping, dancing bunny who sings "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." It's not a song you hear these days, and that's the (only) charming part of the dancing bunny. Gill is very reserved around it, and did try to hide behind the sofa in a crying fit, screaming "no bunny!" I have it on video. If I can figure out how to get it off the stupid iPad, I will post it here.
Gammaw has been visiting for the past two weeks, and the boys have enjoyed seeing her. She eats popsicles with them and help dye Easter eggs. We dyed 5 dozen; about 1 dozen were immediately cracked by an exuberant Gill. Jonas tried to protect them from "Gillzilla." There was a lot of screaming.
During Gammaw's visits, she inevitably catches the germs that they bring home from school, so we always send her home sick. But she keeps coming back. After the arrival of cousin Olin just 2 miles down the road from her, we thought we might see less of her, but were pleasantly surprised with this recent visit.
Gill's hair has stayed curly. The longer it gets, to more curls. And when it's freshly washed or humid outside, it's really curly. I like to brush it out and make it look wild.
Jonas is talking more than ever. He was given the Denver II test at school, and scored low in verbal and social development. My theory is that his constant, year-long ear infections really cost him some language development. Gill had tubes early and is talking up a storm too. Jonas is also a bit "slow to warm" and become reserved in large group settings. There are 35 kids in his class, though only 20 on any given day. That is a lot of kids to interact with. In any case, I'm getting his hearing checked and having him tested further. His teacher did come to visit us at home and observed that he is much more talkative and social than she sees at school. She does note repetitive behaviors and some rigidity to routine. He particularly does not like to get his shirt wet or his feet dirty. He will also get quite upset if his morning chocolate milk (dosed with Miralax) isn't placed on the shelf above the toilet in the master bathroom.
My favorite thing about Jonas is what a cuddler he is. He is a very loving child. Though he and Gill fight, he is protective of his brother, and very oriented to his company. He likes to have him home when he's home. When he gets out of class at the end of the day, he runs to Gill's room. Gill, who is almost always in a good mood, will hop up and down when he spots Jonas. He follows Jonas everywhere and mimics everything that Jonas does.
The boys will be getting a kite and parachute circle thingee, plus a few Sid the Science Kid videos for Easter. And minimal chocolate, hopefully. Noni already sent two packages and Easter is still a week away. The first package had a Clifford DVD, edible Easter grass, and candy. The 2nd package contained a hopping, dancing bunny who sings "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." It's not a song you hear these days, and that's the (only) charming part of the dancing bunny. Gill is very reserved around it, and did try to hide behind the sofa in a crying fit, screaming "no bunny!" I have it on video. If I can figure out how to get it off the stupid iPad, I will post it here.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
A Day with Jonas & Cars
Jonas is home sick today with a fever and cough. I'm enjoying some one-on-one time with him. The first thing he wanted to do today was read his Lightning McQueen book. It has 5 stories in one book. That's 130 pages of Cars lore. It's been a favorite of both Gill and Jonas' since we bought it 6 months ago at the daycare book sale.
After the book, I suggested breakfast and Sesame Street. Jonas opted for cinnamon toast and Cars 2. He totally turned his nose up at Sesame Street. I am shocked and a little sad.
Even though Jonas has seen Cars 2 about 10 times already, I'm finally taking the time to watch some of it with him. It's a clever film but fast paced. And now I can finally understand what new word Jonas has been using: Finn McMissile is the secret agent car, narrated by Michael Cain.
Yesterday, after picking up the boys from daycare, we stopped by the library. Before we went in, I reviewed the rules with Jonas: no running away, no climbing the shelves, and use a quiet voice. Jonas has been a predictable "runner" at every outing, so I am often loathe to take the two boys anywhere on my own. Yesterday's trip to the library went better than in the past, though Jonas marred his near perfect behavior by running away from me right before getting back into the car. The highlight of the trip was when Jonas recognized a book on the shelf....some book about a boy who can't help but cover himself in paint. Each of the boys had a fabric bag for books, so we put the paint book in Jonas' bag. Gill promptly copied him by pulling a random book off the shelf and putting it in his own bag. He is a constant copy cat. A few minutes later, when I attempted to add some books to Gill's bag, he pitched a fit, falling to the floor where he lay on his back and cried pathetically. At that point, I made a rather speedy transition to the checkout desk. We read at least 4 of the 15 books we brought home before bedtime, including A Frog on a Log in the Bog and The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle. (The Eric Carle books always seem to be a favorite).
A random funny thing that Jonas does now is refer to Gill as "that one." And he waits until the absolute last minute to go to the potty, dancing around, holding his crotch, announcing his need to tee-tee. It's pretty funny to watch his little body dance in front of the toilet as he works to get his pants and underwear out of the way.
He has finally and firmly reached the age of independent play. One of his favorite things are his fabric expandable tunnels. He connects them to "houses" he constructs by turning over the chairs he and Gill got for Christmas. Sometimes, blankets are draped to create more "house." His other favorite playthings are laundry baskets. He uses them to become a turtle or hermit crab, lugging them up and down the stairs. He also uses the vacuum cleaning tools (especially the extension hose) as his sword. They often end up in Ed's car where they languish for weeks until the house become deplorably dirty from the lack of appropriate vacuum cleaning tools.
I guess we should stop spending money on expensive toys. I particularly hate the plethora of hot wheels and track that stays scattered throughout the house and playroom. Some days, it feels like I spend at least an hour moving things back into the proper place (including Ed's stuff). I often wonder what things might look like if I just stopped doing that. Hm.....
But I wouldn't change a thing, and know that I'll one day miss those scattered toys littering the floor.
After the book, I suggested breakfast and Sesame Street. Jonas opted for cinnamon toast and Cars 2. He totally turned his nose up at Sesame Street. I am shocked and a little sad.
Even though Jonas has seen Cars 2 about 10 times already, I'm finally taking the time to watch some of it with him. It's a clever film but fast paced. And now I can finally understand what new word Jonas has been using: Finn McMissile is the secret agent car, narrated by Michael Cain.
Yesterday, after picking up the boys from daycare, we stopped by the library. Before we went in, I reviewed the rules with Jonas: no running away, no climbing the shelves, and use a quiet voice. Jonas has been a predictable "runner" at every outing, so I am often loathe to take the two boys anywhere on my own. Yesterday's trip to the library went better than in the past, though Jonas marred his near perfect behavior by running away from me right before getting back into the car. The highlight of the trip was when Jonas recognized a book on the shelf....some book about a boy who can't help but cover himself in paint. Each of the boys had a fabric bag for books, so we put the paint book in Jonas' bag. Gill promptly copied him by pulling a random book off the shelf and putting it in his own bag. He is a constant copy cat. A few minutes later, when I attempted to add some books to Gill's bag, he pitched a fit, falling to the floor where he lay on his back and cried pathetically. At that point, I made a rather speedy transition to the checkout desk. We read at least 4 of the 15 books we brought home before bedtime, including A Frog on a Log in the Bog and The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle. (The Eric Carle books always seem to be a favorite).
A random funny thing that Jonas does now is refer to Gill as "that one." And he waits until the absolute last minute to go to the potty, dancing around, holding his crotch, announcing his need to tee-tee. It's pretty funny to watch his little body dance in front of the toilet as he works to get his pants and underwear out of the way.
He has finally and firmly reached the age of independent play. One of his favorite things are his fabric expandable tunnels. He connects them to "houses" he constructs by turning over the chairs he and Gill got for Christmas. Sometimes, blankets are draped to create more "house." His other favorite playthings are laundry baskets. He uses them to become a turtle or hermit crab, lugging them up and down the stairs. He also uses the vacuum cleaning tools (especially the extension hose) as his sword. They often end up in Ed's car where they languish for weeks until the house become deplorably dirty from the lack of appropriate vacuum cleaning tools.
I guess we should stop spending money on expensive toys. I particularly hate the plethora of hot wheels and track that stays scattered throughout the house and playroom. Some days, it feels like I spend at least an hour moving things back into the proper place (including Ed's stuff). I often wonder what things might look like if I just stopped doing that. Hm.....
But I wouldn't change a thing, and know that I'll one day miss those scattered toys littering the floor.
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Year Reflections
Our boys are approaching the age of true engagement. They play with each other, sometimes fighting, but mostly playing, and can have conversations with us. Gill's conversations, of course, are more statements of need or an assertion of "no" or "yes" but he clearly understands so much of what's going on. It's delightful. Ed and I enjoy so much of our time with them. Occasionally, one or the other of us gets to take time with just one boy. Jonas might join me in feeding Tiga at the Johnson's house. Gill might come along with me to the store. Yesterday, while Gill and Ed napped, Jonas and I went to the neighbors' house (Tracy and Dave) for an open house brunch. He was mostly mindful, and I immensely enjoyed having him with me.
Today, we brought the boys to Little Monkey Business because it is bitterly cold outside....too cold to play, and we've been home together for 3 days now. It was time to get out and let them run wild.
The place was quite busy with like-minded parents, so it seemed challenging at first. Jonas played while Gill hung back, seeming to be a bit overwhelmed by the crowd of kids and parents. Eventually, Gill warmed up and the place thinned out. Climbing into an elaborate structure to reach a slide, Jonas was having a blast. Gill wanted to join. Because we couldn't easily reach Gill to help him, I told Jonas to look out for him. We discovered that he took this rather seriously. He would wait for Gill at the top of the slide, then pull him down with him. Jonas would slide down on his belly, feet first, arms outstretched, pulling Gill down in the same position (on his belly) but head first, arms outstretched. They looked like a pair of giggling love bugs. It was precious. Jonas would hang on the slide, patiently waiting for the slower Gill to make it through the obstacle. At one point, another kid tried to push him down the slide by pushing on his head. Jonas got quite upset. He is a sensitive kid when it comes to bullying. Gill can often make him cry, though Gill is often the one crying. However, when Gill cries, it is in anger and outrage that he can't have someone. Jonas usually cries because his feelings are hurt.
Jonas is our picky eater. He told me yesterday that he doesn't like meat. He prefers anything sweet or starchy. Corn, pancakes, bread / toast, fries, candy, cookies, green beans (canned only), fish sticks, waffles, grapes, french toast, cereal, hot dogs, sausage, pizza, pears and pickles. Gill's repertoire of favorite foods is a bit wider; he loves olives and will try almost anything. I worry about the levels of sugar and salt they ingest.
Speaking of eating, Gill loves to use his tongue - when he eats and otherwise. He is obsessed with the pacifier, though seems to not notice when it's not in his mouth. Today when I handed him a drink, he put his hand to his mouth to remove the pacifier that wasn't there. He often does this. He really only needs it at night, though we let him have it anytime. While he's playing, we can see him with his tongue sort of hanging out. Last night, he ate his cookies with no hands, reaching down with his mouth like a dog to lick the icing. See the video here. What's up with that?
Jonas knows one "curse-word" - dammit, and when he senses my frustration, will sometimes caution me not to say it, even though I haven't. "Don't say dammit Momma. It's a bad word." Right now, he is watching Power Rangers on the iPad. I don't like to let him watch that, but he apparently found it on his own on Netflix. Why does he like it? I can't understand it.
We read books to the boys at night. Usually, Gill is upstairs before Jonas, so he picks a few out early. All you have to do is tell him to get a book, and he runs (not walks) to the shelf and pulls out some of his favorites. Right now, he likes "Brown Bear" and "The Bridge is Up" The picture dictionary is always a favorite, and any book that has fold out flaps is a hit. It's amazing how much they both like to read.
Today, we brought the boys to Little Monkey Business because it is bitterly cold outside....too cold to play, and we've been home together for 3 days now. It was time to get out and let them run wild.
The place was quite busy with like-minded parents, so it seemed challenging at first. Jonas played while Gill hung back, seeming to be a bit overwhelmed by the crowd of kids and parents. Eventually, Gill warmed up and the place thinned out. Climbing into an elaborate structure to reach a slide, Jonas was having a blast. Gill wanted to join. Because we couldn't easily reach Gill to help him, I told Jonas to look out for him. We discovered that he took this rather seriously. He would wait for Gill at the top of the slide, then pull him down with him. Jonas would slide down on his belly, feet first, arms outstretched, pulling Gill down in the same position (on his belly) but head first, arms outstretched. They looked like a pair of giggling love bugs. It was precious. Jonas would hang on the slide, patiently waiting for the slower Gill to make it through the obstacle. At one point, another kid tried to push him down the slide by pushing on his head. Jonas got quite upset. He is a sensitive kid when it comes to bullying. Gill can often make him cry, though Gill is often the one crying. However, when Gill cries, it is in anger and outrage that he can't have someone. Jonas usually cries because his feelings are hurt.
Jonas is our picky eater. He told me yesterday that he doesn't like meat. He prefers anything sweet or starchy. Corn, pancakes, bread / toast, fries, candy, cookies, green beans (canned only), fish sticks, waffles, grapes, french toast, cereal, hot dogs, sausage, pizza, pears and pickles. Gill's repertoire of favorite foods is a bit wider; he loves olives and will try almost anything. I worry about the levels of sugar and salt they ingest.
Speaking of eating, Gill loves to use his tongue - when he eats and otherwise. He is obsessed with the pacifier, though seems to not notice when it's not in his mouth. Today when I handed him a drink, he put his hand to his mouth to remove the pacifier that wasn't there. He often does this. He really only needs it at night, though we let him have it anytime. While he's playing, we can see him with his tongue sort of hanging out. Last night, he ate his cookies with no hands, reaching down with his mouth like a dog to lick the icing. See the video here. What's up with that?
Jonas knows one "curse-word" - dammit, and when he senses my frustration, will sometimes caution me not to say it, even though I haven't. "Don't say dammit Momma. It's a bad word." Right now, he is watching Power Rangers on the iPad. I don't like to let him watch that, but he apparently found it on his own on Netflix. Why does he like it? I can't understand it.
We read books to the boys at night. Usually, Gill is upstairs before Jonas, so he picks a few out early. All you have to do is tell him to get a book, and he runs (not walks) to the shelf and pulls out some of his favorites. Right now, he likes "Brown Bear" and "The Bridge is Up" The picture dictionary is always a favorite, and any book that has fold out flaps is a hit. It's amazing how much they both like to read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)