Jonas has taken a rabid interest in art. He is quite prolific. When I pick him up at daycare, he has about 8 pages of artwork to take home with him. Though some of it involves stamping, he prefers raised stencils; he makes rubbings using crayons. We've started organizing all of it with sheet protectors in a binder so he can flip through and look at it. I'm struggling with my urge to recycle at least some of the 24 copies of a barn scene in brown. His favorite crayons are ones brought to him by Noni in a special truck carrier. They don't have a paper wrapper and are triangular. I think the shape make them easier to grasp.
His teachers let him borrow the stencils from school. When I helped him understand that there was a scene on one side and a pattern on the back, he was fascinated. He didn't know what a pattern was, and continues to pronounce it like Padawan.
Speaking of Star Wars, he has green light saber shoes and a cheaper pair of red Lightening McQueen shoes. Gill has light up shoes as well....red fire trucks. Recently, Jonas enjoys wearing one green shoe and one red one. People notice - you'd be surprised. I tell people that he's a clown in training.
On the food scene, Jonas has discovered miniature bagels, and loves them with whipped cream cheese. But his favorite food remains the corn dog. Gill likes them too but peels off the breading, eating just the "dog." Gill occasionally eats bananas like one would eat corn on the cob. He also enjoys fish pills - not swallowing them, chewing them. Yes, he eats fish oil, straight. We try to give him baths on those nights. He smells like a little sardine after a feeding frenzy of fish oil.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Our Special Yankee
Tonight, after dinner, we decided to teach the boys the song "Yankee Doodle Dandy." I think it had something to do with the fact that they were eating macaroni and cheese.
Anyway, we went through the song a few times, explaining the obscure words like "mind the music and the step" means "pay attention to the music and dancing." We'd start the phrase and have the boys provide the last word. When we got to the last line, "and with the girls..." Jonas finished with "behave" instead of "be handy."
So, would you correct your young son if he made that mistake?
Yeah, we didn't either.
Anyway, we went through the song a few times, explaining the obscure words like "mind the music and the step" means "pay attention to the music and dancing." We'd start the phrase and have the boys provide the last word. When we got to the last line, "and with the girls..." Jonas finished with "behave" instead of "be handy."
So, would you correct your young son if he made that mistake?
Yeah, we didn't either.
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.
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| 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.
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| Jonas decorates a picture frame |
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| Batman & Best Friend William |
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| Gill finds a pumpkin just his size! |
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| 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!
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| 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.
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