Hi.

Timothy's been a little slow in the talking department. But in the last few months, his vocabulary has exploded. Unfortunately, I'm really the only one who can understand it and many words sound ridiculously similar, so there are some days I still play the guessing game.

Of course, Dada was one of the first words he did come up with. And for a long time, Dada was used for both Erik and me. But about July, he finally started calling me Mama. At first, it melted my heart. It was so cute. And I was so happy he finally had a name for me. But now this is my life:



Every five minutes. All. Day. Long. Can we go back to not speaking? :)

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Ditching the Bink

Lily is a thumb-sucker. She has been since she was about 6 months old. When she first started, I was honestly ok with it. No needed to buy binkies. No hunting down the missing binky. No getting up in the middle of the night to return the binky. She was completely able to self-soothe, and I was thankful. Plus, sucking her thumb was mostly reserved for when she was tired or hungry or really distressed.

But when Timothy was born, I decided the bink was the way to go. Lily was three and half at the time and still sucking her thumb. Two years later, she still does on occasion. Not very often, for sure. Usually when she's really tired, and still when she's really distressed and upset, but there's not really anything I can do at this point other than encourage her to stop. So for Timothy, I decided I wanted the control. I wanted to be able to take the bink away when it was time. I don't know if he would have ever turned into a thumb-sucker, but his bink was always close, so there was no need. When he turned two, we cracked down. Nap time and bed time only. Most of the time. Admittedly, there were times we gave in. And he's not a dumb kid. He knew where the bink was in the diaper bag and would go hunt for it. When he'd wake up, it was chucked into his bed, and sometimes he could reach between the slats and get it. When we converted to a toddler bed about a month ago, it was amazingly easy for him to retrieve it. If we managed to get it away from him again, it ended up on a counter or the bookcase, and once he'd see it a couple hours later, it was all he wanted.

I was dreading the day we took it away completely. And I wasn't sure what the plan of attack would be. I'd read different theories, like having the kid either watch you or making them throw it away. There's also the method that involves taking a pair of scissors to it while your kid watched. But they seemed so cruel. I mean, come on. They're attached to the thing and you cut it all up. I figured cold turkey was the way to go, but I wasn't looking forward to it.

Then last week happened. I could not find the bink any where. I had a spare in the medicine cabinet, but I decided to see what would happen. So when it was time for bed, we brushed his teeth. We grabbed his blanket. We read some stories. We sang a few songs. Then I put him in bed. And then he asked for bink. "Sorry, buddy," I said. "I don't know where bink is." "Bink?" he asked again. "I don't know where it is. Say bye-bye, bink."

And he did. Could it really be that easy? I guess so, because he hasn't looked back. I can only hope potty training is just as easy. The missing bink mysteriously reappeared a few days later, luckily while Timothy was busy doing something else. It was quickly whisked out of sight, never to be seen again.

 

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Our trip to exotic...Canada?

As of July 13, Erik and I have been married 10 years. Yeah...that wasn't a typo. 10 years. To me, that seems like such a milestone. And it's been an amazing 10 years, so we decided to treat ourselves to a fabulous vacation. Since we love cruises and we hadn't been on one in a couple years, we started looking at itineraries. There were the usual, of course. Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, Alaska. And all of them would have been fantastic, I'm sure.

But then we noticed an eastern Canada cruise leaving out of Boston. No, it wasn't tropical. Heck, it wasn't even exotic. And we got plenty of mildly confused looks when we started telling people where we would be sailing. Canada? You mean that country just north of ours that's pretty much the exact same as here? But that was our final decision. We've both wanted to check out Boston forever and we'd already done the tropical thing. As fun as it was, we wanted to try something new. So Canada it was.

Since Boston was a main impetus for the choice, we headed in a day before the cruise left. We actually ended up on a red eye that left Saturday at 11:30p and arrived in Boston at 7:30a on Sunday. Airplane sleep is the worst. Even with the cute shut-eye kits of eye masks and ear plugs. We slept as well as we could and hit the ground running once we landed. Luckily, we were able to check into our hotel early so we could at least freshen up a bit.

We only had about a day and a half before boarding the boat, so based on the recommendation of the front desk, we headed straight to the Quincy Market Place area. It's right near the water and has a ton of shopping and food. It's also right next to Faneuil Hall, which was a market built in the 1700s. So we got to shop and feel like we were learning something at the same time. Always a plus. And we scored some great brick oven pizza at Regina Pizzeria . 

In that same area is the New England Aquarium. Seeing as how we recently set up a tank, it was a must see. We also hooked up with a tour through part of the Freedom Trail and ended up at the Old North Church and then went on to see Ol' Ironsides (USS Constitution) and the Old State House, where we got the real story of the Boston Massacre...as real as it can be, I suppose, considering no one really seems know what happened.

By the time we hit the boat on Monday afternoon, we were beat. Good thing the next day was a sea day, for sure. And remember when I said we wanted something different than the other cruises we'd been on? Well, it was. Usually, the days at sea are spent by the pool in a swim suit reading a book or taking a nap. In between, you grab some ice cream or a drink or some pizza and then maybe take a dip in the pool. For us, it was foggy. And I don't mean a few low thin clouds. We couldn't see anything. It was a little unnerving, really, to be on a boat in the middle of...nothing. So rather than lie by the pool all day, we hit the spa. Yes...Erik, too. It was wonderful!

Our first port was Saint John New Brunswick. Apparently, the big thing to do here is see the Reversing Falls. They have the highest tides in the world, so when the tide comes in, the Saint John River will actually change direction. The thing is, unless you hit the site at both low and high tides, you don't know the difference. Plus, the site to view the falls it across from a refinery. Talk about scenic. While we were there, we were able to see the water change a little, and some rapids started to form, but I don't know that I'd say it was a must see. We probably had more fun wandering around the town and their huge food market. And lunch was amazing at the Urban Deli. Without knowing it, we picked the #1 Saint John restaurant on Trip Advisor. And we whole-heartedly agree. Who knew grilled ham and cheese and club sandwiches could be so good?

The next day was Halifax. Turns out we were there during the tall ship festival. So while we waited for our tour that afternoon, we stolled the harbor walk and admired the ships. We also had some amazing ice cream (made with PEI blueberries and strawberries). Our tour actually took us out of Halifax to a fishing village called Peggy's Cove. Apparently, the permanent population of the town is about 40, but during the tourist season, it goes up substantially. It is the home of the most photographed lighthouse, which was our main destination. And I can see why. The lighthouse itself is just a lighthouse. In fact, we had a very similar one a little island next to the cruise ship. But the landscape around it was so pretty. Tons of granite right up to the ocean. But remember to avoid the black rocks. Or You. Will. Die. They make sure you understand that black rocks mean wet rocks, which means the ocean might come up and take you with it. While we were there, I snagged a watercolor print from the artist, who happened to be there signing them. I don't think he's anyone super famous, but it's kind of fun to have, especially for only 20 bucks.

Our second stop in Halifax was to the Titanic grave yard. The bodies retrieved from the water were brought to Halifax, and if they went unclaimed or the families didn't want to/couldn't ship them home, they were buried there. There are 121 graves, including a J Dawson and an unknown child who is actually now know thanks to DNA testing. Our guide was great and was able to tell us some stories about some of the people who ended up buried there. Definitely a fun, if a bit morbid, stop.

We had a second day at sea on the way back, which ended up being a lot like the first one. While we were in port, the weather was amazing. But those two days at sea were foggy and windy. But there's always something to do on board, so we managed to stay busy.

We arrived back in Boston Saturday morning, but we'd opted for another day so we didn't have to cram all of Boston into that first day and a half. So during the rest of Saturday and Sunday morning, we finished the part of the Freedom Trail we didn't do earlier, including the Bunker Hill Monument and its 294 steps. No elevator option. Erik ran the first 75 or so but soon realized that probably wasn't the brightest idea. The view was pretty cool, but it's a tiny room with a lot of people, so we didn't stay long to check it out. So we headed back down the 294 steps. Back at the bottom and 588 steps later, I was pretty sure my legs were about to mutiny and stop working all together.

A quick rest and we headed back to the Quincy area for lunch at Saus. French fries and sauce. That's it. I guess that's not true. They had sandwiches, too, but the fries were the thing. We went with the Poutine: fries with gravy and cheese curds. Seriously...it was so good. Then it was a trip to Boston Harbor so Erik could dump some tea in. We also hit the other side of town to see Prudential Tower. It wasn't as impressive as Willis Tower in Chicago, and it's not even the tallest building in Boston. But it had a good enough view that it was worth the trip.

By the time we got to the airport, we were ready to get home and see the kids, who had been staying with Nana and Grandpa Len. But we had a great time. Now we just need to start planning the next one. Maybe we'll let the kids come this time...
 

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Summer fun

Here are some of the things we've been up to this summer.

Summerfest: Kid Art

Chillin' it at the pool.

Fourth of July fun...including homemade ice cream

Awesome finger painting...masterpieces, every one.

Lazy days at the park

UPSTART graduation - Kindergarten starts in three weeks!!!

Cruising Boston and Canada (more about that later)

Hope your summer has been as fun as ours!
 

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Bubba turns 2!

Our little Bubba turns 2 tomorrow. Yes...I said 2. Where has the time gone? I definitely don't remember two years' worth of stuff. But that could just be that I'm getting old. But whether I remember it or not, tomorrow is his second birthday. It almost makes me sad to think he's not really a baby anymore. Then I remember what those actual baby days were like and I'm ok again. He is definitely my favorite two-year-old...even if he is the most amazing ham. Or maybe because of it. But there's no denying the boy has personality!

We jumped the gun just a bit and celebrated his birthday tonight with some great company and chicken nuggets. Since what two-year-old doesn't like chicken nuggets? Especially from Chick-fil-a. I'll tell you what two-year-old. Mine. I think he had one grape and decided that would meet his fuel requirement to spend the rest of the evening playing at the playground. Oh...and I think two or three glasses of lemonade. Some of which may or may not have been his own.

The boy is obsessed with fish. Every night before bed, he has to tell the fish good night, and they're the first thing he looks for in the morning. (Oh yeah...due to my lack of blogging, I may have neglected to mention we are now the owners of a 75-gallon saltwater tank complete with 2 nemos (and some other fish, but nemos are all that really matter), a peppermint shrimp, two conchs (have you ever actually seen a conch...weird), a few coral, and various crabs and snails.) So we went with a partial fish theme, including Swedish fish, gold fish, and a "rainbow" trout birthday cake. He was nice enough to blow out the candle, but the call of the playground once again took precedence over opening presents. I'm sure that will be fixed next year.

I know this year will go even faster, so while I can, I will enjoy his cute Bubba kisses and his cheerful "Hi" and wave whenever he sees me. We think he's definitely the cutest little boy we know.

 

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Our Monkey

After months of agonizing practice ("But it takes sooooooo long to practice. I just want you to help me!"), Lily has finally mastered the monkey bars. And now there's no stopping her. She does them a million times a day and is proud of her blisters, which must not hurt too terribly bad or we'd hear about that, too.

I have to say, I'm proud at the time she spent getting to "just one more bar." It took some convincing that she didn't need us holding on to her legs and that she just had to keep trying. And she's so proud that she can do it herself now. Plus, she was getting heavy to hold up. :) She's growing up right before our eyes.

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Our demon?

So after a two-month blog hiatus, I'm finally posting something. Was my life completely uneventful over the last two months? Probably not. Did I have the motivation to actually post anything of substance? Not one bit. But I don't really remember what happened over those two months, so I probably should have made some sort of effort to document what went on.

I'm over it.

We did get some new pictures of the kids recently, so I thought I'd share. I posted some to Facebook, but it feels more official to share them this way. :)

Looking at these adorable kids, you'd never know the turmoil we went through. The photo session started out pretty nicely. Lily was cooperative, and Timothy sort of stood where we asked. But then Timothy got bored and started wandering all over the studio. At one point, we were bribing him with jelly beans. Which worked for about 2 minutes until he caught on that we were getting what we wanted, too. For about a minute, though, he did walk over to his chalkboard fish and pose for us very nicely. While we were distracted on different background for Lily of course. But then he decided he just wanted to be held and putting him down resulted in a classic two-year-old tantrum. Not to mention one of the jelly beans happened to be purple and his face and shirt now had purple goo everywhere.

And once the chalk came out, that's all Lily wanted to do. We were able to convince her to do some more shots on a different background, but then suddenly she was done. She didn't want to do pictures, but she didn't want to leave either. A real problem (that was eventually resolved by physically carrying her out to the car). I told her it was ok to be done if she wanted, but she insisted she wanted to do some more. So we sat her on a cute pink ottoman to try a few more, but she just sat there and sulked. And she even chose the ottoman. What exactly are you supposed to do in a situation like that? Because I feel completely inept when they come up. Do I try to comfort and console her and try to fix the situation? And completely waste the time of the photographer? Or just tell her we're done and leave. At home, I would just ignore it, and she'd scream like a banshee and tell me how mean I am for putting her in time out for such an over-the-top reaction. But we're in PUBLIC. You can't let your kid do that in public. So I tried the comforting as long as I thought was appropriate, and then I carried her out kicking and screaming.

Not really the way I wanted the whole thing to go.

All I can say is, for a studio setting, I can't recommend the people at Whimsy Photography enough. It probably didn't hurt that we were a morning appointment on a Friday when they weren't super booked, but they were amazingly patient with our moody kids and made a real effort to get pictures we would like. They even offered to have us come back on a day when Timothy was in a better mood before we paid for anything. We ended up totally pleased with the final product, so we didn't take them up on it. But the offer was there.

But back to my moody kids. Really...any advice would be appreciated at this point. Ok: Timothy's a toddler and almost two. I understand his tantrums to some degree, and they're usually calmed by distracting him or ignoring the tantrum completely for a few minutes. And honestly, I think most of his stem from the fact that he understands everything we say, but he can't communicate back. It's a guessing game most of the time. Although I'm getting  better, and the words are starting to come, so hopefully, the end is in sight.

But Lily? She's a dang 5 year old! I asked her pediatrician at her checkup if it's normal to be so emotional. He basically told me adolescence starts in girls about this time.  Are you kidding me? If I have to deal with this for 10-12 more years, I won't make it. She's up and down, and you never know what will set her off. We try to say yes enough that she gets to choose things and activities and make her own decisions. And she's a pleasure to be with then. But as soon as she hears no, the demon is unleashed. And it just makes me want to say no more because why should I be nice at all when it all ends with the same melt down. In fact, she's been almost unbearable for the last month. Am I a terrible mother for even thinking that? Is it my fault? Is it just the way she is? She's always been "spirited," but now she's old enough to really assert herself and I just don't know what to do. And the books are no help. NONE! She won't calm down enough for me to try any of the tricks, and since what sets her off one day is no prediction of the next, I can't head her off before it happens.

But the times when she's not a demon? She is the nicest girl ever. She is the friendliest girl on the playground and can't understand why someone wouldn't want to play with her or that not everyone is really her friend. She helps all the little toddlers swing and go down the slides. She shares all her digging tools so everyone can play in the wood chips. She builds forts for Timothy and chases him around the house to make him laugh. She reads him books and helps him put on his jammies. And she feels everything so deeply...the good and the bad.

One thing I do remember over the last couple months is the purchase of Pop, Lily's betta fish. He's been living in a bowl on her bookcase for about 6 weeks or so. Maybe a little longer. Tonight when she went to feed him, as she has done faithfully since he came home with us, Erik had to break the news that he'd died. Her little heart was broken. She said she was going to miss him so much. And where do fish go when the die? Is heaven in the toilet?

I know (hope?) the over-emotional bit is a phase. And I know that the real Lily is the happy, loving, smiling one. I just wish we got to see her a little more some days. Or I could figure out the secret to locking up the other version. At any rate, thanks for reading the longest post in history (if you made it this far). I make no promise of future posts, but let's all cross our fingers.
 

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Knock, Knock

Lily's new favorite thing is to tell jokes. She asks at least once a day, "Mommy, can we do some jokes?" I usually say yes, but I have to put a limit on the number I'm willing to listen to. Because here's the thing (and don't dare tell her I said this): She's not very good at them.

Knock, knock jokes are the variety of choice and the punchline usually consists of two random things said together, which is HILARIOUS, apparently. A better mother would probably listen to as many combinations as the kid could muster based on what's in the room at the time, but seriously...

Last night, I decided to write some of them down so later in life I can show her how far she's really come. (Unless she still tells knock, knock jokes like this. Then we'll have a serious problem.) Here's a few she came up with.

Knock, Knock!

Who's there?
Macaroni
Macaroni who?
Macaroni pizza! (insert uncontrollable giggling here)

Knock, Knock!
Who's there?
Number
Number who?
Number snowman!!! (more excessive giggling)

You get the idea. During this same session, we ended up with banana apple, pepper salt, book telescope, and banana helmet. At least the giggling was funny...and the cutest sound in the world.
 

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Of Her Very Own

Lily has a favorite show called Calliou. He's a 4-year-old boy with a little sister doing a lot of the same things Lily does. Playschool, helping with Rosie, trying new things. On one episode, he went to the library. Since then, Lily has asked when we can go. Completely intending to go, I told her we'd find a day. Several times, I planned when we would go. Luckily, I never actually mentioned it to her since every time, something else came up and the library trip got pushed aside.

Last week, I decided we were going no matter what. So on Friday, we headed to McDonald's for lunch and some time in the play place as soon as Timothy woke up from his nap, and then we headed to the library. Just so you know, this was very purposely planned. Lily's not always great about leaving the play place, so I hoped the lure of the library would help. And it did. She left without complaint, and it only took one request for her to put on her shoes so we could go. I suppose I could have skipped McDonald's altogether, but I was feeling generous (and brave) that day, so I risked two outings that could end in kicking, screaming, tears, and yelling. Plus, my memories of the library include a treat, too, and I guess I wanted to pass that on.

When we arrived at the library, Lily looked at all the books. We picked out a few to take home and then read a few while we were there...mostly books she thought Timothy would enjoy. Then we got Lily a library card of her very own and checked out her books. She was so excited to take them home, and the promise that we would be back to get more was almost more than she could stand.

I can remember getting my own library card when I was about 5. (Or maybe 6? Who can remember that far back, really. But I do remember I wrote my name on it with my beginner's scrawly handwriting so I couldn't have been too old.) At some point, it became a tradition that every week, we headed to the library. Afterwards, we stopped at Baskin Robins for some ice cream. (My brother always got Daiquiri Ice. I usually tried something different each time.)  It's one of my favorite memories, and I'd like to give my kids something similar. Although, their favorite memories will probably be something completely different.

So we now have a Friday tradition. We probably won't hit up McDonald's every time, but a stop at Charlie's may be in order. If anyone wants to join us, feel free.

 

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5 Years Old

Last week was Lily's 5th birthday (5? I know...) Since she's been loving gymnastics so much, we decided to rent the gym where she has her class. (Especially after receiving a birthday card from them with a discount...how could we resist?) They have a tumbling floor and pads and rings and trampolines and Lily's favorite, the foam pit. And that was definitely the hit of the party. In fact, the kids were having so much fun that we only took a quick break for cake before heading back in. Meaning we completely forgot about presents until everyone was leaving. Personally, I think it's a sign of a good party if the presents are completely forgotten...especially by the birthday girl.

All the kids seem to have a great time, including the smaller ones. Even Timothy thought the pit was amazing. If we took him out even for a second, he immediately started backing back in.

Some weren't so sure, though. Although I think Tyler warmed up to it about the time we wrapped up.

The dads got in, too, and honestly, I think they may have had more fun than the kids.

Happy Birthday to our big girl!

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Instagram Thursday (on Friday)

 His precious (just call him Linus)

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Instagram Thursday

 I have a 5 year old. Wow. That's just about all I can say is Wow.

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Instagram Thursday

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New Bike

The problem with getting a new bike for Christmas is the kid wants to ride the thing right away. The other problem is it's usually freezing or snowing or both. Lily was no exception to this problem. We managed to hold her off on Christmas day itself, but with the sunny weather the day after, there was no way we were going to get away with a second day of no bike riding.

Even though it was still pretty cold, we agreed. There was a little tweaking needed on the training wheels, but pretty soon she was off. The bike's still a little too big for her, but we opted for a little bigger one rather than having to buy a new one again in a year. She does pretty well, though. I think she'll do a little better when there aren't ice patches to negotiate on our sidewalks, but most days since that first ride, she heads our for at least one go-round of the park.  I think she's hooked.

 

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Our Christmas

Christmas was two weeks ago, so it seems almost silly to bring it up now. But I thought I should post about our holiday. Last year, we split the day between our two families - Springville in the morning and Roy in the evening. And it made for a lot of driving and it felt like we were in the car for a good chunk of the day. So this year, we tried a different tactic. We went to Erik's parents' house on Christmas Eve for their annual bash and then headed home to get everyone tucked into bed for Santa. Since the kids fell asleep on the way home, it was a good thing we put the cookies out before we left.

Although, I wonder how Santa felt about milk that had been sitting out for 12 hours. Yummm!!

Christmas day was nice and relaxed. Lily actually managed to stay in bed after 7:30, so we got to sleep in just a little. The anticipated bike was there and made her day. Timothy is teething and continued his cranky mood, but we did manage to make him happy with some candy, and he finally consented to open one present. The rest of the day was spent lounging with absolutely no where to go. It was fabulous. This kids stayed occupied playing with their new toys and each other. (Actually, Lily was more interested in Timothy's toys than hers. Next year, I'm just going to decide what I'm getting Timothy and then get two.)

We headed to Springville the week after Christmas. We had a nice lunch with Nana and Grandpa Len and Uncle Garrik and Sariah. More presents of course and just hanging out without worrying about having to be somewhere else. I think we've figured out how to do the whole holiday thing....finally.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and started out the New Year doing something fun!

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