We are in Florida right now for a family wedding and to visit Adam's Grandparents.
After dinner tonight, I was talking with Grandma (a.k.a. Bubby to the kids) and playing with Molly on the floor. Since it was our last night, Grandma was a little sad. I said "Grandma, I am going to get Molly to take her first step right now just for you. You will be the only one to see it." I looked at Molly and said "Molly, you need to walk for Bubby." I let go of her hands and wouldn't you know she took one tiny little step before toppling over. I couldn't believe my luck. It was like she knew in her little baby mind that it was important to pull out all of the stops right at that moment. She was as pleased as punch with herself and Bubby was pretty happy too!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Any Suggestions?
Cooking meals has become the bane of my existence. It doesn't really seem that hard, right? Think of at least 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners and 10 snacks per week. I pretend my hands are broken on the weekends.
Breakfast is fairly easy. Henry won't really eat pancakes, waffles, french toast or muffins. Or toast or english muffins. He may lick the cream cheese off of a bagel if I am lucky. So that leaves eggs. If he asks for scrambled, he really meant fried and if he asks for fried he really meant scrambled. Add in 50 lbs of out of season fruit per week at a cost of 8 million dollars and my shopping is done.
Lunch is even better. Until Henry learned that his best friend eats peanut butter and jelly every day he would not touch a sandwich. Now if I am desperate I ask "Do you want to have PB&J like Elliot?" It works 95% of the time. What do you feed the child that won't eat sandwiches? Hmm, you are stumped too I see. Well, you can make pasta with some nice healthy vegetables added and watch him pick out three noodles and then ask to take his nap. Or, order him some pizza and he eats the sausage off of it and declares himself "a little done."
Dinner is my absolute favorite time. Make something that involves chicken or chop meat. Do it only with things that you have in the house because you really, really don't want to drag your children out to the store when the non-parent humans are there because it is too embarrassing. It needs to have corn, peas or broccoli as a side. It needs to start be defrosted before you leave in the morning, prepped during nap and cooked while you have one child hanging off your leg crying and the other hopping up and down saying "But I want you to play with me!" over and over. It has to be completed before the 5pm "I'm starrrvvvvvvving" cry hits. It has to be edible to an 11 month old who won't be fed off of a spoon but who can't really feed herself yet. Child friendly enough that Henry won't immediately say: 1) Ummm, I don't really like that (before his first bite) or 2) This tastes like "mud" 3) This tastes like cow food (my personal favorite). And it has to taste fine sitting or being reheated over when your husband gets home anywhere between 6:30 and 8pm. The time being determined when you hear the key in the lock. Go out on a limb and prepare something a little bit nicer? You will get a phone call around 5:30pm that he has a dinner that night or has to work later or he will walk in the door saying "he is not really hungry, he had a big steak for lunch."
I'm kind of grinding my teeth while writing this, I'm not really sure why. I used to really enjoy cooking.
Breakfast is fairly easy. Henry won't really eat pancakes, waffles, french toast or muffins. Or toast or english muffins. He may lick the cream cheese off of a bagel if I am lucky. So that leaves eggs. If he asks for scrambled, he really meant fried and if he asks for fried he really meant scrambled. Add in 50 lbs of out of season fruit per week at a cost of 8 million dollars and my shopping is done.
Lunch is even better. Until Henry learned that his best friend eats peanut butter and jelly every day he would not touch a sandwich. Now if I am desperate I ask "Do you want to have PB&J like Elliot?" It works 95% of the time. What do you feed the child that won't eat sandwiches? Hmm, you are stumped too I see. Well, you can make pasta with some nice healthy vegetables added and watch him pick out three noodles and then ask to take his nap. Or, order him some pizza and he eats the sausage off of it and declares himself "a little done."
Dinner is my absolute favorite time. Make something that involves chicken or chop meat. Do it only with things that you have in the house because you really, really don't want to drag your children out to the store when the non-parent humans are there because it is too embarrassing. It needs to have corn, peas or broccoli as a side. It needs to start be defrosted before you leave in the morning, prepped during nap and cooked while you have one child hanging off your leg crying and the other hopping up and down saying "But I want you to play with me!" over and over. It has to be completed before the 5pm "I'm starrrvvvvvvving" cry hits. It has to be edible to an 11 month old who won't be fed off of a spoon but who can't really feed herself yet. Child friendly enough that Henry won't immediately say: 1) Ummm, I don't really like that (before his first bite) or 2) This tastes like "mud" 3) This tastes like cow food (my personal favorite). And it has to taste fine sitting or being reheated over when your husband gets home anywhere between 6:30 and 8pm. The time being determined when you hear the key in the lock. Go out on a limb and prepare something a little bit nicer? You will get a phone call around 5:30pm that he has a dinner that night or has to work later or he will walk in the door saying "he is not really hungry, he had a big steak for lunch."
I'm kind of grinding my teeth while writing this, I'm not really sure why. I used to really enjoy cooking.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Funny Henry-isms
We were watching TV recently and it was way past Henry's bedtime. He is always asking to watch "his show." I explained to him that normal children were already in bed and that it was now my time with the TV. If he didn't like it he could go to bed. He then suggested that we watch "Daddy's show" and was shot down again. He tried to gang up on me by looking at Adam and saying "But I thought we were going to watch Seinfeld!"
*****
He drives me nuts by asking "Why?" all day long. Each answer needs to be broken down even more with another "Why?" I finally asked him, "Henry, why do you keep asking me why?" He immediately replied "Because I want to know!" with all of the disdain he could muster.
*****
His new teenager-y phrases are "Don't you look at me like that" and "Alright Alright!" followed by a big sigh.
*****
We were fooling around tonight trying to put little clips in Molly's mullet. He said "Molly, you look sooooo cute... like Maya!" He wasa little too moon-y eyed when he said it and I had to remind him that Maya is his cousin.
*****
He drives me nuts by asking "Why?" all day long. Each answer needs to be broken down even more with another "Why?" I finally asked him, "Henry, why do you keep asking me why?" He immediately replied "Because I want to know!" with all of the disdain he could muster.
*****
His new teenager-y phrases are "Don't you look at me like that" and "Alright Alright!" followed by a big sigh.
*****
We were fooling around tonight trying to put little clips in Molly's mullet. He said "Molly, you look sooooo cute... like Maya!" He wasa little too moon-y eyed when he said it and I had to remind him that Maya is his cousin.
Miraculous Molly!
Henry and Molly insist on taking their baths together. It is impossible to give a bath to one and not do the other. Henry will just strip down and hop into the tub and Molly will hurl herself in headfirst, clothes and all.
Our system is that one person mans the tub and the other person relaxes for three seconds on the couch. Once Molly is washed up or evicted because she dove under the water one too many times, the other person comes in to take her to get dressed.
Tonight after I got Molly fed and dressed in her pajamas, we were sitting on the couch. Henry came and sat on the couch next to us. Molly leaned over and wrapped her little arms right around his neck, giving him a hug. She even rested her head on his shoulder for a minute. I knew what she was doing, but I wanted to confirm that I wasn't seeing what I wanted to see. I said "Molly, give Henry a hug" and she leaned over and did it again. Of course Adam and I had to get into the mix and demand our attention too. She has given hugs in the past, but this was the first time she so obviously did and and then did it on command. It was one of the sweetest things that I have seen in a long time. It is so great to see how much she understands now.
What I probably find more shocking is that she wants to hug Henry :) He absolutely tortures her all.day.long yet she still adores him!
********************
She also now insists on feeding herself with a FORK. We have to load the food on it for her, but she can then get it into her mouth. She wants to use a spoon herself too, but that is just a mess. She absolutely refuses to be fed off of a spoon. She is so stubborn, she would rather starve than have someone feed her.
********************
Molly can now walk for a little bit just holding one of my hands. She is still really wobbly but I think her first solo steps are coming very soon. Today she also let go a few times very deliberately and was standing without holding onto anything. She was quite pleased with herself (and all of the attention she was getting for doing it.)
Our system is that one person mans the tub and the other person relaxes for three seconds on the couch. Once Molly is washed up or evicted because she dove under the water one too many times, the other person comes in to take her to get dressed.
Tonight after I got Molly fed and dressed in her pajamas, we were sitting on the couch. Henry came and sat on the couch next to us. Molly leaned over and wrapped her little arms right around his neck, giving him a hug. She even rested her head on his shoulder for a minute. I knew what she was doing, but I wanted to confirm that I wasn't seeing what I wanted to see. I said "Molly, give Henry a hug" and she leaned over and did it again. Of course Adam and I had to get into the mix and demand our attention too. She has given hugs in the past, but this was the first time she so obviously did and and then did it on command. It was one of the sweetest things that I have seen in a long time. It is so great to see how much she understands now.
What I probably find more shocking is that she wants to hug Henry :) He absolutely tortures her all.day.long yet she still adores him!
********************
She also now insists on feeding herself with a FORK. We have to load the food on it for her, but she can then get it into her mouth. She wants to use a spoon herself too, but that is just a mess. She absolutely refuses to be fed off of a spoon. She is so stubborn, she would rather starve than have someone feed her.
********************
Molly can now walk for a little bit just holding one of my hands. She is still really wobbly but I think her first solo steps are coming very soon. Today she also let go a few times very deliberately and was standing without holding onto anything. She was quite pleased with herself (and all of the attention she was getting for doing it.)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Wild Girl
Adam and I keep saying that Molly is going to be a wild one. She has such a fun personality, it is coming out so much more lately. She is very mischievous and is constantly getting into things she knows she is not supposed to. She loves to put things in the toilet, or unspool the paper. She tries to work the key out of our firesafe and today she hid it in a bin of toys. When she seems me coming and knows she is in trouble, she shakes her head "no" very fast. She also giggles and tries to beat me to something she wants.
We had to empty their room of toys and turn the dining room into a playroom. She was trying to climb the bookshelf and was always stuffing small things into her mouth. She liked to sneak in there and play alone. If I turn my head for a second she darts over to the computer and tries to bang away on the keyboard. If I am holding her and distract her with a toy, she bangs that on the keyboard.
She has perfected her temper tantrum, back arching and all. I am convinced that she tries to get Henry in trouble. She shreiks so loudly when she doesn't get her way. I forget how young she is, so honed are her manipulation skills. She has Adam absolutely wrapped around her finger with her "hi da!" and "bye-bye da!" complete with backward wave. She will even give him a hug sometimes.
She pretends to blow her nose and blows on her food. She is already starting to refuse a sippy cup and wants to hold an open topped cup alone. She screams bloody murder if Henry gets something that she doesn't have. She steals Henry's fork off his plate at dinner and waves it around. She has tried to bite both Henry and me and licked his back in the bathtub today.
Just recently, I have found her: playing in the coat closet, playing in Adam's closet, trying to flood the kitchen by hanging on the water cooler tap, playing in the pantry, trying to empty my dresser drawers, Henry's drawers, emptying the hamper, unloading the bag of clean, folded laundry, trying to crawl out of the gym at Henry's gymnastics class, playing in the bathroom garbage, hiding under the dining room table...she is a handful!
We had to empty their room of toys and turn the dining room into a playroom. She was trying to climb the bookshelf and was always stuffing small things into her mouth. She liked to sneak in there and play alone. If I turn my head for a second she darts over to the computer and tries to bang away on the keyboard. If I am holding her and distract her with a toy, she bangs that on the keyboard.
She has perfected her temper tantrum, back arching and all. I am convinced that she tries to get Henry in trouble. She shreiks so loudly when she doesn't get her way. I forget how young she is, so honed are her manipulation skills. She has Adam absolutely wrapped around her finger with her "hi da!" and "bye-bye da!" complete with backward wave. She will even give him a hug sometimes.
She pretends to blow her nose and blows on her food. She is already starting to refuse a sippy cup and wants to hold an open topped cup alone. She screams bloody murder if Henry gets something that she doesn't have. She steals Henry's fork off his plate at dinner and waves it around. She has tried to bite both Henry and me and licked his back in the bathtub today.
Just recently, I have found her: playing in the coat closet, playing in Adam's closet, trying to flood the kitchen by hanging on the water cooler tap, playing in the pantry, trying to empty my dresser drawers, Henry's drawers, emptying the hamper, unloading the bag of clean, folded laundry, trying to crawl out of the gym at Henry's gymnastics class, playing in the bathroom garbage, hiding under the dining room table...she is a handful!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
NoNoNoNo
Molly has started staying No by shaking her entire body. It is pretty funny. She has also started saying "bye-bye" while waving.
Henry Three Year Check Up
Henry had his three year check up on Friday. Wearing jeans, a rugby and with a belly full of water and two cheese sticks, he weighed a whopping 31 lbs. They measured him as 37.5 inches tall, but we think that is wrong and that he is about an inch taller.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
What's new with Henry and Molly?
- Henry is quite dramatic and funny. I was helping him in the bathroom recently pull up his underwear. He said to me "Ouch Mommy, you twisted my penis like a pretzel!"
- He gives long explanations. He always ends it by saying "This is how you do it."
- He has been trying to teach Molly how to walk. She is a bit of a reluctant student, I think he is a bit exasperated by her. He holds onto the coffee table and says "Mommy, tell Molly to watch me let go." Remember, I am his translator to Molly. And then he walks off. "See Molly? This is how you do it."
- He has started saying "Oh Dammit!" when he drops something. Since I can't control my laughing, he now says it with a very growling voice. "Ohhhhhh Daammmmmmmmitt." I have tried my best to ignore it and tell him it isn't a nice word. We now have the agreement that although it is very funny, he can't say it around his friends. Quite the role model aren't I?
- Molly has started trying to bite Henry to ward off his advances. All I can say is that it has been a long time coming!
- I have had to rescue Molly twice in the past week as she tries to swim underwater in the bathtub. She sputters and chokes and then is furious that I won't put her back in the water. We have a crazy little lady on our hands we think.
- Molly has a few new tricks at the table. She likes to chew something a few times and then just let it drop out of her mouth. Or, I catch her sitting in her high chair deliberately dropping things on the floor. I guess this is her version of feeding things she doesn't like to the dog.
- When Molly is done or just bored, she likes to start swinging her arms wildly, sending all of her food flying. She then bangs and hurls her cup for dramatic measure. She also likes to spit out whatever liquid she is drinking, just for fun.
- Molly now officially cruises the furniture. She has been pulling up and standing for a while, but now she moves her tiny little feet. Over the past few days she has gotten very brave and moves from object to object.
- Unlike Henry at this age (and still) she plays very well by herself. She crawls from room to room and entertains herself. Sometimes I have to go looking for her. She takes any opportunity to race to the bathroom and pull the toilet paper.
- Today, Henry burst out with a short cry during his nap. I didn't get up because he stopped right away. Molly disappeared for a minute so I went to check on her. She had crawled to their room and pushed open the door. I think she was checking on him! My own little Lassie.
- I came into the living room recently and Molly was standing at the table with Henry's peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her hands, munching away happily. I guess she was hungry and I guess she is not allergic to peanuts. I kid, she had already had a peanut that Henry fed her about 6 months ago.
- I swear that I have heard her say "Hi Dad." I know that isn't that reliable, since I am a born exaggerator (the apple doesn't fall far) but Adam heard it as well.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Happy Birthday Henry!
Dear Henry,
Today is your third birthday. I can no longer deny that you are not a baby or that you are just on the cusp of boyhood. Since I am with you so much, I don't notice the changes in you happening, but in retrospect I can see how far you have come in the past year.
You speak in full sentences and have real opinions. You tell jokes that are actually funny. You have friends of your own. You sleep in a bed and use the toilet. You run like the wind, climb like a billy goat and hang from the monkey bars like a circus boy. You attend soccer and gymnastics alone. You sit and read books to yourself and play little made up games without me. You pick out your own clothing, dress yourself and put on your own shoes. You like to get your own snacks from the refrigerator.
The biggest change that has happened in your life this year is that you became a big brother. When I was pregnant, I thought that you would merely tolerate having a sibling. I will be honest and admit that I thought you would have a hard time sharing our attention. I could not have been more wrong. Seeing you and Molly together has been one of my greatest joys in life. Most of the time, you are incredibly sweet to her. You are always hugging her, kissing her and playing with her. I overhear you calling her "sweetie" and telling her you love her. She is the only person in our family that you will say that to unprompted. I hear you encouraging her and coaching her along. It makes me so happy to know that you will always have each other to lean on.
You are a wonderful boy. You are always willing to share your things and help your friends. You never push or hit other kids and are always willing to take turns. You have such a sweet and happy nature and are such a joy to be around. I laugh when you sing your made up songs or change the words to the old standards. I love that you refuse to give me a straight answer when I am asking you a dumb question. Your dancing and guitar playing are hilarious. I love that you told me that the Memory game was "very bad (i.e. boring)" and that you told someone you were seven years old today. Today, Molly was climbing on Daddy and you said, "Molly, that isn't a mountain. It's Daddy's belly!" Really, I can't make the stuff up.
I was watching you and Molly playing in the tub tonight and thinking of the day you were born. Our life changed for the better in that instant. You make us proud every day and we love you so much.
Today is your third birthday. I can no longer deny that you are not a baby or that you are just on the cusp of boyhood. Since I am with you so much, I don't notice the changes in you happening, but in retrospect I can see how far you have come in the past year.
You speak in full sentences and have real opinions. You tell jokes that are actually funny. You have friends of your own. You sleep in a bed and use the toilet. You run like the wind, climb like a billy goat and hang from the monkey bars like a circus boy. You attend soccer and gymnastics alone. You sit and read books to yourself and play little made up games without me. You pick out your own clothing, dress yourself and put on your own shoes. You like to get your own snacks from the refrigerator.
The biggest change that has happened in your life this year is that you became a big brother. When I was pregnant, I thought that you would merely tolerate having a sibling. I will be honest and admit that I thought you would have a hard time sharing our attention. I could not have been more wrong. Seeing you and Molly together has been one of my greatest joys in life. Most of the time, you are incredibly sweet to her. You are always hugging her, kissing her and playing with her. I overhear you calling her "sweetie" and telling her you love her. She is the only person in our family that you will say that to unprompted. I hear you encouraging her and coaching her along. It makes me so happy to know that you will always have each other to lean on.
You are a wonderful boy. You are always willing to share your things and help your friends. You never push or hit other kids and are always willing to take turns. You have such a sweet and happy nature and are such a joy to be around. I laugh when you sing your made up songs or change the words to the old standards. I love that you refuse to give me a straight answer when I am asking you a dumb question. Your dancing and guitar playing are hilarious. I love that you told me that the Memory game was "very bad (i.e. boring)" and that you told someone you were seven years old today. Today, Molly was climbing on Daddy and you said, "Molly, that isn't a mountain. It's Daddy's belly!" Really, I can't make the stuff up.
I was watching you and Molly playing in the tub tonight and thinking of the day you were born. Our life changed for the better in that instant. You make us proud every day and we love you so much.
Friday, October 02, 2009
My Crazy Girl
Although Molly still just babbles, she definitely makes her needs known. She says Mama with definite intent of who she means and Neh Neh when she wants to nurse. She is starting to lift her arms when she wants to be picked up and you cannot mistake when she wants to get out of her high chair.
I pity poor Adam when he is stuck with her and she wants her mama. She will not give him an inch and screams her fool head of until she gets what she wants. As soon as I pick her up she goes silent and smiles. This is only at night when she wants to come to bed with us, the rest of the time she adores her Daddy. I usually drop her into the bed while I finish brushing and getting ready for bed. Adam is trying to sleep and has little miss looney bird screaming next to him.
Recently, I dropped her into her bed awake for her nap. She protested for a minute or so and then stopped. I peeked my head in to check on her and she was sitting up waiting for me. As soon as she saw me she got a big smile on her face and started clapping.
She now wants everything that Henry has, no matter how appropriate it is for babies. Henry didn't have juice for a very long time while Molly gets her very own juice box. Not that I want to give her one but they sight of her sitting in front of Henry begging and pleading melts my heart. Oh, and the screaming moves things along as well. She also had her first lick of a lollipop today compliments of her brother but I want no part of that one.
She even has a trick. We play together on my bed after she wakes from her nap. I say "Night night Molly!" and she laughs and buries her face into the pillow. She feeds off of my laughter and then won't stop doing it. She is quite the little ham already.
I pity poor Adam when he is stuck with her and she wants her mama. She will not give him an inch and screams her fool head of until she gets what she wants. As soon as I pick her up she goes silent and smiles. This is only at night when she wants to come to bed with us, the rest of the time she adores her Daddy. I usually drop her into the bed while I finish brushing and getting ready for bed. Adam is trying to sleep and has little miss looney bird screaming next to him.
Recently, I dropped her into her bed awake for her nap. She protested for a minute or so and then stopped. I peeked my head in to check on her and she was sitting up waiting for me. As soon as she saw me she got a big smile on her face and started clapping.
She now wants everything that Henry has, no matter how appropriate it is for babies. Henry didn't have juice for a very long time while Molly gets her very own juice box. Not that I want to give her one but they sight of her sitting in front of Henry begging and pleading melts my heart. Oh, and the screaming moves things along as well. She also had her first lick of a lollipop today compliments of her brother but I want no part of that one.
She even has a trick. We play together on my bed after she wakes from her nap. I say "Night night Molly!" and she laughs and buries her face into the pillow. She feeds off of my laughter and then won't stop doing it. She is quite the little ham already.
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