Tuesday Thoughts…

In, When it comes to kids, embrace the average, the author (a doctor) argues for allowing to kids to be normal. Not “normal” like, the opposite of “serial killer,” but as in “in the middle 50% of the population. Right along the curve of the growth chart.

I have fallen into the trap of celebrating my own kids’ early achievements. I’m, absurdly, slightly proud that both topped 8 lbs at birth. Why? I have no idea. Overall, though, I like to think that I’m a pretty relaxed parent. Probably because I also think that both my kids are GENIUSES who will no doubt excel in everything they do. And bring about world peace while they’re at it. Doesn’t every parent feel that way? (Sadly, I know that NOT every parent feels that way about their kids…)

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As the kids get older, they are funnier and funnier, and daily I hear them say things that I think, “gosh, I need to write that down!” Naturally, as they get older I am getting older as well, and more prone to forgetting their gems before getting to a computer. What is up with THAT?! Sigh. Must try harder. Perhaps should send myself text messages when they say something particularly cute?

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A new site I’m really liking: http://www.hungry-girl.com/. I like that she takes a popular, full-fat, high-calorie dish and does a lower-cal version. It’s nice to have a not-so-guilty guilty pleasure mixed in with the “eat food. not too much. mostly plants.” mindset.

 

This is my son!

ACTORS: Turtle and grampa (otherwise known as “Beeba”)

SCENE: Turtle is running around the house with a cowboy hat on his head.

Beeba: Wow, look at you, cowpoke!

Turtle: I’m not a COWPOKE, I’m George Washington, leading the army! [I swear, he really said this.]

Beeba: Oh, you’re George Warshington? [Note the mid-west/Ohioan "warsh" for "wash"]

Turtle: No, Beeba, it’s not Warshington, it’s WASHington!

Hahaha, this is so great. I’ve even been careful to curb my proneness to making fun of Warsh-talk in front of the kids, maybe out of some great maturity that struck after having babies (ha!). But, clearly, Turtle has inherited both his mom’s fine ear for languages and her ability to correct those around her ruthlessly.

Of course, I blame aunt Tee, because if anyone is merciless in the anti-Warsh movement, it’s her.

 

Happy Halloween!

Some pumpkin magic, courtesy of Aunt Tee.

Ready for the neighbourhood Halloween Party! In case you can’t tell, we’re dressed up as a ballerina and spiderman.

 

Who does this baby look like?

MyHeritage: Family tree – Genealogy – Celebrity – Collage – Morph

 

Fast Turtle Turns Three!

My little baby is growing up! Here he is with daddy…

And here’s his super-special birthday cake!

He specifically requested “a mommy and baby killer whale, a mommy and baby octopus, and a mommy and baby hammerhead” birthday cake, and we did our best to oblige. And by “we,” I of course mean the lovely lady who makes custom cakes!

We spent several days prior to the party cleaning the whole house, for the first big event we were hosting since completing construction. It was a much-needed cleaning and organization! The party was tons of fun for the birthday boy–and hopefully all the guests, too, and we all were exhausted by the end of the day.

 

Monday Morning Fun

Here Kerem is drawing on his neeeeew easel, from Ikea, while posing “as a statue!” Since he loves drawing but also loves being able to run off and then come back to drawing, this seems like a better solution than always having him at the table.

And here’s baby bug, eating whipped cream. Yes, she is eating whipped cream from her hand. It’s the morning ritual at gramma and beeba’s house. And, in case you were wondering, her shirt reads: “I’m in charge here; the parents are just for show.” Truer words ne’er writ.

 

Best Friends…

Here’s a picture of two of the cutest little boys ever!

And, although it looks a little like Turtle is yelling and his little buddy is shrinking away in fear, I assure you, Turtle is actually just leaning in to give his buddy a hug!

 

Bedtime Routines

Bedtime is a funny time for little kids. And by funny, I of course mean long, drawn-out, tortuous, and full of all their least-favorite things to do: diaper changes, clothing changes,  teeth-brushing, and leaving the fun that’s going on to go to sleep. A parent’s natural reaction to their wee one’s dislike of bedtime? Let’s draw it out as long as possible! Let’s have a bath, brush teeth, get in pyjamas, read two stories, cuddle, sing a song, say night-night to every object in the room, get in bed, rub their back, whisper “night-night, sleep tight!” as you back slowly from the room…and that’s not even considering those poor parents who have to do this routine more than one time!

With Fast Turtle, we have the bunny and bear family. He must have all five (yes, 5) of them in his crib at night. He must name them all (Mama Bunny, Daddy Bunny, Baby Bunny, Blue Bear and Pink Bear. Daddy Bear must be within sight but vehemently insists that he not be in the crib; I often wonder if it’s because he doesn’t like Daddy Bear, who is a more recent addition to the line-up and maybe isn’t ready to move all the way from the toy shelf to the crib,and so he ends up in the no-bears land of sitting on the floor, forlornly looking up at Blue and Pink.) and he must be physically touching, if not laying on top of, all of them.

Before the bunnies and the bears, however, there’s the milk and the rocking. We have an exact routine of how he drinks his milk, what I sing when I rock him (“Oh B’Darlin” he calls it; our version of “Oh My Darlin’ Clementine!”), how when he finishes his milk he must say “Done, done!” and then I put the cup on the nightstand, he says “Hands, hands!” and I tuck the blanket over his arms. Then it’s a few minutes of rocking and singing, and then into the crib with the bears. And bunnies. And did I mention the three blankets? And how they all must be covering him? And his ears–his ears must be covered. You’d think we had no heat or were living in an igloo, the way this one insists that I cover his ears (“I ears, I ears, mommy!”).

The good thing about his little family of woodland creatures is that they are only for sleeping, not for dragging all around the house, so that at least the hunting around for them I have to do is limited to digging them out from between the crib and the wall where he shoves them. Because evidently at night they like to wake up and party and then “animals jump in the hole!” Of course they do.

 

Art Imitates (Fast Turtle’s) Life

My budding artist has created three lovely masterpieces to adorn mommy’s office wall. First up, we have “Car,” a realist canvas with detailed background and an impressive sense of movement.

Second we have “Balloon,” a touching rendition of the love a family of balloons has. Note the baby balloon at the bottom of the canvas, believed by many to be a self-portrait of the artist.

Finally we have “Porcupine.” A little bit existential, a little bit porcupine-as-roadkill.

And, there you have it, three fantastic pieces of art to entertain and delight. If folks were confused by my upside-down map before, wait till they see my new wall of art!

 

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted! Vacation, Gotta Get Away!

After two 16 hour car rides, 6 semi-sleepless nights, oodles of shopping, tons (or at least 10 lbs worth) of yummy food…I think I need a vacation to recover from our vacation! No, really, we had a great time. We played a lot, went swimming with the little avid swimmers that are my fish-babies, lazed around. Except for the small detail of the kids never really getting the hang of sleeping in a new place/new bed, and therefore never sleeping through the night–it was a great vacation. Here’s me and baby bug in the pool, and Kerem playing with his fun Cracker Barrel toy grampa picked out for him. (Prompting a rousing game of “What’s this? It’s a SEVEN! What’s this? It’s a L!” There’s only so many shapes you can make with it, evidently.) But, what a big, big boy he is!