Swim Lessons; Towel Optional

Henry had his first swim lessons at the community pool this week.  I was just as nervous as he was.  I tried to prepare him ahead of time for going into the pool with an instructor and other children.  I told him that I would not be in the water with him.  He seemed fine with the plan until it was time to leave home.  Then he said "I don't want to go" about four hundred times.  I had to make a decision:  Force him to do something he felt was too scary or give in to his fear and protests.  We talked through it.  Luckily, I had allotted extra time to get ready so we didn't have to rush out the door.

By the time we arrived at the pool, Henry was quite calm.  We still had a few minutes before the lesson so he kept reading in the backseat of our rental car.

I really liked that there were two instructors for the four children in his group.  One instructor stayed with him as he began participating at his own pace.  Henry reluctantly entered the shallow water and watched as the other three students held hands and walked in a circle.  He continued watching from the sidelines for about ten minutes, then he joined the fun.

I think Henry liked the individual attention from the instructor; he kept interrupting her lesson to talk about himself.  Cute, but it makes me think he will benefit from a preschool class where he has to share the adult with many children.

Henry is in the pre-beginner class and well, so am I. I'm new to this park district lesson thing. There are so many activities and opportunities. I feel pressured to find Henry's niche before he misses the opportunity to develop essential skills. By this I mean that, in our community, beginning lessons for just about anything start at age 3. Once children reach age 6, there are no classes that teach the basics of soccer, swimming, gymastics, baseball, etc.  It's assumed that kids that age know how to play the sport and are ready for competitive activity. I don't want Henry to be left behind and yet (this is a big YET) I don't want him to feel pushed and overscheduled. How do I quickly but thoroughly introduce him to individual sports so that he gets enough exposure to choose his favorites?

And what about this guy? Sure he's content to sit on the sidelines now, but how long can I count on that?

There's a lot to think about regading future activities and lesson sign-ups.  But  for now I'm going to concentrate on remembering to bring a towel and to remove Henry's shoes before he enters the pool.

Swinging after Swimming

Fun News

Liam started walking at the beginning of this month.  He was 14 1/2 months old at the time.  Since then I've been chasing after him.  Yes, he took his time (just like his brother) to make those first few steps, but within 24 hours he was racing across rooms, carrying a toy in each hand.  I tried at least six times to capture this new skill on video.  Poor lighting, wrong camera orientation (who knew?) and a screeching three year old in the background conspired against me.  Finally, here's a clip I can share.  I'm so proud of my little one!


In other news, I am contemplating changing the name of this blog to coincide with the addition of a customized template.  I picked the tempate design elements and then realized they do not go with my blog title.  I will probably have a new, matching URL as well.  Just wanted to give everyone a heads up for the changes.  One day you'll click on us and I'll have a link to the new blog address.  Don't worry, it will still be  the same goofy boys and the mom who loves them!

The Party's Over...

Two big birthday parties in our home--two weeks apart! We created some fun memories and marked the milestones of turning one and three years old in style!  But there are reasons I'm looking forward to months without birthday celebrations. 

First of all, it's a lot of work.  I'll admit that much of the planning and anticipating is fun.  Imagining and then creating decorations and favors that would delight each of my sons and their guests kept me occupied for many weeks.  Finding just the right toddler trinket for the gift bags, the perfect racing theme tablecloth and kid-size traffic cones on my lunch hour trips to Target energized me.  Getting the house cleaned, tables and seating set up along with food preparation exhausted me.  Especially after a long week at work.  Still I'm glad I had two separate parties.  The boys each deserved their own special day to share with friends and family.

Now for the real reason I'm glad the parties are over.  I need my boys to stay little.  At least for another year.  No more birthdays until I'm ready for them to grow a little bigger, a little more independent, a little further away from the babies I held in my arms.

Having a one year old and a three year old means I am still changing diapers, washing sippy cups and cooking three different things for dinner.  I'm cutting their food into tiny pieces and constantly sweeping those pieces from the floor.   I'm bathing boys in a tub full of bubbles and boats with water splashing all the way out into the hall.  I'm reading rhyming stories while my son nestles against me in a cozy room lit only by a 7 watt bulb.  Having very little children means that they are always happy to see me when I return home from the shortest errand or the longest day.  It means that a trip to McDonalds can make them as happy as a trip to Disney World.  It means that I can still try to protect them from the scary things in this world.

Yes, birthdays are fun. But they are only the frosting on layers of precious ordinary days in between.

Happy Birthday to My Baby

My darling boy is one year old.  We had three cakes on different days.  One celebration with grandma, one with grandpa and then a little kids party on Saturday.  Liam will always be my baby but even I can see that  he is growing up fast.  I hope he will let me hold him a little longer.  I love feeling him in my arms and looking into those beautiful eyes.  I will never have a child younger than him.  Never have another who needs me more. 

Liam is in such a hurry to catch up with his brother.  He must know where Henry is at every moment.  He only wants the toys/food/activities that Henry has.  If I am reading or talking to Liam he pays a bit of attention to me but only until his brother enters the room.  Then, of course, he just wants to be next to his sibling.  I am glad they are close, yet sometimes I miss the bond we had for a short time.

He's my boy.  No matter how far he crawls from me, the friends he chooses, the independence he shows, I will still be waiting right here for him.  My baby.

I made a giraffe!

Henry came running from the playroom all excited.   "I made a yellow giraffe,"  he told me as I was finishing up an email.  I turned around and sure enough, he had constructed a giraffe after sifting through the Duplo blocks and  selecting just the right pieces.  Maybe I'm more excited than I should be...but he did this all by himself!  Without any prompting, he used open-ended play materials and constructed a recognizable object that had value to him.  We invited the giraffe to lunch and the four of us sat around the table enjoying Pad Thai.  Actually, the giraffe enjoyed the noodle dish more than Liam.  Who knew?

I'm not sure who was more proud. I just know that this is a moment to remember!

Confession from a reluctant potty trainer...

It's not him, it's me.  Ok, really, at almost three years old H is more than a little reluctant to give up diapers.  But I'm dragging my feet along with him.  And I'm the MOMMY.  I should be leading the way, championing the use of the big boy underpants and trips to his froggy potty chair.  Instead I half-heartedly ask each day if he wants to go sit in the bathroom, wear (insert character of the day) cotton briefs and be a big boy.  I secretly sigh in relief when he responds with a great big "NO WAY, Mom, No Way!"

What is wrong with me?  This is a rite of passage; other parents wear it like a badge of honor.  There certainly are volumes of how-to information out there.  I have eagerly awaited and then cheered for  the other developmental milesones as they appeared.  I've watched with pride as H has changed from baby to toddler to soon-to-be preschooler.  In so many areas he is above average.  (I get to say that, it's my blog.)  So why do neither one of us want to move forward when it comes to toilet training?

I dread the mess.  I dread the inconvenience.  I dread being tied down to the house even more than we are now. When nature calls and we are in public, how on earth will I get him into a bathroom stall while holding on to the baby?  Yes, Liam's stroller will fit in the handicapped stall.  I guess we'll make it work.  I just can't get excited about it. 

I do not want to hold him back from the opportunities he would have if he were in big boy pants.  I've already chosen not to sign him up for t-ball this spring.  He would be the only one on the team in diapers and they discourage this.  I guess it's bad for team morale when the short-stop is laying on a changing pad in rightfield.

When Henry wants to wear underwear and use the toilet, I will encourage him in every way.  I will be his biggest cheerleader and record his achievement with pride.  I promise.  We're  just not there yet.

Liam is on the move!

I captured Liam's first trek across the family room.  Who needs a FisherPrice/Little Tikes push toy when you have a garbage can?  I hope this means he will be good at household chores when he gets a little older!

We like to celebrate the little things...

My crawling fast, trying-so-hard-to-stand, Cheerio-eating, somtimes-sleeping-through-the-night little boy is nine months old today!  In my sentimental world that means that I have known him for a year and a half.  I can honestly say that there has never been a dull moment on this ride. 

Thanks for being a part of our family, Liam Leo.  Mommy loves you.

7 AM Sentences

Where'd night go, mom? Where'd night go?
It's gone, mom. It's gone.

Find it, mom, find it.

and later,

Henry shows one to one corresponence by counting stripes. Sitting next to him on the floor, I heard him say "1,2,3,4...." as he pointed to each line.  He continued, "...10, 11, 12 long pause 11 again, 12 again"  LOL!

Together Again for the First Time

...in the tub!  Tonight the boys took their first bath together.  It certainly saves me time--I've been waiting for this day.  While I was washing Liam's hair, Henry watched and laughed.  Liam gave him a look that said, "What's so funny? You're next".  It was hilarious.  Straight-faced or giggling mischieviously, my littlest one just cracks me up!   I am blessed with two boys who have tons of personality (and really clean hair).

On Monday, Liam got his first tooth! 

Six Months Old Today!

I believe there is a flowering plant called, "Sweet William". Well, today my own sweet William turned six months old. Our family has had a great deal of stress during the past week--I'll post about that soon--but right now I'm celebrating the joy this boy has brought me. He is a blessing in every sense. As I grapple with the demands of single motherhood, demands I planned for and those I did not expect, this little boy makes every single moment worth the struggle. Liam's smile and beautiful, wide eyes radiate love and trust. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to earn what he gives me with just one look. Happy Birthday, Sweet William, your mommy loves you very much.

Toddler Bed Triumph

I put together Henry's toddler bed yesterday. In the evening as I went to tuck him in, he waved and said, "bye". Two hours later he called for me. I usually do not respond quickly in the hope that he will soothe himself and get back to sleep. However, since it was his first night in a big boy bed, I called upstairs, "Yes, Henry, what do you need?"

"Arbij" (garbage)

Well, I went straight upstairs expecting see that he had shredded book pages and made a mess. Nope, Henry was still in bed. He was holding an empty box of raisins. I have no idea where that came from! I took the box from him and he laid back down.

He slept all night and waited until I told him it was time to have breakfast before he successfully attempted to climb out. I was anxious about this milestone and, as usual, Henry showed me that he could navigate the change just fine.

My Big Baby Boy

Liam turned five months old on Saturday. He is my big boy at over 18 lbs, but he will always be my baby. We celebrated with some pureed vegetables and a day at the park with his big brother. (Henry went on his first pony ride!)

The weeks are flying by and I dread returning to work at the end of August. I have only left Liam twice since he was born. I will probably have my parents watch him for an hour or two next weekend just to get some practice being away from him. Oh, how I wish I could be a stay-at-home mom.

Since I have to go back to work and spend hours away from my precious children, I've decided to make my time there really count. I am committed to making a difference in the students learning lives by keeping up with the latest research and applications in my field. Even though it would be easier to do the "same old thing" with the same lessons, I am not going to do that. The kids deserve better. If I am going leave my children for eight hours a day, it is going to be to do quality work that matters.