I absolutely love watching my kids learn new things. Their excitement is contagious and their smiles at that moment are so adorable. This week something clicked for Christian and he has figured out how to go down the stairs. He's been going up for weeks and could go down if I got him started, but he'd always try to go head first if I didn't turn him around. This week, without any prompting, he went to the stairs, turned around and went down without trouble. He was so proud of himself! You could see it in his face. I was so happy for him. I finally managed to catch it on video today. Of course, I forgot to button his outfit so he looks a bit funny, but just ignore that part.
I'm so proud of my little boy. He is growing so fast. He wants to walk so badly. He never wants me to set him down on his bottom. Whenever I try to set him down, he straightens his legs so I have to hold his hands and walk him around the room. He will often try to let go of something and turn to something else without falling, but independent steps haven't come yet. He is so close, though. I'm sure he'll be walking very soon. I can't wait to see it. He is so incredibly cute, I could stare at him all day. What a blessing he is. He eats great, sleeps great (no longer screams himself to sleep), and is almost always happy. What more can you ask for in a baby?
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Sleeping Beauty
She may have officially stopped napping, but as we learned with Benjamin, that doesn't mean there aren't days when she really could use one. We restarted gymnastics today and it wore her out. There was only one other kid in her class so she didn't have much down time watching other people and she worked very hard to impress her new teacher. When we got home she was clearly exhausted but refused to take a nap now that she's a big girl who no longer naps. So, not 30 minutes later, I came out of my room to find this:
She'd put on her princess dress and laid down by my door to wait for me to come out. I hadn't been in there 2 minutes, but it was long enough. She slept peacefully there for an hour until Christian woke up from his nap and the darn creaky floor woke her up as I tried to step past her to get him. It brought back memories of those days when Benjamin crashed in nearly the exact same spot (and on the stairs, and on the floor of his room, etc. etc.) Such funny kids. Why do my kids fight sleep so hard?!
She'd put on her princess dress and laid down by my door to wait for me to come out. I hadn't been in there 2 minutes, but it was long enough. She slept peacefully there for an hour until Christian woke up from his nap and the darn creaky floor woke her up as I tried to step past her to get him. It brought back memories of those days when Benjamin crashed in nearly the exact same spot (and on the stairs, and on the floor of his room, etc. etc.) Such funny kids. Why do my kids fight sleep so hard?!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Busy and Fun
Yesterday was so full of fun things that I didn't know which to pick, so we just did them all. The first was a concert at the Scarab Club in downtown Detroit. It was a chamber music concert for children 5 and under. I've wanted the chance to expose my kids to live orchestral music but most symphonies are not places for small children. So I was excited for the chance to take them somewhere that would understand if they got fidgety and noisy. This performance was a lot like Peter and Wolf, in that they told a story and the instruments were the voices of the characters - the old man was a bassoon, the bird was a flute, etc. The narrator would tell a part of the story and then the musicians would play a piece illustrating it or sometimes play as the narrator spoke. It was wonderful and my kids loved it. Benjamin leaned over to me a few times and made comments like, "The old man is sad, so now they're using the low instruments," when the cello and the bassoon did a duet. After the concert was over, the kids were allowed to meet the musicians and play their instruments. Benjamin wanted to try the violin and Bella was most interested in the flute. They both stood in line repeatedly to get a chance to play. Everyone was very friendly and complimentary and made my kids feel like musical prodigies. It was a wonderful experience that I hope we get to have again soon. And next time I'll remember to take pictures! I was so mad after we left and I realized I had forgotten to take a single one!
After that, we went right next door to the Detroit Science Center - the science museum for kids - and went to the planetarium and the museum in general. It was their first time in a planetarium and it was so fun to see their reaction as the sky rotated overhead and they both thought the room was spinning. "Why are we turning, mommy?" Bella also loved the young kids' area and was absolutely giddy about the animal print feather boa vests and butterfly wings.
After that we picked up Kelly and Christian at home and headed to Maybury Park to go on a tractor ride to the beehives and learn about the honey harvest. Unfortunately we didn't get to assist. Kelly and I were so stoked at the idea of donning the beekeeper suits and getting in there, but we simply rode past the hives and then went back to the main barn for a demonstration. A bit of a letdown. We were shown a hive with the honey still in the comb and taught how it's made and how it's extracted. The kids got to wear a beekeeper's hat at least, and they had a great time.
After that we went to another nearby park for a potluck "Ancestor Party" - Pioneer Day party, Michigan style. We had great food and told stories about our ancestors, while the kids played super heroes in a huge sand pit and Bella took a dirt bath. A good time was had by all.
Such a full day and so much fun. Summer really is great, even if it's blazing hot. It's sad that Bella doesn't nap anymore, but I love having the extra time to do fun things and have a day like this.
One last thing I wanted to blog about - the kids were playing in the pool and Benjamin got a gallon-size ziploc bag, filled it with water and then tried to throw it on me. In an effort to convince him to use his energy for good, I suggested he try to throw the water into cool forms and we'll take pictures to see what they look like as they go through the air. He was immediately excited and we ended up throwing the bag about 20 times before he'd had enough. Here are some of the best results. I love how some of them look like giant water monsters chasing him.
After that, we went right next door to the Detroit Science Center - the science museum for kids - and went to the planetarium and the museum in general. It was their first time in a planetarium and it was so fun to see their reaction as the sky rotated overhead and they both thought the room was spinning. "Why are we turning, mommy?" Bella also loved the young kids' area and was absolutely giddy about the animal print feather boa vests and butterfly wings.
After that we picked up Kelly and Christian at home and headed to Maybury Park to go on a tractor ride to the beehives and learn about the honey harvest. Unfortunately we didn't get to assist. Kelly and I were so stoked at the idea of donning the beekeeper suits and getting in there, but we simply rode past the hives and then went back to the main barn for a demonstration. A bit of a letdown. We were shown a hive with the honey still in the comb and taught how it's made and how it's extracted. The kids got to wear a beekeeper's hat at least, and they had a great time.
After that we went to another nearby park for a potluck "Ancestor Party" - Pioneer Day party, Michigan style. We had great food and told stories about our ancestors, while the kids played super heroes in a huge sand pit and Bella took a dirt bath. A good time was had by all.
Such a full day and so much fun. Summer really is great, even if it's blazing hot. It's sad that Bella doesn't nap anymore, but I love having the extra time to do fun things and have a day like this.
One last thing I wanted to blog about - the kids were playing in the pool and Benjamin got a gallon-size ziploc bag, filled it with water and then tried to throw it on me. In an effort to convince him to use his energy for good, I suggested he try to throw the water into cool forms and we'll take pictures to see what they look like as they go through the air. He was immediately excited and we ended up throwing the bag about 20 times before he'd had enough. Here are some of the best results. I love how some of them look like giant water monsters chasing him.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Festival Fun
I love summer festivals. This area has a ton of them. Founder's Day festival, Art Festival, the Spree, Ragtime Music Festival, etc. It has been a lot of fun to see the various artists and their work, the kids' rides, the bands and entertainers, etc. So far our favorite has been the Founder's Festival in Farmington this past weekend. They had a mini carnival for kids with rides (blow-up stuff, ferris wheel, mini train, etc), ponies, petting farm, face painting, balloon animals, free food, and entertainers. We spent all day and had a blast. The entertainer, "Amazing Clark," did 3 shows that day and did something a little different in each one. We watched the puppet show and the magic show. Bella was most amazed when he ate fire. He asked her to move away from the stage but she was so enamored that within moments she was back up front. She also loved the ponies. Although, her choice was really more of a horse. It was the biggest one they had and the lady was half way through saying, "Are you sure you want this one, honey, because we have that little one over there," but before she could finish, Bella was already climbing onto the biggest one, happy as a clam and excited to get going.
When we're not going to the festivals, we're at home in the water or riding bikes.
We've been trying to save gas this summer and enjoy the weather by riding our bikes anywhere we can. Not easy in a city built by the car industry. But if I know there will be a sidewalk the whole way somewhere, we'll take our bikes. It's been a blast and Benjamin has become a real bike riding pro - 8 miles in one day last week. Not bad on his little 12-inch wheel bike. Of course, his favorite thing is to go back and forth in front of our house showing off. His newest trick is the standing ride. He can do it on one leg too, but haven't gotten a picture of it. I know I wasn't doing stuff like that at just barely 5 years old! I remember the day I figured out how to ride without holding the handle bars! I was so proud! I think I was at least 10!
This is how Christian prefers to travel. :) The kids love dumping all the legos out of our container and then riding around in the kitchen, repeatedly crashing into my legs as I make dinner. Fun times.
I have spent these last few weeks doing incredible amounts of laundry. Couldn't figure out why until a few days ago when I realized that Benjamin has discovered a secret - it's much easier to throw your clothes into the laundry hamper than it is to fold them and put them in your drawer. Once they're in the hamper, your mom eventually folds them and puts them away for you! Smart boy. Smart, manipulative boy. "Ugh, these pants really stink!" he'll dramatically declare as he holds the nearly-new item at arm's length over to the hamper. So his entire outfit - pants, shirt, and pjs (rather than just underwear and socks, as it's has been in the past) have been going in the laundry every day. This may be normal for some, but I'm of the wear it until it's dirty or stinks school of thought, so this once wear business isn't working for me. This week, Benjamin is on laundry duty. We'll see how it goes.
When we're not going to the festivals, we're at home in the water or riding bikes.
We've been trying to save gas this summer and enjoy the weather by riding our bikes anywhere we can. Not easy in a city built by the car industry. But if I know there will be a sidewalk the whole way somewhere, we'll take our bikes. It's been a blast and Benjamin has become a real bike riding pro - 8 miles in one day last week. Not bad on his little 12-inch wheel bike. Of course, his favorite thing is to go back and forth in front of our house showing off. His newest trick is the standing ride. He can do it on one leg too, but haven't gotten a picture of it. I know I wasn't doing stuff like that at just barely 5 years old! I remember the day I figured out how to ride without holding the handle bars! I was so proud! I think I was at least 10!
This is how Christian prefers to travel. :) The kids love dumping all the legos out of our container and then riding around in the kitchen, repeatedly crashing into my legs as I make dinner. Fun times.
I have spent these last few weeks doing incredible amounts of laundry. Couldn't figure out why until a few days ago when I realized that Benjamin has discovered a secret - it's much easier to throw your clothes into the laundry hamper than it is to fold them and put them in your drawer. Once they're in the hamper, your mom eventually folds them and puts them away for you! Smart boy. Smart, manipulative boy. "Ugh, these pants really stink!" he'll dramatically declare as he holds the nearly-new item at arm's length over to the hamper. So his entire outfit - pants, shirt, and pjs (rather than just underwear and socks, as it's has been in the past) have been going in the laundry every day. This may be normal for some, but I'm of the wear it until it's dirty or stinks school of thought, so this once wear business isn't working for me. This week, Benjamin is on laundry duty. We'll see how it goes.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Happy 5th Birthday!
Five years old! I remember when he was a baby and I thought 5 year old boys seemed so huge and wild and well...stinky and messy and terribly unappealing. :) Now I have a 5 year old wild and often stinky boy and wow, do I love him!
He amazes me every day with his intelligence, humor, athletic ability, and generosity. He also drives me crazy with his violent temper that will flare in an instant and his perfectionism that leads him to give up on anything he can't master at first try. But it's not like I don't know where he gets that! For Benjamin's birthday he got his two wishes - an RC car and a two-wheel scooter. We also got him a slip-and-slide. Between those three gifts, the rest of the day was set.
Not to mention his race car birthday cake and design-a-face pancake dinner at IHOP (where they sang and gave him an ice cream - which he shared with Bella of his own volition - remember how I said he was generous?). He had a great day. Even tonight he prayed, "thank you for my birthday yesterday." That made me feel better because I had some mommy guilt about not throwing a party for him. I just didn't have it in me after our long trip these last two weeks and the BBQ with friends we're having for the 4th. Kelly says that's the only child in me - having had a party on every birthday - he says it's okay not to have one every time and I'm trying to listen to that. ;)
Benjamin will start Kindergarten this fall and he's so excited. He's met his teacher and likes her a lot already. He's going to do amazing things. Happy Birthday, Benjamin! We love you so much.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Family Trip 2011
We just got back from a wonderful vacation. We spent nearly 2 weeks with family putting our new minivan to the test and doing so many different things that this post is total picture overload. It's just so rare that my kids get to play with their extended family, that we wanted lots of pictures and they all turned out so cute!
We started out with camping in a KOA near Davenport, Iowa. We went swimming, fishing, biking, marshmallow roasting, etc. We stayed in a cabin, Grandma and Grandpa stayed in a hotel (they're the smart ones!), and the cousins stayed in their motor home next door. The cousins are the same ages as my kids - complete with a little blonde baby boy. It was perfect. The kids loved having their cousins to play with and they loved their silly Uncle Z. They are still talking about how much fun he is.
After a few days of that, we went to Nauvoo, IL. It's a historical site for our church. When the mormon pioneers traveled west, they stopped for a few years in the area and built the city of Nauvoo. It grew to be the second largest city in Illinois, after Chicago. Then they were forced to move onto Salt Lake City. However, now you can go there and visit many historic homes, shops, etc. We rode in wagons and ox carts, dressed like the pioneers (although Bella was upset about the hat I wanted her to wear for the picture), watched them make candles, wagon wheels, and cloth, helped print a page of the local newspaper, attended a pioneer school, played pioneer games (like stick pull - even Christian tried it!), waded in the Mississippi river, visited the temple, and on and on. It was a wonderful few days. Benjamin was very nervous about the oxen and only petted one while standing as far back as possible but he later named that as his favorite thing!
Then we traveled on to Carthage, Illinois, another Mormon historical site. It's where the prophet Joseph Smith was killed. We visited Carthage jail and attempted a tour, but Christian was sooo fussy that we all had to take turns going outside with him and missing parts here and there. Alas, it was a touching place and even Benjamin seemed visibly moved by the events which occurred there.
Then we drove on to Hannibal, Missouri, the town in which Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The whole downtown area has signs telling you what role they played in the book - Becky Thatcher's house, the jail where Muff Potter was imprisoned during his trial, etc. The highlight of the trip, though, was the cave. In the book, Tom and Becky get lost in underground caverns in the cave. We toured the cave which the book describes and it was a lot of fun. Benjamin and Bella kept saying how "spooky" it was, but it was their first time in a cave and I think they really had fun. It was amazing how huge it was. The guide said kids in Mark Twain's day would go down in the cave and play around. I'm amazed they ever made it out!
Across from the caves, they had a children's play area with bumper boats. Benjamin loved it and Christian was just as thrilled to watch from the shore. Kelly passed out in the car for 30 minutes afterward from sea sickness and all that spinning in circles!
Then we were going to head up to Chicago, but that morning in the hotel in Bloomington (half way between Hannibal and Chicago), the waitress at breakfast asked, "Would you guys like free passes to the children's museum?" So we spent that day in Normal, Illinois at the Children's Discovery Museum. By far the funnest kids' museum I've been to. And at only $6 a person, it would be a killer deal even without the free passes. The kids had a blast playing with the water table, the grocery store, the pizza parlor, the dentist office, the theater, the farm, and the amazing two-story climber. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. It was made of oddly shaped wood pieces, covered in industrial strength carpet, which were suspended by tons and tons of steel cables. They made a fantastic maze the extended from the second to the third floors. I also loved their painting room - glass enclosed with a drain, so the kids could paint, spray with water, squeegy off into the drain, and start all over again. Genius. I could go on and on about this place. I'm so sad Normal, Illinois has to be so far away.
Then we finally made it to Chicago. I LOVE Chicago. I'm a big city girl through and through and I got energized just getting close. I loved being there, but I have to say that being there with three little kids made the whole thing very different. Big cities are not my kids' favorite thing, I discovered. Pushing a large stroller though tight pedestrian traffic is also not an easy thing. But despite the whining and complaining, I loved being back.
We visited Navy Pier and rode some rides (like the ferris wheel), visited Mellenium Park and The Bean. I mostly went there to let the kids play in the fountain because I knew that would be the highlight of their trip. We visited the museum area on the lake (but didn't go in any because they're so freakishly expensive and we weren't there on a free day). We also happened to be there during Taste of Chicago. It's a huge party downtown with food vendors and live bands, etc. It was a lot of fun. It was adorable to see Christian clap and "dance" to the music of the latin band. The kids were completely wiped out by the end. But we had to make one last stop to visit some dear friends. We have lived together in two different places now and hope to one day be neighbors again. We'll see where life takes us. But it was wonderful to catch up with them and let our kids play. Their daughter Jane is the same age as Isabella and they were total bosom buddies from the moment they met. So cute! The kids all ran around together catching fireflies and playing tag. So sad they live so far away. And I'm so jealous they get to live so close to Chicago! :)
We also visited the Chicago temple on the way home, but my camera was dead and I couldn't take a picture. So there's our trip in a large nutshell. Super fun, super exhausting. Today Benjamin said, "I like going on vacation a lot better than staying home." Why? "Because on vacation you get to eat junk, stay up late, and watch lots and lots of movies in the car." So there you have the highlights from Benjamin's perspective. A good time was had by all.
We started out with camping in a KOA near Davenport, Iowa. We went swimming, fishing, biking, marshmallow roasting, etc. We stayed in a cabin, Grandma and Grandpa stayed in a hotel (they're the smart ones!), and the cousins stayed in their motor home next door. The cousins are the same ages as my kids - complete with a little blonde baby boy. It was perfect. The kids loved having their cousins to play with and they loved their silly Uncle Z. They are still talking about how much fun he is.
After a few days of that, we went to Nauvoo, IL. It's a historical site for our church. When the mormon pioneers traveled west, they stopped for a few years in the area and built the city of Nauvoo. It grew to be the second largest city in Illinois, after Chicago. Then they were forced to move onto Salt Lake City. However, now you can go there and visit many historic homes, shops, etc. We rode in wagons and ox carts, dressed like the pioneers (although Bella was upset about the hat I wanted her to wear for the picture), watched them make candles, wagon wheels, and cloth, helped print a page of the local newspaper, attended a pioneer school, played pioneer games (like stick pull - even Christian tried it!), waded in the Mississippi river, visited the temple, and on and on. It was a wonderful few days. Benjamin was very nervous about the oxen and only petted one while standing as far back as possible but he later named that as his favorite thing!
Then we traveled on to Carthage, Illinois, another Mormon historical site. It's where the prophet Joseph Smith was killed. We visited Carthage jail and attempted a tour, but Christian was sooo fussy that we all had to take turns going outside with him and missing parts here and there. Alas, it was a touching place and even Benjamin seemed visibly moved by the events which occurred there.
Then we drove on to Hannibal, Missouri, the town in which Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The whole downtown area has signs telling you what role they played in the book - Becky Thatcher's house, the jail where Muff Potter was imprisoned during his trial, etc. The highlight of the trip, though, was the cave. In the book, Tom and Becky get lost in underground caverns in the cave. We toured the cave which the book describes and it was a lot of fun. Benjamin and Bella kept saying how "spooky" it was, but it was their first time in a cave and I think they really had fun. It was amazing how huge it was. The guide said kids in Mark Twain's day would go down in the cave and play around. I'm amazed they ever made it out!
Across from the caves, they had a children's play area with bumper boats. Benjamin loved it and Christian was just as thrilled to watch from the shore. Kelly passed out in the car for 30 minutes afterward from sea sickness and all that spinning in circles!
Then we were going to head up to Chicago, but that morning in the hotel in Bloomington (half way between Hannibal and Chicago), the waitress at breakfast asked, "Would you guys like free passes to the children's museum?" So we spent that day in Normal, Illinois at the Children's Discovery Museum. By far the funnest kids' museum I've been to. And at only $6 a person, it would be a killer deal even without the free passes. The kids had a blast playing with the water table, the grocery store, the pizza parlor, the dentist office, the theater, the farm, and the amazing two-story climber. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen. It was made of oddly shaped wood pieces, covered in industrial strength carpet, which were suspended by tons and tons of steel cables. They made a fantastic maze the extended from the second to the third floors. I also loved their painting room - glass enclosed with a drain, so the kids could paint, spray with water, squeegy off into the drain, and start all over again. Genius. I could go on and on about this place. I'm so sad Normal, Illinois has to be so far away.
Then we finally made it to Chicago. I LOVE Chicago. I'm a big city girl through and through and I got energized just getting close. I loved being there, but I have to say that being there with three little kids made the whole thing very different. Big cities are not my kids' favorite thing, I discovered. Pushing a large stroller though tight pedestrian traffic is also not an easy thing. But despite the whining and complaining, I loved being back.
We visited Navy Pier and rode some rides (like the ferris wheel), visited Mellenium Park and The Bean. I mostly went there to let the kids play in the fountain because I knew that would be the highlight of their trip. We visited the museum area on the lake (but didn't go in any because they're so freakishly expensive and we weren't there on a free day). We also happened to be there during Taste of Chicago. It's a huge party downtown with food vendors and live bands, etc. It was a lot of fun. It was adorable to see Christian clap and "dance" to the music of the latin band. The kids were completely wiped out by the end. But we had to make one last stop to visit some dear friends. We have lived together in two different places now and hope to one day be neighbors again. We'll see where life takes us. But it was wonderful to catch up with them and let our kids play. Their daughter Jane is the same age as Isabella and they were total bosom buddies from the moment they met. So cute! The kids all ran around together catching fireflies and playing tag. So sad they live so far away. And I'm so jealous they get to live so close to Chicago! :)
We also visited the Chicago temple on the way home, but my camera was dead and I couldn't take a picture. So there's our trip in a large nutshell. Super fun, super exhausting. Today Benjamin said, "I like going on vacation a lot better than staying home." Why? "Because on vacation you get to eat junk, stay up late, and watch lots and lots of movies in the car." So there you have the highlights from Benjamin's perspective. A good time was had by all.
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