Showing posts with label Leo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leo. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Brotherly Love
There was never a question in my mind if the boys would love each other.
I just didnt know it would be this cute:)
I just didnt know it would be this cute:)
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Crime Scene
This morning I overheard Emily squealing, "Leo, don't rip his head off! Just push the button!!"
Barbie now features a detachable head. Lamest attempt to brother-proof Barbie. Ever.
Suspects: Mistah Bubble (Mr. Incredible), Bite-year (Buzz Lightyear), Mistah T (Mr. T...be jealous...that's my brother's circa 1984) and toww (cow).
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Terrific Two's
The first year of a child is a constant whirlwind of changes and milestones. As new parents, your entire world has been flipped upside down and you begin to obsess over how much or little your 10 lb. chub eats or sleeps. Over time, the sweetness develops some kind of sleep pattern, and you sigh with relief after crossing the first hurdle of parenthood. Whew, you think to yourself, thank goodness I'm such a great parent and totally have this new baby thing under control. With each new challenge mastered, you pat yourself on the back and march forward with your chin up. Each new milestone is documented with 127 pictures and carefully marked in the baby book. When Emily first rolled over at 8 months, I called my parents so excitedly that they thought we won the lottery. All of the hours reading child development books have paid off!
But then, something very strange happens:
The age of 2.
You see, kids are smart and they've heard about the infamous terrible twos, and they know they have to bring their A-game. They don't mess around. There's only 365 days to live up to this terrible two phenomenon, and boy are they going to live it up.
It's all gotta start somewhere. They make one sly move of independence just to catch their parent off guard, and then BAM! It's on.
When Emily turned two, she got lucky. Eli and I were drowning in a pool of new baby Leo plus buying our first money-pit (errr...house) Nothing quite says "now is the time to make my 2 year old debut" as 2 adults running around like chickens with their heads chopped off.
So wouldn't you know, Emily took charge of her life on August 11, 2009. That night, she decided that she was just flat out too old to sleep in a crib. In fact, she's too old to sleep period. Absolutely no naps ever again. And while she was thinking about it, she decided to refuse the high chair too. And sippy cup. She was on a roll. No more diapers. She'd rip that sucker off with disgust. "I dooooo eeet" was her favorite phrase.
Have you ever met a 2 year old? She weighed about 20 lbs and couldn't reach the door handle. I'll show her who's boss, I thought. I'll whip her into shape in 5 seconds flat.
At least, that was the plan.
The next 2 years were slightly a blur.
Leo's 2nd birthday brought the gift of stubbornness. He's slowly unwrapping it, savoring each moment. You see, he has an older sister who's still hanging onto that 2 year old gift of stubbornness, and she's about to be 4. So he's got plenty of time to use it up and wear it out.
Looking back on pictures, I have to tell you the truth. I'm a bit scared of the future. 3 kids, 4 and under. We're definitely outnumbered now. However, there will come a day when Emily will harness this fortitude and perseverance into something positive. And absolutely nothing will stand in her way. So watch out world!
Here's a look back at some of Emily's favorite ways to assert her independence and creativity:
The facial.
We'd had a long summer of applying sunblock, and by then it was just second nature to rub something all over your face. Nevermind if it was lotion, mayonnaise, glue, or diaper rash cream.
The Sneakout.
Remember how Emily liked to protest cribs and naps? We'll just skip the part about her extreme sleep issues all together and look at these cute pictures. Even as an almost 4 yr old she still fights sleep with all her little might and continues to be an insomniac. I'd go to her room in the middle of the night and discover her missing, panic, then find her sleeping under a chair or on a shelf.
Or on the cold tile floor.
The Robbery
We finally drew the line on the pacifier when we realized, hey! You're completely potty trained...you're too old for this! Then commenced the frequent sneak into baby brother's crib and take the paci right out of his warm mouth.
The Baglady
This phase followed an intense basket-lady period wherein an urge to clean turned into hording and clearing out drawers and cabinets compulsively. Personally, I loved all the time spent working diligently to fill the laundry baskets. If ever a friend or family member gave me the "I'm in the neighborhood and would love to swing by and see your new house" I'd put her to work. Not so handy if you're looking for your toothbrush or keys or clean underwear and need to sift through 10 bags real quick.
As you can see, Leo has some very large 2 year old shoes to fill. He's not quite as willful as his sister, but he's a boy. And I hear that's a whole different ballgame. Wish me luck!
But then, something very strange happens:
The age of 2.
You see, kids are smart and they've heard about the infamous terrible twos, and they know they have to bring their A-game. They don't mess around. There's only 365 days to live up to this terrible two phenomenon, and boy are they going to live it up.
It's all gotta start somewhere. They make one sly move of independence just to catch their parent off guard, and then BAM! It's on.
When Emily turned two, she got lucky. Eli and I were drowning in a pool of new baby Leo plus buying our first money-pit (errr...house) Nothing quite says "now is the time to make my 2 year old debut" as 2 adults running around like chickens with their heads chopped off.
So wouldn't you know, Emily took charge of her life on August 11, 2009. That night, she decided that she was just flat out too old to sleep in a crib. In fact, she's too old to sleep period. Absolutely no naps ever again. And while she was thinking about it, she decided to refuse the high chair too. And sippy cup. She was on a roll. No more diapers. She'd rip that sucker off with disgust. "I dooooo eeet" was her favorite phrase.
Have you ever met a 2 year old? She weighed about 20 lbs and couldn't reach the door handle. I'll show her who's boss, I thought. I'll whip her into shape in 5 seconds flat.
At least, that was the plan.
The next 2 years were slightly a blur.
Leo's 2nd birthday brought the gift of stubbornness. He's slowly unwrapping it, savoring each moment. You see, he has an older sister who's still hanging onto that 2 year old gift of stubbornness, and she's about to be 4. So he's got plenty of time to use it up and wear it out.
Looking back on pictures, I have to tell you the truth. I'm a bit scared of the future. 3 kids, 4 and under. We're definitely outnumbered now. However, there will come a day when Emily will harness this fortitude and perseverance into something positive. And absolutely nothing will stand in her way. So watch out world!
Here's a look back at some of Emily's favorite ways to assert her independence and creativity:
The facial.
We'd had a long summer of applying sunblock, and by then it was just second nature to rub something all over your face. Nevermind if it was lotion, mayonnaise, glue, or diaper rash cream.
The Sneakout.
Remember how Emily liked to protest cribs and naps? We'll just skip the part about her extreme sleep issues all together and look at these cute pictures. Even as an almost 4 yr old she still fights sleep with all her little might and continues to be an insomniac. I'd go to her room in the middle of the night and discover her missing, panic, then find her sleeping under a chair or on a shelf.
Or on the cold tile floor.
The Robbery
We finally drew the line on the pacifier when we realized, hey! You're completely potty trained...you're too old for this! Then commenced the frequent sneak into baby brother's crib and take the paci right out of his warm mouth.
The Baglady
This phase followed an intense basket-lady period wherein an urge to clean turned into hording and clearing out drawers and cabinets compulsively. Personally, I loved all the time spent working diligently to fill the laundry baskets. If ever a friend or family member gave me the "I'm in the neighborhood and would love to swing by and see your new house" I'd put her to work. Not so handy if you're looking for your toothbrush or keys or clean underwear and need to sift through 10 bags real quick.
As you can see, Leo has some very large 2 year old shoes to fill. He's not quite as willful as his sister, but he's a boy. And I hear that's a whole different ballgame. Wish me luck!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Feeling Beachy
Emily's always had a less than happy experience with the beach. I'd say she down right *despised* the beach year after year. The torture would always commence in the 2 hour car ride with a good car sickness induced vomit and ensuing panic attack. Then the sand would sneak into every crevice of her sticky sunblocked body. It was hot, too windy, and just too treacherous a terrain. Mean ol' mom forced her to do everything else in life--eat some foods other than peanut butter crunch cereal, bathe every once in awhile, sleep a couple hours a night--and darnit, I was going to force her to at least tolerate the beach while the rest of us had fun. We'd roll out the red carpet for her. She had her own tent, spare towels, treats galore, and she'd sit there just scowling. Forget about going into the water. No sirree. There's seaweed and that saltwater burns my eyes.
But alas, this year was a bit different.
Pig tails did the trick. I knew the day would be good when I saw the bounce in her step. As we got out to the beach the questions started flowing. "where are the stairs to the swimming pool? why are the birds flying about so crazy? why must the sand burn my soles off my feet?" Sensing a little anxiety, my mom took the kids straight to feel the waves wash over their little pudgy toes. And that's when it all started.
***The Golden Moment***
For the first time in our little girl's life, she was truly happy the whole day long. You've never seen so big a smile plastered to her sweet little face. She and Leo spent the next 6 hours running around like they had just won the lottery.
They sat comfortably in the scratchy sand building the great wall of China. They loved digging up the tiny mussels (she-shells) and watching them dig back into the sand.
Leo couldn't contain his excitement of the pinwheel on steroids. Flying the kite was even better.
Do you see that face?! This kid was in heaven. He would throw his head back and kick his feet as hard as he could.
The best part of all: sleeping under the setting sun.
Next time we go, we'll bust out the smores. They wont know what hit them!
But alas, this year was a bit different.
Pig tails did the trick. I knew the day would be good when I saw the bounce in her step. As we got out to the beach the questions started flowing. "where are the stairs to the swimming pool? why are the birds flying about so crazy? why must the sand burn my soles off my feet?" Sensing a little anxiety, my mom took the kids straight to feel the waves wash over their little pudgy toes. And that's when it all started.
***The Golden Moment***
For the first time in our little girl's life, she was truly happy the whole day long. You've never seen so big a smile plastered to her sweet little face. She and Leo spent the next 6 hours running around like they had just won the lottery.
They sat comfortably in the scratchy sand building the great wall of China. They loved digging up the tiny mussels (she-shells) and watching them dig back into the sand.
Leo couldn't contain his excitement of the pinwheel on steroids. Flying the kite was even better.
Do you see that face?! This kid was in heaven. He would throw his head back and kick his feet as hard as he could.
The best part of all: sleeping under the setting sun.
Next time we go, we'll bust out the smores. They wont know what hit them!
Monday, May 23, 2011
5 Reasons why I Love my Little Boy
I never quite understood all the talk about "boys being boys". As you know, I have one older brother, and 4 estrogen human beings for sisters. When I taught for kinder, 1st and 4th grades, my boys were the sweetest. It was the little girls who were trouble. My own babygirl Emily, from day one, has been feisty. The NICU nurses used to laugh trying swaddle her little 2 lb. figure, and within seconds she would escape. That crazy kid never stayed still until she was 3. When I was a rookie mom, I thought she was hyperactive because she was a high need baby who had a lot of preemie issues. Nope. She was just busy. Everysecondofthedayandnight.
Leo was the most laid back child on earth straight from the womb. He was just happy sitting around, watching the chaos. As the big 2 rounds the corner, Leo's busting out of his shell and showing mommy what boys are all about.
1. They're messy. And that's just the way they like it.
2. They're chill. Why go inside when you've got unlimited water at your disposal? He will eat/drink anything...including grass, sand, mulch, dog food...you name it, he eats it.
3. They're loud. Oh my all that is holy and good. That kid has a serious set of vocal cords. When Emily came home from the hospital, I was afraid I wouldn't hear her crying in the night. When Leo came home from the hospital, you could hear him screaming down the block and around the corner. He typically gets what he wants when he hollers because I just cannot take the knives slicing through my eardrum.
4. They love bugs. The tender love lasts for about .2 seconds before turning so intense that the bug is squashed 10 times by a pudgy foot. Naturally, Emily flips out when he touches/goes near/smashes anything that remotely resembles an insect.
5. They're always on the run...and on the climb...and on the jump...
Leo was the most laid back child on earth straight from the womb. He was just happy sitting around, watching the chaos. As the big 2 rounds the corner, Leo's busting out of his shell and showing mommy what boys are all about.
1. They're messy. And that's just the way they like it.
2. They're chill. Why go inside when you've got unlimited water at your disposal? He will eat/drink anything...including grass, sand, mulch, dog food...you name it, he eats it.
3. They're loud. Oh my all that is holy and good. That kid has a serious set of vocal cords. When Emily came home from the hospital, I was afraid I wouldn't hear her crying in the night. When Leo came home from the hospital, you could hear him screaming down the block and around the corner. He typically gets what he wants when he hollers because I just cannot take the knives slicing through my eardrum.
4. They love bugs. The tender love lasts for about .2 seconds before turning so intense that the bug is squashed 10 times by a pudgy foot. Naturally, Emily flips out when he touches/goes near/smashes anything that remotely resembles an insect.
5. They're always on the run...and on the climb...and on the jump...
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