At 26 months:
:: Is using two words together more often than not
:: Loves, loves, LOVES Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
:: Wishes to live outdoors as long as there are no bees.
:: Colors for ages each morning. Most often drawn: a pig and a duck.
:: Favorite saying: "Woodpecker- peck, peck, peck!"
:: I love how he dances while he waits for ANYTHING. Whether I'm pouring cereal or milk or hunting for his favorite book, he stands in one place dancing while he waits with a big grin on his face because he knows that Mama is doing something just for him.
:: If you ask for a kiss he always says, "gross!" then grabs your face and kisses you. Then he laughs like he just played the biggest trick on you!
:: Ezra is obsessed with utensils. He won't eat anything without a fork or spoon lately, even if it's something that is usually a finger food- he finds a way to get it on a fork. I've seen this child tenderly spear a cracker with a fork and then joyfully proclaim victory when it didn't break into a million pieces.
:: Ezra is the child that comes to sit on my lap several times through the day, often just for a minute or two. He shares so many smiles, so many kisses and loves to cuddle cheek to cheek for just a moment before it's time to play again.
They change and grow so quickly. Before I know it he'll be a teenager that rolls his eyes and says, "oh, Mom!" in that overdramatic voice. I'll take my kisses while they are eagerly given. :)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Daybook
Outside my window… The sun is shining and the leaves on just one of our trees are starting to change.
I am thinking… about Ender's birthday. We're having a little party for him on Saturday, but I still need to hunt down one last present! I know what I'd like to find for him, just having a hard time finding it. I'm finishing the border on his requested quilt tonight or tomorrow hopefully, then my mom will take an evening to quilt it, then I just have the hand binding to finish by Saturday . . .
I am thankful for… the unexpected break in my day coming later. It's just a half hour cancellation, but sometimes a half hour is enough to recharge.
From the learning rooms… Ender told me a few days ago that it was boring with no work time during the day since we hadn't had work time in about a week at that point. I suppose that means we're doing something right. For this week we're getting back to some phonics and I printed 2 pages of grid art to see if he's able to do that this week- I think it may be something for next year, but we'll see what he thinks. I'm not quite recovered enough to get back to our letter of the week, but I think we need a few days to just get back into a routine that doesn't revolve around medication times. I have plans for color mixing too, but that kind of depends on how caught up I am on laundry and all that after spending a week holding sick boys.
Ezra is going to be busy with other color work- color box 2 and some free coloring pages. He's starting to name objects including the color- "red chair", etc. - and I think I owe it all to reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear at least 5 times a day in the past week.
From the kitchen… Can I just say I *love* that I can order library books online? I ordered 6 or 7 cookbooks last week when I finally realized we'd be hiding out at home for a few days to recover. Superman went to pick them up for me and so I've been looking through those for new-to-us recipes. We're going to try out homemade chicken nuggets later this week and I next weekend I'm going to make a few recipes designed to be made ahead and frozen for the nights that we're struggling with getting dinner on the table.
The best find out of that library stack? Nigella Express. The simple fact that she writes that she's not always in the mood to make dinner at the end of the day even though she's a professional chef??? I love that. Makes me feel 80 kajillion times better.
I am wearing… an ankle length red linen skirt I made over the summer and a long sleeve black t-shirt. Leggings too, since I get cold even though it's 75 degrees outside.
I am creating… hats this week. I finished up the green mittens (pictures to come) and I'm on to red hats. I had intended the green to be for matching mittens and a hat for Ezra and the red to be a matching set for Ender, but when Ender saw Ezra's finished mittens he said he wanted to match Ezra. So we have 4 green mittens and soon we will have 2 red hats.
I am going… to spend a lot more time in meditation and prayer this week. My head is buzzing with everything that HAS to happen in the next few weeks. To make that happen I'm going to be up a little earlier in the mornings. Since the sickies hit us I've not been getting up as early (since Ezra has been sleeping later!) and I need to get back into the habit of getting up at 6. That probably means I should go to bed before 1 a.m.
I am reading… The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
I am hoping… to finish Ender's birthday quilt in time!!!
I am hearing… K-Love. We've been listening to a lot of radio this week.
Around the house… the laundry is getting caught up and so is everything else. Slowly but surely! I'm back in the studio this week though, so it will be a little on the slower side.
One of my favorite things… the evening quiet time. The boys have been so tired when bed time comes around that they have gone to bed easily and quickly lately. It's been nice to just be in the quiet.
A few plans for the rest of the week . . . getting back into the swing of things, finishing Ender's quilt, trying to help Superman keep his head above water this week as he writes 3 papers for a total of 35 pages. Oh and takes 2 exams also.
Here is picture thought I am sharing… I know, I know- again with the "no picture" thing, but like I've said before- because of all the recent computer issues adding pictures involves shenanigans with the external hard drive that I'm still figuring out. If I were to share a picture today it would be of Ezra's colorful artwork on my living room wall. Thank goodness it's only crayon and I practically own stock in Magic Erasers.
I am thinking… about Ender's birthday. We're having a little party for him on Saturday, but I still need to hunt down one last present! I know what I'd like to find for him, just having a hard time finding it. I'm finishing the border on his requested quilt tonight or tomorrow hopefully, then my mom will take an evening to quilt it, then I just have the hand binding to finish by Saturday . . .
I am thankful for… the unexpected break in my day coming later. It's just a half hour cancellation, but sometimes a half hour is enough to recharge.
From the learning rooms… Ender told me a few days ago that it was boring with no work time during the day since we hadn't had work time in about a week at that point. I suppose that means we're doing something right. For this week we're getting back to some phonics and I printed 2 pages of grid art to see if he's able to do that this week- I think it may be something for next year, but we'll see what he thinks. I'm not quite recovered enough to get back to our letter of the week, but I think we need a few days to just get back into a routine that doesn't revolve around medication times. I have plans for color mixing too, but that kind of depends on how caught up I am on laundry and all that after spending a week holding sick boys.
Ezra is going to be busy with other color work- color box 2 and some free coloring pages. He's starting to name objects including the color- "red chair", etc. - and I think I owe it all to reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear at least 5 times a day in the past week.
From the kitchen… Can I just say I *love* that I can order library books online? I ordered 6 or 7 cookbooks last week when I finally realized we'd be hiding out at home for a few days to recover. Superman went to pick them up for me and so I've been looking through those for new-to-us recipes. We're going to try out homemade chicken nuggets later this week and I next weekend I'm going to make a few recipes designed to be made ahead and frozen for the nights that we're struggling with getting dinner on the table.
The best find out of that library stack? Nigella Express. The simple fact that she writes that she's not always in the mood to make dinner at the end of the day even though she's a professional chef??? I love that. Makes me feel 80 kajillion times better.
I am wearing… an ankle length red linen skirt I made over the summer and a long sleeve black t-shirt. Leggings too, since I get cold even though it's 75 degrees outside.
I am creating… hats this week. I finished up the green mittens (pictures to come) and I'm on to red hats. I had intended the green to be for matching mittens and a hat for Ezra and the red to be a matching set for Ender, but when Ender saw Ezra's finished mittens he said he wanted to match Ezra. So we have 4 green mittens and soon we will have 2 red hats.
I am going… to spend a lot more time in meditation and prayer this week. My head is buzzing with everything that HAS to happen in the next few weeks. To make that happen I'm going to be up a little earlier in the mornings. Since the sickies hit us I've not been getting up as early (since Ezra has been sleeping later!) and I need to get back into the habit of getting up at 6. That probably means I should go to bed before 1 a.m.
I am reading… The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
I am hoping… to finish Ender's birthday quilt in time!!!
I am hearing… K-Love. We've been listening to a lot of radio this week.
Around the house… the laundry is getting caught up and so is everything else. Slowly but surely! I'm back in the studio this week though, so it will be a little on the slower side.
One of my favorite things… the evening quiet time. The boys have been so tired when bed time comes around that they have gone to bed easily and quickly lately. It's been nice to just be in the quiet.
A few plans for the rest of the week . . . getting back into the swing of things, finishing Ender's quilt, trying to help Superman keep his head above water this week as he writes 3 papers for a total of 35 pages. Oh and takes 2 exams also.
Here is picture thought I am sharing… I know, I know- again with the "no picture" thing, but like I've said before- because of all the recent computer issues adding pictures involves shenanigans with the external hard drive that I'm still figuring out. If I were to share a picture today it would be of Ezra's colorful artwork on my living room wall. Thank goodness it's only crayon and I practically own stock in Magic Erasers.
Friday, September 25, 2009
A Quiet Moment
Sleeping boys= quiet house! Ezra is somewhat better. Thank goodness for antibiotics. The bacterial infection on his face is tremendously better, but he is still really gunky and coughing a ton. It is getting better every day, but it's still kind of gross.
So in my quiet time I updated my 2009 fiction list. You can tell it's been a "stay at home on the couch" kind of week for us since I finished up Farmer Boy, read all of Chains AND all of Little House on the Prairie in one short week!
It's so strange to read through the Laura Ingalls Wilder books again- particularly Farmer Boy. This reading is the first time I've read it since becoming the mother of boys (and first time in at least 10 years) and the emphasis on how happy Almanzo is to have all that time working with his father and the repeated lessons on the value of hard work and the money that comes from it found me nodding my head. My boys are happier the busier they are; they both like to have tasks to accomplish. They run to the kitchen if I ask them to cook with me and being Daddy's helper is a treasured role, even if it's for something as small as taking out the trash.
I remember being a bit astounded at the idea of having my young boys work alongside me during the day when I started to really consider it about a year ago. All I could think about was the logistics of keeping them close as I cooked and cleaned - won't it take longer? Won't it be harder to have two boys under four trying to work with me?
The "longer" thing is totally true. It *does* take more time. But the "harder" part has been rarely true in my experience the last year. Busy-ness for them equals less fighting over trivial things, fewer toys dumped out for the sheer pleasure of dumping them out (and abandoning them 1.5 seconds later) and actually LESS frustration for me. On the days I've decided to have them play while I do a bit of work I'm constantly interrupted with the "he took that from me/he did something I don't like/I want what he has" complaints. When they are working along with me they have so much fun with the busy-ness that they are rarely in each other's ways.
Their work around the house:
:: Both boys are in love with the spray bottle. Give them a spray bottle of water and a big cloth and they'll wash as many windows as you let them.
:: Ender has a rather particular way that he likes to make his bed. Totally gets that from Superman!
:: Ender is responsible for two jobs- he sorts the silverware for me whenever I empty the dishwasher, and he hunts for stray shoes at the end of the day to put away in the hall closet.
:: Ezra "helps" with dishes frequently. I don't put my pots, pans or cookie sheets in the dishwasher and those make perfect dishes for him to wash- no glass!
:: Ender is ALWAYS willing to sweep the floors in the kitchen and entry. I think he would sweep all day if we had more wood floor to sweep! Ezra tries to sweep, but the broom is just unmanageable for him. I *really* need to get him a broom in his size.
:: Cooking is a big deal. I try to let them mix, stir, and pour as much as I'm able, but nothing on the stove. Ender may be careful enough at this point, but Ezra certainly isn't and he *really* wants to do everything that his brother does. If we could stay in the kitchen making things all day every day I think they would be perfectly content.
On a similar note, I've been hanging around this blog lately and plotting excellent boy adventures.
So in my quiet time I updated my 2009 fiction list. You can tell it's been a "stay at home on the couch" kind of week for us since I finished up Farmer Boy, read all of Chains AND all of Little House on the Prairie in one short week!
It's so strange to read through the Laura Ingalls Wilder books again- particularly Farmer Boy. This reading is the first time I've read it since becoming the mother of boys (and first time in at least 10 years) and the emphasis on how happy Almanzo is to have all that time working with his father and the repeated lessons on the value of hard work and the money that comes from it found me nodding my head. My boys are happier the busier they are; they both like to have tasks to accomplish. They run to the kitchen if I ask them to cook with me and being Daddy's helper is a treasured role, even if it's for something as small as taking out the trash.
I remember being a bit astounded at the idea of having my young boys work alongside me during the day when I started to really consider it about a year ago. All I could think about was the logistics of keeping them close as I cooked and cleaned - won't it take longer? Won't it be harder to have two boys under four trying to work with me?
The "longer" thing is totally true. It *does* take more time. But the "harder" part has been rarely true in my experience the last year. Busy-ness for them equals less fighting over trivial things, fewer toys dumped out for the sheer pleasure of dumping them out (and abandoning them 1.5 seconds later) and actually LESS frustration for me. On the days I've decided to have them play while I do a bit of work I'm constantly interrupted with the "he took that from me/he did something I don't like/I want what he has" complaints. When they are working along with me they have so much fun with the busy-ness that they are rarely in each other's ways.
Their work around the house:
:: Both boys are in love with the spray bottle. Give them a spray bottle of water and a big cloth and they'll wash as many windows as you let them.
:: Ender has a rather particular way that he likes to make his bed. Totally gets that from Superman!
:: Ender is responsible for two jobs- he sorts the silverware for me whenever I empty the dishwasher, and he hunts for stray shoes at the end of the day to put away in the hall closet.
:: Ezra "helps" with dishes frequently. I don't put my pots, pans or cookie sheets in the dishwasher and those make perfect dishes for him to wash- no glass!
:: Ender is ALWAYS willing to sweep the floors in the kitchen and entry. I think he would sweep all day if we had more wood floor to sweep! Ezra tries to sweep, but the broom is just unmanageable for him. I *really* need to get him a broom in his size.
:: Cooking is a big deal. I try to let them mix, stir, and pour as much as I'm able, but nothing on the stove. Ender may be careful enough at this point, but Ezra certainly isn't and he *really* wants to do everything that his brother does. If we could stay in the kitchen making things all day every day I think they would be perfectly content.
On a similar note, I've been hanging around this blog lately and plotting excellent boy adventures.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
For the Next Few Days
I'll be . . .
:: Giving Ezra his medicine to help his face finally clear up from this infection.
:: Hoping Ezra starts to sleep at night again (so that I can too!)
:: Trying to catch up on all the housework that has gone neglected since Ezra has been so sick.
:: Putting away the 80 gazillion pounds of laundry that is already clean AND folded so that we don't have to keep fishing around for the clothes we need each day.
:: Giving Ezra his medicine to help his face finally clear up from this infection.
:: Hoping Ezra starts to sleep at night again (so that I can too!)
:: Trying to catch up on all the housework that has gone neglected since Ezra has been so sick.
:: Putting away the 80 gazillion pounds of laundry that is already clean AND folded so that we don't have to keep fishing around for the clothes we need each day.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Daybook
Outside my window… Another beautiful morning! September is such a nice month here.
I am thinking… that it has been a long few days full of sick boys, sick daddy and now sick Mama. A small respite would be welcome. Ender is on day 6, Ezra on day 5, Daddy on day 4 and I'm on day 3. Ender is mostly better but still coughing, so at least someone is feeling decent around here!
I am thankful for… my dad and his kindness in offering his afternoon on Sunday so that I could sleep a bit after being up a few nights in a row.
From the learning rooms… Nothing is planned for a few days til we all get better. We're just reading a lot and wiping lots of noses.
From the kitchen… Would you laugh if I said I've made a lot of soup in the last few days? It's true. I made a giant pot of chicken soup on Friday that we've been eating off of for the last few days. No one is hungry for much else.
I am wearing… comfy pajama pants and a hoodie. So exciting, I know. But the name of the game the past few days has been comfort and if my version of this cold trends the way the boys have, today if not going to be a fun day for me.
I am creating… mittens! Since we've all been laying around quite a bit I'm working on wool mittens for the boys in a green that Ender picked out. I finished one for Ezra on Saturday and most of the other one yesterday- I expect to finish tonight. Then on to Ender's mittens. I'm still searching for a nice toddler hat pattern for this year. :)
I am going… to stay home for awhile longer and keep our germs to ourselves.
I am reading… Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I bought this copy when I was nearing the end of my pregnancy with Ezra. I tried to get into it then and just couldn't for whatever reason. I tried twice more and couldn't get into it either of those times either. My sisters are begging me to read this book so I'm trying one last time.
I am hoping… to make friends with my sewing machine again sometime soon.
I am hearing… Laurie Berkner Band. The boys are happy to listen to her, and it's not too maddening for the adults either- WIN!
Around the house… There is no evidence of the progress I made last week. It's been an hour-to-hour kind of thing around here for the last 5 days so I've been all about the bare minimum- dishes and just enough laundry to keep us in clothes.
One of my favorite things… extra sleep. I hope to have it someday, much like time with my sewing machine.
A few plans for the rest of the week . . . Kleenex, soup, water . . . plus finishing passport applications, getting to work on Ender's Mama-made birthday gifts, and finishing the mittens I started Saturday.
Here is picture thought I am sharing… Sorry no picture today, since that would involve all kinds of shenanigans with the external hard drive. Maybe just a link? In my spare moments I've been cuddling up with this and this.
For more Daybook links, visit Peggy.
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