Zoo Pictures

A few weeks ago, we met up with Daddy at the zoo for a picnic.  He had been out of town the previous week, so we were extra happy for his company.  After lunch, James needed a nap, so I took him home.  Matt and Claire stayed for some special Daddy/Daughter time and rode the train and fed the birds.

Baby monitor entertainment

Claire tends to talk in her bed, a LOT. She can talk for over an hour and keep herself perfectly occupied with her imagination with just a blanket; this happens at both naptime and bedtime. Tonight was particularly hilarious.  She went down to bed at 8:00, and proceeded to sing and talk for a full 30 minutes before I started writing these down:

(singing) Iiiiii shall noooot beeeee moved

Blanket has a string! What do strings do? They lay down. Lay down!

(singing) Noooaah Noooaah, don't build that ark. And take the animals, Noah built the ark.

Iiii need to go potty. And I will be strooong.

(singing) I will be delivered, and I will be strooong. And when I fall, the Lord will me up, the Lord will pick me up more.

Oink oink oink, what's that I hear? Pig pig pig, he was going at the house.

Don't go under there! I'm sad.

Grandmaaaaa, I'm busy. I'm busy.

Sway together. Let's sway together.

Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Wake up. Wake up. Go to sleep my teacher.

And monkeys and monkeys and monkeys, gu-to-gu-to in the tree. I wanted to go on the monkey bars!

I'm in a net! I want a net. There's a net. And there's a net and this is a net!

I want help. I want to help you, help you go to sleep. And you will have a net.

That's my belly button! Tickletickletickletickle!!! Tickle - tickle - tickletickletickletickletickle!

That was good tickling. Are you tickling? Are you dusty? I am too. I am tickling. I am dusty a little bit. Do you have a duster? I don't have a duster.

(singing) I stand up and move. Yes I did! Now lay down and rolling.

I start rolling. To me you're rolling. Rooooollllliiiing.

We are triplets! We are triplets.

Little more, little more. (singing) Iiiii shall noooot beeee mooooved.

I will think about, cows and ducks! Coooows and duuuucks. Horses, grass, cows....

(singing ants go marching) Duh do dodo dodo dodo do doooo, do doooo, duh do dodo dodo dodo do doooo, duh do dodo duh do dodo duh do dodo duh do dodo, duhduh dooo dooo dooo dooo doooooo duh dooooo duh doooo duh doooo bum bum bum (this goes on for quite a while)

(singing to ants go marching) Did you ever see a duck befooore, befooore; did you ever see a duck befooore, befooore

Can everybody cry with me? Oooooh. That makes me sad. I didn't want to do that.

I need to go potty. No you don't! You do need to go potty. You need to go out side and go make a tinkle. Go into the hole.

I see an empty rice box. You come seeeee!

The aaaaaanimals, we're every day we're all the way; the aaaaaanimals, we're every day we're all the way.

Everybody cry with me. Nooooooo. Everybody sneeze with me.  ....achoo. Everybody sing with me. Everybody clap with me.

Mommy's at the gymmmm! And maybe the other day.

(progressively higher pitches) An egg, and a birdie. And an egg, with a birdie. And an egg, with a birdie.

Used to be a baby but the deee dee de deee de dee dee (continues the dee dee for a while) hum hum hummma hum huum hmm hhm hm hm hhmmm hmmmm



Taking a video of the baby monitor creates enormous files. I'm thinking of purchasing a digital audio recorder and leaving it in her room when she goes down to sleep. We could put it on the internet as a podcast.

Back Porch Picnic

We do a lot of picnics.  Both kids are happier outside, and there's just something about a picnic that can make peanut butter and jelly taste better.  Here is a video from a back porch picnic.  If you can't tell, we are discussing the fact that Claire refused to eat the piece of pizza we gave her and instead opts to shovel cottage cheese into her mouth.

Picnic at the Park

Last Friday night, Matt was out of town and the weather was great, so I packed up the kids for a picnic at one of our favorite playgrounds.

One of the reasons I love this park is that it's right on the river.  We saw ducks, geese, canoes, and a fisherman.  The local high school crew team was also practicing, so we had lots of interesting things to see during swing time.

The geese were almost too friendly.  They came right up to where we were eating.  At one point, I think there were at least 8 geese and 10 ducks all hoping for a handout.

Special Treats and More

A few more pictures from the beginning of preschool

Family outing for ice cream

What is this strange, cold food?

Hum...maybe it's not too bad after all...

Hey!  Don't take that spoon away from me!

 I think I'd rather hang on to it for awhile!

Another special treat for Claire when it was just the two of us one morning--a doughnut! 

Picnic and laser show at Stone Mountain.  There were also special fireworks for the Labor Day weekend.  Neither Claire nor James had seen fireworks before but they didn't cry.  Claire would tense up when they went off but enjoyed watching them.

Art in the Park at Marietta.  The kids loved the train and depot play area.

James 10 Months, Claire 29 Months

James continues to be a baby of extremes.  He's either so happy that it's contagious or...well...he's not.  He has been very clingy with me and cries any time I put him down or walk away or walk through the room without picking him up.  He's better for other people and when we are away from the house.  Actually he loves being out&about and is very good in the grocery store or running other errands. For example, he's been putting up a difficult fuss during meals at home... every meal; we decided to visit a restaurant for lunch after playing at the park one Saturday and James made it through the restaurant lunch with a happy hyper smile the whole time.

There isn't anything that James won't try to pull himself up with; curtains, Claire, Brooks, and Daddy's leg hair are all fair game. He's very good at walking himself around while holding onto something, and can make quick laps around the coffee table when there's a toy or radio on the other side. He's also done very well with the wooden walker and can move it around quite a good distance. James may be getting pretty confident with the walker because he's made it a personal mission to figure out how to move Claire's little baby stroller while standing too.

James has two teeth now.  The second one came in sometime in early August.  We've caught him sucking his thumb in his crib but that's really the only time we see him do that anymore.  James can wave at just a vocal prompt now.  He usually gets excited and decides it's more fun to wave with both hands.  He loves to get an object and bang it on the coffee table or other similar surfaces.  He is starting to enjoy books and turning the pages.  "Zoom Buggy" is his favorite book.  He rocks or bounces whenever he hears music.  James still loves his big sister and wants to be right with her every time she's around.

Getting James to eat has been tricky.  He will eat most any pureed food I prepare including green beans, broccoli and asparagus, but only if he has puffs or crackers to eat at the same time.  Finding finger foods that he will eat has been very challenging.  Of course he loves the puffs and other baby prepackaged snacks, but otherwise shredded cheese is the only other finger food that he'll eat consistently.  We keep trying though!

James is sleeping better.  He usually wakes up between 5:30 and 6:30.  If it's early enough, I can nurse him and he'll go back to sleep until about 7, but often when he wakes up, he's ready to play.  Most nights he still has one period of crying but usually will fall back asleep after 10-20 minutes.  Naps are still inconsistent and just depend on the circumstances of any given day.  Generally he takes 2 or 3 naps ranging from 45 to 90 minutes.  He nurses five times most days, eats three meals in his highchair and sometimes has a morning snack.  He is in 12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

Claire talks and sings ALL day long.  She asks many-many-many questions, constantly narrates everything she is doing, sings all the songs she knows, makes up new songs, and changes the lyrics to songs.  We often struggle to keep a straight face because with every subsequent question her pitch gets higher and higher until it's as high as she can manage.  She also has started to use a sweet gentle voice for talking to James.  When we tell her that she can't do something or go somewhere, she often responds very calmly: "Maybe tomorrow" or "Maybe later."

Preschool has become a favorite activity for Claire; she has been five times by now.  The first time started with tears, but this most recent time she practically ran into the room and never looked back.  On the walk from the car to her classroom, she told everyone we passed "I'm going to preschool!"  She is getting to do some craft projects, have circle time, play in centers, go to music, and play at either the indoor or outdoor playground.  I once asked her if she went to the "inside playground" and she quickly said "the indoor playground!"  So far, her teachers have been great and she seems to really enjoy herself.

Claire has been promoted to another building for Sunday School this month and now gets to join all 2-4 year olds for a little worship service where they sings songs and hear a Bible story.  She was marching all around the driveway last Sunday afternoon singing something about "Marching in the Spirit" that she much have learned during that time.

Claire is definitely a two-year old, complete with the tantrums and fits that go along with that age.  She has started protesting nap and bedtime.  One day last week after being put down for a nap, she spent about 10 minutes screaming.  After deciding that screaming wasn't working, she started saying "I have a boo-boo" over and over.  This then transitioned into repetitions of "I have a boo-boo on my leg" and "I have a boo-boo on my eye."  She tried several things before finally giving in to the nap. (When we went out for a weekend evening, we warned the babysitter that Claire might start talking about a false "boo-boo" in bed. Sure enough, Claire gave it a try and  - had it not been for the warning - it would've worked).

Claire LOVES to play with her dollhouse.  She also enjoys "Candy Land" and "Chutes and Ladders" board games but at this point they're more about playing with the pieces than actually playing the game.  Both Claire and James like to play in my pantry.  James pulls out things and explores the sounds they make.  Claire takes the spices and seasonings out and runs over to her play kitchen where she pretends to use them to make food--cupcakes are the current favorite.  She is very sweet with her dolls and stuffed animals, feeding them and taking them on stroller rides.  Her imagination is really blossoming. 

Eating and sleeping (with the exception of the protests at bedtime) are still great for Claire.  She usually eats everything I put on her plate.  Favorite foods include yogurt, crackers, PB&J sandwiches, carrots, bananas, blackberries, and corn on the cob.  She has recently started eating salads (likes for them to have croutons and craisins).  We save desserts for special occasions.  She always wants more food after a meal, saying "I want something else.  I'm still hungry."  Claire sleeps from about 8 pm until 8 am most nights.  She doesn't always nap in the afternoon, but when she does, it's usually 2 to 3 hours.  If she doesn't nap, she talks to herself in her crib.  She's also been able to have a quiet playtime alone in her room.  

Our fall schedule is coming together and providing fun outings and more structure for our weeks.  I'm teaching two Kindermusik classes on Mondays.  One is for babies and one is for toddlers.  I'm planning on keeping James or Claire with me for the appropriate class so that we can enjoy the time together.  Claire has preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We will resume Community Bible Study and my MOPS group in the next few weeks.  I also hope to teach a few piano students one night a week.  We keep busy, but both kids seem to really enjoy our adventures--and by the time I get the logistics of diaper bags and snacks and strollers and sippy cups and carseats and timing all together, it truly is an adventure!

Three Videos

This first video is a long one, but I like how much you get to see of James.  Notice how he eats finger foods, drinks from his sippy cup, and talks to me.  If you make it to the end, you'll see his newest trick!

 Next up, one of those sweet moments of brother and sister time.

And finally, a video of Claire dancing last night.  We were at Stone Mountain waiting for the laser show and fireworks to begin.  Claire noticed a lady bouncing to the music with a young baby.  She decided to try to replicate this behavior with her doll.  Her attempt to rock, bounce, and pat the baby simultaneously was pretty funny.

Summer Fun

It's been a fun summer and we're not ready for it to be over. We still can't believe that Claire is already in preschool but we're very proud that she's having so much fun with her class. It's only a few hours on two days of the week, so there are plenty of opportunities to have fun at home.

Amanda created a game based on a pinterest photo that involves sorting buttons of various colors. Claire picked up on the concept very quickly and plays with it for a decent period of time.

The button game is also a good opportunity to practice counting skills and hopefully a little bit of math.

Amanda also created a rice box with a little bit of macaroni and dried beans mixed in for variety. Claire and James both love playing in it (James is starting to play and does less eating of the rice now) as they like to search for buried treasures and mix it into measuring cups.

There's also a blue sheet underneath to help clean up spills from the box. This blue sheet has been a fun toy by itself. It has been pretend water to swim in, a parachute that mommy waves as they jump on, or a cave that they hide in. Turns out that a sheet can be many many fun things.

Claire also gets to play with the ricebox outside sometimes on the deck.

When James gets excited, he waves his outstretched hands wildly up and down. We can't wave our hands as fast or as hard as he can but he sees us try and shows us how to do it right.

Applying sunscreen and bugspray in the park isn't so much of a chore. Claire usually stays pretty still through the whole process.

Claire had her her try on the monkey bars and held herself up. She has a pretty strong grip! Unfortunately, she didn't like hanging out too long and was afraid to let go so this didn't end well. She did eventually let go and landed on her feet after a 2 inch drop.

James has a pretty strong grip too! We obviously didn't let go to see if he could hold himself up, but I'm pretty sure he would've done it.

When James is in a good mood, he gives some of the happiest faces I've ever seen a baby make.

Claire likes to play with the pipe cleaners. Brooks likes to play with them too, so she lost a few when the cat snuck up and stole them.

Matt made some "silly glasses," a halo, a trumpet, and a harp out of pipe cleaners. Claire wears them proudly.

Claire did not want to get out of her bed one Saturday morning. James was brought in to greet her and she invited him to join her rather than get out to play with him. James would've cried in his own bed, but the two of them ran around and giggled for a good 10 minutes.

This is our third straight year at the Roswell Ice Cream festival and the first year that Claire has gotten her own bowl. We opted to leave one of us with her in the grassy area at the gazebo rather than try to wheel her through the dense crowd to grab samples. She didn't mind staying put since there were so many wonderful treats to consume.

Claire loves ice cream as much as we do. It's safe to say that we will have to return next year. There was an ice cream eating contest for kids. I think the youngest age group was 5. I'm pretty sure that we could enter her in the teenager category and she'd be able to place in the top 3.

James actually had fun at the ice cream festival too. He sampled strawberry, lemon, and raspberry flavors. As much trouble as we have getting him to eat at the kitchen table, eating ice cream in a park is a treat for multiple reasons. 

(This is a pretty adorable photo of James in his baby backpack and would be better if not for the derriere in the background)

See mommy! James can be happy at home too.

10 minutes after this photo was taken, there were bits of food on his hair, in his ears, and up his nose. 

Cute kid.

First Day of Preschool

Today was Claire's first day of preschool.  We have been trying to prepare her for a few weeks now.  We checked out several books from the library and have been talking to her about what she will do and who her teachers are.  Last week, she and I had the opportunity to visit her classroom and meet her teachers--Ms. Nancy and Ms. DeLee.  Claire was hesitant when we visited and wanted to be held for awhile but then was fine to play with the toys.  Her class has seven girls and three boys.  The room is set up with different play/center areas including a playhouse, kitchen, reading area, table for snack time, and area for cars and trucks.

Claire seemed pretty excited about going to preschool.  Last night, she talked and sang to herself for an hour and a half before falling asleep.  This morning, she was also extra excited.  While I was fixing breakfast, she was singing "Oh How I Love Preschool...Because it's the first day" to the tune of "Oh How I Love Jesus."  We took a few pictures on the front steps before heading to her school.  It's about a 7 minute drive and starts at 9:30.

She was excited and happily walked from the car to her classroom and then got a little frightened at the door.  Ms. DeLee quickly offered some comforting words (not sure if they were for me or for Claire...), picked Claire up and disappeared into the classroom.  I waited with James for a few minutes and she had calmed down right away.  Preschool was only two hours today but will normally be three.  When I went to pick her up, she and several children were reading books with Ms. DeLee.  Claire ran my way saying "MMMMMOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYY!"  She got a little tote bag that she will take each day (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and a t-shirt.

Since we've been home, I've been asking all kinds of questions.  I'm just dying to know every little detail, but that's hard to get from a two-year old!  Here's what I've learned so far:

• She got to go to the indoor playground today.  They hold onto a rope with a ring for each child when they walk outside of her room.  Claire held onto a red ring today.  She rode on a merry-go-round in the playroom area.
• They sat at a table and had apples and cheerios with water for her snack.
• They had a circle time.  Ms. Nancy read "Brown Bear Brown Bear" and a story about a crocodile. 
• Claire played with trucks and blocks.

It seems like it was a good day!  She said yes when I asked if she wants to go back again.