Mundane Update

Well, things are chugging along in our household.  On one hand nothing major is happening.  On the other, there is something major every day.

The Samster is walking and babbling a lot.  You can make out words such as:  outside, ball, more, dada, mama.  He calls Julia "goo ga" and he said his first sentence the other day which was "go outside."  He still mostly screams and grunts to get his way, but honestly if I could make my way in life that way, I'd probably take the same approach.  The cutest thing right now is that he loves crawling in and out of chairs like a big boy.  Julia put some kids chairs around a box the other day and poured goldfish out for both of them to share (yes, directly on the dirty box).  They had a ball snacking together.  He is also very much in daddy mode.  Sam is beyond attached to Chris at the moment.  Although it can be rough, I think Chris is trying to enjoy it while it lasts!

Julia is as spunky as ever.  She's expanding her conniving and manipulation on a daily basis.  I attribute this to her being smart and persevering (as opposed to troublesome ;).  The other day she decided she didn't want to go to the YMCA after-school program.  So, she went to the school bathroom and faked throw-up sounds.  Then she came out and told her teacher she threw up.  When asked by her teacher POINT BLANK to be honest with her, Julia looked her in the eye and LIED straight to her face.  Chris picked her up (not knowing she was faking sick) and took her home.  Luckily she was truthful with Chris and said she was dishonest with her teacher.  Also lucky for her that it was Chris who picked her up instead of me!

It's fall - our favorite time of the year.  Time for pumpkin patches, the state fair and football games.  It's also the beginning of cold & flu season so wish us luck in staying healthy.

I am not equipped for this much change

As Chris so eloquently said it last night "I think you have a problem with your kids growing up."  That's when I almost started crying.

So, let's recap some of the change in our household.

• Sam is walking.  Not just a little, but all of the time.  He likes to run too.  He has no fear of falling down and doesn't cry when he hits his head or skins his knee.  Unlike Julia who didn't have a bruise on her body until she was 2, Sam is all boy.  He took his first steps in late June, but didn't decide until a few weeks ago that it was worth his time to walk instead of crawl and be carried everywhere.  I have to admit, it's so cute to watch them toddle at this age. 

• And on the topic of toddling, Sam is moving to his new room at daycare this week.  Yes, he's moving from the quiet, cozy, nurturing infant room to the 1-2 year old room.  There are 7 boys and 1 girl in his new class.  Yes, that's right - SEVEN boys.  They will play rough and hard.  He will get hit, kicked and bitten, I'm sure.  I don't think I'm at all prepared for this.  I just hope he's not the hitter/kicker/biter!
• Julia started kindergarten in July.  Generally speaking she loves it and jumped in with both feet.  On the first day she wanted me to drop her off at carpool rather than walk her in and take pictures like the rest of the sappy parents.  She kissed me goodbye and said "I'll miss you mommy, but it's going to be okay."  I'm glad she knew it was going to be okay.  Her words of encouragement actually kept me from crying that day so that was a bonus.  As time has passed she's getting a little more anxious with school and has had to come home 2 days due to a tummy ache.  I'm not sure if she's anxious or bored or overwhelmed, but I know my tough little honeybee is going to pull through.  She's made friends and is figuring out the routines which is half the battle.

• This summer Julia was on the swim team at our local pool.  I was so proud of that kid.  On the last meet she swam her 3 15-meter events and then a 25-meter butterfly just to show that she could (and to win a Twinkie).  She went from only doggie paddling in May to swimming freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke & butterfly by the end of July.  She also jumps (and recently dove) off the starting blocks and diving board.  She's got some serious determination.  Between swim team and gymnastics she's got the mind and spirit of an athlete.  If she wants something, she won't stop until she has it.  Now, I'm not so sure she's quite ready for hand-eye-ball coordination sports, but does great at swimming, gymnastics, taekwondo & dance.  If she's in total control, she can push herself to the limit (as evidenced by her recent no arm flipping on the trampoline).

• Last, but not least, Julia lost her first tooth yesterday.  I think that may have been the hardest thing this entire summer.  Sam is cutting teeth and she is losing hers.  Where have the last 5 years gone?

Guess Who....

Took his first steps on Saturday? I'll give you some hints. He's scrunchable and cries a lot and is about 2 feet tall. Any guesses? Yep, you got it! :)

Getting ready for college

Whole Foods road racers

Daycare lunch outside - cutness, right?

Yes, she's sunbathing (ugh)

3-person tent

i scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

the hat lasted about 10 seconds

Playing Favorites

The other day Julia asked me if we could have pet snakes.  Shortly thereafter Sam said "mama" on demand for the first time.  Guess who is currently the favored child? :)

Sam is also now saying DaDa, NaNa (banana), NieNie (nite nite) and Duh (dog).  They aren't always clear, but it's a start!  He also wants to walk .... badly.  He'll stand alone for a few seconds (without holding on) and will walk with holding just one of your hands, but isn't quite ready to let go yet.

Julia starts kindergarten in less than 3 weeks.  She is jumping off the diving board and swimming to the ladder in 8ft by herself.  Tonight she has her first swim meet.  Where in the world have the last 5 years gone?

"It's my spit up - I should be the one to carry it"

This morning was one of those where you just have to laugh in order to avoid crying.  Chris had an early-ish flight to Nashville, I had to get both kids to school/daycare and be at work by 9am for a meeting.  Julia's school does not start until 8:35 and Sam cannot be at his daycare until 8:45.  I was up for the challenge.

Everyone was loaded into the car by 8:03.  Julia picked Starbucks as her drive-thru of choice for breakfast and we were off.  Although she stayed home yesterday with a slight fever and upset tummy she had been totally fine (tummy-wise) for 24 hours.  So, she goes for a chocolate milk and banana bread.  She took one bit of the banana bread and chugged 2/3 of the box of milk.

I was doing so well on time I even had time to stop at the gas station.  As the car was filling up, Julia signals to me that she doesn't want any more of her breakfast - she is full.  I take the bag from her.  She burps.  Then she regurgitated it all over herself in the car.

For a brief minute I thought - "can I send her to school like that?"  She must have thought the same thing because instead of freaking out she looked down at her dress and said "I can just wipe it off and go to school."  Somehow I think the teachers may have noticed...

She was adamant that she wanted to wear that dress to school and didn't want to go home and change.  Since that wasn't going to work, I just put the kibosh on school, called my dad and told him I was dropping off a vomit-ridden kid at their house.  He said "ok, let me put on pants first" :)

We get to his house, unload her booster in case he needs to drive her somewhere and take up the mat under the booster that protects the seat.  The mat was covered in regurgitated chocolate milk.  I folded it up along its 4 pleats and was going to take it inside to rinse it off at which point Julia takes it out my hand and says "it's my spit up, I should be the one to carry it."  Seriously, is it possible for a kid to be too responsible?  Today, I might argue yes.

Then Sam cried the whole way to school.  Good times.  On the bright side, I was only 10 minutes late to my meeting!

Oh, ps - she is totally not sick.  I think her tummy had not yet readjusted to food (specifically dairy & chocolate) after very little food yesterday.

Are we there yet? I think not.

When I was a teenager in NC, there was one interracial couple in my High School and nobody (to my recollection) that was openly gay.  Even in college at the very liberal UNC-CH where 'rainbow stickers' were on every other car in town, I knew only one or two people who were 'out.'  Today, some of those same people who were not 'out' are major players in the LGBT fight for equality.  In the past 20 years you have come a long way NC, but as we learned on Tuesday, not far enough.

I can only hope that as my sweet Julia and Sam grow up they live in a world where there is less discrimination than there is today. 

I've been watching all of the heated arguments on Facebook this week and it seems that many religious zealots are quoting Biblical phrases to support their argument for Amendment One.  They are defending their vote by saying that "God's word is that marriage should be between one man and one woman."  While I'm no religious scholar, it struck me that these same folks seem to be taking the tact of "do as I say, not as I do"....while the Bible may reflect these 'sayings' (and a lot of other things that are outdated or taken as not applicable such as men owning women and not eating cloven foot animals), Jesus was  compassionate.  There are other verses that describe His actions including love and compassion for outcasts and sinners. 

John 8:7 - He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

*Note: For the record, I do not believe that homosexuality is a sin or that homosexual marriage is a sin.  I'm merely using the last sentence as a general bucket for the outcasts (at that time lepers, adulterers, etc.) that Jesus did not shun.

Today is a Good Day

As the entire family waited in line at our local polling place this morning, I was reminded of the last time I was there with Julia, 18 months ago.  I woke up that morning with terrible cramps and let's just say what I thought were signs of a miscarriage.  I called the doctor, made an appointment, took Julia to the polling location, then school and then made a bee line to my OBGYN.  As we all now know, an ultrasound showed that everything was ok and little Sam's heartbeat was a strong as ever.  Looking back I can't believe I had the presence of mind to vote (and continue the tradition of Julia always coming with me to vote).  However, seeing little "I VOTED" stickers on my kids today and teaching Julia today about why we vote (and listening to her complain that she has to wait 13 years until she's 18 to fill out an actual ballot), I knew it was worth it.  I thank my parents for that lesson.  They voted in every election - big or small - and taught all of us the importance of feeling empowered and influencing decisions.

And now onto the other normal kid topics....
Sam is crawling, pulling up, cruising and eating like a champ.  We thought his first word was "mama", but it turns out it was "ma" which means MORE in his baby speak.  He can babble mama and dada, but really prefers to just stare down something he wants and grunt.

Julia is finishing up preschool this June and will be headed to kindergarten (yikes!) in July.  She is still very active with ballet, gymnastics and taekwondo.  She is reading like a champ and is an amazing big sister to Sam.  Let me tell you one funny story before I sign off.

So, a few months ago we were going to see Matt, Jenn & Ady, but Julia got sick and so I told her we would no longer be able to go.  I remember distinctly that she was standing on a ladder in our bedroom (Chris had been replacing an air filter in the ceiling return) and said very firmly "I want to go see Ady, damnit."  I looked at her and asked "what did you say?"  She repeated her statement just as Chris was walking into the room.  I said "Julia, where did you learn that word?" and her response was "Daddy says it when he watches basketball."  It took every ounce of our being not to crack up.  Instead we agreed on an approach where daddy puts money in her piggy bank if he says that word again and vice versa.  That seemed to solve the problem and she learned not to say that word.  Oh my goodness, the things kids these days come up with ;)

 

Time Flies

I have meant to sit down for weeks and update this blog with some 'milestone' information, but time keeps getting away from me.

Before I forget...around 8 months Sam started putting himself into a sitting position (from lying down) and started crawling.  For the past week he's been pulling up on everything.  As his daycare teacher says "he's great at getting up and not so great at getting down."

Julia is as active as ever doing more after school activities than my wallet can handle (thanks maga for taking care of those! ;).  Last week she found out she'll be moving up to the next level in gymnastics.  She also received two mini-stripes on her Tae Kwon Do belt which means after 1 or 2 more she can test for a yellow belt.  She continues with ballet as well.  Luckily soccer is on a hiatus.  We find out about kindergarten & school assignments in the next few weeks.

When I can come back and think of all the wonderful things they've said, I'll add them here.  The only things that occur to me now are how Julia tricked (i.e. lied) to us on Monday and conned Chris into bring her back to his work vs. school after a lunch date and how Sam ended the evening with two to three (depending on who you ask) projectile vomiting episodes.  Good times at our house.  Good times.

Sexy Sammy 

Showing off her belt stripes

Lobster Dog

Conversation the other day after watching Lilo & Stitch

"Mommy, when Bandit dies, can we get a Lobster Dog?"
"What's a Lobster Dog?"
"Oh never mind, maybe it's not a real thing."

According to the Internet, this is what they actually say during the movie:
Nani: We need something that can defend itself. Something that won't die. Something... sturdy... you know?
Lilo: Like a lobster!
Nani: Lilo, Lilolo! Do we have a lobster door? No! We have a dog door! We are getting a dog!
*Note:  Yes, I was appalled that she was inquiring about Bandit's demise!

In other news, Sam is sitting up and crawling backwards.  He wants to jump out of your arms and get on the floor so he can play.  It's only a matter of time until he is crawling all over the place.  He's going to wreak some havoc....bring it on - we're ready kid!

Too big for their britches

No doubt about it - our kids are definitely too big for their britches.  Julia's walking around talking & acting like a teenager and Sam needs to be held - constantly.

Let's see if I can come up with some examples from Julia:

• "Hey mom, can I stay up a little later than 8pm so I can watch Frienemies tonight?"  Me - "what's Frienemies?"  Julia - "it's a show about BFFs that..." (I wasn't listening past the phrase BFF).  Me - "Do you know what BFF means?"  Julia - "Yes, it means best friends forever.  Anyway, can I watch that show tonight?" 
• On two separate occasions Chris and I have also heard the phrase "You are UNBELIEVABLE" and there was visible eye-rolling with it.  Chris was trying to help her roller skate and apparently was being too hands on.  So, it was "Dad, you are unbelievable.  You aren't letting me do this myself." 

Damn the Disney channel.  When did it turn from these cute shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse into this tween crap like Jessie and Shake it Up.  We've had to cut back the TV to 30 minutes per evening and I totally drew the line when I saw the title on a show last night of "My babysitter is a vampire."  Done, off, no more of this crap.  Sadly, instead she wound up watching a You Tube video of the Geico lizard shooting the Geico pig with a gun (thank God it was a cartoon parody and it only took me 45 loooong minutes to explain it).  I won't be winning any mother of the year awards.

On a sweet note Julia was pretending the other day that she was in college.  I asked her what she would do in college and her answer was "read stories, play on the playground and color....BUT - color without stencils because YOU KNOW, this would be college." 

She has also learned how to roller skate, ice skate and ride a bike without training wheels since late December.  How awesome is all of that?!?!

Sam, oh sweet Sam, where to begin.  He has two teeth and if we could ever get the spoon out of his mouth to look at them, I bet they would be really cute.  He is eating us out of house and home - we've had to start making his baby food just to keep up and to not go broke.  He is sleeping 13 hours a night (HOO-frickin-RAY) and is chatty Cathy (although he's not exactly saying anything yet).  He's proven that he can sit up on his own for a few seconds if he wants to.  However, he can't be bothered to sit up.  He's trying to crawl backwards.  I think he's frustrated because he wants to move and can't do it yet.  He also may be frustrated because Julia is constantly hugging and kissing on him, but that's another story.

Is this the best family picture we can manage?  Yes, I do believe it is.

Daddy - You are UNBELIEVABLE

Proud to say I was the first one to brave ice skates with her

 

We put the bumpers on shortly after this incident.

 

Think these kids look alike?  The picture on the bulletin board is of Julia at 2 1/2 months.  Sam is about 7 months in this photo.