Angels Angels Everywhere!

Zoe's preschool choir at church sang in church this past Sunday.  The tradition every year is for them to sing Away in the Manger and have a Mary, a Joseph, and a few angels and shepherds.  Well, as you can sing, we had a Mary, a Joseph, one shepherd, and about 8 angles. Zoe's birth year was a busy one from about February on...all girls, one or two being born each month from February until August. 

I love watching these little ones sing.  Such precious gifts from God...though I have to remember that on the days when she is full of temper tantrums.  :) 

Party like a preschooler!

Zoe's preschool Christmas party was last Friday.  Hard to believe my little girl has been in preschool for an entire semester already.  She's done now until the week after HSU students return and she's not thrilled about not getting to go for so long.  She LOVES her school.  And I love that it has done so much for her developmentally...she has learned to thrive in a classroom setting, how to submit to authority, how to share and take turns, and how to sit quietly and listen.  Watching that group of kids interact during "circle time", it's evident that all of the kids have learned the same.  This is one structured environment...I don't think a thing could be improved upon. 

Santa came to visit the school.  If you read my last post, you know we don't really do the whole Santa thing.  We don't ignore that he exists, we just don't really talk about him much and don't do Santa gifts.  So when she sat on his lap and he asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she put her finger to her mouth, and said, "Umm....umm....umm....a candy cane."  Her innocence is actually quite humorous...but she really just has no clue that he is the gift-giver in most homes.  He sort of just laughed and said, "You don't want any toys?"  She said, "well, yeah, I want a Barbie house and a baby doll."  First off, she doesn't even have a clue who Barbie is...she just heard her little friend say she wanted a Barbie house.  And the child is overflowing in baby dolls.  Too funny. 

I was able to go spend some time with her during her party, but I had to take E-man with me.  He busied himself eating when the others ate and playing when everyone else played.  Zoe's teacher even set him up in a little chair right next to her.  I think it's safe to say he'll thoroughly enjoy it when he's there in another year and a half.  :)  But you can decide for yourself. 



Recognize the little guy at the end?

 

This is Zoe's favorite teacher, Ms. Bobbi

Carol of the Lights

Zoe's preschool is involved each year in a Christmas program that the campus puts on.  Any and all of the Henderson State University singing groups sing a small set of songs.  The preschool participates in this as well.  The three and four year old class combined together and sang three songs...Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, and We Wish you a  Merry Christmas.  It took place outside and was FREEZING.  It was about 28 degrees that night with temps steadily dropping.  But almost everyone bundled together and enjoyed the program.  I say almost because Darin was stuck keeping a little boy occupied.  He got to see very little of it and, I think was quite disappointed.  So I got some videos and pictures for him. 



Waiting for Santa to arrive



Why?

I propose that a child has a limit on the number of times a kid can use a single word sentence in the form of a question.  I love that my daughter is a sponge and that she questions everything around her.  But I don't like the fact that everything I say is followed by one single word....why?  Well, I take that back.  I'm ok if she uses it when we're talking about something random.  What I'm not ok with is that she asks why after I give her an instruction, or tell her not to do something, or tell her she can't have something...see a pattern yet?  :) 

The following is an actual conversation I had with...well...basically me, myself, and I, because the only other words used during the conversation were "why?". 

Me:  Zoe, Ethan, let's go. 

Zoe:  Why?

Me:  Because we need to go to Walgreens to get your brother some medicine.

Zoe:  Why?

Me:  Because he ran out of his allergy medicine and needs some more.

Zoe:  Why? 

Me:  Because otherwise, he'll get sick.

Zoe:  Why?

Me:  You sure ask a lot of why questions.  Let's not ask that after everything that I say, ok? 

Ethan (now putting in his two cents):  Why?

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So...who second's my proposal?? 

The Santa dilema

Saturday was our community-wide Breakfast with Santa.  Our Junior Auxillary group puts this on every year and has donuts and juice along with several crafts that the kids can do.  Santa is there, so kids are giddy and moms are camera happy. 

A long time ago, way before children, Darin and I made the decision not to do the whole Santa thing with our kids.  We are still sticking to that.  We don't look down on or judge anyone who does (we are fully aware we're in the minority), but we have our reasons for why we aren't.  So, since Zoe is in preschool this year and she's old enough to understand the whole Santa concept, it's been a little bit of a struggle to try and figure out how to go along with our plan without telling her he wasn't really real.  The last thing we want her to do is go and say to some other kid, "Santa is just pretend." and spoil their Christmas.   And that would be a guarantee since our little girl is such a chatterbox. 

Zoe is fully aware of who Santa is...well, aware of the big man in a red suit anyway.  We have santa decorations and books with him in there.  So it's not like he's taboo in our home.  But what she doesn't know is that for most other kids, "Santa" brings all the gifts.  What we've decided to do until she's old enough to know not to share her knowledge with everyone around her is just to treat the Santa situation like it's just not that big of a deal.  She know's there's a Santa, but she just assumes he's a person just like anyone else.  And we're not adding anything else to that.  All gifts we do in our house are either from us or from grandparents. 

Luckily, she hasn't questioned anything when people ask her, "so what is Santa bringing you this year?"  She just sort of gives them a funny look.  Hopefully we won't have an issue after Christmas when people ask the same question in past tense. 

So anyway, we went to the breakfast with Santa. Zoe even sat in his lap...or rather next to his lap.  Instead of doing him reading the "Letters to Santa" that kids did while they were there, she just took him one of her other crafts and began telling him what she did.  

Ethan really enjoyed the crafts...he enjoys just about anything as long as it's what big sister is doing.  :) 

And of course, when I mentioned earlier about the mom's snapping away on their cameras, you know I had to be one of those.  So here ya go. 

Over the hill

We're now over the hill.  Soon, we'll come sliding into year 3.  My little guy is really starting to blossom (though in a few years I'm sure he won't appreciate the floral reference).  Here's to nineteen months. 

Ethan, at 19 months:

*Still take a good 2 hour nap once a day and sleep from 8PM until right around 7AM. 

*Finally grew into that long torso of yours.  You are wearing 18-24 month clothes.  The pants that used to just hang on you finally fit you normally.  And your belly is slimming down making your shirts a bit looser.  :)

*You are 23 lbs...finally starting to put some weight on that skinny body of yours. 

*You are running....everywhere.

*You are hitting terrible twos a little early.  Tantrums are beginning to be a daily occurance complete with stomping and crying.  Some end up on the floor flailing.  They don't last long because I ususally just walk away.  It's not so easy, however, when you throw one in a store.  Ahem.  

*You went almost a month without headbutting.  Congratulations!!  But then we had the worst case of headbutting I think we ever had.  We wrapped your crib rail all the way around with thick sheets so you couldn't injure yourself....any further.  You sported some pretty big bruises for a while. 

*Are using full sentences.  You pretty much know what you want and will tell us.  Sometimes they're not all that clear, but most of the time they are. 

*You told me for the first time the other day, "No. I do it myself!"  Headstrong little thing, you are. 

*You almost have your full set of first year molars.  That was one of the main causes to this last bit of headbutting.  You have part of your fourth one in.  Now just 9 more teeth to go.  Sigh.

*You love to sing.  You have three favorites.  ABC, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Baa Baa Black Sheep.  These are the lyrics we often hear from those. 

Tinkle Tinkle Wittle Tar.  How I wonder wut you are.  Up aba do worl so high.  Like a dimon in do sky.  Tinkle Tinkle Wittle Tar.  How I wonder wut you are.    - you don't normally sing all of it at one time.  Usually bits and pieces.

Baabaa back sheeeeep.  Have you any wuh.  Yes sir yes sir tee bah fuh.  - and that's all you know of that one. 

ABCDEFG...HIKLOP...RSTUVWXYYYYZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.  You almost have it down, but you miss about 5 letters in the middle.   You can identify a little over half of the letters by sight. 

*You count to ten.  And actually, out of the blue you counted to 19 today.  I had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  You only missed 11 and called 17 seven.  I only work with you on 1-10.  We've not yet done anything above ten.  You learn SO much from hearing your sister.  I guess there is a benefit to her C.O.N.S.T.A.N.T. jabbering.  :) 

*You are learning colors...or think you are.  You know the names of a lot of them and go point to things and say random colors.  You can accurately name red and yellow.  The rest are totally random. 

*You love Elmo and Diego.  You have a little Elmo stuffed toy and carry it around with you sometimes.  He has made his way into your crib for naptime and bedtime. 

*You are into everything.  I was thrown for a loop with you because you sister never much explored....at least not like you.  When I say you are into everything, I mean e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g! 

*You love to wrestle with your daddy.  You plow into him and sometimes knock him over if he's sitting on the floor and didn't know you were coming. 

*You love life and are for the most part a happy, healthy toddler.  I was so blessed with two happy kiddos. 

Until next month....

Hair journey - month 4

Well, it's growing, but taking what seems like forever and a day. I'd like to have it where I want it now...but we all know that's not gonna happen. When I look at it every day, it doesn't seem like it's grown hardly at all, but when I compare it to last month's, it's obvious how much it's grown. Supposedly, hair grows half an inch per month, but I'm thinking mine may grow faster than that. The first picture was from Zoe's first day of preschool on September 1st, then one from the end of Sepbember, one from the beginning of November, and then two from today. Not a bad growth speed if I do say so myself.



Hide and Seek

So we've been starting to play hide-and-seek.  This is what I found when I was looking for Zoe one time.  Gee - I have no idea where she is.  Do you???!!

Won...tooo....tee...

Just recentlly, Ethan learned to count to ten.  He's quite proud of himself and loves to go get random numbers from his puzzles and tell me what they are.  I love this age...they learn so much so fast. 

The sickies

Well, the stomach bug made a not so welcome stop at our house last week.  Ethan woke up early last Friday morning just after midnight having thrown up in his bed.  I almost lost it when I walked into his room...there were smells coming from there that should never come from a little boy's room.  He threw up on and off for the next three hours and then just like that slept from 3am till 9am the next morning and was fine as far as keeping bodily fluids in his body.  Other than being really fussy and lethargic, he was fine.  We seemed to coast through the weekend....UNTIL...2am Sunday morning.  I woke up and knew it hit me.  My new pillow became our toilet.  Less than an hour later, I heard Zoe's door open, a few whimpers, and a blahhgg.  She threw up all over herself and the floor.  Needless to say by that point I was so sick I couldn't held Darin at all.  He cleaned her up, cleaned the floor, got her back in bed, and she did it again....until 5PM the next afternoon.  He was on his own the whole day, after having only 3 hours of sleep or so.  By the time she had a semi-long break between episodes, he laid down on the couch and shortly thereafter Ethan woke up for the day.  I couldn't help him at all...I felt totally helpless.  Mine was so bad that if I even rolled over in bed, I would throw up again.  Mine lasted for about 12 hours and Zoe about 15.  Once we were finally able to hold things down, even just a sip of liquid, we started on the road to recovery...which in our case was twice as long as the illness itself.  Miraculously, Darin never caught it...even after taking care of three others who had had it.  Looks like he'll miss it this year...or at least this time.  Phew.  I could definitely think of a better way to spend a weekend, though...like scrubbing our kitchen floor with a toothbrush perhaps. 

I'm actually sort of glad we had it before the holidays.  We did the whole get the stomach bug during travel over the holidays three years ago and it was not what I would call fun.  Our Christmas festivities included nothing but upchucking.

Look at these poor babies.  Ethan just laid down on the floor on Friday and moaned.  Poor guy.  Zoe's picture was during her recovery period on Monday...she laid on the couch most of the day trying to regain energy.  Are these not the most pathetic faces you've ever seen?

Leaves, leaves, leaves

What's fall without a little playing in the leaves?  One of my favorite memories as a kid was jumping in big piles of leaves.  The not so favorite memory of that comes from the scratches all over your body afterwards.  :) 

And what's better for a mom who likes to play with her camera to take pictures of her kids playing in the leaves?  It's a blast for the kids and a natural photo scene for the camera crazy mom. 

Zoe loved jumping and sitting in the leaves.  Ethan, not so much.  He enjoyed it after a little while but it took some promting from his big sister.