Free Cone Day

This time last year Ark Boy was given a sweet tasting food for the first time.
We tried to wait for his 2nd birthday but who can resist Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day?

"I-pee-yume" -as he called it- was a hit.
It remains on the list of foods Ark Boy loves (along with pizza, goldfish crackers, "boy" cereal (also known as Life), and more recently cream cheese sandwiches).
So this year we tried it again....

We told Ark Boy that he called it I-pee-yume last year and he said: "Or maybe icecream".
Next year it will be this girl's turn:

A scrape... or two

For those needing a picture fix...
We were able to meet up with the playgroup crowd one afternoon last week. After 5 crying/sadness breakdowns from Ark Boy we (meaning- "I" with mild protest from Ark Boy) decided to call it a day.
At least 2 of the 5 crying/sadness meltdowns were a result of tumble which left us with this crazy cheek scrape (I'm not sure but I think the other times he was just overwhelmed- but it's hard to tell because I he would be on the ground, face down, crying).

He rarely cooperates for pictures but he wanted to do funny faces.
We did funny faces- I showed him the picture, he'd burst out laughing and we'd get shots like this.

And, no worries, Farm Girl is still alive and well also:)

For all of these pictures they were standing on this stepstool together.
Yes, Farm Girl can climb up it by herself and if the stepstool is out she will climb.
Not to be outdone, Ark Boy often insists on joining her.

On TV

In the beginning (pre-marriage) I said no tv.
Not just no tv-watching
literally- no glowing box in our future house.
Ren Man loves video games.
Agree to TV if we leave it in a secret closet and theoretical kids do not know it exists.
Ren Man's college TV follows us into marriage.
Hmmmmm....
Then pregnancy exhaustion+depressing job=no motivation to move+excessive tv watching on my part.
Then the miracle that is Ark Boy arrives
No more TV
There's no time.
Seven months pass.
Show Ark Boy signing video.
He loves it.
We'll do signing videos.
Over time Ark Boy has signing video addiction.
Decide to limit video watching.
Successful.
Start introducing other movies (Shrek, Chicken Run, Garfield, Nemo).
Notice Ark Boy prefers non-signing videos.
Okay... we're okay with that.
Notice he shows us an action then says that the chicken did this or the orange cat did that.
Hmmm....
Notice Ark Boy would prefer to watch videos rather than most any other thing.
Decide videos are taking over his sedate life.
Have decided to wean him off videos in our house (doesn't apply to someone else's home we happen to be in).
We'll see how this goes....

It takes a village

I have a job.
No longer *just* a mom.
It's part time.
It ends in 10 weeks.
So far
so good....
no, not good
great.
Sad that it won't continue next year.
Enjoying while it lasts.
Before being offered the position officially I had two "trial" days to see how things would go.
Coincidentally Ren Man had a conference that meant he was unable to be home with the kids.
as an aside: this lead to a very interesting situation.
Ren Man had to be at "work" so finding child care became my responsibility.
For both days he insisted that he needed the cell phone
but wasn't comfortable being the one people would call if there was an issue with the kids.
And Ren Man is the most non-traditional father I know.
Interesting to see how our lives might('ve) be(en) if/when he gets a full time job.
Ren Man was away for one of the days in NYC.
My mom, thankfully, came to be with the kids.
Farm Girl was a wreck most of the day.
Mommy guilt.
I also learned that I was expected to be at work all day the next day when I had anticipated only being needed for a half day.
Feel like crying.
The person I've asked to watch Farm Girl is doing so out of the goodness of her heart and for me to ask her to watch the girl all day....
going to cry.
My mom takes Ark Boy to her house for a long weekend.
Friend calls to double check everything is set for the next day.
Ask about her watching Farm Girl all day.
Not a problem, at all, she says.
Feel like crying again.
In a good way.
Farm Girl has barely napped.
Decide to put her down for the night at usual time despite Ren Man needing to be picked up from train station at 9:50.
At 7pm decide to ask friend down the street to come at sit for an hour so I don't have to bring Farm Girl with me.
Absolutely she says.
Feeling so wonderful about wonderful "village" we have.
Farm Girl opts to wake up 3 times in the ten minutes before I have to leave.
Decide to bring her with me.
Friend is very understanding.

Next morning wake up insanely early to get to other friends house who lives about 20mins on the other side of work from our house.
Do fairly quick drop and run.
Guilt.
But not as much as I expected.
Ask friend to nurse Farm Girl, if she'd like, as it might be easier.
At end of day am running late.
Very late.
Get to friend's house expecting red faced screaming Farm Girl.
She waves from other side of room.
I scoop her up.
Nurse her like crazy.
She crawls away to play more.
Very very impressed.
And she nursed 3 times while I was gone.
Am told that she was not cranky.
Relieved.
Love friends.
Love village.
Love job.

Dear Noah 35 Months

Dear Noah,
Literally every day you surprise me with something that comes out of your mouth. You say something that I didn't know you knew about, you say something really sweet, you remember something that I didn't expect you to remember because it happened a year or more in the past, etc. etc. It's amazing to think back to when we were feeling a little nervous because you weren't even signing while your peers were having oral conversations. And now... now- you seem to have caught up and it is funny to think of a time when we were worried. You now talk all.the.time. There are plenty of people who would fairly be able to say: "told you so!".... A good lesson in every child develops at their own rate... but they do develop. I'll remind you of our anxiety and then subsequent wondering why were ever nervous if and when you have a baby who isn't communicating.

You're sitting next to me right now concerned over hang nails. You want them to go away. I told you: "first they have to fall out" and you said: "maybe first they have to fall in" and then wrapped one arm around my shoulder. See- you say funny things.
Whenever we meet someone new and they ask how old you are I tell them and after a beat they say: "wow! he's tall!" It's gotten to where now if someone doesn't say their "line" I get all confused. I just agree but didn't really get it because you're you and I haven't really had anything to compare you to. Over the winter we've had playgroup indoors and so you're in closer proximity to other children who are around your age. Wow! You are tall! People always ask if Daddy is tall. And no, he's not. So it's never a quick explanation. I explain that Ugug (whom you've started calling "Uncle Douglas"- I don't know who told you "Ugug" wasn't right) and Grampy are both over 6feet- so height is in there- just didn't show up in myself or Daddy. We're waiting (cringing?) for the time when we have to look up to you and admonish you for something (late coming home? got a speeding ticket? ... I don't know- it's hard to imagine!).

You continue to grow into your role is a big brother. I recently left you and your sister upstairs while I ran downstairs to do something. I heard Del sound the alarm (indicating something was happening that she wasn't happy about). When I peaked around the corner at the two of you in your room you were saying: "I'm sorry....are you okay? do you feel better?" When the alarm sound stopped you grabbed Del on either side of her face and shook her head like you were trying to wriggle it off her neck. She sounded the alarm again. Funny to see you be such a sweet brother... and also the instigating brother.
This month you spent your longest time every away from Mommy and Daddy. On Thursday Nina watched you and Del while Mommy was at work and Daddy was away at a conference. After Mommy came home you left with Nina to go to "Poobah's house" and we didn't come to get you until Sunday. We missed you very very much and Nina and Poobah had a lot of fun with you. Ugug... sorry, Uncle Douglas, even had some quality time with you.
You started asking to go to bed for the night between 7-8. You only take a nap a couple times a week at the most so earlier bedtimes are a must. It's interesting having you determine when it's time to call it a day.

Whenever you want someone to do something for you you have a funny way of asking. You'll say something like: "You want to carry me up!" or "You want to do it!" even when the other person really doesn't want to do what you want them to do.
You also answer almost every question by saying "maaaayyybbbbeee..... this one! or... this one!"
Oh! Another fun Noah fact: you are not a fan of baths. So you take embarrassingly few. But you're only almost-three once, right?
You asked for knitting needles at the fabric store and in a moment of stress (weakness) I agreed. You've been begging to learn to knit and I agreed to teach you... as soon as I learn how. It's MUCH harder than I expected so we may need to wait on that for.... a decade or so.... in the mean time you've been waving the needles around saying: "You want to fight!" enthusiastically to anyone who you think will engage in a needle fight with you. I'm not sure what you're really expecting because you refuse to give the other person a needle to use. We weren't sure where you learned the word "fight". Finally you said something that made Daddy realize that it was from one of his video games. Not good. A giant evidently fights in the game. So we've been telling you that only giants fight.... not people. But then you say you are a giant....hmmm.

You are a big big fan of Daddy. In fact, several times you have said that he is your Dad and I am Del's Mom. You're very concerned about who is a boy and who is a girl (so the moth you saw is a boy, your baby doll is a boy, the stuffed animal puppy is a boy.... actually- if given the option everything is male). You've also started claiming us: "Where's MY Dad? Where's MY sister?" etc.
I can't believe you're going to be three next month! Three! That's crazy talk. There have been so many things, I feel like, that you couldn't do until you're three. One big thing is school! That's right- next year you're starting pre-school two mornings a week. We recently drove past my school so I told you that it was my school and said what it is called. Then you asked what Daddy's school is called. I said: "Brown" and you said: "Maybe my school is called 'Black'". Funny funny. You are very excited about school and almost daily say you want to go. I told you that you will go when the leaves turn orange and green and brown and start falling. So now after you say you want to go to school you say: "...first the leaves have to be red, then I can go".
I love you Big Boy!
Mommy

Crochet Crazy!

I've lusted after longies since Noah was a baby but I can't crochet or knit. (See an example in this Brown Eyed post).
They are made of wool and are stellar diaper covers
to say nothing of their absolute cuteness.
They also run in the $30-$50 range (see examples here and here and here).
Even so- I'm tempted... very much so.
Last week I decided to figure out how to make them.
After consulting my local crochet/knitting experts I felt that crocheting might be easier.
Decided to start with that.
I started making a wash cloth and then jumped into making longies based on a tut I found here.
I intended to make 18mos size for next fall/winter.
Soon realized they were too large.
Maybe 24 mos?
When they were finished I held them up to Noah...
they are a little short... but not much.
He wears a size 4....
So decided to try and shrink them.

They felted. Which I didn't think would be a big deal but it means they are super stiff with minimal stretch and still not small enough (size 24 months laying on top).

Here they are on top of the size 24 months pants- I would need to add a waste was the rise is WAY too short.

Wish I had just pulled it out and started again. Oh well, lesson learned.
Someone was recently telling me about crocheting in the round.
What is that?
I didn't know either
So I looked it up.
And now I'm trying to make a pair crocheting in the round... using acrylic this time.
It might not make a great diaper cover but it will be good to practice on something less expensive than wool until I get this figured out.

Hopefully these will work... as a 12 mos size.
My next project?
Knitting.
And I think I'll do my practice pants as doll sizes to use less, time, yarn, etc. while mastering the pattern/skill set.