Adventures of Alec & Cara

A Synopsis

2012-01-20T00:18:00.002-05:00

So, it's been a while since I've posted anything here, which is because a lot has happened. In a quick overview, we:

found daycare in the distant city where we planned to move
sold the house
moved to said distant city
discovered new daycare was scary and not at all what we want for the kids
toured about 4 new daycare facilities, looking for one that is truly play based
found a play-based daycare, got on waiting list, promised enrollment slots after Christmas
learned that slots were no longer available
toured more daycare facilities, found another play-based daycare with immediate openings... in the 3-4 yr old room.

So, it looks like our kids will be the youngest in their class by 4 months at least, but I think they'll adapt pretty well. They seemed to enjoy playing there and joining in with the other kids for free play, snack, circle time, and a teacher-led music/yoga session. I'm looking forward to having time to finish unpacking boxes, setting up an office for myself, and being somewhat productive. Trying to get things done around the house on two toddlers' schedule is incredibly difficult, and with the boxes and disorganization resulting from the recent move, the house is not an especially frustrating place to be for long periods. I want the kids to get outside a few times/day and to be free to make messes and mistakes. With daycare they'll be much better able to do that, I believe.

Fun with a gun

2011-11-11T16:40:00.003-05:00

This week the kids made and decorated sock monkeys at school. The best part for Alec was getting to examine the glue gun before it was plugged in and heated up. I heard that he and another boy spent a LOT of time looking at it and trying to figure it out. Glad they were able to do this project. Seems like fun all around.

Celebrating Diwali

2011-10-25T15:48:00.011-04:00

One of the children in their class at daycare is from India, and her mom came to school today to help the kids dress up for Diwali. Alec wore a kurtha and Cara wore a skirt, scarf, and had a bindi painted on her forehead. They also prepared and ate a yummy cardamom treat. Then, all the kids had mendhi painted on their hands. I love this daycare!

Chinese dress-up

2011-10-25T15:48:00.009-04:00

I don't know anything about the origin of this costume or the purpose of the little hand broom/fan thingy, but I love seeing Cara dressed up in it!

Budding drivers

2011-10-21T14:29:00.002-04:00

One of the things Alec and Cara like doing most is riding on the various vehicles at school. Cara rode a motorcycle with her gardening gloves, and Alec is on his "flatbed truck."

Baking

2011-10-21T14:27:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the kids get to do a little baking at daycare, then have their finished product for afternoon snack. I'm not sure what they're making here, but I know Cara loves having her turn adding ingredients and mixing.

It's not what you think

2011-10-21T14:23:00.002-04:00

Amy put some lipstick on Cara so she could make an art project: lip prints on paper. She and a little boy in her class had great fun with this!

Ribbit!

2011-08-29T16:53:00.003-04:00

Pool time

2011-08-20T14:51:00.008-04:00

We've been having a fantastic time swimming at the local public pool this summer. Both Alec and Cara have learned to hold their breath, close their eyes, and jump in when we're close by to help them surface. And now that it's the end of the summer, they've each grown enough to be able to hold their heads above water while touching the bottom in the 3' section! Of course, the water slides remain a main attraction of the pool since last year. I think they're aging out of the kiddy pool section though. They've much more interest in being in the 3' section, sliding, and learning to kick and paddle. I think by next summer they'll be dog paddling like professionals!

Bumble bee mosquitoes

2011-08-10T10:35:00.004-04:00

There have been some pretty aggressive mosquitoes outside these days, and Alec and Cara have had their fair share of bites. Cara has learned that bites itch less if I apply "calamari lotion" to them, so she often requests that. Alec is less appealing to the mosquitoes than is Cara, so he isn't as itchy. But this morning there was one on his knee that was clearly bothering him. While getting him dressed this morning he told me "A bumble bee mosquito went on my knee and bited me with his pointy nose!"

Cara wants to dive!

2011-08-03T15:31:00.002-04:00

It's been really really hot these days so we've enjoyed taking the kids to the local swimming pool to cool off. The last time we went, Cara spent about 20 minutes just jumping into the water and climbing back out. It was in a deeper section, so of course I had to lift her up after she jumped in, and push her to the side of the pool. But she totally mastered jumping, taking a big breath, and closing her mouth and eyes! And after a few tries she was even able to hoist herself out of the pool independently!

Since then, she's been talking about jumping into the pool and jumping into imaginary pools. So one day I showed her videos of people doing springboard diving. Of course, next to the clips of those were videos of skydivers, so we watched those too. Now Cara wants to skydive!

Cara loves Ollie

2011-08-01T00:37:00.003-04:00

Cara has recently begun seeking out our independent cat, Oliver, for petting and loving on. And Oliver has actually seemed to enjoy the attention! Up until now, he would leave whenever approached by the kids. But today he just lay down and relaxed as Cara patted and talked to him. She was as gentle as she could be, but given that she's 2 1/2 yrs old, that wasn't very gentle. Still, he lay there and took it!

Taking care of Papa

2011-07-24T14:35:00.003-04:00

July 7, 2011: While we were in San Diego, we spent a lot of time with my parents, "Grandma" and "Papa," or as the kids collectively call them, "Grandmapapa." There aren't any photos of both kids with my Dad, but we did manage to snap this one of Cara putting ice on Papa's boo boo. He was very appreciative.

To boat or not to boat?

2011-07-23T15:49:00.008-04:00

July 7, 2011: Our plan was to go boating with Uncle Bob on a lake east of San Diego. But with a stuck throttle, we had to abandon ship before we ever got going. It started out fun, with the kids enjoying wearing their little PFDs (see Image 1).

But after an hour or so waiting to determine whether or not we'd hit the water, we started to feel hot and uncomfortable (see Image 2)

Balboa Park

2011-07-23T15:09:00.009-04:00

July 1, 2011: We're in San Diego visiting the grandparents, so we thought we'd take a little visit to Balboa Park. There is a beautiful carousel there, as well as a little airplane/butterfly ride and a train ride. Alec rode the airplane ride 3 times, and the carousel twice, and Cara did the inverse. Much fun had by all!

Group slide

2011-07-22T16:46:00.003-04:00

June 28, 2011: Cara started a trend of sliding down en mass. It's pretty cute!

Fun with electricity

2011-07-22T16:29:00.001-04:00

June 27, 2011: Ever the tinkerer, Alec takes advantage of a chair placed near a light switch.

Alec the doctor

2011-07-22T16:22:00.004-04:00

June 9, 2011: A while back I bought a cheap little otoscope to use just in case the kids seemed to have an ear infection or, more likely, shoved a small object into any inappropriate orafice. But having recently visited the dentist, Alec wanted to pretend to be a doctor and give Brian an exam. But instead of saying "I'm going to shine a bright light into your eyes," he says (off camara) "I'm going to shine a light into your bright eyes." Brian repeated Alec's statement at the beginning of the video.

Dentist visit #2

2011-07-22T16:14:00.002-04:00

June 8, 2011: Time again for a visit to the dentist for a biannual checkup. The kids were stars! Alec eagerly climbed up into the dentist chair and opened his mouth without protest for the exam. All the while, he held up the little toy pickup truck for himself to see, but that's OK! Cara was a bit more timid, and wanted to lay on my chest in the chair. But she too was a star and opened her mouth nicely for the dentist. No cavities for either child!

2011-07-22T16:05:00.005-04:00

June 3, 2011: Another clever art project for the kids at daycare! This time it is paper plate masks. I often think that were the kids to be at home all day, they'd never have as much fun or do such a wide variety of things as they do at daycare. Sure I'd cart them along with me out into the world, and we'd go to the park, etc. But I'd probably not think of even half of the activities they do at daycare. Plus, they benefit from being able to get messy and romp around at will without any concern that something will be ruined.

Proud Cara

2011-07-22T15:49:00.002-04:00

June 2, 2011: "I got on this stump, right here!"

Getting down and dirty

2011-07-22T15:41:00.011-04:00

May 17, 2011: Just because it's too rainy to go outside, doesn't mean there can't be fun in the mud!

Worms on a rainy day

2011-07-22T15:35:00.007-04:00

May 13, 2011: It's been raining a bit so lots of earthworms have emerged in the kids' play area. I really like that the teachers try to foster an appreciation for plants and wildlife, and take advantage of the context of daily events to introduce opportunities for the kids to explore new things. Both Alec and Cara enjoyed feeling worms crawling on their hands. They tickle!

Fun with paint

2011-07-22T15:30:00.002-04:00

May 11 & 12, 2011: Cara seems to really enjoy making art. She's becoming quite skilled at the two-handed approach to painting!

Checkin' out the neighborhood wildlife

2011-07-22T15:25:00.002-04:00

May 5, 2011: Every once in a while we see a small brown bat hanging from a building in our neighborhood. Here a teacher is helping Cara and Alec each get a good look at one that was resting near daycare.

More role playing these days

2011-07-22T15:02:00.003-04:00

May 5, 2011: The kids seem to be enjoying a lot more imaginative play these days, particularly roll playing and pretending different actions and emotions. Here's Cara with a classmate pretending to pat her to sleep for a mock nap.

Budding archaetects?

2011-07-22T14:57:00.004-04:00

May 4, 2011: Fun with pegs. I think it's interesting how they each choose to play with the same toy in a different manner. I wonder what they're each trying to create!

Bathing babies

2011-07-22T14:25:00.039-04:00

April 25, 2011: All babies need a bath now and then.

Here the kids are having fun bathing the baby dolls in a table of water.

I particularly like Alec's stack o' babies.

Hmm. I wonder if he's remembering that he and Cara were once stacked that way.

Painted toenails

2011-07-22T14:20:00.003-04:00

April 25, 2011: I painted my toenails so of course Cara wanted me to paint hers too. Seems like her toes were quite a hit at daycare!

Alec the "Fighter Fighter"

2011-07-22T14:16:00.004-04:00

April 26, 2011: Alec loves firetrucks, so it was great fun for him to try and ride a toy firetruck. He calls himself a "fighter fighter!"

Puppet theater

2011-07-22T14:07:00.007-04:00

Here begins a sequence of much belated posts. I've been busy and haven't kept up with them as I ought to.
These photos are from April 25 & 29, 2011.

The teachers brought in a little puppet theater setup and some puppets and helped the kids put on a show! They reenacted "Old MacDonald" to include lots of different animals.

Mixing truck!

2011-04-18T23:06:00.002-04:00

As much as Cara loves babies, Alec loves vehicles. Wait, scratch that. Make that 10 times as much as Cara loves babies. Alec LOOOVES playing with vehicles, especially the construction variety. This afternoon we had a rough time leaving daycare because he really didn't want to stop playing with this mixer. When asked what kind of a sound the mixer makes, he said "It makes a green sound." Alec is also into the color green right now.

Reading to one another

2011-04-18T23:04:00.001-04:00

The kids really enjoy listening to stories and are starting to practice sharing stories with one another. Here's Cara holding up a book for Alec and a classmate to see.

Cara loves her some babies

2011-04-18T23:00:00.003-04:00

Cara has a huge spot in her heart for little tiny babies. She adores them! She talks about the babies she knows, names her dolls after them, asks to see photos of them or to video chat with them, and pretends that she herself is a little tiny baby.

On Friday a mother of one of her classmates came in carrying her infant daughter in a sling. So inspired was Cara that she put one of the classroom dolls in her shirt and carried it around. So sweet!

Rolling nori

2011-04-15T14:25:00.003-04:00

Another cool toddler activity today at daycare! I think we should do this at home too, maybe with variations: spring rolls, burritos, taquitos, or wraps. Heck, we could just have them assemble their own sandwiches for lunch. The possibilities are endless.

Wheelbarrow full of monkeys

2011-04-10T23:46:00.003-04:00

Mulch was delivered on Friday morning, so we spent much of this weekend cleaning up the yard, planting veggies and flowers, fertilizing, and finally, mulching. A and C liked helping me to mulch, but they liked riding in the wheelbarrow on the trip back to the mulch pile best!

Bilibo hug

2011-04-06T15:23:00.009-04:00

Cara was sitting on a bilibo and Alec decided to sit in her lap, prompting a little hug.

(As a side note, we did not intentionally dress A & C alike. I dressed C, while Brian separately dressed A. We realized they were dressed the same later in the day when someone at day care pointed it out!)

Then, another child saw them and decided to sit on Alec's lap, prompting Alec to say "Three!" I kinda think this pose makes them look like the guys in Madness.

Our tech savvy toddlers

2011-03-31T11:13:00.003-04:00

Alec and Cara are becoming tech savvy toddlers. They often see me and B working on our computers and long ago learned that pressing keyboard buttons yields fun results. I think that they're locating letters in this photo: C for Cara, A for Alec, D for Daddy, P for Phoebe. Pretty soon they'll be the ones posting entries on this blog!

Playing in the yard

2011-03-31T11:08:00.002-04:00

Babes on bikes

2011-03-19T01:21:00.006-04:00

Now that they're in the "big kid" playground, the kids have access to some wheels! They are learning how to steer, pedal, and push, and having a wonderful time!

Signs of Spring

2011-03-19T00:55:00.004-04:00

Ah, spring! That time of year when daffodils bloom and baby elephants go for rides in strollers!

Driving the bus

2011-03-19T00:37:00.004-04:00

This past week the teachers arranged for one of the campus buses to come to day care for the kids to get onto and explore up close. The even got to sit in the driver's seat.

On a side not, Alec has been chewing on his jacket lately and I'm not sure why. He says his mouth and teeth don't hurt, but I wonder if he might be teething. I hear the 2 year old molars are kinda rough.

Bilibo fun

2011-03-19T00:25:00.004-04:00

Bilibos are such fun, versitile toys. In the first photo, Alec was using one to catch balls.

In the second, he is pretending to be a turtle. His teacher sang a little song for him about it "I have a little turtle; his name is Tiny Alec; I put him in the bath tub to see if he could frolic!"

Alec's art

2011-03-19T00:19:00.003-04:00

Morning snack

2011-03-19T00:09:00.002-04:00

One of his teachers noticed that Alec lined up his clementine slices, and took this photo just as Alec was about to eat his bagel. Funny boy.

Painting

2011-03-10T15:16:00.004-05:00

Alec and Cara exploring their artistic sides at the painting easels. Cara has been very much into writing letters, particularly the letters in her name. Lots of circles for C and A!

Tea Party!

2011-03-10T15:09:00.005-05:00

Yesterday the kids had a tea party at daycare! All the kids sat around a table and waited very patiently for their mug or teacup to be filled. They drank organic blueberry tea and a mixture of dried chamomile, lavender, and mint that was grown in their garden last Summer. And to authenticate their tea drinking experience the teachers played Vivaldi's Four Seasons in the background!

Big Playground

2011-03-04T01:42:00.003-05:00

There are 3 playground areas for the kids at their daycare, two small areas used by the 0-2 yr olds and one large area used by the older 2 -3 yr olds. This large playground has in it a path for riding tricycles, a little play house, and a large climbing gym with 2 slides. We walk passed it every day on our way to and from day care, and Alec and Cara sometimes have paused at the fence looking longingly at it.

Anyway, today Alec and Cara's day care class had their first official outside play time in the "big playground." It was so exciting for them! Their teacher Amy said that at first the kids were shy about entering it, walking slowly and tentatively as though they weren't sure they were really allowed to be there. But then suddenly they realized that they were now the "big kids" who get to play there. Here's a photo taken of Alec and Cara just at that moment of that realization.

More body tracing

2011-03-02T22:40:00.005-05:00

I think this is such a great activity, and clearly the kids liked it too! After outlining each other, the teachers labeled their body parts on the paper: hand, knee, head, foot, etc. These outlines are posted all over their classroom right now.

Finger painting

2011-03-02T15:09:00.002-05:00

As Cara was painting Alec's arm, he said "I like that."

Starting the day with a book

2011-03-01T22:09:00.005-05:00

After arriving at daycare the other day one of the kids asked Brian to read a book. One of the teachers snapped this cute picture. Both kids really enjoy being read to and often request that we read to them. Current favorites for Alec are a book about baby animals nursing called "Mama's Milk," a book on Ojibwe words, and Thomas, Percy and the Dragon. Cara is particularly interested in interactive books including "Where's My Sweetie Pie," and "Jungle Colors."

Grandparents' visit

2011-03-01T22:02:00.004-05:00

Two weekends ago I needed to go out of town for a short trip so Brian's parents drove in to help out while I was away. Alec and Cara were so excited to see them and talked about their coming for weeks ahead of time. While they were here they visited Alec and Cara at daycare and were subjected to a little art project that the teachers had planned: body tracing!

Not sleepy

2011-01-30T03:08:00.002-05:00

Here's what A & C were up to last night as we were trying to get them settled down to sleep. It was a late night, as you might imagine.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cara's version of "Rockabye Baby"

2011-01-17T18:17:00.002-05:00

YouTube Video

In case you need translation:

Rockabye baby
On treetop
Wind blows
Plop!

Panties!

2011-01-14T18:57:00.004-05:00

Cara has been interested in wearing panties, and with the success she's had lately using the potty, we're ready to let her give them a go. I bought her 2 pair, and tomorrow we'll go shopping and she can pick out some more that she likes. Maybe we'll get some stickers too. This Monday is a holiday, so we'll have 3 days in a row to get her used to them. Wish us luck!

Cara jumps around

2011-01-05T13:57:00.001-05:00

YouTube Video

Location:Steamboat Springs, CO

Alec & Grandma

2011-01-05T13:54:00.005-05:00

On the gondola:

On the mountain:
Sledding:

Location:Steamboat Springs

Alec cuts a rug

2011-01-05T13:54:00.001-05:00

YouTube Video

Location:Steamboat Springs, CO

Steamboat Springs CO

2011-01-02T02:43:00.004-05:00

Birthday celebration #2

2011-01-02T02:32:00.006-05:00

This year we are celebrating birthdays/Christmas with Brian's family in Lincoln, NE. So in order to spread out the presents and excitement, we decided to have birthday party #2 on Dec. 24, at the hotel pool. The cousins, aunt & uncle, and grandparents came to our hotel room in the morning with food and homemade carrot cupcakes, then immediately donned swimsuits and hit the pool. I stayed behind and prepared the room for the party lunch after they returned. The party went well, I think. Much fun was had by all!

Christmas #2

2011-01-02T02:32:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Christmas with lots of family and good food in Lincoln, NE. Alec and Cara really enjoyed playing with their cousins and their cousins' toys. Cara took a little while to warm up but then loved playing with the toy kitchen, and Alec became totally absorbed by the huge Thomas train set. I think their older cousins Dorothy and Gabriel were a bit disappointed when A & C didn't want to play with the same things they wanted to play with. But by the end of our visit A & C were seeming to really feel comfortable with their cousins and to enjoy their company. The next time we visit with the cousins, when the kids are a bit older, I think there will be lots of interactive play!

Christmas #1

2011-01-02T02:17:00.004-05:00

Since we weren't going to be home for the holidays, we decided to have an early Christmas and open presents on the weekend before we left so Alec and Cara could have a chance to play with their new toys a bit. The big gifts were a doll house, dolls, and some furniture for Cara and a plush dragon, Thomas the Tank Engine shed, tracks, new trains, and homemade viaduct bridge for Alec. Both kids received umbrellas, puzzles, books, blocks, and some new clothes. It was a bit sad to be opening all these gifts on our own, away from those who gave us them, so we tried to take lots of photos to share.

Birthday celebration #1

2011-01-02T02:00:00.006-05:00

The kids had an early birthday celebration on the last day of day care before the winter break. Brian came with party hats, muffins, fruit, and his cello to entertain the kiddos. Their teacher told us that all the kids were very excited about the party and talked about it coming up all morning. I couldn't go because I had to finish grading exams, but I did go to the store later to pick up a cake for us to eat when we celebrated at home later. I was about to go pick up cupcakes when Brian told me that Vanessa (one of the kids' teachers) told him that when Alec woke up from his nap he reportedly said "Make it beautiful. Make Alec birthday cake beautiful." Crap. Shouldn't have shown Alec those amazing tiered fondant cakes online the night before. So with a 1/2 hour available before I needed to pick them up, I took a chance and went to a local grocery store to look for a pretty cake. I totally lucked out and got two really cute small cakes. I hope Alec wasn't disappointed.

piano man

2010-12-14T15:34:00.004-05:00

Here is Alec at the piano at day care with a couple of classmates. Very cute!
By the way, his first words this morning were "hop, hop." Must have been thinking about little bunny foo foo.

Alec sez...

2010-12-08T22:22:00.002-05:00

Tonight while setting the table, Alec said out of the blue: "Daddy and Mommy and Alec and Cara happy and nice and great." Yeah! Hope he still feels this way when he's a teenager. :-)

Alec's first words of the day

2010-12-08T11:20:00.001-05:00

"Mommy have pants and shirt, and nice. Mommy and Daddy and Cara and Alec and Cara, nice."

Indoor snow play

2010-12-07T14:50:00.002-05:00

It's too cold for the kids to spend much time outside these days, so at day care the teachers have brought the snow inside, into the "sensory table." I love that one of A & C's classmates is in full fire fighter gear as he plays in the snow.

Deep thoughts, by Alec

2010-12-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

Lately, in the morning when he first wakes up, Alec says something that has absolutely nothing to do with the current context (being in bed, waking up, etc). Usually it has something to do with an event or saying from the previous day, but sometimes his utterance seems totally random. I've decided to keep track of them and post them.

Mon., Dec. 6: "Alec silly willy"
Sun. Dec. 5: "Crane on crane truck pick up logs, put in dump truck, drive away."
Sat. Dec. 4: "Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are"

Cara spells

2010-12-06T07:56:00.002-05:00

Cara has been enjoying reciting her ABCs lately, and that has led to spelling words around her. This is an example of her spelling prowess.

YouTube Video

Transcript:

"Yes. Mine."

"A, 8, 9, H, S. Say Cara’s."

"A, O, I, I, A, I, 6, 7."

"On tree."

"Yes."

"Daddy put that up there."

"Up up Daddy. Up up Daddy"

Snow angels

2010-12-06T07:46:00.001-05:00

I looked out the window and saw T teaching the kids how to do snow angels.

Snowman!

2010-12-06T07:37:00.001-05:00

ABCs

2010-12-05T10:39:00.001-05:00

YouTube Video

Snow!!

2010-12-02T12:49:00.003-05:00

It snowed yesterday for the first time this season. It wasn't a lot, but there was enough to play with a little bit. Here's a photo of Cara playing in the snow yesterday. I read on her daily report sheet that when she first touched it she said "Cara need mitten right now" but then immediately changed her mind and wanted to play with the snow.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T00:12:00.003-05:00

Grandmama and Grandpapa came to visit for Thanksgiving (and Grandpapa's birthday), and Alec and Cara (and B and I) were so happy to have them here. Instead of Alec and Cara arguing over who will get to "sit in Momma lap" at dinner, Cara regularly said she wanted to "sit in Papa lap." Both kids enjoyed having the grandparents read to them and play with them, and they gave me and B a few extra breaks from parenting. Much appreciated.

Alec sings "little bunny foo foo"

2010-11-17T23:43:00.002-05:00

One of the aides at Alec's day care has been teaching the kids "little bunny foo foo." We might also be encouraging it some at home. Alec clearly knows all the words.

YouTube Video

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T22:56:00.004-04:00

Alec and Cara went as fire fighters this year and we all had a fun time visiting neighbors to say "Happy Halloween" and show off their cuteness. We hadn't planned on the kids actually trick-or-treating because we really didn't want to give them candy. But alas, at every house they were offered candy and so we let them take some. No matter, because they didn't know what it was they were taking so we had no trouble making it disappear when they weren't looking. Turns out it is actually pretty easy to take candy from a baby. Who knew? Next year I suspect it might not be as easy.

Get off my lawn!

2010-10-26T16:32:00.004-04:00

Can't you just imagine Alec as a cranky 80 yr old man shouting at the neighbor kids? I think his wearing Cara's pjs makes this photo especially funny.

It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake!

2010-10-26T15:35:00.006-04:00

Cara has been really interested in celebrating birthdays these days. She is now able to sing a little bit of the Happy Birthday song, and she often asks for others to sing it, interrupting to say to whom the song should be directed: "Happy birday Yo Yo... Nessa... Megan... Nikki... Dadda... Grammapapa... etc." Grammapapa is the name of either Grandma or Grandpa, by the way, sorta like Brangelina. Anyway, here she is at day care baking a birthday cake, and later holding her cake (with candles!) and singing Happy Birthday. I wish I had video!

Leaf leaping

2010-10-26T14:46:00.003-04:00

Cara had a lot of fun jumping into a leaf pile in our yard last weekend. Yay Fall!

playing with pegs

2010-10-19T15:10:00.004-04:00

Not much to say here. Just having fun with pegs.

Life imitating art

2010-10-05T00:05:00.006-04:00

Alec and Cara's teacher emailed us this photo of Alec putting "grandpapa" in the sand wheel. Hmm... maybe we shouldn't have let the kids watch Fargo the other night. ;-) Just kidding. It's funny to see the kids doing things through our own prisms of popular culture.

Speech articulation

2010-09-30T13:36:00.003-04:00

Last night I discovered that Alec can now say /l/ in the medial position during spontaneous speech! This is fabulous because now says his own name accurately, as well as words like "pillow." He still has trouble with /l/ in the context of /j/ (e.g. "yellow"), and his /r/s are more like /w/s, but that's normal at this age.

Cara has been able to say /l/ for a while but has had difficulty with /r/ and /k/ in some contexts, so she does not yet say "Cara" although she can say "Alec" with a little prompting. She can definitely say "cake"!

Cara's latest developments

2010-09-29T00:54:00.005-04:00

As with Alec yesterday, today I'm posting an update on Cara's latest skills and interests.

Last month Cara's expressive language skills suddenly took off like crazy. She's now coming up with 3 & 4 word utterances on a regular basis, usually to tell us what she wants us to do or to comment on the world around her. She tells me and Brian where to sit and describes what we are doing or have just done. She has also claimed ownership of my right breast ("Dee Dee side") and decided that my left breast is "Ayec side."

She's very aware of those around her, showing concern or support when others are hurt or sad or emphatic joy ("Yeah!") when someone is singing or suggesting some activity she wants to do. ("Do that!"). The flip side is that sometimes she is bothered by people being in her personal space and responds by pushing or biting, although she's learning to say "move please" instead.

Cara is very tactile. She's constantly stroking or patting me or grasping at my many moles when she's nursing or being carried, which is sweet in a way but rather uncomfortable for me. At some point someone (perhaps myself) told her to be nice to moles, because when I move her hand away from one of my moles she usually says "Nice mole." Tonight it was "nice mole, alone." That's right Cara, leave the nice mole alone.

Cara's rapidly developing a very good body awareness. Her gross motor skills are already excellent but they're getting even better all the time. She loves to swing and can even pump a little bit. I know 5 yr olds who can't pump yet! It wont be long before she's able to swing on her own. Cara's also a great climber. She's able to climb ladders, stairs, and climbing walls with surprisingly little help. She loves to climb on top of people too, which can be pretty amusing.

Her fine motor skills are pretty good too. She's rapidly learning to drink from a regular cup. We still use sippies most of the time, but lately when she's been given a cup with no lid she's not spilled at all.

Finally, Cara is becoming potty trained! On a number of occasions, she has told us she needs to go "poo poo" or wanted to sit on the potty, and then proceeded, um... successfully. Woo hoo!

Alec's latest developments

2010-09-29T00:16:00.004-04:00

Now that the babies are 21 mos old, I think it's time for an update on all the cool things they're doing. This update is about Alec.

Alec *loooooves* construction vehicles, cars, trucks, buses, and trains. He often asks to be the [gaivuh] (driver) of vehicles, toy or otherwise. I think this is an interesting development in that it demonstrates his ability to use his imagination in play. Similarly, last week he began using puppets appropriately, both as the puppeteer and as a conversational partner. The other day he held up the little yellow "boo boo bunny" cold pack and said to me in a high-pitched voice "hi Mommy." Sooo cute!

He is also very computer savvy. He knows how to turn on our laptops and once a video has been pulled up and played he knows how to press the space bar to make it play again. His favorite videos (on You Tube) are all versions of "Wheels on the Bus."

Speaking of "Wheels on the Bus," both Alec and Cara have been requesting that we sing it about 30 times/day. They request particular verses and even make up new ones by changing the bus to a car, truck, or even a monster truck (thanks to Brian). The most recent new version was changing what the babies on the bus say from "wah wah wah" to "Momma milk." I swear I did not prompt that.

Alec is also very interested in books. At night when he's not sleepy he often says to us "Downstairs, read books." His favorite books include the following: various Dr. Seuss; Thomas the Train; I am a Bunny; books about trucks; Olivia; and I know a Rhino; The very hungry caterpillar; The very busy spider.

On the nose

2010-09-21T15:59:00.003-04:00

Cara knows what's what, including the location of her nose! This photo was taken as she was reading a book with a mirror inside, but I think it is apropos of so many circumstances. She can just point to her nose whenever we accurately guess what she's trying to say or why she might be upset.

I think I'm gonna trim this photo and use it in response to emails whenever people state the obvious or even just something with which I agree. It's to the point and cute, too!

Baking banana bread

2010-09-17T14:55:00.006-04:00

Today at day care the kids helped make banana bread! Yumm. Banana bread is always a big hit at breakfast time, so I'm sure they enjoyed having a hand in making it. I love the photo of Alec trying to lick mashed bananas off of the pastry knife.

Climbing at the park

2010-09-15T12:16:00.015-04:00

Last weekend we took the kids and dog to a park before lunch. This particular park has a lot of climbing equipment and slides, so we had a lot of fun there. Cara especially loved to climb and slide.

Here are some photos of Alec and Brian in the big gym.

Mission accomplished!

Nature walk

2010-09-10T23:12:00.004-04:00

Today at day care the kids went on a little nature walk. These photos were taken of them playing on and around a big tree.

Chillin' in the Bilibo

2010-08-26T13:15:00.003-04:00

There are a few Bilibos at day care for the kids to use, and they were photographed today playing with them. It looks like Cara has figured out how to use it as a lounge chair, but I think Alec is trying to get his to spin. At least that's what he does with ours at home.

Pedicures!

2010-08-21T14:14:00.002-04:00

Swan dive!

2010-08-19T00:27:00.007-04:00

One of the many things we have our kids do for our amusement.

Fire truck

2010-08-19T00:27:00.003-04:00

Here's Alec last weekend talking all about his fire truck.

Compassionate boy

2010-08-18T13:16:00.002-04:00

This morning Alec did something so sweet and kind. He, Cara and I were in their bedroom and I had Cara in my lap. She was not keen on being awake, I think, and was crying a little at the prospect of getting dressed. I asked if I could put on her shirt, and she said "no." I asked her if she wanted to put on her shirt, and she said "no." I asked if she wanted a hug, and she said "no." So Alec picked up Cara's doll and brought it to her and held it out for her to take. It was so nice of Alec to do that! It's really impressive to me that at so young an age, babies can show empathy and compassion.

With a little encouragement Cara did take the doll and seemed sorta soothed by it. Then we read a story, had a hug, and afterward she was ready to get dressed. Good start to the day!

Kungh kungh!

2010-08-13T15:50:00.002-04:00

Here's Alec in the new classroom playing with some magnetic train cars. I'm sure he was happy there for a long time!

Story hat

2010-08-12T15:48:00.003-04:00

Cara's been more interested books lately. Yesterday she put on one of the knit caps for the baby dolls in the classroom and snuggled in for a reading of "Higher, Higher". It's a very cute book.

Fun with pipe cleaners

2010-08-11T14:01:00.003-04:00

Whoever invented pipe cleaners probably had no idea that they would become a favorite children's toy. Here are the kids holding them up to be cut by their teacher, and reportedly laughing maniacally.

Fairy princess or runaway bride?

2010-08-10T14:34:00.004-04:00

Today Cara put on a princess dress at day care. With her running shoes, she looks a bit like a bride ready to make a run for it. I wonder what she's thinking.

New sandbox & chalk table

2010-08-06T01:07:00.007-04:00

A few months back we were given a turtle sandbox, and recently we put it onto the porch and added sand. It's been good entertainment for the kids, and it's in a place where we can watch them without being eaten by mosquitoes. Here's a pict. More recently, we bought an unfinished table and chairs and had them painted to match the kids' bedroom. The top of the table was painted with chalk paint to give them a place to draw. They've been using it pretty often and seem to really enjoy it.

More monkey

2010-08-06T01:05:00.002-04:00

Did I mention that Cara loves to climb?

Monkey girl

2010-08-03T15:29:00.003-04:00

Cara loves to climb and she's getting to be very good at it! Here she is with 2 of her classmates, keeping up with a boy who is 5 months older than she! Go Cara! Later in the day we went to Bruester's for some ice cream, where more climbing ensued.