Family Davis-Ross

it's not always this fun at our house.

dinner party (short version)
Originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin

Sometimes, it's funner.

(We had some take-out Chinese for dinner. Peter said, "I got fortune cookie" and proceeded to eat it in two bites.)

proud moments

One of Peter's most favorite toys is the Hess truck/snowplow combo that Poppy gave him for Christmas. It's a pretty cool set of trucks: flashing lights, automatic lifts, and automatic forward and backward moving action.

Today, while I was cleaning up in the kitchen, Peter sat playing with the trucks on the living room floor. Lucy was sitting up nearby. As I'm wiping the table, I hear, "Lucy turn!" and see Peter place the snowplow in Lucy's lap. Lucy seemed to enjoy her turn with the plow, too.

Peter's always trying to do nice things for Lucy - bring her her pacifier when she's crying, bring her toys or share his toys with her while they're playing, point out interesting things in books or on our walks that she might enjoy. Sure, there are moments when he hates having her around - limited mostly to the times when he wants me or Kevin all to himself. But for the most part, Lucy might be the best thing we've ever done for him. (We're still trying to determine if the reverse is true. Lucy really loves her brother, but she might appreciate a bit more quiet during the day than he allows.)

I know I've posted several times about how tough bedtime with out Kevin is. Well, it turns out I had the wrong strategy all along. Peter came up with the winning solution of how to put Lucy to bed and keep Peter happy. Last night, he came in bed with me, curled up across my body, and rested quietly while I nursed Lucy to dreamland.

In fact, he was so still and quiet I thought he'd fallen asleep. But when I moved to pick him up and get him ready for bed, he flashed me a huge smile, as if he knew he'd done exactly what I needed him to do all along. It was such a nice, peaceful, warm way to end our day together. He did it again tonight, without any prompting from me.

Tomorrow, we'll pick up Kevin from the airport. His trip this time was quick and eventful, and perhaps best highlighted by this anecdote: his cab driver to the DC airport was a chemistry professor at George Washington, supplementing his income so that he could send his daughter to Stanford.

And this, my friends, is probably why we won't be moving to DC. Or sending our kids to Stanford.

Kevin, I forgot to mention this during our insanely rushed phone call tonight

I saw THIS GUY walking down Castro Street. He apparently was eating at Cascal. I would have had his picture taken with Peter, except that I'd forgotten my camera.

(Yes, he was wearing his question mark suit. That's how I knew.)

things I've wanted to write about, but keep forgetting

Every day, two or three things happen that make me think, "oh, I should write about that." Then, I forget them. But sometimes they resurface in my memory. Here are a few:

the case of the missing hat
Peter's Carolina hat went missing last week. I knew we had it the last time we'd gone out (a Wednesday), but I hadn't seen it since our house became Puketown and Kevin returned home.

On Monday, we took a really random way to the "jungle" park, via the out-of-the-way train station and my poor sense of direction.

What did we find waiting for us on the side of the sidewalk, on a street we never ever walk down?

Peter's Carolina hat.

It's a good thing, too, since it's been pretty sunny and I suspect our sunscreen has lost its effectiveness. It's only, oh, two years old.

subject/verb
Peter's lately speaking in more sentences. Three choice examples
Peter: Dinner?
Me: Oh, Pete, we already had dinner, remember?
Peter: Tacos were dinner?

Peter: I'm pooping.

Peter: Pandas eat bamboo.

directions
Everything, and I mean everything is "down there," or "over there" or "up there," but almost always "down there."

We're also working on left and right. He's correct about 75 percent of the time, which suggests either (a) he understand the concept or (b) he's a great guesser. He certainly gets the idea that one side of his body is left and one side is right, so once he's established which is which, he has no problem then pointing to his left ear, etc.

nursery rhymes and songs
You know you've just given up and given in to motherhood when you find yourself singing to your child and other children at the park, loudly and out of tune, like a deranged preschool teacher.

Pre-children, I hated even singing "happy birthday!" in a family crowd.

Now, I'll belt out several verses of "the wheels on the bus," complete with exaggerated hand gestures.

Note: It's probably not a good idea to sing a song with hand motions when children need said hands to hold on for dear life while you're bouncing them on the teeter-totter. Just a thought.

Peter really seems to like the few Mother Goose books we have, and will ask for us to read from them over and over. He's even started helping us recite some of the rhymes. "Wee Willie Winkie," "Hickity Pickity" and "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" are favorites. He actually can say almost all of "One, Two" with a little prompting.

Tonight, while reading "Mary Had a Little Lamb," I said, "Oh, look Peter, the lamb is sitting in the desk. Isn't that silly? You can't have an animal in school." Then I realized the classroom was populated with bunnies and squirrels. Mixed messages, much? It seems that all Mother Goose books must be illustrated with anthropomorphic animals.

I often catch Peter singing during the daytime. His favorites are "Twinkle, Twinkle," "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" and "Old MacDonald."

our daily bread
Every night we pray the Our Father with Peter in his crib.

I wanted to start making the prayer less something we recite and more something he understands. Then, I realized that the only concept he could kind of get is the notion of "daily bread."

Now when we pray, he'll interject, "Daddy bread, Peter bread, Mommy bread," in the middle of the prayer. By this he means, "Daddy toasts bread every morning and gives Peter some, except for the times that Mommy does it."

It interrupts the flow of the prayer, to be sure, but I know he's paying attention.

Byron Barton
LOVE HIM. Period. Peter's obsessed with his Train book, but we've gotten serious milage out of Trucks and Airplanes, too.

speaking of trains...
The downtown Mountain View train station was a great distraction/source of entertainment for us. That is, until we actually went on the train. Now, any visit to watch the trains come and go is followed by a minor fit about actually going on the train. ("No! No! Peter choo-choo. Peter choo-choo.")

That said, trains still are HUGE around here. And almost anything can be a train. Peter sitting behind Lucy? Choo-choo! The new toddler deathtrap shelves I put up for his mounting pile of toys? Choo-choo! Star stickers lined up in a row? Choo-choo.

And yes, he still shrieks with elation and joy unhearalded whenever a train passes (which is at least four times an hour), jumping up and down and waving "bye-bye!"

I'm calling it: she sits

this reminds me of a lot of Peter's baby pictures, originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

There's a gray area in a lot of child development. For example, babies don't just go from not sitting upright at all to suddenly pulling up a chair at the table.

But I'm going to declare it now: Lucy sits. She's still a bit unpredictable and needs some supervision, but she's been seen sitting on her own for upwards of 15 minutes at a time.

Peter's thrilled with this new level of development, as it makes her even more enticing as an object to be tackled.

In related news, Lucy will be fitted for a helmet and mouth guard this weekend. I'm thinking they'll come in handy over the next few months.

Lucy's crib

Lucy's crib
Originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin

It wasn't this much fun when bedtime rolled around.

presto! it's Wednesday already

in the tent, originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

Some weeks I'm pleasantly surprised when Wednesday night rolls around more quickly than I'd anticipated. This is one of those weeks.

Kevin left early this morning for DC. Peter responded by crying for Daddy for about 10 mintues, then peeing on me. I reached over to pick him up and thought, "oh, Peter, you're so warm and cozy." Then I thought, "oh, Peter, that's pee."

Since there was no lingering to be had in the pee-bed, we hopped up and got a quick start to our day. First order of business: get some groceries. We were down to no fresh fruit except for lemons, and I'm not sure how well that would have gone down as a park snack.

Our supermarket trips can be a bit dodgy for us, as I've mentioned before. Specifically, the unloading-and-unpacking of groceries can be a challenging time. I don't think it's tough to imagine the crazy scene of me carrying a baby, wrangling a toddler, holding my housekeys, and toting three or four huge canvas bags full of gallons of milk and watermelon.

But, they also have a nice rhythm to them as well. Peter loves to climb the steps and push the elevator buttons; he also really enjoys picking out an apple to eat and a snack from the "kids club" tray. Unfortunately, he has a memory like an elephant, and now seems to associate going to the supermarket with getting giant frosting-laden cupcakes.

While we were shopping, a friend called to see if I could help watch her daughter while she took her baby to the doctor. Of course! We rushed home and then to the park, where Peter and Emma played and played and played without disagreement or discord. (To be fair, Peter's kind of a pushover, and just trots behind Emma, doing whatever it is she wants to do.)

Back at home, we played in the tent a bit, did some artwork, watched a little Elmo, and then headed back out to pick up a pizza and have dinner with Emma.

Tonight on the phone, I asked Kevin what he thought about the fact that his son hangs out pretty much exclusively with girls. Kevin replied, "he takes after his father." Whatever that means. Because when I think of Kevin Ross, I can't help but think "Lady's Man." Can you?

a fine and delicate balance

I'd post a cute video of Peter and Lucy going cuckoo bananas in Lucy's new crib, but I left the camera in the bedroom, and I'm not going to dare try to wake Little Miss "What do you mean I have to sleep in this cruel torture device?" until it's absolutely necessary.

(I'm contemplating sleeping on the sofa.)

I'm also thinking that perhaps starting sleep training for Lucy during the weeks Kevin's gone is just insane, particularly since she's starting to sleep a bit better, including regular stretches from 8 p.m. - 3 a.m. Why mess with that, when I'm going to need every ounce of sleep I can find? To be perfectly frank, I need those two or three childless hours at night. I look forward to them on the best of days, let alone on the days when Kevin's away. I have very little incentive to go mucking up the gears.

In other news, Kevin leaves for the East Coast again tomorrow morning, although thankfully his trip is a few days shorter this time around. He'll visit DC and Philadelphia, interviewing at two more schools. Have I mentioned how proud I am of Kevin? In this time of dire economic crisis, where many - if not most - public schools have stopped hiring, Kevin's scored at least six interviews. He can (and did) do the fancy math for you, but there's a very high probability he'll get at least one job. Hooray!

Finally, we relived the awesome train-park experience from a few weeks ago. Peter was just as excited to ride the train with his friends as he was the first time - perhaps even more so, since he knew what to expect. He and Emma sat together in one row, watching the passengers with as much interest as the passing scenery, sharing a small bag of popcorn that Peter brought specifically to share with her while riding the train.

Before heading home, we ate lunch outside at a nearby restaurant. While yummy (especially since we all seemed to be ravenous), it was soooo stressful. Six children (all under two, two under six months), four parents, two high chairs, and lots and lots of cups, knives, forks, and jam containers to play with.

I find a big tip to the waitstaff goes a long way toward making these outings more pleasant for everyone.

a conversation from today

(while at the "jungle" park, as Peter likes to call it)

Kristy: How old is Lucy now?
Me: Almost six months.
Kristy: So, are you pregnant again yet?
Me: (Shudders in fear). No.

As much as Kevin and I talk about timing a possible BDR3.0, it takes a conversation like that to really put things in perspective.

(Besides, we still have that "moving to somewhere far, sometime soon" thing looming over our heads.)

I think we had a case of the Mondays

at angles, originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

Symptoms
- spit-up-y baby (huh? her? really?)
- late-for-work husband
- fussy and not interested in the park toddler
- undercaffeinated mother (thanks to a poorly made coffee drink)

Diagnosis
"Case of the Mondays."

Remedy
Sleep it off.

But, if that doesn't work, try some of the following
- provide crib for daughter (especially nice, after hearing this report)
- allow son to take train tomorrow
- have husband come home early, so as to spend family time before he leaves again
- go to the good coffee shop, even if it's a block in the wrong direction

happy birthday!

, originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

Peter was invited to two birthday parties today, both at about the same time. He managed to sleep through the first one, but made it to his dear friend Lea's third birthday bash.

I don't know if I can express just how much Peter adores Lea. I looked over at one point during the party and found Peter holding Lea's hand, gazing up at her with an expression that suggested to me he was about to slip a ring on her finger.

For her part, Lea seems to be a better and better friend to Peter. I think that as Peter gets older (and is able to actually play with her, rather than just shriek her name and follow her around) they'll have a blast. That is, until we move in May. Or June. Or July. To somewhere.

I should note here that we sang Happy Birthday both in English and in Spanish, and the Spanish version was slightly different from what we learned in high school. This reaffirms my belief that I was taught to speak Spanish in a way that forever marks me as a white girl from the Midwest.

Today was otherwise marked with some good timing. You may recall Kevin arrived home yesterday, and it turned out to be not a moment too soon. With just 7 hours to spare, I became the kind of too-gross-for-words sick that Peter had just a day before.

It's amazingly fortunate timing, and I'm so thankful Kevin's back to help out when I really need it the most. I'm just fearful Kevin will catch this virus and throw up all over the probability search committee when he visits DC in a few days, since I'm still pretty much psyched about moving to our nation's capital.

And on the Kevin-gets-a-job front, his interviews are going well. Two down, four to go. He'll be traveling again this week, and then in another week or so, but then he'll be home! And we'll know where we're moving! And then I can start planning Summer Vacation 2009, which I'm told features a stop in Chicago.

is your refrigerator running?

uncle sean and hermano
Originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin

One of Peter's favorite new games is to call people. We've been practicing with phone calls to Kevin over the past few weeks, but he's been requesting (and been able) to use the phone more and more.

At first, he would pretend play with our phones, always calling Poppy.

Then, he started requesting specific victims.

Today, he asked for "Uncle" Sean and Grammy. Neither were available (which probably is better for them, really, since while Peter's talking more, he's not exactly able to keep up in conversation. A sample: "hi Peter, how are you?" "baby!")

I've posted this video along with this entry because it shows something we've been working on: using air quotes to say "Uncle" Sean. But he's associated "Uncle" Sean with "hermano," something else silly we've been saying.

So, when we called "Uncle" Sean today (via Aunt Brey's cell phone), Peter's message consisted of "Uncle Sean! Hermano!" Or, more specifically, "her-na-mo." Because he is only 20 months old.

t-13 hours (and counting every single second)

Holy cow, today was SLOW. I feel like every time I looked at a clock, only one or two minutes had passed. (Not to mention the fact that the clock in our bedroom is about an hour fast, which means I'd start to get excited - only one more hour until bedtime! - and then realize, well, not quite.)

A few awesome things happened that made the day a bit more bearable. Three giant boxes of Christmas presents from New Jersey arrived, providing a much-needed distraction. Luckily, I opened the box with the cool truck and snowplow first, which occupied Peter for at least an hour.

Also, the kids decided to take a double nap - and a 2+ hour one to boot! Sure, it was across my lap, but it meant that I could also catch up on some much-needed rest.

Also, I had the brilliant foresight to check out the six episode Elmo DVD while at the video store. Oh, yes, we needed all of it.

Also, bedtime was surprisingly easy and early. Did I mention easy? And early?

But we had steep obstacles. All three of us are sick, to some degree. At a minimum, we all have some amazingly runny noses, and a sneeze or cough can be heard from one of us at least every two minutes. Peter threw up a few more times (including once while I was on the phone with Kevin's mom, prompting me to shout, "he's throwing up again! I have to go!" and then hang up. Sorry, Debbie!). As far as I can tell, the only things he kept down all day were two yogurts and a handful of bunny crackers.

A perfect storm of chaos ensued when (a) I fielded a work-related phone call while (b) Lucy decided to start screaming and (c) the mailman started bringing in the three giant boxes and (d) Peter was freaking out to get out of his booster seat where he'd (e) spilled glitter-glue all over himself and (f) had an explosive poop. I can feel my blood pressure start spiking all over again.

(Seriously, sometimes I catch a deep breath and realize that I'd been holding it in for at least five minutes. Our stressful kid moments are rare, but they catch me by surprise.)

A few times during the day, I had to make a choice as to which child I would let cry and which child I would comfort. I just can't hold both of them. Believe me, I've tried.

I ate at least a quart of chocolate ice cream after the kids were asleep, because I deserved it.

Earlier in the week, another mom with two little kids whose husband was away on business said, "everyone says we'll be fine, as long as no one gets sick. Knock on wood." And I thought, "silly superstition," as she looked for some wood on which to knock. Yet here I am, with two sick kiddos and a fever myself, and I can't help but think I'm the silly one for not joining with a cautionary knock. From now on, I'm a believer.

But Kevin comes home tomorrow morning, and if things go well tonight we might try for the $2 Ikea breakfast on our way to the airport. Or, Kevin may take a cab. You never know how these things work out. I, for one, am counting on some bacon for breakfast, though.

party all night long

hope your night was better...

12:10: Peter wakes.
12:20: Go in to get increasingly frantic Peter. He requests milk. We get milk, he drinks it in bed.
12:30: Peter requests water. (Huh? Unusual. My spider sense should have been tingling, but was dulled due to the late hour.)
12:31: Peter throws up on my shoulder.
12:33: Peter throws up on kitchen floor.
12:34: Peter throws up on kitchen floor (new location).
12:33 - 12:40: Clean up throw-up, comfort freaked-out Peter (who helpfully points out the "more dirty" I missed since I wasn't wearing my glasses), change us both into new clothes.
12:41: Get back into bed. Feel Peter's tummy rumble. Get up to get a bowl for him to throw up in (just in case).
12:43: Get back into bed, again.
12:44 - 1: Peter squirms to get into a comfortable position to sleep, one of which invovlves lying across my side as I am on my other side, nursing Lucy back to sleep.
1: Both children asleep. I, however, cannot sleep because I know another round of puke will be coming and I need to be quick to keep it from getting in the bed.
1:15: Not quick enough.
1:17: And on the carpet, too!
1:15 - 1:25: Take sheets off bed, wake Lucy, take clothes off Peter, take clothes off self, try to clean up carpet, give up and just put a towel over it (how do you clean throw-up from carpet, anyway?). Peter cries, "more dirty!" and I realize his pants are soaked, too.
1:25 - 1:45: Try to get both children back to sleep. Unfortunately, I have only so much surface area that can be used as a bed, and only two arms to hold children.

The rest of the night was spent comforting children, but thankfully puke-free.

6:30: First load of puke laundry goes in the machine. Elmo DVD gets inserted, too. It's one of those mornings.

so we stayed home today (mostly)

Every day, Peter and Lucy do things that amaze me. Today, I realized that Lucy can be a bit...well...a little whiny. Someone might be learning lessons from her brother. But she also managed to take a pretty decent nap, so she's also learning a few skills on her own.

She's also clearly moving into the age of intentionally reaching for things of interest. Today, while she was sitting next to me and her brother was napping across my nap (our current compromise), I had to move her several times from reaching for Peter's hands. It was almost as if she were thinking, "hey, dude, wake up and play with meeee."

Peter's trick of the day was to stuff a small ball in a tube, realize it was stuck, and then say "drumstick," run to his room to retrieve a drumstick, and stuff it in the tube to dislodge the ball. Problem solving with crude tools? Someone might be ready for preschool.

I also noticed that Peter puts his toys away with just a little prompting and sometimes on his own. Yes! I like this. (I also like the fact that two days ago when I presented him with his dinner, he said an unprompted "thank you.")

A few other fun things didn't make the photolog. Lunch at the bagel store, after which Peter was a bit distressed we didn't stop for a coffee.

Me: Let's hop up in the car.
Peter: No, no, no. Mommy coffee, Peter muffin.

Yeah, we might get a few coffee/muffins during the week.

Peter invented a few new games - a specific obstacle course that involved climbing on several pieces of furniture and then jumping with gusto from the futon. Rinse, repeat. Other favorites: running tackle hugs for mommy, falling-down hugs for Lucy. (In the Lucy version, I hold Lucy upright, Peter grabs her across her chest, they both fall down. Hilarity ensues. Until they bump heads. Then, more hilarity.)

Nighttime was - surprise, surprise! - a tough one. Peter's just not willing to let me leave him for a few minutes of quiet alone play while I go in another room and shut the door, and I'm not sure I blame him. To his credit, he still stands patiently outside the closed door (even though he could and has crashed it open in the past, since it doesn't exactly shut). When he does things like that, I just thank my lucky stars that I have such a patient little boy.

Tomorrow I've invited Wyatt, Maverick and Mariella over to decorate Valentines and have lunch. I must be auditioning for crazymom, since I've made heart-shaped cheese AND rice krispie treats. I'm sure this will be well appreciated by the under-2 set.

Wednesday already?

Our week without Kevin seems to be flying by! I can't believe I'll wake up tomorrow morning (and please, please, please let it be after 6 a.m.) and it will be Thursday. Just two and a half more days of entertainment to come up with.

Today it "rained"*, so we visited the mall park. We were joined by Peter's little friend Emma. So while the kids ran off some steam (but always seemed to dart into the Build-a-Bear store), Emma's mother and I were able to have adult conversations. It's a relief to the vocal chords to not sing-song every single conversation all day long. Plus, I enjoy spending time with Emma's mother, since we have several things in common, not least of which are two children under two.

Both kids fell asleep in the car and continued to sleep even though I had to rather awkwardly carry them from car to apartment without putting either down. (In other news, I might need to visit a chiropractor.) Peter awoke just in time for us to make date #2 with Emma - a dinner date, to be exact. And I could say something cute about the fact that another little boy joined us for dinner (something about Peter's romance dashed in the bud), but the fact is I'm pretty sure Peter liked the additional playmate.

Nighttime was again a bit hairy. I employed "helper Peter" action, asking him to get certain things or put things away, most of which he did without complaint. Unfortunately, he did them all too quickly as well, forcing me to come up with ever more outlandish ideas. ("Hey, Peter, can you run to the corner store and pick me up a six-pack? There's a twenty on the table. Thanks.")

*I've mentioned this before, but "rain" in these parts seems to be a few drips of sprinkles. To call it sprinkling is an exaggeration. Or, rain will burst forth from the heavens for a few minutes, leaving the skies an ominous "I may rain again" gray and dank for the rest of the day. Yet, no additional rain will fall.

what we've been doing (superbaby edition)

standin' up (aided by serious obsession with watching television and her brother's daily Elmo fix)
Originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin

Check out this video of Lucy standing. Clearly, aided by the table (and please don't think she got up there herself!), and I think the allure of the forbidden television adds to her concentration. But still...she's growing up too fast. Memo to Lucy: slow down!

Our past two days have been pretty fun. I'm trying to keep us all busy to keep us sane. This means such novelties as football cupcakes, bodypainting in the bathtub, Indian food for dinner, visits to the bagel store, and homemade playdough.

My biggest solo-parenting challenge is the span from 5:30 - that magical time when both children are in bed and asleep, usually around 8 p.m. This is the time when an extra pair of hands isn't just nice, but necessary. I'm facing challenges such as, how to keep Peter quiet and happy while giving Lucy a bath? How to keep Peter quiet and happy while putting Lucy to bed? (Note a theme?)

Yesterday, I bribed Peter with the football cupcake (after trying my darndest to get him to forget about it), then let him paint in the bathtub (sans water).

This worked spectacularly...so well, I had to peek in on him while in the middle of nursing Lucy to sleep. He was so quiet I feared the worst. And he saw me peek at him and then go back to his sister and he flipped out. And he pretty much refused to let me bathe him, except that hello! he had finger paints all over him. He sported a blue tinge until his bath tonight, which went only slightly better.

Today, we whipped up a batch of homemade playdough and I let him mix and play while I got Lucy ready for bed. This activity must not have been as fun, or else he wanted some interaction, because he started wailing after just a few minutes.

(And have I mentioned how my children are champion criers? Just a few minutes of sincerely upset tears and their faces are covered with snot and they are twitching and gasping for breath. It breaks your heart.)

I set Peter to work on a series of tasks while trying to put Lucy to bed: can you take off your clothes? put your shoes by the door? put the bag of dirty diapers by the door? put away your books? Some, he completed. After a few requests, he took camp outside my bedroom door (which he thoughtfully closed), crying both tears and my name.

When we've said our nighttime prayers both last night and tonight, his little voice quivers when we pray for Kevin. It's sad, but you can tell he's trying to be tough and not cry.

Yesterday, I let him walk from our house to a nearby park. It's just a half-mile away. (Thanks, Google Maps.) It took us LITERALLY one hour to get from our apartment to the park. Holy cow, that's a slow pace. At first, it's fun to point out every crack in the sidewalk. Then...not so much. Plus, this walk featured the bonus "stop and freeze in confusion/frustration/miscellaneous toddler emotion in the middle of the street" feature. Just feet from our destination (only 10 minutes to go!), Lucy decided she'd had enough. I told Peter, "Lucy's mad at you because she wants to go to the park and play with her friends." Luckily Peter doesn't have any notion of what "mad at you" means, and my unkind outburst didn't register.

This morning, we watched the inauguration as a playdate. Peter's little friend cried out "Joe Biden!" when the vice president was sworn in, and both children jumped up and down and clapped enthusiastically along with the crowd on television when Obama became president. I tried to listen to Obama's speech, but two very excited toddlers and my post-pregnancy addled brain made it impossible. (Seriously. I tried. I now understand perfectly what the phrase "in one ear at out the other" means.)

Yesterday, Peter decided to test some limits. We have a pretty strict rule about hand-holding in streets and parking lots, but I'm much more casual about letting Peter run free on sidewalks. Yesterday, he refused to take my hand until he made the first step from the sidewalk to the curb.

He also requested "rainbow bunnies," or the rainbow goldfish crackers that we occasionally get when shopping. I said, "OK, you can have some, but you have to show me where they are." Without question nor hesitation, Peter pointed down an aisle and said, "down there," and proceeded to lead me directly to a stash of crackers.

So yes, he sometimes has a great memory. Yesterday, he kept saying, "choo-choo! all aboard! choo-choo! peacock, over there!" until I realized he meant that we passed a peacock while on the zoo train. Today, he recalled a play game with a new friend that took place a few weeks ago...and the friend wasn't at the park yet.

But, when I asked him what he did while at the park with our neighbors this evening, he couldn't provide details. My questions were all answered with a resounding "yes," although I have to suspect Peter didn't ride a spaceship or pet a giraffe while at the park. I'm looking forward to the day when Peter can be a reliable narrator of his life.

It's threatening to rain this week, putting an end to our stretch of amazing weather. I have a box of superfun activities for a rainy day, including a box of crazy art activities with which we'll make a few dozen valentines. (Glitter paint in many forms features heavily in this equipment.) I also have a host of backup activities ready to put into place at a moments notice: mall park, Discovery Museums (two!), and some model trains.

On the Kevin front, all reports are that he enjoyed his first interview and is looking forward to his second. Meanwhile, I'm not-so-secretly lobbying for him to like above all the job that takes us to D.C. I can't even think about it - my stomach gets all fluttery and I have to giggle, like I'm thinking about a crush or something.

Anyway, we'll be happiest wherever Kevin will be happiest, so if that's Indianapolis, so be it. (Even if several of the faculty Kevin asked said they live in Carmel. Yikes!)

Lucy has a posse, too

I'm sure I could try to make it look better. But then again, Peter's trying to drink my coffee. Priorities, people.

(Make your own at obamicon.me)

(More info here.)

just the three of us

Kevin left this morning at a crazily early hour to fly to Indianapolis, his first interview stop. Next he'll make his way to Philadelphia, then back by Saturday afternoon.

So, clearly we're getting interviews close to our families, which is nice.

In other news, I'm tired after chasing after two kiddos today. Good night.

end of an era

Over the past week or so, Peter's speaking has become more and more clear. We still have several instances where we have no idea what he's saying (and sometimes it's OK, and sometimes it causes a meltdown), but for the most part we can figure out what he's saying.

His new focus seems to be on using hard consonants and emphasizing multiple syllables. The result can be adorable (Erika becomes "Er-ka-ka," monkey is "mon-kee-kee.") But this also means that some of his baby words are falling by the wayside.

Specifically: eye-ya (or, for the Spanish speakers out there, alla.) It used to mean "outside," "butterfly," and "elephant." Now, Peter actually says "outside," "butterfly," and "elephant."

He's also said "momo-cycle" a few times, but seems to prefer "momo" for all motorcycles.

That said, he has a ways to go. My current favorite Peter Pronunciation is poder-dare, or polar bear. Also a favorite is that "milk" comes out "moo." We also know that Lucy only drinks "Mommy moo" but Peter drinks "moo moo," or cow's milk. Because most animals are known first by their sound, and then by their actual name. This is why most birds are "caw! caw!" and most zoo animals are "roar!"

He's also starting to string more words (and more types of words) together. We get lots of adjectives and nouns ("momo...more!...orange...more orange momo!"), and a few crude sentances ("Peter turn!")

It's amazing to me to think that just a few months ago he barely spoke at all. Or that ther ever was a time when I considered him a "quiet kid." Because from the moment he wakes up* to the moment he goes to sleep, the kid is a nonstop motormouth. Luckily, I'm pretty happy having a conversation with him. I think toddlers are my parenting skill.

* I know this because for the past month or so I've woken up to a little Peter voice in my ear, exclaiming, among other things, "mommy!" "baby!" "Jessie...choo-choo" and "moo."

E-A-G-L-E-S...touchdown!

E-A-G-L-E-S...touchdown!, originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

Despite our children's best efforts, their furious cheering could not help bring the Eagles to victory.

Peter knew this all along, though. Every time Kevin asked him who would win today's game, Peter's answer always was the same: the Cardinals.

The upshot is that it seems that Peter's pretty good at picking winners. Maybe we'll head to the track this week for a little horsebetting. Mama needs a new car...

name game

I thought about counting how many times Peter say the following phrases, but realized that I might not be able to count high enough.*

"Amy Mommy"
"Mommy Daddy" or "Daddy Mommy"
"Mommy Daddy Baby" or variations thereof

Seriously, the kid might say "Amy Mommy" a solid 100 times in the course of a day. It certainly helps that he says it at least five times in a row, up to twenty if I'm ignoring him.

"Amy Mommy" seems to be his current name for me. "Mommy Daddy" and "Daddy Mommy" is also somewhat new, and seems to be a general exclamation/cry for attention.

"Mommy Daddy Baby!" is a kind of cry of happiness, when we're all together and having fun.

Of course, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" is the bedtime cry of late, which I'm sure breaks Kevin's heart.

(A few times, Peter cried out for "baby!" Nice try, kiddo, but I don't think Lucy has much to offer...yet.)

*You know how they say that you're brain's never the same after having kids. Seriously. I'm waaay down mentally. It's like Flowers for Algernon up in here.

Friday fieldtrip

I think I'm going to get into the habit of taking a "field trip" on Fridays. Peter doesn't mind going to the park every day, but I like to mix it up a bit. Plus, Peter's getting old enough that the really gets exited by new places.

Today? We visited the Zoo with our friends Erika, Wyatt, Maverick, and Mariella. While Peter's just two months older than the twins, he loves almost-4-year-old Wyatt, and they play little boy games that only they understand.

Today's trip also was a test drive to see how difficult it would be to go to the zoo if it were just the three of us. I discovered that it would be pretty much what I expected - fun, with the exception of the always trying times of baby feeding and diaper changing.

(It certainly will help if Peter doesn't pee on me and Lucy again. Yes, again. Silly leaky diapers and the havoc they wreck.) 

The ususal suspects were our favorites (giraffes, gorillas, big cats, grizzley bears), but today's big winner were the flamingos. Holy cow, Peter was in LOVE with the flamingos.

We also rode the zoo train, which featured tunnel that sported both Christmas lights and bubbles. These people certainly know their audiance. But, did you know the Zoo has a rule that you can only ride the train once a day? (Wink, wink.)

The kids napped on the way up and back, and we picked up Kevin on the way home, stopping at the gourmet burger restaurant for sinful shakes and some pretty awesome burgers. I might be gaining back some of the Peter weight I just started to lose, but it was worth it.

 

flamingos; matching lunchpails; the big cat wakes; a beauty shop for goats; Lucy came too!

an entry in which I'm yet again reminding you that while you're scraping frost off of your windshield every morning, I thought about wearing shorts today

"bing-a-boom!", originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

According to the weather forecasts, the 70+ degree weather will continue for at least five more days.

I can't say that I'm sad that it's late-spring warm in the middle of January. (Yesterday, to Kevin, while Peter was in his naked-body-painting phase: "It's not even Martin Luther King day yet!")

We're trying to take advantage of the weather by leaving the house early and staying out as long as we can. Yes, we pay a premium to live here, but during weeks like this we definitely feel like we're getting our money's worth.

In other news, Peter managed to eat an entire quart of strawberries and a pint of blueberries in between 4 p.m. yesterday and 2 p.m. today. He had a bit of help with both, but, really, it's no exaggeration to say he's a berry fiend.

He's also a cookie fiend: he helped me make some cookies - dumping in the melted butter and the cookie mix and the egg and the vanilla. He was surprisingly patient, waiting for the cookies to bake (I suspect the few bites of dough to "test out the recipe" helped). I'd ask him how he liked the cookies now, but he's just forgotten that they exist and I need to keep that going until he's well in bed.

five things about Lucy (today's edition)

long, lean toes, originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

1. she has really long and skinny toes, and pretty long and skinny fingers
2. she has a cute birthmark on her left leg (that, if Peter sees, will say "ouchie!" and kiss)
3. she has a strong preference to be on the warm side - warm baths, lots of blankets
4. she hates to sit, and will buck her body straight to avoid sitting up
5. she's starting to become mobile, in a squirmy half-rolling-over way (she can move several feet across the floor, if left on her own)

hanging out (it's what we do)

, originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

Lucy seems to enjoy swinging more and more each time I put her in the swing. Today, she kicked her little legs in joy as I pushed her ever so higher in the swing.

Peter showed an amazing amount of patience* while waiting for his turn in a wagon at the park. He's also slowly learning that tough lesson that not everyone wants to play with you (or, not everyone wants to play what you want to play).

I piled my stroller full of awesome library books before I realized that I'd left my library card at home, and the library has a strict no card=no checky-checky policy. (Note to self: where is library card?)

Kevin came home a few hours early to help with grocery shopping/baby bathing/neighbor wrangling. He also reminded me that he'll be gone for a week, leaving Monday morning. While of course it will be crazy tough to have Kevin leave, he's going off to get himself some employment.

We ate a surprisingly delicious dinner, I'm going to make some cookies and eat some ice cream, and I think Kevin has plans to rent a movie. Yep. I'll take this for a Wednesday night.

* Kevin taught Peter "patience," in which Peter essentially meditates. For about 10 seconds. He says "mmmmmmm" and holds his hands out to his sides, thumbs and forefingers touching. It's adorable, but Kevin takes far too much pride in teaching Peter this one cute thing.

(Kevin's also teaching Peter how to make the sign of the cross and then to say "God's neat, let's eat!". Peter kind of has the hang of it, even if he insists on using both hands to cross himself. But because it's such a fun activity, we end up making the sign of the cross and saying "God eat!" about 15 times during dinner. )

unexpected art

We returned home from our coffee/park/library trip to discover Lea out in the grass, finger painting.

I stripped Peter to his diaper and let him go at it.

Luckily, Kevin came home early to help with the clean-up.

lost and found

Today's post was going to be about our fun adventure on the Caltrain and park, suggested by and accompanied by Peter's little friend's mother, but then I lost my house key.

(Then I found it, literally two feet from the front door.)

(But the trip on the train was awesome. Peter had a blast with his friends, watching the scenery go by, and then really enjoyed his time at a different park.)

Also, Kevin's Merge extravaganza's beginning today. Hooray?

I have photos to upload, but I also have a toddler very patiently waiting for "more flip, please!" So, he wins.

this year: a set of goals, events, etc.

Almost two weeks too late, let's do it!

some things we'll definitely do:
- move across the country
- take an awesome vacation as we travel across the country, including a stop at Yellowstone and/or Mount Rushmore
- return to Sequoia, Monterey, Big Sur, and Point Reyes
- buy a bigger car
- teach Lucy how to walk AND talk

some things we might to:
- take an even MORE awesome vacation including visiting all kinds of cool and crazy places
- enroll Peter in preschool
- return to Yosemite and visit Death Valley
- buy an SUV
- have another baby

some things we won't do:
- visit Los Angeles, San Diego, the Redwoods, Lassen, or (sigh) Legoland. You've been on our list for a few years, but it's just not going to happen.
- buy a house
- buy a minivan

I think Item Number One on Kevin's agenda is getting a job he likes. So far, the opportunities that have presented themselves have been just what the doctor's ordered: more teaching, less research, closer to home.

My New Year's list is much more...ambitious. As it always is. Plus, it's completely schizophrenic - lose weight but get pregnant? Yeah. It'll be fun to see that happen.

a memo to naps: I concede

on the Peter front:

It's just not worth the 45 minutes of abandoned-child wailing from the crib. Especially since, 4 days out of 7, he'll make it to bathtime with little evidence of not having taken an afternoon nap.

That said, I have no problems taking him out, running him around the park for 3 solid hours, and hoping he'll fall asleep on the sloooow stroller ride back to the house. And if he naps for an hour like he did today? Bonus. And if he wakes up happy? Double word score.

on the Lucy front:

She's already settling into that dreaded habit of 3 or 4 30 minute naps a day. Why are my children doomed to be catnappers?

The silver lining to her napophobia is that I feel less guilty about trotting her around to her brother's activities, especially if she'll laugh and giggle and watch the kids play like she did today.

Also, I think she's getting her two bottom teeth. I realize that I'm always posting that the kids are teething (for the record: all of Peter's teeth are through...until the next set of molars), but I'm always on the lookout for teeth and I can see them making their way up her gums.

Obviously, I've gone back and forth and back and forth on the naptime issue. For now, I'm in a happy place.

you wish you live here

hey, family, originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin.

Today, after our Sunday morning obligations and furious errand-running, I came home and changed into a short-sleeved shirt, skirt, no tights. I even ran around barefoot for a while.

It was 72 and sunny and amazing outside.

Perhaps the thing we all missed the most while being away - more than our beds and a fully babyproofed home - was the knowledge that everyday could be a park day.

In fact, it might almost be too warm. I found myself at the fabric store, buying fleece and flannel to make stroller blankets for the kids, only to come outside and be blasted by what to my midwestern senses felt like an early summer day.

(This made for some confusion. I thought to myself, "why isn't this Easter crap on a deeper discount? Wasn't Easter two months ago? Oh, yeah....")

there she grows!

Today, we put Lucy in size 9 month pants and onesie. They fit.

Tonight, I put Lucy in a size "large" sleeper. I'm assuming it means "large infant," and not, say, "large human being." But still...

Yesterday, Kevin asked me to put Lucy's Eagles onesie on her this weekend for tomorrow's big game. I pulled it out and said, "I don't think it will fit, it's size 0-3 months."

Kevin replied, "well, let's try."

The thing is tiny and wouldn't reach past her belly. I held it up to him and said, "oh, yeah?"

And then he said, "come here a minute."

(If this conversation isn't true, it certainly is in the realm of probability.)

back to reality

the regular menu
walks, coffee, park, bagels, turtles, (no naps!), Elmo

today's specials
Schelich animals, trains, swings, bunnies at the turtle store, a new guinea pig next door, and a pair of giant mysterious birds in the tree outside

 

secret menu
- huuuuge bird droppings on the sidewalk (discussion of which carried over into dinner and featured "birdie poopy!" as a dominant theme)
- sister as a trampoline for all of their animal figurines - she enjoyed the elephant the most
- "boing-a-boom," a new word Peter has invented that accompanies and time something is thrown, bounced, or jumped upon
- clementines as snack of choice - but, unfortunately, if you stick the whole thing in your mouth you will gag and throw up a little and smell like puke for a few hours (no wonder your friends didn't want to play with you!)

playing trains

playing trains
Originally uploaded by amy_and_kevin

One of our first orders of business was to get Peter his own trains set.

Much of this followed.

ETA: So, I forgot to mute the sound when editing this video. There's an obnoxious amount of background hum and a very squeaky Peter. You've been warned.

and now: a recap

We're home!

So, you might be wondering, what the heck have they been doing all this time? And how's Peter? And is Lucy rolling over yet? Lest I leave you in suspense, read on.

On the mend
Peter might have started his recovery from his 11 days of 103+ fever and mysterious spots on the drive to the Philly airport. He certainly showed more signs of life in the airport food court than we'd seen in many, many days. He took a few more days to return to normal...but to normal did he return.

Probably demanding "more pizza!"

All aboard!
Our visit with my father could probably be summed up in a few words. Chief among them: trains. Peter took his general interest in trains to a new level as we eagerly went in search of "more...more train!"

model train at my cousin's house; at the Indianapolis Zoo;
at the train show; at the Children's Museum

Zoolife
We also took advantage of a reasonably warm day* to visit the Indianapolis Zoo. The animals were crazy active: we saw all sorts of cool things, from peeing-on-people lions** to charging rhinos*** to baby baboons.

watching sea lions; walrus; watching dolphins; family (minus baby);
carousel rides; helping elongate some coins

* It was 40. I was freezing. Holy cow, I might not ever reacclimate to the north.
** We didn't see this ourselves, but we heard that it happened.
*** Well...charging toward the water.

Children's Museum
Once we were certain Peter was well, we visited one of my favorite childhood haunts - the Children's Museum. Unfortunately (for me), the museum has changed quite a bit over the years and some of my favorite exhibits no longer exist. This doesn't mean we didn't have a great time, though.

In fact, one of my favorite memories of this vacation is from the Children's Museum: the sight of Peter, nickel in hand, patiently waiting for his turn to ride the horse.

a play area for Lucy; strolling with Aunt Kim; sisters;
supertoddler + his grandfather; horsie ride

We finally did it
The haircut. We did it. His hair finally had become too hard to manage, which, in the end, was the deciding factor.

In a move that should surprise no one, I took a pair of scissors to his head and hacked a few inches off the back.

Kevin: I didn't realize Mommy wanted your first haircut to be a hack job.

So, we took him to a children's haircutting place, where even Elmo on the TV and the racecar seat and the endless supply of lollipops and the balloons couldn't help.

But holy cow is he a little boy now.

 




before the cut; during the cut; ice cream heals all wounds

Don't you have a daughter?
We do! Thanks for remembering. Lucy's mild-mannered nature allows her to be overlooked at times. But she spent the vacation furiously at work on several projects, including "Operation Roll-Over" and "I Need a Manicure."

Before we left New Jersey, Lucy managed a full back-to-front roll-over, complete with the difficult freeing-of-both-arms. She's accomplished it a few times since, but seems content to spin around, lazy-Susan style, rather than flip over again. (Besides, since she hates being on her stomach, why exert the effort?)

Also, her hands are the most fascinating things on earth. They must be, if she can spend 12 hours a day staring at them. Yep, we've entered that period of infant development I like to refer to as "stoner hands." I just wish there were something that simple that could keep me entertained for hours.

Despite her brother's mystery virus, her two trips to the ER, and a few long flights, Lucy escaped our vacation as healthy as she left. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

healthy and happy - just the way we like 'em

We've been working on sitting up. The thing is, she hates it. You kind of have to force her into a sitting position. Standing? Sure. She loves to stand. But if you try to get her to sit, she'll buck her body against whatever she's leaning upon and make herself stiff and straight. This might be why she hates her carseat and the stroller so much.

She also came back from our vacation at least 2 pounds heavier and quite a bit taller, too. Both she and Peter suddenly outgrew their clothes, leaving them in a precarious situation, clothing-wise. (Peter's all "Huck Finn" with his too-short jeans, and Lucy's pants have suddenly become leggings.) Luckily, many generous gift-givers have ensured the kids will be back to their stylish selves in no time.

And other things, too
We made sure to stop in and visit my grandmother, or "GeeGee" as she's now known. I'm not sure which Peter liked more: the endless supply of potato chips or his Christmas present from GeeGee.

Lucy and GeeGee, sitting pretty

Speaking of potato chips, we managed to subsist on a diet of Christmas cookies and candies, potato chips, pizza in all of its many forms, and several milkshakes (often, two or three a day). Yet not a pound did I gain. So, there.

Our children were spoiled rotten by Santa and by grandparents and aunts and uncles, but I assure you they're very appreciative of their gifts. We too were surprisingly spoiled by parents and sisters and others, and now have several dozens of hours of television-on-DVD to enjoy.

We spent today getting things on order: grocery shopping (especially necessary for someone who repeated "more milk" 700 times before 10 a.m.), a new car seat for Lucy, and a trip to the post office to pick up our mail.

As much as we'll miss spending time with our families, we're looking forward to the return of the routine. It's nice to be in our childproofed house with our 57 degree sunny days. Oh, yes. It's nice to be home.