Is It April ALREADY?

This post is so clearly brought to you by the sandbox I built and installed last summer.  It is about 30 feet from the new French doors, and has captivated the kids this year.  I may find time to make it prettier shortly, but who really cares?  Now that the weather is warm again, the yard is their amusement park and they can spend hours out there playing on the swing set, hammock, sandbox, deck, and gravel pit.  They paint on the easel in the grass, kick the balls that decorate the yard, and seem to be teaching themselves how to play leap frog with the most hysterical outcome.  Lots of pouncing, squashing, and reconnoitering before the next physical fiasco. 

I'm not sure I'm doing this whole parenting thing right, but the kids? They take up all my time.  Perhaps if I ignored them more, or if they liked to play by themselves more I'd get more done, but most of the time I am attending to them all day and then Homestead Mama comes home after an 11-hour work day about 10 minutes before their bedtime and reads to them, we put them through the 20 minute bed time ritual and then go downstairs, collapse on the couch together, talk about the day or how we really should submit our taxes soon and then watch a DVR show and go to sleep.  It isn't glamorous, but it does work for us.

Here's what I have been doing of late:

:: Tending to a friend's chicks and planning our own coop and flock.  We are set to order a bunch of Sussex, Black Australorps, Barred Plymouth Rock, and Silver Wyandottes.  With a couple Ameracaunas for H-Mama, as she wants the colored eggs. All hens, save for one rooster for Monito.  He wants to name it Big Shot after his favorite character in our current favorite book.

:: Easter! And the requisite lengths of rope in the baskets. What? You didn't get your kids rope for Easter?  Silly readers.  It is the new tape.  It ties in (hardy har har) with the pirate theme we are sporting in this house.  A lovely relaxing hour can be had by a mom sitting and being tied up.

:: Training the boy to not say "You IDIOTS!" to his sister when he gets frustrated.  Thanks a lot, Cruella DeVille.  He only uses it in the plural, because Cruella hurls the insult at the Badden Brothers.  The boy hasn't figured out that his sister is a singular, and this makes is just funny enough that I can't take him seriously.  I take him more seriously when he says "You ASSHOLES!" at his blocks or Playmobil vehicles.  He learned that from, um, Homestead Mama!  Yes!  That's it!  Bad, Homestead Mama.

:: Enjoying the new game my kids have developed, Shoe Fighting.  It happens in the car since we have a micro-minivan instead of the cavernous Odyssey.  When they get a little nutty they have begun pummeling one another.  It is like thumb-wrestling, but with feet, and kicking.  So much fun!  I was parked next to an Odyssey at the grocery store the other day and once I had strapped my kids in I leaned into the wide open side door while the mom-owner was returning her cart to the kiosk. Oh my goodness, we could have comfortably slept our whole family in there.  I stood half in, half out of the vehicle, mouth agape, as I mentally ticked off all the things I could fit in there.  A whole additional child + car seat!  All our vacation packing!  A stroller AND some bikes!  I was ready to sign on to a 13 mpg car right then and there.  Sigh.  Mommy porn, for sure.  I should note that except for not being a cavernous minivan, our Mazda 5 is awesome and I have NO regrets.  If we do have a third kid, though, watch out! 

::Pequita has reached a phase where she mimics a lot. Me, H-Mama, her brother.  This means that much of the time she is either swearing (us) or reduced to almost-three-year-old behavior (her brother).  Good times!  Tantrums, misbehavior, whining, she does it all with a 7-second delay after her brother.  Because is isn't enough to live through the first time!  She is potty trained during the day, and we still diaper her during nap times and night just to catch any accidents.  Today, she opted to stay in her diaper after naps until she pooped in her diaper, something we are working with her brother on.  She stalked in to the room I was in and demanded, "You will change my diaper NOW."  I snickered quietly, and tried to make it a learning experience.  Mistake.  She got increasingly upset and really just wanted the stinky dipe off right away.  I hope the experiment is over, and she won't do it again.  Her stress levels are such that when it happens, it is like a 4-alarm fire. She cannot understand her brother who still resists the change and would prefer to wear his poop around with him for comfort for many long minutes (hours) after the fact.

:: Watching the wildlife return to our yard.  Birds are flocking to the feeders and nesting bags we put out (mesh bags full of yarn & fabric scraps for the birds to use as nesting material.)  Recently a ring-necked pheasant traipsed around our yard for a while, much to our amazement and joy.  The next day, we encountered his body on the road near the house.  Someone had hit him but good with their car.  I stopped the car and let the kids see him.  Pequita remarked that her "heart was very sad".  Mine too, little girl.

::

:: Cooking up a storm.  I'm using up the fruit and meat in our freezer as fast as I can.  Sunday, rhubarb chutney with fresh ham.  Behold the glory of chutney spices!

Recently, several no-knead bread options, Mongolian beef, gingerbread and pies galore.  We have a half side of grass fed beef in the freezer, and are about to pick up a half lamb, and a whole young pig, all non-certified organic and really yummy.  We need to clear out as much as we can before the influx occurs.  On the list of things to tackle soon: Greek yogurt, hot dog buns from scratch, cole slaw (to use up the last of our stored cabbage), and sausage and pate with all our meat.

::Yard work!  Clearing fall brush away, landscaping when I can fit it in, raking, seeding, digging.  We'll have to start mowing this week, which takes about 2 hours at a time since we have 1.5 acres of tended yard.  Plus an extra hour if we mow the path through the meadow. We need a goat, but won't get one until AFTER we have a small barn for it.  Can't wait for the goat's milk, goat cheese, and free brush removal.

:: Double-digging my garden patch.  Last year, my six 4' x 4' raised beds were more to keep the kids and dogs off my planting area.  This year, I'll move them to the edge of the garden and they will become our dedicated strawberry and asparagus beds and I'll leave our regular garden plots on the bare ground.  This patch took about an hour to dig; three more to go this year.  I'll expand more next year; this year, three 4' x 12' beds will have to suffice.

:: Sitting watching the sky at sunset, sunrise, and any time in between.

:: Many cookouts and campfires.  Homestead Mama likes to be active, so will putter in the yard and then burn her gleanings. The kids love to cook their dinner over the campfire.  Up next: foil meals.  Wrapping a potato, some meat and veggies up in a piece of tin foil and setting it in the coals to cook.  

:: Seed starting for the aforementioned garden.  I still have to plan out my layout, companion plantings, and buy starters for whatever doesn't sprout.  This year, we saved our Easter egg shells and started sunflowers and pumpkins in the shells.  

:: Many walks on the property.  The children have A LOT OF ENERGY and need to let off steam in a large area where the creation of another game along the lines of "Shoe Fighting" can be avoided.  We go out into the field and pick weeds, look for birds nesting, track deer, play with our ever-present dogs, and throw things.  It is really fun, always different, and makes me love our investment in 10 acres.

:: Playground and friend play dates.  At least 4 times a week.  The kids are so different from last year.  Pequita was already a master at climbing and physical activities.  This year, she can (be still my heart) make it up to the tiny, bendy branches in the climbing trees before I even know she's gone.  Monito is finally, for the first time, in charge of his body in a way that clearly brings him great satisfaction.  He runs, jumps, climbs, and vaults with reckless abandon and much success, something that has eluded him until now.  He's seen his sister's mastery for a long time and now it is his turn, which is an obvious thrill.  Both kids interact in a whole new way with other little kids.  Pequita has made new friends on the playground, and will hold hands and prance off with sweet little girls to find privacy and giggle and play.  Monito seems to prefer boys he already knows, but the fact that he wants to interact with anyone other than Mommy is huge.  He loves his friends Nate and Desmond because they will rough house with him, and chase, run, sword fight and frolic with him.  He woke from his nap today saying that he dreamed of having a tea party with green balloons and cookies and all his buddies were in attendance and then they played pirates until dark, when they lit a bonfire and cooked things all by themselves.  This is such a huge developmental leap for him - it is both thrilling and heart breaking for me.  My babies are really growing up.  Yay!  (Sob.)

:: Organizing.  Purging.  Yippee!  Homestead Mama made me promise not to ever throw any of her stuff away without asking her first.  Sadly (for her), she works an hour away and I am home with the clutter of a lifetime of collecting.  I have been taking bag after bag of lovely goods to the thrift store and getting my tax deductible receipt for our donation.  In the long run, she'll be happy.  In the short run, she is thrilled at how the house is looking.  Somewhere in between she'll figure out what is happening, but I'm hoping for the best.  I made a play kitchen for the kids using some cube shelves from the local unfinished furniture store and a couple things from Lowes.  They love it, and by winter they'll probably want to be inside long enough to use it a lot.  I still have to cut a door for the 'fridge', but I have a big day of sawing planned for the near future.

:: Pirates!  Did I mention the pirates?  Pequita loves her face paints still, and chooses black and pink.  This equals 'Ballerina Pirate' for her.  Monito chooses more traditional colors, but they are still actively dressing up and whacking. 

:: Pequita is undertaking the effort of reading.  I have been resisting the urge to push them, drill letters, numbers, words.  I have been tortured in a small way by the kids who can write their names already, or write many words by the time they are 3. My mother was an amazing, patient, skilled teacher of Kindergarten through 3rd grade for over 30 years and suggested that I wait, not push them, and let them lead.  All along I've been teaching in the abstract; I read books constantly while tracing words with my finger, spell and sound out words in a general way that they haven't seemed to notice.  Both kids can count up to 30 or more with a minimum of 'five-teens' and can sing the alphabet and recognize a few letters.  Lately, Pequita has been identifying letters, asking how to spell things, and wanting to "read" to herself and her brother.  Yahoo!  I feel like the genie is out of the bottle.  We are hot and heavy into Pequita-led school now, and she loves it.  Her brother is watching and picking things up even as he ignores her.  I'm about  start having a letter per day that we focus on, which should make a proper game out of it all.  Pequita now stops me as I read so that she can 'read' to us; many times her version of the story is much more fun that what was on the page.  In the car there is always a big stack of books between their car seats in back.  She selects a books, asks Monito what page he wants to read and then narrates the pictures to him.  It is a perfectly cooperative experience that they both love.

:: ASL.  Monito asked for Signing Time, a DVD series we haven't seen in a long time.  I started checking them out of the library again and we all hunker down to learn how to sign.  The kids really like it, and practice all the time.  We are all getting better; Monito takes particular interest and pride in his signing.  I can't recommend this series highly enough.  It is wonderfully done, fun to watch, and easy to learn from.  The songs are catchy enough that I don't mind catching myself singing them in the shower.

Milestone # 6,492

Banana splits.  They will definitely be coming back for a second round.

Snow Shoes!

Homestead Mama has a full-blown fantasy of snowshoeing this weekend while my parents are here. She has a set for all of us, and has restrung the bindings on them. The kids have been trooping after her as she stamped down a path around the property begging to join her.

Yesterday I took the kids to EMS to buy them their own toddler-sized showshoes. They had a blast; shortly after arriving, Monito pronounced the store "the best place ever, Mommy!" I believe it had something to do with the kayaks suspended from the ceiling, the vast array of sharp pokey things like ski poles and knives, and the ramp just perfectly sized for toddler-jumping-off in the boot department.

We left the store with a pair of pink and a pair of blue snow shoes rated for 40 - 80 lbs. I was worried the kids would have a hard time with them and they'd have to be returned. Both kids clutched them all the way home in the car, and insisted on going for a little jaunt immediately upon being freed from their car seats. I had no reason to worry - they zipped around like pros in the snow. Homestead Mama is onto something, for sure.


One thing that parenting is giving me is a true sense of amazement at what tiny little people are capable of. I wouldn't have imagined a 2 year old doing half of what Monito does, and Pequita blows my mind on a regular basis.

Diaper Training

This is what diaper training a boy looks like in our house. Easy access all the way. Who knew that when he snuck off to pee on his own (Yay!) the skirt would act as a funnel, stopping all the pee and sending it down the front of the toilet onto the floor. And that this drama would be reenacted with every shirt Monito owns? Gack. Back to peeing sitting down, if possible. And some clear caulk around the base of the toilet so the smell of urine isn't the FIRST thing one is hit with as they walk in the door. I'd rather it be carcass-covered dog; at least that is temporary.

Why oh Why?

Pequita, She Who Must Be Watched as each feat of physical prowess is executed, chatters and sings constantly. I thought this was the most frustrating toddler affectation. I was wrong.
My boy has sadly begun the journey of Why, Mommy?

Where going, Mommy?
Why Buttermilk Park, Mommy?
Why hike, Mommy?
Stella come, Mommy?
Why no Stella, Mommy?
Why colds, Mommy?
Why snot and sneezing, Mommy?
Why germs, Mommy?
Why be quiet, Mommy?
Why irritable, Mommy?
Why headache, Mommy?
Why thumping head on car window, Mommy?

I believe it might be a long year.

Mom

Sometime in the last two days I have become known as 'Mom'. I started out as Mimi, and that morphed into Mommy. Both kids call me Mom now and I don't register it yet - they end up calling out their mutated version of my given name to get my attention after I've ignored their cries for Mom several times.

I am just not ready for this. It feels like any minute I'm going to start hearing the withering, "Oh, Mom!" with enough attitude to curdle my soul.

The Hunger

Monito is growing. He is already huge, but he eats everything in front of him and asks for more. Homestead Mama was taking the kids upstairs for naps today and Monito was trailing her up the stairs. He kept seeing things in the kitchen and saying, "Mommy! No eat all goldfish crackers! No eat all neckarines! No eat all miwk! No eat all oatmeal!". Each statement delivered with earnestness. I'd like to point out that while I may sneak ice cream when they have gone to bed I really haven't given him reason to worry I'm going to empty the kitchen like a scourge of locusts. He really is just saying goodbye to his favorite foods while he sleeps. And clearly planning what he wants for dinner when he wakes up.



I made one of my favorite meals from childhood tonight and the kids gobbled it up. My mom, from Michigan, called it 'Mince'. Fry chopped onions up in a large pan, toss in ground bison meat (this was hamburger when I was a kid, but we only eat bison these days) and cook through. Stir in diced carrots, peas and corn or some medley of your kids fave veggies. Serve over mashed potatoes. We had a side of cooked beets tossed in balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme. Kids cleaned their plates, as did we.



Homestead Mama and I realized that we have totally slacked on an important lesson - our kids do not know how to make a moat out of mashed potatoes and then let rivers of gravy wind down to their food. We will soon have a roast turkey with gravy and remedy this flaw in their gastronomic education. Smocks and drop cloths all around, I expect. Night where we have sanctioned food play get a little raucous but are some of the jolliest.

Sneaky

I was busy upstairs this morning dismantling the dog crate that remained set up in our dressing room solely for the kids to play in. (We had taken the door off, so its not like we ever locked them in there.) As always, the kids were playing near me, Monito at my feet and Pequita in the office. I heard my bedroom door shut and Monito ran to it and knocked - his sister said 'come in!' He left my room. Soon I hear lots of giggling and laughing.

One of my basic rules is that if I can hear both kids and there is no screaming, they are probably ok. Parents know - when there is silence bad things are happening. So I'm feeling confident that things are fine and I finish collapsing the kennel. I head out into the other room where, lo and behold, both kids are eating a tollhouse cookie at 8 am. Suppressing my first 6 instinctive responses, I say "Mmmm, those look good." They nod vigorously and keep chewing. Pequita gets her sly look and tells me, "Mommy. Pequita go downtairs (sic) and climb up and get own cookie. Den I came uptairs (sic) and eat cookie. Bubba see my cookie and he go get Bubba *own* cookie.". Grin. I asked, how did my bedroom door get closed? My daughter said, "I closed door so Mommy not see me eat cookie."


There you have it. Subterfuge and deception at less thaan 3 years old. Her brother was all too happy to go along. What in the world am I up against?

Brave Boy

Monito and I were attempting our regular dismount from the Ergo carrier in the park this morning so he could dance to the accordion trio. He torqued around in his excitement while dangling from my hands and POP went his arm. 30 minutes of screaming followed, lasting all the way to the ER. X-rays were awful with lots of crying. Pequita was a trooper, playing with a new book of fairy stickers while she watched us through the peep hole. Luckily, not being pregnant, I could hold Monito during the process.



Then back to our cubicle to wait. The nurse practitioner, Michael, came in to check Monito out. Without a word, he picked up Monito's arm and started bending it vigorously. The vibrating, red-faced painful surprise took a few seconds to register with Monito, but I'm sure everyone heard it all the way to the parking lot. Apparently, he was resetting the arm, but didn't warn me at all. Diagnosis? Nursemaid's arm, which basically means we jerked his elbow out of joint. Ouch! We left the ER with the boy in an arm brace with orders to follow up with the orthopods if no improvement tomorrow. On to pudding in the cafeteria!



On the way to the cafeteria, we ran into some friends - the mother was in the ER with chest pains, her toddler, infant and husband wandering around trying to stay entertained. That put our little arm worries into perspective. I still don't know if everything is ok. Hopefully it was nothing, but she was getting a cat scan as we left.



With no naps, Homestead Mama working late and two nutty kids, bedtime will be early tonight. I'm going to sign off and get to it.

Paul Bunyon

15 minutes before Monito's two year well visit this was the scene I woke to as my phone beeped the alarm. Egads. I carries two heavy babes to the car and made the appointment.

Monito is off the charts for height at 38". His weight has gone up to the 99th percentile at 36.25 lbs. For comparison, his sister is 37" and 38 lbs. We are growing a giant.

Sadly, the pediatrician had no vaccination for the selective hearing that plagues Monito. Actually, it plagues me; he is just fine with it.

In other health news, Pequita's lead level was a respectable 3.4, which means we can relax a bit. Hoorah! She had a tantrum when I told her we wouldn't need to get her more blood draws at the hospital. Seems she will miss the chocolate pudding in the caf after the venipunctures. Oy.

Two

My baby boy, he turned two on Sunday. It was a glorious sunny day, and we invited a few friends over to celebrate at 10 am. Monito was pretty jazzed up and took off downstairs early. He remembered Christmas enough to know what to do with the wrapped gifts he found in the living room - I heard ripping and raced in with the camera just in time to see his face when he opened the wooden tow truck and tractor trailer. Utter joy and lots of vrroomming ensued. The zones we've created in the yard worked beautifully - it handled 25 adults and 6 kids with no fighting or crowding. At the last minute, Monito decided against having a garbage truck on his cake, and requested a front loader bucket: indigestion narrowly averted. He wore his beloved I Stink shirt to honor trash removers instead. I made a German chocolate three-layer cake, and followed a recipe for an easy-to-pipe frosting which performed beautifully. He was very happy with his green digger cake.
We partied with friends all morning. There was sandbox and gravel pit fun, swing set frolic, tag and chase - good for nap-prep, naked swimming, naked sliding, naked peeing-in-the-yard, and then NAP.

While my parents were visiting, the kids wanted to sneak in and wake them up each morning and from each nap to get in some snuggling. Grandparents didn't miss the sleep as they were so busy wallowing in the charming babies.

After naps, our friend Noona brought her 3 boys over and there was much more vigorous play. Wagon-pulling, bocce, sprinkler-jumping, and popsicles in the tent. My kids love having the big boys around, and the adults enjoyed an opportunity to ease up on the hypervigilence and drink a few beers. The evening ended around the campfire, roasting hot dogs and s'mores. The kids were pretty worn out towards the end of the evening.We may start a Sunday evening campfire tradition for the summer because it was so much fun. Late to bed but it was well worth it.

Four is a Crowd

Pequita is going through some kind of developmental shift. That is a kind way of saying that she screamed like her fingernails were being pulled out last night as I tried to leave her bedroom after an hour of reading, nursing, and singing. She scaled her crib twice when I tried to put her in it since she refused to stay laying down in her big girl bed. Finally I left her screaming "don't leave, mommy" in between great raspy sobs and went downstairs to where grandpa was holding her whimpering brother to try to put him back to sleep. I could hear her leave her bed, and the screaming stopped. I was hoping she was snuggled in a cozy place and not at the desk beginning her tell-all memoir. Homestead Mama went up to her 10 minutes later and found her on the top stair, having scaled the baby gate. I heard her tiny voice say "I big girl, Mama, no cry". Then I cried because the whole thing was so draining, and I never know if we're putting her through all this 'sleep training' for nothing. All I want is for her to go to sleep in her own bed somewhat by herself.



Today was a wonderful 2nd birthday for Monito. We had a nice group of people to celebrate with us, and the kiddie pool, sandbox, swingset, toys and yard were all in hot rotation. We ended the day with a family cook out, hot dogs and s'mores over the campfire. All day I was dreading a repeat of last night. I let Pequita have her village help her get to sleep - Mama and I stayed with her the whole time, and grandma read a chapter of Winnie the Pooh, and was followed by grandpa singing a medley of Stephen Foster songs. Both Pequita and Mama are asleep in Monito's toddler bed; Monito was asleep in his crib an hour ago. Why can't kids come with a manual? How can I allow a kid to need four adults in the room for her to go to sleep? [Insert sigh of futility.]

Big Kid Beds

We've had the nursery set up with two toddler beds for months. No one has ever slept in that room ever; there has only been lots of playing on beds, on the car mat on the floor, and much diaper changing. All the sleeping [or lack thereof] happens in the master bedroom, where our queen sized bed is flanked by two cribs. Thank goodness our bedroom is huge. We have snuggle time in the big bed, kids go down into their cribs, when they wake up sometime between 11 pm and 3 am they get pulled into our bed for the night.

For the last few nights, both kids have had a really hard time falling asleep. Even though we start stories around 7pm and Monito falls asleep by 8ish, Pequita is averaging 10:30 for her fall asleep time. This includes many summons to H-Mama to come upstairs. I just found out - after months of not being the chosen parent at night - that H-Mama has been nursing her, reading to her after we put her down, all the things I thought we agreed not to do. Apparently, *I* agreed not to do them but she only nodded without conviction.

Tonight, we put them down to much complaining and came downstairs to do some baking and food prep for a barbecue tomorrow. They cried a little on and off, sang to themselves, cried a little more, and then Monito started calling Help! Help, Mommy! with some vigor. I decided to go up, and was met at the top of the stairs by both kids. Out of their cribs and crying hard. Apparently, Pequita decided she was really and truly a big girl and climbed out of her baby cage; she then either helped Monito out of his crib or he just didn't want to be left behind, but he had a little trouble vaulting over the bars and called me up for help. The crying was happening because now that they were out of their cribs they were afraid of 'horns', the catch-all imaginary being that is the source of all their fear. Also, I think they were a bit surprised and scared by their successful rebellion. They have been pushing limits all day every day for weeks. In the course of nursing them into a calm place, we figured out that Pequita wanted to sleep in the nursery in her toddler bed. Monito just wanted to sleep where his sister was. So into the nursery we trooped, set up a fan for them and got them settled. Monito was asleep in a couple minutes and Pequita had her final summons for H-Mama at 10: 45 pm. They are still asleep at 11:53 [and why am I not asleep you might ask? Stupidity, pure and simple.] Talk about a milestone! I have no illusions that it can possibly be this simple, but wouldn't it be nice if this stuck? I'll try to get a picture, but mostly I'm afraid of rocking the boat with my flash.

First Hot Day

We had a really full, nice day. The Volvo was leaking oil so Homestead Mama took it down to get looked at this morning; the kids refused to be left behind, so she took them along and to a diner for breakfast. I slept in.

At 11am we attended the season opening of the local Children's Garden with some friends. There were festivities and lots of playing in the sandbox, watching the mating frogs trail eggs in the pond, playing in the tiny house made of straw bale construction, and building fairy houses. Pequita really got into this, and ours was rudimentary by my standards, but she insisted it have a bed made of cattail fluff, a picnic table and enough chairs for the fairy and her friends, a little walnut shell of water in case she gets thirsty, and some seeds for food. We built it at the base of a tree so we could do it in the shade, as it was eighty degrees and sunny. It was so much fun - this is definitely something we'll do around our house.

At noon we jumped in the car and headed to the closest Mazda dealer which is an hour away, ensuring the kids would nap on the way. We bought a car today, an 'O9 Mazda 5 micro-minivan crossover. Whatever. Consumer Reports loves it, and it gets great mileage for a car with 3 rows of seats. It is still under warranty, as it has only 6k miles on it; some Mazda manager had it as a job perk. It is superfluous that it is a beautiful red, comes with a spoiler, moon roof and - Homestead Mama's favorite thing - custom carpet mats. What really matters is that *I* will have to be the primary driver, as H-Mama's commute will blast through the warranty in a few short months, whereas my in-town meandering will take a lot long to reach 36k miles. I am going to make waterproof slipcovers for the seats, since they are pale beige it would only be a matter of days until the specific slick layer of toddler goo permanently marred the perfect interior. We'll go and finalize the deal on Tuesday. I have a doctor's appointment a few miles from the dealership anyway that day to start seeing about filling up the other seats of the car. More about that in another post.

We stopped on the way home for Mexican food and the kids were so good that we decided to give them the gift of their first A&W root beer float for dessert. Both H-Mama and I have really wonderful memories of going to A&W as kids, the wooden-handled mugs, the joyful treat of it all. Our kids loved it; you can still sit in your car and order food, but we sat inside at a table. You have to order your food from a phone hanging in your booth, which was the source of much amusement.

It was a super day. Full, sticky, too sunny, really busy, but successful on every front. The kids were asleep quickly, as will we be shortly.

Nutshell

My daughter calls horses 'horse ride' which comes out sounding like 'ho-wide'. Every horse we drive by or bike by is a 'ho-wide!'.

Monito is IN LOVE with the story "I Stink" by the McMullens. We have the dvd and the book. He has his own garbage truck that he got for Christmas and he calls it "I 'tink" and zooms it around the living room while watching his show. I just bought him a nice German-made plastic excavator, and he spends tons of time gathering the carpet fuzz and dust bunnies up in the scoop and transferring them to the garbage truck. I suppose I should let him play with the vacuum more, eh?

Pequita is a big girl now; she tells me so many times a day when she wants to do anything she isn't allowed to do. Primarily I hear it when she wants to do 'gymnastics' which means endangering her life and limb by dangling from the banister or performing acrobatics that would cause a teenager to blanche. She helps me let the dogs in and out, make my coffee, feed the dogs and fish, carry heavy items, and use the computer mouse. She wants to dress and undress herself, put her own diapers on, and bathe herself. Monito, who is physically bigger than
her, is 'a leetle baby'.

When we are outside Monito has developed a habit of running laps around the house, garage, or playground. He gets a wry, slightly naughty smile on his face, tucks his head into his chin and takes off at a steady sprint. Calling after him does no good, he MUST RUN. He stumbles and wipes out all the time but just put himself to rights and keeps going.

Pequita has shifted somehow and become part shepherd dog. If her brother drifts away from me in a public place or if I call him to me at home I hear him screaming and the next thing I know she has bodily dragged him to my side, usually by his overall straps or a hood. It is really funny and I have to stifle the laughter every time. This goes along, I think, with her claiming to be a "Big Girl".

Monito has developed selective hearing. It is as if he is deaf. I can whisper, speak, or yell to him and he doesn't even register my presence. It is most annoying. I have walked over to him and tapped him on the head and he gets a teeny little smile and continues to ignore me. I thought this wouldn't happen for years to come.

Pequita is really embracing the potty training. Part of being a Big Girl. She is keenly excited about peeing in the grass, but despite having been shown how (hey, we live in the country) she is reticent.

Monito can count to 12 and beyond. He can sing a lot of the alphabet song (A, B, C, etc) but still prefers their made up version, A-yayay, I-ayay, O-ayay, etc.

Pequita is terribly afraid of getting left behind and every time she leaves our presence, she pops her head back into view and says, "NO LEAVE!?"

Both kids eat what H-Mama and I eat. Last night we all had a late quick meal of the first fresh corn on the cob and sardines on crackers. They love rice and beans, sticky rice with mango, edamame, most leafy greens, chick peas, Indian food, and anything Mexican. I am grateful each and every day that they eat more than mac & cheese and peanut butter.

Big

After the veterinarian's office weigh-in, I wanted to check out the kids' percentiles. According to my wiggly measurements, Monito, at 22 months, is in the 97th percentiles for height and weight. My little monster. I'm glad we have plans to get a nice organic garden growing in the back yard as well as a few chickens and maybe a goat for milk and cheese, since clearly we won't be able to afford to buy enough food to sustain him through puberty.

I couldn't have foreseen him outgrowing his changing table, but clearly that has happened.

Pequita is in the 95th for weight and is down to the 66th for height. This would mesh with Homestead Mama's height and build, as well as the females in the donors family. Fairly traditional for Mexican indian heritage all around. H-Mama is an athlete; at 5'1" her build is compact, muscular and completely agile. She can do any sport she tries with an ease I - literally - only dream of. Her short stature has gotten in the way a bit, so we both hope for Pequita to at least crest 5'4" or so.



Pequita then came up to me with her measuring tape and wrapped it around my thighs, chanted some numbers and pronounced, "BIG, Mommy!" I said, "I know, little girl, I know." Sigh.

My Boy!

Post-tubby my son, my big boy, said, "Mommy! Pee!" And then he grabbed the potty, sat down by himself and did it. I couldn't be prouder.

Milestone Hell

Monito has figured out how to escape public toilet stalls by crawling under the dividers, dragging his pacifier on the floor the whole way.

I'll never be able to go to the bathroom easily in public again. Dagnabbit.

Baby-free zone

It is official. No more babies here, just toddlers. When we go to the local science museum, they are no longer amused with the blocks, mini-vacuum, or the tame baby water pool. Now, Pequita rushes to the craft table and cuts, glues, and tapes up a storm. Monito watches the big boys and tries to help them make dams in the big water tank, clambering up to perch on the slippery lip of the tank that is 2' off the ground so he can compete for floating toys. They are both wearing size 3 and 4 clothes. Wherever did my babies go?

Not so much blogging these days, eh? I'm a bit swamped and stressed.

I believe I forgot to post Monito's 18 month stats; one drawback of blogging on my blackberry is that it isn't easy to go back and check old blog posts. Lord knows my memory isn't going to be much help. Chronic sleep deprivation makes it hard to separate intention from actual action.

We went to the new doc, who is still working out just fine. Monito has a little PTSD surrounding medical procedures. Between his sister's blood draws for lead checks, her recent fingers-crushed-in-doorway scream fest and ensuing x-rays, and his own painful venipuncture for lead testing with accompanying crying, he is understandably wary. He tolerates well visits by sitting on my lap as the doc checks him over, but starts crying as soon as he sees vaccination syringes. He is running about dead even with his 8 month older sister, and at 31 lbs and 35" tall he is firmly 95th percentile for his age.

Monito's fun fast-cycling phase is easing up a bit. We go a full hour sometimes without a meltdown. H-Mama and I realized recently that we are regularly expecting too much of him, mostly because of his sheer size and physicality. When we observe him alongside another kid who is 19 months, differences are apparent. He has gotten so much from his older sister and totally keeps up, but the age difference is profound when watching him NOT play nicely and quietly with small motor skills. He is a bashing, crashing, whacking, loud, whiny, mischievous, sweet snuggly boy. He would rather take everything apart, throw it all on the floor, destroy block towers instead of building it up. He is, in a nutshell, a 19 month old boy. He is able to count to 3, sing a version of the alphabet song, carefully pour water or lentils from one pitcher to another. He can turn on the DVD player by himself (we're so proud), dismantle most child-safety locks, and tell a whole involved story in fairly understandable vocabulary mixed with funny pantomime.

It doesn't matter how annoying he gets. His Mama and I are head over heels amazed by him.