Halloween

Halloween was a raging success this year. We started working on the fear issues months ahead of time, visiting Lowe's no fewer than 5 times a week to deprogram both kids out of residual holiday terror from last year, but particularly Monito, with the scary battery op witch who cackles, stirs her cauldron of spells, and - most notably - blinks her leering red eyes when the motion sensor detects small children nearby. We started out with them in the cart squeezing shut their eyes while I raced by at top speed, ignoring the Walmart-like greeter Lowe's now sports by the doors. We graduated to the same thing but on foot, and the kids would peek at the witch from the safety of the paint aisle, 40 feet away. By the time Halloween was upon us, they were both sauntering by her and pulling up her skirt saying, "Look, Mommy - she doesn't even have legs. She's PLASTIC, not real." I was so proud.

We did buy a couple of used costumes, but mostly they outfitted themselves from our dress up box. We did two events this year, the local grocery store's trick-or-treating on Thursday, and then for the first time we actually walked around in the dark going door-to-door asking for candy.

Monito, their buddy Captain America, and Pequita, all ready to go. With a little coaching about what constitutes a good house to approach (decorations, porch light on) the kids took off. Captain America was a trooper, methodical and diligent in his careful collection of treats. Monito couldn't get past the CANDY! in his PUMPKIN! and had to stop and eat piece after piece. Pequita was clearly more interested in the thrill of the hunt, and raced from house to house screaming LIGHT ON! LIGHT ON! as she speed walked the neighborhood. Clearly, we'll be graduating to the bigger hunting grounds next year, the Mecca of all things Halloween, Fall Creek. It is 10 square blocks or so of densely populated neighborhoods, where nearly everyone participates. These are the people who have to shell out the big bucks so they don't run out of treats on the toddlers by 8 pm when the serious trick-or-treaters start their rounds.

Our first year in our house, four miles out of town, no sidewalks, rural but still populated, we were visited by only one family. A woman saw all our hopeful decorations, artfully carved pumpkins, lights blazing and stopped her minivan full of kids to come to our door. As they each took a couple pieces of our mounded bowl of candy, she explained that we wouldn't get anyone at our house; all the families from three towns head down to Fall Creek where the candy is dense and easy to get. I was crushed. Luckily, I had lots of candy in which to drown my disappointment. She was right, too - we have never had any other trick-or-treaters since. We are raising a generation of soft kids. I remember ranging far and wide for our candy as a kid. We had to pass by swamps, fields, deserted houses and dark forests between houses, which really made it more fun and scary.

My kids had a few pieces of candy on the actual holiday, then traveled with their Mama on Sunday. Monday was candy day; right before naps, I handed them each their loaded plastic pumpkin full of candy and told them that they could eat all they wanted. Oh, the rustling, the deciding, the laying out of options and game plans. That was all Pequita. Monito just started eating and kept going until I said stop. My boy, he can concentrate like the dickens. After that, I told them that in the night, the Great Pumpkin was going to come and trade in all their left over candy for a toy, and in their bloated, sugar-sick state they seemed a little glad to hear it. The next morning found a few Little Critter Pets (or whatever they are called) and a stuffed Max and Ruby doll in place of candy, and everyone seems to be happy with the holiday.

Everything Old is New Again

Some new used toys are making two very happy kids.

If you have a kid around 2, run - do not walk - and get a Viewmaster. Pequita carries hers with her everywhere now, even on the changing table. I'm expecting to get some mileage out of these on the long car trips this summer, too.

We also found the Rodie bouncing horse, which they adore and like to sit on while playing, watching a DVD, or eating. Both have bounced vigorously enough to fly off and hit their heads on the coffee table, and now the rule is that Rodie has to be ridden next to the soft couch only.

I remember spending hours playing with Connect 4. Clearly, my kids aren't playing by the rules, but totally love the plink plink of dropping the chips into the slots and then letting them crash to the table. Pequita plays longer than Monito, and once he has stepped away she starts sorting the colors and making patterns with them in the rack.

We also found a chainsaw with batteries that makes a wonderful scary buzzing sound. Monito runs through the house waving it over his head and giggling maniacally like an extra from a slasher film. I was a little surprised that Pequita found a way to enjoy it as well. Her doll Lia was purchased to renew the spark of interest in potty training. Lia has her own batteries, bottle, and potty and she cries to be fed and then to be put on the potty. Pequita LOVES her, and amusingly, frequently doesn't turn her on since it is stressful to have the demands of a baby. No headway on the potty training, though. Lately she's been peeing through her diapers a few times a day, so we're changing her more often than ever and hoping it is a phase of sorts.

Daredevils

We had a nice visit from Auntie Kiko and her sister the other day. There was much merry playing. It is always more fun with someone other than Mommy.

Ms. Pequita is still manifesting the effects of watching the older girls in gymnastics. She suckered Auntie Kiko into letting her do this:

Its not like I stifle them, though, as you can imagine. We regularly make the old ladies out and about gasp in horror with our running, tossing, wrassling, and rough housing. [In my defense, we also impress them with how carefully we hold hands in the parking lot.] Monito is coming into his own physically. This never-ending growth spurt has had him eating massive amounts of food in order to feed his brain and body. For weeks he has been mostly staggering around, tripping over his own feet and barely managing to not brain himself on the coffee table. It is all coming together now, though, and he is achieving new heights of ability. Bedtime is now officially naked noodle couch jumping time. Please note that he isn't deformed, but that I blurred his ever so cute pink bits to keep the creeps from bookmarking my blog.

Pretend Soup

I gave the book Pretend Soup to Homestead Mama for Christmas. She is REALLY looking forward to doing concrete activities with our kids, and cooking is something she loves and wants to share with the babes. I also bought the kids a veg peeler to start learning with, and yesterday the boy and his Mama made carrot pennies. Monito needed help to peel the carrots, but very much wants to participate so Mama helped him hold the peeler and apply enough pressure to do the job. Then Mama sliced and they both steamed them. He was so proud, and the kids are still eating them by the handful. Below, I asked him to show me the carrots, and he opted to show me the ones he was chewing in stead of the ones in the bowl. That's my boy.

Christmas Keeps on Giving

Grandma took my suggestion and made felt food for her grandkids. Peas with actual dried peas sewn into the felt, fried eggs, heads of lettuce, bow tie pasta and more. The kids adore it, and play with it all the time. I have eaten hundreds of bowls of veggie pasta surprise brought to me with a spoon while they look on, bright eyed and approvingly, as I blow on my bowl of felt to cool it down before pretending to eat it up.

Homestead Mama made each kid a doctor's bag, which we gave them a few days after Christmas. 26 and 18 months might seem early for them, but both kids have had semi-traumatic blood draws to check lead levels, seen their mommy in the post-op and with stitches after the gall bladder removal, and seen Grandma on crutches. They LOVE the bags. H-Mama doesn't slouch, and had on hand two actual leather gate-mouth doctor's bags, the kind Marcus Welby always carried and I've never seen a modern physician toting. She filled them with medical grade stethoscopes, tongue depressors, gauze pads, bandaids, and syringes with the needles removed. We have a lifetime supply of those from all the IVF we endured, and we use them all the time for non-injection things these days.

The kids unload all their equipment, spread it out, then play with their favorites. Bandaids are the biggest hit. Having an unlimited supply has not yet gotten tiresome for them. What a tiny investment of money for such joy. One is never enough.

Monito is giving the dogs a dose of medicine with his syringe. They are taking it like good pups.

Pequita has been asking to hear the story of her blood draw several times a day for months by pointing to the crook of her arm and asking for 'more'. Now she can really happily re-enact the whole event with her supplies. Below is H-Mama pretending to draw out the 2 vials of blood the nurse took that day. Pequita gets to talk about how scary it was, how it pinched but didn't hurt much and how we then got Pudding! in the cafeteria. Such a good idea H-Mama had.

Potties. Enough Said.

We have much excitement here at chez Homestead. Potties as communal sport. Yahoo!

Pequita Turns Two

My beautiful daughter is two. I am amazed. This means that we started trying to have a baby SIX years ago. Just look at her!

Gargantua

I took Monito for his 15 month checkup. He's still on track to be a star rugger player. 98th percentile for height, 93rd for weight. His head is, as it has always been, off the charts.

This is my first attempt at posting from my new Blackberry phone. Fingers crossed.

Grandparent Love, School Love

My dad is fighting aging tooth and nail. His PT has given him core strengthening exercises which he is diligent about. The babies love to help him, and are now mimicking his every move.

Today, I tried out pigtails on Pequita for the first time. It was adorable. Her hair is so curly, they were actually like little squiggly pig tails, hugging her scalp.She is so excited to have nursery school coop to go to by herself. We pack a special bag with a change of clothes, extra diapers, water, and a special toy. She likes to carry it herself, and screams if Monito touches it. We walked out to the car discussing what was going to happen - she's still getting used to being left somewhere without Mama or me. She was disturbed today the whole way downtown as Monito's car seat was empty; she kept saying Bubba? Bubba? and pointing to his spot. No amount of explaining that he was home with Grandma quieted her fears, so we sang all the way to the coop which helped her forget a bit. She was happy to hear me return at 11 am, after an hour of acupuncture and the better part of an hour spent lounging in a coffeehouse alone - alone! She led me around her play space and showed me her favorite toys. So independent she is sometimes.

I am sorry my parents are gone. I already called them to tell them to move up the schedule to relocate here; if they wait a few more years, the kids will miss out, as will they. The plan is for them to move into the house we own across the street, and keep a pied a terre in Boston, so they have a home near each grandchild. I love raising a kid with a village around. Everyone wins.

Artistic Expressions

Finger painting brought so much joy... that it quickly gave way into brush painting. Ms. Pequita gets a little uppity and artistic when holding a brush. Monito? Well, he's in his blue period.

Visiting Parents

Having houseguests really slows down the blogging. You'd think the extra help would buy me all the spare time I needed to nap, blog, shop, go see the Sex and the City movie, but you'd be wrong.

What we have had time to do is go to the birthday party of one of Pequita's friends. Monito got to ride a pink trike, and he totally didn't feel emasculated as you can see. Bring on the streamers!

I did more gardening, a lot more playing in the yard and the kids have been giving Grandma the grand tour of local playgrounds. My favorite has lake, park, playground and shade trees. We spend hours there.
Mom got me a nice pair of blue Crocs for my birthday and also CLEANED OUT MY CAR. We took out the car seats and washed the covers. She cleaned all the windows, vacuumed it to within an inch of its life, scrubbed down the seats [which took three buckets of soapy water to come clean] and scraped all the moist detritus from under the backseat. Oh my goodness, but that was not an activity for the faint of heart. It is so lovely now I was loathe to put the babes back in it, but who knew that some naked time in the empty car would be so very exciting?

Gorgeous, no? To keep it that way, I have made a waterproof seat cover that is installed under the car seats and covers the whole back seat. At least we can shake it off once in a while and vacuum easier.We had a first birthday party a little early for Monito, who turns one year old on June 14. His present from his grandparents was this wagon. We are entering the most fun ME/ MINE/ Noooooooo!!! phase in Pequita's life at the same time that Monito is finding his [screamy] voice, and I wanted nothing to do with toys that only he can play with. They love their wagon, and if it is in sight of the kitchen window, they start begging for rides before we even have breakfast.

The fieldstones we picked out were delivered and are still on their pallets. As I had hoped, the kids really like climbing all over them. I'll be happier when my landscaping guy comes with his skid steer and places them in the yard where I actually want them. Sometime this week, he says.

Adoption Day

We are family. On the way home from becoming officially and legally siblings, the kids held hands in their car seats.


Yesterday's adoption hearing went without a hitch. My mother was there with balloons, the kids were beaming and Homestead Mama and I were ebullient as we tossed our belongings onto the x-ray machine to be admitted into the courthouse. We were clearly in court for a different reason than all the sad, sullen, angry looking folks loitering in the hallways who were losing their drivers licenses, their freedom, their children. The process only took a few minutes. My father missed it, as he was joining us from his bike trip in the Northern part of the state. I didn't realize why he was late until afterwards - he had to bike 60 miles to an airport where he rented a car to drive the remaining 90 miles. He said he misjudged how long it would take to bike that particular 60 mile stretch. No matter - he met us at the Homestead as we arrived and enjoyed the party.

We had a house full of family of choice - moms group families, neighbors, and friends from years past. Plenty of food, beer, and toys for the kids. We had enough strong help to lift and re-situate the swing set on a level part of the yard which H-Mama and I have been wanting to do. Despite the cool damp weather, a few kids chose to play outside which was where we had hoped to have the whole party. However, the layout of the homestead really accommodates a crowd well as it comfortably held over 32 adults and kids, but I cracked up when I realized that the two adults eating with their kids at the tiny kids table were the huge rugby player and the 6'5" dad. [Yes, I know my windows need a wash, but I won't do it until all the sawdust and painting ends.]

One of the markers of a good party is that the hosts have no lonely guests to introduce around, and last night people were so well matched that it seemed as though the groups overlapped and integrated effortlessly, which meant I could flit around and enjoy myself. I had a super time and H-Mama and I were very touched that everyone turned out to celebrate on a school/ work night. Having my mom come from six hours away and Dad miss a day of his bike trip was amazing; they have been so supportive in every way of this process that it was important to include them and let them bask in the love too.

Dad had to rejoin his biking party for the last leg of their trip, so he left early this morning. Monito and I had a half hour with him while everyone else slept in. The kids are old enough now that they remember my parents from visit to visit and it takes them very little time to get over their shyness and swarm over Grandma and Grandpa. Monito and Grandpa shared some Veggie Booty and a little love at 6:30 am.

Monito, Month Eleven

Dear little buddy,

You turned eleven months old last week. You are completely exploding right now like all kids do who are simultaneously teething, learning to walk, and shifting from three naps per day to NOT ENOUGH SLEEP. You are a total joy to be around in the mornings when you frolic and explore on your own, artfully evading the attempts of your sister to engage you in her games. Those games usually result in you mashed on the floor under her, or with her sitting on you, or with you crying because every toy you touch is yanked from your grasp. She is also practicing her undressing skills on you, and I regularly find the two of you in a quiet corner of the house, you on your way to being naked and shoeless and Pequita busily trying to cram your massive skull through the neck hole of your shirt.

You are doing extremely well learning how not to bite Mommy with all your new teeth - three on the bottom and 1.5 on the top. After that first massive double puncture wound that resulted in much painful bleeding from the bottom of my left nipple, we have had no further incident. Lucky for you, I must say, as I was considering playing the weaning card.You are so busy that you frequently don't have time for nursing during the day. You are surviving, though, as you manage to squeeze in seven or eight hours of nursing each night while I contort my body painfully to keep a nipple in your mouth. The soothie will no longer do; it has to be flesh between your tender lips. If you fall off the breast, you awake with a squawk of protest that turns into a loud squall if you are unheeded for more than thirty seconds. Big plans are afoot to resolve this for you if it doesn't stop on its own; Mommy without sleep is not as much fun to be around.

You are crawling like a little hurricane around the house, yard, Home Depot, and play grounds all over town. Homestead Mama's favorite version is your bear cub crawl: both hands and both feet, totally off your knees, with your tushie high in the air as you zip around. I am partial to your standard crawl when you apply turbo; you mosey along shopping for something to tip over or grab and when you set your sights on the object of your desire you ZOOM at triple speed in a blur of hands and knees thumpity thumping with reckless abandon. It is no wonder that your shins are covered in bruises.
You also quite keen to be standing up. Everything vertical exists for you to pull up on. I blew your mind the other day by putting you on the kitchen counter to stand up. You had never been that tall, and I dare say you enjoyed it.You melt my heart regularly by crawling into the middle of the room and looking around to make sure you have an audience before slowly and with much caution rising to a wobbly stand exactly like a surfer getting up on his board, arms out for balance, knees bent. You flash me a huge grin of pride when you are upright and hover there for long seconds before falling over as you lift a foot to try to walk. It won't be long until you are successful.

Your personality is also blossoming. Your sister smiled the mad, whole-face grin of someone on a roller coaster for much of her first year. You have been a tad more subdued and preferred to sport a jaunty half grin with raised eyebrow. You are clearly coming into your own, though, as your new preferred expression is a gleeful nose-scrunching roaring grimace that would be suitable for sporting in a rugby scrum. It is typically accompanied by a loud scream of joy that has startled folks all over town who are not used to the kind of vigor we are breeding here at the Homestead. It is also your first useful tool in quelling the marauding forays of your sister; you have managed to make her think twice about stealing your toys with this scream, no small feat.

You are voracious and willing to try anything. I can feed you a huge meal in your high chair and then turn you loose to play while I eat my lunch only to find you clutching my pantleg and grunting for bites, madly clapping your hands as you ask for MORE! MORE! MORE! in sign language. Avacado and mango are clear favorites, but last night you polished off with gusto my sardines in hot chile oil on crackers. For breakfast this morning, after I fed you all that I could think of that was appropriate for 9am, you had spinach pizza dunked in raspberry yogurt. I fully expect you to be off the charts again at your next weigh-in.



You are super company much of the time. Late afternoons are a little rough right now since your days are so full that you get pretty tuckered out a couple of hours before you fall asleep, but since you are in the midst of the 'I only want Mommy ' stage I have an easier time than your Mama, with whom you mostly cry until she hands you over to me if I am within hearing or sight distance. You are much more snuggly than your sister was at this stage, and bury your whole body into me, and a select few other humans, nuzzling and chuckling with joy. You let me love on you whenever I want for the most part, which is one of the benefits of having babies [and a smart move on your part, as it makes up for the aforementioned kicking all night.]
Your first birthday is looming, and I cannot believe I've known you almost a year. I am so glad to be with you all day, every day.

Love,

Mommy

The Dark Side of Milestones

Last night, for the first time ever, Pequita performed and act in the bath tub that caused an immediate and abrupt evacuation of the tubbie by both babies and me, followed by cleansing showers all around. Enough said?

In an amusing turn of events, H-Mama had been videotaping some cute antics that the kids were doing at the time and caught the whole episode on tape, including the horror/disbelief as I figured out what was going on and the laughter and urgent pleading to put DOWN the camera and take the kids out of the water. We'll be deleting it, I suspect. If she's ever to be in a high powered job it just won't do to have that footage floating around. [All puns intentional.]

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

If Mary = Pequita, then yes, contrary it is. She is going through a developmental spurt that prompts her to sag as if boneless to the ground and lie there like Gandhi passively resisting any sort of intervention by me or H-Mama. Two seconds is far too long for her to be expected to struggle with any task; after that she flings things away from her and either wails or growls, depending on the prevailing emotion. The only saving grace is that the spells are short-lived. One of the parenting books I like says to talk to a kid like a caveman during these episodes, keeping any complicated words out of it since they are shut down anyway. Sage advice.

On a lighter note, we have joined a CSA this year. My herb plot is near the kitchen and after two years of lying fallow due to pregnancies and babies it is 2/3 cleared and almost ready for the first crop of lettuce, tomatoes and basil, marjoram, thyme and whatever else strikes me as yummy this year. The oregano comes back each spring, which is always a treat. The CSA will give us a weekly crop of organic veggies that will cost out at cheaper than the grocery store and also supports local farmers. Win-win. Maybe this summer we can get our big plot at least tilled in preparation for planting next year; right now it is just a marked off acre in the field we own next to the house and a dream. A few beds prepared each year should be manageable, no? We'll see.

Why I Love Nursing

Because when he is full, he pulls away from his task and does this.

Warning - may melt heart.

Monito Stands!

Monito has been largely happy sitting and watching while Pequita flits about him. Lately, though, he has started to really make headway towards crawling and standing. I can prop him up against things and he'll stay there indefinitely. He can even hold himself at an angle to see the TV when Pequita is watching Thomas the Tank Engine.

He is also quite happy, still, to sit in his throne and let his sister fetch him toys, which she mostly does of her own accord whenever he whimpers. Being catered to suits him. Monito walking will suit me just dandy, as the boy is still huge and HEAVY for me to carry everywhere. Yes, I know that babywearing is best, and that many people wear their babies in slings for the first few years. I know that, and I wear him all over town now. But those people must have puny little 50th percentile babies.

Monito's first meal

Monito has just cut his first two teeth (lower jaw.) As with Pequita, this happened around 7 months, and so as with his sister, Monito is now cleared to eat solid food. He had his first non-breast milk food a couple days ago. Since it was mere hours until he started getting the stomach flu, I'm glad it was organic chicken and matzoh ball soup that he ate. He was READY!

Monito Milestones - 7 months

My little potato is coming along famously. He cannot stop looking around; nursing is a series of fits and starts as he has a little swig then is compelled to stop and admire the (fill in the blank - mobile, wall, cat, sister, etc.) His world is revolving around me at this point, and Homestead Mama and I are working hard to get him happier at being with her. Pequita wasn't ever quite this bad at 7 months, having been in daycare for three months already.

His mobility is at an in-between place, and he's not quite satisfied to simply sit up on his own but shows little inclination to crawl or stand up; this can't be entirely his fault, as he is always in fleece and that acts like Velcro on the carpets. He flops over now onto his belly with a adept kick of the leg to reach for toys, and is pretty happy to remain on his belly doing press ups for a long time. He is definitely no longer reliable to leave on furniture unattended. He loves being thrown in the air, and chortles when held above our heads. He is completely in love with the remote control and the telephone, watching the lit buttons is apparently an unbeatable experience. He has some object permanence as well as definite ideas about what he wants. If someone, say (hypothetically) his sister were to snatch a toy from his grasp a loud screeching wail will be offered up by Monito. This is helping Pequita learn to share with him, and she is starting to approach him with a toy to trade for the one she is about to swipe from him. He isn't that easy to fool.

He is chatty and loves to giggle. He can pull a blanket over his head and then off again, and peekaboo is a favorite.

Pequita milestones

Today she stacked her special set of cups instead of merely bashing them down, and she clapped with great relish during the Teletubbies theme song. I need to write an encapsulation of her development. I need to make the time, by gum. (And while I'm at it, how about a couple birth stories, eh?)

She's also very into hiding these days. She has a few favorite spots which we pretend to not know about, but if we see her scurrying off, we can be sure that she's tucked herself into the corner of the pantry or behind the MBR toilet. She will hover there, poised and quivering with excitement, for a very long time waiting for us to find her. Most delightful.