The blog is moving onto bigger and better things!

Check it out and make sure you subscribe to the RSS to keep up-to-date!!!

www.kateduval.com/blog

Mama's back in action!

Dear Emmie (51 months),

____________________________________

Hi Ms. School Girl!

Preschool year two is going much smoother than preschool year one...well, I guess I just mean the start of the school year. Last year there was a day where I had to peel you off my leg and leave you angry and screaming crying with the teacher...this year on the first day you looked at me when you had been settled in for about 2 minutes and said, "K, mom, you can go now..." Maybe it was because we had an awesome morning that day together...we just started having Kathryn babysit on Tuesday mornings so we left her with Chase and we went and picked out a first day of school outfit and then we went to get you some shoes. Apparently the sparkly bright style is in this year because that was pretty much all that was on the walls. You picked out a really cute pair and then we put them on your feet, they're called "Twinkle Toes," only to find out that they have some AWESOME bright lights that flash...you said, "MOM, it's like a PARTY on my feet!!"

I thought maybe the next day you would be onto me and ask me to stay longer...but you did another, "MMmmmkay, bye! You should leave before Chase starts biting people..." So drop off has been easy! You still want your hug and a kiss and leave me with one...but you love your teachers and you're starting to talk more about who is who and who you played with. The director told me this year was more about friends whereas last year was all about the teachers and I can see that trend starting!

Sadly your middle of the night wakings are always in high gear when school first starts (usually just means you get up around 4am and climb into our bed)...it feels like when you were tiny and I would be gone for a wedding all day and you would nurse all night. They call it reverse cycling...at least we have a kind sized bed and you're easy company....you don't talk at all and just snuggle in close. Too bad sometimes that snuggling comes with some really cold toes...perhaps we should start putting socks on your feet.

I can't believe how fast you're growing and learning...you have some BOB books which you READ all by yourself...things like Dot has a hat. Dot has a dog. Dog has a rag hat. Etc...you sometimes try to make the sentence more complicated than it is making up your own version, "Dot is looking in the mirror at her beautiful hat with feathers..." HA! I think they're boring, too!! When I remind you to just read the words on the page you groan and say, "Oh all right...but my story is better." You also started to swim for about 10-15 seconds at a time without any assistance...no vest, no noodle, no mommy holding you. You were so so proud! And then a few days ago you came over with a piece of paper that said, "HOUSE," and a picture of a little house. You saw the word and copied it, knew what it said, and drew a picture of a house. Then the next day were BAR (bear) and RABT (rabbit) with pictures to go along with that.

You and Chase are playing more...actually you often pretend to be your Auntie Jenny and Chase is Uncle Scott and you go on many adventures together. Actually you've been going on adventures outside by yourselves while I cook dinner. I can see you out the window at the sink while you're at the swingset and you come to the backdoor with an announcement about every 2 minutes..."Scott is cold," or "Jenny is thirsty," or, "WE NEED A SNACK!" Actually that's usually what you and Chase say right before dinner...it's like hunger hits at 5pm and you can't possibly wait until 5:30pm when dinner will be ready and you both blow through a few cucumbers and tomatoes and then you both look at dinner and if it is something you like scarf it down...and if it's not on the hit list then you're both "full."

We have a pretty awesome list of books that we've read together...you're still into chapter books and we've finished a lot of Junie B. Jones books, and we've added some Ramona, you still talk about the BFG, and we just got the Boxcar Children and you loved it! We also read some of these weird fairy books about pet fairies that save the day...you loved them...I'd rather not read them so maybe we'll save those for when you're in 3rd grade reading on your own. We've also made a weekly habit of going to the library more and getting about 10 picture books, a new chapter book, a DVD each for you and Chase and some books on CD for the car. I am LOVING reading with you!

Hmmm...what else? I feel like so much happens day to day that I want to remember...funny little sayings or moments where we roll around on the floor laughing so hard I think we're both going to stop breathing...but then when I sit down here to write those little moments slip away and I can't remember them. Just know that everyday you amaze me and think of funny things to say or remember little things that I never would expect you to remember...you're just an awesome kid and I love you!!!

Love,
Mama

Dear Chase (29 months),

Friday, September 10, 2010

_________________________________________

Hello Mister-Roo!

Man let's talk about that language explosion again because in all actuality I am now sometimes looking for an off switch with the constant chatter of two little kids! You do speak a but of Caveman - "Us do it, mama," but you clearly get your point across more often than not. It is nice to hear about all that is on your mind even if you are often thinking about your p3nis (I'm not going to write it out because I don't want people searching for that to find this blog!!). Yup...I said it and forgive me when you're older and this embarrasses you but you do think about it and talk about it often. You giggle about it and say funny things all the time--I think talking in conjunction with potty-learning = obsessed but maybe that is just the nature of a boy. And speaking of potty learning you're getting there...you do know when you have to pee and will ask to go outside...lol...I feel a bit like you're a dog and I have to let you out...but actually it is easier and less mess! Poop...I guess eventually that will come to and until we have it figured out I have to watch you like a hawk when you're in undies and I can rest easy when we put on a pull-up....you just don't get the concept of sitting down to poop and you know what, that will come! Mommy is being patient and you're learning...that's the best I can ask for!

You're growing a lot (yay growth hormones) and actually grew out of a lot of clothes and your shoes...you've been the same size for a really long time so it this surprising to me! I even think it might be time to up the shoulder straps on your car seat. In addition to the hormone, though, you're also eating and sleeping a lot more than usual which I 'm sure helps. You handle the shot at night like a pro and once you even giggled that it tickled. Most night you might fuss for a minute and then be fine once it is done....mostly I think because you want to go play not stop and sit. So far so good!

Your love of all things with wheels continues but this month you have also branched out to loving Rockets and SPACE and you claim every day that you would like to go there! You even ate an ear of corn and then pretended it was a rocket blasting off! This also happened with a blade of grass. You're really just excited about anything blasting off. You still love cars and lately you will walk through a parking lot saying, "What's dat one, mama?" You're really good at recognizing VW's (especially the BUG!), the Prius, minivans, Honda's and Jeeps. It is insane how interested you are in them. There was a cute little sporty red convertible at the grocery store and you said to me, "Mama, we beep (your word for buy) that car?"

You're a little rough at times...hitting, biting, pulling hair, growling/screaming when people do what you don't want them to do...I can't wait for this phase to be over and I just offer other positive things for you to do constantly. "Please don't bite your sister, you can ask her if she wants to play or you can bit this toy over here." I feel like I am saying it all day long! You're also super sweet with laughs and giggles and you often want to hug and snuggle and give someone a gentle touch on their face. So again, working on lots of things at age 2!

Everyone you meet thinks you are adorable and smart and funny and they are often surprised that you are 2 because you're still a bit small....it is really cute to see such a little guy doing things that you would expect of a bigger guy. You're not at all cautious and Emmie tends to err on the side of caution so sometimes it catches me off guard that you're about to jump off a platform at the playground to slide down the pole...or you're pushing my hands off of you in the pool so that you can "swim" without me which tends to just lead to you dunking and me pulling you back up again. Overall you're just an amazing person to be around, you make me think on my toes, you make me smile, you make me laugh, you surprise me daily in all kinds of ways and I never knew I could love you and your sister as much as I do...and it feels like each morning we wake up I love you a little bit more!

(I still love the pattern your hair grows in on the top!! Too bad you're totally throwing a rock in that picture and then you were sad when I asked you to find a ball to throw instead)

Love,

The mama

(Emmie printed that "invitation" and you wanted it taped on your wall immediately!

Dear Emerson (50 months)

______________________________________

Hi Dunking Girl!

You're a fish!!! I real live little fish :) You often ask people who are near the water if they feel they are fish or cats...cats, obviously, are the people who don't really love to swim. You're definitely a fish. Daddy is a cat, Chasey is a cat if the water is cold and a fish in warm water...and Mommy, well, I've always been a fish, too! You often refer yourself to a professional dunker, a professional bubble blower, a professional swimmer and you will proclaim that you have professional mermaid hair. You often wear goggles in the tub and dunk and far down as you can go in the tub. You're a little hesitant to dunk in the wide open pool but you like to dunk over at the stairs. But let me, for the record, state that you will ONLY dunk on your own terms. If someone asks you to dunk or suggests it might be a good time to dunk you will often refuse and give me a big pout. You, my dear, have a very strong will and a very strong opinion!

You're taking swim lessons on Monday and Wednesday and you love your class and your teacher and the pool at One Stop Fun. You throw and retrieve little puffer fishes, kick playing red light green light, scoop ice cream in the water with your arms, swim ALL.BY.YOURSELF (with a noodle or a kickboard...lol!) across the pool and even in the deep end! You also loved the ocean and really really wanted me to keep bringing you out deep where the waves weren't crashing so you could just hold my hands and kick your legs. You liked the river in NH because you would swim (with your vest) and start to drift a bit down river and I would have to scoop you back to us...and you LOVED the kiddie pool at Attitash and the water slide. Have I mentioned that I think you might be part fish? Actually you will complain that you just want to be able to breath under water...and you even asked me how the fish can do it...and we talked about how they have gills that help them get the oxygen from the water and then you wanted to know where you could buy some gills. Funny girl! In these pictures you're wearing your swim vest because you can swim, explore the water off on your own, feel what your body can do to make you move...and you're mostly safe as long as I'm nearby so I can wrangle Chase and you can still enjoy your body moving in the water while keeping safe.

So yes, you love swimming...and this month you've fallen in love with country music and ask for it often. You like to sing along and one of the songs that gets stuck in your head goes like this, "Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, and whiskey makes me honey feel a little frisky." Thankfully you don't really know what whiskey is or what frisky means other than being silly...but it's funny to watch other people react when you're singing it. You're also still a pop fan and the song of the month is one about, "I'm going to break break break break break your heart..." and this lead to many discussions about heart break and what that means and when it happens. You certainly do ask a lot of poignent questions for a 4 year old and I feel as though if you're big enough to ask the hard questions you deserve the answers...so we talk. You were a little bit nervous about heart break and also integrated it into your vocabulary pretty quickly telling me one night when I was going upstairs to make some dinner when you really wanted me to play that I was just, "Breaking your heart!!" So cute.

You're a bit bossy at times, a bit whiny other times...but you're 4. I think you're supposed to be those things at 4. You're also very funny, and witty, and cute more of the time than not. You're fun to be around and say some of the darndest things. Sometimes we differ in opinion and I've learned that you're just as determined and stubborn as I am...and I'm ok with that...I like that you know your wants and needs and have a voice to declare what they are. You don't always GET what you want, but at least I know loud and clear what that is and can discuss with you. You're mostly very patient with your brother even though he sometimes kicks and pinches and we're working on letting him know in a clear loud voice that you're not ok with that and you often come up with a suggestion for him as to what he CAN do and the funny thing is? He'll do it! I think he might be your biggest fan. He will copy you until the cows come home and he is happy to do it. If I really need him to do something and he's not compliant I can ask you to show him and then bam, he'll just copy you and do it. It is so wonderful to watch you two grow and learn from each other and form a relationship that will last a lifetime.