Simon's new classroom and Alice's new bed

Friday was an exciting day in our little universe.  We'd been told, officially, on Thursday that Simon would be in the next class the whole day Friday, that his trial periods had gone well.  Zac dropped him off, and he cried and clung a little, but then when Zac went back past the classroom on his way out, Simon was sitting there happily with his snack.

When I picked him up in the afternoon, he was sitting there happily playing with a toy.  The teachers said he did fine.

All week Alice had been having trouble sleeping (as in, asking for food at 9pm, once we'd finally gotten her in bed).  She has these phases sometimes, so we're used to it, but this time she was also focusing on the bed, and asking to have a bed without sides on it.  She's been in a crib this whole time (3 1/2 years) because she never climbed out and never complained about it.  Since we like having her contained, we were in no rush to transition to a toddler bed.  But since she was asking, we told her we'd do it on Friday.  So Friday after supper, Zac removed one of the sides and put the toddler gate on it. Alice was so happy, and she slept just fine.

Our main concern was that she'd start waking up early and come and wake us up in the morning (on weekends, when we can sleep in, that is).  So we kept emphasizing that she had to stay in bed and read books in the morning like always.  And she did.

Squirt

Simon laughed hysterically the first 25 times he squirted himself with the crab. He had calmed down a lot by the time I got there to make a video.

The children perform

Simon loves to walk around the living room listening to his own voice echo back at him with this plastic microphone.

We've often done the parent trick of reading the wrong words in a book, and Alice always corrects us.  But tonight, I discovered that sometimes she memorizes entire books.  We've had this book, The Best Show and Share from the library for about three weeks, and it's one of her favorites.

Daycare pickup

Zac does the bulk of pickup and dropoff for daycare, but I picked the kids up today. When I went inside, Simon was in the hallway, where they often take the older kids from in the infant room out to practice walking.  There were only two kids left, and the teacher beckoned me over like she had a secret to tell.  She made me swear not to say anything, then revealed that the director had decided to let Simon try the older classroom the next morning. I had gathered from a previous conversation that they had tried before, but that he had cried the whole time.  When I'd asked the director about when they might move him up last week, she'd said that she was waiting for him to feel more confident. I really like the director and respect her knowledge of kids and their transitions, so I wasn't pushing it, just wondering. But I guess Zac had been asking too, so maybe Simon was finally ready or maybe the director was interpreting our questions as complaints. The teacher's secrecy just now suddenly helped explain why it seemed like Alice was always moved to the next class with little warning.  Maybe they try it without telling the parents, that way if it doesn't go well, they just don't say anything, and if the trial goes well, they tell the parents the kid is moving up the next day.  I can imagine a lot of parents are much more micromanagerial with their children's education than we are, so this probably saves the teachers and director a lot of headaches.

I took Simon with me out on to the deck, since Alice was still on the playground.  Although normally once we get Simon, he won't let us put him down, he had no problem being put down outside. Both kids climbed on these toys, and true to their natures, Simon just sat there, while Alice started rocking madly across the deck.

Simon was looking at the kids in the next class up as if they were creatures in a zoo.  I thought it was good foreshadowing for his trial the next day that he was interested in the classroom and kids. 

We finally left, and Alice took Simon's hand because he was going off the sidewalk.  She also carried his daycare bag.  She's almost helpful sometimes.

Drumming and dancing and reading

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

Henry David Thoreau

Alice is certainly dancing to the beat of her own drummer!

After they both woke up from their nap, we were hanging out in Simon's room and Alice was sort of reading a book to Simon.

Selfie

Climbing up and flipping down

Simon has finally gotten tall enough and strong enough to be able to climb up on benches and couches by himself. At the park Saturday morning, he intentionally climbed up on the bench next to mine so no one could accuse him of having been helped up.

This morning Simon would go get a book, bring it up on the couch and read it, then climb back off and get another book.

Simon has known how to slide off the couch for a couple of months, but then one time it didn't quite go as planned...

South Koreans and Selfie Sticks

We went to Burlington to meet the two exchange students from South Korea who were staying there for two weeks.  The girls spoke excellent English and were so nice. And one of them had a selfie stick! Alice fell asleep in the van on the way over, and so she took a bit longer to warm up than usual, but eventually she did.  Simon warmed up quickly too.  

Into the swamp

After a rainy week, the sun finally came out Saturday, and we took the kids to the park.  Zac and Alice normally walk through the woods adjacent to the park looking for trees to climb, but when they discovered a swamp had formed, they went back home to get their boots on so they could go into the swamp.  Alice could not have been happier.

Standing up without pulling up

Simon started standing up on his own today!  Normally he has to pull up on something, but Zac modeled for Simon how to get up, and he did it several times today.

Flag boy

Simon loves flags, and he loves walking around with this little flag that we got at the Christmas parade in December.  Part of the stick broke off, so the pole is the perfect size for his little fist.  And he hasn't poked his eye out, *yet.*

18 month stats

Simon had his 18-month wellness visit Friday afternoon.  When I picked him up from daycare, the ladies there insisted that I have the doctor have him tested for iron deficiency, because they said he seems tired a lot and one time he turned blue.  They also said he walked weirdly.

So, we all know Simon is way behind on skills like walking and being able to stand up on his own, and the questionnaire I had to fill out at the doctor's office confirmed this.  He's fine or ahead on everything else, but way behind on gross motor skills.  The doctor, out of an abundance of caution, is referring him to be evaluated by neurologists, to make sure nothing is wrong.  She also ordered some extra blood work.  Stay tuned.

At least he appears to be growing better.  Six months ago, he was in the 10% for weight and the 18% for height, so we're happy he's becoming a little more "average."

I don't think we have enough toys...

18 months of this little man

Simon turned 1 1/2 today, so here are some pictures and videos from the morning.

He normally wakes up happy.

He just lays there and looks at books while we get him changed and dressed.

He's a very smiley kid...

...but he does make some other faces:

Simon loves balloons.

Simon loves bugs.

Sometimes it's hard being the little brother, with a sister like Alice!

Although he has not been the most athletic kid so far, he's got some potential.

Candy is sweet...

Splish splash, I was taking a bath!

Rainbow Goblins

Alice chopped up all her playdough and distributed it into the containers.

Simon and Zac reading the Rainbow Goblin book.

Where's Alice?

Zac's Happy 36th Birthday

I think the best part of Zac's birthday was when he went in to get Alice up and her first words, in that sweet groggy sleepy voice was, "Happy birthday, Daddy!"  Alice had been laser-focused on Zac's birthday since she knew there would be cake involved and presents to unwrap.

I revealed the cake in the morning and Zac was able to figure out what it said.

Since the kids, the best way to have a birthday supper is to get take-out, since cooking is just work and chaos with the kids underfoot, and going out to eat is no fun with the kids.  This time I got Zac a chicken pot pie from Whole Foods and cooked up some fresh green beans.

Simon loves green beans!  Watch how quickly he gets his arm back out after grabbing the first bean.

After supper, we had cake.  Simon absolutely loved the candles and kept saying, "Fire!" long after the candles were blown out and the cake was consumed.  We did sing happy birthday, but I started the video afterwards.

Cake colors

Alice wanted to help decorate Zac's cake, but I didn't do it until she was in bed, because I had a plan.  I always love colorful cakes, and I wanted to do something with the idea that 36 was a square number.  I finally settled on making 6 squares with six colors in each square, for 36 units, spelling out "ZAC 36!!!"

Zac was in bed by the time I finished, so he had to wait until his birthday morning to see it.

Bednight and bath

Our bednight routine continues to consume way too much time, but we're having trouble paring it down.  One thing we tried on the trip to Ohio that worked well was giving the kids a bath together in the big tub.  So far we've never done this at home because we always used the little tub insert.  We always thought we'd do this, but then it took Simon forever to be able to sit up sturdily enough for a big bath.  Once we got back from Ohio and Zac cleaned the bathtub we tried it, and the kids are even happier at bathtime now.  It doesn't really save us much time though.

Parade

I suggested Alice make a parade with some of her vehicles and she got right on it, creating a lot of floats and babbling away about how much candy they would throw.  I'm always amazed at the inverse correlation between her high obsession with candy and her low consumption of candy.

Jewels and janitors

Sliding and toddling

Simon loves going down the slide at the park.



And here he is walking around the living room this evening.  It has been exactly two months since he took his first steps.  He's still pretty uncoordinated, and can't get up on his own yet, but his default now is walking.

Happy New Year!

Simon was happy because daddy was letting him brush his hair with the little plastic princess brush.

Alice blessed us with an appearance as her basket monster incarnation (without pants).

Simon was all smiles.

Alice looks possessed...

And then she strung up some dinosaurs...

******

We had ham-bone soup with black-eyed peas for supper, and when Alice sat down and looked at her bowl, she immediately started making demands.

"Daddy give me more broccoli juice. I want more broccoli juice. You only gave me a little bit of broccoli juice."

Zac says, "You mean broth?"

"Yeah, more broth."

*********

And then she danced the night away, wearing some new dress-up clothes from her cousin Kaelyn and mismatched ballet shoes.

She likes to pretend the dress is a hula skirt sometimes...