Who taught William to whistle.
I'm not sure how to thank them, but it wouldn't be nice.
William learned to whistle earlier this week and has been doing it now nonstop for the last 5 days. By nonstop, I mean from the moment he wakes up until he falls asleep. Last night I tucked him in and heard more whistling coming from his bed for another 15 minutes as he settled himself to sleep. Early this morning, I heard more whistling from the baby monitor in Gemma's room. William was awake.
The newness will wear off eventually, right?
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Gemma
Gemma's words are exploding lately. She is picking up words constantly throughout the day. They aren't always recognizable, but she is trying and certainly has a lot to say.
At the park the other day:
Mama: Gemma! Go down the slide! One! Two! Three! Go!
Gemma: Go! Go! Two! Nine! GO!
--------
At the airshow, waiting for the bus:
William: Why do we have to wait for a bus?
Daddy: It is a long way to walk, so they have a bus to ride.
William: I want to walk.
Amelia: But, I want to ride the bus!
Daddy: William, you don't want to walk. Half way there, you'd change your mind and we'd have to walk back.
William: But, WHY can't we just waaaaaalk?
Gemma: Why? Why? Why? Why? Dadda! Why?
Daddy: Uh oh. What just happened?
-Bus pulls up-
----------
Almost dinnertime. Kids are playing until Gemma hears a pan banging around. Gemma comes running in the room and climbs into her high chair.
Gemma: WaWav! Numna! WaWav! Numna! Nak! (William! Amelia! William! Amelia! Snack (eat))) (I'd also like to note this was in the exact tone of voice and cadence I use to call them to dinner every night.
Despite my attempt at getting her out of her high chair and back playing, she isn't having it. It doesn't matter that NOTHING is on the table or even remotely ready to eat. It's time to eat in Gemmaworld.
Gemma: Mama! Noodles! Bowl!
Mama: We don't have any noodles. How about a banana?
Gemma: NO! NO NANA!
Gemma: Noodles? Bowl?
Mama: We don't have any noodle, Gemma. How about some peaches?
Gemma: NO! NO! Noodles! Noodles! Bowl!
(this continues for several minutes and she declines cereal, apples, beans, carrots, dip, and cheese. All the while, I am trying to make dinner for everyone and negotiate with this very illogical toddler. The longer she sits, the more distraught Gemma becomes until she is crying and declining my food offerings. Finally, I stumble upon a brilliant idea.)
Mama (to Daddy): Think I can pass off this brown rice as noodles? It's starchy.
Daddy: Please try - she is SO loud.
Mama: Okay, Gemma. Noodles in a bowl coming up!
Gemma: (Pauses crying, looks expectantly at me) Noodles?
Mama: Yes! Do you want noodles?
Gemma: Yeah.
Mama: Should I put your noodles in a red bowl?
Gemma: NO! NO! Pi bowl (pink bowl)
Mama: A pink bowl?
Gemma: Yeah.
Mama: We don't have a pink bowl. How about yellow?
Gemma: No. No. Pi bowl.
Mama: Uh oh. How about a white bowl?
Gemma: NO! NO! Pi bowl. Pi bowl.
Mama (to Daddy): What now? We don't have a pink bowl.
Mama (to Gemma): How about an orange bowl?
Gemma: NO! Yes. Yes. Noodles. Or bowl.
So I gave her the rice in the orange bowl and she didn't eat a bite. None. But, at least she was quieter while she threw it all on the floor.
At the park the other day:
Mama: Gemma! Go down the slide! One! Two! Three! Go!
Gemma: Go! Go! Two! Nine! GO!
--------
At the airshow, waiting for the bus:
William: Why do we have to wait for a bus?
Daddy: It is a long way to walk, so they have a bus to ride.
William: I want to walk.
Amelia: But, I want to ride the bus!
Daddy: William, you don't want to walk. Half way there, you'd change your mind and we'd have to walk back.
William: But, WHY can't we just waaaaaalk?
Gemma: Why? Why? Why? Why? Dadda! Why?
Daddy: Uh oh. What just happened?
-Bus pulls up-
----------
Almost dinnertime. Kids are playing until Gemma hears a pan banging around. Gemma comes running in the room and climbs into her high chair.
Gemma: WaWav! Numna! WaWav! Numna! Nak! (William! Amelia! William! Amelia! Snack (eat))) (I'd also like to note this was in the exact tone of voice and cadence I use to call them to dinner every night.
Despite my attempt at getting her out of her high chair and back playing, she isn't having it. It doesn't matter that NOTHING is on the table or even remotely ready to eat. It's time to eat in Gemmaworld.
Gemma: Mama! Noodles! Bowl!
Mama: We don't have any noodles. How about a banana?
Gemma: NO! NO NANA!
Gemma: Noodles? Bowl?
Mama: We don't have any noodle, Gemma. How about some peaches?
Gemma: NO! NO! Noodles! Noodles! Bowl!
(this continues for several minutes and she declines cereal, apples, beans, carrots, dip, and cheese. All the while, I am trying to make dinner for everyone and negotiate with this very illogical toddler. The longer she sits, the more distraught Gemma becomes until she is crying and declining my food offerings. Finally, I stumble upon a brilliant idea.)
Mama (to Daddy): Think I can pass off this brown rice as noodles? It's starchy.
Daddy: Please try - she is SO loud.
Mama: Okay, Gemma. Noodles in a bowl coming up!
Gemma: (Pauses crying, looks expectantly at me) Noodles?
Mama: Yes! Do you want noodles?
Gemma: Yeah.
Mama: Should I put your noodles in a red bowl?
Gemma: NO! NO! Pi bowl (pink bowl)
Mama: A pink bowl?
Gemma: Yeah.
Mama: We don't have a pink bowl. How about yellow?
Gemma: No. No. Pi bowl.
Mama: Uh oh. How about a white bowl?
Gemma: NO! NO! Pi bowl. Pi bowl.
Mama (to Daddy): What now? We don't have a pink bowl.
Mama (to Gemma): How about an orange bowl?
Gemma: NO! Yes. Yes. Noodles. Or bowl.
So I gave her the rice in the orange bowl and she didn't eat a bite. None. But, at least she was quieter while she threw it all on the floor.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Gemma spins lettuce
The salad spinner is irresistible. Amelia and Gemma were taking turns using it. Amelia does a great job and Gemma...well Gemma has a great time and takes 500% longer to complete any task.
Watch for adorable counting is the middle!
Watch for adorable counting is the middle!
Kitchen helper
I was quickly trying to wash some lettuce for lunch today when my favorite kitchen helpers came to check out what I was doing. This meant any type of "quickly" went right out the door....
Gemma at the eye dr
Here is what Gemma did or attempted to do while we were at the eye doctor today.
Eye appointment
I was present during Amelia's exam, (as much as one can be present while keeping Gemma from climbing walls and dismantling furniture.) and I had doubts about the accuracy of the exam. From my perspective, it was clear to me that Amelia didn't know WHERE to look in the viewfinder versus not being able to see the letters. The poor nurse tried over and over to get Amelia to read a line of letters to her and Amelia just couldn't figure it out.
Anyhow, this led to is being referred for the full work up, which was this morning.
After an exam, the eye doctor declared her eyes were perfect and he didn't see any sign that there were any problems.
I'm relieved that I didn't miss a change in her vision or even a gradual change the happens over time. I've spent the weekend evaluating her every move, trying to detect a weakness in vision without luck.
Amelia was pretty disappointed as she had her heart set on a pair of sparkly pink glasses....
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Run, soccer, airshow
It's been a typically busy day around here.
William's running club had their big finish today with their final 1.2 mile run*. It is officially a Big Deal and he has worked very hard this year. Last year, he had some trouble with this longish run, so this year he and I have done many training runs in our subdivision to help prepare him. Pacing ones self and motivating oneself to continue running when you'd rather be laying on the ground are hard for a 7 year old. So we trained together and ended up really enjoying our short run times together. We chat, we encourage each other and tell jokes. It's. WONDERFUL. It is amazing to have William be old enough to willingly participate in one of my own favorite hobbies. I think I'll continue to invite him to run with me, although I will be very surprised if he takes me up on the offer when there isn't the Big Race to motivate him.
After the run, we changed clothes and garage sale-ed our way to Amelia's soccer game. It is a huge weekend for garage sales here.
Amelia's soccer game was next. She is really becoming more confident with the rules/expectations of the game. She works hard and she had some excellent plays today on the field. I'm so proud of how hard she works!
We stopped for lunch out before the next event - an airshow. This is the first airshow for the kids- we haven't been to an airshow since William was a baby? Or before? Anyway, it has been a long time. This topic may be better handled by John. Especially if you want the rosy pictures of happy times. It was warm and extremely crowded with some interesting people (ie: the guy who started telling William about how "that plane was the reason we killed Hitler and beat the J--s". I couldn't quite get away quick enough from that one). Gemma and William weren't interested in staying with us and both were prone to wander away if you took your eyes off them for even a moment. Although the planes were loud, we couldn't hear any of the announcers so the kids didn't understand what was going on. Neither did I, to be honest. The Blue Angels were there and did angelly things. The wait for a portapotty bathroom was at least 30 minutes, a bottle of hot water cost $3 plus tax, and we sat in traffic for close to 2 hours to get out of the world's most disorganized parking lot.
Over pizza, we chatted about our favorite parts of the airshow.
William: I likes sitting in the digger and National Guard truck (they also had a vehicle display).
Amelia: I liked when you got me some sprite. Also, when you played a game with me.
Gemma: plane. Loud (adorably pronounced y-oud). Broom!
Mama: I liked when I ran into some friends in the parking lot! It was
fun to see them.
John: I liked when the stunt guy did this maneuver......( you'll have to ask him for the details).
Sorry, dear. It was fun to spend a day together....maybe we need to wait a few more years for this event to be enjoyable?
*throughout the year, students in the running club complete running 26 miles, read 26 books, and do 26 good deeds. The last 1.2 miles they run together and it is a fun time.
Sent from my iPhone
William's running club had their big finish today with their final 1.2 mile run*. It is officially a Big Deal and he has worked very hard this year. Last year, he had some trouble with this longish run, so this year he and I have done many training runs in our subdivision to help prepare him. Pacing ones self and motivating oneself to continue running when you'd rather be laying on the ground are hard for a 7 year old. So we trained together and ended up really enjoying our short run times together. We chat, we encourage each other and tell jokes. It's. WONDERFUL. It is amazing to have William be old enough to willingly participate in one of my own favorite hobbies. I think I'll continue to invite him to run with me, although I will be very surprised if he takes me up on the offer when there isn't the Big Race to motivate him.
After the run, we changed clothes and garage sale-ed our way to Amelia's soccer game. It is a huge weekend for garage sales here.
Amelia's soccer game was next. She is really becoming more confident with the rules/expectations of the game. She works hard and she had some excellent plays today on the field. I'm so proud of how hard she works!
We stopped for lunch out before the next event - an airshow. This is the first airshow for the kids- we haven't been to an airshow since William was a baby? Or before? Anyway, it has been a long time. This topic may be better handled by John. Especially if you want the rosy pictures of happy times. It was warm and extremely crowded with some interesting people (ie: the guy who started telling William about how "that plane was the reason we killed Hitler and beat the J--s". I couldn't quite get away quick enough from that one). Gemma and William weren't interested in staying with us and both were prone to wander away if you took your eyes off them for even a moment. Although the planes were loud, we couldn't hear any of the announcers so the kids didn't understand what was going on. Neither did I, to be honest. The Blue Angels were there and did angelly things. The wait for a portapotty bathroom was at least 30 minutes, a bottle of hot water cost $3 plus tax, and we sat in traffic for close to 2 hours to get out of the world's most disorganized parking lot.
Over pizza, we chatted about our favorite parts of the airshow.
William: I likes sitting in the digger and National Guard truck (they also had a vehicle display).
Amelia: I liked when you got me some sprite. Also, when you played a game with me.
Gemma: plane. Loud (adorably pronounced y-oud). Broom!
Mama: I liked when I ran into some friends in the parking lot! It was
fun to see them.
John: I liked when the stunt guy did this maneuver......( you'll have to ask him for the details).
Sorry, dear. It was fun to spend a day together....maybe we need to wait a few more years for this event to be enjoyable?
*throughout the year, students in the running club complete running 26 miles, read 26 books, and do 26 good deeds. The last 1.2 miles they run together and it is a fun time.
Sent from my iPhone
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