It was 50° and sunny so we took the kids to the playground on the way home to burn off some energy.
Then little miss learned how to walk up the slide. Only a little heart-stopping.
Category Archives: Kids
Bug Week Bumblebees
From the school week of 2/3/14. I snapped these pics at Owen’s Valentine’s party today.
Valentines Party
All three of us made it to Owen’s Valentines party! (You can see Tom sitting behind Owen.)
This is the valentine he made for us:
Katie made herself at home in the Comfort Corner with a doll and a tea cup:
A few random pictures from his classroom:
This has been up for awhile (when the letter of the week was obviously P). From the word Owen provided, I can tell you it was the week he earned a new Lego that was a Paintball player. 🙂
The class helping chart:
I later asked Owen what his job meant:
Well, we clean up and help people who clean up. If someone needs me, I help them.
Crystal clear, right? 🙂 I asked what some of the other jobs were and got equally as vague answers. I’m sure they’re positively clear in his mind…
And our last valentine treat:
Katie’s first driveway nap
After my eye appointment today on base, we had a 40 minute drive home…right around Katie’s naptime…so yep, she fell asleep. She does not transfer well—a five-minute car nap means her real nap will be postponed for a few hours. If we were going to be at home, we’d try again, but that wouldn’t be possible today because we have Owen’s valentines party.
What was really surprising is that she didn’t wake up when the car stopped OR when I opened my door…either of which typically happens. So for the first time ever, I left Katie in the car to take her nap. (Actually, it was the first time I’ve ever done it with either kid!) And while I know she’s safe—it’s sunny and warm in the car plus I keep checking on her about every 10 minutes (and she hasn’t even moved)—it still feels weird even though I know people do it.
That said, she slept about an hour. I had hoped for even more but an hour was pretty good and better than nothing—and likely as best as I could hope for today. 🙂
And it was warmer in the car than I thought—she was a little sweaty. 🙂
Teacher Valentines
The first one got a snowman with a hat and the sun. I think he said the other was a girl race car. 🙂
I told Owen to draw a heart, interested as to what he would do as I don’t think he can draw a heart.
Owen: Okay! I’ll trace around the outside!
Smart kid.
She’s a determined girl.
This is what I found this morning—she had her jammies unzipped and her diaper 95% off without having her legs out.
Starting her young.
Playing along with big brother…with daddy’s help to make sure she doesn’t accidentally turn it off. 🙂
RIP awesome Dawson Crocs Boots
I hate when companies change a good product. Owen has Crocs “Dawson” boots that I LOVE but he’s outgrown them.
Of course when I go to buy a bigger pair (easy, right?), that style has been COMPLETELY redesigned and now instead of boots they are slip-ons that look just like most other Crocs. 😡
And if I decided I wanted those? Oh well, no one has them in stock or they aren’t available in Youth sizes (at this point I don’t even care—the point is they aren’t available in Owen’s size).
It took me forever to find a perfect pair that wouldn’t be super warm (since we rarely need winter boots), came up high enough in case there was snow, would work for rain, and weren’t super expensive. And now I have to do it all over. Similar ones by Keen are twice as much. No thanks.
Ugh.
Owenisms 37
Owen had really bad bed head, so I told him to go look at it in the mirror.
Owen: Mom! It’s all uppy!
I hand Owen his MSU jersey to put on.
Owen: NO! I don’t want to wear that!
Me: Why not?
Owen: Because people will see it!
Me: ???
Owen walking around the living room pretending he doesn’t see Katie.
Where’s my Katie bug?
Is she here? Lifts blanket.
Is she in here? Opens bathroom door.
Where’s my sister?
She pops her head out to find him.
THERE SHE IS!
Owen: Touch my finger. I’m an electricery robot.
I touch his outstretched finger.
Owen: ZZZZAAAP! Now touch my head. It’s okay. It has sunscreen on and won’t hurt you.
Owen: Mom, you’re killing me.
I guess he hears me say that a lot. Oops!
Owen: Mom, I have to tell you something…in your ear!
Me: Owen, pick a shirt to wear.
Owen: Digging through his drawer. My Sparty jersey.
Me: Are you sure?
Owen: Yes! Because everyone knows I love Sparty!
Owen: Katie, talk to me.
Katie: Unintelligible babble.
Owen: I don’t know baby words. I was a baby a long long time ago when I was one.
Katie: Owie! Owie! Owie!
Owen: What is it Katie girl?
Nothing yet…but she likes trying!
She watches like a hawk when any of us go to the bathroom (she’ll even sit on the stool in front of the sink to wait) and she has started wanting to go in herself. Of course she hasn’t actually been successful yet…but our fingers are crossed since we definitely deserve an easy potty training experience after what we’re going through with Owen (he had a few tiny successes early on like this, but they were just flukes). (I just looked back and the first fluke of Owen peeing in the potty? At 27 months!)
Isn’t she just SO cute?!
Sure, that’s the perfect place to play…
As we’re getting breakfast ready. Kids!
New mamas get nothing done (and other untruths)
>>> New mamas get nothing done (and other untruths)
A blog post definitely worth reading at big city moms. Here’s a snippet:
Mamas, I want to tell you the truth. And here it is: You will not get anything done when you are home with a baby. And anyone who told you otherwise is not being very forthcoming (or perhaps they just have a lousy memory). You might get yourself fed. You might get yourself dressed (then again, you might not). You might take a walk (it makes baby happy). You might have a short phone conversation or start a load of laundry, neither of which you will finish. This is your new mom normal.
So what are you doing all day? Not much that can be measured, really. You’re simply responding appropriately and with patience (through fatigue), to smiles, to tears, to hunger cues, and to drowsiness, teaching your baby how to navigate this complex and (to a baby) highly emotional and raw world. You are keeping your baby clean, which on some days involves more costume changes (for both of you) than any non-mother can begin to fathom. You are teaching a tiny, helpless person all about the world—at least the important parts, like how we treat each other and what it means to be connected to a family. You are creating a foundation of love and trust between you and your baby, one that will help you set your parenting compass, inform your future interactions, and provide a basis for the way your child relates to the larger world.
But that’s about it, really. That’s your day.
There is no greater task than the nothing you did yesterday, the nothing you are doing today, and the nothing you will do tomorrow.
And now flank steak!
So tonight we grilled a marinated flank steak. Of course, we assumed Owen wouldn’t eat it—especially because it was a Bloody Mary marinade with horseradish and spicy Bloody Mary mix—but (unfortunately for us) it wasn’t terribly infused and he loved it! I KNOW!!! Woohoo!
Snow day birthday Lego project
Owen wanted to work on this Super Heroes Lego kit he got for his birthday. He did quite well for the first two hours…then he started to lose his focus and get a little grouchy. So we took a break and finished it when daddy got home. But overall he does really well and doesn’t need much help.
Working on Valentines
These are the valentines we’re doing for Owen’s class:
Except I’m not being quite as cute with the cellophane bags and tie—we’re doing ziplock sandwich bags. 🙂
Here’s Owen writing his name on them. He only has the patience for about 4-5 at a time so we’re working on it all week.
He’s pretty good writing his name, though the W could use some separation and the N is often backwards. And we’re working on keeping the size consistent.
Owen’s first attempt on a real bike = FAIL
Once again, I had grand visions of Owen’s first bike-riding experience. (Well, minus the balance bike we attempted a long time ago. And the tricycle he never got the hang of.) I mean, riding a bike IS NOT HARD. Right? Especially with training wheels. Right? I mean, you just get on, push a little with your feet, and off you go, right? RIGHT?
Wow.
Either Owen has absolutely ZERO coordination and/or he’s just being stubborn…or I completely underestimated the amount of ability necessary to ride a bike and/or I am not a good teacher. He cannot seem to grasp that you need to push forward with your feet in a continual motion. At the first smidge of resistance he stops and says he can’t do it. I tell him, show him, push the bike with his feet on the pedals…and nothing. Inevitably he slams his feet backwards, which is—of course—the brake.
Am I expecting too much? Is riding a bike really harder than I think it is? For a kid who has never really ridden anything?
All I know is I have officially passed the teaching-Owen-to-ride-a-bike baton to Tom. 🙂
Katie is 19 months old today!
Today was a frustrating day—I took about 175 pictures and never got THE picture. A few were close, but none were perfect. Here’s some of what I experienced!
Ribeye. Who knew?
So tonight Tom grilled us steaks and we made Owen a frozen pizza—a typical dinner routine because Owen rarely eats what we eat.
So after he finishes his pizza, he says he likes steak. Huh? Yeah, he says he loves steak—as if he’s had it before and why don’t we know this…?!? I’m pretty sure they don’t get that at school so I have no idea where he decided he liked it. But I’ll take it!
So he proceeded to eat pieces of both of our ribeyes like it was going out of style.
But lest you think he’s becoming more normal…he refused mashed potatoes until we bargained with him (offering chocolate) and even then he made a face like he was tasting dog poop.
But I’m concentrating on the ribeye. He are ribeye. And loved it.
Two trikes and a bike.
So after testing the Radio Flyer Ride and Stand Stroll ‘N Trike Ride On at Costco yesterday, Tom put ours together and we took it for a spin!
Owen was doing “tricks”—lifting one foot up as he rode along!
When we got back, Owen said he wanted to try his own trike again, so we got it out. Of course, he’s WAY too big for it, but it made for a cute picture. 🙂
So that’s when daddy told him that had a new bike waiting—we just had to put it together. Tom had already taken the packaging apart, and Owen dug right into the pieces! He said he wanted to put it together right away…so in it came.
Katie undressed herself.
Proof that Owen will make a gun out of ANYTHING.
Daddy’s little helper.
Owen putting the last piece (the seat) on.
Our first riding trial will likely be tomorrow… Wish us luck.
January pictures are finally online!
Where’s Owen?
He loves running up to his room ahead of you and hiding. 🙂
Fruit Spoon
I thought Katie was turning into her big brother—dipping her food in yogurt—but she was just using her pear as a yogurt delivery vehicle.
Katie Zerberts
“Sleeping” Katie
She loves to pretend to sleep.
Testing a Radio Flyer
We have this at home but it wasn’t put together yet (I got it for free via Amazon Vine). They both loved it!
Owen enjoying riding on the back of the cart:
Banana Girl
Daddy makes a great foot rest.
Owen’s Rainbow
This is the rainbow Owen drew way back here—it finally came home!
Cute lil’ snacker
Katie loves Owen’s birthday balloons
