Adventure Chronicles: Canobie Lake - Yeah Rod was there too!

You may have wondered from my previous post if Rod was with us at all... well of COURSE he was!  You may also wonder if he spent the whole time sweating it out in the stroller - well OF COUR... actually, no he didn't!  He was able to try out a fair number of rides, most of them solo!  Yup, that's our little man, riding with the big kids!  He also managed to have a good hard snooze in his stoller in the middle of the afternoon...

No surprise, Rod loved the firetruck ride!

Taking another turn on the carosel, solo this time, while the girls try out the "Big girl rides"

Adventure Chronicles: Canobie Lake Park!

A few weeks ago we went with our neighbors, Dan and Jen, to Canobie Lake Park.  Apparently it's a bit of a New England tradition, though neither Matt nor I had been.  I'll be honest, I wasn't totally excited about going - I was picturing standing in long lines in the heat with cranky kids for a few kiddie rides.  What we encountered was exactly the opposite!  It WAS hot, but the kids were, by and large, not cranky.  The lines for the kiddie rides were short and there were plenty of rides suitable for the kids!  Dan and Jen have two daughters, Erin and Allie, who are just older and just younger than Norah.  (yes, Rod will be a lucky guy one day...) They live around the corner from us, but our backyards connect thru the trees and we can all envision good times for the kids playing back there in the years to come.  Norah and Erin seem to really get along well in general and this day was no exception!

Riding the dune buggy!  Wait, who is that in the back???

There's Allie and Dan :)

Norah in her purple chariot!  Any time we needed to distract Norah, the mere mention of a purple ride was a guarateed winner!

Who's turn to drive?  A glimpse of the future?  Maybe.

Evidentally, Norah thought it was her turn

Love this picture of Norah and Erin.. and there's Allie doing her own thing!

Dino Riding

Erin, Norah and Allie ready for a swing!

Norah News: Soccer or Dance?

Real picture from her school

One of the things I love about our daycare is that they offer "Enrichment Programs" - some optional, some are included.  Included are things like Jazzercise, Music and Spanish.  Optional (and at an extra fee!) are things like Swimming, Dance, Soccer and Karate. 

Until recently, Norah has been too young for many of these "extras" so I didn't really think about it too much.  She was old enough to start with the last session of Dance in the spring, but just barely, and I thought I'd leave it and see if she showed an interest or not.  Of course, she did!  Due in part to the fact that one of her best buddies at school, Cassandra, was participating, I am sure, but she's always shown an interest in music and movement.  As regular readers of the Bugle also know, she's big into all things girly, as many girls her age are.  I was all set to sign her up for the upcoming fall session, when I got an email about Soccer as a new addition to the Enrichment lineup.   It's possible for her to do both, but at three and a half I think that's too much for her, and my pocketbook.

Now, I should note that I think soccer is a great sport for little kids, and out here in the 'burbs, it's a big scene! We drive by the local field where a pile of little kids are running around in uniforms too big several times a week during the season.  Norah always says something about playing when she's bigger, but doesn't show much interest (or aptitude, poor girl takes after her mother) with the soccer ball in the yard.

So here is my dilemma - do I sign her up for dance and fuel her own interests, or do I sign her up for soccer and see if she likes it?  On the one hand, there is a lot to be learned (especially for us un co-ordinated types) from Dance.  In fact, I credit several years of dance lessons with my being as co-ordinated as I am (If you knew me when I was younger, you know that I regularly walked into things...)  We've long thought that Norah was a born performer, and even though she's into being a girly-girl, she also likes other things, and I don't think either Dance or Soccer will have an effect.

On the other hand, maybe if she tried soccer, she'd really like it...  I didn't play a lot of sports as a kid (mainly swimming) and didn't really become regularly physically active until I was well into my 20's but I wonder if I had been exposed to other options, maybe I would have found one that was a fit for me.  Things like track & field, cross country running and cycling teams just weren't available to a girl in Sydney in the 70's!

At the moment, I'm leaning towards Dance for a couple of reasons.  First, she's only three and a half, there's lots of time to try new things.  Second, we asked her and that's what she picked.  The third reason has to do with a conversation I had with my mom more than 10 years ago.  I asked why I never got to take piano, art or gymnastics lessons like my sisters (Erin for the art and music, Susan for the gymnastics)  Her answer was that I didn't show any interest in those things. I liked to read, and swim (still do).  What I remember is that I went to the library every Friday (before Dance class, ironically) for years, and I spent a lot of time in the pool.  I don't remember wishing I was at piano lessons or wanting to join Susan on the balance beam.  Over the years I've tried soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, squash, golf, and frisbee but never really had a sustained interest in any of them.  For me, physical activity is best served by moving under my own power, ideally with the wind in my hair.  Swimming, hiking, running, walking and biking all fit this bill, and with the exception of running, have all been a part of my life consistently for a long time. 

Looks like Nanny Sharon was on to something, and that Norah will be taking Dance. 

Foto Finish Friday: Week 35

Roddie Report: Happy Man

I'm generally pretty pleased with the daycare the kids go to.  Every once in a while, we have a bad morning, a bad drop off, and I ask myself what the heck we're doing, sending them off on their own.  While most days it's fine, it's still nice to get a little glimpse into their day, and know that they are happy.  Like this:

Is this kid happy or what??

One of the teachers, Miss Stephanie, has been great about sharing pictures of the kids with me here and there over the past couple of years.  She and her daughter are regular readers here at the Bugle and I want her to know how much I appreciate these unexpected little vignettes.  Thanks Stephanie!!

Foto Finish Friday - The Back Story

I know I said I wasn't going to post any text to go with our Foto Fridays but I thought this week's deserved a little follow up.  Thursday night, we took the kids out for a walk after dinner, as we often do.  We don't walk far and Norah is big enough to walk on her own (sometimes insisting on taking her baby stroller with her) and Rod gets a ride in his hot-rod car.  Last night, we took a different, slightly longer route than usual.  Here's how things were looking at the half-way point.  

Yeah, that's Matt carrying Roddie and the baby carriage, and I was pushing Norah in the hot-rod.  Thankfully it wasn't the end of our pleasant walk - after a little break and some master distraction by Matt, Norah was good to go walking again and ultimately, we made it home without incident. 

Foto Finish Friday: Week 34

4

Roddie Report: 1 Year Old!

Well, it's official!  Roddie is a year old!  We were camping with some old friends of Matt's on his actual birthday, so it had a bit of a camping theme - something I'm sure my sister Susan (who's birthday is a couple of days before) can relate to!  I took him in for his 1 year check-up yesterday and all is well. He's gained about 2 pounds and 2 inches since his 9 month check-up to clock in at 21lb 14oz and 32" tall.  He's about average for a boy of his age for weight (50th percentile), and at the top of the curve for height (96th) - still tall and skinny, just like Norah.  All his developmental milestones appear to be on track, and no real concerns. 

So, on the occasion of his first birthday, here are a few photos of our little man in action over the past week.

Rod likes to play ball!  He happily rolls the ball back and forth, and also will roll it, chase it - repeat!

Rod and I spent a little 1-on-1 time on his birthday, since he was napping while the rest of the gang went out boating

Hooray! Here is LittleMan with his birthday cupcake!!  We were camping on the actual day, so he's at a picnic table

Happy Bathtime!  Standing up to get dry now

Concentrating hard on his new toys (or scheming how to get a turn?)

Looking like a real Little Man in his mini-Matt shirt

Standing on his own to play with his new race track!

Norah News: Look at ME!

Foto Finish Friday: Week 33

In an Instant

That's how quickly life can change. 

This past week there was a story in the local news about a mother, who inadvertently caused the death of her 10 year old daughter earlier this week.  Apparently she did not see the girl, who was playing in the driveway, and ran her over.  It is a tragic story, and some may wonder how it could happen, but as someone who drives a large SUV with many blind spots, I worry about it any time I roll into the driveway when the kids are not in the car with me.

I was shocked and even further saddened last night to realize that we knew the girl and her mother.  In fact, it's cast a cloud over my entire being today.  Bridgette was an alter server at the early mass at our church - one that's attended by a lot of older folks and only a few families with young children.  Over the past 5 years, these folks, including Bridgette and her mom, have become part of our church community.  From what we knew of Bridgette, she was a sweet and kind girl, respectful and pleasant.  She always tended to her duties with a maturity beyond her age, and always had a special smile for Norah.  In fact Norah had even talked about being a server, like Bridgette, when she "got big... like 7 or 8".  We also saw how kind she was to the older folks at mass, while still being at ease, not uncomfortable, like some kids can be.

We've also met her mom, Barbara, on many occasions, and she's no different from me, or any other mother.  She and Bridgette often attended mass together, with her older daughter sometimes joining them.  The seemed to be close and I can only imagine how devastated she must be.  Apparently the accident happened at their summer lake house in a neighbouring town, as she was arriving home from work.  I can only imagine that she was anxious to get home and spend some quality time with the family on a mid-summer evening - again, no different from anyone. 

I cannot imagine losing one of my children, and my heart bleeds for Barbara especially, as she must carry an extra burden due to the circumstances of Bridgette's death - I do not wish that on anyone.  While I am sure that God has a special place for Bridgette, her family, and especially her mother, can use our love and prayers.  I only wish, as many do that any amount of praying could help this family to be whole again.

So hug your kids extra tight tonight, and please, please be careful out there, you never know when life could change.

Roddie Report: Pictures from School

Two things struck me about the pictures of Roddie - first, how many of them he was in, and second, how happy and smiley he was in ALL of them!

Here he is with his partner in crime, Kendall... can you imagine what they are saying?  "wha?  Who us?  no, we weren't going to touch that CD player!"

Look at me!  I'm walking!

Hiiiiii!  are you taking my picture??

I like to play!

Oh halllooo!

Strike a pose?  You got it!

Norah News: Pictures from School

The kids daycare has a web site where they periodically post pictures of the kids at play.  They don't update it all that often, but this past week we got a note in our inbox to check it out.  This and the next post are a few of the highlights

This one is from back in the spring, Norah playing outside

Here she is at water play!

and now in a bubble at the Bubbleman show!



Foto Finish Friday: Week 31

Roddie Report: Coming up on a Year!

I’m often caught by surprise by the fact that Roddie is no longer a baby, but a toddler. I mean sure, I can see that he’s getting ready to start walking and all, but I forget that he’s also starting to “talk” in his own way, and is really starting understand more and more. When Norah was this age, and we had only her, I was very in tuned with every new thing she did, watching and tracking against all the books and on-line lists. With Roddie, two things are at play – first, we’ve been there done that. Not to say we’re not excited or paying attention to what he’s doing, but we’ve seen it all before, and we know he’ll reach each milestone in his own time – no matter what we do! Second, we still have Norah! 2 kids are better than one, to be sure! However, it means you can rarely, if ever, focus 100% of your attention on one.  

So, as he approaches his 1st birthday in a week or so, I thought it was time for an update of his latest accomplishments

• Walking: He’s making steady progress, to the point it could be any day now – but we’ve been saying that for weeks. Due to his 2nd child status, we haven’t been working him hard like we did Norah, and with no Papa on hand to walk him around the house, he’s doing it in his own time. He can stand on his own, though he gets so excited about it that he falls over! He can also walk by holding on to only one hand. This morning, it looked like he was going to forget he wasn’t holding my hands and take a step. He’s that close.
• Teeth: Over the past couple of weeks his lopsided grin has straightened out with the arrival of teeth #7 and #8. He was stuck on 3 top and 3 bottom for a while (with the 3rd on opposite sides) so now he’s got an even 4x4 grin – though if the amount of drool is any indication, more teeth are not far behind!
• Eating: I’ve been mildly concerned, on and off, about Roddies eating habits, but I think we’ve settled into a good place. He’s still not interested in feeding himself any fruits and a rare few veggies (seems he doesn’t care for the texture) but he has been feeding himself a wide variety of proteins and carbs – anything crispy, this kid loves. I’ve been able to keep his diet balanced with fruit and veg purees for now, but we keep trying! He’s also taking an interest in feeding himself. Yesterday at school I peeked in on him after I dropped Norah off. He was eating a bowl of cereal. With milk. And a spoon! I was excited for him and he was looking pretty pleased with himself as well! By my estimate he’s packed on a couple of lbs since we were last in for a sick visit 6 weeks or so ago.
• Bottles: We’re down to 2 bottles a day – one in the afternoon at school and one at bedtime. The rest of the day he gets milk in his sippy cup. He’s long mastered the sippy, but he seemed to still want the comfort of the bottle at times. We’re going to have a tough time at some point taking away the bed time bottle, but we won’t be the first, nor the last, to rely on this fool-proof bedtime tool! The good thing is he actually is awake most times when I put him down after his bottle, so hopefully simply adjusting the routine will do it.
• Sleeping: More often than not, he’s sleeping all night, until at least 5:30. He gets a bum change and maybe a bottle and will usually go back down. Today both kids slept until 6:30 or so, and we went straight to breakfast.
• Talking: We’re starting to hear things pretty consistently that sound like Norah, and uh-oh as well as Mamamamama and Dada which he has mastered for some time. I’ve started trying to pay a little more attention to his verbal development, just to see where he’s at. I am sure with the constant activity all around him he’s picking up plenty of words for future use.
• Playing: This kid loves vehicles! Anything with wheels! He likes to push them around, crawling alongside. I’ve also noticed recently that he seems to like playing ball games. I sat with him on the deck last weekend and rolled a soccer ball back and forth with him and he seemed to understand what was happening – chasing the ball and hitting it to send it back to me. The same thing happened today with a tennis ball. On a related note, we’ve started playing this game where he hands me something. I take it, then hand it back to him. For whatever reason he gets a charge out of this routine. Norah says that I am teaching him sharing.
• Climbing: Oh my, he loves to climb! Up on to Norah’s bed, EVERY morning! Up on her stool to see what’s on the sink (sometimes when she is also standing on it, not always a good move!) He’s using the smaller, plastic climber in the back yard.
•  Pushing: This kid is looking like a power lifter or something! He can push Norah in the stroller or wagon! And he loves to push ANYTHING – chairs, any kind of large toy, you name it! He also seems to know intuitively how to leverage his body for maximum push – clearly not something we’ve taught him!
• Sensitive Soul: Roddie is definitely the more sensitive of the two kids. Sometimes, when I issue a sharp “No!” Rod will stop what he’s doing, the lower lip will come out into a pout and he may even cry. This is a sharp contrast to Norah, who would give me an evil grim and continues on her way.
•  Annoying his big sister: Clearly this was bound to happen sooner or later. Norah is very good at sitting and playing at something quietly, and Rod is at a stage where he is very curious and also enamoured with his big sister – so he almost immediately toddles over to see what she’s up to. Norah has some patience with him as she starts off with a “No THANK you ROD!” though obviously she does get frustrated at times. I’m trying to let them work it out among themselves for the most part, though, as an oldest myself I also try to set Norah up for some Rod-free time once in a while as well.

So, all in all, our little man is doing just what he’s supposed to be and continuing to bring joy to us all! Here’s a few pics to bring a few smiles to you too!

My two men folk, in their plaid shirts heading to church

 

Like his big sister, Rod takes an early interest in cleaning

 

No, he's not naked, and we barely use the exersaucer any more but this pic was too funny!

Norah News: Swimming Lessons

Norah has been taking swimming lessons for the past month or so - it's been great!  A school bus picks them up at school, takes them to a local place with an outdoor pool.  They have a swim lesson, a snack and get to play on some of the many indoor and outdoor climbers.  All reports have been good so far, and Norah is almost as excited about riding the bus as she is about swimming lessons.  We've seen an increase in her confidence and independence in the water that I am sure is at least in part due to the lessons.

Last week was the half-way point, and I thought I'd stop by and take a look at how things were going, take a few pictures of the blog and so on.  Needless to say, it wasn't my greatest idea ever.  Here is the sum total of the pictures I took:

... and it wasn't because I got wet or otherwise overly involved in the lesson.  Norah refused to participate, and barely got in the water for the whole class.  In fairness, it was the first time that it was overcast and cool, but still.  I was really disappointed that I didn't get to see her doing her thing, but I know the display was for my benefit - and the teachers confirmed that usually she is a willing participant.

Overall I guess it's best that I don't go to watch.  It feels a little strange, that Norah goes somewhere without one of us,every week, but I guess it's just one of the many steps to Independence.