Our newest challenge, it seems, is trying to get Grace dressed. She has partially figured out how to do this herself, so is not at all interested in letting someone else do it for her. Yesterday morning, as I was folding clothes, I found her with a pair of undergarments around her neck, socks on her hands, and a pair of pants pulled up her arms. Hilarious yes, but not so much when I told her it was time to take them all off. The first time she got a pair of pants on (correctly, that is, on her legs), I was so excited for her,and she was so proud. Here is a video of her attempts prior to the success that night:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Missbutterfly710#p/u/4/h88lXE_CWb0
Toddlerdom sure has its ups and downs. I have learned there is no such thing as a task done quickly. Grace insists on taking her time to accomplish many things on her own. It's a battle that I choose not to fight most often, because I want her to be independent and do things on her own. Sometimes it would be nice to quickly put our shoes and jackets on and get out the door, but there really is no lesson in that. Watching her learn that she really can be successful at many things on her own is much more important and entertaining!
Some of grace's current favorite independent activities include:
Putting clothes on
Taking clothes off
Finding and watching podcasts on her "bipa" (ipod)
Walking up and down stairs
Putting dishes away (tupperware is her job!)
Putting things/toys away
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Birds and Beasts
Monday was Grace's last day of the Bird session at Little Gym. She has graduated to a Beast, and her new classes will start next Wednesday. We first went to Little Gym when Grace was about 6 months old for a trial class. It seemed like fun, and a great opportunity for socialization. But, I just felt she was still so little and really wouldn't get as much out of the classes than if we waited awhile. As she got older, we realized what an incredibly limber, flexible and potentially athletic little build she has. I decided to revisit Little Gym and see how she responded, and she loved it. So, here we are at the end of our first semester. Grace can now confidently walk across a low beam unassisted, do front and back rolls with some assistance, walk the high beam with some assistance (though she doesn't want it!), swing from the bars, climb up and down stairs unaided, jump on the bouncing boards, walk sideways and backwards, stand on a low bar while holding on to the high bar on the uneven bars, and much much more. She especially loves the activities that involve heights, which is great for building her confidence and problem-solving skills. She likes to maneuver through obstacle courses, especially when there are spaces between mats and she has to figure out the best way to get through or over the gaps. It is so fun to watch her thought processing and all of her many successes! Grace loves her teacher Miss Shannon and also enjoys circle time. She also has a couple friends that she tends to be more friendly with than others, and she adores singing the goodbye birdies song at the end of every class then getting stamps on her hands and feet. She will have to learn a new beast song next week, for sure! Here are some pictures from her final day as a bird.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Marathons and Musicals
It's Sunday night, I'm parked solo on the couch with Grace asleep. I figured it is the perfect time to check in.
Kevin is in California, and I am so excited to report that he finished his first marathon today! What a huge accomplishment, I am so proud of him. He has been so dedicated to his training schedule, and that alone is something to celebrate. What a lot of hard work and dedication he has put in over the last few months! I was bummed not to be there to cheer for and congratulate him in person, but still so excited for him. We have already registered for the Disney races in September - he will be running the half marathon, and I will be doing the 5k (I figure that is a feasible goal 6 months after having a baby.....probably could be a little more ambitious and shoot for the half, but it just sounds like a bit much....of course I say that now with a big ol' belly and absolutely no energy! We'll see.) It will be Baby's first trip to Disneyland, and our first adventure traveling that far as a family of 4!
Grace and I have had a fun girls weekend. Yesterday morning we met Katie and Keza at the Tacoma Philharmonic Concert for Kids. It was a blast, and I am looking forward to going back. The girls had such a fun time! Then we had naps and spent the afternoon playing, eating together and getting ready for bed together. Those girls are so hilarious, it has been fun to watch them together since Day 1. In fact, I remember Katie all cuddled up on the couch with Grace just days before Keza was born. I like to think the girls were bonding even then :)
Looking forward to a busy week - Little Gym, separate lunch dates with both Great Grandmas, hair appointment, MOPS, volunteering at Great Grandma June's, Kidsquest Museum with Grace's buddy Ryder (and my dear buddy Melissa), and a doctor appointment. Sometime in there I'd like to try to catch my breath!!
Kevin is in California, and I am so excited to report that he finished his first marathon today! What a huge accomplishment, I am so proud of him. He has been so dedicated to his training schedule, and that alone is something to celebrate. What a lot of hard work and dedication he has put in over the last few months! I was bummed not to be there to cheer for and congratulate him in person, but still so excited for him. We have already registered for the Disney races in September - he will be running the half marathon, and I will be doing the 5k (I figure that is a feasible goal 6 months after having a baby.....probably could be a little more ambitious and shoot for the half, but it just sounds like a bit much....of course I say that now with a big ol' belly and absolutely no energy! We'll see.) It will be Baby's first trip to Disneyland, and our first adventure traveling that far as a family of 4!
Grace and I have had a fun girls weekend. Yesterday morning we met Katie and Keza at the Tacoma Philharmonic Concert for Kids. It was a blast, and I am looking forward to going back. The girls had such a fun time! Then we had naps and spent the afternoon playing, eating together and getting ready for bed together. Those girls are so hilarious, it has been fun to watch them together since Day 1. In fact, I remember Katie all cuddled up on the couch with Grace just days before Keza was born. I like to think the girls were bonding even then :)
Looking forward to a busy week - Little Gym, separate lunch dates with both Great Grandmas, hair appointment, MOPS, volunteering at Great Grandma June's, Kidsquest Museum with Grace's buddy Ryder (and my dear buddy Melissa), and a doctor appointment. Sometime in there I'd like to try to catch my breath!!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Here and Now
I can't believe it's already mid-January, this month seems to be flying by! Today, as I was doing some things in the kitchen, I looked over at Grace and realized LIFE is flying by! She was sitting happily at her art table coloring a picture and singing. I can't believe how quickly she is turning from a baby into a little girl. Where did the time go?! Her sweet little voice always makes me smile (except when it's saying "no," then I'm more irritated than anything else!), and listening to her sing is the best music to my ears there could ever possibly be. In another two months, she will be a big sister, won't that be an interesting transition?! In the meantime, I want to savor every moment we have together, just us. I want to laugh at how silly she is for putting socks on her hands. I want to let my heart melt every time she hugs me and gives me a love pat, or does the sign for "I love you" over and over. I want to savor every "momma" because I know it won't always sound so precious and sincere. I want to appreciate her wanting to sit in my lap and read stories or watch Sesame Street podcasts on her "bipod." I want to find humor in the fact that every meal must be accompanied by "dup," which is her word for both ketchup and maple syrup. And I want to enjoy our evening routine of having to kiss every animal and picture in her room, sing "itsy" at least twice, and say a ni-nite prayer sometimes 4 or 5 times before getting in bed. Each of these things, in and of themselves, can be frustrating or tiring at times. Wrap them all up into one long day with a momma who is tired and doesn't have much energy, well...let's just say I tend to overlook how sweet, innocent, and incredibly lovely they are.
I used to never spend time in the moment, rather I was always thinking about the next thing, what I needed to plan for. Motherhood has taught me to slow down and be mindful of that instant. It has taken a lot of practice, and I want to be even better. I want to focus always on what is rather than what could or should be. Otherwise, 18 years will blow by and I will have lost precious moments that can never be relived. Last week after Little Gym, I took Grace to Jamba Juice for a treat. As we drank our smoothies and shared a banana, I was overcome with the longing to take pictures of us sitting there and share them with others. I had left my phone in the car, and instantly knew it was a blessing in disguise. I got to spend 15 solid minutes "chatting" with my girl and enjoying our time rather than snapping pics and texting or posting them on facebook. It was my favorite 15 minutes of the whole week, and I am so grateful for them, even if there are no pictures to prove what a sweet setting it was. In this fast-paced, instant-info world we live in, these are the moments that count. I need to be mindful of that and enjoy them while they last!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Happy Anniversary, said with a huge yawn!
Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary. I have a feeling our evening will be very quiet and drowsy! I am looking forward to dinner out tomorrow night with Kevin. It's fun to think back to four years ago and remember what a fun day we had, and all the fun days we have had in between!
Although I am one tired momma today, I am taking a moment to catch up on things. Thank heavens for coffee, as that seems to be what is really getting me through the day! Yesterday we started off with a slow, yet lovely morning. We went to Great Grandma June's for lunch. It was a good time, and all the folks were happy, as usual, to see Grace. Things took a turn for the worse, however, when we got home. Grace was unusually crabby and took a very short nap followed by screaming and crying when she woke up (which she never does!). After a couple hours she started puking....everywhere....and it didn't stop until well into the night. That was our first experience with that kind of sickness! Luckily, Nana came over quickly to help, and Kevin got home soon after. It's definitely no fun watching such a little person go through that, especially when you can't do much to help. Fortunately so far today Grace has been able to eat and drink a little with no problems. Unfortunately for all of us, we barely got any sleep last night! Such is life!
One of my new exciting interests has become redesigning Grace's, and ultimately our family's, menu. Over the past couple of weeks, I have spent some serous time feeling frustrated and hopeless about Grace's refusal to eat so many foods, particularly vegetables. My dear friend Sarah showed me a cool cookbook called Double Delicious that teaches mommies how to sneak veggies into everyday meals, mostly in the form of purees. I thought my days of pureeing for Grace were over, but it seems to only make sense. So, I have been copying many of the recipes from the book, ordered my own book, and have come up with a few of my own creations. So far, the response has been pretty good, and I feel good that Grace is eating more nutritious meals. Being one that is concerned about and places a priority on healthy habits, I am surprised it took me this long to get her out of this rut, but glad to see it's not as difficult of a struggle as I was making it out to be! Sarah and I are hoping to experiment some more with our recipes and perhaps launch a blog of our own in the near future!
Grace has been having a ball practicing sitting on her new potty chair. We are not getting aggressive about this stage quite yet, but it is fun to introduce it and see that she is interested. She also has become fascinated with trying to put her socks on her feet, and in the past couple of days gets quite a kick out of putting them on her hands, as well. Silly girl! I love listening to her sweet little voice saying new words constantly, and even putting a couple words together. She also enjoys singing quite a bit, and even has her own microphone.
We have made some progress on the baby's room which is exciting. Her crib is set up and the bedding set has arrived. We are contemplating paint colors and hope to get that done in teh next week or so. Only 2 months to go, can't believe how quickly the time has flown by!
Although I am one tired momma today, I am taking a moment to catch up on things. Thank heavens for coffee, as that seems to be what is really getting me through the day! Yesterday we started off with a slow, yet lovely morning. We went to Great Grandma June's for lunch. It was a good time, and all the folks were happy, as usual, to see Grace. Things took a turn for the worse, however, when we got home. Grace was unusually crabby and took a very short nap followed by screaming and crying when she woke up (which she never does!). After a couple hours she started puking....everywhere....and it didn't stop until well into the night. That was our first experience with that kind of sickness! Luckily, Nana came over quickly to help, and Kevin got home soon after. It's definitely no fun watching such a little person go through that, especially when you can't do much to help. Fortunately so far today Grace has been able to eat and drink a little with no problems. Unfortunately for all of us, we barely got any sleep last night! Such is life!
One of my new exciting interests has become redesigning Grace's, and ultimately our family's, menu. Over the past couple of weeks, I have spent some serous time feeling frustrated and hopeless about Grace's refusal to eat so many foods, particularly vegetables. My dear friend Sarah showed me a cool cookbook called Double Delicious that teaches mommies how to sneak veggies into everyday meals, mostly in the form of purees. I thought my days of pureeing for Grace were over, but it seems to only make sense. So, I have been copying many of the recipes from the book, ordered my own book, and have come up with a few of my own creations. So far, the response has been pretty good, and I feel good that Grace is eating more nutritious meals. Being one that is concerned about and places a priority on healthy habits, I am surprised it took me this long to get her out of this rut, but glad to see it's not as difficult of a struggle as I was making it out to be! Sarah and I are hoping to experiment some more with our recipes and perhaps launch a blog of our own in the near future!
Grace has been having a ball practicing sitting on her new potty chair. We are not getting aggressive about this stage quite yet, but it is fun to introduce it and see that she is interested. She also has become fascinated with trying to put her socks on her feet, and in the past couple of days gets quite a kick out of putting them on her hands, as well. Silly girl! I love listening to her sweet little voice saying new words constantly, and even putting a couple words together. She also enjoys singing quite a bit, and even has her own microphone.
We have made some progress on the baby's room which is exciting. Her crib is set up and the bedding set has arrived. We are contemplating paint colors and hope to get that done in teh next week or so. Only 2 months to go, can't believe how quickly the time has flown by!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Exhausted and completely drained of energy, it was so nice to have Kevin home for over a week. Yesterday was our first day back to reality, and Grace and I had a wonderful morning with her good friend Nelia. The girls played, snacked, colored, and read books together.
It is fun to think back over the last year and a half that we have been having playdates. The first few months, playdates consisted of two mommies relaxing over lunch while the baby girls laid around on blankets on the floor. We of course interacted, but there was very little effort involved on the momma's parts. Then as the babies began rolling, crawling, cruising, and eventually walking, our playdates changed drastically. For awhile there, it was impossible for the mommies to carry on a conversation, but we still enjoyed hanging out. These days it seems like playdates have gotten easier once again, as the kiddos are now old enough to interact with each other and remain interested in playing together. It is so fun to watch toddlers "converse" and engage with each other.
Here are a few fun pictures I have found from playdates, past to present:
Can't wait to see how these relationships (and many others that I didn't quickly find pictures of!) blossom and grow over the years!
It is fun to think back over the last year and a half that we have been having playdates. The first few months, playdates consisted of two mommies relaxing over lunch while the baby girls laid around on blankets on the floor. We of course interacted, but there was very little effort involved on the momma's parts. Then as the babies began rolling, crawling, cruising, and eventually walking, our playdates changed drastically. For awhile there, it was impossible for the mommies to carry on a conversation, but we still enjoyed hanging out. These days it seems like playdates have gotten easier once again, as the kiddos are now old enough to interact with each other and remain interested in playing together. It is so fun to watch toddlers "converse" and engage with each other.
Here are a few fun pictures I have found from playdates, past to present:
Can't wait to see how these relationships (and many others that I didn't quickly find pictures of!) blossom and grow over the years!
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