Anticipating Christmas!

My blogging will likely be sporadic over the next several days, with family visiting and all of the holiday revelry.  For now, I'll leave you with one of my very favorite photos of a little boy getting excited about Santa's visit tonight.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year!

Santa at the Firehouse!

Sorry I've been MIA... we've been caught up in holiday preparations.  Exciting!

The crummy part of this holiday week is that today K. was diagnosed with the early signs of an ear infection (his first).  Not fun.  I was wondering why he was up twice last night, uncontrollably sobbing (with a mild temp).  We are all exhausted, but at least now we have antibiotics so hopefully they will knock this thing out of his little system.

For now, I'll leave you with pics of our visit to see Santa at the firehouse on Sunday. We went there with our friends Sophie and Charlie and their parents, but K. and his mom and dad had to leave early because K. was VERY tired and cranky (and as we now know, he was also coming down with this gol-durned ear infection).  But he was a trooper, and at least we were there for what in my humble opinion was the best part: 

Santa coming down the street in a fire truck, sirens a-blarin'!

Ho, ho, ho!

Ol' Spaghetti Arms

(Thanks to those of you who've offered advice re: shampooing.  I'm going to try again tonight.  Wish us luck!)

Speaking of Tricky Things Associated With Toddlerhood, here's TTAWT #2:

K. has mastered a trick to assist him when he's feeling obstinate.  He knows that the way his mom picks him up is by hooking her hands under his armpits (you moms out there know how this is done, even if I am describing it awkwardly).  Well, somewhere along the way he figured out that if he lets his arms go COMPLETELY LIMP, he can cause a lot of trouble and frustration for Dear Old Mom.  

(For those of you who are visual learners: raise your arms above your head and, instead of holding them firmly away from your body at 90 degree angles, give yourself Spaghetti Arms.)

It both annoys and amuses me that he has caught on about how to do this.  And now that he can, he lays it on me at, of course, the MOST inopportune times.  Like when I'm trying to get him into the car when we are, of course, already running 5 minutes late.  Or when he insists on pulling all of the items off the bottom shelf at CVS and I've realized we need to skee-daddle.

I wish I could do that, applying it to my own life.  Horrendously messy kitchen, with dishes piled to the ceiling?  Not gonna deal with it!  Give it the ol' Spaghetti Arm trick!   Stuck in traffic, with no escape route to be seen?  Buh-bye!  Time for Spaghetti Arms!  Time to balance the checkbook?  Nope, sorry, I've got these Spaghetti Arms.

Oh, if it were only that easy...

Shampoo Strike

This is a picture of K. enjoying his bath.  (Giving his car a "shower" under the running faucet.)  

Before it all went south.

We have officially entered the era of I Will Scream Bloody Murder In Order to Prevent You From Rinsing My Soapy Hair.  

It's strange, because when he was a little baby, he didn't mind a good warm rinse of the head.  But now, Lord have mercy!  

The last time I attempted to wash his hair was about four days ago.  It ended with him having a hysterical crying fit (the kind where the kid ends up doing that hiccup-like shuddering) and me feeling like a child abuser.  I have no earthly idea what changed to make him so scared of having the shampoo rinsed out of his hair.  

I have tried many things: showing him how his cars like to be rinsed after a good shampoo, using one of those half-bucket things that I found in the One Step Ahead catalog that is supposed to keep the water out of the child's eyes while you pour it down their head (something I only have success with about 50% of the time, by the way), etc.  

It all produces the same result - sheer torture.

Once again, I'm sending out a request for suggestions from you experienced parents in the bunch.  My kid has quite a mop of hair and I can't foresee forgoing shampooing altogether!  

Thoughts, comments, etc. are welcome....

How to Sneak Santa into a Toddler's Holiday Experience

I'll be honest.  The thought of dragging K. to the mall to wait in line and force him onto Santa's lap, at which point he'll probably bawl while I try to snap a photograph, makes me get a headache. Maybe it's also because I was deathly afraid of Mall Santas when I was a child.  (I still am, sort of.) Still, my desire to follow "tradition" put me in a quandary... the idea of a photo of Toddler K. with Santa, despite the odds it will take to achieve a decent, non-frowny picture ... is still nagging at me.  

I hadn't quite resolved the issue when, a few days ago, I was driving around in our neighborhood and I saw it: a sign advertising what promises to be The Most Exciting Event of This Holiday Season.

Above our local fire station, in big letters, appeared the words:

COME MEET SANTA AT THE FIRE STATION 

That's it!  Meeting Santa amidst huge, shiny, red fire trucks - that's the ticket!  How could K. NOT enjoy every single minute?  (I realize I'm setting myself up for a big jinx.)  

In any case, I've added it to our social calendar and we are counting down the days.  K.'s friends Sophie and Charlie are going to join us.  Pictures to follow... wish us luck!

A Letter of Apology

Dear Fellow Mother Who Brought Her Little Boy to Monkey Business Today:

I am so sorry about K's inexplicable behavior in our class this morning.  He seemed to be doing fine, playing, laughing, singing along with the songs (albeit not agreeing to full participation and standing outside of the circle as he is wont to do) but all of a sudden he became Devil Boy. 

Poor you were sitting on the floor, playing with your son and minding your own business when it happened. 

When he came up to you, shoved himself into you, and grabbed a handful of your shirt and pulled it as hard as he could, I was about ready to melt into the floor.  You gave me a look of concern, although you remained polite, while I apologized profusely.  

Then when, as I was dragging him away, K gave an extra slap to your son (for good measure?) I became even more mortified and apologized again, but I have a feeling it didn't do anything to alleviate your concern.  And I don't blame you.  

I am one of those people who, and I hate to admit it, subconsciously judges Parents Who Can't Control Their Kids.  And look, today I was one of them!  Curses!  

Sign me,

Apologetic in Arlington

I have no idea what it is with K -- he does seem to be going through a hitting phase lately, but it's a) not consistent and b) not always associated with anger (many times he hits in response to being mildly injured, like bumping his head on a table or the sofa) and c) he's really a loving, kind, and sensitive little boy - honest!  Until today, I was only mildly concerned about it, because as everyone says, ALL toddlers go through this sort of phase as a way of exerting control when they feel they can't do anything to control a situation otherwise.  But randomly walking up to a stranger who didn't do anything to him and attacking her!?!  What the heck!?

I'm sending out a plea for advice to all of you moms and dads out there who may understand this predicament better than I do.  It's SO EMBARRASSING; I need to get a handle on it before he does something like this again.  

Thoughts?

 

Fighting the Power Already

As I have mentioned before, I've enrolled K. in some toddler activities such as JWTumbles and Monkey Business to give him the opportunity to run around and play in a huge, safe room.  It's especially worthwhile during these cold, unpredictable weather months.

We're currently doing one class on Monday mornings and the other on Friday mornings.  Both classes start with "circle time," where all the kids and their parents sit around in a circle and sing a hello song, do some activities, and whatnot.

Well, K. has had enough of circle time - and any other organized activity rolled into these classes for that matter.  

Every time we're asked to come together, it's almost as if it's his cue to scoot as fast as he can in the OTHER direction.  It was so humorous that the other day, there were about 20 kids in a circle, and he was THE ONLY ONE not following directions.  

I always let it slide because, really, is it a crime not to participate in circle time?  But it still strikes me as funny that he has been the only one to do this (at our JWT class, at least).  Last time he did it, I had to snap a photo.

He looks rather pleased with himself, don't you think?

'Tis the Season... Thanks to YouTube

K. is a child of the 21st century, that's for sure.  Many times he'll take a plain old toy (ie, not electronic) and demand, "On!"  I have to tell him that sadly, Toy X does not turn on, but can't he just enjoy it for its plain old toy-ness?  (In response, he usually gives me a look.)  

Anyway, when it comes to keeping K. entertained, one of the classics in my bag of tricks is to sit with him and watch YouTube videos.  Some of you may be gasping in shock at this, but here's my logic: a) I'm monitoring everything we see, b) it's NOT television (and it's a far, far cry from plopping him in front of the boob tube by himself, and c) you can search for virtually ANYTHING. And YOU WILL FIND IT.

For example, K. has never watched Sesame Street on television; rather, he has witnessed some of the best Sesame Street skits, thanks to his mother, who has developed her own personal file of SS "favorites" (Remember the "onetwothree FOUR FIVE, sixseveneight NINE TEN, eleven twelve!" one with the pinball machine?  It's in there!) that we pull out whenever K. is at his wit's end.

As of late, we've switched to seasonal favorites, and this morning we found ourselves mixing two topics of interest: 1) fire trucks and 2) Santa.  Although K. seemed somewhat reticent about Santa in the beginning (I got him a little Santa board book and he used to push it away, saying "No!") I'll admit I have been laying on the Santa talk REALLY thick, because I am just so gol-durned excited about Christmas coming up.  The result?  The marketing campaign appears to be working.   All of which is a long winded way of telling you what we spent the morning watching: Santa Claus on fire trucks in various geographic locales!

For your enjoyment, here are some faves.  

Santa on fire truck in parade

Santa comes to K town (warning: this may make you dizzy)

Santa on fire truck throwing candy

And my personal favorite, the endearingly-titled "Santa Came to Wisconsin"

Happy holidays!

18 Month Old Photos

Since I work on Tuesdays and never have much time to post, I'm doing it tonight.  

I wanted to have Kibi's photos taken every 3-6 months in his first couple of years of life, since we all know how fast babies grow.  Well, we just got the photo disk back from his 18 month photo session (with my favorite photographer, Jennifer Burns - be sure to check out her website and blog!) and I love the results.  

Technically it's a 19 month photo since this was taken in late November, a few days shy of his 19 month birthday.  

I've already picked out this year's Christmas card photo, so I won't post that one ... but here are some of my other favorites.  Enjoy!

 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ...

My mother in law and I took Kibi to see the U.S. Botanic Garden's annual Christmas display this morning.  I had heard it was spectacular, and boy were they right!  The best part of all is a massive display of trains and plants in a winter wonderland-type setting. 

We judged correctly that K. would absolutely love it.  Surprisingly, he was almost more interested in the little houses and flowers set up as part of the "landscape" than he was the trains. But yes, the trains were extremely cool too.  

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

The Airplane Obsession Evolves

K. is all little boy, through and through.  We always tell people that although we never deliberately steered him to cars, trucks, and other stereotypically "boy things," K. was from a very early age very interested with all of those "things that go."  He can entertain himself for long stretches of time with any of his little cars, running them along the sofa, the edge of the Oriental rug, the bathtub, etc.  It's pretty amusing.  My mother in law tells me that my husband was exactly the same way, playing with cars, trucks, airplanes, you name it - usually all by himself in his own little world.  I do see a similar pattern with K.

Well, his latest obsession is airplanes.  He's been on quite a few in his short lifespan (more than I'd ever been on by far, considering the first time I ever flew was in college!) and they seem to have made an impression on him.

Which leads me to this morning.  My husband had left for work early and I was still in bed, listening to K. wake up in the room next to mine.  It was absolutely precious: I heard an entire narrative of an airplane going on a flight.  

It went like this:

[Rustling of blankets]

"Airplane?"

"Airplane!"

"Turn ... on... engine" (Yes, that's right!  a 3-word phrase!  That is goin' in the baby book pronto)

"Take off!"

"Runway"

"Airplane!"

"Whoooooooooooosh"

[More shuffling around]

"Mama?"

"Wake up!"

That was my cue to enter, so I did, with a big smile on my face.  I congratulated him for using so many good words and entertaining his mama.  He looked surprised, but then a smile crept onto his face and he beamed with pride.  

My little air traffic controller!

Don't They Grow on Trees?

Very cute story from dinnertime today: K. finished with his "main course" and I was trying to think of something sweet and healthy to serve as dessert.  I thought, Voila!  Grapes.  We had just purchased some at the store the day before, so I got 'em out, plucked a bunch from the bag, washed them, and took them off, one by one, from their stems, proceeding to quarter them (lest they serve as yet another choking hazard!) and place them on K.'s high chair tray.

He gobbled them up, and I silently rejoiced at the fact that he was eating something so good for him with such gusto.  (Lately we've been having some, um, struggles with eating, but that's another story).   He finished the pile, and exclaimed, "More!" 

I had no more to give him from my little cluster.  So, I left the grapeless branches (not sure what else to call them but I'm sure you know what I mean: the stems from the bunch) on my plate and went into the kitchen to go get him some more.  He said, "No, no!" and then proceeded to say something that sounded like "On tees!" over and over again, pointing to my plate.

What did he want?  The grapes that I had been pulling from the "trees" - the little stems that looked like tree branches!  I had to smile to myself at the cuteness of it all.  

I told him I'd be happy to pluck him some more grapes from some "new trees" that I could pull, amazingly enough, out of my plastic bag in the refrigerator.  He was stunned.  

Sometimes, yes, it is that easy!

We Interrupt This Blog for a Public Service Announcement...

Today's WaPo offers a new website dedicated to food safety issues.  

If you, like me, are not exactly sure just how long you can keep those turkey leftovers in the refrigerator, this site is for you!  You can also sign up on the site to receive recall alerts and other safety tips.  

A smart idea, in my book.

By the way, this morning we finished the last of our wonderful Thanksgiving pies (prepared by K.'s Aunt E.). Our favorite?  Sweet potato!  So good, and good for you, too.  Thanks, Auntie!

Chalk This Up as Another One of Those 'Simple Pleasures'

K. has really gotten into CD's.  The funny thing is, the music associated with them seems to be the last thing he's interested in -- it's really the mechanics of the disks themselves: how you can put them in a CD player, keep the lid up, and watch them spin around and around.  

I have weighed the benefits and risks of letting him play around with our CD player (benefit = at least several minutes of quiet play; risk = destruction of equipment) and for now have chosen to let him play around, being watched by either me or his dad, in the interest of building his engineering and observation skills.  

I recently observed him in action and will replay the scene, action by action, for you here.  We now embark on some variation of this adventure at least once a day:

Equipment:

2-3 CD's of kids' music

1 small CD boombox

1) K. picks up CD #1.

2) Opens the lid of the boombox.

3) Spins the CD around with his hands in the boombox (keeping the lid up so he can watch it spin).

4) Picks up CD #2, removes CD #1 from boombox.

5) Repeats steps 2-4, now picking up CD #3.

6) Opens up the case for CD #1.

7) Places one of the CDs (take your pick) into CD #1's case.

8) Before closing the case, takes a second CD and tries to squoosh it also inside the case.

9) I point out to him that he might scratch the CDs this way.

10) I show him the little raised bubble that helps anchor the CD in place inside the case.

11) He picks at the bubble, saying "Off, off!" and trying to get it off.  I tell him it can't come off.

12) He takes both CDs and attempts to put them in the CD boombox at the same time.

13) I tell him we can't do this lest we scratch the CD (see step 9).

14) He removes one of the CDs, keeps the other in the CD boombox, and spins the CD with his hand, like an old fashioned vinyl record, repetitively.

15) Repeat any of the above steps in random order, depending on K.'s mood.

I'm either grooming a future DJ, or a repairman!  Or both.

Thankful

I consider myself very blessed indeed, with family, friends, good health, and happiness.  But this is my Number One Reason to be Thankful This Thanksgiving.

Have a wonderful, safe, and peaceful Thanksgiving and safe travels to wherever you and yours may be spending the holiday.  

Back next week with more Kibi adventures!

Little Sweet Things

I'm sure that you parents out there have little things that you've grown to cherish about your child.  They could be the way he or she looks at you when you come into a room, a favorite time of day together, or little terms of endearment you may share.  One of my newest, most cherished Kibi things has become part of our bedtime ritual, in the form of "'byes" and "pets".

One night a few weeks ago, when I was putting K. to bed, he said, forcefully, "'byes! 'byes!"  And I was at a loss for what in the world he meant.  Bye-bye?  Nooooo.  Turns out, he was asking me to sing him a lullaby song (something I usually do pre-bedtime, when we are rocking in our rocking chair)!  I melted.  

Complimenting the lullabying is something I've done for a long time, which he recently picked up on: stroking his hair as he falls asleep, or as we call it, head "pets".  So precious...

So now, whether it's naptime or nighty-nighttime, as I put K. in his bed, he commands: "Byes!" followed quickly by "Pets!"  

It's always one of my favorite parts of the day, although I'll admit that there's a trick in getting him settled down enough so that he doesn't constantly repeat the command the minute I stop. (As of late, he's often started protest-crying the minute I stop the lullabying and petting and get ready to leave the room)  He also wakes up occasionally at night (I think this is residual from the vacation and time change adjustment) and calls out in the night, "Mommy? Byes!"  And I sleepily stumble in and start the routine.  

I don't mind it though, at all.  Just like we all do, I know how fleeting these days are - the "days of constant contact", as I recently read in a parenting magazine - and this is a welcome part of my day, no matter what time it is.  It forces me to slow down, too, and count all of my blessings.  Something we should all be doing at this time of year!

Reliving His Youth

So we were hanging out the in basement the other day - it includes our laundry room, where I have rather inartfully stacked a bunch of stuff that I need to put away in storage ... namely baby stuff that K. has outgrown like his baby swing.  

Well, he was doing some exploring and came across the baby papasan swing that brought us many hours of relief as frazzled new parents.  

He completely freaked out, excitedly yelling, "Up, up, up!" until we put him in the swing so he could relive the memories of his youth. 

Here's a photo.  Dontcha love how his feet are hanging over the edge?  He stayed in for a good 3 minutes and then wanted out.  It was pretty amusing, nonetheless...

Who Doesn't Love Comfort Food?

I'd like to post an off-topic message today to help out my dear friend Sweet Pea Chef in Columbus, Ohio.  

She's a finalist in the MarxFood.com Comfort Food Contest and we are all so very proud of her. Her entry is the delicious-sounding "Golden Chili with Carmelized Onions and Sausage."

Now it's time for you to do your part - as a favor to moi?  Prettyprettyplease? - and vote for Jessica in the contest.

Here's where you can vote.  Her entry is listed as Jessica #85 - "Golden Chili".  Click on that bullet and then be sure to hit "Vote" at the bottom of the page.  

As of 12:45 PM EST, it looks like Jess has a decent shot of winning so please help us out.  Votes must be cast by November 23rd.

Thank you in advance for your support!  

And GOOD LUCK, Jess!

Higher, Higher... and Lower, Lower

K. has been increasingly interested in stair-climbing.  Although I am reluctant, because it signals the beginning of the end in terms of being able to keep him somewhat contained in the house, I figure it will be best to let him practice on a semi-safe set of steps: the carpeted steps leading down to our basement.

We decided to do some practicing today (well, really, he decided, because that's pretty much what toddlers do - call the shots!) and I snapped some cute shots of him feeling extra pleased with himself.

The practicing consisted of him climbing up the steps (and saying, "higher, higher" in a really cute, concentrating voice) and then turning around and looking at me for guidance regarding what to do next.  

I told him, "Now we'll go LOWER, LOWER ... which means DOWN."  He looked at me quizzically, but did seem to be interested in the experiment.

Most times I successfully encouraged him to "Turn around ... put your belly on the steps ... and stretch out your legs to touch the step below."  Admittedly it's a complicated set of instructions, but to his credit, K. seemed to be following most, if not all, of it.

The only scare I got was once when he did this turn-around procedure and instead of resting his stomach on the step, he proceeded to crouch there, with minimal space behind him.  Before we knew it, he was actually FALLING BACKWARD ... and if I wouldn't have been exactly 10 inches away from him he quite literally would've fallen, doing backwards somersalts ALL THE WAY DOWN THE STAIRS.  It makes me shudder just to think of it.

But so it goes, I suppose.  Just reminds me to never, ever be too complacent when letting him try new things...

Anyway, here are some pics of our excursion, pre-almost falling episode, for your enjoyment.  (BTW, sorry the pictures are somewhat misaligned - with apologies to my host, Blogger does not seem to have a very user-friendly picture posting system... ugh.)

Aloha!

We've returned from paradise.  It was wonderful to spend a whole week in Maui - the weather was truly therapeutic: mid-80's with a mild breeze almost every day.  

K. absolutely loved it.  As you'll see, most of my photos are of him checking out the landscape, usually with one of his cars or airplanes.  Seems he can find a spot for driving his little vehicles around virtually anywhere.  He is 100% boy, I'll tell you.

Our place has three swimming pools, which include two kiddie pools which are tons of fun for both the tots and the parents.  K. spent hours every single day exploring them.  

I'm still recovering from jetlag, so today I'll just post a couple of highlight pictures from our adventure.

I Know I Promised...

OK, I know I promised no more politics-related posts on Kibi's decidedly NON-partisan blog, but ... oh, well I couldn't resist this one.  We felt the need to do our part in the battleground state of Virginia, so this was taken of us on Election Day, canvassing in southern Arlington.  And we were excited that our efforts paid off!

On to other topics.  Sorry I've been MIA the last few days... lots going on, from the election ... to both me AND now Kibi being sick (a nasty cold that works its way through your system slowly and annoyingly).  And then our biggest news... we're going to MAUI on Saturday!

Yep, through a strange set of coincidences this year was The Year Of Travel for the Kibi Clan ... starting with Florida in February, Florida again in June (to visit different sets of family members), North Carolina in July, Ohio in August, Oregon in August, and now... Hawaii!  

It's a long story, but... well, we bought a timeshare there.  Yep, before the economy tanked, we decided to invest in oceanfront property through a resort chain that allows you to exchange stays for visits at other resorts throughout the world and/or continental U.S.  Time will tell if we made a mammoth mistake (ha!) but we are actually very pleased with the arrangement.  

We did it mostly to ensure we make a commitment to a family vacation every year, emphasizing the FAMILY part, since my husband's and my extended families are rather large.  We took the plunge over a year ago, and this will be the first time we're testing out the new place.  

We're bringing 6 other family members with us this first time, and very excited about a week of R&R ... that is, after we make it past the 12 hour flight!  I'm not thrilled at the prospect of taking an 18 month old with a cold on a cross-continental flight.  Oh well, I took him to the doctor today and she gave him the all clear, along with the tip that Benadryl should help with his runny nose AND help him to sleep - hooray.  And besides, I fully realize the ridiculous-ness of complaining about a flight to... Hawaii!

So, I'll likely not be posting for a while... at least until we get back (Nov. 16th).  So, hope everyone out there is doing well, enjoying political ad-free days and nights, and savoring these last few quiet weeks before the frenetic holiday season is upon us!

Take care.

Words, Words, Words... and Their Many Uses

We seem to be experiencing another Kibi developmental growth spurt, mostly having to do with his vocabulary.  For example, I'm excited to report that Kibi has started using 2-word phrases.  They're not exactly the phrases I would've imagined would have been his first, but they're interesting nonetheless.  

The first time he said a multi-word phrase (he hasn't done it since) was about three or four weeks ago.  I was changing his diaper and he said, randomly, "Mama .... please .... yogurt!"  My husband and I both heard that one and were amused and pleased that he finally was using "his words" to communicate his wants.  We haven't heard that particular grouping since he uttered it, but in the meantime he's developed a small handful of favorite 2-worders.  They are:

"Go away!"  (part of a game his dad taught him in which he throws an inanimate object - stuffed animal, leaf on the ground, food on his high chair, etc. - as far away as he can)

"Eat it!" (this sounds vulgar, but it's intended to encourage his dining partner to partake in his meal when he is finished with his portion)

"Read it?" (this is my favorite, although I'm sure I'll soon come to regret saying that... he pleads with whomever is sitting closest to him to read a book he has just picked up)

The other words he has really, really taken to saying lately are our names - "Mommy" and "Daddy" - as often as humanly possible.  I think it's his way of making sure we are a) present and b) paying attention to him.  We'll be sitting around the table eating a meal when K. will look at me and say, proudly, "Mommy!" and then look over at my husband and say, "Daddy!" happily.  Of course, this always gives me warm fuzzies.  

The other way he will use our names is by saying our name in perfect rhythm, OVER AND OVER, until we guess what it is he is trying to tell us.  For example: 

"Mommymommymommymommymommymommy..." 

"Yes, Kibi?" 

"Mommymommymommymommymommy..." 

(Silence while Mommy tries to guess) "Do you want some crackers?" 

"Yeah."  Mystery solved!

And guess what he's taken to doing while I am talking on the phone or otherwise engaged in conversation.  Yup, you guessed it -  but about 10 decibels louder.  Fun, fun!  

Sometimes the constant demands for my attention are exhausting... but at the end of every day, once I have some quiet time to unwind and think about things, I remind myself that without a doubt, these "Mommy" and "Daddy"-centric days are days to cherish, because the time will come one day when we will only WISH that he would still believe that we are the center of his universe.  Don't you parents out there agree?  

Sniff, sniff...

Trick or Treating Fun

Here are some highlights from our Trick or Treating excursion last night.  We made it to about 8 houses before K. started getting restless, which was fine for us, too.  Turns out, I DO have a nasty cold (my voice is almost completely gone), so I was in bed by 9:30 last night.  

K.'s dad let me sleep a little this morning while he and K. played downstairs, so that helped, and now I am feeling a little better, thankfully.  

We're headed out of town on vacation next Saturday, so I'm hoping that IF K. gets what I have, he gets it well before we get on the plane.... we'll see.

Anyway, enjoy!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Kibi!

Halloween is finally here!

We are planning on a cozy night, just the three of us, having dinner and then taking K. out in his Cow costume to trick or treat in our neighborhood and drop in on some friends' houses. Then, tomorrow's a party at our friend Charlie's house, so K. will have one last chance to wear his costume.  (Probably more exciting for his parents than for him!)  

Not much more to report, and I'm trying to get some rest in hopes of staving off this cold I think I'm developing, so I'll go for now.  

Happy Halloween, everyone!  I'll try to post more pics next week.

Pumpkin Carving

We did our annual pumpkin carving with Mumma and Grandpa!  Here are some highlights.  

As expected, K. was most interested in the scooping out of the pumpkin guts ("Scoopin!  Scoopin!") while fortunately I got my dad to do the actual carving (something I've slowly lost interest in in recent years, despite the fact that I used to get really into it.  I guess I blame it on lack of energy that comes with having children - ha!)

We're still determining our actual trick-or-treating plans for tomorrow.  We have a couple of different invitations and we're determining how many events we (K., rather) will be able to tackle.

Happy halloween weekend!

Fall Photos

I finally got a new camera and am no longer relying on my iPhone for photos I post on this blog (because, as good as the iPhone is for virtually everything else, its photo-taking leaves a lot to be desired, as you may agree after viewing my posted photos up to yesterday).  

Hence, I have a new batch of Kibi photos from the last couple of days for your enjoyment: playing with the airplane car (still a favorite), coloring pictures with Mumma, and looking handsome in plaid. 

It's the Great Pumpkin, Kibi!

We picked up our family pumpkins over the weekend.  This was my favorite picture from the outing, taken of K. staring at the huge pumpkin hanging on the side of the wall of the church where we picked up our wares.

K.'s grandma and grandpa arrive in a couple of hours for a pre-Halloween visit!  We're all in the spirit.

Boo at the Zoo

Tonight we're joining my friend T. and her daughter S. for Boo at the Zoo which is an annual Halloween event for little ones at the National Zoo. This thing is a legend in these parts, and this is the first time we will be participating.  Looks like fun.  They decorate the whole zoo and have treats and "snack stations" around the park.

K.'s napping now, so in a few hours I'll get him a snack, get him dressed in his cow costume (hoping that goes over OK - not sure what he'll think of wearing a huge black and white cow body for 2 hours), and then we'll be off to the Zoo.  

Hopefully we a) won't be too cold, b) won't get stuck in traffic and c) K. will not whine about wearing his costume.

Geez, I sound like a geezer, don't I?  So many things to anticipate or worry about in terms of planning.  If it were my husband taking him (spouse is out of town this week), it would just be a matter of, "Okay, let's go."  With minimal packing and preparation.  But they would also be home in about 15 minutes after inevitably realizing that they'd forgotten something.  Ah, dads...

Anyway, hopefully I'll snap some good pictures tonight for posting!

This is What It's Come To...

It seems I will do anything to get my kid to eat. The latest involves having a tea party of sorts -- in fact, maybe it's the little boy's version of a tea party: lunch with his airplane car. 

This is how the scene usually goes.

I announce it's lunch time in a sing songy voice. "Whooooooo's ready to eat?"

K., nonplussed, usually keeps playing.  OR, he says, "Cookies!"... which I ignore.

I say, "I know an airplane who's hungry!  Let's put the airplane on the table and get him ready to eat!"

I tie a bib on the airplane (K. particularly LOVES this).

I place K.'s lunch on his high chair tray.

I place K. in his high chair.

I say, "Time to put on your bib just like the airplane!"

K. whines and squirms and does anything he can to avoid getting the bib treatment.

I say, "You don't want your shirt to get WET, do you?  This doggy bib will keep you nice and DRY." (wet and dry are two new words that he's intrigued by at the moment, for some reason)

He relents.  The bib goes on.

I say, "Yum!  It's time to eat our [insert name of featured food here]."

K. says "NO!" and turns his head.

I say, "OK, Airplane, I guess you get to eat ALL of K.'s food since he is not hungry!"

I "feed" the airplane, which is immediately followed by giggles from K.

If we are lucky, K. will halfheartedly eat a few bites of [whatever is on his plate at the moment].

[Repeat airplane feeding steps above, for an indeterminant period of time.] 

All of a sudden, K. announces that it is time to take the bib off the airplane. "OFF!  OFF!  OFF!"

I take the bib off the airplane.

K. refuses to eat another bite.

I offer yogurt.

K. gets excited: "Yogurt, yogurt, yogurt!"

I give him some yogurt (usually attempting to smuggle fruit pieces in it).

He takes spoonfuls of yogurt and pretty deftly manuvers the fruit pieces out of his mouth, while still managing to swallow the yogurt.

We do this until one of us gets tired.

K. announces, "OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT"

I manage to wipe his hands and face (for some reason, he does not protest when I do this).

I lift him out of his chair.

He runs off to torment the cat.

[At the next mealtime, the entire episode repeats.]

Life Stages, Already

Now that K. is approaching his 18 month birthday, I've been thinking a lot about how much he has changed in the last few months.  Talking about young children growing and changing is nothing new, of course, but it is interesting to me to see how the changes sneak up on you.  

To me, the changes in K. are not constant; rather, he seems to stay the same - same face shape, body structure, etc. - for a chunk of time and then, voila!, overnight it seems he has turned into a new person.  

The thought occurred to me the other morning when I was watching him eat his breakfast.  His eyes seem like the only feature of his face that are recognizable, while the rest of his face has transformed - it's thinning and lengthening.  

There's another physical aspect of K. that hasn't changed.  When I creep into his room at night, I stare at his profile as he sleeps ... and it still reminds me of those ultrasound pictures we studied so much before he was born.  I love that I can still see the resemblance to the pre-birth K.  I think that as long as his silhouette remains the same, I'll still consider K. a "baby". However, now that he's talking and walking and running and into everything, he really seems much more on the "big boy" level than ever before.  

I remember the first few days after we had brought him home, when I was still in a hormonal, sleep-deprived fuzz, and it seemed that all I was obsessing about was that he would grow up too fast. Sounds ridiculous that this was what I focused on in those early days, but it was true (must have been the mood swings).  Now that it's been a year and a half, time seems to have passed both quickly and slowly.  I try to make a point of relishing each day -- especially the lazy ones -- knowing that they are all temporary.  

The Tiniest Gymnast

Since the digestive problem appears to have subsided, at least for now, I will devote today's post to lighter fare: more pictures from our JW Tumbles classes!  

It's rare to get K. to slow down and look at me while he's playing there, but I managed to eek out a few of those pics.  

The cutest thing: now on Thursday mornings, he constantly says "Tumbles! Tumbles!" in anticipation of the hedonism that is in store.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

There's No Delicate Way to Say This...

What do you do about a kid who can't stop pooping?

K. has pooped 8 times in the last 48 hours.  Yup, it's true.  The first two times were respectable amounts ("normal" enough, I'd say) but every remaining diaper change has included little dollops (no larger than a small jellybean) or even just skid mark-looking things.  Lovely, I know, but hey, I am going to take advantage of having a blog to plead for advice!

At first I thought I needed to give him something to just flush the rest of it out of him, so I gave him watered down prune juice yesterday.  Then I thought maybe I needed to stop him up, so he ate a whole banana last night at dinner.  Needless to say, I'm no nutritionist.  Regardless of both these attempts, I've been trying to keep him as hydrated as possible.

This morning, same deal, not a huge amount, but a bit of it was there, just the same.

Also I should note that he seems to be straining and agitated by the constant ... um, going.  

Alas, what's a concerned mother to do?

Down at the Creek With My Dad

There's a little trail by our house, in the middle of the Washington, DC suburbs, that we like to take K. on because you feel like you've left urban life completely.  

It winds its way down to a little creek, where K.'s dad has recently discovered the joy of standing with his son in ankle-deep water and skipping stones (or, in K.'s case, lifting 1- and 2-pound rocks over his head and letting them drop with a huge splash nearby).  

Over the weekend, when I went to the ballet with my MIL and SIL, K. and his dad did their "creek thing".  

They came back sopping wet, and K.'s tennis shoes are still a little damp, but it was well worth it.  K. stood in the creek about 45 minutes, according to his dad, and when it was time to go shouted, "More, more!"  

Looks like we've found another great way to spend time with a 1-year-old.  

Now, if only we can count on the weather to stay warm for at least a few more weeks!