Archive for September, 2014

Maia is Nine Months Old!!!

Thursday, September 18th, 2014

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9/6

Maia so wants to be mobile! She can’t quite do it to her satisfaction though. She can crawl a tiny bit, just a few inches. The furthest she has gotten was actually done sideways! I’d never seen that before =) Serenity and DZ both started by going backwards, but she crab crawled sideways to reach me. She prefers standing though and is happiest when I’m helping her stand. She can’t quite cruise on her own, but she’s getting close.

 

She’s making more noises that are getting close to words, especially up. Uuuuuup =) I say it a lot when she stands or gets picked up, and she’s mimicked me a couple of times.

 

She loves her big sister and brother =) They are very good about helping me when I need them to, and Maia loves it. She will sit in their laps while I run to the other room to grab something and they both talk to her and entertain her.

 

9/18

Maia is nine months old today! And she discovered that she can rock the rocking chair, which made getting her picture in it a little more challenging =) But I still ended up with more cute pics than I could handle so it’s all good.

 

Maia is definitely on the move these days. She can army crawl, which is a pretty laborious process which involves a lot of complaining. =) Sometimes she seems to be doing a push up onto her toes and hands! I have no idea what she’s accomplishing with that move, maybe getting up off the carpet, which is not very soft. She can get all the way onto the wood floor now though so we’ve had to tell the kids to keep all the choking hazards upstairs and only play games on tables now. She can sort of cruise along the couch too. She could stand indefinitely… she just doesn’t want to hold on. If I put toys on the couch she’ll stand and play with them for a bit, and then she’ll turn and try to walk straight away from the couch, which always lands her on her bottom. She doesn’t mind though =) She just wiggles her legs and bounces like she’s in the jumperoo and crashes again. =)

 

She is up to two teeth. One and a half, as the second one is much shorter than the first still. Her favorite chew toy is my wallet. I have to hide the keys inside or she’d eat those as well. She’s also demolished a few board books this month. Not with genteel nibbling, nope. She’s eaten half the cover of several books and torn Pajama Time completely off!

 

She does love to listen to the books as well. She loves Jamberry, Ten in the Bed, and all the Boynton Books. Snuggle Puppy is a favorite, and that’s the song I currently sing her as I try to get her to sleep on her own in her bed for at least the beginning of the night. She’s reached the point that she has a hard time falling asleep in my arms in the chair for bedtime, because she really wants to roll over onto her stomach. So another transition for us.

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I found some really cute onesies at Target that I’m so excited about! I got a Cinderella onesie for her to wear on our Disney trip next month, and a SuperGirl onesie for Halloween. They are so cute!
She is sooo close to talking. She vocalizes often and loudly, and I just love watching her become part of the conversation. She really seems like she might be saying “up.” I’m not sure, but it certainly sounds like it and may even be in context.

She has just as good a grip with her feet as with her hands =)

She has just as good a grip with her feet as with her hands =)

Playing Ball with DZ

Playing Ball with DZ

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DZ is such a good brother =)

DZ is such a good brother =)

Daddy tickly kisses!

Daddy tickly kisses!

Shopping with Aunt Jen at West Elm

Shopping with Aunt Jen at West Elm

Snuggling Grandma and chewing on a wallet, delicious!

Snuggling Grandma and chewing on a wallet, delicious!

High Five!

High Five!

Donovan in August: First School Days!

Tuesday, September 9th, 2014

8/26

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Donovan’s First Day of School!!!

Donovan finally gets his turn =)  He started asking me at the beginning of last year where HIS locker was, and where HIS teacher was. So he was completely ready for school to start.  Even at the last day of school for Serenity last year, he asked me, “Now I get my turn to go to school, right?”  He even has two backpacks!  Barrett passed down a dinosaur backpack that Donovan admired once when we were at the cabin, and he chose his very own Paw Patrol backpack.  This morning he did his three morning steps, (go potty, eat breakfast, and get dressed).  He even put on his shoes, which is startling because usually my kids don’t want to wear shoes and wait until the timer goes off, which means time for shoes and walk out the door.  He wore his shoes and his backpack for at least ten minutes before the timer said it was time to go, saying “NOW I’m ready, now!”  =)  I asked him if he wanted to take another picture under the sign for his real first day, and he agreed, and he wanted pictures by his locker as well!  We were a tiny bit early so we had time for several hugs in the common’s area.  Not that either kid particularly needed them but Mama did! =)  And he got to sit in the blue area with a rainbow stuffed worm, and he smiled absently at me as I left.  He was already watching Mrs. McBride and ready for his day to start!  I can’t wait to hear about it!!!

 

Well, it’s official.  He loves school.  He met me on the curb with a huge hug and an “I love you Mama!” And in the car on the way home he told me all about this snail he colored in stripes.  Luckily Ms. Parent had told me that he was very meticulously coloring his snail in a pattern, otherwise I might not have understood immediately as I have trouble hearing in the car and snail sounds more like “‘hnail.” So cute.  Mrs. McBride mentioned the next time I saw her that Donovan took to school instantly.  He follows the class rules like he’s been there for years, and he’s very quiet.  And she mentioned that he was very focused on his coloring as well.  I love it!!!  He’s so awesome =)

 

8/27

I am baby jaguar.  When I go to school I turn into Donovan.  When I go to swimming I might turn into zuma.

 

9/6

So far, Donovan thinks his favorite part of school is coloring, followed by getting erasers and stickers =)

 

Today, Eric and I were discussing getting Serenity a new science book.  She said she would like something about gardening, and I said maybe I would look for a botany book.  DZ looked over at us, and said, “I love botany!” And in his robot voice he said, “All systems, a-ok.”  He needs a robotany book 😉

Donovan took Ziggy-Zaggy, his stuffed t-rex to his first show and tell.  Ms. Parent says some kids just show what they brought and sit back down.  Donovan had so much to say about Ziggy-Zaggy that Ms. Parent finally had to tell him, “now just one more thing” or he might never have stopped! =)

He dressed up as a bumblebee, with a stinger =)

He dressed up as a bumblebee, with a stinger =)

Dressing up as a wolf, Elsa's friend.  Wolves are obviously Elsa's friends because they try to keep Kristoff and Anna from getting to Elsa's ice palace.

Dressing up as a wolf, Elsa’s friend. Wolves are obviously Elsa’s friends because they try to keep Kristoff and Anna from getting to Elsa’s ice palace.

playing ball with Maia

playing ball with Maia

Explorer DZ and his pet

Explorer DZ and his pet

Serenity does homework four days a week, so DZ asked for some =)  I had to draw a snail so he could color it just like he did at school!

Serenity does homework four days a week, so DZ asked for some =) I had to draw a snail so he could color it just like he did at school!

Serenity in August: School Days!

Monday, September 8th, 2014

 

Love her =)  I was prepared for a vertical pic, and she went horizontal =)  I love her enthusiasm!

Love her =) I was prepared for a vertical pic, and she went horizontal =) I love her enthusiasm!

 

My Kindergartener!  She's so ready for school =)

My Kindergartener! She’s so ready for school =)

They insisted on a pic together =)  Admittedly I did not argue =)

They insisted on a pic together =) Admittedly I did not argue =)

I love this picture =)  We love walking into school when the weather is nice, and walking along the balance beam is the best part.  The kids, especially Serenity, pick up maple leaves and helicopter seeds.

I love this picture =) We love walking into school when the weather is nice, and walking along the balance beam is the best part. The kids, especially Serenity, pick up maple leaves and helicopter seeds.  Serenity has her new unicorn backpack that Grandma Diane got her. 

9/7

Serenity is a kindergartener!  She loves it, which makes me SO happy!  She came home the first week asking if we could make a behavior chart like they have in school.   =)  Her Chinese teacher saw me in the office on the day of the Back to School coffee, and she told me that Serenity was amazing.  She was the only one who remembered all the Chinese words.  Serenity had come home a few days earlier singing an entire song in Chinese, and I admit I was surprised and so pleased!  She used to quiz me on her Chinese words, trying to teach them to me, but it had been awhile since I’d heard much about it.

 

Since she’s reading above grade level, she gets to join in a book club on Fridays at lunch with the reading specialist.  They read Amelia Bedelia this week, and she adored it.  She has been reading like crazy lately.  I started reading Matilda to her one night at bedtime, and she finished it after I left!  And she read the Fantastic Mr. Fox… twice!  And recited a crazy song out of the book to me which I couldn’t believe she had memorized.  She also asked for a new science book, since she’s read all her atlases and planet books several times.  We are planning to join Daisy Scouts this year, and she read both books that came with that!  That was fun, because she actually let Donovan go out the door in front of her to try and fulfill part of the Girl Scout promise.  It was sweet =)

 

Serenity has homework four nights a week now.  We have a reading log to fill in, plus usually two worksheets.  If she focuses it takes her five minutes or so for the worksheets, although sometimes she does it more leisurely, snacking and chatting with us.  The goal for the reading log is twenty minutes a day.  Usually she reads longer for that at quiet time, and sometimes more during the day, so I haven’t needed to actually tell her to read for her reading log yet.

 

Serenity earned her swimming goggles!  Eric had promised her when she could swim the length of the pool, she could have a pair of goggles.  And she did it!  She is getting to be a good swimmer and she really loves it!

More dress up fun =)

More dress up fun =)

We were in need of an activity for one particularly hot day  so I suggested a fashion show!  The kids were very enthusiastic.  Here are some of Serenity's ensembles =)

We were in need of an activity for one particularly hot day so I suggested a fashion show! The kids were very enthusiastic. Here are some of Serenity’s ensembles =)

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Rapunzel!  I remembered that I had braided a huge length of fleece and made it into a Moses basket.  I took it apart and Serenity was thrilled to have fancy hair to dress up with!

Rapunzel! I remembered that I had braided a huge length of fleece and made it into a Moses basket. I took it apart and Serenity was thrilled to have fancy hair to dress up with!

Elsa =)  Beautiful dress was a gift from Maggie, I made the cape out of some organza I got in Cali, and the braid was taken from a fleece project I made years ago.  It used to be a little baby bassinet, and it was already braided.

Elsa =) Beautiful dress was a gift from Maggie, I made the cape out of some organza I got in Cali, and the braid was taken from a fleece project I made years ago. It used to be a little baby bassinet, and it was already braided.

We visited Aunt Jen's house to see all the baby birds!  They have chickens, guinneas, ducks, and peacocks!  The ducks were the cutest at this age =)  Serenitiy liked the little silver chicks =)

We visited Aunt Jen’s house to see all the baby birds! They have chickens, guinneas, ducks, and peacocks! The ducks were the cutest at this age =) Serenitiy liked the little silver chicks =)

Serenity earned her goggles!  She had asked for them, and Eric said she could have them when she could swim the length of the pool by herself!  And she did it!!!

Serenity earned her goggles! She had asked for them, and Eric said she could have them when she could swim the length of the pool by herself! And she did it!!!