August, So Far

These two can't get enough Popsicles. And no, in spite of how it looks in the background of these pictures, we did not open a daycare.



Still can't believe my "baby" can go on the "big kid" swing.




Here's a tip: Don't bring toddler twins to the home improvement store. You'll probably be shocked to know they don't much enjoy it. You'll likely leave with someone in tears (possibly you). But hey, think of all the money you'll save! (Erin and I still aren't sure what color paint we bought.)



I don't even know what to say about this.







It's been a month since we said goodbye to our girl and Leo is still drawing pictures and writing letters to her. Oh, my heart.



I found this beret on the "free table" at work and brought it home. Ellie immediately made her hers and dubbed it her "Art Hat."



I think it's safe to say Leo likes camp.




This week has kissed my A** (hence the more than weeklong radio silence). Hopefully next week will be better, but in the meantime I think we've all earned an $8 frozen yogurt that's bigger than our heads.

Now if you'll excuse me, that's what I'm off to get.

Happy weekend, all. xoxo

Letters Home

I received this note from Leo's speech therapist this morning:

"I just want to mention something that was really touching during Leo's group session yesterday.
We were having a "tea party," a nice little vehicle for language exercises.
Just before everyone pretended to drink the "tea," Leo bowed his head and started giving "Thanks."
And so the rest of the students started doing the same. It was adorable.
He is a great boy."

Debut

Breaking news: We have our first pig tails!

Terrible Summer (Can't You Tell?)

Another miserable day for Leo at camp.

Another awful day for Ellie in New York City, where she accompanied me to work (here she is after lunch on a rooftop terrace in midtown).

And yet more torture, this time it's the babies who are clearly very unhappy.

Such a shame these kids never have any fun.

Meanwhile, I'm having a hard time believing that in just a few short weeks, Ellie will be a kindergartener (Dun dun dun!) and Leo will be in third grade. We still have a big, exciting adventure/vacation (OK, it's not a "vacation" if it involves small children, but still! We're excited!) to look forward to. But first I have to pack for five people and withstand a cross country flight with twin toddlers.

I can totally drink on the plane, right?

On Arguments and Differences and Pink for the Boys

Sometimes it feels like I spend my days negotiating. Deals are made. But Why? The "Whys" are adorable when they relate to the magical world around us. "Why do some clouds look like flowers and some clouds look like clouds?" Not so cute when I ask for coats and shoes to go on and I'm met with why? For what feels like the ninetieth time. The arguing is especially bountiful and brutal with my darling, inquisitive, and yes, beloved four year old.

Everything, yes, everything is a discussion. And yes, discussion is the polite word for it.

But I can't argue with any of this. Especially the "I am happy" part.

No arguments here either, nope. This is not a bad way to start the day.

Aw, but babies don't argue. I mean, not really.

And in non-argumentative news, somebody loves to feed herself. She already seems to have great fine motor skills and can pick up minuscule pieces of dust on the carpet (not that that ever happens because our house is immaculate I assure you). Side note: I've decided Ruby the dog can stay (she's developed a mind numbingly annoying habit of barking to go out, then instantly wants to come back in, then when you go to actually let her in she looks up at you with her smokey brown eyes and truly, if a dog could mock you, she would). But she can stay, because dogs eat all the food the babies drop on the floor and therefore I don't have to sweep (often). But I hope Ruby has spare pair of elastic waist pants because she's about to gain the old "toddler fifteen" (I swear she gained fifteen pounds after Leo started on solids and she never lost it).

But back to the eating. Others are, hmm...how shall I put this? Less interested in self-feeding? Perhaps his eyelashes are getting in the way? Then again, why would you want to feed yourself if you had someone to do it for you?

I know this comes as an absolute news flash to all but these babies are so different! Imagine that. They have such unique personalities and strengths. Once you have a child with delays who does nothing when they are supposed to, you sort of forget about milestones I think. Having two babies side-by-side I think it's impossible not to compare a little and that's where it gets interesting. Harry is strong, sits up like a champ but can't seem to wrap his head around picking up food and putting it in his mouth (he puts all kind of other things in his mouth). Lucy on the other hand, is fine at sitting as long as you have a hand right at her side for when she just tips right over. She loves to be on her stomach and has been spotted rocking on her knees so I'm thinking crawling isn't too far away. No rush Lucy, no rush.

While Lucy "caws," chortles, babbles and screeches, Harry is much quieter, though he does his share of vocalizations. He still does his deep little Donald Duck voice, but he's a fan of a high pitch scream, akin to a four year old girl who just saw a spider.

Did I forget to mention Lucy is also suddenly terrified of strangers? Bursts into tears at the face of a friendly little old lady at the grocery store. Cannot wait for Lucy to start at daycare in a month. That is going to be awesome. Harry, meanwhile, seems to be affable guy. Also, he flirts. Bats those eyelashes at anyone and everyone.


Speaking of Harry, he had a pretty bad diaper rash this weekend. (Is anyone still reading this? Have I bored you to tears yet?) Anyway, for some reason you can't use diaper cream or powder on cloth diapers (Erin wants to know what will happen if you do? Do the Cloth Diaper Police come to your door and issue you a summons? Yes, I'm pretty sure they do).

So when a rash develops, you have to use disposables, which I always forget to buy to have on hand just in case. We happened to have an extra Disney Princess (only the best for Harry) Pull-Up, size 4-5T. And it fit him. So apparently the inability to self-feed? Not interfering with the weight gain.

Bedtime Antics

I tried to get a shot of Lucy sucking on Harry's elbow but I couldn't get it. Apparently I was taking too long to get her dinner. The service around here can be a bit slow.

Happy Friday everyone! And thank goodness for chemistry and for all the good wishes. I am feeling better already.

Green Day

"Go pick out your clothes," I heard Erin call to Leo this morning. She blessedly let me sleep a few minutes later than usual and had motivated Leo to get ready, cheerily, as only she can do.

"He has to wear green!" I prompted anyone within earshot. Erin repeated my fashion "suggestion" to Leo.

"Oh YEAH!" agreed Leo, as though grateful for the reminder. I have to say, they do an absolutely fabulous job at school of indoctrinating those kiddos with all the holidays. And to think, I was worried there would be a struggle over the fact that he owns no green Super Hero shirts (I remind you that's all he'll wear these days--yesterday there was an all out war over the fact that his beloved Bat Man shirt was in the laundry--the horrors!). But would you look at that? He happily arrived at my bedside, minutes later, clad in an adorable green plaid button down. All grins, and full of Irish pride.

Sorry, no pictures of Leo. But Ellie got into the spirit too. Yesterday I told her she had to wear green today or someone would pinch her. She gasped and her jaw dropped, her mouth forming the shape of a concerned little "O."

***
In other news, Leo's teacher wrote something lovely in his communication book yesterday:
"Leo did something so nice today! When he was getting off the bus it was raining, so he insisted Chloe [one of his bus buddies] get under his umbrella. So sweet!"

Aww. And also, I guess that balances out the other note I received, about how he got in trouble for crashing into Mrs. B (on purpose) with his scooter at P.E.

Hey, you take the good, you take the bad, right?

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

Edited to add:

Of course! Green Lantern! Thank you, dear readers. Next year, Leo. I promise.

Hair by the Village, Finally Spring and Two Steps Forward And...Well, You Know

1. Leo's hair.

It's so much better than it was! (Please pay no mind to the odd "There's Something About Mary" cow lick that Leo woke up with.) Mrs. E. finally broke out the clippers yesterday (according to Leo's teacher, being a professional, Mrs. E. felt clippers were the only way to really make it look "clean.") Apparently a Zhou Zhou Pet was just the ticket to distract and calm Leo while the clippers were doing their job.

2. After an initial good week behavior-wise (such a good week that we've decided to hold off on the behavior specialist after an email from Leo's teacher in which she pointedly said "I don't think Leo has a behavior issue") Leo's teacher emailed me today to say that he refused to go into the cafeteria for lunch because they arrived late and it was fuller than it usually is and therefore deemed "too loud" for Leo. It took almost all of the lunch period to get Leo into the room and this was only after Mrs. L gave him headphones to wear.

Oy.

I realize this is not a behavior thing. It's that blasted sensory crud. It makes me feel so helpless and frustrated. The thought of Leo wearing headphones during lunch does not make me happy. I mean, I get that you do what you have to do and I'm all for whatever gets you through the day, but really, doesn't he have enough strikes against him? Headphones in the lunchroom? He has to be that odd man out? Filing this under information I sort of wish I didn't know.

3. Enough of that for now.

4. It's finally spring! I'm enjoying the warmer days and nights and reveling in the mild temperatures. The heat can't be far away. Every morning and night on the way to and from the car Ellie has to stop...


and smell the flowers.

I think she's onto something.

Easter/Passover Finery and Stuffed Animal Massacring

I am slammin' busy right now but wanting to post these real quick. I didn't want anyone to think we'd been trampled by the Easter bunny or overcome by too much matzoh ball soup.

Here we are on our way to brunch Sunday morning. Everyone wanted to know if we had just come from church. Um, yea! Sure! (We went to synagogue on Saturday, does that count?)


Notice Dot the Dog. She is everywhere Leo is.






As everyone knows, our families live far, far away. My family doesn't do anything on Easter (obviously) but Erin's does. And I had a few moments of real sadness to think that the only people that got to admire our darling children in their Easter finery were at the local restaurant. It sure would be nice to be closer to the fam. But I digress.

Sunday was a great day. Gorgeous weather, good food, happy kids. What more can I ask for?

Monday I took off from work and successfully vacated about 20 stuffed animals (yea!) and approximately ten bags of miscellaneous junk from our basement (much of it toys! Yea!) for a local charity. It was a good day.

I am alive. Tired but alive. More soon.

Scenes from the Weekend

We baked banana bread. This time, Ellie wanted to join in (I think she’ll join in on anything that involves standing on a chair, this one). Fraidy cat took off and buried herself in Erin's arms when I got the mixer out. She is not a fan of loud appliances, i.e. vacuums, mixers, blenders.

Leo tried (and succeeded somewhat) to feed Ellie breakfast:


Leo discovered his love of this contraption, at the weekend birthday party:

Goopy Eyes, A Needy Dish Washer, Sex Pod(casts) and Oscar

I’m currently waiting for a call back from the nurse practitioner. It’s been a whole three weeks since either kid has been on some kind of medication so it seems only to be expected that there will soon be a trip to the pharmacy. I think Leo has conjunctivitis. I’ll spare you the gory details but let’s just say his eyes are a mess. Also he’s been severely cranky the last few mornings. Probably not related to pink eye per se, but generally when there is something wrong and he doesn’t feel 100 percent well? He gets mean and fights me on everything. He doesn’t want to put on his coat. He doesn’t want to get in the car seat. And there are tears, lots and lots of tears. Sometimes from me too but luckily this morning my hormones seemed to be in check and I was able to stay dry eyed.

So we’ll see what the doctor says. And yes, #1 Mom here still sent Leo off to school. I mean, it could just be a cold. And his school is going to this really children’s museum for a field trip today.

I’ve had one of those there’s nothing that exciting to write here weeks and so I haven’t said much, even though I vowed not to do that. There are little things, I guess. Ellie continues to be Whine Fest 2009 every night. Between 6:45 p.m. when we walk through the door and 8 p.m. when we head upstairs for bed/bath, she is Need Fest. She wants to be held. Every other word is “Uppy” and “Mommy, uppy.” I can’t blame the girl. She’s fought for attention all day at daycare. She wants her Mommy, and so who am I to say no to this? And frankly, I want my Ellie. But I also need to unpack the lunch boxes, unload the book bags and read teacher notes, make dinner, feed dinner, keep house in some semblance of order. I could go on, but I won’t.

And so, I give you the latest way Ellie is kept happy when I’m not able to hold her.




Yes, she has fallen in love with the sink. And the dishes. Yes, I let her play with dirty(ish) dishes and water while I cook dinner. I am careful to hide the knives/glass/breakables, but there you have it. Sometimes she soaks the front of her shirt by pouring water on herself but she keeps surprisingly dry. And she is happy.

In other news:

Gratuitous cuteness with tights and Converse and a hat (that Ellie keeps on her head for about oh, 3.2 seconds):



Tomorrow is going to be a whirlwind. We have a birthday party in the morning (both kids) and then we are heading into Manhattan for a play date with the New York City Down syndrome parent “support” group. I am anticipating/hoping for some in-car napping en route to the play group, otherwise I am going to have some exhausted hooligans on my hands.

I am currently addicted to podcasts. My absolute favorite is Dan Savage (sex columnist for Seattle's The Stranger). I love the fact that I am sitting on the bus next to a buttoned up Wall Street trader and I’m listening to Mr. Savage swear like a truck driver and talk about, well, sex. Also wonderful (but it also makes me cry for some reason, no matter what the topic, which is really OK as I have established that I actually like to cry) is This American Life. But they only post the current show for free, the rest you have to pay for and since I’m all about Free Stuff right now I’ve only listened to one podcast so far (though I'm a long-time listener to the radio version of that show).

Let’s just say all the sex talk makes the commute fly by.

And I leave you with Leo’s latest costume. When he’s in a good mood (which to be fair is most of the time) he sure can assemble an outfit. The fixins' for this look are courtesy of Erin's mom who resides in New Orleans. We were thinking this was sort of warm up clothes for Mardi Gras but we're not really sure.


This one is entitled "Aw Shucks."


Lastly, I am shamelessly, ridiculously excited for the Oscars on Sunday night. I've watched them since I was a little kid and I still love the turning the TV on early (an hour or so before the event) and watching the red carpet arrivals. The glamour! The dresses! The mind numbing interview questions! When I was a little girl my mom and I used to make "Noodles Oscar" (which was basically rotini pasta, chopped meat and tomato sauce, with sprinkled parmesan cheese on top) and sit on her bed and watch the ceremony while eating this festive concoction. This year I will rush through through the kids' bedtime and set the DVR to record the red carpet arrivals. Maybe I'll even make "Noodles Oscar," for old time's sake.

Edited to add: Just heard back from doctor. Of course she said to bring him in (whenever I mention my fear that he has an ear infection they say this). Then again, I don't think there is much I could say that would prevent them from telling me to bring my kids in. They just seem to really really like my kids. Then the front desk appointment maker lady told me that I should know that they are triple booked and running about 1.5 hours behind and that she's telling everyone to bring snacks, a blanket, a pillow...

Sounds great, doesn't it? I can't wait to take both kids to sit with a bunch of sick kids in a waiting room for two hours. Honestly even though germs run amuck there I would rather be in the main waiting room. Being left alone with Leo and Ellie in an exam room while we wait to be seen is most definitely the Tenth Circle of Hell, as Leo plays with the stirrups on the table, wraps the paper around himself mummy style, searches through the trash for hypodermics...I'll stop there.

So my plan is, I will hit the bar on the way home and have a few drinks and then take them to the doctor. Oh I kid. Sort of.

Ever the Ham

It is a dreary, dark, rainy day here. Definitely up there in my list of depressing things is the first seriously rainy day after New Year's. All the holiday lights are down, the decorations stowed away, the trees are abandoned curbside, everyone's back to work and our spirits are just a bit tired. Plus, we had a late opening today, due to some lovely black ice. Now my day feels all out of whack and I'm having a hard time focusing (if only I had a weather event every day to blame my lack of focus).

So I thought I'd post a few funny pictures.

Leo is a funny guy. He loves to make people laugh. I think most kids do but because he's my kid, of course I find him particularly funny.
I took this one yesterday morning. He called to me from the basement playroom, so that I would come to look at the ensemble he had assembled.

This is over the winter break. He had been sitting on the floor in this chair but for some reason decided it would be better on the couch. I think he wanted to be by the dog but she took one look at that chair and took off.

That darn pirate hat again. It gets me every time. Just another typical day at our house, you know, eating oatmeal, being a pirate.

A Walk With One Kid

Last week when Leo was recovering from his ear procedure, he and I went on a walk together. Just the three of us (Leo, the dog and I).





He found this lion costume in the basement where he was playing and insisted on wearing it for most of the day. Yes, it was Ellie's Halloween costume, and also Leo's two years ago. He used to hate wearing hoods. Now he's kind of obsessed with them.



It was so nice taking a walk with just Leo. One kid is so easy! The dog is another story. I don't think she enjoyed the fact that she had on two leashes, one for me, one for Leo (he loves to walk her but alas, cannot be trusted to do it independently, well truthfully, neither can the dog).



He did pretty well. But he still hates holding my hand to cross the street. It was very cold that day and neither one of us was dressed for it. And we walked to far. Almost a half mile, before I realized we should turn around. Leo got tired, at one point sitting down on the sidewalk.


When we got home, we had a snack and warmed up. Still wearing lion suit.

Dora Exhibit: Overwhelmed.

Check out the sixth photo (I hate the order in which these posted, did not mean for all the ones of Ellie to come first). It's the Deer in Headlights expression on Leo’s face. He seems to be saying, what do I do first?

That last shot of him sleeping was in the car after the museum, lunch, and a cupcake from Batch.* And all was right with the world.

Think he had a good time?

Ellie enjoyed herself as well. When we got home Leo kept sleeping and Ellie and I had a photo shoot in the backyard. I am so glad the weather is nice now as the outdoor shots are so much better (without flash). By the way, Ellie does not like grass. She kept trying to crawl off the blanket and when she felt the grass she made a face and returned to the blanket.

Too bad about the car in the background of all those outdoor Ellie shots. My stepdad has instilled in me that the background is as important as the main subject of the photo--hard to do (at least for me) when you are shooting babies and kids.

*I don't care what anyone says. Magnolia Bakery is totally overrated. Batch wins the best NYC cupcake award in my book, hands down.