Tonight Rob and the boys played the age-old game of "Got your nose", only with a twist. Rob stole both of Matthew's ears. Matthew wanted them back, of course, but Rob wasn't giving. He took the left ear and threw it out the window to Dr. Price (our neighbor and pastor). ***note: Dr. Price wasn't really playing, but minding his own business in the garden.**** He took the other ear and threw it into the fan and said, "It's now in 30,000 pieces! Go get them!" Matthew went to the opposite side of the room, trying to find his ears. Ben was right behind him, looking just as intently for Matthew's ears as Matthew was.
Well, Matthew claimed to have found his ears, but Rob told him that Dr. Price still had his left ear. Matthew asked, "What's Dr. Price doing with my left ear?" I said, "He's probably going to eat it. He likes to eat the ears off little children. That's why he's in Children's Ministries." Matthew was rather upset and went to the window and said, "Excuse me, Dr. Price, but can I have my ear back?" Dr. Price (who had gone into the house and still has no knowledge of this event) did not answer. We decided, at that point, to send in the ear finding expert: Ben. Rob asked Ben to find Matthew's ears. Ben went to one side and pointed, then to the other side and pointed, and found both of Matthew's ears to be safely on his head.
You'd think that would have been enough for MJ, but no, he still had to find all the pieces to the ear that Rob threw into the fan. They were all over the living room, including in my shoe, on the couch, and in a Cool-Whip container that the boys play with. All was finally well, and they went upstairs for bath time. The End.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Matthew vs. VBS
This week was our VBS program at church, entitled "Rescue Zone." I wasn't planning on sending Matthew mainly because last year they started at age 4. I opened the church bulletin one day and, low and behold, the age limit was changed to three. I thought about helping out, but I didn't know what to do with Ben, so I just signed up to bring cookies. I'm glad I didn't only because it was nice to NOT be involved with something involving kids. (I'm in the nursery doing something every Sunday and sometimes on Wednesdays, so I have my fill of children.) And I got some special time with Ben.
Matthew was not the least bit thrilled to go to VBS. He kept saying, "I'm afraid of Devin" and other equally silly things. When we got there on the first day, there were many familiar faces, both children and adults, but that didn't matter to Matthew. He cried and clung to me for dear life. I put him into the arms of one of our missionaries, an older lady who is returning to the field soon. She swept him away into a room filled with toys, carpet squares, pee wee sized tables, and decorations to fit the theme. We promptly left, praying for the little guy to calm down quickly. When we returned, he didn't want to leave! They kept the kids busy with puppets, stories, short videos, snacks (he complained that he got water, not Kool-Aid, as I told him he would), and coloring. They also went outside to play and played with toys indoors. He was in the pre-school VBS, so they did not join the big kids in any other events (which is just as well).
Every day afterwards, he gave his offering (they weigh it--boys won three of the five days) and then ran inside without saying good-bye. He constantly asked to return, so I was no longer worried that he wouldn't like it. He had a verse to learn for the week, which he knew pretty well by Friday. On Friday, they invited the parents to come to the closing meeting and the little ones said their verse and sang a song. I did get the song on video, and Matthew actually sang and did the motions. It was very cute. Then they had a special lunch of hot dogs and chips, with ice cream for dessert. He ate up everything (including the bun--big shocker!) and we left. The little guys did not get to go to the VBS store, so their teachers scored them a couple of goodies. Matthew got a little teddy bear and a bracelet that says Jesus and you and me. He also got a perfect attendance certificate.
It was a pretty good week for him, but a good training time for all of us. Matthew still has problems staying put. He will run out of the room, wherever he is at. He's too independent, so we're trying to work on that problem at home, as well as instructing him to stay in his classes. He's doing better, but there's lots of room for improvement. I will miss all the cute things he told me about his time there, like what instrument he played during song time, his rendition of the story, and what other kids did that was shocking/funny. He's a great little story-teller!
And that's Matthew in VBS!
Matthew was not the least bit thrilled to go to VBS. He kept saying, "I'm afraid of Devin" and other equally silly things. When we got there on the first day, there were many familiar faces, both children and adults, but that didn't matter to Matthew. He cried and clung to me for dear life. I put him into the arms of one of our missionaries, an older lady who is returning to the field soon. She swept him away into a room filled with toys, carpet squares, pee wee sized tables, and decorations to fit the theme. We promptly left, praying for the little guy to calm down quickly. When we returned, he didn't want to leave! They kept the kids busy with puppets, stories, short videos, snacks (he complained that he got water, not Kool-Aid, as I told him he would), and coloring. They also went outside to play and played with toys indoors. He was in the pre-school VBS, so they did not join the big kids in any other events (which is just as well).
Every day afterwards, he gave his offering (they weigh it--boys won three of the five days) and then ran inside without saying good-bye. He constantly asked to return, so I was no longer worried that he wouldn't like it. He had a verse to learn for the week, which he knew pretty well by Friday. On Friday, they invited the parents to come to the closing meeting and the little ones said their verse and sang a song. I did get the song on video, and Matthew actually sang and did the motions. It was very cute. Then they had a special lunch of hot dogs and chips, with ice cream for dessert. He ate up everything (including the bun--big shocker!) and we left. The little guys did not get to go to the VBS store, so their teachers scored them a couple of goodies. Matthew got a little teddy bear and a bracelet that says Jesus and you and me. He also got a perfect attendance certificate.
It was a pretty good week for him, but a good training time for all of us. Matthew still has problems staying put. He will run out of the room, wherever he is at. He's too independent, so we're trying to work on that problem at home, as well as instructing him to stay in his classes. He's doing better, but there's lots of room for improvement. I will miss all the cute things he told me about his time there, like what instrument he played during song time, his rendition of the story, and what other kids did that was shocking/funny. He's a great little story-teller!
And that's Matthew in VBS!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Funny stuff
Okay, so I said this post was going to be about Matthew in VBS, but I changed my mind (or as the teens say, I lied. Anybody else hate that new phrase??) I thought I'd throw out some funny stuff that has happened in the past week.
Ben has been learning his body parts, and one of my favorite one's is "owie." He whacks his head, which normally sports a bruise or cut. He tried to find my ear today but got confused because my hair was down. Oh, and he just has to go with Rob everyday to take Matthew to VBS. That's been cute. He even wanted some offering money when I gave some to Matthew. (Don't worry, I didn't give it to him, although he doesn't put things into his mouth....which is weird...)
Matthew has been so excited about VBS everyday and about once an hour I get asked if he can go...even if he already went there today. This morning he wanted to leave at 7am and Rob told him no, that no one would be there yet. Matthew thought that the workers lived there! (Big shocker..all of you who were teachers know that your students believed you lived at school...which may have been true at times..) He's also been experienting. What does a toilet feel like when it's flushing????
Rob has been in a much better mood since his class ended, so the jokes have been flowing. He's been playing more Nintendo, and it's funny to watch him, because those of you who know him well know that he has very little sense of direction (I can hear my parents laughing now). Well, it applies to Nintendo games as well, and that makes me chuckle everytime I think about it. It's one of those traits that used to annoy me but now I find amusing. He's so cute!
As for me, I've just been enjoying my crew, laughing at their antics, and teasing Matthew (which is so much fun, now that he understands teasing.) We also do karate (we whack at each other and say "hi-ya") and that's produced a lot of giggles.
And there's the laughs from the Lits.
Ben has been learning his body parts, and one of my favorite one's is "owie." He whacks his head, which normally sports a bruise or cut. He tried to find my ear today but got confused because my hair was down. Oh, and he just has to go with Rob everyday to take Matthew to VBS. That's been cute. He even wanted some offering money when I gave some to Matthew. (Don't worry, I didn't give it to him, although he doesn't put things into his mouth....which is weird...)
Matthew has been so excited about VBS everyday and about once an hour I get asked if he can go...even if he already went there today. This morning he wanted to leave at 7am and Rob told him no, that no one would be there yet. Matthew thought that the workers lived there! (Big shocker..all of you who were teachers know that your students believed you lived at school...which may have been true at times..) He's also been experienting. What does a toilet feel like when it's flushing????
Rob has been in a much better mood since his class ended, so the jokes have been flowing. He's been playing more Nintendo, and it's funny to watch him, because those of you who know him well know that he has very little sense of direction (I can hear my parents laughing now). Well, it applies to Nintendo games as well, and that makes me chuckle everytime I think about it. It's one of those traits that used to annoy me but now I find amusing. He's so cute!
As for me, I've just been enjoying my crew, laughing at their antics, and teasing Matthew (which is so much fun, now that he understands teasing.) We also do karate (we whack at each other and say "hi-ya") and that's produced a lot of giggles.
And there's the laughs from the Lits.
Clarification
I put a comment in my last post regarding the counting of words and a reason why moms count them. I'd like to clarify what I was talking about. I can be a competitive person, and I've noticed since I've become a parent that I judge other parents far too hastily. I had an awful time of it when we were in Cali and constantly judged one person's parenting skills in particular. Since coming here, I've been stripped of my former self and have come to realize something: Everyone does things differently, but it doesn't make their way wrong.
Now, that doesn't mean I don't react when someone tells me they're doing something that I think is too early/too late/too dangerous/too strict, whatever. I just have had to learn to keep my mouth shut and only make mention of it if I feel that I won't be attacked and that it is truly beneficial to the other person. For instance, I knew a mom in Cali would couldn't get her son off the bottle (he was over 2.) That drives me nuts in general, because I personally get my own kids off baby things pretty early on. But in this case, I kept my mouth shut. One day she asked me how I got Matthew off the bottle so early and I told her that I threw them all away so he had no options. I haven't been so nice in other cases and I've had to learn to just keep my mouth shut and my opinions to myself (and Rob.)
So, back to the counting words thing: if I did that, all I would do is compare my kid to everyone else's and think they were better/worse than other kids. So I don't. I count enough to know they are on the right track according to the doctor, and that's it. I just know for myself that I have to stop being competitive (and that everyone else isn't as competitive as me.) It's the same with the milestones--when they walk/talk/are potty trained, etc. I have to be careful, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Well, that's done. Hopefully I haven't stirred up too much and I covered my tracks on the counting thing. Next post: Matthew in VBS, or should I say, Matthew vs. VBS.....just to leave you hanging.
Now, that doesn't mean I don't react when someone tells me they're doing something that I think is too early/too late/too dangerous/too strict, whatever. I just have had to learn to keep my mouth shut and only make mention of it if I feel that I won't be attacked and that it is truly beneficial to the other person. For instance, I knew a mom in Cali would couldn't get her son off the bottle (he was over 2.) That drives me nuts in general, because I personally get my own kids off baby things pretty early on. But in this case, I kept my mouth shut. One day she asked me how I got Matthew off the bottle so early and I told her that I threw them all away so he had no options. I haven't been so nice in other cases and I've had to learn to just keep my mouth shut and my opinions to myself (and Rob.)
So, back to the counting words thing: if I did that, all I would do is compare my kid to everyone else's and think they were better/worse than other kids. So I don't. I count enough to know they are on the right track according to the doctor, and that's it. I just know for myself that I have to stop being competitive (and that everyone else isn't as competitive as me.) It's the same with the milestones--when they walk/talk/are potty trained, etc. I have to be careful, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Well, that's done. Hopefully I haven't stirred up too much and I covered my tracks on the counting thing. Next post: Matthew in VBS, or should I say, Matthew vs. VBS.....just to leave you hanging.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Me, oh my, what a handsome guy!
And that's the first line of a little poem/song I made up for Benjamin. I recite it to him everytime we get out of the car or I pick him up when he's crying. The rest goes: A little small fry, a little bitty guy. Me, oh whoo, what a handsome dude! He's in a good (or cranky) mood, He's a Booger Booger Bood." Believe me, it sounds a lot cuter when I say it to him than when I just now typed it up!
I've spent so much time focuing on Matthew the Great that I've forgotten about poor little Ben. And that's too bad, because he's been doing some pretty cool stuff lately. Sometimes I forget that he's sixteen months old. He's still my baby, but he does that crazy "older flash" more and more often, you know, when you look at your kids and they look older for a brief second. I hate it when that happens!
Ben has been running recently, which is very amusing to watch. He has chubby cheeks and the flab bounces with him. Just today, a friend was over and even she laughed at it. He's been trying to do puzzles (with no success, thus far) but he just loves them. He'll bring up an empty board and a piece and say, "Puddle??" Matthew has been doing the 24-piece ones, so Ben wants to do one too. And that's typical--whatever Big Brother does, Little Brother copies (and it also works in the reverse.) It has been good, since Ben can throw away trash, find his shoes and almost put them on, and sits in a booster seat at the table. It has been bad, since he follows Matthew to the bathroom so he can splash in the potty, he whines for food when he's not hungry, and wants to grab food from the source and not be handed safe pieces of things. Overall though, it's been fun to watch.
His vocab is pretty good. I have no clue how many words he can say because, quite frankly, I think the only reason why we moms count them is so we can show off to other moms how cool our kids are. I'm trying very hard not to be competitive (although my kids are cuter than yours) but I'm not always successful at it (as some of you know). Anyway, he says quite a few words and he tries to repeat words for us. The funniest thing he does is run into the room, babble in baby-talk for a bit, then look at us as if to say, "Well? What do you think?" or "Follow me!" We have followed him and he'll take us somewhere and babble again, all very seriously. It's hard not to crack up laughing, but he's so serious! He does sign a little bit, but he's saying the words with the signs now. His "Pees!" is so cute as he signs "Please!" He doens't say yes, just "mm-hmm" in his little high-pitched voice. I'll miss that when he's a huge teenager.....
Anyway, that's my Ben-Ben right now. He's progressing nicely (although the doc says he still has a big head) and he's a treasure. The pics I put on are of him covered in dirt, thanks to Matthew. They do not do justice to how filthy that child was when we came in from the backyard yesterday.
And the shirt says "I'm the good one, my brother's the brat" just in case you couldn't read it :)
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Just When You Think...
...you have your kids all figured out, or you expect the worst, they go and amaze you. Tonight, Matthew sat in his first church service. Normally, there is a nursery for three-year-olds on Sunday nights, but during the summertime we are limited on workers, so the three's get the boot. Well, Mr. Matthew turned three this week, so we dutifully followed the rules we set (we're both on the nursery committee) and took him into the service.
Well, I must say that it took me by surprise. I had been formulating my gameplan for this very moment all summer, but I still forgot until we got to church and I was setting up the nursery check-in sheets. As soon as Rob brought the boys in, I gave him a panicked look and said, "Rob! Matthew has to be in the service tonight!" Of course, we came completely unprepared, but as least I had my plan. I hurridly found some paper and a pen for Matthew and went over strategy with Rob. Matthew would be required to participate in the first part of the service and would be allowed to draw once the sermon started. Potty breaks are fine, correction a must when he misbehaved. (Well, tonight it was just a warning since he didn't know what to expect.) We were set.
Since I check-in children on Sunday nights, I was late getting into the service. Matthew and Rob were enjoying a little skit to promote Vacation Bible School when I arrived, so that part was easy. He did okay during the songs, but kept wanting to sit down. I know some parents let their kids sit, but I believe that children need to be trained from the beginning to participate in church and never allowed to sit idly, even when they are young, so he stood up. He didn't like it and Rob had to take him out once to explain, but he did well after that. They even sang "Jesus Loves Me" tonight, so that was neat and he sang along. I think he was a little scared, because he snuggled up to me alot and wanted my arm around him. We had two potty breaks before the service started (His comment on the women's room was "Wow! They have a LOT of potties in here!) and two correction runs (again, only warnings) but after that he settled down. He did realy well drawing on paper until he ran out of paper (and then he wanted to visit his Sunday School teacher), but even then he was pretty quiet. For a squirrely little kid, he sat pretty still.
During the final prayer, I had to leave to help pass back nursery kids, and Matthew came with me. As soon as he saw the nursery he yelled, "NOOOO!!! I'm three, I'm three!!" With his lisp, it came out "I'm free, I'm free!!" as if to indicate he didn't have to go back into the nursery. I ushered him in and got him settled, explaining he needed to stay there for Mommy. I think next week we'll keep him with Rob.
So it was a pleasant experience, overall. A few people even commented that he did well for his first time. I'm thankful our auditorium has a special section just for parents with small children, because we were surrounded by people with kids, so that makes it easier. He seemed pretty okay with it. In fact, if he does well enough, we'll keep him there instead of returning him in the fall when the nursery reopens for the threes. Not as scary as we thought, and we both caught more of the sermon than usual.
Next blog, I'll talk about Ben, the other child that is rarely mentioned, just so everyone knows that the cute little guy still exists :)
Well, I must say that it took me by surprise. I had been formulating my gameplan for this very moment all summer, but I still forgot until we got to church and I was setting up the nursery check-in sheets. As soon as Rob brought the boys in, I gave him a panicked look and said, "Rob! Matthew has to be in the service tonight!" Of course, we came completely unprepared, but as least I had my plan. I hurridly found some paper and a pen for Matthew and went over strategy with Rob. Matthew would be required to participate in the first part of the service and would be allowed to draw once the sermon started. Potty breaks are fine, correction a must when he misbehaved. (Well, tonight it was just a warning since he didn't know what to expect.) We were set.
Since I check-in children on Sunday nights, I was late getting into the service. Matthew and Rob were enjoying a little skit to promote Vacation Bible School when I arrived, so that part was easy. He did okay during the songs, but kept wanting to sit down. I know some parents let their kids sit, but I believe that children need to be trained from the beginning to participate in church and never allowed to sit idly, even when they are young, so he stood up. He didn't like it and Rob had to take him out once to explain, but he did well after that. They even sang "Jesus Loves Me" tonight, so that was neat and he sang along. I think he was a little scared, because he snuggled up to me alot and wanted my arm around him. We had two potty breaks before the service started (His comment on the women's room was "Wow! They have a LOT of potties in here!) and two correction runs (again, only warnings) but after that he settled down. He did realy well drawing on paper until he ran out of paper (and then he wanted to visit his Sunday School teacher), but even then he was pretty quiet. For a squirrely little kid, he sat pretty still.
During the final prayer, I had to leave to help pass back nursery kids, and Matthew came with me. As soon as he saw the nursery he yelled, "NOOOO!!! I'm three, I'm three!!" With his lisp, it came out "I'm free, I'm free!!" as if to indicate he didn't have to go back into the nursery. I ushered him in and got him settled, explaining he needed to stay there for Mommy. I think next week we'll keep him with Rob.
So it was a pleasant experience, overall. A few people even commented that he did well for his first time. I'm thankful our auditorium has a special section just for parents with small children, because we were surrounded by people with kids, so that makes it easier. He seemed pretty okay with it. In fact, if he does well enough, we'll keep him there instead of returning him in the fall when the nursery reopens for the threes. Not as scary as we thought, and we both caught more of the sermon than usual.
Next blog, I'll talk about Ben, the other child that is rarely mentioned, just so everyone knows that the cute little guy still exists :)
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Live and Learn
Today was Matthew's birthday party. A party comprised entirely of small children. Yep, just me, Rob, and six kids. Recipe for disaster??? Nope. Just the right ingredients for an afternoon of fun.
The theme for the party was SpongeBob Squarepants. Matthew is an avid fan and we check out the DVD's and tapes regularly from the library (we don't have TV, we just do videos.) Mommy also thought that Spongebob would be an easy theme, seeing how you can't really mess up a rectangular cake :) We invited seven children and four agreed to come. With our two, that makes six. Ben didn't really join in the festivities and I had planned to have him nap, but Rob thought that would be cruel, so he sort of joined us.
The children arrived at 12:30 promptly (thank you, Michelle and Rachael) and their parents ran away screaming, "I'm free!" or something like that. We started off with a lollipop hunt in the backyard. I gave each child an empty treat bag (with Spongebob on it) and they looked for the 30 Dum-Dums scattered in the grass. Seeing as they ranged in age from just turned 2 to 4 1/2, I didn't make it very difficult. The winner (Angela, our only girl attendee) received a special lollipop and the rest were equally divided among the children. Next, we played a toss game. Now, this game didn't quite go as planned. I did not take into account the fact that the under five crowd can't throw very well, so we adapted my game a bit so that everyone was a winner. Rob cut out a board to look like Spongbob and I painted it yellow (again...easy theme). We'll finish it off later for a future party.
We attempted to play Duck, Duck, Goose, but the only one who fully understood it was Angela, so that ended pretty quickly. I let them run around for a bit, and then Rob settled them down at the table for a story. He read "A Very Veggie Birthday" which was written by his dad's cousin. While he calmed the natives, I ran inside to grab the cake and lemonade. Oh, in the table pic, Matthew was supposed to sit in the special chair, but he didn't want to, so Angela sat there. I guess every girl is a princess... :)
Taking the advice of "What to Expect in the Toddler Years" I served very small pieces of cake and small amounts of lemonade and then gave seconds (and thirds) to any takers. Almost everyone managed to spill their lemonade at least once (our yard is not level) but they had a good time. Since we were ahead of schedule, I let them run around the backyard for a few minutes, getting all of them completely dirty in the process. Then it was time to go inside for presents.
Rob had abandoned me at this point (he needed a little break) so I corralled the kids inside. They settled themselves on the couches and we handed out their Spongbob blowers while Matthew opened his gifts. He received two puzzles from Devin and Daniel and some outside toys from Angela and David. We gave him another Little Einsteins DVD (gotta love those Disney Reward dollars!) and then they watched (you guessed it) Spongebob. At this point, Ben did go down for a nap, Daniel wanted to be read to, David and Devin ripped into a sucker, Angela protected her blower from Matthew hitting it, and Rob took a nap. All children were picked up promptly at two (thank you again, Michelle and Rachael) and Rob and I collapsed. It was a fun party and we'll do it again....when he turns five.
After everyone left, Matthew said, "Oh no! I didn't thank my friends!" And then he ate all the candy in his bag while Rob slept on the couch and I was in here blogging. Hmmm.....anyone want him tonight????
Friday, July 20, 2007
Happy Birthday to MJ
Yesterday was Matthew's third birthday, and what a day it was! He was very grouchy in the morning and declared that he did not want to be three and he did not want a birthday. We told him he had no choice. I thought that stuff didn't start until you turned 30 (at least, that's when I started complaining!)
We gave him most of the gifts from us yesterday. He got a Spiderman punch bag and a Little Einstein's video, which he had to watch immediately. He had a special breakfast of sausage and french toast, a special Lunchables for lunch, and he choose chicken and mashed potatoes for supper. After supper we went out for ice cream at Culver's. We had two free kids scoops coming to us, along with a buy one get one free sundae coupon for Rob and I, so not a bad deal! The boys were far more interested in playing at the booth than in their ice cream (so more for Mommy!!)
He did have to see the doctor for his check-up, for which he was completely uncooperative. Other than that, the only special thing we did was go to the library and check 0ut the SpongeBob movie. He's having a SpongeBob party on Saturday, so that should be fun. Oh, I did let him stay up late (all the way until 9:45pm!) and play Nintendo with Mommy. That was fun for both of us.
So next up is tomorrow's party, which includes four of his little friends. Should be loads of fun!
We gave him most of the gifts from us yesterday. He got a Spiderman punch bag and a Little Einstein's video, which he had to watch immediately. He had a special breakfast of sausage and french toast, a special Lunchables for lunch, and he choose chicken and mashed potatoes for supper. After supper we went out for ice cream at Culver's. We had two free kids scoops coming to us, along with a buy one get one free sundae coupon for Rob and I, so not a bad deal! The boys were far more interested in playing at the booth than in their ice cream (so more for Mommy!!)
He did have to see the doctor for his check-up, for which he was completely uncooperative. Other than that, the only special thing we did was go to the library and check 0ut the SpongeBob movie. He's having a SpongeBob party on Saturday, so that should be fun. Oh, I did let him stay up late (all the way until 9:45pm!) and play Nintendo with Mommy. That was fun for both of us.
So next up is tomorrow's party, which includes four of his little friends. Should be loads of fun!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
New Pictures
I thought I'd take a moment to add a few new pictures. The first is of Ben and his "honies" that he picked up at the park one day. The second is a display of my boys fine piano playing skills. (Hey, Karen! Bet you can't play with your head!) The last is of Rob and Matthew playing Nintendo. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tales from the Potty Trained II
We're at one week in this potty training business and boy, do we have some cute stories!
1. Matthew makes very loud grunting noises whenever he does his "business." Yes, these do echo outside of public restrooms....
2. Rob took Matthew potty at the library and after he was finished, he shot out the door. It took Rob a minute to get Ben out the door in the stroller and he thought he had lost Matthew. Matthew had taken his moment of freedom to go inform the librarian that he had gone pee-pee in the potty.
3. Rob took Matthew potty at church and Matthew kept up a running commentary on his progress from his stall. The gentleman next to them later informed Rob that he had a good story about his son. Can't wait to hear it!
4. Matthew now stands up simply because his friend Devin stands up. Peer pressure can indeed be positive.
5. On the down side, Ben likes to take advantage of the time when Matthew is washing his hands to play in the potty. Thankfully, Matthew always flushes first.
We're praising God for Matthew's new skills, but boy, does it come with some fun times!
1. Matthew makes very loud grunting noises whenever he does his "business." Yes, these do echo outside of public restrooms....
2. Rob took Matthew potty at the library and after he was finished, he shot out the door. It took Rob a minute to get Ben out the door in the stroller and he thought he had lost Matthew. Matthew had taken his moment of freedom to go inform the librarian that he had gone pee-pee in the potty.
3. Rob took Matthew potty at church and Matthew kept up a running commentary on his progress from his stall. The gentleman next to them later informed Rob that he had a good story about his son. Can't wait to hear it!
4. Matthew now stands up simply because his friend Devin stands up. Peer pressure can indeed be positive.
5. On the down side, Ben likes to take advantage of the time when Matthew is washing his hands to play in the potty. Thankfully, Matthew always flushes first.
We're praising God for Matthew's new skills, but boy, does it come with some fun times!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
There and Back Again
During this past weekend, we took a whirlwind trip down to Illinois. We were celebrating Rob's Grandma's 96th birthday and there was a big get-together Saturday afternoon. We had a wonderful time seeing many people we (or Rob) hasn't seen in years.
We set out with a small amount of fear and trepidation on account of Matthew's recent potty-training, but our fears went unfounded. I put him in plastic pants for the trip down, but he never needed them and told us everytime he needed to use the potty. One time we were close to the rest stop and we told him he needed to wait. He informed us every few minutes, "I'm keeping the pee-pee in!" And he did! I didn't even need the plastic pants on the way home. He never had an accident while we were there, either. And I must admit, it was very nice having only one child to change!
Both boys travelled well, although they barely napped in the car, which is unusual for both of them. When we arrived, we made a quick potty-stop at Grandma and Grandpa Litwiller's, got the wagon, and walk the few blocks to GG's house. (Rob's grandma) The boys we so excited to see everyone, which included Rob's aunt and uncle who had come up from Florida, both of Rob's brothers, and Aunt Kim (Dan's wife.) We had a nice supper and then Matthew got spoiled rotten with all of his early birthday presents. So far his favorite is the Doodle Pro, but we did watch Spongebob last night (one of his new videos). We'll get the Play-Doh kitchen set out later and I'm sure he'll love that one as well. As least he's old enough to know not to eat the Play-Doh.
We stayed up pretty late and the boys had a hard time settling down, but I didn't mind a bit. Our trip was so short that I wasn't going to fuss with bedtimes. (Besides--they crash on Sunday and Monday after these trips!) I was pretty tired, but I've been tired for a few weeks now with no known cause, so nothing new there.
On Saturday, the boys were up early (of course) and they spent their morning playing with their grandparents. They went for a walk in the wagon and Rob and I took that opportunity to go out a bit. Then we had our big get-together at lunch. That was fun, although Matthew was tired and clingy. He perked up for a little bit, but had a meltdown right as we were leaving. Ben was his usual congenial self, thankfully. We left after packing up the car and saying good-byes, and travelled home.
Both boys slept until supper where we tried to go to a Wendy's. A lady came out and told us that she had just had the worst meal ever and not to eat there. We found a DQ instead and then finished our trip home. Ben was pretty tired of carseats and was cranky for about an hour, but that's nothing new. He's usually cranky on the ride home, as soon as we leave the interstate.
Anyway, we're resting today and very thankful that we went. It would have been nice to have more time, but we're glad for the time we did have. I think I'll go watch Rob play Nintendo with my eyes closed......
We set out with a small amount of fear and trepidation on account of Matthew's recent potty-training, but our fears went unfounded. I put him in plastic pants for the trip down, but he never needed them and told us everytime he needed to use the potty. One time we were close to the rest stop and we told him he needed to wait. He informed us every few minutes, "I'm keeping the pee-pee in!" And he did! I didn't even need the plastic pants on the way home. He never had an accident while we were there, either. And I must admit, it was very nice having only one child to change!
Both boys travelled well, although they barely napped in the car, which is unusual for both of them. When we arrived, we made a quick potty-stop at Grandma and Grandpa Litwiller's, got the wagon, and walk the few blocks to GG's house. (Rob's grandma) The boys we so excited to see everyone, which included Rob's aunt and uncle who had come up from Florida, both of Rob's brothers, and Aunt Kim (Dan's wife.) We had a nice supper and then Matthew got spoiled rotten with all of his early birthday presents. So far his favorite is the Doodle Pro, but we did watch Spongebob last night (one of his new videos). We'll get the Play-Doh kitchen set out later and I'm sure he'll love that one as well. As least he's old enough to know not to eat the Play-Doh.
We stayed up pretty late and the boys had a hard time settling down, but I didn't mind a bit. Our trip was so short that I wasn't going to fuss with bedtimes. (Besides--they crash on Sunday and Monday after these trips!) I was pretty tired, but I've been tired for a few weeks now with no known cause, so nothing new there.
On Saturday, the boys were up early (of course) and they spent their morning playing with their grandparents. They went for a walk in the wagon and Rob and I took that opportunity to go out a bit. Then we had our big get-together at lunch. That was fun, although Matthew was tired and clingy. He perked up for a little bit, but had a meltdown right as we were leaving. Ben was his usual congenial self, thankfully. We left after packing up the car and saying good-byes, and travelled home.
Both boys slept until supper where we tried to go to a Wendy's. A lady came out and told us that she had just had the worst meal ever and not to eat there. We found a DQ instead and then finished our trip home. Ben was pretty tired of carseats and was cranky for about an hour, but that's nothing new. He's usually cranky on the ride home, as soon as we leave the interstate.
Anyway, we're resting today and very thankful that we went. It would have been nice to have more time, but we're glad for the time we did have. I think I'll go watch Rob play Nintendo with my eyes closed......
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Tales from the Potty Trained
Here are some Matthew-isms as he is fitting into the world of the potty trained.
1. I held out his Diego underwear for him to put on this morning. He said, "Aww...they're so cute! Mommy, you should get some like this!"
2. "Ben-Ben still goes in his diaper! Ewww!!"
3. I couldn't convince him that his Buzz Lightyear underwear were to be worn with Buzz on the back. "Mommy, Buzz goes on the front, the white part in the back!"
4. So far, we have a daily 5pm accident. At 6:30pm he informs me, "Mommy, there's where I peed on the couch."
5. "Mommy, what's that?" he asks, referring to the little slot in the front. My response was, "When you get better at this, I'll show you."
I'm still in shock that I'm down to just one in diapers!!!
1. I held out his Diego underwear for him to put on this morning. He said, "Aww...they're so cute! Mommy, you should get some like this!"
2. "Ben-Ben still goes in his diaper! Ewww!!"
3. I couldn't convince him that his Buzz Lightyear underwear were to be worn with Buzz on the back. "Mommy, Buzz goes on the front, the white part in the back!"
4. So far, we have a daily 5pm accident. At 6:30pm he informs me, "Mommy, there's where I peed on the couch."
5. "Mommy, what's that?" he asks, referring to the little slot in the front. My response was, "When you get better at this, I'll show you."
I'm still in shock that I'm down to just one in diapers!!!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
McDonald's, Here We Come!
Matthew James has (drum roll, please) given up the diapers and is wearing underwear! I decided to see if he would wear them yesterday after his nap (he has been very resistant thus far) and he agreed. He had one accident, but has been in underwear since. He even wore them to bed last night with no accidents. Even if he starts have mulitiple accidents, he's staying in the underwear. He's very proud of himself!
So, after going poo-poo successfully this morning, he got his coveted tape measure from Daddy. He's been measuring everything, including the sky. If he stays dry and clean until Sunday (minus accidents while we're out or on our weekend trip) we'll be going to McDonald's for lunch on Sunday. It seems that cold turkey wins out again for Matthew. It's how we got rid of bottles and pacifiers and I guess now diapers. (Well, he was in pull-ups and did take himself potty during the day, but still used it too often.)
I'm so excited! Can you tell??
So, after going poo-poo successfully this morning, he got his coveted tape measure from Daddy. He's been measuring everything, including the sky. If he stays dry and clean until Sunday (minus accidents while we're out or on our weekend trip) we'll be going to McDonald's for lunch on Sunday. It seems that cold turkey wins out again for Matthew. It's how we got rid of bottles and pacifiers and I guess now diapers. (Well, he was in pull-ups and did take himself potty during the day, but still used it too often.)
I'm so excited! Can you tell??
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Today was the first day we got the pool out this summer and all three of the boys had a good time. As you can see, we had a little rainbow effect going on, which Matthew enjoyed. We also have a "deep end" only because our entire backyard slopes. Rob got in with the boys seeing as the temp is over 90 today. I did not really join in the festivities, other than blowing bubbles and taking pics. Anyway, a good time was had by all.
My other picture is of Benjamin sitting at the big table. He's only sixteen months (today) but he really did not like the high chair anymore. We dug out Matthew's old booster seat and Ben loves it. He sits better and is acutally eating better as well. Tonight he crawled up there and got himself seated! (Of course, he also crawled on the table twice before supper and pushed a chair up to the counter and got into my coffee. And yes, he would have drank some--he and Matthew are coffee junkies.)
Friday, July 6, 2007
Pictures
Here are the two pictures I promised from the Fulkerson 4th of July cook-out. The first pic of of Matthew and his cousin Kara discussing Matthew's toe. The second is of the entire family. Backrom is Joel, then my daddy, Chris, Adam, Kara, and Rob. Front row is Cara, Matthew, my mommy, Mandy, Kate, Melanie, Callie, Ben, and me. All spouses are together but the kids kind of got spread out. The girls belong to Adam and Melanie and the boys are mine (of course.) Aren't we a handsome group???Thursday, July 5, 2007
A Happy 4th of July
When I think about the Litwiller 4th of July, I smile. Yesterday was quite a lot of fun. Exhausting, but fun. We had two big events planned and both went well.
Every year Watertown has a big parade on the 4th and since we're only a block or so from the parade route, we decided to go. Rob set out our chairs the night before (along with everyone else in town) and then it rained. By the next morning, the rain had stopped and the chairs were dry enough to inhabit for the two-hour parade. Yep, two hours. It was long, but it was fun. We were surrounded by people from church (thankfully...don't you hate it when you get stuck next to smokers and swearers???) and we had a blast. We had to train young Matthew in the fine art of running into the street for candy. He looked at us with a funny look because he knows better than to run into the street, but once the candy started flying, he lost his inhibitions. We asked him afterwards what he saw in the parade. He said, "Candy! And more candy! And it was coming right at me!" We have quite a haul of goodies in the cupboard right now. Oh, and Rob and I have our own treats as well. Ebert's Greenhouse handed out plants, Pizza Hut gave out frisbees, and Berres Brothers threw out small packages of coffee. That was the funniest one, because all of the adults started standing and make spectacles of themselves (Rob and I included). We had a great time. We came home just a little sunburned (because Mommy forgot to grease everyone) but at least we got our Vitamin D for the day.
After the parade, we quickly packed the car and headed to Bartlett for a family get-together. My brother put together an impromtu cook-out and amazingly, the whole family was able to make it. His wife's parents graciously opened their home to our crazy clan. It was a ball! We were able to visit with everyone (although with so many people hanging around it was hard to talk to any one person for more than a few minutes.) My nieces are still adorable as ever and I got to hold the newest addition. I know we live far closer now than we did when we were in Cali, but it doesn't seem close enough. I'd love to get to know those darling little girls even better.
Matthew was actually behaving pretty well and Ben was being his usual charming self. I'm impressed that I didn't even really need to discipline MJ (well, until he ran out the door and didn't obey his aunt, for which I think he apologized.) He and his older cousin spent a good part of the time visiting together and I got a very cute picture of them. Oh, and we finally got a full family shot, something we hadn't done for a long time. I'd add them to this post, but I don't know how. I'll figure it out sooner or later.....
We left, rather reluctantly, so that Rob could get some rest before heading to work at 5am. Rob stopped off at a Starbucks so he could revive himself for the trip. Ah, sweet nectar of life that is coffee! Anyway, we had a fun trip home and were able to see lots of fireworks in the various towns as we drove. We did get stuck in a rainstorm, but thankfully we were near our exit and just waited it out at a gas station. The kids took little five minute naps off and on on the way home and were ready for bed. Well, Matthew was. Ben stayed awake and listened to the fireworks outside. He laughed his little head off at the noises! He loves noise!
It was a very good day. The only interesting downfall was hitting more toll booths than we anticipated. We had to blow through the last one before getting to Bartlett, but Rob asked a toll booth worker about it on the way back and got a form to fill out and send in with the missed payment. You just gotta love my honest husband. (I know, I know...we could get a ticket, but it's 60 cents, for pitty's sake!)
All in all, it was a great day. The kids slept in this morning (7:20!) and are napping now. I think I will join them zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..................................
Every year Watertown has a big parade on the 4th and since we're only a block or so from the parade route, we decided to go. Rob set out our chairs the night before (along with everyone else in town) and then it rained. By the next morning, the rain had stopped and the chairs were dry enough to inhabit for the two-hour parade. Yep, two hours. It was long, but it was fun. We were surrounded by people from church (thankfully...don't you hate it when you get stuck next to smokers and swearers???) and we had a blast. We had to train young Matthew in the fine art of running into the street for candy. He looked at us with a funny look because he knows better than to run into the street, but once the candy started flying, he lost his inhibitions. We asked him afterwards what he saw in the parade. He said, "Candy! And more candy! And it was coming right at me!" We have quite a haul of goodies in the cupboard right now. Oh, and Rob and I have our own treats as well. Ebert's Greenhouse handed out plants, Pizza Hut gave out frisbees, and Berres Brothers threw out small packages of coffee. That was the funniest one, because all of the adults started standing and make spectacles of themselves (Rob and I included). We had a great time. We came home just a little sunburned (because Mommy forgot to grease everyone) but at least we got our Vitamin D for the day.
After the parade, we quickly packed the car and headed to Bartlett for a family get-together. My brother put together an impromtu cook-out and amazingly, the whole family was able to make it. His wife's parents graciously opened their home to our crazy clan. It was a ball! We were able to visit with everyone (although with so many people hanging around it was hard to talk to any one person for more than a few minutes.) My nieces are still adorable as ever and I got to hold the newest addition. I know we live far closer now than we did when we were in Cali, but it doesn't seem close enough. I'd love to get to know those darling little girls even better.
Matthew was actually behaving pretty well and Ben was being his usual charming self. I'm impressed that I didn't even really need to discipline MJ (well, until he ran out the door and didn't obey his aunt, for which I think he apologized.) He and his older cousin spent a good part of the time visiting together and I got a very cute picture of them. Oh, and we finally got a full family shot, something we hadn't done for a long time. I'd add them to this post, but I don't know how. I'll figure it out sooner or later.....
We left, rather reluctantly, so that Rob could get some rest before heading to work at 5am. Rob stopped off at a Starbucks so he could revive himself for the trip. Ah, sweet nectar of life that is coffee! Anyway, we had a fun trip home and were able to see lots of fireworks in the various towns as we drove. We did get stuck in a rainstorm, but thankfully we were near our exit and just waited it out at a gas station. The kids took little five minute naps off and on on the way home and were ready for bed. Well, Matthew was. Ben stayed awake and listened to the fireworks outside. He laughed his little head off at the noises! He loves noise!
It was a very good day. The only interesting downfall was hitting more toll booths than we anticipated. We had to blow through the last one before getting to Bartlett, but Rob asked a toll booth worker about it on the way back and got a form to fill out and send in with the missed payment. You just gotta love my honest husband. (I know, I know...we could get a ticket, but it's 60 cents, for pitty's sake!)
All in all, it was a great day. The kids slept in this morning (7:20!) and are napping now. I think I will join them zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..................................
Monday, July 2, 2007
Bike Rides
Today I decided to be a bit adventerous and took Matthew on his very first bike ride. He has a miniature bike, complete with pedals and training wheels, and he's been trying to ride it in the backyard. Most of the time he just rides it down the sidewalk back there and walks it back up again. He's been pretty good about actually pedalling, so I thought we take it for a test run on the sidewalks of Watertown.
Yeah. So, my amazing little cyclist took forty minutes to go five blocks. It's a good thing that Ben is a patient little guy, because his stroller was constantly stopping and back tracking. I was patient, I used calm words, and I taught Bike Riding 001 to the best of my ability, but I still ended up frazzled by the end of the trip. He did do well and managed to go a few sidewalk squares at a time before having to push himself, but most of the time he was frustrated. We tried to visit his friends down the block, but "Shanti" was upstairs and didn't hear us and dear little "Gretel" wouldn't open the door. So, we ended up back at home after a long, grueling ride/walk. Will I take him out again?? Absolutely. In fact, we'll try to go tomorrow. As much as it wears on my patience, he needs to learn, and we'll keep going at it until he is successful. Even if it kills me.
Ben had his own little ride today. After our bike/walk, we came home so we could grab some library books and head off to return them. I left Ben in the stroller on the porch, because I was (say it with me, Moms) ONLY GOING TO BE A MINUTE. In that short time, Matthew took his bike around back, came onto the porch, and pushed the stroller down the stairs. I came outside to find Ben flat on the ground, but still strapped into the stroller. He didn't even cry and looked at me as if to say, "What? That was fun!" Thankfully, our library trip went off without a hitch.
Thus ended our amazing morning adventures. I think they earned their naps and I earned my coveted card-making time. :)
Yeah. So, my amazing little cyclist took forty minutes to go five blocks. It's a good thing that Ben is a patient little guy, because his stroller was constantly stopping and back tracking. I was patient, I used calm words, and I taught Bike Riding 001 to the best of my ability, but I still ended up frazzled by the end of the trip. He did do well and managed to go a few sidewalk squares at a time before having to push himself, but most of the time he was frustrated. We tried to visit his friends down the block, but "Shanti" was upstairs and didn't hear us and dear little "Gretel" wouldn't open the door. So, we ended up back at home after a long, grueling ride/walk. Will I take him out again?? Absolutely. In fact, we'll try to go tomorrow. As much as it wears on my patience, he needs to learn, and we'll keep going at it until he is successful. Even if it kills me.
Ben had his own little ride today. After our bike/walk, we came home so we could grab some library books and head off to return them. I left Ben in the stroller on the porch, because I was (say it with me, Moms) ONLY GOING TO BE A MINUTE. In that short time, Matthew took his bike around back, came onto the porch, and pushed the stroller down the stairs. I came outside to find Ben flat on the ground, but still strapped into the stroller. He didn't even cry and looked at me as if to say, "What? That was fun!" Thankfully, our library trip went off without a hitch.
Thus ended our amazing morning adventures. I think they earned their naps and I earned my coveted card-making time. :)
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