#2 (The Middle One)

You can assume the second child is accelerated (like his parents) but no one tells you how much.  I don't look at 18 (19) month milestones, but I don't need to. I am putting our half high chair away. He will have nothing to do with it, even pulled up to the table without a tray. He wants to ride the big pedal bikes and climb way higher than he should.  Bobby teaches him everything, good and bad, (most recently to shake his finger and say no, no, no - and Jack is such a mimic. He's talking/chattering a lot more bit by bit. He only wants a real cup. This is all fine and not that shocking, but I want my little toddler, not this wannabe preschooler.  Speaking of which, whenever I drop off Bobby, Jack throws a FIT in the parking lot as we are walking away. He is absolutely CRUSHED to not be allowed to stay and play. Might not be a bad thing to do a short mommys morning out next year. Another incisor came through last night. I guess that could be blamed on the 12/3/4am wake ups. Time to stock up on tylenol again.

Another shorts and tshirt day here. But apparently an honest goodness rain storm is coming. Sooo exciting.

25 weeks, I think. 15 pounds gained but watch out for some serious acceleration. I've drastically cut back on running and don't have a gym or any other outlet for exercise. 

I think I need to get rid of that queen bed and give Petunia a semi real nursery. Most nights I would give my left leg for a soft rocking chair. 

Jack has gotten one of his incisors, I don't know if that's the cause but he definitely has a short wake up every night where it just seems he misses me. 

Bobby is a stud. Which we thought but we got results of his kindergarden evaluation and he is testing above his age level. Seemingly no big deal but the other papers I saw when they turned them back to us as a group was a mix of check marks in age appropriate and above etc. So he's smart and his teachers love him. His conference went really well and he must really save all his acting up for me. All the concerns I have about paying attention and following orders, don't apply, so school works for him. 

We are leaning towards another year at his current school, they have smaller classes, newer playground equipment, use smart boards and iPads, have PE, art, music, Spanish and computer classes. All things the public schools have to go away from because of money I guess. I also like uniforms and the faith formation. It's also a full day for kinder. The only issue and main deciding factor is the yearly seven grand that I could so much better save elsewhere or spend on gymnastics and music classes for jack. Guess we'll have to stick with free activities. I mean bobby taught himself to swim, the others will too. I do have to find summer camps or something for July when the babe comes. 

Now accepting applications

For a nanny. Hours: 4:30am to 7am. 

We had such a good day today, I almost forgot it started at 4:30am. I don't know why Jack has started waking again, but it's really annoying. It's usually just once, but last night was three times, so we were letting him cry, which woke up Bobby and then Bobby promptly runs into Jacks room, pulls over a stool and starts to get Jack out of the crib. !

We were at Jakes playing one afternoon and since the husbands were working late she invited us to stay for dinner. Then after sitting down, totally unprompted, Bobby said that we have to pray first. And then he led the blessing. Of course, dinner was a total chaotic disaster, but I was proud of him for that part at least.

I've always said how Bobby likes putting the lego models together from instructions so much more than free play with them. He'll play with the bat mobile, but not with the pile of bricks we have. But maybe it was just an access thing. We dumped the big box out onto a blanket and he went to town! He made all sort of inventions and it was really great. And that's what his teacher alluded to at our conference - not that he doesn't like art, he just needs to see the stuff.  Our crayons are out, but I cannot leave markers or paint just sitting there!

The boys are playing with each other in earnest these days. Its great to see and makes me so happy. Of course, I am just waiting for one of them to break a bone, but for now, they are really enjoying each other.

Jacks new thing is reaching in kitchen drawers that he can't see, and sometimes hanging on them if he can wiggle them open far enough. So thats just great.

Jack loves LOVES his blanket. Bobby never had a stuffed animal or blanket, so I think this is adorable. He goes and gets it at bedtime and loves hugging with it. Bobby technically has a blanket that he stole from grammys third floor only when he saw Cash and Cooper had one last summer, when Bobby was four. And he's pretty indifferent to it in general. I don't know what the difference in them was.

Jack loves climbing up to the top bunk alone, bouncing on the mattress, and then swinging his legs over the rail and dangling down the lower full mattress to get down. If you try to spot him, he'll get back up and move to another spot.  Side note, I hate changing bunk bed sheets. It's the worst.

We have these two little kids chairs.  Jack got his for Christmas and while they are more often upside down being climbed on or creating a fort wall, Jack sits in his occasionally. And only his. One is beige (was beige) and one is brown, and he only goes to the brown one. It's really interesting.

Jack can do a somersault and stay about 90% straight from where he takes off. I should probably splurge on a Little Gym class before Baby Petunia (this weeks name) comes.

If I stop running, will this child be calm and docile? Is it nature or nurture? A gender thing? These boys are so busy and will not sit still. And I've always thought it was because I was so active. Not exactly cause and effect, and of course there are anecdotes to all points (and of course -toddlerhood being the main cause), but they came out easy and moving and haven't stopped since.

The name fights have begun. I will share them, just so you can see how I will be bullied out of my choices.  First Ricks;  Mark Paul, or Mary. That's it. Sorry Grandma Dailey, nothing personal, but not happening. Mine: (and these have been mine since before Bobby) Luke, Charlie, Henry, (Ale)Xander, Tucker. OR- Libby, Caroline, Sadie, Campbell, haven't gotten too far on girls - way too many choices.

We also have to get serious about looking at a new car. The 4Runner is just so narrow. That and I seem to have the widest car seats ever. I'd like to put these two next to each other even now, but one would tend to lean away and theres no shoulder belt, let alone latch in the middle seat.  So what do we get rid of: a 2002 with 140,000 miles, or a 2006 with 260,000 miles? Actually the older for sure, it needs tires and probably a slew of services, but has been a very good mom car and could last another 100K for sure. So looking at used cars, do you pay more for a newer used car, or spend less for higher miles. Seeing as how, I'll probably have this car for 10 years, it's not bad to make an investment, Just have to make Rick see it like that. And then in five years, when business is really kicking, he can get his luxury sedan. We just need to do this, because house buying is put on the back burner, but more because the safety features between a 2002 and 2010 car are light years apart.  (Just thinking out loud, thanks)

This month also marks decision time for kindergarden.  We have to send in our letter to return to our current school which we applied for and did the evaluation testing.  Or, we have to start the process for the public school. Which seems cut and dry: check school reputation, budget, priorities (length of day, class size, uniforms, art, technology, music, language) etc. But we also have two schools in Laguna Niguel that, even though out of district, are only about two miles away and we can choose to apply to either of those. How does one know what to do? We want to be locked in by first grade, so we have one more year of wiggle room, but surely we can use this several thousand in tuition elsewhere. And then Jack enters school and we start all over again!

So that's todays update. I'm going to try to do better, especially when the Grannies are out of the country, but even when you all are here, I'm so bad about picking up the phone. Heck, I'm bad at blogging. Once they're in bed, all I want to do is sit around myself and go to bed early!

Tuesday (posting on Wednesday of course)
For as bad as yesterday was, we had a good day today. Yesterday was like all of December, except I take a lot of blame for that crappy time, but yesterday I didn't lose my cool at all and there was still nothing I could do to make them happy. It was just time for bed around 5pm, but we still had 2 hours to kill. We've all been sick but are pretty much all better now, but we spent this week weaning from too much tv while sick. But Tuesday, the tv didn't even come on, not even for the Olympics. We managed a successful grocery store run with no whining or squirming, which is huge because they do not like to sit still no matter how fast I am. Then we got 2-3 hours outside time before we went out to dinner with Mia and Jen and their kids. Bobby has the worst table manners. He never stays in his seat and just gives me so much grief, and he influences the other kids to be cheeky, which is the worst part.  Regardless, good day and we got to bed on time still and Jack slept through the night to 6:15am! Bobby of course woke up at 3:30 to pee and then came in our room demanding that I read a book to him. Sleeping was rough for a while, but I think Jack is back to normal, making it through the night, usually only until 5am, but maybe that is changing too.

Maybe what has changed is that Jack is weaned. YAY. It wasn't that hard actually (at 18 months it shouldn't be) But we cut out the nap nurse for 7-10 days. The plan was a week then work on the bedtime feed, but then he got sick and cuddly and it's so easy when we're tired in the middle of the night. But Rick was big help and jumped in when he could, so now we just substitute books and drop him in the crib and there's been no major whinging.

And now the updates/boasting portion:
Jack loves books. LOVES them. If he has a book or a basketball in his hands, expect him to be backing up into your arms.

The trampoline is still a huge hit and gets lots of use.

SoCal - where the leaves fall off the trees in January

The bunk beds are great. I don't expect Jack will be in there until Christmas but that will certainly be interesting. He has figured out how to climb up to the top bunk alone. And to get down, he won't accept any help. Hence, my new gray hairs.

Always camera first, help second

Because he loves to climb, other moms on the playground, ask me, how did he get up there? (when there's only a rock wall or rope ladder) And he's fast, at running - obviously, but also just at disappearing when I look around at something else or talk to someone, he'll disappear around a car or into a garage on the street. So many panicking moments, that are created by about 10 seconds of eyes off.

Jack is not talking much. Almost not at all. But it's almost as if you can look at him and know he's playing us, like 'you know what I want, I'm not going to say it.'  A couple more words have started coming out lately, but not because you ask him a question.  "What is that?" gets nothing, but if he sees a bubble, he'll say so, e.g. If you ask him what an animal says, nothing, but if he sees a lion, he'll start roaring. And he's really good at mooing. But what he's really good at is signing. He loves to pound his chest like a gorilla, or tweet like a bird or raise his elephant trunk. Along with more and done and he expects instant results when he gives you a sign.

Did not fall for the paint in the ziploc activity

Talking, bad. Eating, terribly picky. Being awesome, nails it. Jack is just a really fun and cool kid. When he got better from being sick, it was so obvious. He perked up so much, was smiling, bouncy around and that's how he always is.  Jack has to be benefitting a lot from seeing a lot of 3,4,5 year olds around. He just wants to do what the big kids do and nothing holds him back from trying it. And our friends are great at including him too. What's interesting to see is how Bobby will push/hit Jack when they play if Jack pisses him off, but in a larger group, Bobby is great about "watch out for my brother" "let Jack do---" All we've ever said is that Bobbys role is to take care of Jack and not hurt him. So now we need to implement that in the home!

I can do it too! (I swear I didn't dress them alike on purpose)

Bobby is getting more into art, well drawing here and there at least. He likes chalk. He likes drawing with markers in both hands.

I never said it was amazing art

We skipped organized baseball this year, for many reasons, but since he's not even 5, that's totally fine. I do want to find some summer camps, especially once Baby Porkchop shows up. He really likes building lego sets still - very instruction oriented. He would much rather play with the couch cushions and what not than the loads of toys we have, but the bat cave and superheroes get some action (just like a doll house)

Stupid loaner lion from school

We are waiting on results from his kindergarden evaluation, but he's right on track or a total stud if you ask me. Fine and gross motor skills are great. Bobby can do the monkey bars, yay! Hopping and scissors and all that stuff. Memory and differentiation and sounds - he has all the basics a 4.5 year old should. We are working on him writing (easy) and spelling (hard) our last name...

Kite flying = non stop running