whether Peter reminds me more of a tiny astronaut or the Michelin Man. :). In any case, something about a bundled-up toddler wandering around in the snow is too cute!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Thomas passed his peanut test
We let Thomas have a little bit of peanut butter the last 2 days, and he had no reaction whatsoever. Hooray! We haven't tried tree nuts yet, but I'm guessing he's probably not allergic to those either.
So, it's definitely a relief to know that not all 3 kids are allergic to nuts, but at the same time, I don't really plan to change the way I cook or serve meals out of concern for cross-contamination. Watching Thomas eat his peanut butter, I can imagine what a headache would be to serve him PB&Js on a regular basis, for example, and to have to be really on top of him to make sure he didn't smear peanut butter on any toys, doorknobs, faucets, etc. on his way to wash his hands after lunch. I don't think I have the mental energy to decontaminate everything in sight on a regular basis!
My main source of relief is knowing that it's safe for him to have nuts, that we don't need to order an epi-pen for him, and we don't have to worry about what he might be served when he's not under our watchful eye. Whew!
So, it's definitely a relief to know that not all 3 kids are allergic to nuts, but at the same time, I don't really plan to change the way I cook or serve meals out of concern for cross-contamination. Watching Thomas eat his peanut butter, I can imagine what a headache would be to serve him PB&Js on a regular basis, for example, and to have to be really on top of him to make sure he didn't smear peanut butter on any toys, doorknobs, faucets, etc. on his way to wash his hands after lunch. I don't think I have the mental energy to decontaminate everything in sight on a regular basis!
My main source of relief is knowing that it's safe for him to have nuts, that we don't need to order an epi-pen for him, and we don't have to worry about what he might be served when he's not under our watchful eye. Whew!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Cabin Fever
I know, I know ... I just wrote a post last week about how cheerfully we were surviving the winter, but I may have been premature in my confidence about our ability to survive a Buffalo winter. Cabin fever struck the Campbell household big time this past weekend, and we're trying to figure out the best remedy before we lose our minds!
It's been coming on bit by bit, but this past weekend it was really evident that the boys have a major case of the crazies. They're bouncing around the apartment, playing too roughly, and generally sounding like a small herd of elephants. We try to corrall them into their room and playroom when they get too wild, but then they just end up causing trouble in there. On Saturday, for example, they were playing in their room when all of a sudden we heard very loud thumping sounds and we caught Jack using Peter's crib as a trampoline!
I thought I've been doing a good job about getting them out of the house for walks, playing in the snow, field trips, etc. but I think what they really need is to be able to run around and burn off energy. Walks are OK, but some of the sidewalks are crusted up with chunks of ice (which makes using a stroller difficult), and if we go at Peter's pace then the boys don't use up nearly enough energy. We've gone on a couple of outings to the science museum, which is a lot of fun (and it even has an indoor play area), but once again, the no running allowed thing really doesn't let them burn off steam. We have a lovely grassy area in our apartment complex, but even with the warmer temperatures recently (30s), the snow and ice is deep enough that running around out there just doesn't work so well. Jack can manage OK, but Thomas and Peter's shorter legs make them miserable pretty fast. And, to be honest, many times the weather is cold enough or windy enough that none of us really want to be out there anyway. It's great playing in fresh snow, but when the snow is gray and slushy, and there's an icy wind, it's not nearly as much fun.
So, the boys are spending more time in the house than they would like, and they can't really burn off energy in the house because any physical activity quickly escalates to lots of thumping and bouncing. They're frustrated, we're frustrated, and it seems like everyone's attitude has been suffering.
Last night David and I both came up with ways to improve behavior. David's incentive plan for the boys is that after 5 days of good attitudes and behavior, they'll get to go on a date with just David to do something fun. I think this is a great idea!
My idea was to turn our garage into a play space. We usually park our van in our one-car garage, but I'm going to try parking our car in our driveway (except for super snowy days) so the boys have an empty space (with no neighbors under it!) to bounce, jump, run around in circles, etc. a couple of times a day. I picked up some kid jump ropes, one of those bop bag things that you punch and it pops right back up, some sidewalk chalk, and a bouncing ball. We had fun this morning in our "basement" as the boys call it, although they got really impatient with learning how to jump rope. This afternoon, I think I'll take one of our portable speakers down there so we can have a dance party. The boys love dancing, but when they do their dance moves upstairs (i.e. "the shopping cart", "the weed whacker", "the chainsaw"), it can get pretty boisterous!.
So, we shall see how our plans work. Prayers for patience, cheerfulness, and creative ways to burn off 3 little boys' energy would be appreciated! People around here keep telling us that everyone gets really squirrely in February because it's been cold, dark, and gloomy for too long. I think the boys are starting a couple of weeks early -- ack! Here's hoping that the groundhog doesn't see his shadow!
It's been coming on bit by bit, but this past weekend it was really evident that the boys have a major case of the crazies. They're bouncing around the apartment, playing too roughly, and generally sounding like a small herd of elephants. We try to corrall them into their room and playroom when they get too wild, but then they just end up causing trouble in there. On Saturday, for example, they were playing in their room when all of a sudden we heard very loud thumping sounds and we caught Jack using Peter's crib as a trampoline!
I thought I've been doing a good job about getting them out of the house for walks, playing in the snow, field trips, etc. but I think what they really need is to be able to run around and burn off energy. Walks are OK, but some of the sidewalks are crusted up with chunks of ice (which makes using a stroller difficult), and if we go at Peter's pace then the boys don't use up nearly enough energy. We've gone on a couple of outings to the science museum, which is a lot of fun (and it even has an indoor play area), but once again, the no running allowed thing really doesn't let them burn off steam. We have a lovely grassy area in our apartment complex, but even with the warmer temperatures recently (30s), the snow and ice is deep enough that running around out there just doesn't work so well. Jack can manage OK, but Thomas and Peter's shorter legs make them miserable pretty fast. And, to be honest, many times the weather is cold enough or windy enough that none of us really want to be out there anyway. It's great playing in fresh snow, but when the snow is gray and slushy, and there's an icy wind, it's not nearly as much fun.
So, the boys are spending more time in the house than they would like, and they can't really burn off energy in the house because any physical activity quickly escalates to lots of thumping and bouncing. They're frustrated, we're frustrated, and it seems like everyone's attitude has been suffering.
Last night David and I both came up with ways to improve behavior. David's incentive plan for the boys is that after 5 days of good attitudes and behavior, they'll get to go on a date with just David to do something fun. I think this is a great idea!
My idea was to turn our garage into a play space. We usually park our van in our one-car garage, but I'm going to try parking our car in our driveway (except for super snowy days) so the boys have an empty space (with no neighbors under it!) to bounce, jump, run around in circles, etc. a couple of times a day. I picked up some kid jump ropes, one of those bop bag things that you punch and it pops right back up, some sidewalk chalk, and a bouncing ball. We had fun this morning in our "basement" as the boys call it, although they got really impatient with learning how to jump rope. This afternoon, I think I'll take one of our portable speakers down there so we can have a dance party. The boys love dancing, but when they do their dance moves upstairs (i.e. "the shopping cart", "the weed whacker", "the chainsaw"), it can get pretty boisterous!.
So, we shall see how our plans work. Prayers for patience, cheerfulness, and creative ways to burn off 3 little boys' energy would be appreciated! People around here keep telling us that everyone gets really squirrely in February because it's been cold, dark, and gloomy for too long. I think the boys are starting a couple of weeks early -- ack! Here's hoping that the groundhog doesn't see his shadow!
Friday, January 15, 2010
I scream, you scream, we all scream for...
snow cream!
Papa Wade was the one who first suggested that we try making this treat -- he had it as a kid and remembered how delicious it was.
I researched some recipes, double checked to make sure there weren't any health concerns with eating a bowlful of snow (there aren't, as long as you collect fresh, clean snow), and had the boys help me make it. The recipe is incredibly simple -- a big bowlful of snow, a little milk or cream (I used a bit of both), some sugar, and a touch of vanilla . After giving it a good stir, the snow cream really does come together and look like a soft ice cream. I topped it off with some sprinkles, and we were all impressed with how good it tasted!
Papa Wade was the one who first suggested that we try making this treat -- he had it as a kid and remembered how delicious it was.
I researched some recipes, double checked to make sure there weren't any health concerns with eating a bowlful of snow (there aren't, as long as you collect fresh, clean snow), and had the boys help me make it. The recipe is incredibly simple -- a big bowlful of snow, a little milk or cream (I used a bit of both), some sugar, and a touch of vanilla . After giving it a good stir, the snow cream really does come together and look like a soft ice cream. I topped it off with some sprinkles, and we were all impressed with how good it tasted!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Adapting to Buffalo
Our apartment complex in October.
And in January.We’ve passed the halfway point in our Buffalo rotation now. We’re leaving in early April for the next location (David’s working his contacts; it’s not determined just yet), so we only have 3 more months here. I have mixed emotions about leaving Buffalo. Of course, I would love it if our next rotation were a little (or a lot) closer to the West and to our family, but there are definitely some things about Buffalo that I will miss. I’m not sure if we’ll ever live in this type of climate or in this part of the country again, so I really want to make the most out of it.
Most people here who learn that we just moved from California say “Oh, I’m so sorry! You must be miserable!” or something to that effect. True, the weather in Southern California is lovely and relatively warm and sunny, even this time of year, but I am truly enjoying the cold and the snow. Some of the weather phenomenon here are so stunningly beautiful. The other day, the sun was shining, but it was cold enough the moisture in the air was coming down as snow mist. Tiny ice crystals were drifting around in the air, being caught by the sunlight, and it looked like little bits of glitter. It was gorgeous! And when the sun shines on top of the snow of the ground, it catches the various angles on the snow crystals and they look like tiny prisms, shooting off different colors of light. The long icicles hanging off of buildings and even the ginormous mountains of plowed snow are striking.
Now, there are some downsides to all the snow and ice. We’re only here for a short time, so I can muster up enough good cheer to get through them, but I can imagine getting tired of the whole winter routine if we had to do it year after year after year. Dressing 3 kids in full snow gear is my most challenging aspect of living a Buffalo winter so far, especially when the littlest of the 3 kids manages to pull off carefully applied gloves, mittens, jackets, boots, etc. while I turn my back and get my coat on! Also, the wetness of everything – the entry way, the mats in the car, the bottoms of jeans, etc. gets a little old. My poor van is going to be a mud pit by the end of the winter!
Even though it sounds funny to say, I’m kind of enjoying some of these challenges of winter living. Sometimes I have the same feeling when Lent is around the corner – there are times when I really look forward to a hearty, challenging Lenten discipline. It has a finite period, you do your best to do your discipline cheerfully, and then you’re hopefully a little closer to Christ and you get to celebrate Easter with that much more joy. I love San Diego weather, but there isn’t a whole lot of variety, and I think I started taking it for granted. Somehow, the challenges of a Buffalo winter feel good for the soul, and I’m pleased with how well we’re dealing with it – mostly cheerfully so far. I think it will make out return to good weather even sweeter!
Most people here who learn that we just moved from California say “Oh, I’m so sorry! You must be miserable!” or something to that effect. True, the weather in Southern California is lovely and relatively warm and sunny, even this time of year, but I am truly enjoying the cold and the snow. Some of the weather phenomenon here are so stunningly beautiful. The other day, the sun was shining, but it was cold enough the moisture in the air was coming down as snow mist. Tiny ice crystals were drifting around in the air, being caught by the sunlight, and it looked like little bits of glitter. It was gorgeous! And when the sun shines on top of the snow of the ground, it catches the various angles on the snow crystals and they look like tiny prisms, shooting off different colors of light. The long icicles hanging off of buildings and even the ginormous mountains of plowed snow are striking.
Now, there are some downsides to all the snow and ice. We’re only here for a short time, so I can muster up enough good cheer to get through them, but I can imagine getting tired of the whole winter routine if we had to do it year after year after year. Dressing 3 kids in full snow gear is my most challenging aspect of living a Buffalo winter so far, especially when the littlest of the 3 kids manages to pull off carefully applied gloves, mittens, jackets, boots, etc. while I turn my back and get my coat on! Also, the wetness of everything – the entry way, the mats in the car, the bottoms of jeans, etc. gets a little old. My poor van is going to be a mud pit by the end of the winter!
Even though it sounds funny to say, I’m kind of enjoying some of these challenges of winter living. Sometimes I have the same feeling when Lent is around the corner – there are times when I really look forward to a hearty, challenging Lenten discipline. It has a finite period, you do your best to do your discipline cheerfully, and then you’re hopefully a little closer to Christ and you get to celebrate Easter with that much more joy. I love San Diego weather, but there isn’t a whole lot of variety, and I think I started taking it for granted. Somehow, the challenges of a Buffalo winter feel good for the soul, and I’m pleased with how well we’re dealing with it – mostly cheerfully so far. I think it will make out return to good weather even sweeter!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Dashing through the snow
Well, actually, since I was the "one horse" pulling our open sleigh, we were plodding more than dashing! Jack did take a few turns pulling Thomas and Peter around, though. Now that's good exercise.
I know Peter still has kind of a disapproving look on his face in these photos, but you'll have to take my word for the fact that he really is warming up to the snow, and he loves sled rides!
Today's weather is dry, but very cold and gusty. I'm looking forward to more fresh snowfall!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Big helpers
Jack and Thomas really wanted to help me wash the dishes, and of course Peter did not want to be left out. Something about the way Jack rolled up his sleeves and took his dishwashing job so seriously made him look so grown up!
I need to be better at letting them help me with chores. Occasionally, I'll let them help clean their bathroom and sweep floors, but it can be stressful trying to make sure they're not spraying cleaner everywhere (even though I do make sure they use the nontoxic stuff) and trying to help them actually clean it rather than just push dirt around. But if I let them help more often, even if it tries my patience, I know it is a good way to teach them how to do it right so they can pitch in around the house on their own eventually. And they are very eager to help out, so I should take advantage of it!
I need to be better at letting them help me with chores. Occasionally, I'll let them help clean their bathroom and sweep floors, but it can be stressful trying to make sure they're not spraying cleaner everywhere (even though I do make sure they use the nontoxic stuff) and trying to help them actually clean it rather than just push dirt around. But if I let them help more often, even if it tries my patience, I know it is a good way to teach them how to do it right so they can pitch in around the house on their own eventually. And they are very eager to help out, so I should take advantage of it!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Updates, part 3
Peter
Peter is a little over 1.5 years old now, but he thinks he’s closer to 3! He is a riot. He works hard to keep up with his bigger brothers, and wants to be included in whatever they’re doing, whether it’s toddler-friendly or not. When I announce that it’s time for school, Peter excitedly shouts “’cool!” and toddles toward the dining room table. His version of school is getting to scribble with crayons (while tasting a few along the way), coloring with markers (which can include skin as well as paper), and then being done with it after 10 minutes, begging to get down from his high chair, and then 10 minutes later begging to get back up in his high chair. What he really wants is to sit at the big kid table next to Jack and Thomas, and do big kid stuff like cutting and gluing. If we leave a chair slightly pulled out from the table, he races over to climb onto it and start getting into Jack’s school supplies.
One of Peter’s favorite things lately is to pick out a book, plop himself into a lap, and ask “Boo? Boo?” until someone reads him the book. Now, he doesn’t really want to sit and listen to a story – he would rather you point out all the interesting things in the picture so he can learn their names. It’s one of the few times that Peter sits calmly in our laps, so I relish this time with him. He also asks to have a book in bed with him, so I’ve been letting him take a board book to bed, and it’s pretty cute to see him lying in his crib flipping through the pages just like he’s sees his brothers do.
Peter had a checkup for his broken ankle last week, and it has healed perfectly. He also had a blood test to detect a possible allergy to nuts and peanuts, and his test came up negative (so did Thomas’s, by the way). So the doctor said we could try giving him nut products (and watch him carefully the first few times to make sure there wasn’t a reaction), but the chances are very good that neither he nor Thomas are allergic to nuts. Peter is walking very well, and at times breaks into a very quick walk which borders on running. He can’t jump yet, but he tries really, really hard (bends really low at the knees and pops up as high as he can), which is pretty cute.
Slowly but surely, Peter seems more tolerant of the cold weather and snow. He loves being pulled around in a sled (he calls it “wheee!”), and he’s getting confident enough in his snow boots that he’ll toddle around the sidewalks and even attempt walking through some snowy patches. The deeper snow he still struggles with, because it basically comes up to his midsection and there’s no way for him to walk through it, but at least he seems more willing to be outside and have fun.
Peter just adores Jack and Thomas. They are a constant source of entertainment and amusement for him. Sometimes he rushes over to them and gives them a kiss or a hug out of the blue, which both Jack and Thomas think is hilarious.
Peter is a particular toddler – he has a certain perception of the way things should go, and he doesn’t like things to deviate from his plan. Personality-wise, he seems closer to Jack’s intensity so far, but we’ll see. He also has a very silly, funny side, and I love watching his sense of humor unfold. I’m really enjoying his toddlerness – he brings so much joy and wonder to our family!
Peter is a little over 1.5 years old now, but he thinks he’s closer to 3! He is a riot. He works hard to keep up with his bigger brothers, and wants to be included in whatever they’re doing, whether it’s toddler-friendly or not. When I announce that it’s time for school, Peter excitedly shouts “’cool!” and toddles toward the dining room table. His version of school is getting to scribble with crayons (while tasting a few along the way), coloring with markers (which can include skin as well as paper), and then being done with it after 10 minutes, begging to get down from his high chair, and then 10 minutes later begging to get back up in his high chair. What he really wants is to sit at the big kid table next to Jack and Thomas, and do big kid stuff like cutting and gluing. If we leave a chair slightly pulled out from the table, he races over to climb onto it and start getting into Jack’s school supplies.
One of Peter’s favorite things lately is to pick out a book, plop himself into a lap, and ask “Boo? Boo?” until someone reads him the book. Now, he doesn’t really want to sit and listen to a story – he would rather you point out all the interesting things in the picture so he can learn their names. It’s one of the few times that Peter sits calmly in our laps, so I relish this time with him. He also asks to have a book in bed with him, so I’ve been letting him take a board book to bed, and it’s pretty cute to see him lying in his crib flipping through the pages just like he’s sees his brothers do.
Peter had a checkup for his broken ankle last week, and it has healed perfectly. He also had a blood test to detect a possible allergy to nuts and peanuts, and his test came up negative (so did Thomas’s, by the way). So the doctor said we could try giving him nut products (and watch him carefully the first few times to make sure there wasn’t a reaction), but the chances are very good that neither he nor Thomas are allergic to nuts. Peter is walking very well, and at times breaks into a very quick walk which borders on running. He can’t jump yet, but he tries really, really hard (bends really low at the knees and pops up as high as he can), which is pretty cute.
Slowly but surely, Peter seems more tolerant of the cold weather and snow. He loves being pulled around in a sled (he calls it “wheee!”), and he’s getting confident enough in his snow boots that he’ll toddle around the sidewalks and even attempt walking through some snowy patches. The deeper snow he still struggles with, because it basically comes up to his midsection and there’s no way for him to walk through it, but at least he seems more willing to be outside and have fun.
Peter just adores Jack and Thomas. They are a constant source of entertainment and amusement for him. Sometimes he rushes over to them and gives them a kiss or a hug out of the blue, which both Jack and Thomas think is hilarious.
Peter is a particular toddler – he has a certain perception of the way things should go, and he doesn’t like things to deviate from his plan. Personality-wise, he seems closer to Jack’s intensity so far, but we’ll see. He also has a very silly, funny side, and I love watching his sense of humor unfold. I’m really enjoying his toddlerness – he brings so much joy and wonder to our family!
Updates, part 2
Thomas
Thomas is well on his way to 4 years old now. That seems impossible because he seems to be the perfect embodiment of “threeness”. He’s adorable, very sweet, silly, and yet tries so hard to be an independent big boy. It’s funny, when he was 2, I remember thinking that he was just so “two”, that I couldn’t picture him as 3, and here we are again!
Thomas has been a great napper, but those days are definitely coming to an end. He naps irregularly now, but still hasn’t adjusted to less sleep, so he often gets pretty cranky after a couple of days with no naps. Sometimes he has complete meltdowns, and even occasional nightmares, and I think both are due to lack of sleep. I don’t think there’s much we can do about it until he gets used to having a little less sleep.
Thomas has always been and continues to be very vocal, whether it be singing or talking. He pretty much sings and/or talks his way through the whole day. David commented that he would be a great lawyer or sports commentator J. It’s especially cute when he sings songs as his little Thomas ears have understood them, with slightly altered words. He loves singing little snatches of songs from Mass, his favorites probably being the Gloria or the Alleluia. When he’s not singing, he’s talking or asking questions. He definitely has the gift of gab and doesn’t like to allow too much “air in the conversation”!
Although he’s eager to do whatever Jack can do, Thomas is also getting a definite independent streak. For a while, he introduced himself to other people as “Jack”, and it was almost as if he wanted to be Jack because Jack is older and can do things that his 3-year-old self just can’t manage (or manage well) yet. He seems to have passed through that phase and is back to enjoying life as Thomas. He loves doing schoolwork right along with Jack, and I’m impressed with how much he’s been absorbing just by watching and listening to Jack. He’s even eager to start reading, so we’re using the same program that worked so well with Jack, but just doing a tiny bit at a time. He seems to be enjoying it and he’s proud of being able to read very short words, so we’ll keep with it as long as he’s interested.
Thomas is an excellent little brother and big brother. He goes along with Jack’s crazy schemes, contributes his own silliness, and is Jack’s inseparable buddy. He brings Peter his cookie blankets or a book when he’s crying. Most of the time he is very sweet, but he does have a definite mischievous and stubborn streak (i.e. jumping off of top bunks, playing with space heaters, you name it!).
He’s a little like a bear cub – adorable and sweet but also playful and feisty.
Thomas is well on his way to 4 years old now. That seems impossible because he seems to be the perfect embodiment of “threeness”. He’s adorable, very sweet, silly, and yet tries so hard to be an independent big boy. It’s funny, when he was 2, I remember thinking that he was just so “two”, that I couldn’t picture him as 3, and here we are again!
Thomas has been a great napper, but those days are definitely coming to an end. He naps irregularly now, but still hasn’t adjusted to less sleep, so he often gets pretty cranky after a couple of days with no naps. Sometimes he has complete meltdowns, and even occasional nightmares, and I think both are due to lack of sleep. I don’t think there’s much we can do about it until he gets used to having a little less sleep.
Thomas has always been and continues to be very vocal, whether it be singing or talking. He pretty much sings and/or talks his way through the whole day. David commented that he would be a great lawyer or sports commentator J. It’s especially cute when he sings songs as his little Thomas ears have understood them, with slightly altered words. He loves singing little snatches of songs from Mass, his favorites probably being the Gloria or the Alleluia. When he’s not singing, he’s talking or asking questions. He definitely has the gift of gab and doesn’t like to allow too much “air in the conversation”!
Although he’s eager to do whatever Jack can do, Thomas is also getting a definite independent streak. For a while, he introduced himself to other people as “Jack”, and it was almost as if he wanted to be Jack because Jack is older and can do things that his 3-year-old self just can’t manage (or manage well) yet. He seems to have passed through that phase and is back to enjoying life as Thomas. He loves doing schoolwork right along with Jack, and I’m impressed with how much he’s been absorbing just by watching and listening to Jack. He’s even eager to start reading, so we’re using the same program that worked so well with Jack, but just doing a tiny bit at a time. He seems to be enjoying it and he’s proud of being able to read very short words, so we’ll keep with it as long as he’s interested.
Thomas is an excellent little brother and big brother. He goes along with Jack’s crazy schemes, contributes his own silliness, and is Jack’s inseparable buddy. He brings Peter his cookie blankets or a book when he’s crying. Most of the time he is very sweet, but he does have a definite mischievous and stubborn streak (i.e. jumping off of top bunks, playing with space heaters, you name it!).
He’s a little like a bear cub – adorable and sweet but also playful and feisty.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Updates, round 1
Kim’s lovely update posts on Michael and Matthew made me realize it’s been quite a while since I’ve done individual updates on Jack, Thomas, and Peter. So, here goes the first installment (I’ll post some recent pictures in a couple of days!):
Jack
He’s closer to 6 years old now than he is to 5 – I can hardly believe it! He is reading well and he absolutely loves getting hold of new reading material. We usually make a library trip once a week, and we load up on books and Jack’s favorite thing when we get back home is to spread them all out on the floor and devour them each in turn. I'm grateful that he truly enjoys reading. He also reads books out loud to Thomas occasionally, which I think is very sweet. His other schools subjects are going well. Often, he’d rather be playing than practicing his writing or math, but I understand that’s totally human nature (ahem ... my full laundry basket and mountain of papers to be filed). But, we get the work done and the reward is time for playing and relaxing, which I think is a decent lesson in and of itself.
Jack has really surprised me lately with an especially outgoing attitude toward strangers. When we’re at an indoor playground or a museum, he runs over to the other kids to introduce himself and his brothers. And the very next thing he does is run over to the kids’ mom or dad and introduce himself and his brothers to them. Then he proceeds to ask if they have ever heard of Transformers (and then, regardless of the answer, he’ll launch into a description of all the Transformers he has and also the ones he wishes he had). On top of that, he even offers the parents advice (sometimes to my mortification!). Today he told another mom “If your daughter ever misbehaves, you can always give her an ear flick. That’s what my mom gives Peter when he doesn’t listen”. And then I try to follow up and explain that I’m really not some crazy mom who’s bent on flicking her toddler’s ears over every little thing (I do it rarely, only for dangerous stuff light outlets, water heaters, etc. after a stern warning doesn’t deter him). Jack means well -- he thinks he's sharing some great parenting advice that might help them, but we'll have to work a little on when and who he should be giving advice to.
I do like that he is growing into a confident and assertive boy, not afraid to speak clearly and confidently to adults, there's definitely a good dose of "know-it-allness" mixed in that I'd like him to tone down. Some of it is his age (I've heard that 5 year olds very typically believe they know everything about everything), but I think some basic conversation etiquette should help a little!
I think Jack would probably benefit from spending some more time with other kids his age, so I am signing him up for a science class at the Buffalo science museum twice a month. It’s designed for homeschoolers, and the kids have science class for 1 ½ hours on two Fridays per month, and they get to do cool activities. While Jack is in class, Thomas, Peter, and I can check out the rest of the museum (it has a really neat hands-on area for little kids).
Jack is an excellent big brother, and it’s heartwarming to watch the close bond develop between the three of them. Jack takes special delight in playing silly games with Peter like “SURPRISE!” (which involves hiding in odd places and jumping out while shouting “SURPRISE!” to see if he can startle Peter). Jack and Thomas are inseparable, and have recently taken up playful wrestling, which wouldn’t ordinarily bother me too much, except it makes lots of thumping on our floor which I’m sure the downstairs neighbors don’t appreciate!
Jack loves the snow. He doesn’t seem too bothered by the cold, and I think he would happily dig snow tunnels, shovel snow into piles, and make snow angels, etc. for hours if I let him. He seems to be pretty well-adjusted to our move, although he often talks about all of our family that he misses, and our house in Ramona.
Jack is a delight. He’s an intense and strong-willed little guy (I wonder where he got that from? J), but he is eager to help and to be a good kid.
Jack
He’s closer to 6 years old now than he is to 5 – I can hardly believe it! He is reading well and he absolutely loves getting hold of new reading material. We usually make a library trip once a week, and we load up on books and Jack’s favorite thing when we get back home is to spread them all out on the floor and devour them each in turn. I'm grateful that he truly enjoys reading. He also reads books out loud to Thomas occasionally, which I think is very sweet. His other schools subjects are going well. Often, he’d rather be playing than practicing his writing or math, but I understand that’s totally human nature (ahem ... my full laundry basket and mountain of papers to be filed). But, we get the work done and the reward is time for playing and relaxing, which I think is a decent lesson in and of itself.
Jack has really surprised me lately with an especially outgoing attitude toward strangers. When we’re at an indoor playground or a museum, he runs over to the other kids to introduce himself and his brothers. And the very next thing he does is run over to the kids’ mom or dad and introduce himself and his brothers to them. Then he proceeds to ask if they have ever heard of Transformers (and then, regardless of the answer, he’ll launch into a description of all the Transformers he has and also the ones he wishes he had). On top of that, he even offers the parents advice (sometimes to my mortification!). Today he told another mom “If your daughter ever misbehaves, you can always give her an ear flick. That’s what my mom gives Peter when he doesn’t listen”. And then I try to follow up and explain that I’m really not some crazy mom who’s bent on flicking her toddler’s ears over every little thing (I do it rarely, only for dangerous stuff light outlets, water heaters, etc. after a stern warning doesn’t deter him). Jack means well -- he thinks he's sharing some great parenting advice that might help them, but we'll have to work a little on when and who he should be giving advice to.
I do like that he is growing into a confident and assertive boy, not afraid to speak clearly and confidently to adults, there's definitely a good dose of "know-it-allness" mixed in that I'd like him to tone down. Some of it is his age (I've heard that 5 year olds very typically believe they know everything about everything), but I think some basic conversation etiquette should help a little!
I think Jack would probably benefit from spending some more time with other kids his age, so I am signing him up for a science class at the Buffalo science museum twice a month. It’s designed for homeschoolers, and the kids have science class for 1 ½ hours on two Fridays per month, and they get to do cool activities. While Jack is in class, Thomas, Peter, and I can check out the rest of the museum (it has a really neat hands-on area for little kids).
Jack is an excellent big brother, and it’s heartwarming to watch the close bond develop between the three of them. Jack takes special delight in playing silly games with Peter like “SURPRISE!” (which involves hiding in odd places and jumping out while shouting “SURPRISE!” to see if he can startle Peter). Jack and Thomas are inseparable, and have recently taken up playful wrestling, which wouldn’t ordinarily bother me too much, except it makes lots of thumping on our floor which I’m sure the downstairs neighbors don’t appreciate!
Jack loves the snow. He doesn’t seem too bothered by the cold, and I think he would happily dig snow tunnels, shovel snow into piles, and make snow angels, etc. for hours if I let him. He seems to be pretty well-adjusted to our move, although he often talks about all of our family that he misses, and our house in Ramona.
Jack is a delight. He’s an intense and strong-willed little guy (I wonder where he got that from? J), but he is eager to help and to be a good kid.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Christmas Wrap-up
This post is bound to be on the brief side -- I'm writing at 5PM, right in the middle of the 4-7PM crazy time, on the last day of our wonderful vacation, on the eve of a potentially very maniacal Monday (Grammy and Poppi are gone, David goes back to work, school starts again, and we're throwing in a dr's appointment to check Peter's ankle healing for good measure). But I couldn't resist posting some photos of the wonderful adventures we had while on Christmas break. So I'll start typing and see how far I get!
We had such a lovely time with my Mom and Dad while they were here. What a treat to spend such quality time with them exploring upstate NY, playing Wii, finding the original Buffalo buffalo wings, and just being together. It makes me eager to find ways to work out more visits with them and with all of our family in the next couple of years.
The trip to Niagara Falls was pretty neat. It was beautiful in a stark, cold, icy way. I bet it's absolutely stunning in the spring and summer -- I almost wish we were here just a little longer so we could go on the Maid of the Mist tour where they boat you all around and under the falls. That tour is shut down for the winter until May, so unfortunately we'll miss out on it. But I'm very glad we got a chance to see the Falls in the winter. We'll keep an eye on the weather, and if it gets cold enough to freeze over this winter, we'll definitely head back up to see that.
Today we're in the middle of a band of lake effect snow. I've never seen so much snow -- it's been falling steadily all day, and there's probably 6-8" of accumulation out there, at least. It was a little dicey driving to Mass this morning, but we took it slow and got there safe and sound.
It's hard to put into words how I feel tonight. Usually Sunday evenings are a little sad because I know I'll have lots of challenges to face in the week ahead -- schooling, various errands with 3 little boys in tow, laundry and more laundry, etc. -- and of course David is back to work and I miss his company during the day. That's just a regular Sunday, and now that we're coming off of a wonderful vacation, I think it makes the transition back into regular life a bit more difficult. But, it's also the start of a new year, and I'm eager to start fresh and find more joy in all the challenges and craziness that regular life throws my way. I have some good resolutions to pick up some new hobbies, go on more fun adventures with the boys, spend more time in prayer, cook healthier meals, exercise more, and I'm happy to have a reason to reevaluate things, adjust, and hopefully do a little better in 2010 than I did in 2009.
The Campbells.
We liked this photo of the sun glinting off the surface of the water.
Peter strutting around with David's hat.
Grammy and Thomas on the sled hill.
Peter throwing the Falls a disapproving glance.
Cold, cold falls. You can make out icy stairs on the middle-left of the photo. I believe these stairs are open during warmer months so tourists can get closer to the Falls.
We had such a lovely time with my Mom and Dad while they were here. What a treat to spend such quality time with them exploring upstate NY, playing Wii, finding the original Buffalo buffalo wings, and just being together. It makes me eager to find ways to work out more visits with them and with all of our family in the next couple of years.
The trip to Niagara Falls was pretty neat. It was beautiful in a stark, cold, icy way. I bet it's absolutely stunning in the spring and summer -- I almost wish we were here just a little longer so we could go on the Maid of the Mist tour where they boat you all around and under the falls. That tour is shut down for the winter until May, so unfortunately we'll miss out on it. But I'm very glad we got a chance to see the Falls in the winter. We'll keep an eye on the weather, and if it gets cold enough to freeze over this winter, we'll definitely head back up to see that.
Today we're in the middle of a band of lake effect snow. I've never seen so much snow -- it's been falling steadily all day, and there's probably 6-8" of accumulation out there, at least. It was a little dicey driving to Mass this morning, but we took it slow and got there safe and sound.
It's hard to put into words how I feel tonight. Usually Sunday evenings are a little sad because I know I'll have lots of challenges to face in the week ahead -- schooling, various errands with 3 little boys in tow, laundry and more laundry, etc. -- and of course David is back to work and I miss his company during the day. That's just a regular Sunday, and now that we're coming off of a wonderful vacation, I think it makes the transition back into regular life a bit more difficult. But, it's also the start of a new year, and I'm eager to start fresh and find more joy in all the challenges and craziness that regular life throws my way. I have some good resolutions to pick up some new hobbies, go on more fun adventures with the boys, spend more time in prayer, cook healthier meals, exercise more, and I'm happy to have a reason to reevaluate things, adjust, and hopefully do a little better in 2010 than I did in 2009.
Peter did OK at Niagara Falls, although he did have a mildly sour look on his face, and I don't think he approved of all that cold water falling down below.
Grammy and the boys in front of the American Falls.
Grammy, Poppi, and the boys.
The Campbells.
We liked this photo of the sun glinting off the surface of the water.
Peter strutting around with David's hat.
Grammy and Thomas on the sled hill.
Peter throwing the Falls a disapproving glance. 
Cold, cold falls. You can make out icy stairs on the middle-left of the photo. I believe these stairs are open during warmer months so tourists can get closer to the Falls.
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