I think it's time to sit down now. Yup, I think I will. Pull up a seat with me, won't you? Put your feet up. Stop moving. Stop doing. Stop planning. Stop making. Just for a little while, at least.
Kaden:
Ah life - it's been so full lately. Overfull, somedays, but I suppose I'd take that rather than boredom any day. Last night, Ryan was on call, and rather than clean, rather than read, rather than write, or sew, or do anything universally productive, I grabbed some leftover hummus and veggies, and a frozen ball of chocolate chip cookie dough. I pulled the blinds closed, finally found the remote (thanks Kaden) and I sat down on the couch, put my feet feet up, and mused at how foreign this feeling was - mindful relaxation, the softness of the cushions beneath me dulling the pull of gravity. Typically, evenings are reserved for more precious activities, such as International House Hunters, laundry and sleeping. But last night was mine all mine.
But not exactly, because I really wanted to watch "The Devil's Backbone" and couldn't for the life of me figure out how to turn on the subtitles. I watched a little bit just in Spanish, trying to comprehend exactly what was going on, but that wasn't enjoyable. Too much thinking, not enough lazy payoff. I ended up renting The Cove, which was eye-opening and really, really sad. I definitely recommend it, regardless. I'm not going to be become a dolphin activist any time soon, but do think that knowledge is power.
Mornings always bear reality back with a snap, but less so on a Saturday. Rather than hustle the kids to get dressed, eat breakfast, comb, brush, buckle and go, Kaden and I lingered in our pajamas, and Anika wore her best "I Don't Have to Go to School" outfit - shorts and a Columbia zippered fleece, just like Daddy, who insanely wears shorts year-round. Not that I'm complaining, because he's got fantastic, if a little hairy, legs. But I digress... back to the pajamas. We ate breakfast in slow motion, listened to music, chatted and sang. I drank two cups of coffee in a regular, non-travel mug. The sun came out. I liked it.
Moving on to... kids say the darndest things!
Anika:
Her favorite color is unabashedly red. Not pink.
When stringing beads, she licks the bead, rather than the thread.
She still says "whobody" for the word "who". "Whobody is at the door?"
She's adding the suffix "-ies" to everything. "Mommy, can you tie my shoe strapies?" "Why do you use the sharpie knife?" "Kaden wears two pajamies!"
She's "reading" books on her own more and more frequently.
She enjoys playing the "what does my toast look like now?" game. See photo below. This one is a boot. The bite before looked like an alligator.
She loves to play outside, and would all day if I'd let her. In the rain, wind, snow, tornado... she doesn't care.
Thomas the Train - oh, the obsession. She's slowly moved away from princesses, and is currently all about the trains, specifically the Thomas characters.
She takes care of Kaden. She protects him, comforts him, shares with him, teaches him. She also yells at him, grabs stuff out of his hands, and goes into her room for "pwivacy" from Kaden. But when Kaden needs Anika's help or love, big sister always comes through for little brother.
Her favorite song is "Love Song Baby," which is Selena Gomez's "Love You Like A Love Song." She'll sing along with it whenever it comes on the radio. I had to buy it because it is the song she "likes best".
Becoming independent is Anika's paramount mission in life. I'm constantly guiding her down the path, but dang - she wants to do ev-er-y-thing her way, by herself, leading the tour. I get frustrated with her a lot, but am proud just the same. She is bold, assertive, and wants so badly to be self-sufficient - positive traits, as long as they are coupled with care for others and a dash of caution.
She is loud. LOUD. LOUD! I think I'm a very sensitive person to sound to begin with, so this one characteristic aggravates me. I'm not sure why she thinks every word must be yelled, or screamed at the top of her lungs, but it's just part of who she is. She was born screaming her lungs out, and hasn't really stopped since. And when she cries, the world is for certain ending - as in truly the end of the world. No, really. Its as if thousands of meteors are pelting the earth's surface and bursting into flames, destroying everything in their path. Innumerable death cries pierce the atmosphere in one consummate wail as Armageddon harvests the final reaping and life as we know it is swallowed into a bottomless pit of sonic darkness...
... seriously. I have to take a deep breath, remind myself that I am an example, not a participant and just calmly go about my mommy work. Happy or sad, mad or calm, she is just loud. PERIOD.
And the power struggles. Everything is a power struggle. If someone else wants her to do something, then she simply doesn't want to do it, on principle.
Me: Anika, can you brush your teeth?
Anika: No.
Me: Anika, it's time to go to school, please get in your car seat.
Anika: No.
Me: Anika, pick up your toys please.
Anika. No.
Lucky for her, she's so darn cute. For ever night I go to bed exhausted and maybe a little frustrated, there is a morning I wake up refreshed. Once I feel those arms wrap around me, and hear that quiet voice whisper "Good morning mommy," I fill up with this innate, huge love that overcomes everything.
Mornings always bear reality back with a snap, but less so on a Saturday. Rather than hustle the kids to get dressed, eat breakfast, comb, brush, buckle and go, Kaden and I lingered in our pajamas, and Anika wore her best "I Don't Have to Go to School" outfit - shorts and a Columbia zippered fleece, just like Daddy, who insanely wears shorts year-round. Not that I'm complaining, because he's got fantastic, if a little hairy, legs. But I digress... back to the pajamas. We ate breakfast in slow motion, listened to music, chatted and sang. I drank two cups of coffee in a regular, non-travel mug. The sun came out. I liked it.
Moving on to... kids say the darndest things!
Anika:
Her favorite color is unabashedly red. Not pink.
When stringing beads, she licks the bead, rather than the thread.
She still says "whobody" for the word "who". "Whobody is at the door?"
She's adding the suffix "-ies" to everything. "Mommy, can you tie my shoe strapies?" "Why do you use the sharpie knife?" "Kaden wears two pajamies!"
She's "reading" books on her own more and more frequently.
She enjoys playing the "what does my toast look like now?" game. See photo below. This one is a boot. The bite before looked like an alligator.
She loves to play outside, and would all day if I'd let her. In the rain, wind, snow, tornado... she doesn't care.
Thomas the Train - oh, the obsession. She's slowly moved away from princesses, and is currently all about the trains, specifically the Thomas characters.
She takes care of Kaden. She protects him, comforts him, shares with him, teaches him. She also yells at him, grabs stuff out of his hands, and goes into her room for "pwivacy" from Kaden. But when Kaden needs Anika's help or love, big sister always comes through for little brother.
Her favorite song is "Love Song Baby," which is Selena Gomez's "Love You Like A Love Song." She'll sing along with it whenever it comes on the radio. I had to buy it because it is the song she "likes best".
Becoming independent is Anika's paramount mission in life. I'm constantly guiding her down the path, but dang - she wants to do ev-er-y-thing her way, by herself, leading the tour. I get frustrated with her a lot, but am proud just the same. She is bold, assertive, and wants so badly to be self-sufficient - positive traits, as long as they are coupled with care for others and a dash of caution.
She is loud. LOUD. LOUD! I think I'm a very sensitive person to sound to begin with, so this one characteristic aggravates me. I'm not sure why she thinks every word must be yelled, or screamed at the top of her lungs, but it's just part of who she is. She was born screaming her lungs out, and hasn't really stopped since. And when she cries, the world is for certain ending - as in truly the end of the world. No, really. Its as if thousands of meteors are pelting the earth's surface and bursting into flames, destroying everything in their path. Innumerable death cries pierce the atmosphere in one consummate wail as Armageddon harvests the final reaping and life as we know it is swallowed into a bottomless pit of sonic darkness...
... seriously. I have to take a deep breath, remind myself that I am an example, not a participant and just calmly go about my mommy work. Happy or sad, mad or calm, she is just loud. PERIOD.
And the power struggles. Everything is a power struggle. If someone else wants her to do something, then she simply doesn't want to do it, on principle.
Me: Anika, can you brush your teeth?
Anika: No.
Me: Anika, it's time to go to school, please get in your car seat.
Anika: No.
Me: Anika, pick up your toys please.
Anika. No.
 |
Lucky for her, she's so darn cute. For ever night I go to bed exhausted and maybe a little frustrated, there is a morning I wake up refreshed. Once I feel those arms wrap around me, and hear that quiet voice whisper "Good morning mommy," I fill up with this innate, huge love that overcomes everything.
Kaden:
As for my little man, Kaden. Well, what can I say. He is the bomb diggity. I am so lucky to be his mama.
He is always good for a toothy grin, a giggle, a shy, sideways smile... I (or daddy, or grandma, or the checkout lady...) just have to look at him and he'll just smile and smile. He is going through a bit of the stranger danger phase, where he will hide his head in my chest, or come running to me in a room with people he doesn't know. But the whole time, the mister will certainly be smiling - at least, most of the time.
He is repeating everything we are saying now, mostly the last word of what we are saying, and he'll phrase it like a question, almost every time.
Me: Kaden, it's time for breakfast!
Kaden: Braba?
Me: Let's go put on our shoes!
Kaden: Voooooo?
And today, he said cricket on a night walk. He was trying so hard, and it was succinct and adorable.
Besides repeating language, he is imitating Anika nonstop, all day. She plays with the trains, he plays with trains. She goes outside, then he wants to go outside too. Anika wants a drink, well, by golly, if Kaden isn't the thirstiest toddler this side of the Mississippi. He follows Anika everywhere, so much so, that Anika has started to more increasingly want her "pwivacy," saying (screaming) "I don't want Kaden to fowwow me" or "Kaden don't bug me!". Her outbursts aren't too often, but I suppose if someone were shadowing me day and night, I'd want a break too. It's now come to the point where Kaden doesn't even want to go to bed at the end of the day if he knows Anika is still awake. If we take him upstairs, and Anika is still downstairs, he will waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaail in the crib. Wail. We've changed our nighttime routine now, so their bedtimes coordinate more closely.
Kaden is an electronic addict, too. Every time I turn around, he's climbing up on to the chair in the study moving around the mouse, tapping the keyboard. (Did I mention I found our cordless mouse, finally, in the kitchen cupboard in a stock pot? Cords aren't such a bad idea after all 'rents...). We have this toy laptop that he can't get enough of. Most days, it keeps him occupied for a long, long time... like three minutes!
He is quite stable walking now, and has begun to run most places now, rather than walk. He also takes the stairs carefully, either backwards, or lately he's started to sit and scoot down each stair on his bottom - *bump* *bump* *bump* - while I hold one of his hands. He thinks thats the most fun thing ever.
One thing he is doing, that Anika really didn't do, is favorited a blanket. Aunt Trina knitted him a blue blanket way back in the day. I don't have a good photo of this, but the image below is a fairly good representation...
He is always good for a toothy grin, a giggle, a shy, sideways smile... I (or daddy, or grandma, or the checkout lady...) just have to look at him and he'll just smile and smile. He is going through a bit of the stranger danger phase, where he will hide his head in my chest, or come running to me in a room with people he doesn't know. But the whole time, the mister will certainly be smiling - at least, most of the time.
 |
| Excuse the flax seeds that appear alarmingly like bugs... |
Me: Kaden, it's time for breakfast!
Kaden: Braba?
Me: Let's go put on our shoes!
Kaden: Voooooo?
And today, he said cricket on a night walk. He was trying so hard, and it was succinct and adorable.
Besides repeating language, he is imitating Anika nonstop, all day. She plays with the trains, he plays with trains. She goes outside, then he wants to go outside too. Anika wants a drink, well, by golly, if Kaden isn't the thirstiest toddler this side of the Mississippi. He follows Anika everywhere, so much so, that Anika has started to more increasingly want her "pwivacy," saying (screaming) "I don't want Kaden to fowwow me" or "Kaden don't bug me!". Her outbursts aren't too often, but I suppose if someone were shadowing me day and night, I'd want a break too. It's now come to the point where Kaden doesn't even want to go to bed at the end of the day if he knows Anika is still awake. If we take him upstairs, and Anika is still downstairs, he will waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaail in the crib. Wail. We've changed our nighttime routine now, so their bedtimes coordinate more closely.
Kaden is an electronic addict, too. Every time I turn around, he's climbing up on to the chair in the study moving around the mouse, tapping the keyboard. (Did I mention I found our cordless mouse, finally, in the kitchen cupboard in a stock pot? Cords aren't such a bad idea after all 'rents...). We have this toy laptop that he can't get enough of. Most days, it keeps him occupied for a long, long time... like three minutes!
He is quite stable walking now, and has begun to run most places now, rather than walk. He also takes the stairs carefully, either backwards, or lately he's started to sit and scoot down each stair on his bottom - *bump* *bump* *bump* - while I hold one of his hands. He thinks thats the most fun thing ever.
One thing he is doing, that Anika really didn't do, is favorited a blanket. Aunt Trina knitted him a blue blanket way back in the day. I don't have a good photo of this, but the image below is a fairly good representation...
I mean, seriously. I'll need to take a photo of him tomorrow morning so you can see the Linus resemblance. Kaden must sleep with his blanket and take it out of the crib with him in the morning. Sometimes he'll drag it around with him, but mostly its just to sleep with. If you put it next to him, he'll snuggle right into it. Linus. I'm tellin' you...
He is growing so handsomely. I think I'll keep him.
On a totally unrelated note, I found some cool cups at Oregon Coffee and Tea, an awesome shop with all types of tea, coffee beans you can roast yourself, and all the accessories in between. Since I got rid of all our plastic cups (including sippy cups for Anika, finally), I'd been looking for a good alternative for her. We have glass glasses, but they are still heavy and can break. When I saw these cups, I snatched them up. They are made by Klean Kanteen, the same brand as her school water bottle. They are stainless steel and light enough that Anika can wield them easily. I really like them and wanted to share with other like-minded parents who are warding off the plastic spirits as I am.
Feeling so good lately... And rockin' it!
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