He sits! He crawls! He stands!

Little Brother started sitting up on his own shortly before Christmas, and just this week has started crawling all over the place (sometimes standard crawling, sometimes with one leg straight, sometimes with one foot up on the ground).  And now, pulling up to stand!

Wonderful time of year: Part I

I love traditions of all shapes and sizes, and part of my favorite thing about being a mom is establishing family traditions.  But part of that is figuring out what works for our family, and in what form.  So as we start to pack up the Christmas decorations and music and books, I want to take a moment to reflect.  And to share some pictures.

We start on the first Sunday of Advent.  Our Advent wreath is some fake greenery formed into a ring around a thrift store candleabra.  We light the candle(s) before dinner and after eating sing a verse of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” and extinguish them (using a fancy schmancy snuffer, which makes it ever-so-fun).  Doing the “an-els” was also big motivation for Big Brother to take his plate to the kitchen.  He was  a little enthusiastic with the snuffer, but did a great job with some assistance.  This year I think we did verses 1, 4, 6, and 7 (at least as they’re numbered in the Methodist hymnal we use).  We switch verses every week, but sing multiple verses on Sundays.

Then, on December 6th, the presents start.  St. Nicholas Day is a fun new thing for me, but dovetails quite nicely with my fond memories of hanging my stocking by the chimney with care.  We have special orange pecan French toast (no significance, just a favorite) and discover the contents of our stockings—toothpaste, lip balm, socks and the like.  Oh, and a magazine.  A very important component.

And uploading these pictures has used up my time allotted, so I’ll have to continue next time.

A week in pictures

Yes!  Just one!  Because there are some good ones this week.

Yes!  Halloween!  I’m a bad sewing mommy and didn’t make either of my children’s costumes.  I didn’t have any fun ideas, and thus lack of motivation to go to the crazy lengths that I see other sewers online going to.  So we had a daytime racoon/nighttime hot dog (you’re welcome Dad), and a skeleton trying to eat his candy before it has even been unwrapped.  We made it to probably 7 houses before calling it a night.  But it was fun, even if the two times I attempted to get video, no one answered the door (come on people, get with the program.  Lights on==Halloween fun, okay?)

Big Brother is disappointed in my cleaning efforts.  He got out the vacuum, took all the cushions off the couch, and then left the vacuum there for me.  I did not take the hint.  In my defense, I did vacuum the sofa within the last two weeks.

For those of you who can’t tell what’s going on, Big Brother is taking Little Brother’s measurements (so he can sew him some clothes, don’t you know?).  After careful observation, he recorded the results in his notebook.  He did this back and forth at least 10 times.  Meticulous, that one.

My artistic endeavors.

Sad lack of photos

I owe you (or myself in ten years) two weeks worth of pictures.  But I just emptied my camera and there wasn’t a whole lot for the taking.  I’ll blame it on having too much fun, and then on being sick, and then on having fun again.

Little Brother (almost 4 months now) is growing by leaps and bounds.  The semi-reclined position, as seen in car-seats, swings, and bouncy seats?  That’s for babies.  He’d like to sit, thank you.  Or at least play with his toes.

It’s a little bit of a lie.  I did take some pictures.  It’s just that a number of them were pictures of sewing projects I was preparing to put in the mail.  Little Brother accompanied me outside for the photoshoot.

Big Brother is really starting to show his imagination (or actually, he’s just getting really good at imitating us).  He’s warming up to his doll (which, apparently I never blogged about… for shame!), and I recently found him attempting to diaper his brother.  He wasn’t going to have much luck, as the baby was doubly swaddled, but it’s pretty funny to watch the process through his eyes.

Two weeks in pictures

We were on the road last Monday, so here's a double photo dump.  I finally got Little Brother to smile for the camera.  He smiles for us a fair amount, but when the camera comes out, it's all business. 

We hit the road for Ohio last Thursday after A. got off work.  Big Brother was asleep before we even started playing "Family Vacation," and Little Brother wasn't too sure what he thought of that musical interlude.  Both boys enjoyed time with their great-grandparents, cousin, and aunt and uncles.  Big Brother also enjoyed his first hot dog at the "World Famous" Hot Dog Shoppe. 

We drove back on Monday, just in time for Grandma S. to arrive for the Quilt Show.  Unfortunately, when she's here, I seem to slack off on the pictures, so you'll just have to imagine it.  We brought a cold back from Ohio, and had a really rough night with Big Brother right after she got here.  Welcome to Michigan Grandma!

Big Brother has been rapidly developing new interests, including rice hair treatments and fort building.  Also, helping me sew, going for tricycle rides, telling us he needs a diaper change, and cheering for my high school football team.

9/3/2012.  Edited to fix broken picture link.

Photos from the week

More time outside this week, despite my foreboding about the coming autumn.  We finally brought Big Brother's Tee-Ball set outside.  Thus far, the best part is putting the ball on the tee.

Our sophisticated outdoor storage solution.

Big Brother's self portraiture.

When Big Brother gets up from his nap, Little Brother is usually asleep.  When we hear Little Brother stirring, Big Brother perks up, signs "Baby," and after I confirm that it is, indeed, the baby, he runs to the bassinet to peer inside.

I've gotten on another be-a-cool-mom-and-do-fun-sensory-stuff kick.  We tried shaving cream+fingerpaint.  A lukewarm success.  Hands had to be wiped every ten seconds.  And it's not like the child usually has qualms about getting messy, at least when the mess is edible.

Gametime reprise.

9/3/12.  Edited to fix broken picture link.

Photos from the week

It feels like summer is coming to an end.  School supply sales are all over the place, and just this morning it was a little cool to be out in short sleeves.  The nice part of that is that it's also now cool enough to use the oven!  We made a couple loaves of banana bread, and even had soup for dinner once!  We've also made a couple of servings of juice in the new blender.  Grape strawberry juice is delicious! 

Big Brother has developed an interest in blankets and actually snuggling underneath them, so Little Brother's new quilt from his great-grandmother is a big hit for both boys. 

My aunt came through on her way north to pick up my cousin from camp, and brought some new toys for Big Brother, including some blocks that belonged to my sister and me.  Mom gave them to our cousins when we were older, and now they're coming full circle.

This week

It seems Peter can't make up his mind about water.  On the one hand, he loves water--drinking it, pouring it, splashing it.  On the other hand, we went to the neighborhood splash pad and he just stood there watching.  Chasing the other kids was far more fun.  But going to the lake with Dad?  Nothing better.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

 

This is my first year doing stockings on St. Nicholas Day.  Well, it’s my first day celebrating St. Nicholas Day at all, as far as I can remember.  We’ll be out of town for Christmas, so this seemed like a great alternative (this, and traditional presents on the feast of Epiphany—way to spread the joy as long as possible, right?).  Plus, we have this great book by a relative of a friend of my sister.  Well, we have the book, but that doesn’t mean the little one wanted to sit still to actually hear it.  So, I educated myself, and counted it good.

May your Advent season be filled with anticipation,

and joy,

and a feeling of generosity.

California on my mind

I’m going to play a quick catch up.  Peter and I have been on the road, having lots of adventures, and I want to get some of the memories down before they spill out of my mind.  First up, a Father’s Day visit to Father’s family in CA.

I think I’ve mentioned before our unfortunate life-planning in having a baby (the first grandchild on either side) immediately after moving far away from both of our families.  And while Peter has not lacked in the familial love department, it was high time to get ourselves out to visit A.’s side of the family in sunny southern California.

The first set of plane trips were made without too much ordeal.  Peter, like his mother, loved the Biscoff cookies that Delta served.  But there was more excellent food to come!

Cuban black beans, pork, and yucca!

First trip to the beach.  My sweet mother-in-law found a cute lightweight stroller on Craigslist.  As you see, Peter is not riding in it.  We got to the beach and put him in the stroller, heading for a restaurant for some food.  He screamed.  We walked for several blocks like that, me assuring the family that he would settle in.  He did not.  Maybe he was just hungry.  Nope, did the same thing on the way out of the restaurant toward the beach.  Maybe he was just tired.  Nope, later in the week we tried during morning happy time.  No go.  I still have no idea why.

I suppose it’s another lesson about the best laid plans.  I was all set to at least take a dip in the water—I even asked the lifeguard who taught our Parent-Child swim class whether there was anything special we needed to know for ocean swimming.  And then he slept almost the whole time we were there (after the stroller fiasco, that is).  But it was still lovely and breezy, and Peter did wake up for long enough to watch the ocean for several minutes.

Morning happy time in California.  Probably around 5:30 or 6, which is not normally *my* morning happy time.  But we decided that it was easier to just stay on Eastern time rather than switching.  Peter was happy to oblige.  Until the last two days, when he switched to Pacific Time in one fell swoop.  Notice the super-stylish shorts, high socks, and sweater combination.

Other highlights/firsts?  Meeting his paternal great-grandparents.  Meeting the giant dog (my in-laws have an English Mastiff).  Meeting the tortoise (likewise, they also have a tortoise).  Spending quality time with grandparents and aunt/godmother.

Next up, Washington, DC!

Do you know how happy this makes me?

When you move it takes you a while to warm up to a place, at least in my experience.  Just ask my parents.  I spent longer than I care to admit claiming not to have any friends just to make them feel guilty about making me move to Tennessee right before I started high school.

But things like this help.

Tiptoe through the tulips

Last summer we went to Europe with some friends and their daughter, my birthday buddy.  She was seven months old at the time.  In honor of her, for Peter Potamus’s seven month birthday, we took my mom to Holland.

Holland, Michigan, that is.  The Tulip Time Festival.  Etched in our imaginations from childhood readings of The Bobbsey Twins in Tulipland, Mom and I have been making plans ever since we learned that A. and I were moving to Michigan.  So, despite the fact that she’s barely been home, between tax season, heading to Florida immediately afterward, she came this past week to see the tulips, and as a tiny little bonus, get grandson snuggle time.

Mom and I went on Wednesday, toured Windmill Island with all of the retired people on bus tours, went to the quilt show, and found a spot on the sidewalk next to the bucket filling station for the Volksparade.  You see, before the official parade, there’s the streetcleaning.  Families who apparently have been the streetcleaners for generations walk down the street in costume with buckets of water and brooms, ostensibly sweeping the street clean.  The bucket filling station was a center of action.  We got a little wet from overenthusiastic bucket fillers, but it was hot, so we didn’t mind too much.  All the excitement got to Peter, and by the time we got back to the car, he looked like this: 

A. didn’t want to miss out on the fun, so we headed back on Saturday.  Unfortunately, the weather was not nearly so nice, so we got wet again, but this time it wasn’t so exciting.  But we did get to see the Dutch Dancers.  And another parade.

Now, just because this post would be incomplete without them, some tulips.