I haven't written about all sorts of things but today, DJ reached a milestone!
He has a loose bottom tooth!!
It's been bothering him a little, so he's complaining of a little pain here and there. But he's learned to adapt in terms of eating (put the food in the back of your mouth, and don't bite down on anything!).
I thought losing teeth didn't come until after 6 years old, so I thought I had some time! Clearly, my timeline was wrong on that count!
We'll see how long this tooth takes to fall out! Hooray for the Tooth Fairy!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Whistler and The Stair Stepper
We have hit a couple of milestones in our household!
First, we have a new Whistler -- DJ! He says that his current favorite friend at school, Hanna, taught him. It's awesome!!
Second, Elektra is now walking up stairs one foot per stair!
Hooray for the kids!!
First, we have a new Whistler -- DJ! He says that his current favorite friend at school, Hanna, taught him. It's awesome!!
Second, Elektra is now walking up stairs one foot per stair!
Hooray for the kids!!
With cold weather...
...comes creature trying to come inside.
Today, I went into our utility room to get the front storm door (to replace our screen door), and noticed that my bug traps were full.... full of mice. Oh there were plenty of bugs, too, but the mice were an unexpected surprise.
Interestingly, the sticky bug traps caught 3 mice. I had no idea that they were THAT sticky.
I haven't seen any mouse droppings in the finished area, so I'm wondering if drywalling/insulating everything has kept them out of those parts of the house. The only place they can get out of the drywall area is in the utility room.
Time to set some MOUSE traps.
I also saw live camel crickets. Those buggers are back, so I put out fresh glue traps.
Maybe I'll catch more mice along with the camel crickets.
YUCK.
Today, I went into our utility room to get the front storm door (to replace our screen door), and noticed that my bug traps were full.... full of mice. Oh there were plenty of bugs, too, but the mice were an unexpected surprise.
Interestingly, the sticky bug traps caught 3 mice. I had no idea that they were THAT sticky.
I haven't seen any mouse droppings in the finished area, so I'm wondering if drywalling/insulating everything has kept them out of those parts of the house. The only place they can get out of the drywall area is in the utility room.
Time to set some MOUSE traps.
I also saw live camel crickets. Those buggers are back, so I put out fresh glue traps.
Maybe I'll catch more mice along with the camel crickets.
YUCK.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Elektra's 4 year well-child visit
Today, Elektra visited the pediatrician and not surprisingly, she came out with a clean bill of health!
She weighed 35 1/4 pounds (50th percentile) and is 40 1/4 inches tall (65th percentile). Last year, she weighed 31 pounds (51st percentile) and was 38 inches tall (69th percentile). Despite the fact that it felt like she shot up like a weed, she actually didn't grow as fast as I thought.
She did a fantastic time doing what the doctor asked her. Also, she acted out playing doctor while we were waiting for him. It was really cute. "Ok, take a deep breath...." "open your mouth and say 'ahhhh'"... so cute!
On the downside, she did receive 5 vaccines, 4 in her thighs, so her legs hurt. We gave her some Tylenol to help her cope, and that seemed to help. But this seems like the last big bunch for awhile. DJ didn't have very many at all at his 5 year well-child visit. I can't imagine getting shots in the thighs.... it has to hurt more than in the arm.
She took a long nap at Eleanor's after her appointment, and was thrilled to go to swimming lessons with her friends, Evan and Gracie (and DJ, of course). She also pounded her favorite dinner -- salmon!
Hooray for a happy and healthy Elektra!
She weighed 35 1/4 pounds (50th percentile) and is 40 1/4 inches tall (65th percentile). Last year, she weighed 31 pounds (51st percentile) and was 38 inches tall (69th percentile). Despite the fact that it felt like she shot up like a weed, she actually didn't grow as fast as I thought.
She did a fantastic time doing what the doctor asked her. Also, she acted out playing doctor while we were waiting for him. It was really cute. "Ok, take a deep breath...." "open your mouth and say 'ahhhh'"... so cute!
On the downside, she did receive 5 vaccines, 4 in her thighs, so her legs hurt. We gave her some Tylenol to help her cope, and that seemed to help. But this seems like the last big bunch for awhile. DJ didn't have very many at all at his 5 year well-child visit. I can't imagine getting shots in the thighs.... it has to hurt more than in the arm.
She took a long nap at Eleanor's after her appointment, and was thrilled to go to swimming lessons with her friends, Evan and Gracie (and DJ, of course). She also pounded her favorite dinner -- salmon!
Hooray for a happy and healthy Elektra!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELEKTRA!
Where did the years go?! Elektra has turned 4, and she couldn't WAIT to turn 4.
She requested pink icing for her cupcakes, so she got bubble gum pink icing. We had a small celebration for her on Sunday, and she loved EVERY minute of it!
And of course, the obligatory... my-big-brother-tried-to-blow-out-my-candle-with-me picture!!
She was so thrilled to get clothes for gifts, and couldn't wait to wear them, and the matching hair accessories that came with them.
Happy Birthday, Elektra!
She requested pink icing for her cupcakes, so she got bubble gum pink icing. We had a small celebration for her on Sunday, and she loved EVERY minute of it!
And of course, the obligatory... my-big-brother-tried-to-blow-out-my-candle-with-me picture!!
She was so thrilled to get clothes for gifts, and couldn't wait to wear them, and the matching hair accessories that came with them.
Happy Birthday, Elektra!
Saturday, September 08, 2012
First day of soccer!
Today, the kids joined the rest of the kids in their age group of the United States ... they started their first day of soccer with the Carroll Manor Hot Shots -- Team #11, also known as Team Germany! I saw as many as 14 teams... that tells you how many kids are playing!
The kids did wonderfully. They each had their own soccer ball, and that really helped keep the kids focused.
They are learning the basics like trapping the ball and kicking it not with their toes. They spent some time dribbling, and they really enjoyed playing Sharks and Minnows. DJ was the first shark, and he was good at stealing the ball from the other players!
At the end of practice, the coach decided to play freeze tag with the kids to give them another opportunity to run around.
They had a good time today! Looking forward to next week!
The kids did wonderfully. They each had their own soccer ball, and that really helped keep the kids focused.
They are learning the basics like trapping the ball and kicking it not with their toes. They spent some time dribbling, and they really enjoyed playing Sharks and Minnows. DJ was the first shark, and he was good at stealing the ball from the other players!
At the end of practice, the coach decided to play freeze tag with the kids to give them another opportunity to run around.
They had a good time today! Looking forward to next week!
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| DJ |
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| Elektra |
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| DJ kicking his ball |
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| DJ kicking his ball again |
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| DJ and Elektra! |
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| CM Hot Shots - Team 11 -- Germany! |
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Swimming at Wrightsville Beach
The family has made its annual trek to Wrightsville Beach and the kids, being a year older, are enjoying it even more than previous years.
This year, I decided to see if we could give the kids a little more independence in the pool, and bought them floaties/swimmers. Plus. they are missing one of their swim lessons, so I am hoping that we can make up for that with lots of time in the pool doing lesson-type skills!
Elektra took right to the floaties. She immediately figured out that they help her float, and around the pool she goes all by herself. DJ, on the other hand, was not confident in them, and stuck to the stairs. It took awhile to convine him that they aren't just for decoration, but he still didn't want anything to do with leaving the area in which he could stand (the stairs).
Then my sister suggested goggles so that he can see underwater, and a small miracle happened. DJ not only started to put his head under the water, but he started to try and float/swim around the pool. It was a serious breakthrough for him. And it's all he wants to do now in the pool... swim around looking under water.
Below is a video of the kids swimming. The first is of Elektra swimming the length of the pool by herself, and the subsequent scene is DJ swimming around.
If you can't see the video, click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bwzh4LmKtms
This year, I decided to see if we could give the kids a little more independence in the pool, and bought them floaties/swimmers. Plus. they are missing one of their swim lessons, so I am hoping that we can make up for that with lots of time in the pool doing lesson-type skills!
Elektra took right to the floaties. She immediately figured out that they help her float, and around the pool she goes all by herself. DJ, on the other hand, was not confident in them, and stuck to the stairs. It took awhile to convine him that they aren't just for decoration, but he still didn't want anything to do with leaving the area in which he could stand (the stairs).
Then my sister suggested goggles so that he can see underwater, and a small miracle happened. DJ not only started to put his head under the water, but he started to try and float/swim around the pool. It was a serious breakthrough for him. And it's all he wants to do now in the pool... swim around looking under water.
Below is a video of the kids swimming. The first is of Elektra swimming the length of the pool by herself, and the subsequent scene is DJ swimming around.
If you can't see the video, click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bwzh4LmKtms
Thursday, June 21, 2012
PreSchool Graduation pictures
I can't believe I forgot to add the pictures from DJ's preschool graduation to my last blog post.
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| DJ and Grace with their teacher, Lisa Strzelczyk. |
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| DJ and Grace |
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| DJ and Grace |
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| DJ and Grace, on their way back to day care.... starting the sillies... |
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| There are the sillies!!! |
PreSchool Graduation
I realize this is really late in being posted, but I figure better late than never. It took me awhile to compile all of the video clips.
On May 24, both DJ and his daycare girlfriend, Grace, graduated from St. Paul's Lutheran PreSchool to move on to Kindergarten.
There were two classes of preschoolers --- the morning 4's and afternoon 4's. DJ and Grace were in the afternoon 4's together with 10 other children and 2 teachers. It was a nice sized class.
The service started with a procession, then the kids sang 2 songs. At that point, the director of the school gave a few words. Then the kids sang 4 more songs. The pastor of the church gave a few words, too, and then each child said what they liked the most about school. They processed out, and lots of yummy goodies were served!
And without further ado, here is the video!! The link to it is here: http://youtu.be/e2mxA7MMQps. Be aware, this video is approximately 10 minutes long, and I'm going to apologize for my horrible camera skills... it was hard to hold the camera still when having to hold it high above my head to not be blocked by others.
Happy Graduation, DJ and Grace!
On May 24, both DJ and his daycare girlfriend, Grace, graduated from St. Paul's Lutheran PreSchool to move on to Kindergarten.
There were two classes of preschoolers --- the morning 4's and afternoon 4's. DJ and Grace were in the afternoon 4's together with 10 other children and 2 teachers. It was a nice sized class.
The service started with a procession, then the kids sang 2 songs. At that point, the director of the school gave a few words. Then the kids sang 4 more songs. The pastor of the church gave a few words, too, and then each child said what they liked the most about school. They processed out, and lots of yummy goodies were served!
And without further ado, here is the video!! The link to it is here: http://youtu.be/e2mxA7MMQps. Be aware, this video is approximately 10 minutes long, and I'm going to apologize for my horrible camera skills... it was hard to hold the camera still when having to hold it high above my head to not be blocked by others.
Happy Graduation, DJ and Grace!
Saturday, June 02, 2012
DJ's last day of T-ball
T-ball season came and is already over!
Although I can't say that he LOVED it and can't wait to play again next year, I know he learned a lot! He never did give up playing with the infield dirt; he just couldn't help himself. But, his hitting was better, he learned how to run the bases in the right order, he can throw much better, and he can now field grounders!
In his last "game", the coaches decided it would be the Carroll Manor Orioles vs. their parents! The parents were up to bat first, and we were 3 and out! However, we gave anyone who wanted to bat an opportunity, although no runs counted! Therefore, Elektra got her first ever at-bat! She then ran the bases, too!! I guided her to 2nd, 3rd and home, but she did great!
Then the kids got to bat, and go figure, EVERY SINGLE t-ball player hit a HOME RUN!!!! We parents in the field were just a calamity of errors! For example, during DJ's at-bat, you'll see Steve miss catching the ball at 2nd base and "running" to go get the errant ball while DJ comes heading home! If you can't see the video, click here: http://youtu.be/4IC1jvyjfA0
After the game was over, we all went to a local creamery for ice cream, and the coaches handed out trophies and certificates for the kids.
Although I can't say that he LOVED it and can't wait to play again next year, I know he learned a lot! He never did give up playing with the infield dirt; he just couldn't help himself. But, his hitting was better, he learned how to run the bases in the right order, he can throw much better, and he can now field grounders!
In his last "game", the coaches decided it would be the Carroll Manor Orioles vs. their parents! The parents were up to bat first, and we were 3 and out! However, we gave anyone who wanted to bat an opportunity, although no runs counted! Therefore, Elektra got her first ever at-bat! She then ran the bases, too!! I guided her to 2nd, 3rd and home, but she did great!
Then the kids got to bat, and go figure, EVERY SINGLE t-ball player hit a HOME RUN!!!! We parents in the field were just a calamity of errors! For example, during DJ's at-bat, you'll see Steve miss catching the ball at 2nd base and "running" to go get the errant ball while DJ comes heading home! If you can't see the video, click here: http://youtu.be/4IC1jvyjfA0
After the game was over, we all went to a local creamery for ice cream, and the coaches handed out trophies and certificates for the kids.
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| DJ and some of his teammates |
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| DJ and his coaches, Greg and Pat |
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| DJ's t-ball participation certificate |
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| DJ's trophy which says "Carroll Manor Baseball - T-ball 2012" |
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Rhyming
On our way home from Eleanor's yesterday, DJ decided to take off his shoes in the car. My car has the luxury of a back vent, so he put his foot over it to feel the cold air conditioning. Then I heard:
"My foot is cold. And now my story is all told."
I don't know if he got it from anywhere, but I don't think so! What neat grasp of language he's getting!
"My foot is cold. And now my story is all told."
I don't know if he got it from anywhere, but I don't think so! What neat grasp of language he's getting!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Brunch with Mommy
In late April, DJ's preschool had a special event for the kids and their daddies... Dessert with Daddy. It was an hour-long activity that included dessert, a scavenger hunt, and a small craft project. Since school is out before Father's Day, the event was held earlier. Both of the 4s classes were in this event at the same time, so there were a lot of people there!
At that point, we got "brunch", and then we had a very special surprise! The children sang us a song!! If you can't see the video, go to this link: http://youtu.be/47aVFC2sN88
Then we had a small activity where the children got to measure how tall we are via a set of plastic flowers they were given (and I got to measure DJ in turn). Then DJ had to write the number for each of us on his paper, and draw a picture of me. I also had to draw a picture of him. This brought out just how poorly I draw! I need to leave the drawing to my children... they draw better than I do! Then each child and their mother got to sit in the front of the room and the child had to tell the class how many flowers tall each are. DJ did a great job!
DJ's teacher then read a book to all of us, and we got to watch the kids interact with her and story telling.
Finally, our children gave us a gift that they had made earlier in the week. He got some help writing his name because the space is rather small, but he did a good job overall!!
All in all, it was a really awesome hour that we got to spend together!
And for a couple of extra pictures. In the picture on the left, DJ and Mommy. In the picture on the right, Grace and DJ. DJ initiated the hug, and Grace took his hand at that point. SO SWEET!!!
With Mother's Day during the school year, the equivalent event for the mommies was held yesterday. Unlike the Dessert with Daddy event, Brunch with Mommy was split by class making the number of people at each event smaller. There are only 12 children in DJ's class, so it was a very cozy gathering.
Nadia picked up Grace and DJ from Eleanor's and I met her at the school. We walked in together, and were asked to find our child's booklet that they made for us. DJ and Grace's booklets were next to each other. The booklet was hand drawn and written by the children. Adorable!
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| Cover of the booklet |
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| My mom is nice because she gives me cuddles. |
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| My mom is really good at cooking (quesadilla -- in the picture he drew). |
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| My mom runs all day long. |
At that point, we got "brunch", and then we had a very special surprise! The children sang us a song!! If you can't see the video, go to this link: http://youtu.be/47aVFC2sN88
Then we had a small activity where the children got to measure how tall we are via a set of plastic flowers they were given (and I got to measure DJ in turn). Then DJ had to write the number for each of us on his paper, and draw a picture of me. I also had to draw a picture of him. This brought out just how poorly I draw! I need to leave the drawing to my children... they draw better than I do! Then each child and their mother got to sit in the front of the room and the child had to tell the class how many flowers tall each are. DJ did a great job!
DJ's teacher then read a book to all of us, and we got to watch the kids interact with her and story telling.
Finally, our children gave us a gift that they had made earlier in the week. He got some help writing his name because the space is rather small, but he did a good job overall!!
All in all, it was a really awesome hour that we got to spend together!
And for a couple of extra pictures. In the picture on the left, DJ and Mommy. In the picture on the right, Grace and DJ. DJ initiated the hug, and Grace took his hand at that point. SO SWEET!!!
DJ's 5th Birthday Party
I am so behind on my posting... And although this is late, I still wanted to share DJ's 5th birthday party pictures!
Since this was a milestone birthday for DJ, we invited both sides of our extended families and some close friends, so this was a pot luck party unlike previous parties we've thrown. We had a great crowd of people come to celebrate our biggest boy's big day!
DJ wanted purple icing on his cake, so my sister ordered a cake with purple birthday balloons to suffice. Meanwhile, DJ's cousin, Sophia, made cupcakes with homemade purple icing for the kids.
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| A happy DJ hearing happy birthday sung to him! |
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| Getting ready to blow out the candles! |
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| Napoleon and IO found the person who loves dogs the most in the room.... Uncle John! |
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| DJ, Grace, Elektra and Evan eating birthday cupcakes and cake. |
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| More of the kids! |
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| Spiro hanging out in the swing. |
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| Grace and DJ |
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| Elektra was exhausted from the day's events... so she crashed out on the floor in DJ's room! |
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| Elektra napping on the floor in DJ's room. |
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| Elektra napping on the floor in DJ's room. |
Big Girl Bed
It's official.
All children in the house are potty trained and sleeping in big beds!! Admittingly, not every diaper has been eradicated from the house (pull-ups are great in case of intestinal viruses). But Thursday night, Elektra slept in her big girl bed for the first time.
This has been an interesting issue; Elektra genuinely liked her crib. I think she liked the security and familiarity of it, and she was making zero effort to climb out of it. It really was her space. But she also wanted a big girl bed like DJ's big boy bed. I've been asking her for months now, "Do you like your crib?" "Yes!" "Do you want a big girl bed?" "Yes!" I really think she was happy with either option.
On Thursday night, we put her bed together, added the new memory foam mattress we'd had delivered, put on a set of clean sheets (not the sheets she selected; I hadn't washed them yet), and you'd have thought she'd won the lottery. She was SO excited. She told DJ that her bed was just like his bed! The headboards are a little different in styling and the color overall is a little different, but the bed frames are the same (has drawers and is a platform bed). She went to bed with THE BIGGEST GRIN on her face we'd EVER seen.
On Friday, while Elektra was at daycare, I washed her Minnie Mouse sheets and her new coral colored fleece blanket. I added her new Minnie Mouse reversible comforter, and made her bed. She had a choice between Disney princess and Minnie Mouse, and she picked Minnie Mouse. Considering how much she likes the Disney princesses, she's always like Minnie Mouse, too, so the choice really was a toss up.
Elektra was SO excited about her new bedding that she asked to go to bed immediately. It was 6:30pm. We said no, of course, but it wasn't hard to get her to go to bed!! I told her to sleep as long as she could, that she could get up to go potty whenever she needed to and that if the sun is awake when she wakes up, she can come into our room. Or she could play with her dollhouse if she liked.
At 8:30 this morning, there was no sign of Elektra. DJ had wandered in at 6:15am, and I was surprised his coming down the hall didn't elicit her getting out of bed. Instead, I found her still in her bed, happily hanging out under the covers! What a good girl!!!
Tonight, we rearranged her room to better suit the furniture in it. During that rearrangement, we also installed the Disney Princess and Castle lamp that her Nouna and Nouno gave her this past Christmas. She LOVES LOVES LOVES it. LOVES. When it was time for bed tonight, she was really upset when it was time to turn off this lamp.
I still have lots to do, like clean out her closet to make it more her room than a nursery that stores lots of baby stuff, but that's tomorrow's task. She doesn't care what's in her closet. But it's all part of MY transition of accepting that my baby girl is a big girl now!
All children in the house are potty trained and sleeping in big beds!! Admittingly, not every diaper has been eradicated from the house (pull-ups are great in case of intestinal viruses). But Thursday night, Elektra slept in her big girl bed for the first time.
This has been an interesting issue; Elektra genuinely liked her crib. I think she liked the security and familiarity of it, and she was making zero effort to climb out of it. It really was her space. But she also wanted a big girl bed like DJ's big boy bed. I've been asking her for months now, "Do you like your crib?" "Yes!" "Do you want a big girl bed?" "Yes!" I really think she was happy with either option.
On Thursday night, we put her bed together, added the new memory foam mattress we'd had delivered, put on a set of clean sheets (not the sheets she selected; I hadn't washed them yet), and you'd have thought she'd won the lottery. She was SO excited. She told DJ that her bed was just like his bed! The headboards are a little different in styling and the color overall is a little different, but the bed frames are the same (has drawers and is a platform bed). She went to bed with THE BIGGEST GRIN on her face we'd EVER seen.
On Friday, while Elektra was at daycare, I washed her Minnie Mouse sheets and her new coral colored fleece blanket. I added her new Minnie Mouse reversible comforter, and made her bed. She had a choice between Disney princess and Minnie Mouse, and she picked Minnie Mouse. Considering how much she likes the Disney princesses, she's always like Minnie Mouse, too, so the choice really was a toss up.
Elektra was SO excited about her new bedding that she asked to go to bed immediately. It was 6:30pm. We said no, of course, but it wasn't hard to get her to go to bed!! I told her to sleep as long as she could, that she could get up to go potty whenever she needed to and that if the sun is awake when she wakes up, she can come into our room. Or she could play with her dollhouse if she liked.
At 8:30 this morning, there was no sign of Elektra. DJ had wandered in at 6:15am, and I was surprised his coming down the hall didn't elicit her getting out of bed. Instead, I found her still in her bed, happily hanging out under the covers! What a good girl!!!
Tonight, we rearranged her room to better suit the furniture in it. During that rearrangement, we also installed the Disney Princess and Castle lamp that her Nouna and Nouno gave her this past Christmas. She LOVES LOVES LOVES it. LOVES. When it was time for bed tonight, she was really upset when it was time to turn off this lamp.
I still have lots to do, like clean out her closet to make it more her room than a nursery that stores lots of baby stuff, but that's tomorrow's task. She doesn't care what's in her closet. But it's all part of MY transition of accepting that my baby girl is a big girl now!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The Power of Marketing
Marketing.
You learn about it in business school. You learn how it works, what target markets are, all sorts of things.
And if you've never been to business school, you know it is a part of your daily life, although you may not be involved in the details of it.
I came home from the grocery store today and as I was unpacking the bags, I pulled out a bottle of Oxyclean for Laundry. DJ saw the bottle and said,
"Mommy! That's Oxyclean!"
Incredulous that he even knew that as this is a rather obscure product (as compared to something like Home Depot or Target because he's been there 5 million times), I ask, "How did you know that?"
DJ responded cooly, "The man told me."
Now I'm confused. "What man?"
DJ said, "The man on TV!"
And that, my friends, is the power of marketing.
You learn about it in business school. You learn how it works, what target markets are, all sorts of things.
And if you've never been to business school, you know it is a part of your daily life, although you may not be involved in the details of it.
I came home from the grocery store today and as I was unpacking the bags, I pulled out a bottle of Oxyclean for Laundry. DJ saw the bottle and said,
"Mommy! That's Oxyclean!"
Incredulous that he even knew that as this is a rather obscure product (as compared to something like Home Depot or Target because he's been there 5 million times), I ask, "How did you know that?"
DJ responded cooly, "The man told me."
Now I'm confused. "What man?"
DJ said, "The man on TV!"
And that, my friends, is the power of marketing.
Monday, April 23, 2012
T-ball... Part 2
DJ has been playing T-ball 2 weeks now (4 hour-long sessions). The coaches have a ton of patience, and they give individual attention to each child, trying to teach them each the fundamental skill of baseball.
For example, when learning to throw a baseball overhand, they have each child put the knee on the ground on the side that they throw, and throw with that hand. It's not just.... here, throw it. They are trying to really teach the correct form.
He's been working on ground balls and being in the "ready position" (glove on the ground). He's also been working on catching pop-ups, as well.
Games are not traditional; they really can't be considering the level of skill of 4 and 5 year olds. What they do is they line up one team just on the infield line, and then each member of the opposing team bats. Each player runs to the next base, and then the last team player will hit a "homerun" which has that last player run all the bases, not just stop at the first one he reaches. Thus, the bases are cleared, and that team's batting session is over. The kids do try to field the ball and if they know how, throw it to first base. If by some miracle the field player gets the ball to first base before the runner, it doesn't matter as the runner is awarded first base regardless. The goal here is teach the kids how to run the bases (base order matters!), and let the kids field a ball and try to send it to first base appropriately.
Regardless, it's HILARIOUS to watch. The video shows various stages of DJ's playing. The first few segments are from when DJ was practicing (throwing, ground balls, and hitting), and the last segment is from his "game" this past Saturday vs. the Carroll Manor Reds. The Carroll Manor T-ball leagues all play each other. There are 5 teams this year, and DJ is playing for the Carroll Manor Orioles. If you can't see the video, it is here: http://youtu.be/K8jQT7TNp3Q
For example, when learning to throw a baseball overhand, they have each child put the knee on the ground on the side that they throw, and throw with that hand. It's not just.... here, throw it. They are trying to really teach the correct form.
He's been working on ground balls and being in the "ready position" (glove on the ground). He's also been working on catching pop-ups, as well.
Games are not traditional; they really can't be considering the level of skill of 4 and 5 year olds. What they do is they line up one team just on the infield line, and then each member of the opposing team bats. Each player runs to the next base, and then the last team player will hit a "homerun" which has that last player run all the bases, not just stop at the first one he reaches. Thus, the bases are cleared, and that team's batting session is over. The kids do try to field the ball and if they know how, throw it to first base. If by some miracle the field player gets the ball to first base before the runner, it doesn't matter as the runner is awarded first base regardless. The goal here is teach the kids how to run the bases (base order matters!), and let the kids field a ball and try to send it to first base appropriately.
Regardless, it's HILARIOUS to watch. The video shows various stages of DJ's playing. The first few segments are from when DJ was practicing (throwing, ground balls, and hitting), and the last segment is from his "game" this past Saturday vs. the Carroll Manor Reds. The Carroll Manor T-ball leagues all play each other. There are 5 teams this year, and DJ is playing for the Carroll Manor Orioles. If you can't see the video, it is here: http://youtu.be/K8jQT7TNp3Q
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Charleston 2012
This year's Charleston, SC trip was a little later than usual; we went at the end of March instead of the end of February. That meant the weather was definitely shorts weather as it was in the 80s and 90s!! It also meant that the mosquitoes were big enough to eat you through your shirt.... Our second trip to Target included buying the fully chemicaled OFF product. We found over the course of the week that the "natural" bug spray didn't work for squat!! Only the nastiest chemicals could keep those mosquitoes at bay.
Anyway, the trip down, for once, was absolutely uneventful. There was no traffic in the Northern Virginia mixing bowl, so we made excellent time. We left home at 8:45am, and arrived at the rental property by 6:30pm. Since it was still early, the kids could see things on the way in, like the paper factory and the various marshes and bridges. Although making it down in 10 hours was a huge win for us, the biggest win was the fact that we traveled without:
1. diapers
2. a pack-n-play
3. the rooftop car carrier
We also had to make one pit stop at Eleanor's for a particular princess crown that was mistakenly left there the day before...
We arrived, we unpacked, got carryout dinner from Longhorn Steakhouse, and put the kids to bed. Elektra slept in our room on the toddler air mattress (which we put on top of the futon). DJ slept in a twin bed with Leo. The boys did AWESOME together the whole week. Plus, it proved to us a couple things about DJ's sleeping habits.
1. DJ really just wants the company
2. DJ wants to be able to come in and snuggle with us in the morning and/or play with someone's iPad.
This also means that I got to sleep ALL NIGHT without a little boy waking me up at some random hour to climb in. WIN!! But the double bed (wow, what a change from a king...) was kind of uncomfortable, so I didn't sleep that great. But that's ok. When morning came, DJ would wake up around 7:30, go potty, and then come into our room. That's when Elektra, who was awake but just hanging out in her bed, would get up, too, and both kids would crawl into the bed and play with iPads while Steve and I *tried* to get a few more winks. Honestly, it was rather fun snuggling with the pile of kids on the bed.
We did a variety of things but this first day after our arrival, we decided to take the kids to the really nice playground on the Isle of Palms and let them blow off some steam. Damian and Andy went to Target and bought a few balls and an Aerobe to throw around. This is when we discovered the bird-sized mosquitoes....
Elektra learned a new skill while on the playground this year. She learned how to navigate one of the playground apparatuses. In another video, she actually falls off, but I decided to only post the one of her successfully completing the challenge! If you can't see the video, go here: http://youtu.be/YtREXuRalVg
We went to Target afterwards (to get bug spray and sunblock!) and by the time we got home, it was too late to put Elektra down for a nap. This was, apparently, the wrong answer. Elektra fell asleep watching the iPad.
On Monday, we went to the USS Yorktown. This year, the kids went on the flight simulator, and did almost all of the climbing up and down the stairs themselves. We visited the gift shop, too... it's like an annual pilgrimage. :-)
We took a tour of the working and living quarters of the ship and saw a few interesting things, like this sign in the Machine Shop.
Then we went into the galley, and saw a mixer. A big mixer.... nearly 6 feet tall. That could make a lot of dough....
And we had to get a picture on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown. In the background is the Cooper River Bridge.
On Tuesday, we went to the Children's Museum of the Low Country. This is a favorite locale of ours as it has a metric ton to do, and the kids LOVE it. Between the enormous water table, the fully stocked grocery store with working scanner and registers and flower mart, an arts and crafts room, and a room where you can play with physics (with golf balls), the kids play for hours. We also have to bring a full change of clothes for DJ and Elektra who are usually SOAKED after playing in the water table.
On Wednesday, we went to the South Carolina Aquarium. The bald eagle is an amazing attraction, but so is the albino alligator. This year, Mr. Alligator was absolutely as still as a statue. The kids didn't think he was real.
We got to watch the otters play in the water, and like last year we had the awesome luck to arrive at feeding time for the water fowl (pelicans, great blue heron, etc) , horseshoe crabs, and stingrays. If you can't see the video, click this link: http://youtu.be/VQdZtTFtjR4
Here is a closeup of the Great Blue Heron the Aquarium staff was feeding in the above video.
Then Elektra and DJ fed the stingrays. Link is here: http://youtu.be/pNXbmYELuiA
Anyway, the trip down, for once, was absolutely uneventful. There was no traffic in the Northern Virginia mixing bowl, so we made excellent time. We left home at 8:45am, and arrived at the rental property by 6:30pm. Since it was still early, the kids could see things on the way in, like the paper factory and the various marshes and bridges. Although making it down in 10 hours was a huge win for us, the biggest win was the fact that we traveled without:
1. diapers
2. a pack-n-play
3. the rooftop car carrier
We also had to make one pit stop at Eleanor's for a particular princess crown that was mistakenly left there the day before...
 |
| La Princesa Elektra |
We arrived, we unpacked, got carryout dinner from Longhorn Steakhouse, and put the kids to bed. Elektra slept in our room on the toddler air mattress (which we put on top of the futon). DJ slept in a twin bed with Leo. The boys did AWESOME together the whole week. Plus, it proved to us a couple things about DJ's sleeping habits.
1. DJ really just wants the company
2. DJ wants to be able to come in and snuggle with us in the morning and/or play with someone's iPad.
This also means that I got to sleep ALL NIGHT without a little boy waking me up at some random hour to climb in. WIN!! But the double bed (wow, what a change from a king...) was kind of uncomfortable, so I didn't sleep that great. But that's ok. When morning came, DJ would wake up around 7:30, go potty, and then come into our room. That's when Elektra, who was awake but just hanging out in her bed, would get up, too, and both kids would crawl into the bed and play with iPads while Steve and I *tried* to get a few more winks. Honestly, it was rather fun snuggling with the pile of kids on the bed.
We did a variety of things but this first day after our arrival, we decided to take the kids to the really nice playground on the Isle of Palms and let them blow off some steam. Damian and Andy went to Target and bought a few balls and an Aerobe to throw around. This is when we discovered the bird-sized mosquitoes....
 |
| Leo and DJ |
 |
| Leo and DJ |
We went to Target afterwards (to get bug spray and sunblock!) and by the time we got home, it was too late to put Elektra down for a nap. This was, apparently, the wrong answer. Elektra fell asleep watching the iPad.
 |
| Elektra fell asleep watching iPad... |
On Monday, we went to the USS Yorktown. This year, the kids went on the flight simulator, and did almost all of the climbing up and down the stairs themselves. We visited the gift shop, too... it's like an annual pilgrimage. :-)
 |
| DJ with his new planes from the USS Yorktown giftshop |
 |
| DJ in the cockpit of a plan |
We took a tour of the working and living quarters of the ship and saw a few interesting things, like this sign in the Machine Shop.
 |
| This was on the tour of the USS Yorktown. |
 |
| Another attachment for the mixer in the galley. |
 |
| The spatula part of the mixer in the galley. |
 |
| The Mixer.... in the galley. |
And we had to get a picture on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown. In the background is the Cooper River Bridge.
 |
| Steve, Elektra and DJ on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown |
On Tuesday, we went to the Children's Museum of the Low Country. This is a favorite locale of ours as it has a metric ton to do, and the kids LOVE it. Between the enormous water table, the fully stocked grocery store with working scanner and registers and flower mart, an arts and crafts room, and a room where you can play with physics (with golf balls), the kids play for hours. We also have to bring a full change of clothes for DJ and Elektra who are usually SOAKED after playing in the water table.
 |
| DJ playing with the dam part of the water table. |
 |
| Elektra playing in the water table. |
 |
| Elektra with some flowers from the flower mart in the grocery store |
On Wednesday, we went to the South Carolina Aquarium. The bald eagle is an amazing attraction, but so is the albino alligator. This year, Mr. Alligator was absolutely as still as a statue. The kids didn't think he was real.
 |
| Albino alligator |
We got to watch the otters play in the water, and like last year we had the awesome luck to arrive at feeding time for the water fowl (pelicans, great blue heron, etc) , horseshoe crabs, and stingrays. If you can't see the video, click this link: http://youtu.be/VQdZtTFtjR4
Here is a closeup of the Great Blue Heron the Aquarium staff was feeding in the above video.
 |
| The Great Blue Heron |
Some more pictures of the kids at the SC Aquarium.
Also on Wednesday, Damian and I decided to go run the Cooper River Bridge. The bridge itself is a 6 lane bridge that also has a dedicated bike and walking path. According to my GPS running app on my phone, it is a 1.1 mile uphill one direction, and a 1.6 mile uphill the opposite direction. Needless to say, those of us who are not in shape anymore had some pretty upset calves after the 1.1 mile one way uphill start!! But it was well worth it, and I look forward to running it again next year.
That night, we also went to a Japanese Steak House for dinner. The kids got a huge kick out of watching the hibachi chefs fire up their grills across the restaurant. However, when it came time for our grill to be lit, they had no idea what they were in for.... the grill was lit, a HUGE ball of flame (and subsequently, heat) erupted from the grill, and the kids screamed in terror. Elektra waaaaaaaaaailed, screamed to go back to the car, and eventually compromised by being willing to sit in Daddy's lap. The hibachi chef made our dinner to perfection, cleaned his hibachi, and left while we finished our meals. Elektra then said, "That was fun!" It was all we could do to not laugh. Steve and I made sure to tell the hibachi chef before we left.
On Thursday, we went to the playground again, and then we went 10-pin bowling. Usually, this would be just a footnote in the week's events, except DJ wanted to 10-pin bowl, too. So we got him his own lane, his own shoes, put up the bumpers, and found him a 7 pound ball.
He played full 2 games, and he nearly beat my score both games he played. The guys never would have let me hear the end of it if my nearly 5 year old had beaten my score!! My score is on the left screen, at the bottom (84). DJ's score is on the right (81).
But he was so excited to play, and had such a good time! If you can't see the video, here is the link: http://youtu.be/PvoezsFebMg.
On Friday, we went to play mini golf and go karting. DJ and Elektra seemed to have fun mini golfing, though they didn't quite get the hang of it entirely. Elektra LOVED go karting, and DJ could take it or leave it. I guess we know who is going to be the autocrosser of the family...
Once again, we got home too late to take naps. I, clearly, learned nothing a few days previously.
Saturday, March 24, was DJ's 5th birthday and unfortunately for him, he got to spend it in the car as we drove home. Again, we made it home in record time due to no traffic in the mixing bowl. It was a really nice time, and it was awesome that we got to spend quality time with Andy, Damian, Jenn, and Leo!
 |
| DJ! |
 |
| Elektra with schools of fish! |
Also on Wednesday, Damian and I decided to go run the Cooper River Bridge. The bridge itself is a 6 lane bridge that also has a dedicated bike and walking path. According to my GPS running app on my phone, it is a 1.1 mile uphill one direction, and a 1.6 mile uphill the opposite direction. Needless to say, those of us who are not in shape anymore had some pretty upset calves after the 1.1 mile one way uphill start!! But it was well worth it, and I look forward to running it again next year.
That night, we also went to a Japanese Steak House for dinner. The kids got a huge kick out of watching the hibachi chefs fire up their grills across the restaurant. However, when it came time for our grill to be lit, they had no idea what they were in for.... the grill was lit, a HUGE ball of flame (and subsequently, heat) erupted from the grill, and the kids screamed in terror. Elektra waaaaaaaaaailed, screamed to go back to the car, and eventually compromised by being willing to sit in Daddy's lap. The hibachi chef made our dinner to perfection, cleaned his hibachi, and left while we finished our meals. Elektra then said, "That was fun!" It was all we could do to not laugh. Steve and I made sure to tell the hibachi chef before we left.
On Thursday, we went to the playground again, and then we went 10-pin bowling. Usually, this would be just a footnote in the week's events, except DJ wanted to 10-pin bowl, too. So we got him his own lane, his own shoes, put up the bumpers, and found him a 7 pound ball.
He played full 2 games, and he nearly beat my score both games he played. The guys never would have let me hear the end of it if my nearly 5 year old had beaten my score!! My score is on the left screen, at the bottom (84). DJ's score is on the right (81).
But he was so excited to play, and had such a good time! If you can't see the video, here is the link: http://youtu.be/PvoezsFebMg.
On Friday, we went to play mini golf and go karting. DJ and Elektra seemed to have fun mini golfing, though they didn't quite get the hang of it entirely. Elektra LOVED go karting, and DJ could take it or leave it. I guess we know who is going to be the autocrosser of the family...
Once again, we got home too late to take naps. I, clearly, learned nothing a few days previously.
 |
| Elektra... DONE. |
Saturday, March 24, was DJ's 5th birthday and unfortunately for him, he got to spend it in the car as we drove home. Again, we made it home in record time due to no traffic in the mixing bowl. It was a really nice time, and it was awesome that we got to spend quality time with Andy, Damian, Jenn, and Leo!
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