ABCs

Caleb may not be able to tell me a story or sing a complete song like some other toddlers I know, but he knows the English alphabet, its accompanying sounds, and can identify the letters on a page or keyboard.

You don’t have to tell me he’s a genius.  I already think so. 

But I’m his mom.

We’ve used two main resources to help Caleb learn his alphabet as he’s shown interest.  We started with Starfall.com a few months ago.  When I was pregnant with Sophia, I mostly used it as a way to catch my breath for 20 minutes in between trips to the park and games of Ring Around the Rosy, but Caleb loved it.  This is what helped Caleb start to recognize and identify different letters.

Then a couple weeks ago we borrowed LeapFrog’s Letter Factory DVD from the library.  We had the DVD for one week, and in that time Caleb learned almost all the sounds in the alphabet.  “i” is still a difficult one for some reason.  It’s an excellent DVD that I’d recommend if you’re in the market for phonics resources.  Typically Caleb isn’t all that interested in watching TV (It requires holding still for too long.), but this DVD kept his attention (and wasn’t too annoying for the adults in the room either).

Any volunteers to teach him Chinese next? 

For Grandma and Grandpa

Zoo

Over July 4th weekend, Luke had a couple extra days off work, so we hopped in the car and visited Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.  Definitely not a trip we would have taken when Caleb was 2.5 months old, but I think we’re a bit braver with Sophia.  In the car, we read books and watched the windmills in western Iowa.  Luke took Caleb swimming in the hotel pool, which was interesting to watch as Caleb learned to trust Luke.  Caleb wanted to be on his own two feet, and yet he couldn’t get anywhere past the first two steps without Luke.

And then we spent the next day at the zoo…until Caleb was so tired he was unable to look at any more animals.

Family Photo: If you look carefully, you can see all four of us.

Caleb loved the zoo.  I think his favorite was seeing the sharks and their teeth.  Coming in a close second and third were the gorillas and crocodiles. It was fun for us to see Caleb realize that the animals we read about in books are real.

   Sophia was quite the trooper.  She didn’t notice too many animals, but she enjoyed the ride!

Just for kicks.

Sibling Pic

This photo’s almost a month old.  I guess I’d better get it posted before it’s too outdated! 

3 months

Giggles. Smiles. Cries. Our little girl is becoming more and more vocal each day.  She loves to watch Caleb, and Caleb loves to make sure “Fi” has everything she needs in the way of toys and pacifiers.  He may be over-zealous since Sophia is content to watch her toes and fists and will have nothing to do with pacifiers.  Generally, Sophia is a happy and mellow baby.  It’s so fun to see her personality start to shine!

Catch-Up Post

It seems I haven’t been posting much besides catch-up posts.  But that’s what happens when your baby has a cold. Then when she gets better, you decide to try taking your toddler’s pacifier away, only to catch a flu bug the same week your baby decides it’s time for a growth spurt.  So while it’s been a little crazy around here, it hasn’t exactly been eventful.  My goal has been to take each day as it comes, love my family, and do what I can.  My to do list has been fairly short:

• Feed Sophia.
• Work with Caleb during naptime.
• Eat.
• Feed Sophia.
• Work with Caleb at bedtime.
• Sleep.

Now that we’ve given Caleb his pacifier back, Sophia is done with her growth spurt, and we’re all healthy, we can start looking beyond basic survival skills.  Thankfully, Luke has had the privilege of being home more often during these few crazy weeks due to a lull in his work load.  Have I mentioned that he’s an awesome dad?  Caleb and Sophia are privileged to have such a patient, loving, and resourceful father. 

Good Mommy, Bad Mommy

Purely hypothetical, of course. We don’t have any Jekyll and Hydes running around here. 

Good Mommy: Finds reading the same children’s book for the 50th time interesting (or makes it interesting).

Bad Mommy: Hides the book under the sofa cushion.

Good Mommy: Tries to catch her toddler doing the right thing so she can praise and encourage him.

Bad Mommy: Secretly laughs upon seeing her toddler jump out of his pants in surprise when she catches him out of his bed during naptime.

Good Mommy: Patiently gives hugs and tucks in her toddler after being awakened at 3:30 am to the sound of “Brown Bear Brown Bear!” being shouted from her toddler’s bedroom. 

Bad Mommy:  Wishes she could sleep as deeply as her husband and contemplates purchasing ear plugs.

Good Mommy: Upon hearing silence in the house, investigates in case her children have gotten into something they shouldn’t.

Bad Mommy:  Upon hearing silence in the house, sits down and puts up her feet to enjoy the fleeting moment.

^“She watches over the affairs of her household
       and does not eat the bread of idleness.”