The boys really understood Santa Claus this year. Apart from the holiday shows about sharing and giving and family togetherness, they truly understood that if they were good all year that Santa would bring them gifts. I know they are not getting the religious side of the holiday, but growing up in my household, Christmas always meant a time to be with those you love and share in making each other happy at the coldest time of the year. I think that Christmas is the one holiday that can transcend faith and be a time for everyone around the world.
Jack and Ben wrote letters for Santa and left him a cookie with milk. I ate it. We also tracked Santa on the NORAD website as he went from Africa to Europe to Canada and was hitting Central America when they went to sleep. We wrapped everything last night and the boys went NUTS with excitement this morning.
Now its time to let them play while we prepare for family to arrive this afternoon for a delicious meal.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good day!
Showing posts with label milestone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label milestone. Show all posts
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Failure to Update
Blog posting has fallen by the wayside in 2010. What with those newfangled cellular telephones and The Facebooks, there doesn't seem to be quite the need to post redundant information on here as well. But, since Taylor has done the majority of the Facebooking, I figured I should be more vigilant on this blog.
Jack
Jack has been having trouble sleeping lately. He has off days and good days. We went through a patch where he was getting up every single night at least three times. Mostly crying and not going back to sleep himself. We keep saying we will let him cry it out the next night, but my instincts kick in while half awake and I go to check on him anyway. It becomes very frustrating and difficult to not get mad at him at 4am when he is screaming that his blanket does not work. It does seem to relate to how much sleep he gets during naptime and also whether he has too much to drink close to bed time. He does go potty right before bed, but if you had a cup of milk or juice you would have a full bladder at midnight as well.
Ben
Ben's language has grown to the point that you can have conversations with him. He has several sentences that he uses to communicate what he needs. It is really cool to watch him mimic his brother's mannerisms. Ben also has been posing in funny ways to get us to laugh. But, he still screams like a nightmare. They are nonstop and run the length of the day. It is almost unbearable. We have been trying to use the idea of Inside Voice, but he does not seem to quite get it. When he isn't screaming, he is a delight. But, when he does scream, it makes you want to scream as well.
Overall
Things are going well and we are on track for Jack to begin Preschool in October. The Illinois law states that children who go to the same private preschool and kindergarten are eligible to enter 1st grade without needing to attend public kindergaten. We would still need to test him for early entry since he is 24 days past the cutoff for Illinois. We are very confident he will get in.
Jack
Jack has been having trouble sleeping lately. He has off days and good days. We went through a patch where he was getting up every single night at least three times. Mostly crying and not going back to sleep himself. We keep saying we will let him cry it out the next night, but my instincts kick in while half awake and I go to check on him anyway. It becomes very frustrating and difficult to not get mad at him at 4am when he is screaming that his blanket does not work. It does seem to relate to how much sleep he gets during naptime and also whether he has too much to drink close to bed time. He does go potty right before bed, but if you had a cup of milk or juice you would have a full bladder at midnight as well.
Ben
Ben's language has grown to the point that you can have conversations with him. He has several sentences that he uses to communicate what he needs. It is really cool to watch him mimic his brother's mannerisms. Ben also has been posing in funny ways to get us to laugh. But, he still screams like a nightmare. They are nonstop and run the length of the day. It is almost unbearable. We have been trying to use the idea of Inside Voice, but he does not seem to quite get it. When he isn't screaming, he is a delight. But, when he does scream, it makes you want to scream as well.
Overall
Things are going well and we are on track for Jack to begin Preschool in October. The Illinois law states that children who go to the same private preschool and kindergarten are eligible to enter 1st grade without needing to attend public kindergaten. We would still need to test him for early entry since he is 24 days past the cutoff for Illinois. We are very confident he will get in.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Jack is Iron Man!
Jack fulfilled his goal of pooping on the potty three times (intentionally). His reward was this Iron Man costume which he treats like it was the real thing. We are very proud of him.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Ben Words Explode
Ben is now adding new words almost daily. There are too many to list on here and I am sure I will forget some, but he has added at least a dozen or more since my last post!
Saturday, May 01, 2010
The #1 Prize
Jack chose his prize for completing his responsibility chart this week. Well, actually he did not complete the No Whining or No Hitting requirements, but the fact that he peed in the potty every time every day for a week was worth a big prize. And, as with everything he has picked for the last few months, it was something Iron Man related. At this point I believe the Iron Man toy total is at 11. I wish he was old enough to actually watch the movie!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Ben Says
Ben says:
Yes
No
Don't want this
What's this?
Why sad?
Indeed ("deed")
Banana ("nana")
Ma ma (food)
Mama
Mommy
Daddy
Pop-Pop
Grannie ("gah-nee")
Done
Ba Ba (his blanket)
Bye
Night Night
Yes
No
Don't want this
What's this?
Why sad?
Indeed ("deed")
Banana ("nana")
Ma ma (food)
Mama
Mommy
Daddy
Pop-Pop
Grannie ("gah-nee")
Done
Ba Ba (his blanket)
Bye
Night Night
Monday, March 15, 2010
Bensplosion!
Something happens when we go on vacation. The boys always return with something new up their sleeves. This time Ben came back with dozens of new words. And sentences. Ben is now fond of saying "Don't want that" or "I want this." It is very cool to see him with developed language. I have a sneaking suspicision the don't and no phrases will become his go to answers. Sigh.
The vacation was very good. The boys had a great time. I will post photos soon.
The vacation was very good. The boys had a great time. I will post photos soon.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Smooshi/Soosee
Jack recently tried saying sushi and it came out sounding like the title of this post. Just a random observation. Speaking of which, here is some of the latest about the two Maidy boys.
Jack:
He is very verbal these day, more than ever before. He asks tons of questions and some of them are very deeply layered. It is very cool watching him grow up like this. Sometimes I forget that he is only 3 years old. I will have to post some of the amazing things he says so that anyone reading this knows what I mean. He has taken to telling me that I am his best friend and he loves me very much. He also says this to Taylor, Ben, and Sam.
The best example I can think of came last night:
"Jack, you know tomorrow is the Valentine's Party at daycare, right?"
"Party? It is not my birthday."
"I know, it is a party for Valentine's Day"
"It...is....not...my....birthday....I said!"
"I know Jack, it is a party to share Valentine's cards and show everyone how much you love them."
"Oh...(exasperated groan)....I'm busy."
-----
Ben
Ben is a big kid. He also has a terrible temper. He is constantly swiping and scratching Jack. Jack does not retaliate, which is good. Ben also screams. He will yell and it is impossible to tell if he is happy or mad. He will also let loose a tirade of yells and crying if he is not fed promptly at each meal time. It can be very, very frustrating.
Below is a somewhat comprehensive list of Ben's words these days:
Banana
Yes
No
Bye
Thank You (more of a sound than a word, but he knows what it means"
Notebook
And Beyond
Mama
Dada
Fish
I am sure I am missing some. He needs to communicate more and I am sure it will alleviate a lot of his frustration and anger. I hope.
Jack:
He is very verbal these day, more than ever before. He asks tons of questions and some of them are very deeply layered. It is very cool watching him grow up like this. Sometimes I forget that he is only 3 years old. I will have to post some of the amazing things he says so that anyone reading this knows what I mean. He has taken to telling me that I am his best friend and he loves me very much. He also says this to Taylor, Ben, and Sam.
The best example I can think of came last night:
"Jack, you know tomorrow is the Valentine's Party at daycare, right?"
"Party? It is not my birthday."
"I know, it is a party for Valentine's Day"
"It...is....not...my....birthday....I said!"
"I know Jack, it is a party to share Valentine's cards and show everyone how much you love them."
"Oh...(exasperated groan)....I'm busy."
-----
Ben
Ben is a big kid. He also has a terrible temper. He is constantly swiping and scratching Jack. Jack does not retaliate, which is good. Ben also screams. He will yell and it is impossible to tell if he is happy or mad. He will also let loose a tirade of yells and crying if he is not fed promptly at each meal time. It can be very, very frustrating.
Below is a somewhat comprehensive list of Ben's words these days:
Banana
Yes
No
Bye
Thank You (more of a sound than a word, but he knows what it means"
Notebook
And Beyond
Mama
Dada
Fish
I am sure I am missing some. He needs to communicate more and I am sure it will alleviate a lot of his frustration and anger. I hope.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Heavyweights
We weighed Jack and Ben last night on the home scale. Jack is 36 lbs and Ben is 35 lbs.
Wow.
Looking online, Jack is in the 90% range for 3-4 year olds and Ben is in the 95%+ range. He is big, but all of the websites I visited said that percentiles do not mean anything negative unless they fluctuate severely or if they are not in proportion to height and head circumference, which Ben's are.
Even so, he is over a year younger than Jack and only 1 pound lighter.
Lets hope Ben slows down soon...or Jack speeds up.
Wow.
Looking online, Jack is in the 90% range for 3-4 year olds and Ben is in the 95%+ range. He is big, but all of the websites I visited said that percentiles do not mean anything negative unless they fluctuate severely or if they are not in proportion to height and head circumference, which Ben's are.
Even so, he is over a year younger than Jack and only 1 pound lighter.
Lets hope Ben slows down soon...or Jack speeds up.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Gabba Gabba Hey!
Jack enjoyed his first concert. He did not get scared or freak out. He did grind his jaw a bit (as you can see in one of the photos), but he loosened up and danced and played along with the stage show. He enjoyed it and, as usual, liked it more after it was ending. Sigh.
But, the show was well done. For fans of Yo Gabba Gabba it was exactly like the show. It was interactive, had all the big songs (and some new ones), the guest stars, and lots of fun. DJ Lance and Biz Markie took photos with fans after, but Jack didn't want to wait.
Next year we want to do it again and bring Ben. He was too small this year but next year they can dance in the aisles together. It is only a matter of time before they want to see a movie in the theater!
But, the show was well done. For fans of Yo Gabba Gabba it was exactly like the show. It was interactive, had all the big songs (and some new ones), the guest stars, and lots of fun. DJ Lance and Biz Markie took photos with fans after, but Jack didn't want to wait.
Next year we want to do it again and bring Ben. He was too small this year but next year they can dance in the aisles together. It is only a matter of time before they want to see a movie in the theater!
Friday, December 04, 2009
Jack's First Concert
Tomorrow we are taking Jack to his first concert.I know he is either going to be freaked out or love it. He has always been into Yo Gabba Gabba and now he will see the real thing. From what I have heard they allow cameras in the show so we may get some pictures. I know Jack will want a shirt or a toy. We will have to bring something back for Ben as well.
Maybe next year they can both go to Sesame Street or Thomas on stage. Or, maybe Yo Gabba Gabba will come back.
I am excited.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Double Day Care
Today was Ben’s first day at Day Care.
Jack has been asking for him to go along for a while now and every morning Ben would cry as Jack and I left for school. As the day approached that Ben would actually be going, Jack asked more and more. Well, the day is here.
Taylor and I had trouble letting Jack go. She had it worse than me. He was the first, the baby, and a stranger was caring for him. But, as time went by and we saw the benefits of him going we both grew at ease with it. We would still prefer to stay at home, but economically this is the way it has to be right now. I could do without all the illnesses and ear infections that were undoubtedly the result of daycare exposure, but you cannot fault the learning and social skills Jack gained and which Ben needs to foster.
But, we knew that having Sam care for Ben was not the permanent solution. She has been an absolute godsend and saved us the difficulty of sending an infant to daycare. Because of this, Ben has been much healthier than Jack was. But Ben needs to grow. He needs more words and more friends and things that Sam is just not able to provide in a home setting. She has her own life that she needs to develop and it is not fair for us to prevent her from doing that.
She will still be watching them 2 days a week, so this is not 100% day care or 100% home. It is nice that Taylor and I are able to work from home and get the best of both worlds. This also lets Sam return to a “real life” of school and work while also being an integral part of the lives of her nephews who love her so much.
I have already checked in with the day care to see if Ben’s screaming and biting and stranger danger have been problems. It is not even noon yet. I was prepared for a sad phone call.
“Hello, it is Jack and Ben’s dad.”
“Checking in on Ben?”
“Yeah….is he okay?”
“Yes, he just finished making a turkey. He got the marker on his hands, but we helped him.”
“Has he been screaming or crying?”
“No, not at all. He is doing great.”
Big surprises come in big fat round packages.
Jack has been asking for him to go along for a while now and every morning Ben would cry as Jack and I left for school. As the day approached that Ben would actually be going, Jack asked more and more. Well, the day is here.
Taylor and I had trouble letting Jack go. She had it worse than me. He was the first, the baby, and a stranger was caring for him. But, as time went by and we saw the benefits of him going we both grew at ease with it. We would still prefer to stay at home, but economically this is the way it has to be right now. I could do without all the illnesses and ear infections that were undoubtedly the result of daycare exposure, but you cannot fault the learning and social skills Jack gained and which Ben needs to foster.
But, we knew that having Sam care for Ben was not the permanent solution. She has been an absolute godsend and saved us the difficulty of sending an infant to daycare. Because of this, Ben has been much healthier than Jack was. But Ben needs to grow. He needs more words and more friends and things that Sam is just not able to provide in a home setting. She has her own life that she needs to develop and it is not fair for us to prevent her from doing that.
She will still be watching them 2 days a week, so this is not 100% day care or 100% home. It is nice that Taylor and I are able to work from home and get the best of both worlds. This also lets Sam return to a “real life” of school and work while also being an integral part of the lives of her nephews who love her so much.
I have already checked in with the day care to see if Ben’s screaming and biting and stranger danger have been problems. It is not even noon yet. I was prepared for a sad phone call.
“Hello, it is Jack and Ben’s dad.”
“Checking in on Ben?”
“Yeah….is he okay?”
“Yes, he just finished making a turkey. He got the marker on his hands, but we helped him.”
“Has he been screaming or crying?”
“No, not at all. He is doing great.”
Big surprises come in big fat round packages.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
The Trip
Well, as we anticipated, the boys did very well on the drive. They slept through the night and quickly went to bed after gas fill-ups. My wife, the crazy one, drove through the night down to Florida and back home and only stopped once she thought she was seeing things. Isn't that everyone's cue? She drove for 9-10 hours (650 miles approx) each way. I drove the remainer, which including food stops for the kids and diaper changes ended up being 12-14 hours straight (750 miles approx).
We did learn that Florida climate changes do not agree with Jack. As soon as we crossed into The South, he developed heat rash, cold sores, and puffy eyes. Benadryl did the trick eventually, but he is still recovering from the sores and the raw nose from constant wiping. He also fell out of bed one night and has a nice bruise on his upper cheek. Sigh.
Ben, however, is in good health. He decided to reject formula and bottles outright on the way down and is now exclusively drinking whole milk from cups and eating solid meals. He is an amazing kid. He does have the worst stranger danger I have ever seen and was only warming up to my parents and my grandmother the last few days of the trip.
The weather was crazy. It rained like hurricanes and then in the same day became unbearably hot. Luckily, Florida has two locations: outside and air-conditioned.
My family were amazing the whole trip, dealing with our parental quirks, the kids quirks, and gave us a great vacation.
So much more we can share: Jack fed a giraffe AND a baby kangaroo, Ben said his first "words," we went snorkeling off Key West, I got a 2nd degree sunburn that looks like a huge blister, and more.
But, enough words! Check out some photos!
VIDEOS COMING SOON!
We did learn that Florida climate changes do not agree with Jack. As soon as we crossed into The South, he developed heat rash, cold sores, and puffy eyes. Benadryl did the trick eventually, but he is still recovering from the sores and the raw nose from constant wiping. He also fell out of bed one night and has a nice bruise on his upper cheek. Sigh.
Ben, however, is in good health. He decided to reject formula and bottles outright on the way down and is now exclusively drinking whole milk from cups and eating solid meals. He is an amazing kid. He does have the worst stranger danger I have ever seen and was only warming up to my parents and my grandmother the last few days of the trip.
The weather was crazy. It rained like hurricanes and then in the same day became unbearably hot. Luckily, Florida has two locations: outside and air-conditioned.
My family were amazing the whole trip, dealing with our parental quirks, the kids quirks, and gave us a great vacation.
So much more we can share: Jack fed a giraffe AND a baby kangaroo, Ben said his first "words," we went snorkeling off Key West, I got a 2nd degree sunburn that looks like a huge blister, and more.
But, enough words! Check out some photos!
VIDEOS COMING SOON!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Jack the Lionheart
Jack amazes each and every day. Sometimes it is nothing more than a new silly face or a new word. But other times it is one of those monumental milestone kinds of things that make you realize this is not just your baby but also a fully functioning human being.
On the way home today I had to make a pitstop with Jack at Jewel. Taylor had requested a loaf of french bread to make homemade garlic bread. Jack was in a very good mood from daycare and was talking up a storm. It was beautiful outside so I was happy to spend a little more time with the Fudge.
No sooner than we entered the store, Jack wanted to walk. These days he does not want to be in the cart. I figured it was a quick trip, let him explore a bit. I set him down and he took a few steps. At that moment a woman dropped a bag of chips on the ground.
Now, at this point my instinct was to pull him back and tell him to stay close. But, I didn't have time. Instead I saw Jack walk up to the bag of chips, pick it up, hand it to the lady, and say "here you go." She looked shocked and I am sure I did too. She thanked him and said he was a very helpful little boy.
I don't know if Jack realized how awesome it was to see him act selflessly like that or if he was just excited I rewarded his really amazing behavior with a little toy car (and a LOT of kisses).
Either way, my little guy is a great human being and I am prouder of him every single day!
On the way home today I had to make a pitstop with Jack at Jewel. Taylor had requested a loaf of french bread to make homemade garlic bread. Jack was in a very good mood from daycare and was talking up a storm. It was beautiful outside so I was happy to spend a little more time with the Fudge.
No sooner than we entered the store, Jack wanted to walk. These days he does not want to be in the cart. I figured it was a quick trip, let him explore a bit. I set him down and he took a few steps. At that moment a woman dropped a bag of chips on the ground.
Now, at this point my instinct was to pull him back and tell him to stay close. But, I didn't have time. Instead I saw Jack walk up to the bag of chips, pick it up, hand it to the lady, and say "here you go." She looked shocked and I am sure I did too. She thanked him and said he was a very helpful little boy.
I don't know if Jack realized how awesome it was to see him act selflessly like that or if he was just excited I rewarded his really amazing behavior with a little toy car (and a LOT of kisses).
Either way, my little guy is a great human being and I am prouder of him every single day!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Fear and Loathing in Elgin
Ben and Jack now share a bedroom. I spent Saturday cleaning The Room Formerly Known as Jack's while Taylor took Jack to the park and the fish store with EJ and Jacob. The fun part, I guess, was having to disassemble the crib and then reassemble it. The first night both boys went down with almost no effort and slept the entire night. Yesterday Ben had to sleep in our bed for his nap because Jack was too riled up to sleep (both boys napped once in different rooms). But, again for the night both boys went to sleep with no problem. Things are looking good!
Also, in the course of the day yesterday, Ben has been able to stand on his own for 1 minute and more. He also has started to take baby steps. Looks like he may be walking before the end of April!
5 weeks until Florida! Still so much to do!
Also, in the course of the day yesterday, Ben has been able to stand on his own for 1 minute and more. He also has started to take baby steps. Looks like he may be walking before the end of April!
5 weeks until Florida! Still so much to do!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Walking and Talking
Ben has 2 more teeth coming in on the bottom. These have broken through and brings his grand total to EIGHT teeth. Yes, we know, he is a little monster.
Jack has a cold that has been nagging him, but he has been in good spirits the past couple of days. He had lots of fun playing with friends and cousins yesterday and then finger painting with mommy today.
It snowed quite a bit so he got a bit of cabin fever, but it is melting quickly so hopefully we can go outside next weekend and back to the park he asks for so often.
Jack has a cold that has been nagging him, but he has been in good spirits the past couple of days. He had lots of fun playing with friends and cousins yesterday and then finger painting with mommy today.
It snowed quite a bit so he got a bit of cabin fever, but it is melting quickly so hopefully we can go outside next weekend and back to the park he asks for so often.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Ben's 9 Month Checkup
The Tale of the Tape
Length
Ben: 30 inches
Jack: 28 inches
Weight
Ben: 23 lbs 5 oz
Jack: 21 lbs 6 oz
Head Circumference
Ben: 19.75 inches
Jack: 17.75 inches
Immunizations
Ben: 4 shots
Jack: 1 shot
Ben is definitely a big boy. While he is heavier than Jack, Ben's weight is only in the 50th percentile. His length is 98th! Ben is more than likely going to be taller than his big brother. Lets just hope they don't make it into a contest.
Length
Ben: 30 inches
Jack: 28 inches
Weight
Ben: 23 lbs 5 oz
Jack: 21 lbs 6 oz
Head Circumference
Ben: 19.75 inches
Jack: 17.75 inches
Immunizations
Ben: 4 shots
Jack: 1 shot
Ben is definitely a big boy. While he is heavier than Jack, Ben's weight is only in the 50th percentile. His length is 98th! Ben is more than likely going to be taller than his big brother. Lets just hope they don't make it into a contest.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
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