Learning

Makaila is doing so great at school. She understands all the math they've done. She loves going to art. She thinks her music teacher is funny. She was all telling me about voting for Clifford (it was either Clifford or Duck for president) and about how the flag can't touch the ground. And she is reading more and more words all the time. What's really cool is that she is writing more on her own too. She knows a lot of 2 and 3-letter words on her own, but she is now learning to sound out and try to just write the sounds that she hears. She might write NO BUD for Nobody or CHAR for Chair. The cute one was when she wrote QOS for clothes. It's so great to see new stuff she is learning.

Follow up

To follow up on some prior blogs, I did take Cole to the doctor. There wasn't anything to be worried about. The doctor thought he just remembered the pain and was protecting it. Of course the next day he stopped limping. But that's how it always goes.

He was sick yesterday. Bad cough and runny nose with a fever that lasted all day. He had a crazy coughing attack last night that made him cough up some phlem and slightly throw up. I know that is really gross and you didn't want to know that. But right after he goes, "me go see Doctor Ernie and get better". Oh buddy.

Cole is doing great with the potty training. We still have accidents, but not every day. He has been doing great when we go places like church or the gym. He's doing so good with it that I had to push him if he says he doesn't need to go. Sometimes I regret that. We had an accident today, but it was in the bathroom as he was trying to get to the toliet. I've been amazed at how great he has done with it. No complaints here.

Good times

We all went to the movies this past week and it was an enjoyable experience. I didn't expect to be saying that so soon. We were invited to a movie showing of Madagascar2. This was a free event and it involved free pizza. So we figured, why not? Cole was totally into it for 20-3o minutes. He sat on my lap for the rest. Lots of pizza eaten. Only 1 resquest for a bathroom trip. Cole was squirmy the last 15 minutes. But overall I'd say it was a great time. And my family will be singing the "I like to move it, move it" song for quite some time. You should hear Cole sing it.

To doctor or not to doctor?

Last night Makaila and Cole were playing quite well in the next room as I prepared dinner. Cole starts crying and after I pick him up he requests the "ice bear". He didn't like the ice bear last time I tried to put it on an injury, so I know this can't be good. He calms down for dinner, but as soon as dinner is over he tries walking and will not put much weight on his foot. For the rest of last night as soon as he tries to walk, he will stop and look at us because his foot is hurting him. I had to carry him from room to room. I worried about this all evening and had the plan if he was still complaining, we'd head to urgent care and I'd request an x-ray and if he was walking normally, I could stop worrying.

So to confuse me, he woke up in between those two options. He isn't complaining, and will say it doesn't hurt if you ask him, but he still has a limp. As a physical therapist, we don't like limps. Especially in 2-year olds. And that leaves me in a quandary about what to do.

Halloween

We had 80 deg weather for Halloween. Makaila got to dress up for school because Kindergarten has a parade in the a.m. Then she got a party at the end of her school day. Our neighbors left a nice suprise of trick-or-treat bags and jack-o-lantern type Croc's. We went tric-or-treating with 3 other families from our neighborhood. It was a sucessful night. I'm not sure, but we might have brought home more candy than we gave away.

Friends

Today Makaila got a letter in the mail. Cole was asking where his mail was. Makaila ran off into the other room telling me not to "guess what she is doing". She came back in a little while with an evelope with Cole written on it. She gave him some "mail". It said, "To Cole. I love you. You are my best friend. From Makaila". So great. Can they stay friends like this forever?

My son rocks

My son rocks. Only the second day of potty training and he peed in the correct place all day. No accidents. Awesome. (No, you cannot ask to see the potty song. It doesn't leave the bathroom.) Of course no number 2 today. . . we'll see how tomorrow goes, I'm not saying we're out of the laundry room yet.

Continued potty training and I spy

The potty training is going as expected for the first week. About 2 accidents a day, so doing lots of laundry. We get a few times in the potty, so that is good. I am being challenged in my patience as I have trouble waiting long enough for him to have success. Cole still hasn't got the tell me ahead of time thing down yet. And he also hasn't gotten the stop mid-stream when he's having an accident. Hopefully that will come soon. And hopefully my blog won't keep him from getting a good job someday because his interviewer read this.

We were driving in the car today and we were pointing out the fire station and the ambulance driving that passed when it turned into I spy. Now Cole has heard his big sister play I spy, and even she has room for improvement. But this is how it is when a 2-year old plays. Cole says, "I spy a house. I spy dirt. I spy Mommy's car. I spy my carseat. I spy my shirt. I spy my arm. I spy my lizzard (which he is holding. Not real of course.). I spy Sissy's carseat. I spy a police car. I spy the soccer place." Too fun. I especially liked it when he spied the dirt and his arm!

Jesus loves me

Potty training. Throw up. Want to come over?

Today has been quite the day. Cole has been wanting his diaper changed more and more. As soon as he pees in it he walks around clutching his pants and saying, "Change my diaper. Diaper wet." It happened yesterday as we were doing some grocery shopping at Target and I decided this was enough. We bought new underware. Both Cars and Thomas the Train, if you care to know. I sat him on the toliet multiple times yesterday. I wasn't going to have him wear them until he had some success. This morning we go to put him on the toliet first thing and he was totally dry. Quite amazing for 11 1/2 hours of sleeping! He sat on the toliet and achieved the desired goal. Most of it didn't actually go in the toliet, but that is beside the point. So, he got to wear his underware. And I must say, it was so darn cute to see him sporting them. The morning passed as expected. An accident. Another success. Multiple attempts.

Then this afternoon Makaila had been complaining of her tummy hurting all afternoon. Just as Chad walks in the door she throws up. All over herself and all over the couch (I won't tell you which one in case you come over). I immediately take her to the shower. She gets her hair washed twice. I clean up the couch, finish dinner prep and get her set up on a different couch. We eat dinner (minus her) and then when we are about done she throws up again. A small bit of it gets into the trash can and this time more on the couch than her. So she's off to get cleaned up again and I'm cleaning off yet another couch.

Little while later, I'm still cleaning a couch, Cole and Makaila are having apple juice and crackers because now her tummy feels better and she wants a little to eat. Cole follows up her act with an accident on the dining room chair. Good thing I hadn't started the load of laundry yet. The 2 throw ups and pee-pee accident all happened in about 1 hour. Seriously.

Papa

I was talking on the phone to Grandpa Rev about his recent back injury. I told Cole about it when I got off the phone. He was very concerned. He just kept repeating, "Papa hurt back?" and "Papa lying down?". Sometimes he just gets something on his mind (like last week when he learned what a motor home was and he talked about the motor home for the next hour) and keeps talking about it. The cutest part was when he asked if "Daddy glue it?".

Smart

Can I just say that my son's brain has been developing lately. All the sudden things are just clicking. He knows the colors green, pink, orange and white. He knows circle, star, oval, triangle, heart (most of the time), moon and diamond. And about 2 weeks ago the kids started playing Hide and Seek and he surprised us with his counting skills. Usually we play with them so they hide together, but this time it was just them so they were counting and hiding separately. We told Makaila to tell Cole which room she was going to hide in and he was to count. She runs off to hide and we tell Cole to count and then go find her in the bedroom. He correctly counts to 10 and follows it up with "ready or not, here I come". Before that moment, we'd never heard him count past 3. He recongnizes so many things in books. He can spot a taxi cab or a Honda CR-V ("like Mommy's) with in 1/2 mile radius.

Pumpkin patch 08

Here's the Swank's annual trip to the Pumpkin patch. Makaila is quite used to me taking lots of pictures and sometimes she is even in the mood for posing. Cole on the other hand, thinks there are much more interesting things than looking at the camera while I'm trying to take a picture. So I'm trying to get the kids to smile while saying, "Cole! Cole! Look at Mommy". Snap picture and see Cole still wasn't looking or Makaila had her eyes clothes. Repeat entire procedure. I don't know if Cole will like the Arboretum as much as Makaila because he seemed to be getting tired of Mommy's quest for the perfect pumpkin picture.

But he did enjoy the petting zoo way more than Makaila did at his age. She is just now enjoying to go in and pet the animals. In years prior she always had that look of, "why do you think I would like this?". But Cole went right in and found the baby goats.

Yes, there is a football painted on his face. At least it was easier to wash off than sister's choice.

It's raining, it's pouring. . .

A few weeks ago, my kids were out playing int he rain.

burrito?

When my son says "Arboretum" it sounds just like when he says, "burrito".

strangely nice day

Some days God just gives you what you need. Yesterday I had to go for my annual exam. No woman ever enjoys that kind of thing. I didn't have to wait too terribly long (always a plus with a OB/GYN). The nurse started by complimenting my skin. This past month I have been dreading the nearing of my next birthday and thinking how this year I've really begun to just look older, so it was a great compliment. They talked me into being part of a study the doctor is doing so now I will get paid $40 for the visit I was doing anyways. The play date for my kids got cancelled so I had the opportunity to run an errand at the mall (since kids were with my wonderful husband). I got my ring cleaned, enjoyed a Starbucks and hit a few of the really great sales they were having. I got to go to stores that are NOT entertaining to my kids, infact they didn't even SELL kids' clothing there. And I even got to TRY ON clothes. I walked away with a few purchases (on sale). Including travel time I was only gone from my family for 3 1/2 hours, but it was just what I needed to have a great day. To quote my sister-in-law, "that's the best OB/GYN visit ever!".

lawn mower?

Today we were getting into the car and there was a man next to us getting into the back of his Jeep. For some reason Cole said, "lawn mower". We had just been watching a grass cutter mow the lawn at a park and I don't know if that was the reason. Or in hindsight, maybe there was a lawn mower somewhere near by that I didn't see, but I answer Cole, "that car is called a Jeep". He repeatedly said, "lawn mower". One more time I tried to answer how it may have looked like something else, but it is a car called a Jeep. Cole answered me with a calm but firm voice (as much as possible for a 2-year old), "No, it's not." I was both surprised and amused that he said that.

daddies

Our kids both know that daddies are good for fixing things. Cole was washing his hands the other day when the bar of soap split in half. He goes, "Daddy glue it". I wish everything in life was that simple.

Patience

I am currently being challenged to be more patient. Cole wants to climb up into the car by himself. He wants to buckle the top buckle on his car seat all by himself. These are things I need to let him do so we don't have crying as we leave the house.

I have to be patient to let Makaila pick up her backpack, lunch pack and folders she throws down on the floor when we come home. I feel if I do it, I will always be doing it. I have to be patient for her to tell me about her day when she is ready. She may have had a good day, but she is warn out and needs some time to relax at home first. But if I'm listening, I'll hear little bits and pieces throughout the afternoon and evening to give me a glimpse of her day at Kindergarten. I have to be patient as she is tying her shoes because that is a new skill for her and it needs perfecting.

Thankful

I am thankful. . .

I can stay at home and take care of my kids
For times laughing and tickeling my kids
For vanilla lattes
For quiet times in my house
For kids that play together
That my sister is recovering from surgery and I have 2 new nieces
That it is a beautiful day outside
That my allergies are reminding me I am usually healthy
For a son that is so much fun
For a daughter that is learning so much
For a husband who is a great daddy and provider
For good music
For a car that works
For my bed at night