Fun with Preston

Last week we had two fun playdates with the boys' friend Preston. Tuesday we hung around our house, and Thursday we met at Barry Park on the east side of town. The boys invented lots of great games together, including seeing how many boys they could fit on one Cozy Coupe. Preston did more than his fair share of turns pushing Beckett and Theo in the car.

At the playground they chased squirrels, rode bikes on the tennis courts, climbed soccer goals, and invented a game on the slide that involved running up the slide, then sliding down all together in a big ball of little boy.

Check out these dance moves!

The only thing better than watching Beckett dance, is watching Beckett dance in slow motion!

A couple cool things they did yesterday that impressed me:

One, the boys made a contiguous, connected train track. Usually it is hard for them to plan how to connect it, and then suddenly yesterday, it was done!

This is Beckett's chalkboard in the playroom. He's very good at Ts but there are also a couple pretty reasonable looking Bs. He told me that Bs are a lot harder than Ts and so his Bs weren't as good as his Ts.

School, one week in

The boys did two days of school last week and we all survived. They will normally go to afterschool until about 4:45 when we can pick them up but last week Jeff could pick them up at 2:30 both days.

Then Monday we got a call from the school that Theo had thrown up. Jeff picked them both up around 2:30. Both boys have colds, and when Theo gets coughing, he sometimes throws up. So not exactly a stomach bug but still, he looked pretty miserable when Jeff got there. Of course, within minutes he was running around and playing on the way to the car, and they had a good afternoon at home with Daddy til I could get home. Both are in pretty good spirits this morning, playing with sand and building train courses and jumping on the trampoline.

Last Saturday Beckett and I went to the Farmers' Market while Jeff and Theo stayed home for a bike ride. Beckett picked out these great flowers.

Another exciting Saturday dinner date with toddlers, this time with good friend Preston and his mommy, Sara.

Reading on the couch together, practicing their letters.

First Day of School

Monday was the boys' first day at Most Holy Rosary in the pre-kindergarten 3 classroom. I think we were all nervous about it, for different reasons. I was anxious about making and packing snacks and lunches, and the boys were anxious about us leaving them at an unfamiliar place. After a couple of hiccups getting into the building with all of our first-day gear (sleeping bags, tissues, baby wipes, and two eager boys wearing backpacks), Jeff said goodbye and gave kisses and hugs. I lingered to help the boys find the bathroom, and then was out the door by 8:30. I had told my office that I wouldn't be in later than 10, but I made it by 8:45. I cried all the way to work, not because I was worried about them but just because it's a transition. This is the first time the boys have been out of our home without us, not at a grandparents' home. It's wonderful for them and very exciting, and also a little bit sad as an ending of a very special time.

This is the boys in the book corner in their classroom. This is where they have run to first every time we've arrived.

Art

Last Saturday morning the boys asked to get out finger paints, and then markers. They do remarkably different things when presented with paper and art supplies.

Theo, finger paints. Uses not much paint, then carefully directs it in particular places, takes a long time before going back for more paint.

Theo, markers. One solid, continuous line, slowly spiraling in.

Beckett, finger paints. Uses gobs of paint, loves pressing hard with the paint on the paper.

Beckett, markers. Lots of switching colors, excitement about creating letters (lots of Ms and a few Bs, Ts and Hs).

This morning the boys played a little with their Little Tykes dollhouse (awesome $9.99 Mama Goose find!) and then we went to Green Lakes and had a beautiful, magical swim in the lake almost all by ourselves and played on the playground with friend Aria.

The boys enjoyed watching the tractors rake the sand on the beach while digging and playing on the playground.

After naps we went to the pediatrician to get the boys their flu shots. I had prepared the boys that they would be getting shots, and they have been practicing giving each other shots with their doctor kits. Once there, the nurse offered either the nasal spray or the shots. I asked the boys, and they each immediately chose shots. The nurses were speechless. They were total troupers, taking their shots without so much as a peep. Then we came home to watch a little bit of Frozen and then some tennis on TV while enjoying their doctor-issued lollipops.

Last Wednesday we went to the Carrie Underwood concert at the NYS Fair with Ithaca friends Anne and Bonnie. The only food, once we got into the arena, was Dippin Dots. So Dippin Dots we ate. 

Friday the boys and I went to the Seneca Lake State Park, which has an awesome playground and SPRAYground. So much fun!

There was also a kind of trolley between two of the play structures that could be moved by turning a lever. The boys convinced several older children to turn the lever so they could ride back and forth.

On the way home we stopped for hot dogs and ice cream at a roadside stand.

Today the boys and I had a great visit with my friend Stacey and her kids Aria (above) and Jude, 5 weeks. My boys and Aria had some great reading time while Stacey fed Jude, and everyone had a great time!

This afternoon I struggled with Theo to nap after Beckett went right to sleep. I moved Theo to another room and returned him again and again to bed. I knew he was tired and he would even lay down motionless for several minutes at a time, but it was almost like he willed himself not to sleep. Finally I gave up after he peed a huge amount in the pack-and-play in the extra room, then after I made him get on the potty, he pooped a huge amount. Then I gave up and let him have quiet time downstairs, but told him that only Beck would get to watch the short Thomas movie after nap because Theo had not napped. I knew he was tired but it seemed like he was fighting sleep as well as he could. He was getting more and more tired and whiny as Beck continued napping. So just as Beck was about to wake up, Theo and I went upstairs and with very little fuss, Theo fell asleep. Whereas Beck had napped from 12:45-2:45, Theo slept from 3-4. It kind of makes sense that Theo doesn't get tired as early as Beck, which is why trying to get him to nap at the same time is sometimes (but not always) disastrous. It certainly complicates napping and any kind of activity planning for the afternoon, if they take turns napping, but on the other hand it allows for more one-on-one time with each of them while the other sleeps. I'm not sure if this holds up over time but we will see. I feel bad for taking three years to realize that they might have different napping needs. But I'm optimistic this will lead to a better nap groove.

Visit with Mac, Berkey, Tegan and Lauren

Unfortunately this is the only photo documenting their visit to our house last Friday.

We got out the Bleisenberg's trusty exersaucer for Tegan, who enjoyed it, and then this morning Beck (above) and Theo had to try it out, too.