Build and Grow at Lowe's

Lowe's hosts build events for kids on Saturday mornings that the boys like to go to. We went to a few over the summer and the boys built Hulk's tank, Captain America's motorcycle, and someone's jet. Grandpa Greg and Uncle Jon have helped out other times, but Saturday morning the five (!) of us went to pick up some things at Lowe's and build a fire truck.

Lab of Ornithology Migration Party

Just found these photos from the Cornell Lab of O Fall Migration Party, which my kids did not understand as such, but still enjoyed the face painting and birds of prey, as well as the free sapsucker stuffed animals at the end. We went with Sarah and her three-boy brood but of course did not capture any pictures of any of the children interacting.

mama and three boys

It's pretty amazing to have three little boys. I never imagined that I would be a mother to three boys, yet here I am. I do get some of "oh, too bad, another boy!" or "are you going to try for a girl?" from strangers at the grocery store, but mostly people are busy gushing over how cute they all are. A number of moms of all boys have told me how lucky I am, how wonderful it is to be a mom to boys, because boys love their mamas. I think it's interesting how readily people want to judge, either positively or negatively, our family, but I do take it all as people trying to connect and empathize.

There's still room for everyone when we read stories.

This is from when Tabi, Diane and Sam were visiting for my cousin Jess's wedding a few weeks ago. We walked to the base of Taughannock Falls, which is probably the longest hike the boys had taken. Tabi and Sam helped out with piggyback rides on the way back. I can still hold everyone while we're walking (Reed is in the front pack)!

Doesn't Theo look like Jeff in this picture?

catching up

Last weekend we had some great adventures but I also got a new computer so I've been learning about it and not updating the blog.

Saturday we went to Farm Days at some little pony farm in Canastota that was kind of a bust BUT the boys did get to ride a pony and pet a gecko and tortoise and bounce in the bounce house and get their faces painted. It was hot and we ended the excursion with lunch at Panera.

The face painting lady was doing glorified blackface on everyone--all the animals she knew how to do had a brown or black background, so all the little white kids we watched get their faces painted ended up with various animal markings on top of blackface. And the face painting was taking like 15-20 minutes per kid. So we told the kids they could get turtles, rainbows, or a simple animal face. Beckett chose a rainbow (apparently undocumented by photograph) and Theo chose a simple non-blackface cat. We were expecting, but did not receive, applause from the parents and kids waiting behind us in line.

Sunday we went to the Westcott Street Fair and enjoyed making arts and crafts and buying books at the library book sale and eating treats and drinking lemonade.

Pre-K, one week in

The boys are in different classes, Theo with Miss Donna and Miss G, and Beckett with Ms Johnetta and Miss Melody. I fought for them to be in two different classes because their teacher last year, Miss Mo, had suggested it might be good for them. A few times before they started school and a few times since, the boys have half-heartedly mentioned that they wish they were in the same class, but mostly it's been a non-issue. On the second day of school, Theo's teacher Miss Donna reported that when they went out on the playground in the morning, Theo looked sad and she asked him why he was sad. He told her that he missed his brother. Bless her heart, she knew Beckett and said "Look Theo! Beckett is right there!" because the pre-k classes go out to the playground at the same time. Apparently Theo lit up and ran right over. It's cute to see them say goodbye to each other in the morning at drop-off and hello to each other in the afternoon at pick-up. They usually give each other hugs, and me a hug. It's been just that easy, at least so far. While other kids are sobbing and being held by the teacher as their parents scoot out, Theo and Beckett just give hugs, say goodbye, and never look back. This morning I apparently waited too long after saying goodbye, because Theo looked at me and asked me why I wasn't leaving. There's a lot going on in the classrooms when they get there, so they each hang back a moment to see what's going on, where everybody is, and decide what they want to do. In Beckett's classroom they're usually eating breakfast first thing, so he often goes right to the table to ask Miss Melody for food. In Theo's classroom, their ritual is to come in and wash hands, and then go draw or write with crayons at a table or read books.

The food thing is a highlight of school so far, not so much for the kids but definitely for Mama. Last year the boys had to bring a snack each morning and either bring lunch or buy lunch there, where there were choices. Having to negotiate all those options every morning was a pain and a stress, and if they brought (which they usually did), it added to our grocery list and to-do list in the morning. At their new public school, all breakfasts and lunches are free for everyone (a perk of having so many poor kids in the schools), and it appears that few or no children bring food into their classrooms. There are no apparent allergies or sensitivities (one kid can't have bananas, but isn't affected if others in the class do), so they all eat both meals family style. Now Theo and Beckett eat (bowls and bowls of ) cereal in the morning at home when they get up, but so far that has not stopped them from chowing down on whatever is being served at 9 or 9:30 in their classrooms. I haven't seen them eat lunch but they report that they eat at least some of it. I look at the menus so I can at least ask what they're eating (and sometimes put labels to foods they've never had before). I suspect that there is a lot of waste but I think it hasn't occurred to them that they could bring food, and they're eating enough during the course of the day that they aren't starving when they get home. I think they even get a snack before they come home most days, which so far has been either a piece of fruit or some crackers. I'm thrilled not to have to buy snack or lunch food, not to have to pack lunches and snacks, and basically not to have to worry about what they're eating during the day. The menus look pretty healthy overall, except that they're not offered water at any of the meals but instead drink some kind of veggie/fruit juice or milk at every meal. But overall, I've been pretty impressed so far. I dread the day when it occurs to them that they could bring food and I have to pack lunches. I'm hoping it never happens.

The routine we've settled into is relaxed mornings, since their classroom doors don't open til 9am and their school is a 3 minute walk from our house. They have lots of time to play and then eat breakfast and then play some more before getting dressed and playing some more before last-minute trips to the bathroom and getting shoes on. Because they're not bringing food to school, and they've already brought their extra clothes and rest time towels to the classroom and keep them in their cubbies, I haven't seen the point of bringing backpacks at all. So we just put shoes on and trot on over across our neighbors' yard to the main road, where we walk a block down the street, cross with the crossing guard, and walk into school.

While the boys are at school, Reed and I have been mostly hanging out at home. We've been getting up at 6 or 6:30 to go for walks while the boys are still sleeping, and I have plenty of time before getting the boys to school to shower and get dressed for the day, so we've been running errands or napping or playing or cleaning/picking up. It's been so lovely to have so much time with just him, and to look forward to lots more time with just him even when I start working again, since I'll still have two days a week at home with him. He spends lots of time on his back rolling around (not a full roll yet) and playing with toys and with his feet and sucking on his hands. It looks to me like he has a tooth just starting to come in, but we could be months away from it breaking through. He usually takes a nap around lunchtime so I can watch a show or read while I'm eating. Sometimes we nap together after lunch. Then I pack him up in a carrier to walk over to pick the boys up at 2:45.

It's getting better, but the first few days of school the boys were totally amped up and exhausted by the time they got home. It's all I can do to keep them occupied until dinner time (while making dinner) and then it's a whirlwind to bath and stories and bed. My goal is 7:30 but we haven't been very successful most days in getting them down by then. They only just stopped napping 1-2 hours every afternoon, and though they get a rest period at school I don't think either of them sleep, or if they do it's not for more than 15-20 minutes. So they need to make up the sleep time somewhere, and I'm trying to make it be in the evening. It also means that Jeff and I have some time to spend together, or we have time veg out ourselves, or do housework, or BLOG time!

I will say I'm watching cautiously to see if the boys create meaningful relationships with their teachers this year. Each of them is in a class of 18 kids with one teacher and one aide. It appears that the classes are about half white and half black, from the kids I have seen so far. Each child I have seen or interacted with has been lovely--sweet and engaged and kind. The boys report that there are some mean boys who have punched or hit them, but it's hard to tell what kind of exaggeration might be at play in the reports. I will say I am concerned that with so many kids, the attention my pretty well-behaved kids will get might be limited. Theo's aide, Miss G, told me last week that Theo was very sweet and that she loves listening to him talk, that he has a lot to say. Today Theo's teacher had a substitute in her place, and at the end of the day, the sub told me that Theo is VERY smart and did I know that? She said that he has an incredible vocabulary and that it was because of me, so good work Mom! I am just happy that this early in the school year, the boys are showing who they are to their teachers and that the teachers care enough to notice and comment. I haven't gotten the same impression from Beckett yet and I'm looking for that. Last year he was the more outgoing and engaged student and so I'm interested in the fact that I haven't heard much from his teachers yet. It may be because they are new to the school and this classroom (though not to teaching) and may still be overwhelmed with logistics. I have offered to both the classrooms that I will be happy to volunteer in any capacity (so long as Reed can come too), and they have both said they will take me up on it once they have schedules in place. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the classrooms function and how the boys are while they're there.

Theo's new stationary bike

Jumping in Without Floaties

Beckett and Theo are getting more and more comfortable in the water.  Last weekend, they starting jumping into the water both off of a diving board at the swim club, and off the dock at the cottage.  Of course, a grown up is always waiting to catch them, but they have gotten good at popping back up out of the water all by themselves.

Pre-K!

Tuesday was orientation day for the big boys' pre-kindergarten, which is held at the K-8 school around the corner from us. The boys are in different classes and all the teachers (two teachers plus two aides) seem energetic, experienced, and kind.

Walking into school before orientation:

And leaving for the first day of school on Wednesday:

Special thanks to Grandma Kathy who has been here for the last two days to help with getting to school etc. because Jeff was out of town Tuesday and Wednesday. Drop off Wednesday morning went well. As soon as Beck saw the breakfast spread out on the table, he was ready for me to go. When Theo saw all the other kids coloring with crayons at a table, he was all set too. By all accounts they had a fantastic first day!

It's nice to have a little extra time in the morning to get the kiddos to school (their school starts at 9), though the late start does complicate things once I go back to work. But for now it's wonderful to have a relaxed morning to eat breakfast, read books, play, and get dressed for school. I'm going to start volunteering in their classrooms, to read books and to take walks with the class. I hope baby Reed doesn't mind.

They have each reported having a friend in class, and Beckett especially lights up when he sees his friend Walter in the morning. Breakfast and lunch are served in the classroom for free, which makes our lives in the mornings so much easier, not to have to pack lunch. And apparently the gobble up breakfast too, even though they've already eaten bowls and bowls of cereal first.

Last weekend at the lake

We spent three nights at the lake this weekend to celebrate a cousin's wedding and see lots of family in town for the event. We had hot hot HOT weather and lots of opportunities to get in the water, both at the swim club and at the lake. The boys made huge strides in feeling comfortable in the water without any flotation devices, and jumping off the diving board and the dock. It's sad the season is (almost?) over and we won't have many chances over the winter to keep practicing our swimming.

The scene of the crime--the monkey bars where Beckett broke his leg last month.

Reed had lots of quality Grandpa Stu time at the wedding.

Daddy Lovebo is posting some video of jumping into the water soon....

Last Thursday afternoon we made a spontaneous trip to Green Lakes for our last chance to swim before the end of the lifeguard season. (I'm making no guarantees that I will not bring them back there after the "NO SWIMMING" signs are posted at the end of the day Labor Day.) They both wanted to swim, and I was so happy to be able to go back to a sandy beach after the month of avoiding them to avoid sand in the cast.

The boys did a little bit of swimming last weekend in Ithaca with Grandma Joanie without their puddlejumpers, and they loved it. But Green Lakes was even more well-suited for them because they could wade in and then suspend themselves in the water for as long as they were comfortable, and then simply put their feet down to stand up. They had a BLAST! Beckett is still a little timid with physical challenges because of his leg (he's still limping and treating it tenderly) and he's generally less bold when it comes to the water. But both guys jumped in again and again, dunking their heads under water repeatedly and laughing raucously. And Theo especially had a great time jumping up, falling in the water, holding his breath and then pulling and kicking his legs for 5-10 seconds before putting his feet down and coming up for air. After a while of swimming, Theo enjoyed chasing seagulls on the beach while Beck made sand angels everywhere. Then they dug in the sand and rolled around before playing with the digger and on the playground. Meanwhile, Reed had a lovely walk with Grandma Kathy around the swim area. It was a great last summer day at Green Lakes!

Last visit with Anne

Wednesday night dear friend Anne came to visit us for a night on her way out of Ithaca for the last time. We had dinner at the taco truck around the corner and then the boys asked if "mama's friend" could read them stories. We stayed up too late talking and we kept her here too late in the morning again, but we are so grateful to have had this time with her! Bon voyage and felicitations, dear Anne!

Reed at four months

17 pounds (86th percentile) and 25 inches long (52%) today at his four month visit. Got all his shots and is cleared to go to daycare.

Breaking out the Baby Vegas!

One of the coolest things about having a singleton baby for me now is that I can get out of the house with him, and just him! I could never have attempted to go to a grownup party or event or meeting with TWO four month old babies. But I have attended two lady lawyer dinners (dinner with other Syracuse women attorneys, loosely organized but always elegantly hosted) with Reed, plus countless board meetings and other grown-up sorts of functions. Below is good friend Sally hanging out with Reed at last Thursday's lady lawyer dinner. The amazing thing is that with ONE baby, people (mostly women) absolutely clamor to take him and hold him. So I end up baby-less and socializing! It's amazing. And Reed is such a great sport and is so happy to see different faces and hear different voices. I know it all could change tomorrow but for now it's wonderful and miraculous.

This isn't a great picture, but it's to show that in the last month or two I've started to notice that Reed has a birthmark on his left forearm near his wrist. Here's a shot of it. I do not believe it was there when he was born but the pediatrician says that "birthmarks" can arise later.

NYS Fair

Monday we made our annual trip to the Great New York State Fair with Grandpa Stu. We were also lucky enough to be joined by Daddy, who only had one hearing scheduled at 9am so took the rest of the day off to be with us. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the midway rides this year, taking advantage of a lackadaisical ride operator to get one ride free (the large helicopter, with Daddy, shown below) and then riding four other preschooler-appropriate rides. Beckett slept through the chocolate milk at the Rainbow milk bar as well as soft ice cream cones (don't worry, Theo ate his share).

The end of the day, in the dairy barn and, on the way out, Theo sticking his head out of the sheep head.

Checking out the baby chicks hatching at the 4H building. Due to avian flu we were not allowed to hold any chickens.

Daddy playing with the Lego Robotics robots.

On the bus to the Fair.

Waiting in line for rides

Riding the fire truck at the fire station.