In tears. . . .

I know I have so much to catch up on, but this needs to be out there right away. At this moment, I couldn't be happier. Max has had a good day every day this week. This exerpt is part of a dialogue I had with his teacher today:

"
Yes, this has been his best week yet. I hope he can make it today with another smile too! I am so proud of him! Our occupational therapist says the "tackling" is done when a child is seeking sensory input. She suggested having him do some yoga poses, wall pushing, carrying "heavy things" etc. I got out a weighted vest out for him and he "loves" to wear it..... it seems to help him too. He knows several of the yoga poses that we have learned.....the seal, turtle, tree etc."

and then this:

"
I also am glad we have turned the corner with Max. I could see his good side before too but now it is even more obvious. He is really a very bright kid. The other day we went on a walking field trip to look at houses. Max was the child who noticed the the address numbers were close to each other or almost the same. Wow, no one has ever noticed that and I have done the walk for several years. We see him using manners, polite words etc and "teaching" other kids by telling kids how others will feel etc. if they do something wrong. Thanks to the two of you for helping me, help Max."

Wow.

Translation.

Ever since Max has started Kindergarten, we've been learning lots of new things.

Mostly it's been words and different languages. Cooper's even been getting into it.

Cooper: "Mee(ni) hao--what dat mean?"

Me:"Hello in Chinese."

Cooper:"Oh--Mee Hao"

At the dinner table:

Cooper: What dat in ine-aggage (sign language)?
Me: Yogurt? Hmm, I don't know, I'd have to look that one up.
Cooper: I tink it dis (making motions with his hands)

Ruby is Rosie

So it turns out Ruby did not have H1N1, she had/has Roseola. Our first big clue is the full body rash she's sportin' today.

Good news is she's fine and the rash will work it's way out of her system soon.

Flu Watch 2009

We are currently monitoring Ruby for symptoms of H1N1.

She's definitely been exposed. Cooper's entire classroom has gotten sick with the exception of Cooper and one of his teachers.

She's been spiking 103 fevers off and on, and just seems generally ill.

My poor sweet babe.

Empathy and unbelievable. . . .

Yesterday I got a hug from Max's teacher. Because he had a FANTASTIC day! --Unbelievable

Yesterday, Ruby had her 1 year check up. She weighed a whopping 20 lbs 6 ounces. Considering where she had been regarding her weight, this was cause for celebration. She once was not even on the growth charts and now is hovering in the 50th percentile! --Unbelievable

Yesterday, Ruby had some vaccinations. Max got teary-eyed. We then went for family flu shots. I went first. When we asked who should go next the boys both offered up Mommy. After that they were calling each others names to go next. Max was very brave and took his shot in the arm like a pro while Cooper tried to become one with the corner of the room. Cooper put up quite a protest, but what struck us even more, was how visibly upset it was making Max. "He doesn't want it. MaMa, Cooper is scared, he is frightened. He doesn't want it," etc. All with a strong sense of urgency. --Empathy

I know, I still owe you photos. . . .

O-yeah

Two things. . .

1. Last night Ruby took five wobbly steps to me unassisted!

2. Last week Wednesday, I was at school picking up Max. They were outside on the playground. There were other older kids there for an afterschool program. The PE teacher came up to me and introduced himself. Ahh, the infamous Mr. O. He then proceeded to shower praise and compliments about Max. "What a neat kid. He is so fun to watch! Last Wednesday I was here for the after school program playing Kickball. Max joined us, and wow, he really knew what he was doing. He was running the bases, knew how to round second, and when someone came after him with the ball, he slid back to second. I have second-graders who can't play this game. He is by far ahead of any benchmarks for a Kindergartener. He's going to be a mover!" He also talked about how well he does in PE, and that he was talking to Max and Max was telling him that he's learning about football right now. It was nice to hear such positive feedback.

(We can't take all the credit, but. . . .not bad for a couple of girls!!!)

The Party's Over. . .

We've finished up our First Birthday Extravaganza!!

Ruby turned one at 3:14 am Thursday am. Interestingly, I was awake at that time. Woke up at 3:07. What an incredible moment her birth was.

Thursday evening we had our "in town family" over for a celebration. Ruby was happy and full of shreiks(her current form of communication). She was passed around and was challenged to take some steps--she did eek out a few off-balance steps! (We still think it will be a couple of weeks before she'll officially be walking--and that is fine by us!) She enjoyed some pumpkin soup and banana before literally tearing into her cake (pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting). She needed no encouragement and dug right in. She LOVED it!

She did decided to party like a rockstar and stay up until after 2 in the am. I was dragging!

Next was a visit from Grandma and Grandpa. It was great to have them over for a sleepover.

On Saturday we had another Birthday gathering with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Susan, Uncle Mike, Jackson and Gina. She again had no problems polishing off a cupcake. On this day, Oct. 17th, Ruby stood up in the middle of a room without holding on to anything/anyone!

Yesterday we took her to the park to snap some 1 year old photos. Trying to capture the essence of Ruby. Her eyes, lashes, scrunched up nose, big "chicklet" teeth, happy, sweet, self that she is.

Pictures to come. . . .

Speaking of Tootle

I've always thought that Max is smart. This morning, he proved this again. Mr. Smart T. Pants.
So, we've got stop signs on virtually everything. Even the pumpkins and gord decorations in the dining room because--if it doesn't have a stop sign--it's fair game.

Who would have thought to put stop signs on chairs? This morning, he collected some kids chairs and formed them into a train. Instant entertainment. So--is this plan even going to work for us? He's just going to invent things to play with.

Pulling out all the stops

Max has been in school for six weeks. We are still encountering behavior issues. Not listening, disregarding classroom rules, being silly/goofy, etc. We've tried lots of different approaches. None have been successful enough to get him through just one day. (with the exception of my birthday. . . that was his best day in school!) He's had a really hard time with Eli. Sometimes he joins Eli, sometimes he is doing what Eli suggests to him, and some other times, I think he's trying to get Eli to laugh. Whatever the case may be, the honeymoon is over, and we all think it's time for Max to start developing what our good friend dubbed "the stop and think muscle." The thing is, we all know how smart Max is, and he knows that all of these choices he is making are not appropriate and not ok.

So, our house is full of stop signs. Max can earn back areas or toys by having good days as deemed by his teacher. The house kind of reminds me of the book Tootle and the "stopping for the red flag waving" scenario where they filled the field with red flags to get Tootle to stop playing with the buttercups. . .

It's going to be fun having everyone over for Ruby's birthday and having to explain all the stop signs around the house!

Blog silence

Sorry for the silence. Just wrapped up in life.

Max continues to struggle with erratic behavior. Actually, we're all struggling with it. Who took our child, and when will they bring him back?

Cooper is charming. He is even trying to help Max. "Maxth, Maxth, next time you see Eli. You just walk away. ok?" He is still loving to be a puppy. Either a fire station puppy, Biscut or Akiak. Akiak is a dog from a book that we read. The boys like me to read it to them because it makes me cry. He wakes in the morning barking like a dog.

Ruby is recovering. She was sick last week and since then, has been pretty selective about what she will eat. She will not eat highly textured foods. She has skipped many meals but her buddah belly will fool you to think she hasn't missed a single meal.

Denial

I think I'm in a state of denial that Ruby will be 1 on the 15th of October. How could it be? And yet, she is wowing us with her cruising and cupboard unloading skillz. She LOVES to unload.

It's fun to watch (only at red lights of course) the three of them in the back of the car on the way home. Oh, yes, it's mayhem most days, but there are moments of loveliness. When the boys are giggling at what Ruby's doing or vice versa. She's not one to keep quiet either, if the boys have done her wrong, we all know it. She also likes to shriek when wanting more of something. She can say more and sign it, but will often times resort to the shriek if not immediately serviced. . . .an impatient little one. . . .

Speaking of little, it seems to us that she is no longer little. With chubber cheeks and thick thighs she's packing it on. . . originally I was hoping that she would exceed 18 lbs. I'm not worried about that happening! We're officially in size 3 diapers now!

She still has 2 top and 2 bottom teeth, although based on our nights we are anticipating a couple to break through on top. Please. Soon.

What a joy you are Ruby.

End of the Innocence?

Conversation yesterday on the way home. . . .
(you all know that Eli is the less-than-stellar-classmate, right?)

Max: You know what Eli did today?

Me: What did he do?

Max: He kicked Matthew in the nucks.

Me: (after much self-chuckling) What are the nucks?

Max: You know, your penis and your butt. . . .

Swirling thoughts about the Kindergarten Transition

So, after my last post about Max having a great day--he had his worst day. Argh.

One of his choices even landed him in the principal's office.

Since this is a journal, I'm going to do my best to document things for, ahem, posterity's sake.

Since Max has started Kindergarten, we've begun to learn and understand more, and at the same time, wonder more about what makes Max tick.

We know that Max loves to learn. Whenever he is actively learning or engaged in something, he is at his best, and probably the happiest. He loves time in the LMC, PE class, Music, Art, as well as any learning time in the classroom. He also likes to spend time outside. So really, there are lots of times when Max is at his best.

The challenging times for Max are when he is left to observe and investigate others and their actions. Mostly imitating behaviors, and sometimes doing these things on his own. He is in command of the rules of the classroom, but does not always choose to follow them. However, we are thinking this isn't neccessarily intentional. We are noticing that when Max is engaged or focused on something--especially visually--it is hard to capture his attention.

So, here we are on day 13 of Kindergarten, hoping that this is the week when everything comes together for our sweet, innocent, brilliant little boy.

Speaking of innocence, do you know what he said on Saturday? We were riding in the Jeep and talking about costumes and Halloween items when he said, "Did you know that there's a red monster--that's kind of like a cat, but it has a long red tail with an arrow at the end?"
So on Sunday evening, I had him get out the book where he saw this and show it to me. We did our best to describe the devil to him. . . .challenge #856 in how to parent your kids.
Max kept on asking about the devil, "Can you tell me more? Like, what kinds of bad choices did the devil make?"

Max's Signs of Fall. . .

Above: Fall decorations for the den, Max's drawing of this year's Halloween costume--The Flash, and our list for the Farmer's Market--Squash, 2 Gords, Apples, and Raspberries

How's it going?

As of last night, better. Yesterday was the best day we've had since the start of school. AHHHHHHHH. It felt so good.



So to catch up on life, last weekend we traveled to the cities to celebrate our good friend Cole's 4th Birthday. What an adorable kid he is. Seeing him, and the kid he is, finally made something "click" for me and Max's superhero fascination. You see, Cole is into dress up. Serious dress-up. It's so cute, and fun, and loveable. Superheros? Not so loveable for me. But what I've finally realized is that it's not about me. It's not about what I like, it's about what Max likes. And right now, that's superheros. Remember when he was interested in animals? Well, that was great! We've got animals coming out of our ears. So, I've taken a step back, and thought, if this is what he is interested in, then go with it. Don't squash his enthusiasm. Let it be. Maybe once the thrill is gone, so might the interest. Guess what he want's to be for Halloween? The Flash.



Cooper has decided he wants to be a Firestation puppy (dalmation). He has been into having "pets."



Ruby, well she's growing and changing like you wouldn't believe. She is signing 'more'. She babbles and talks a bunch. Says MaMa and a few other words, but I'm not sure what they mean yet. She is into the "drop it" game. She knows what crayons are for and will draw. She likes music. Apparently, her favorite toy at school is a maraca.

Too Fast

Ruby turns 1 in one month.

Cooper is 3 and a quarter.

Max is 5 and a half.

Self diagnosis

We have established that Max can have chocolate milk at snack time, and white milk at lunch. Two days ago on the way out to the car, he tells me this:

MaMa, I'm allergic to white milk.

And did I mention. . .

About Ruby:

Another new trick, pulling off books from the bookcase. She likes to launch herself backwards. She is cruise-cruise-cruisin'. She is nearly 11 months and still wears size 2 diapers. She's a gadget girl. Grandma asked what she needed/wanted for her birthday, I should have said--a phone, a remote or a blackberry. She loves food. Still breastfeeding. She has a voice! She squack/squeal/screams when she wants something. Says mama, but I'm not sure she really means it. She actually talks quite a bit. She's a mover when it's time for a diaper change. She loves bathtime, but tries to stand in the tub. Like I mentioned before, she can climb steps. Seems to enjoy bike rides in the Bur!ey. Still enjoys being in the E.rgo. Has slept through the night, but not much lately.



About Cooper:

Active imagination. Current fascinations: baby, puppy, giraffes, horses, beans, dinosaurs.
Likes to wear mesh shorts "shorts with diamonds." Likes to wear Max's shoes. Prefers water or "juicy water" (Propel) to milk. Doesn't like the dark. Adores Ruby 90% of the time. Adores Max 85% of the time. Has been more tired since he started in the 3 year old room. Starting to count things. Recognizes some letters in his name and Max's name. Will eat some spicy foods.
Loves fruit. I've been meaning to mention this too--Cooper's pronunciation of Lightning McQueen: Wiping Ateen. Too cute.



About Max:

Sponge. Soaking up all that is being taught to him at school. We are amazed by what he is bringing home everyday. Are all kids like this? Spanish, sign language and now Chinese! He is definitely spent by the end of the day, and his coping skills are really challenged at that time. We are hoping that his body adjusts soon. He's starting to be interested in money. We went to the farmer's market with a twenty and it was hard for him to part with it, but then, was happy in then end when he ended up with six one dollar bills. It was fun to use the experience as a teachable moment. We've had lots of those moments lately. Can count over one hundred. He uses that as a gauge to know how far away from a destination we are. "Can I count to one hundred ten times?"

This just in. . . .

Ruby's crawling up the stairs!
Guess it's time to get the gate back out.

Cooper's now a baby!
We broke out the booster chair--you know--the same one he was refusing to sit in--and now he can't get enough of the thing. Max is the big brother and will snap him in and out(Max enjoys control). Cooper will babble--something we throuroughly enjoy--and ask Max for a "huggy." I turns into a full body hug where no part of Cooper's body is touching the floor. Ahhh, regression. Gotta love it. Oh, and he's now asking for a diaper--instead of a diaper though, Mommy was able to convince Cooper to just wear his underwear the opposite direction--which if you recall is now the correct way to wear underwear.

Max is now on day 5 of Kindergarten. He's taught us some Spanish, some sign language, and some of the rules--like raising your hand. He realized after day 2 that he wasn't getting enough time to finish his lunch, and asked to start bringing his own. He wanted a sandwich and 2 carrot sticks. I added a few things. Lost his lunch bag the first day of carrying a lunch. Pretty sure he's already identified the bully of the class--Eli. He was the boy that started the pinching and kicking on Day 1. Max doesn't like to be around him, and already knows to find other friends to play with. Yesterday, Max had one of his previous classmates from the Y join his class. Someone he really gets along with. On Friday afternoon, when I was on my lunch bag mission, I saw his teacher and she came along to try and find Max's lunch bag. She said, " You know, I've come to understand Max, and think it would be best for him if the school day ended at 2 pm!" He is a kid who could still take a nap, so by 2, he's spent. . . She also said that he reminds her of her oldest son, which made me happy, maybe she'll have a soft spot for him!

Kindergarten: Day 2

Went much better than day one.

When I picked Max up from school, I was greeted with an enormous hug. (I am treasuring these as I'm sure at some point it won't be cool) He told me he had a great day. We picked up his things and went back toward the Kindergarten suite to look for his sweatshirt. We found his locker, got his sweatshirt and poked our head into his classroom. Mrs. K was in the middle of writing us an email! She (one of the reasons we like her so much) involved Max in the conversation, and said that Max did a great job keeping his hands to himself, and that he had a good day. She told me about the Guidance Counselor coming in and doing a puppet show. She said she can tell that Max loves books. She also has recognized that Max is a very focused child. So much so, that he sometimes has difficulty breaking away from what he is doing to follow other instructions to do something.

Max's synopsis of the day:

Gym was fun. We played tag. I kind of got scared when the teachers were trying to get us, but I liked it when it was just the kids.

Me: How was music class? Did you sing or play musical instruments?
Max: No. We had bean bags. And we had to do whatever the teacher did with her bean bag. MaMa, who ever heard of a bean bag class?

A little later. . .

Max: C'mon Amigos! MaMa, did you know that Amigos means friends?
Me: That's a neat Spanish word--
Max: Senor B, Senor B MaMa, that's how you say Mr. B.
Me: Who's Senor B?
Max: My puppet teacher! (refer to above)
[I'm wondering if Max now thinks he has puppet class in Kindergarten]

A little later. . .

Max: I can't wait for gym tomorrow.
Me: I don't think you have gym tomorrow. You will have gym and music next week.
Max: I hope we have music in music class, instead of those bean bags!