Wren has become chatty. As we walk in the stroller he tells me things like "More, isis" (Iris) as they are all in bloom. "Num nums, nut, bite, ar, ar" [translates to Squirrels eat nuts and they bite and are fierce].
If he gets close to your face he starts to poke:
"Eye"
"Nose"
"Eeea"
"teeth"
At diaper change he announces "MORE POOP" even if the diaper is just wet. They he asks for "Dice, mine!" for distraction while I throw the diaper in the rubbish "uck uck."
He has added a whole number of words in recent days (some may be duplicates)
(right now he comes and grabs my leg and says "move" tearfully and signs "milk" and adds "mama")
He says:
move
hose
moose
'puter (computer)
knee
roller (the construction equipment)
a-row (eyebrow)
eeza (eagle)
crane (the bird)
ball
BITE
His favorite book is "go oof go" which we read many times a day.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
It is the season
I was cleaning my teeth this morning when Wren walked up to me with something squished between his fingers.
"NUK" he said.
I looked, it was a dead fly.
While I washed his hands he complained because he couldn't hold his Duplo dragon at the same time as being dangled over the basin. After he was done he clung to my legs because he was worried that the floor might be wet and he has fallen over enough times to learn caution.
When I was ready we headed off for our weekly shopping trip at Trader Joes. Wren likes Trader Joe's. He enjoys the snack hut where we eat samples, no matter how bizarre or enticing. Today was sliced hot dog. "Hot Hot" warned Wren as I poured coffee into an egg cup sized cup. I had to return a few times
Along the way, we passed by the hulks of BBQs set out on the sidewalk for adoption. Some looked quite enticing if you have a yen for propane while others are frightening dark maws which need commercial disinfection before I would offer them a hot dog.
This is the season for the dumping and replacement of BBQs. Tomorrow is Memorial Day - a traditional day for the Brats on the BBQ along with a keg and some rose if you're posh. Wren is too small for me to feel comfortable with a tub of fire on the back patio so we are not tempted by the offerings.
Its also the first whole week of sunshine and snails and slugs eating everything green shooting while the perennials grown inches overnight.
Wren is napping so I shall finish unpacking our groceries and plan the next batch of bread.
"NUK" he said.
I looked, it was a dead fly.
While I washed his hands he complained because he couldn't hold his Duplo dragon at the same time as being dangled over the basin. After he was done he clung to my legs because he was worried that the floor might be wet and he has fallen over enough times to learn caution.
When I was ready we headed off for our weekly shopping trip at Trader Joes. Wren likes Trader Joe's. He enjoys the snack hut where we eat samples, no matter how bizarre or enticing. Today was sliced hot dog. "Hot Hot" warned Wren as I poured coffee into an egg cup sized cup. I had to return a few times
Along the way, we passed by the hulks of BBQs set out on the sidewalk for adoption. Some looked quite enticing if you have a yen for propane while others are frightening dark maws which need commercial disinfection before I would offer them a hot dog.
This is the season for the dumping and replacement of BBQs. Tomorrow is Memorial Day - a traditional day for the Brats on the BBQ along with a keg and some rose if you're posh. Wren is too small for me to feel comfortable with a tub of fire on the back patio so we are not tempted by the offerings.
Its also the first whole week of sunshine and snails and slugs eating everything green shooting while the perennials grown inches overnight.
Wren is napping so I shall finish unpacking our groceries and plan the next batch of bread.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Bread, bread everywhere
For the past 2 weeks we have not bought any store bread. Instead, I have been using the bread machine to make dough and then raising, shaping and baking it in the oven. This compromise lets me do the fun part while trying out many delicious and exciting dough recipes which take me only 5 minutes to toss into the machine.
Everyone enjoys the bread making. Right now we are waiting while the dough for "English Granary Bread" rises. Wren likes to climb up his step stool and peer into the machine and watch the dough mix. Frost likes to punch down the dough. Josh likes to choose peculiar but interesting recipes (like scandinavian spiced limpa - made with orange zest, caraway and fennel seeds). We all like to eat it hot with butter.
I do not usually promote things in my blog but I can highly recommend the book we are using for our bread machine technique and recipes. It is available through the Seattle Public Library (which is where our copy comes from!) It is called Wholegrain Breads by Machine or Hand.
Today, we are going to shape our bread into hamburger buns for vegie/lamb burgers for lunch.
NEW WORDS & PHRASES:
pop-orn
poop
pee
diaper
hose
wine ('ine, dada)
caw caw num num
go woof woof go (favorite book at the moment is Go Dog Go)
guk (yuk)
mango
eat
ball gone, up
Everyone enjoys the bread making. Right now we are waiting while the dough for "English Granary Bread" rises. Wren likes to climb up his step stool and peer into the machine and watch the dough mix. Frost likes to punch down the dough. Josh likes to choose peculiar but interesting recipes (like scandinavian spiced limpa - made with orange zest, caraway and fennel seeds). We all like to eat it hot with butter.
I do not usually promote things in my blog but I can highly recommend the book we are using for our bread machine technique and recipes. It is available through the Seattle Public Library (which is where our copy comes from!) It is called Wholegrain Breads by Machine or Hand.
Today, we are going to shape our bread into hamburger buns for vegie/lamb burgers for lunch.
NEW WORDS & PHRASES:
pop-orn
poop
pee
diaper
hose
wine ('ine, dada)
caw caw num num
go woof woof go (favorite book at the moment is Go Dog Go)
guk (yuk)
mango
eat
ball gone, up
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Verbal Explosion
Last night Wren woke up at 3am (again) after almost a week of sleeping through the night. It was either because he wanted to check I was home after Heather put him to bed or he was practicing speaking. This morning, he woke up with a whole new vocabulary.
We have just been playing in the bedroom (aka cleaning the bedroom and rolling around the unmade bed).
Wren said "tent?" [because josh and he play making tents out of sheets and blankets] Then he paused and added "Tent, MINE, Dada". I confirmed that Dada makes him tents. He said "Dada down" (pointing out the bed). I asked where Dada is and he said "Dada, bye-bye, car."
I was very impressed.
New Words Today:
Knee
Bite
Moose
Goose
Tickle
Old words I forgot
Juice
GO
Mum (drum)
We have just been playing in the bedroom (aka cleaning the bedroom and rolling around the unmade bed).
Wren said "tent?" [because josh and he play making tents out of sheets and blankets] Then he paused and added "Tent, MINE, Dada". I confirmed that Dada makes him tents. He said "Dada down" (pointing out the bed). I asked where Dada is and he said "Dada, bye-bye, car."
I was very impressed.
New Words Today:
Knee
Bite
Moose
Goose
Tickle
Old words I forgot
Juice
GO
Mum (drum)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Bacon lemonade
The alternative title for this blog post was "when kids cook..." so you can imagine what has been going on in our house.
Frost recently bought a child's cooking book from the thrift store. He has very much enjoyed making food, even though I have to help a lot and end up eating most of it.
This was not the case with the lemonade. The recipe was titled SUNRISE LEMONADE. Frost squeezed lemons, stirred, poured in homemade sugar syrup (made by Mum) and measured water. At the end he spooned in Cranberry concentrate. He mixed it all up in a big pitcher and with the recent heatwave we have enjoyed drinking it.
This morning I poured the dregs out into a glass. There were some things in the dregs. I know that there should not have been things in there but when kids cook they improvise and I thought he may have put in some lemon pieces or ginger.
I peered into the pitcher. At the bottom was bacon.
Yup, bacon.
It was cooked and sliced bacon that looked like the stuff I gave Wren for breakfast a few days ago. Methinks he took the opportunity to slam dunk some into the lemonade while my back was turned.
I felt a bit ill looking at it. Not that I have anything against bacon but I don't take mine stewed in lemonade for days.
Here it is for your viewing pleasure.
Frost recently bought a child's cooking book from the thrift store. He has very much enjoyed making food, even though I have to help a lot and end up eating most of it.
This was not the case with the lemonade. The recipe was titled SUNRISE LEMONADE. Frost squeezed lemons, stirred, poured in homemade sugar syrup (made by Mum) and measured water. At the end he spooned in Cranberry concentrate. He mixed it all up in a big pitcher and with the recent heatwave we have enjoyed drinking it.
This morning I poured the dregs out into a glass. There were some things in the dregs. I know that there should not have been things in there but when kids cook they improvise and I thought he may have put in some lemon pieces or ginger.
I peered into the pitcher. At the bottom was bacon.
Yup, bacon.
It was cooked and sliced bacon that looked like the stuff I gave Wren for breakfast a few days ago. Methinks he took the opportunity to slam dunk some into the lemonade while my back was turned.
I felt a bit ill looking at it. Not that I have anything against bacon but I don't take mine stewed in lemonade for days.
Here it is for your viewing pleasure.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Wren 17 month update
Wren is now 17 months old. He is a naughty sweet baby who loves to run and climb and read books. His favorite subject is "broom brooms" (excavators, diggers, front end loaders). His vocabulary in this area includes:
* digder (digger)
* druck (truck)
* yuck yuck and pointing (rubbish truck)
He is now sleeping through the night from 8pm till 6am and he wakes in a cheerful frame of mind yelling "mama" and pulling board books off the shelf into his crib.
His knees and shins are always scraped and bruised because he thumps and falls over frequently. He has learned to say "OW" and point to the painful part and I then snuggle and kiss it better.
His nightmare is squirrels. A while ago Joshua and I started feeding small walnut pieces to a hungry looking squirrel. The squirrel learned to come to the glass patio door and wait on the mat for us to notice and feed him. One day, Wren opened the patio door and the hopeful squirrel hopped up the stairs towards him. From that moment on he has become terrified of squirrels.
If he is in the yard and notices a squirrel on the fence he starts screaming in fear and stumbles towards me crying "num nums, num nums". I used to say squirrel num nums to him when I fed the critter and the num nums part has stuck. I make a big show of chasing the squirrel away but he is not easily consoled.
Wren enjoys riding in the stroller. When I take him into the basement to do laundry he runs into the garage and climbs into the stroller on his own, then waits, hopefully. I wish could walk all the time but I have to disappoint him. However, yesterday we went to the zoo and he really enjoyed seeing the crows and the siamungs. The Siamung apes were calling and now if I ask Wren what a monkey says he starts hooting and chuckling like a monkey.
Wren and Frost are arguing a lot more these days. Wren wants what Frost has and Frost wants what Wren has (odd though that sounds). Frost wants a turn riding Wren's tricycle, on Wren's push car, using Wren's animals and setting them up in zoos. Wren wants to play grownup lego, carry around small rocks, eat Frost's breakfast and generally be into whatever Frost is doing (including having a game controller).
It is hard work keeping them on friendly terms.
Frost is quick to launch into a story of self pity. How he was "just" doing this and Wren hit/took/broke/injured/hurt him in some way. Wren just shouts loudly and then screams and then cries and then hits if Frost messes with him. Frost is not always the victim. If he thinks I am not looking he is quick to take things from Wren or even maliciously hide something Wren is enjoying in order to watch Wren look for it and become upset. Frost does not think Wren is quite as cute but sometimes likes to play with him. Wren will push Frost on the push car and roll cars back and forward. Wren will throw a ball.
The best game is when Wren CHASES Frost with a heavy object. Yesterday, it was the stapler. Frost screams with laughter and runs away in real fear of being clobbered by the stapler. Wren loves the power and laughs so much he stumbles as he chases Frost with the weapon of choice.
I know I shouldn't leave it on that note. They do love each other. Wren loves to sit next to Frost in the car, is thrilled when he sees Frost in the distance (as at Camp Orkila last weekend) and Frost takes care of Wren when he is allowed in safety. Still, we have to make more effort to play with Frost alone and give Wren some supervision in his Big Boy Games.
* digder (digger)
* druck (truck)
* yuck yuck and pointing (rubbish truck)
He is now sleeping through the night from 8pm till 6am and he wakes in a cheerful frame of mind yelling "mama" and pulling board books off the shelf into his crib.
His knees and shins are always scraped and bruised because he thumps and falls over frequently. He has learned to say "OW" and point to the painful part and I then snuggle and kiss it better.
His nightmare is squirrels. A while ago Joshua and I started feeding small walnut pieces to a hungry looking squirrel. The squirrel learned to come to the glass patio door and wait on the mat for us to notice and feed him. One day, Wren opened the patio door and the hopeful squirrel hopped up the stairs towards him. From that moment on he has become terrified of squirrels.
If he is in the yard and notices a squirrel on the fence he starts screaming in fear and stumbles towards me crying "num nums, num nums". I used to say squirrel num nums to him when I fed the critter and the num nums part has stuck. I make a big show of chasing the squirrel away but he is not easily consoled.
Wren enjoys riding in the stroller. When I take him into the basement to do laundry he runs into the garage and climbs into the stroller on his own, then waits, hopefully. I wish could walk all the time but I have to disappoint him. However, yesterday we went to the zoo and he really enjoyed seeing the crows and the siamungs. The Siamung apes were calling and now if I ask Wren what a monkey says he starts hooting and chuckling like a monkey.
Wren and Frost are arguing a lot more these days. Wren wants what Frost has and Frost wants what Wren has (odd though that sounds). Frost wants a turn riding Wren's tricycle, on Wren's push car, using Wren's animals and setting them up in zoos. Wren wants to play grownup lego, carry around small rocks, eat Frost's breakfast and generally be into whatever Frost is doing (including having a game controller).
It is hard work keeping them on friendly terms.
Frost is quick to launch into a story of self pity. How he was "just" doing this and Wren hit/took/broke/injured/hurt him in some way. Wren just shouts loudly and then screams and then cries and then hits if Frost messes with him. Frost is not always the victim. If he thinks I am not looking he is quick to take things from Wren or even maliciously hide something Wren is enjoying in order to watch Wren look for it and become upset. Frost does not think Wren is quite as cute but sometimes likes to play with him. Wren will push Frost on the push car and roll cars back and forward. Wren will throw a ball.
The best game is when Wren CHASES Frost with a heavy object. Yesterday, it was the stapler. Frost screams with laughter and runs away in real fear of being clobbered by the stapler. Wren loves the power and laughs so much he stumbles as he chases Frost with the weapon of choice.
I know I shouldn't leave it on that note. They do love each other. Wren loves to sit next to Frost in the car, is thrilled when he sees Frost in the distance (as at Camp Orkila last weekend) and Frost takes care of Wren when he is allowed in safety. Still, we have to make more effort to play with Frost alone and give Wren some supervision in his Big Boy Games.
Chosing your battles
By 8am Frost and I had already had two major arguments. At the end of one I threw the box of cereal on the floor. I am not proud of this and it surely shows that it is time to take a deep breath, reread some of my parenting books (Positive Discipline comes to mind) and meditate but ARGH! its hard. Sometimes I think the kid comes from planet TV Dinner!
Our major arguments are about screen time and sugar. Here are his wistful yearnings after our argument in which I refused to allow him to watch a SECOND TV show in the morning. He wanted to use an hour of his screen time allocation before school and I objected to this on many levels including wanting to eat with him, him not being dressed, wanting to eat standing up, fighting when his carpool comes and just "what the hell, why do you need screen-time before school??"
The Conversation:
I wish we had two TV's. We could have one of those small ones. It would be SO cool.
Me: What would be cool about that?
F: Then you could put the small TV on top of the big TV and watch TWO SHOWS AT ONCE.
Me: Uh huh?
F: And we could put it on the table so I could eat breakfast with you AND watch TV. And we could watch TV in bed!! I could put it in th closet and watch while I am playing in my room.
I bought some sweetened Whole Grain cereals yesterday, thinking that at least he would eat some breakfast with these options. Indeed he does. He ate 2 bowls after dinner a snack bowl in the afternoon and two bowls for Breakfast. At 10g of sugar per bowl he has eaten at least 50grams of sugar in cereal since 4pm yesterday.
When he reached for the 3rd breakfast bowl and started feeding it to Wren (whom I was feeding omelette) when I had just told him NOT to, I lost it. I threatened to throw out the cereal if he couldn't listen to the rules.
Then we had an argument about rules.
Frost claims I should make a rule and stick to it. If I change my mind it is "a broken promise." According to Frost one should only be allowed 3 broken promises a day.
I countered that a promise is not the same as an instruction. If I say he can watch TV and then something happens that is not a broken promise. Its a change in plans.
Nope. According to Frost I am the Queen of Broken promises (aka mixed messages).
I conceded this point and then made a very clear promise that he could not watch more than one show in the morning.
I am exhausted.
Our major arguments are about screen time and sugar. Here are his wistful yearnings after our argument in which I refused to allow him to watch a SECOND TV show in the morning. He wanted to use an hour of his screen time allocation before school and I objected to this on many levels including wanting to eat with him, him not being dressed, wanting to eat standing up, fighting when his carpool comes and just "what the hell, why do you need screen-time before school??"
The Conversation:
I wish we had two TV's. We could have one of those small ones. It would be SO cool.
Me: What would be cool about that?
F: Then you could put the small TV on top of the big TV and watch TWO SHOWS AT ONCE.
Me: Uh huh?
F: And we could put it on the table so I could eat breakfast with you AND watch TV. And we could watch TV in bed!! I could put it in th closet and watch while I am playing in my room.
I bought some sweetened Whole Grain cereals yesterday, thinking that at least he would eat some breakfast with these options. Indeed he does. He ate 2 bowls after dinner a snack bowl in the afternoon and two bowls for Breakfast. At 10g of sugar per bowl he has eaten at least 50grams of sugar in cereal since 4pm yesterday.
When he reached for the 3rd breakfast bowl and started feeding it to Wren (whom I was feeding omelette) when I had just told him NOT to, I lost it. I threatened to throw out the cereal if he couldn't listen to the rules.
Then we had an argument about rules.
Frost claims I should make a rule and stick to it. If I change my mind it is "a broken promise." According to Frost one should only be allowed 3 broken promises a day.
I countered that a promise is not the same as an instruction. If I say he can watch TV and then something happens that is not a broken promise. Its a change in plans.
Nope. According to Frost I am the Queen of Broken promises (aka mixed messages).
I conceded this point and then made a very clear promise that he could not watch more than one show in the morning.
I am exhausted.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Sushi Night
Every second Wednesday is sushi night. Sushi is one of our favorite dinners. Frost loves it and seldom manages to wait past 5.30pm for dinner. Wren enjoys it because he can 'help' and eat avocado, rice balls, chew raw carrot and generally get messy with me. I enjoy it because I get to eat lots of sushi. Joshua has been unpopular lately because Sushi Wednesday seems to be BBQ Wednesday at work and he is often too full for dinner. Still, he generally enjoys it too, prefering the smoked salmon and cream cheese sushi concoctions.
Here, you see our sushi platter laid out. Frost has the vegetarian sushi. Josh's is the one with the nori inside and mine is the big roll on the end.
Wren is pointing to the very sharp knife. "no no no" he says. "SHARP!!"
Clouds of Clematis
As the mornings break earlier and earlier and Wren continues to wake in the 5's (5.18am this morning based on the hopefully pushed-forward time of the bedside clock which is in fact 5.08am for everyone else) we have the chance to take morning walks before Frost wakes up.
Many days it is too cold or wet to enjoy the outdoors but as we head downstairs at 6am to do the laundry Wren always goes into the garage and begs to get up into the stroller.
A walk is his plan.
Here we are on one of the days that was actually sunny. I think it was Saturday 10 days ago. As you can see, the neighborhood is beautifully in bloom.
In one picture he is holding a jonquil. We are not flower thieves. It was just lying on the sidewalk and we found it. Wren also loves to hold dandelions (we propagate weeds) and dandelion flowers.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Speaking to the birds
This is a rather peculiar little movie of Wren sitting in the sandbox talking with a crow. He sits there a while until the crow caws. He replies. The crow caws. He replies. Eventually the crow is silent or flies away and Wren continues to ponder the crow "cah cah".
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