Reading Lessons

Titus has learned his ABC's and recognizes letters on signs and billboards.  I figured I might as well start teaching him how to read.  My mother suggested "How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons".  She used the book to teach Isaac and maybe Hannah to read.  Titus is 3 years and 2 months old, a little younger than suggested in the book.  We have completed lesson 1.  I split it into 2 days as he was getting silly after about 10 minutes on the first day.  He did a little better today, only getting silly once or twice but I was able to redirect him and we got the lesson completed.  I think we will keep working on it - maybe only a half lesson a day - we shall see.  He did remember a little from the first try 2 days prior, so maybe he'll catch on and find it fun, maybe it will just be work - but, as we all know, the end result - literacy is so very, very important.

Smocked Roses

I finally finished this dress.  I started it last summer, when it was going to be way too big for Isabele.  I had to let the hem out 2 inches, so that I can still call it a dress.  As it is a summer dress and the weather is chilly spring right now, I think I'll wait till next week when it's supposed to be back in the 60's to make her wear it.  I'll post pictures of her wearing it when I put it on her.  But for now - here are some pictures of it on the hanger.

The Front

The front again.

The Back

The back again.

There are a zillion things I'd do differently if I ever make this dress again.  The first is to finish it in a more reasonable amount of time.  The second - not worry so much about it being perfect.  The third - the back button plackets.  I don't like it at all - must work on that on the next dress of this style - whenever that may be.

Words

Isabele is 8 days short of 17 months old.  She has a vocabulary of 10 words (that I understand): mama, dada, Tita (Titus), yea (yes), no, ojo (Spanish for eye, and yes, that is what she means), pes (please), taku (thank-you), rithere (right there, her way of asking "what's that"), and sisisi (sit). 
I think there might be another one, but I can't remember it right now.

Titus- well, I can't count all the words that he knows. 

Two Scenes From Today

Titus working on cutting and glueing:

I got the swing out a couple days ago to put back together for Kids Market.  However Titus and Isabele found it to be the latest and greatest and Isabele, who loves to swing sat in it for a good half hour and didn't fuss.  So I decided to hang on to it, try to sell it at my garage sale this spring and if it doesn't sell, then sell it at Kids Market in the fall.
I'm glad I kept it.  Isabele fell asleep in the swing for her nap today.  No tears!!  No crying!! and the same length nap she gets with many tears in her bed.  She's holding on to her Sweet Pea doll and one of her flannel blankets - both a must anymore for sleep - unless she's in the car.

New Coats

I ordered some new coats for the kids from LandsEnd.  The finally arrived today.  Isabele got a navy blue rain slicker.  Titus got a red one.  Isabele also got a green winter coat for this next winter (It was really cheap and I know she will not fit in this winter's coat come fall).

Titus wasn't very happy about his coat at first.  I mistakenly put Isabele's blue one on him - it fit since I bought a 3T so she can wear it for 2 years.  Then I realized my mistake and had to talk him into the red one.  After I took his picture, he didn't take the coat off for 20 minutes. 

Mimicking

Okay  -  here goes.  I'll apologize in advance to my children, who I sure will not appreciate this story when they are old enough to understand it, but it was way too cute to forget.  I should preface this with the following information:  Titus is now just over 3 years old.  Isabele is 16 1/2 months old.  They have been mimicking each other in the past several days.  Mostly Isabele doing what she sees Titus doing.

Today's weather was beautiful here in Indiana.  We were outside for 6 or 7 hours.  At one point I was in the back yard with Brian discussing landscape options and plants and whatnot.  Titus had been throwing a ball back and forth with Brian and Havoc.  Then Titus disappeared.  No worries - he's gone over to one of the trees, out of sight of the neighbors and mostly out of site of Brian and me.  He had to pee.  So, down go his pants, up goes his shirt.  Business taken care of, down goes the shirt and up goes the pants.  Back to playing ball. 

A few minutes later, all of us still in the back yard, I look over and see Isabele standing by the same tree with her shirt pulled all the way up to her neck.  She's playing with her belly and then finds her pants.  While trying to keep her shirt up, she starts trying to figure out how to pull her pants down.  She runs her hands along the top of the waistband, then down the sides and up.  She pats her bottom.  Then goes back to the shirt and her belly button.  Then she puts her shirt down and goes back to working on the tricycle that she was playing with prior to her little "pee on the tree" attempt. 
How I'm ever going to potty train her, I don't know ...

Isabele's New Poncho

I think I picked up this free pattern before I was even pregnant with Isabele.  I couldn't help myself.  I figured that sooner or later I would have an occasion to make it.  So it went in my stash of stuff.
While looking for Tacky Glue for another project yesterday at Wal-Mart, I saw this great chunky yarn that I knew would be just perfect for that pattern that I got a couple years ago.  Now that Isabele is walking, I knew it would work great.

Here's the pattern link: http://www.caron.com/projects/q/toddler_poncho.pdf

I got all the knitting done last night.  I made the tie, pompoms and fringe this morning.

Here are a few pictures of the end result.

I had put the broom away and was trying to get a couple more pictures of Isabele, who still doesn't pose very well, unless she is 2 inches from the camera.  All the faces are because wants the broom and the dustpan back.  So, please ignore the whining faces and just look at the poncho.

Breakfast

After fixing a big breakfast of eggs and ham cubes and oatmeal yesterday and the kids eating okay, but not great, I went with the English Muffin and fruit theory this morning.  I'm thinking now I should have gone with the big breakfast again.  Isabele had her early morning (6AM) snack of dry fruitloops while Titus slept.  Then she ate half of a banana, a glass of milk and half an English Muffin - a normal intake for her some mornings.  Titus ate an entire English Muffin, half a banana and a glass of milk.  Again, normal some mornings.

Then I took a shower.  Titus appeared with a yogurt.  The following conversation:
Me: "Are you hungry?"
"No."
"Then you can't have the yogurt."
He looks at me.
Me: "Are you hungry?"
"Yes."
"Fine.  You can have the yogurt."
He nicely shared the entire container with Isabele.

Then, while I was putting on my make-up with Isabele sitting on the stool in the bathroom, Titus appears and says, "Here Isabele, here is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for you."  I said, "And did you make one for yourself?"  Off he went to the kitchen again.  I followed shortly thereafter to check on his progress as I had looked inside Isabele's sandwich and found only Orange Marmalade - no peanut butter.  He was on the stool with the Marmalade and the bread and a butter knife.  I got the peanut butter out for him.  Then he wanted a little help.  So now he is sitting in Isabele's highchair eating his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and working on his 2nd glass of milk.

I guess he could manage to not starve for a day or two in this house.  And he may even feed his sister, too.

Spring Sprung the Other Day

We were all a lot anxious to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.  These pictures were taken on March 4th.  We have been outside for hours every day since.  Titus' freckles are coming back.  I haven't seen any on Isabele yet, but I'm sure she'll have some too.

Isabele and Titus' Monster Hat

Do we really need to say anything about these? 

She Really Can Sleep!! and an Update.

Isabele has now proved it.  She really can sleep all night.  She went to bed last night at 7:30 and woke up this morning at 6:35!!!  Now we all know that she can do it.  She is no longer nursing which is just fine with me.  She's just over 16 months old.  She's not a very good talker, but understands almost everything we tell her.  She walks very well and is working on walking fast / running to keep up with Titus.  She climbs up the stairs, but doesn't go down.  She loves her "pretties" (bracelets) and whines and pulls away if you even touch her arms like you are going to look at them or take them off.  She isn't going to let anyone have them.  She's currently sitting on my lap, happy as a lark, eating dry cheerios and talking in Isabele language. 

Weaned?

Isabele went to bed tonight without nursing.  Maybe we are done.  We shall see how she sleeps tonight.  From lights out to me walking out of their room with both kids asleep it was a total of 12 minutes.  It is so nice to be able to spend at least an hour outside with the kids playing in the sunshine.  It sure does wear them out!

Living Room Paint - Trim Not Done Yet

I got the second coat of paint finished in the living room last night.  I still have the second coat to do in the dining room, but here are a few pictures.  I do not have the trim done, so these are not final pictures, just a bit of an update.

 

Standing by the kitchen looking through the dining room and into the living room.

This is from the arch between the dining room and the living room.  The corner cupboard isn't going to stay there - but for now it's holding all the kids toys and I haven't figured out what I'm going to do with their toys.  The brighter "white" which is really cream is going to be the color of all the trim, once I get that done.

 

The view from the east wall towards the front door.

 

The view from the entry way.  The pink on the right side is really a darker red wine color - the flash just distorted the color.

Raggedy Andy and Raggedy Ann

My mother made these dolls for me for Christmas when I was 4 or 5.  I remember not liking them, which really was a shame.  They are really cool.  I like them now.  They have lived in various chairs and rockers at my mother's house throughout my life.  Most recently they were in the cradle up in her room.  We were over there yesterday "borrowing" some furniture.  Titus went upstairs with my Dad and discovered the dolls.  When I went to retrieve him, he was positioning Andy on a pillow on the floor and scooting himself in, right next to him, under the blanket.  Rather than argue, I told him we could bring Andy and Ann home.

 

Here's Titus on one of the "borrowed" chairs with Andy and Ann.  They are almost exactly the same height as he is.  I didn't know that I was getting another child, but apparently I did.  Andy had to eat dinner with us.  He had his own chair right next to Titus.  Titus talked to him and tried to feed him all through dinner.  He wanted me to get food for Andy, but I told him to just share as Andy couldn't open his mouth.  That worked.

I got some more painting done last night and moved these chairs into a couch this morning.  

 

Isabele sat next to Ann for a bit this morning, then Titus got up and had to have Andy.  He's getting ready to read a book to him.

I think that Titus has a new friend.

As I sit here typing this, Brian helped Titus read the book.  Just now Titus went walking by, helping Andy walk to his room.  I'm not sure what he's after ...

Thank-you Mother for making these dolls.  Sorry it took almost 30 years for them to be liked.

I must go now.  Andy is taking a nap in Titus' bed.