School

Titus is now doing reading and science school and Isabele does science school.  Science school consists of working with Brian on a circuit board "game".  They follow the directions and make a couple circuits every day.  They snap on and off and have different things they do - a light, a fan, a speaker, an LED... and various combinations thereof. 

Swimming Lessons

The kids are taking swimming lessons at the Y on Wednesday mornings this session.  Titus is in the Pike class - the first one independent of a parent.  He's been being very brave and doing what the teacher says, but hesitantly.  This past Tuesday night, he put his whole face in the water in the bathtub!!!  It was his idea and he just did it.  I was hoping that he would do the same Wednesday morning, and he did!  He did 2 bobs, a little swimming with his face in the water (while I was taking Isabele to the bathroom) and "dove", with the teachers help, for a ring twice.  He was so proud of himself. 
I think part of what spurred him on is that he doesn't like to go to daycare during Isabele's lesson, which is first.  So he sits quietly in the chairs on the pool deck and watches Isabele, who has no fear of water and never has.  She "jumps" in over and over and even went from the teacher to me a couple of times with her face in the water. 

Isabele's 2nd Birthday Party

The party went quite well.  Isabele loved her presents.  The food was good.  And everyone laughed at least once.  I think that makes it a success!  Now for the pictures.

The flowers are all ones that I picked from my scraggly, dying garden this afternoon.  Note to self - don't pull everything out just because it's getting cooler.  These are all quite happy and the low last night was 36.

 I saw this recipe in a new book and thought I'd make it.  Snails out of refridgerated breadstick dough.  The kids helped and it was amusing - plus they were tasty.

Also a new recipe - Feta, Basil and Roasted Red Pepper Muffins. Very good - Taste of Home 2011.

 Modeling her new pajamas and slippers.  I added the flowers to plain slippers.  Gotta love a hot glue gun!

 Her new ring.

 Slippers.

 I think she likes them.

 Reaching for her necklace from Nana and Grandpa.  Kimber is going to help her put it on.

 Wearing her new snail necklace.

 Checking out her tortuga bracelet from Uncle Micah and Chuma (Kimber).

 Birthday cake.

 She blew the candles out herself.  One at a time. It took her a while, but she was being shy.

Titus helped me put up the balloons while Isabele was taking a nap.  He added the squares of paper taped to the window after I told him he could not tape them to the wall.  

Oh - I didn't get pictures but she also got a 1970's era Fisher Price jet set, complete with car, fuel truck, people and suitcases.  She loves it.  Also got a mug with a pig in the bottom from Nana.  Titus made out well also with a mug with a sheep in the bottom, and a Playmobile Rescue Helicopter. 

Isabele's Birthday Party Day

I'm going to add to this in sections.  So I don't forget everything I want to remember.

1.  One of her cutest comments right now: Me "Isabele do you need to go potty?"
Isabele: "(pause) No tank you Mommy"  It's made even better with her intonation. 

2.  Also on the bathroom front: I showed her how to get onto the toilet by herself yesterday (Not sure how wise this was of me) because she started going in the bathroom and taking her pants off, then coming to tell me she had to pee.  I didn't figure she would be able to do it by herself for a while yet - the toilet is pretty big when, standing next to it the seat is higher than your waist - but she's taken herself potty 3 times this morning!  I wasn't so sure she could do it, but Brian said he found her sitting on the toilet alone - so I guess she really can.

To get ready for her party this evening I have lots to do, so I'd better get started.  Still have to make and decorate her cake.  Need to go to the store to get a couple things for dinner.  Find all the extra chairs, stashed about the house, haul out the folding table, wrap 2 presents (after going to to the store for some paper - all I have is Christmas stuff.  OOPS!).  Oh - and of course, keep Titus and Isabele in one piece and mostly out of trouble...  Will add pictures and anything else of interest later.

Titus Rides the Kid Trail at the Boy's Club

A kids trail was marked out at the Time Trial and Poker Run this past weekend at the Boy's Club.  Brian participated in the ride and that's how he knew about the kids trail.  We took Titus out on his 2 wheeler on Monday.  He did well.  Only crashed when I was helping him.  Later we stopped by my mother's and she asked if she could ride the trail with Titus.  It was getting late, so we decided the next day would be better.  Titus was ready to go.  He received a pair of riding gloves from Uncle Micah on Sunday, and was really excited to be able to wear them riding the trail.  On Tuesday he did the trail 3 times.  The first with Brian running along, the second just riding with Bia behind him.  Then we headed back to the truck, Brian and Isabele and I on foot.  Titus went down the paved trail with Bia a bit, then decided to go back down the gravel path.  Apparently he told Bia that he didn't want to ride on the path, but that he wanted to do the trail again.  So that makes 3 circuits in 1 day.  The last time he let go of the brakes about 1/2 way down the big hill.  Here are a few of the pictures.

The entrance to the Boy's Club.  Titus and Bia are headed out.

Titus and Brian in the foreground.  Bia is in the back headed down the hill.

 At 3 3/4 years old, Titus rides faster than Brian can jog.

 Isabele, a week short of 2 years old.  

Titus and Bia just up the incline on round 2.

 Here he comes.  

 I think he's just a bit proud of himself.

What a great expression!  The excitement far outways the hesitation.  Don't forget to notice the gloves.  THANK-YOU UNCLE MICAH!!

Cook-out and Rocket Launching at the Woods

Hannah was home from Alaska with Lilly for the last 2 1/2 weeks.  One of the things she said she wanted to do was to have a cook-out at my parents woods.  So we did it.  The weather was perfect.  Didn't even need jackets.  Brian brought along a bunch of model rockets and we launched them after dinner out in the middle of the harvested soybean field.  We only lost 1 rocket and I think we had 7 launches.  One of the rockets had a payload.  Titus put a Swedish Fish candy in it.  Things didn't go quite right and the payload was lost.  I expected that Titus would be very upset.  Instead, when he found the fish gone, he said, "Oh.  My fish just wanted to keep flying."  We launched that rocket a second time with a new fish.  All worked well the second time around and he ate the fish after it flew. Here are a few pictures.

Isabele, Lilly and Hannah

Brian relaxing and tending the fire.

Hannah and Lilly. 

My mother, Titus, Micah and Kimber

Brian and the fire - burning off the crud on the grate so I can cook some hamburgers.

Titus.  He's getting so grown-up.

Titus, Lydia, Isabele, my Mother, Hannah and Lilly.  Walking back from the far side of the field.

3 Generations.  Lydia and Isabele.  Hannah and Lilly.  Mother/Bia.

Blast off.

Blast off.

Unloading fieldstone and putting it around the foundation of the cabin.  Hannah, Titus, Havoc, Micah, Lydia, my Dad, Lilly and Isabele.

 

Isabele the Big Girl

We have been busy the last two weeks working on potty training with Isabele.  She picked up the idea pretty quickly and was down to 1 or 2 accidents by day 3!  It took us a little over a week to get her to poop in the toilet, and we still have some work to do in that area.  And for 2 nights in a row now, she has been dry all night - 10-11 hours!!  I'm hoping that by the time she is 2 (in 2 weeks), she'll be able to tell me when she needs to go to the bathroom, and that for the most part she will not be having accidents in her underpants.

Her personality is growing up sooo much in the last few weeks.  She expresses her self much better and has 5-6 word sentences from time to time.  The other day she was watching Aunt Hannie (her version of Auntie Hannah - we all say it the right way and she always says it her way) as said, clear as day "What happened to it?" 

Last Friday I got her hair cut.  I was tired of it looking so scraggly.  It's too short for my liking, but I think it will grow out nicer now.  I'll try to get some good pictures soon.  She was really good at the beauty shop.  she sat on her board and held my hand the whole time and didn't cry at all.  And she held pretty still, for an almost 2 year old.

She is also back to sleeping all night.  Still likes to get up before 7.  Now if I can just get Titus to stay in his own bed all night, then I wouldn't mind getting up before 7AM.