Is Jesus walking around in there?

While putting Finn to bed last night, he told me that Jesus is in his heart.  He then asked, "where's my heart again?"  He thought about this for a moment, with his hand against his chest, trying to feel Jesus, presumably.  Then he asked, "Is he walking around in my heart?  I can't feel him."  Finn also began to explore the complexities of Jesus, saying, "Maybe he's not in my heart.  He's in the sky with God."  A lot to think about for my little three-and-a-half-year-old.

Wylie's lastest skills--16 weeks

Wylie is getting pretty good at making those cute little fingers go into his mouth.

He has also rolled over, front to back, quite a few times!

Dear Nana

Dear Nana, 

Thank you for driving all the way from Pennsylvania to visit us!  It was really fun to have you stay at our house.  Thank you for all the fun things we did together.  I loved making chocolate cupcakes with you, especially when I got to lick the batter!  Thanks for taking walks with me; I was excited to show off my biking skills and show you our neighborhood--the bridge where we watch the trains, Maple Park, and the cement trucks.  Our visit to the Museum of Science and Industry was especially fun, seeing the trains, airplanes, and the submarine!  (Thanks for hanging out with Wylie so that I could go in the submarine with Mama and Papa.)  

I should also thank you for helping my parents take care of me, Wylie, and chores around the house.  They seem to like that even though I don't really understand why we can't just play non-stop.  Oh, and thanks for enabling Mama and Papa to sneak out for a mini-date night after I was sleeping.  They certainly seem more patient with me when they've had some time to themselves.  I don't understand that either, but it is what it is!

We hope you had a safe drive back home and we'll see you soon!

Lots of love,

Finn (and Wylie)

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

Our three-and-a-half-year-old boy often gives up after one failed attempt at something new.  Mini-golf back at Christmastime is the perfect example. Finn showed up with his game face on, chose his club, and was raring to go.  He hit the ball a few times, realized it was hard to get it to go into the hole and abandoned the game all together.  The Little Engine That Could Would be disappointed.

This week Finn faced a challenge he was determined to conquer and would not give up.  My parenting antenna went up telling me this was going to be one of those pivotal moments and I'd better pay attention.  We were at Little Monkey Bizness--a familiar Wednesday destination--and out of nowhere Finn decides he needs to make a basket in the "big kid" hoop in the bounce house.

Ball in hand he climbs into the bounce house talking about how that hoop is really tall, but he wants to make a basket.  He shoots and misses.  He shoots and misses, again.  Again and again and again and again, he keeps shooting, but no luck.  My poor little boy is getting frustrated, but keeps going.  He is crying and not at all consoled by me saying, "I am so proud of how hard you are trying!"  He pauses to come to the doorway for a tissue and goes straight back to the basket.  He shoots, misses, and throws himself down in frustration.  He has no interest in my proposal to rest and trying again later.

He starts to get creative and climbs to the top of the slide to go at it from a better angle.  He still misses and now has to climb back down, retrieve the ball, and climb back up again before he takes his next shot.  At this point Grandma can't handle watching his desperation any longer and climbs in the bounce house to help him.  Lifting him up to make the basket is not a satisfactory solution.  Yet Grandma makes a good "ball girl" and hands the ball back up to him again and again.  Finally, FINALLY he makes a basket and we cheer.  He shoots again, makes another basket, and we are still cheering.  He is proud of himself and that, my parenting instincts and Alfie Kohn tell me, is the best reward of all.

Counting the Spindles

It is 9:30 pm.  Bedtime is 8:00 pm, yet Finn is still awake.  Just now we had been in the kitchen and Nana came out, found him on the stairs, and sent him back up to bed.  I went up to tuck him back in, AGAIN, and asked him what he was doing on the stairs.  (Although, really, what is the point of asking such questions?)  I'm glad I asked, though, because Finn said:

I was counting those tall things on the stairs [spindles] in Spanish.

OK then!  So we practiced together, "uno, dos, tres..."

Planting the Vegetable Garden

When I asked Finn what vegetables he wanted to plant in our garden this weekend, he said potatoes and green beans.  So, here Finn and Zach are planting a potato.  They actually planted it and dug it up four or five times.  We're not sure where it finally ended up!

Finn and Jason planted a second potato and labeled the spot where it is buried.  Yet, we really should read about how to plant potatoes properly and go back out and do it again!

Jason taught Alex how to move some strawberry plants.  Alex has big plans to be a botanist someday and also wants to document the changes in the garden throughout the summer via a video!

Finn, Alex, and Zach hunting for bugs near the pepper plants!

Planting is done.  Bring on the rain.

Little Giggles

Deja Vu

Mom was showing Wylie some flowers in our living room and she and I both had a moment of deja vu.  She used to do exactly the same with Finn, leading to his first word--"touch."

Playtime

 

When Finn is home, there is a lot of playing going on at our house.  Trains and cars are often the go to activity, but here Finn was making "chef hats" for himself and Wylie and building a marble tower with Papa while Wylie observed.

Finn's First Trip to the ER

On Monday Finn fell at school and cut himself on the corner of the building.  The gash on his left eyebrow led to his first trip to the ER.  Luckily the doctor was able to use skin glue instead of stitches to close the wound.  The hardest part for Finn was laying still for five minutes to let the glue dry. 

Wylie at Three Months: A Day in the Life

At three months old, Wylie has begun trying to put things in his mouth, including his hand.

7:00 am 
Wylie wakes up (He's been asleep since 11:00 pm!) to a visit by his brother and a stuffed groundhog and a monkey attached to a little blanket shoved in his face.  Good morning half-swaddled sleepy head!

7:15 am
After a quick diaper change and nose wipe, Wylie and Mommy head downstairs for his first feeding of the day, while watching Handy Manny with Finn.

7:45 am
Buckled up to take Finn to school, Wylie is a bit unhappy in the car.  He is awake and alert enough to know this is supposed to be his play time and he is getting jipped by being stuck in his car seat.  He hangs out in his car seat, staring at Finn's friends at school for a bit, then falls asleep on the way back home.

9:30
Wakes up happy and willing to hang out on Mommy's lap for a few minutes while she finishes up on the computer.  Some bubbles and drool are escaping from his mouth, but he couldn't be teething already, could he?  Wylie plays with hands and works hard to hold his head steady while he's balanced between Mommy's arms, stomach, and the table.  He likes to push against Mommy's lap with his strong little legs.

9:45
During his diaper change Wylie alternates between trying to chew his hands and flashing sly, flirty smiles at Mommy.  He coos away saying "eeee" and "arrrg" and his favorite, "a gooo."  Waiting to eat, he lets out a few loud squaks, but sitting down with Mommy he is distracted by staring at Mommy's face and can't decide if he wants to keep flirting and cooing or dive in and eat.

10:30
Wylie is ready to play and spends some time hanging out on his play mat.  He grabs at the hanging rings and studies the music-playing star, seeming to think it is a good friend.  He ogles the cow and tries to pull it toward him, trying to get the tail to his mouth.  His legs go, go, go as if he's learning to do the back stroke, and his little arms flap around with closed fists.  He sometimes wiggles his head back and forth as if he has an itch on the back of his noggin.  Then he'll pause for a moment, still and quiet until something gets him excited and the movement, quick breaths, and flailing start up again.  Starting to seem discontent and stinky, time for a fresh diaper and a change of scenery.  Meanwhile he's yawning, but could be really be ready for his next nap already?

Happy on his play mat.

11:00 
Clean diaper and a bit more play, hanging out on Mommy and Papa's bed.  Let's study Calvert.

11:30
Grouchy all of a sudden, Wylie is tired and ready for a nap.  A little rocking in Mommy's arms and he is out, but will he stay asleep once laying in his crib?  That would be no, so we try it again--rock and sway, drowsy eyes.  This time he stays asleep peaceful in his crib, still looking small on the crib mattress.  Rain sounds and a dark room will hopefully help Wylie take a long nap.

12:00
Not a long nap at all, Wylie wakes up 20 minutes later and will not settle back down, so time for eats again.  His naps are still rather unpredictable.  Some days he is all about little cat naps, other days he settles in for never-ending, zonked-out naps.

1:15
A little play time, but Wylie is a bit grouchy, he needs to sleep, so off we go for a walk and a stop at the grocery store.  He is still willing to give Mommy some smiles and coos as we walk up the street.

2:15
In and out of sleep Wylie is awake when we arrive back home.  Not ready to eat yet, Mommy declares it bath time!  He doesn't mind stripping down and slashing around a bit, even emits a few giggles.

Clean and ready for a photo shoot.

3:00
Time for eats yet again. Wylie struggles to stay awake while he eats, but this is unusual, just because he hasn't napped well today.

4:00 
Back in the car to run one errand and fetch big brother from school.  Wylie sleeps and sleeps, in and out of Finn's school and back home again.

5:30
Since his sleepiness kept him from eating as much during his last feeding, Wylie is ready to eat again already.  He doesn't spend much time crying on a typical day, but does sometimes turn on the tears when he wants to eat, or sleep.

"I'm hungry.  I don't want a fresh diaper.  I want to eat!"

6:00
Papa arrives home just in time to hang out with little Wylie before dinner.  His usual "fussy time," Wylie wants to be held and fights falling asleep.  He hang out in his chair while we eat dinner.

7:30
A little play time with the family before Finley's bed time.  Wylie seems interested in what Finn is doing and will tolerate being hugged and held by his brother.

Wylie practices sitting while watching his brother play.

8:00
It really is all about eat, play, sleep.  Since Wylie little man didn't nap this round, time to eat again during books time.  Finally Wylie conks out in his vibrating chair in the play room, his typical evening nap.

10:30

One last feeding before bed around 11:00.  Wylie gets swaddled up, rocked for a minute, and goes down for the night with no complaints.