Things That Are Happening

Happy 6th of July! We had a nice weekend. Steve had a half-day on Friday, on Saturday we threw the kids in the pool (pictures to come), ate BBQ dawgs and burgers, and Sunday I did a whole crapload of long-overdue laundry while Steve took the kids for a walk and to the grocery store.

I also managed to pick up my book again this weekend, which I put down, then Steve picked it up and finished it, then it sat for a month staring at me. It's really fun and so seamlessly written--I can't imagine Pride and Prejudice without the zombies now.

We are getting down and dirty serious about potty training this weekend. We were dabbling in it, and it wasn't going well, so I buckled down and we're following a 3-day method with a detailed plan. It will require me to give Huck my absolute undivided attention--meaning I don't shower, poop, cook or play on the internet for three days! We start on Friday. Wish us luck!

Milo isn't weaned yet. Of course, I have to talk about it for months before I actually do it. He's definitely nursing less, though. He doesn't nurse for comfort or to go to sleep anymore. Mostly I nurse him when he's starting to stir awake. I use it as a way for me to keep him asleep and allow me to snooze a few extra minutes.

Huck is talking so much lately. Every now and then I look at him and it strikes me how much of a kid he is now--not my baby any more. Not my toddler, but a little boy. Most of his little friends are starting preschool in the Fall. We've decided not to do it this year. I think preschool for 3 year-olds is mostly a socialization thing, and socially, Huck is easy-going and open to new experiences. Leaving me is not a problem for him. As for the educational aspect of preschool, I think I can handle teaching him his ABCs and 123s and such. The only reason he would do preschool right now would be to give me some extra free time and to keep up with the Joneses. Which, granted, sounds really nice, but I can't justify the cost for that. So I think I am going to do a structured, twice a week homeschool preschool with him. Maybe add in a weekly organized sports thing offered by the city. . . for now I'm done fretting about it.

We seem to be phasing out of a serious bout of Terrible Twos. There were a few weeks there where every thing I asked Huck to do was met with "NO!"s, tears, and defiance. Ridiculous defiance, like I'd say, "Hey, Huck, do you want to go to the park?" and he'd freak out and run to his room and scream "NOOOO! Huck stay hooooome!" Seriously frustrating. He's a good kid, though. Even at his worst, his tantrums were relatively mild and wouldn't last for too long. And he always would obey me eventually, be it grudgingly so.

Milo has the walking thing down for sure. He never crawls anymore. He loves to tackle Huck and will "Hop on Pop" if he catches any of us lying down on the floor. I wish I could show people how silly is when he is with just us. Everyone thinks he is so serious, but he is just as much of a goofball as his brother when he is in a place where he feels comfortable. I think he is like me a lot, actually. When we went up to see Sara and her family for graduation, I mentioned something about how shy I am to Sara's parents, and they both kind of guffawed and thought that was one of the most ridiculous things I could say. But they've known me since I was a baby, so with them I have this gregarious, obnoxious smart mouth that I reserve for people I am comfortable with. I see that in Milo, even as a baby. Not a baby! A toddler. . .

Milo is talking more now, too. He has lots of words, although I think I'm the only one who understands them. He is good at communicating his needs, though, and signs for food and points to things he wants. He is still going through the peak of separation anxiety, which can be difficult. But I rarely leave him with anyone, so it's only an issue once in a blue moon. Oh, and he is a kissing fool. He loves to give and get kisses. And he likes to sneak his tongue in there, so watch out or he'll French you!

Aaaand, he's waking up. I promised Huck we'd go out and do something fun when Milo woke up. Sooooooo. Off to do something fun!