A little glimpse into a day in the life of the Petersens. Or, at least about a minute.
Translations:
1) Evaline is singing her favorite line of the "Five Little Ducks Went Out to Play" song: "Five Little Ducks"
2) Cora is playing with blocks until she realized that I was filming...when she runs off camera she is running to sit in my lap so that she can "see".
3) About 10 seconds after I stopped filming Evaline kicked Cora's train. Laughter (Evaline) and tears (Cora) ensued...as well as a forced apology and help rebuilding.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Getting older, not bigger
**WARNING** Long post. If you're here just for the pictures, scroll all the way to the bottom :-D
Judging just by physical size, the girls haven't grown very much in the last 6 months. They both weigh the same: the same as each other, and the same as they did back in November. Cora is still wearing 18 months clothes - especially the pants. Poor little girl is built just like her mommy. Evaline (who is in size 2T for height but everything is a bit too big around), on the other hand, is built like her Aunt Katie - lucky girl.
Although they haven't changed in size, they have changed oh-so-much. Here's a little look at what's going on in our two-and-a-half-year-old world:
Singing. Oh the singing that goes on around here. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Some dinosaur song (something about a Mommy - or Daddy, or Baby - dinosaur (while slaping legs), earthshake...listen...ROAR!) **If you know this song: please clue me in on the actual lyrics and/or movements: this was a song learned at their previous daycare and I'd love to sing along with them.
Best of all is their ABCs. I'm not sure if a stranger could understand it with clarity, but they've got it down. The whole thing.
Counting. Counting everything. A few days ago when driving home the girls were counting houses that we'd pass. They'd get to about 13 and then start over. Evaline usually skips 4 and 5, and she adds in an "eleventeen". It's pretty cute.
Ownership. "Mine" is a favorite word around here. So is "I want it". So is fighting over whatever the other one has. Example: I was heading to my parents with the girls in tow, Ian was leaving at the same time to drive to work. When we left Cora said "Bye Daddy" and Evaline got very upset because she wanted to say "Bye Daddy" first. When I merged off the interstate, Evaline said "Bye Daddy" (long story as to why she'd say it again) and this time Cora got mad because she wanted to say it. Almost to my parents house, Cora pointed at me and proclaimed "MY MOMMY". Evaline got upset and replied "No! My Mommy! Cora - Daddy! Evaline - Mommy!" (Ever since Evaline went through her unbelievably whiny phase, she's been clingy to me, and Cora has been clingy to Ian.)
Coordination. Running, jumping, climbing, kicking (balls, not people), throwing, catching. The girls are improving their physical and motor skills tremendously. Once or twice so far this spring its even been warm enough to go outside and play (they are tough and could stand the cold...their mommy, on the other had, is quite the wimpy-doodle). They can go up and down stairs without help - in fact, they often insist on doing it without any help. They really enjoy "sewing" cards (where you "sew" a shoelace through holes on a card). They are always on the go.
Not-so-coordinated. Everything happens to Cora. When she was 6 months, Evaline pushed a mirror over onto her head and sent her to the ER, at about 16 months she did a face plant in a friends' driveway and skinned up her face, in September she was bitten - twice - by another kid at daycare: hard enough to leave bruises in a perfect imprint on her cute little face, and now she's the one to slip in the tub. It gave her quite the black eye. We started calling her "Shiner". For several days she looked like she was in a bar-room brawl.
Speaking of the bathtub...about a month ago Cora accidentally pooped in the tub. It was just a little turdling...easily scooped out and cleaned up with a little draining and replacing of the water. Cora was beside herself. She felt so bad about having had an accident like that in the tub. She still won't take a bath. Flat out refuses to get in the tub. We've had to shower with her instead. When I ask her why she won't take a bath she simply replies "I no poop in the tub." In addition to short, chubby legs I fear she has inherited her mother's sometimes-unreasonable sensibilities.
Manipulating. On Saturday Ian got Cora up from her nap when Evaline was still sleeping. He told her that when Evaline woke up, he would take them to the park. Every four or five minutes after that Cora would stop, pretend to listen, and say "Eva talking! We go park now!" (Eva wasn't talking...still VERY sound asleep).
Opinionated. Most days they won't wear anything but a dress. They are picky about what they eat and what color of plate they eat it on. They have assigned seats at the dinner table...and now so do Ian and I. They prefer their blankets folded in a particular way. And they have definately developed the lungs to throw a tantrum to let us know when something isn't quite right.
Photos. We haven't taken a whole lot of pictures lately...but here are a few recent ones that make me smile:
Judging just by physical size, the girls haven't grown very much in the last 6 months. They both weigh the same: the same as each other, and the same as they did back in November. Cora is still wearing 18 months clothes - especially the pants. Poor little girl is built just like her mommy. Evaline (who is in size 2T for height but everything is a bit too big around), on the other hand, is built like her Aunt Katie - lucky girl.
Although they haven't changed in size, they have changed oh-so-much. Here's a little look at what's going on in our two-and-a-half-year-old world:
Singing. Oh the singing that goes on around here. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Some dinosaur song (something about a Mommy - or Daddy, or Baby - dinosaur (while slaping legs), earthshake...listen...ROAR!) **If you know this song: please clue me in on the actual lyrics and/or movements: this was a song learned at their previous daycare and I'd love to sing along with them.
Best of all is their ABCs. I'm not sure if a stranger could understand it with clarity, but they've got it down. The whole thing.
Counting. Counting everything. A few days ago when driving home the girls were counting houses that we'd pass. They'd get to about 13 and then start over. Evaline usually skips 4 and 5, and she adds in an "eleventeen". It's pretty cute.
Ownership. "Mine" is a favorite word around here. So is "I want it". So is fighting over whatever the other one has. Example: I was heading to my parents with the girls in tow, Ian was leaving at the same time to drive to work. When we left Cora said "Bye Daddy" and Evaline got very upset because she wanted to say "Bye Daddy" first. When I merged off the interstate, Evaline said "Bye Daddy" (long story as to why she'd say it again) and this time Cora got mad because she wanted to say it. Almost to my parents house, Cora pointed at me and proclaimed "MY MOMMY". Evaline got upset and replied "No! My Mommy! Cora - Daddy! Evaline - Mommy!" (Ever since Evaline went through her unbelievably whiny phase, she's been clingy to me, and Cora has been clingy to Ian.)
Coordination. Running, jumping, climbing, kicking (balls, not people), throwing, catching. The girls are improving their physical and motor skills tremendously. Once or twice so far this spring its even been warm enough to go outside and play (they are tough and could stand the cold...their mommy, on the other had, is quite the wimpy-doodle). They can go up and down stairs without help - in fact, they often insist on doing it without any help. They really enjoy "sewing" cards (where you "sew" a shoelace through holes on a card). They are always on the go.
Not-so-coordinated. Everything happens to Cora. When she was 6 months, Evaline pushed a mirror over onto her head and sent her to the ER, at about 16 months she did a face plant in a friends' driveway and skinned up her face, in September she was bitten - twice - by another kid at daycare: hard enough to leave bruises in a perfect imprint on her cute little face, and now she's the one to slip in the tub. It gave her quite the black eye. We started calling her "Shiner". For several days she looked like she was in a bar-room brawl.
Speaking of the bathtub...about a month ago Cora accidentally pooped in the tub. It was just a little turdling...easily scooped out and cleaned up with a little draining and replacing of the water. Cora was beside herself. She felt so bad about having had an accident like that in the tub. She still won't take a bath. Flat out refuses to get in the tub. We've had to shower with her instead. When I ask her why she won't take a bath she simply replies "I no poop in the tub." In addition to short, chubby legs I fear she has inherited her mother's sometimes-unreasonable sensibilities.
Manipulating. On Saturday Ian got Cora up from her nap when Evaline was still sleeping. He told her that when Evaline woke up, he would take them to the park. Every four or five minutes after that Cora would stop, pretend to listen, and say "Eva talking! We go park now!" (Eva wasn't talking...still VERY sound asleep).
Opinionated. Most days they won't wear anything but a dress. They are picky about what they eat and what color of plate they eat it on. They have assigned seats at the dinner table...and now so do Ian and I. They prefer their blankets folded in a particular way. And they have definately developed the lungs to throw a tantrum to let us know when something isn't quite right.
Photos. We haven't taken a whole lot of pictures lately...but here are a few recent ones that make me smile:
Silly Cora...with her black eye and pretty dress
Evaline is such a "little mommy." Ever since meeting Baby Maggie at daycare, s he plays with her own babies almost non-stop. Feeding, diapering, rocking to sleep. She's got it all down.
**Please note: I did not put the burp-cloth on her shoulder, that was all her.
And this one...nothing too special, just two sisters, two best-friends, having fun.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Back at it...
Going back to school after spring break is always kinda weird. Spring break gets me feeling ready for summer, but the weather isn't quite there yet, the sun still sets too early and rises too late, and then, of course, there is still about 10 weeks worth of learning to be done. For me, this means that we've got about 10 weeks to learn about all the really important stuff in the whole world that happened from about 1900 to 2011. And ya know, there's a lot that happened during those 111 years. So...although Spring Break gets me itching for summer, there's a lot of work to be done before I can scratch that itch.
The end of Spring Break marked a change in the Petersen household. While Ian and I headed back to school, Cora and Evaline did not. We have been extremely fortunate that we both have our parents in town, AND they have been absolutely wonderful with helping us out childcare. For the first year and a half, the girls went to grandma/papa-care instead of daycare - with both sets of grandparents splitting the time with the girls. This year we started the girls at a large(ish) daycare center three days a week (the girls are still lucky enough to get to hang out with their grandparents two days a week - one day each side).
We'd had no real complaints about the center, except for the cost. So, after spring break we switched to a small in-home place (a place that some friends/co-workers use)...and are saving over $400/mo. So far, the switch seems to be working out really, really well. The girls are comfortable and get excited about going there. They are napping well - which was a HUGE surprise, since they never napped very well at their previous place. There is a little baby girl there, which the girls find absolutely fascinating and none of the other kids have bitten Cora yet. AND (knock on wood) its been almost three weeks without a trip to the doctor (knock on wood, again)!
Its always such a big decision when choosing daycare, and before they started there we were questioning a lot whether or not we should make the switch. But I think we made a good choice.
Oh, and the official countdown is now 8 weeks until summer.
The end of Spring Break marked a change in the Petersen household. While Ian and I headed back to school, Cora and Evaline did not. We have been extremely fortunate that we both have our parents in town, AND they have been absolutely wonderful with helping us out childcare. For the first year and a half, the girls went to grandma/papa-care instead of daycare - with both sets of grandparents splitting the time with the girls. This year we started the girls at a large(ish) daycare center three days a week (the girls are still lucky enough to get to hang out with their grandparents two days a week - one day each side).
We'd had no real complaints about the center, except for the cost. So, after spring break we switched to a small in-home place (a place that some friends/co-workers use)...and are saving over $400/mo. So far, the switch seems to be working out really, really well. The girls are comfortable and get excited about going there. They are napping well - which was a HUGE surprise, since they never napped very well at their previous place. There is a little baby girl there, which the girls find absolutely fascinating and none of the other kids have bitten Cora yet. AND (knock on wood) its been almost three weeks without a trip to the doctor (knock on wood, again)!
Its always such a big decision when choosing daycare, and before they started there we were questioning a lot whether or not we should make the switch. But I think we made a good choice.
Oh, and the official countdown is now 8 weeks until summer.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Spring Break
Spring break has come and gone...with very little hint of actual spring. Weather.com says that we're supposed to be in the 50s for the rest of the 10 day forecast, and I am so very ready for that. Actually, I'm ready for low 70s. I'm ready for flip flops and bermuda shorts. I'm ready for walks outside (perhaps an occasional run as well...it is one of my 2011 resolutions to run a 5k...we'll see). I'm ready for flowers. I'm ready for green. I guess what I'm saying is that I am so very ready for spring.
My perennials are just starting to peak through the mulch. It's almost time for those flowers, green, and spring. I just wish it would hurry a bit more.
Do you think that a beautiful springtime yard (as seen in the link above) will make people want to buy my house? Cuz it's for sale if there are any takers out there. And the yard really is beautiful. And huge. Sound tempting? Wanna tell all your friends?
The only bad thing about potentially (fingers crossed! wish me luck!) moving is that I can't have a garden this year. Not the flower kind. The vegetable kind. One of my requirements for the next place is a yard that will have some place for a garden. In all honesty, I don't really care if that some place is the front yard. I just want to grow some tomatoes. And peppers. And zucchini, and yellow squash, and butternut squash, and cucumbers, and potatoes, and kohlrabi, and raddishes, and asparagus, and eggplant, and rhubarb, and raspberries, and strawberries, and maybe some beets. And some fresh herbs. Or at least part of that list.
Instead...this year I plan to do some containers. A couple tomatoes, a couple peppers, possibly zucchini and cucumbers, and definately a trash can full of potatoes. I figure that I can start them here, and then move them...if, of course, I'm lucky enough to be moving before "harvest".
I've been reading up on container gardening a lot lately. I had as one of my resolutions to read 12 non-school books, and I've already finished 5. My intention was for these 12 books to be thought-provoking novels of great depth. But, I think that these should also count. 2 books on container gardening and 3 books on canning and preserving food. And yes, I do think that the cookbooks should count. I did read them cover-to-cover...and besides the first half of all them was tutorial. Am I huge dork for reading cookbooks? Probably. But that's just part of my charm.
On a final note...here are my babies. I mean big girls. Evaline is even pretty much potty-trained. That was our Spring Break Project. Who am I kidding, though, Evaline pretty much potty-trained herself. Cora...well, Cora is a different story.
This was our conversation last Thursday morning: Me - "Cora, you've got a decision to make. Do you want to wear the big-girl-panties or diapers?" Cora - "Panties!" Me - "Ok, you do realize that this means you will HAVE to use the potty, right?" Cora - "Ok. I wear diapers." Ok. Cora's wearing diapers. She is, however, absolutely thrilled for her sisters potty-triumphs. Jumps up and down. Claps. Gives words of encouragement and shows just as much pride as Evaline does herself. But doesn't care to try it herself. Not. One. Bit.
Ah well. I'm pretty sure that all of my students at school are potty-trained...so I have every confidence that it will happen when she's ready.
One final thing that I'm looking forward to? The day when both of the girls will look at the camera and smile in the same shot.
Here's a great one of Cora:
Evaline's a doll in this one:
This was the best we could do to get them both looking decent:
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
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