Done Nursing

A couple of weeks ago Beatrice stopped nursing. Since she was about 13 months, we have phased out the regular feedings for actual nourishment and Bea learned to drink cow's milk and soy milk. We even tapered off the soothing nursing times before naps and bedtime and replaced them with our book reading, singing and praying routine. This all went really smoothly... until I got exhausted one day and let Bea nap and nurse with me to get her to sleep a little longer. Then she started waking up from short naps and pointing vigorously to the bed where she wanted to snuggle up with me and nurse and sleep some more. Who can argue with a baby who wants to sleep more? I couldn't for quite a while. But now even these nursing times have come to a sad end. These extended naps had become cranky and demanding times instead of restful snoozes. It's surprisingly hard to decide to stop a routine that still holds a glimmer of hope for more rest for baby and for Mommy... but that glimmer of hope was getting smaller and smaller. The hardest part about this end to nursing has been the end to extended naps. It's like the end of the snooze button on an alarm clock.

Cooks in the kitchen

I am giving myself this button "Mama Wins!" from my friend Melanie. She has an award she started passing out each Monday for special things moms do that go above and beyond the call of duty. You can see her description at www.myattkids.blogspot.com.

Today's award is for moms who cook with their kids... and I definitely win. Since Nathan was 9 months old, he wanted to stand on a tippy step stool next to me and actually crack the raw eggs, mix the batter, and mold the meatballs. And now at a year, Beatrice is showing the same eagerness to dive her hands into the soapy dishwater, peel potatoes and toss salad (sometimes very literally). To be honest, having my kids cook with me was actually what felt easiest and involved the least amount of crying all around. My children are persistent and skilled climbers... and they showed me that they will find a way to the cooking space whether they were invited or not. Sometimes I can cook while they nap... but not always and... no, they won't even sit quietly in front of the TV while I cook. They want in on the action.

I have developed some key skills that I want to highlight:

• Potato peeling and any veggie prep that will still get rinsed and cooked later can be done on the floor. For a time, the kitchen is a mess of potato peels and trimmings, but it is easier to make a big mess down low with lots of things for kids to touch, pile, eat, and throw, knowing it can all be cleaned up after the task at hand is done. (note: this was significantly harder when our dog Chip was with us because flying potato peels got him very excited but he didn't actually eat enough to be a good cleaner-upper).
• When mixing ingredients in a bowl, its best to keep all the ingredients in one 'out of reach' spot and take them to the cooking spot one at a time. I learned this at the beginning of my adventures when Nathan started pouring pitchers of water and scooping cups of flour into the bowl and onto the cookbook to add his special flair to the recipe (turns out, extra water doesn't ruin pancakes... you just add more flour... but extra salt really does do damage to meatballs).
• If you stand behind a child perched on a step stool, you can cook over them; you are the human safety net and the guiding cook. It just requires some stretching of the arms and shoulders and back after dinner.
• Egg shells are good roughage.
• Dough can be kneaded in many different ways. Bea likes to pick it into tiny pieces and throw it into the big bowl to rise, Nathan likes to make "snowmen" and usually won't part with one of his snowmen... but the others go in the bowl and the big blobby shape still rises.
• Scooping rice, beans or veggies of any kind into another bowl with a big spoon is a very time consuming part of most recipes that is often not listed in the recipe books.

Potty Parade

Last week Bea pooped in her tiny potty 4 out of 5 days in a row. What an exciting time! After breakfast she roams the house without her diaper and we try to interest her into playing with toys while sitting on her potty. If she poops there is a big parade to the toilet with Nathan, Bea and mom all holding the prize potty together like a raised trophy after a sporting event. We take turns looking at it, then hoist it up and carry it together toward the big toilet, all three of us squeezing through the bathroom doorway and watching it flush down. Its exciting when this parade occurs but its also exciting in a different kind of way when it doesn't. Did she poop on the floor while I was in the other room? Is whatever she's standing on washable? Will she pee on me? Did she just say 'poop'? Potty parade or not, mornings are pretty exciting around here.

Soundbites from the week

• "Beatrice is such a big girl - she can eat peanuts!" (N in response to someone saying, 'Bea is such a big girl now')
• "Hummy, hummy, yummy yummy" (B, excited about hummus)
• "Waka waka waka" (B, wanting to hold hands and walk)
• "Rocka, rocka, rocka" (B, in the rocking chair)
  
• "I'm happy you're home. I love you, mom" (N, still remembering when mom went on a weekend trip a month ago)
• "It's just for fun" (N in response to mom asking about the pile of wood and nails he brought into the kitchen)
• "Did you know frogs have 1 hand, Did you know I like salt, Did you know I like white frostin' now, Did you know I like hummus, Did you know Dad likes hummus"
  
• "Cu! Cu! Cu! Cu!Cu! Cu!" (B after her first guided experience with scissors)
• "NOOOOOOOOO!" (B after the scissor time was done)
• "I tried. It was a lil' bit tricky."
  
• "Its hard work to wait" (N describing his experience of waiting for mom to help him in the bathroom and also his experience of waiting until all the people have left before he slides down the church banister)
  
• "I work." (B, while fixing a vent with Dad)
• "I cheered for Max." (N's response to what he did at school today)
• "It's just for fun." (N after coloring on the garage with a piece of charcoal)
• "Usually we put hats on first. Usually we eat eggs. Usually we go to our park, but usually we go to the climbing park." (N exploring the use of the word 'usually')
  

Questions

Nathan has entered the age of asking questions. Not just a few. Tons. He has endless patience for repeating, "Why? But why? Mommy, why?" I was shocked when overnight he started asking up to 10 'why' questions in a row. I often have to stop and laugh by why #8... partly at the persistence of my child and partly at how far I have managed to stay in this game of questioning. Along with the why questions, Nathan has a new questioning facial expression; it's an exaggerated, lip-raised, squinty-eyed face.

The Splinter

Nathan got his first splinter while playing at Penny Park. He was very protective of it and wanted to keep 1 mitten on that hand at all times... probably to hide it from his mom with the tweezers. Nathan told me he really wanted to keep his splinter and that he liked it right there in his hand. We talked about how its good to take splinters out so that they don't get infected or go in your blood stream. Finally, after a hand soak and some crying and protesting, I took the splinter out. I thought it was more traumatic for him to remain "injured" for days than to just get it over with quickly. There were a few remaining specks of splinter so Nathan and I decided the last bits might come out if he scrubbed his hand every day. No more tweezers. He did this and the specks did eventually come out. Later, I heard him telling one of his friends about his splinter. "You have to scrub it out. You can't get it in your blood street," he said in his expert voice.

Happy Birthday Grammie!

Nathan and Beatrice have a wonderful Grammie. For Grammie's birthday we got to go to Emily Oaks Nature Center (Nathan's favorite outing) and eat at "Pita Pita Pumpkin Eata" a.k.a. Pita Inn (Bea's favorite restaurant) and guess which two people got to help blow out the candles and even got new bubble blowing whistles at this party... Nathan and Beatrice! We had a great celebration for Martie and we are so grateful for her playful spirit and joyfulness with little ones. Happy Birthday. Thanks for sharing your birthday and your life with us.

The expert

Nathan has been voicing some expert opinions lately. In the past few weeks he has told me that he needs to take 5 vitamins (yummy ones) because the bottle says so. He also told me that the doctor told him he needs to eat all the jello so his body doesn't feel sick. Sometimes he cites these outside sources such as package labels and authority figures like his doctors or teachers, but he is also developing his own expert voice. Today he told me that usually kids like 2 ketchup dots on their plates because when they need more... they need more. Well, it sounds like he's done his research among other kids and I'm not surprised with the findings this time.

New Words

Beatrice is saying lots of new words and simple sentences these days. It's pretty exciting. She now says "I read" when we look at books, "Hold me" all day long when she wants snuggles, "apple juice" now that she discovered it, "hum" for hummus which is one of her new favorites, "a-boo" for peek-a-boo or looking at things in general. I was saying how fun it was that Bea was saying all these new things and Nathan said, "She should say- BANG"! Apparently, she is ready for some sound effect words ... crashing and exploding sounds would really make her talking a lot more fun for her brother.

Work Boots

When the work boots come out... everyone in our family is happy. Nils gets to be dirty and puzzle and repair and he might even say redeem things with what he can find in the basement. Nathan and Bea get to bond with their dad, hammer, carry large objects, and play with lots of jars of tiny screws, nuts and bolts (that I think gave Nathan "exceptional fine motor skills" according to his preschool teacher). Katie usually gets her home and current workplace working more efficiently - ahhh.
Yesterday the workboots were in use for 11 hours! We are all happy.

"Eatmeal"

Nathan's favorite breakfast is "eatmeal." We all know it as oatmeal, but I think he found a more descriptive name for it. A bowl of eatmeal will fill you up and satisfy all thoughts of eating until your next meal. A bowl of eatmeal doesn't have fancy flavors (at least at our house) or complicated preparation- just boil with water until its soft enough to eat as a meal. And at our house a bowl of eatmeal might also include a little barley or buckwheat mixed in with the oats, so I guess it is technically not just oatmeal.

Weekend Adventure

Bea and I went to VT for my dear friend Caitlin's wedding. We celebrated Caitlin-style and all gathered a day early to snow-shoe and x-country ski before the ceremony. Bea and I enjoyed our first snow-shoeing experience... despite the fact that the trail markers didn't say how long of a walk we were in for. Then we got to visit my Grandma Ruth (Beatrice Ruth's namesake) and my aunt Janet and my friend Jesse and her family. It was a trip filled with quick but precious visits. On our long journey home we dealt with a snowstorm, canceled flights and sickness as our whole family was ill in various ways... welcome back to reality!