Its been a while since I pontificated about motherhood or Elliott's development...and not just because I'm painfully behind in blogging in general. But the eve of Elliott's 3rd birthday is a perfect time to talk about 'where we are'.
First of all, we made it through the 'twos'! And we are all still standing, limbs intact ;) I kid, I kid! All in all the 'twos' weren't so terrible, as they say. I have been told the 'threes' are worse, but I'm still hoping the worst is behind us. There was definitely a period say around the 26-28 month range that was harsh. He was prone to the most random fits of anger. So without even knowing it, my parenting style shifted to one of managing. I began to see patterns in the freakouts and started to figure out how to minimize them from happening or reduce their devastation (on everyone). These freakouts usually stemmed from plans being interrupted. It was not always easy to see when a plan was in formulation, but sometimes you could see the wheels turning. This also meant picking battles. Sometimes you could avoid a freak out by letting something that doesn't really matter go, in exchange for keeping your foot down on other things (usually those that impacted safety or were otherwise fundamental rules of the house).
And then one day, I realized how pleasant Elliott was to be around. We would have evenings and days of the best fun. Lots of talking, lots of games, lots of learning together. That's when I knew the worst of it was over. We still get a random freak out, but it usually is derived from being too tired, too hungry or a misunderstanding. So as long as we keep up on those fronts, we have a very cool little boy to be around.
This brings me to Elliott. His communication has developed in leaps and bounds over the last year. He loves to tell you how things work and about all the cool things he sees. He still isn't one for telling you much about his day, but we are seeing more and more hints of his school days through the songs he sings and other little stories. It is also helpful that he can tell you what's wrong if he has a bad dream (another new thing this last year). He is very polite and almost always tells you 'thank you' and sometimes even 'thank you, bud' :) He speaks shockingly clear sometimes, but has still kept some of his cute mispronunciations (hoptopter = helicopter, nindow = window, annunner = another). I love being able to 'talk' to Elliott and I can't wait to learn more and more about him and how he thinks in the coming months.
He is also the best helper! He loves to help make coffee and dinner. He helps vacuum and sweep. And special projects? Oh my, you have never seen a more enthusiastic assistant. He will hand you tools and make sure you don't miss a thing. When he is especially excited about a project (Brad putting together our new tool box cart comes to mind), he will repeat and mimic the things the helpee is doing.
Another new thing this year is the transition from pretend play to imaginative play. I LOVE the things he comes up with. His green lego bin? Tip it on its side, its a computer! I didn't know that! I also didn't know that the green divider in the bottom of his toy bin is a guitar or my whisk is a remote control for the (invisible) TV on the kitchen wall. He is always surprising us with what he 'sees'.
As for the things he likes to play with, trains, cars and trucks are still huge. And he likes to play 'working man' - being a construction worker :) He also loves to read books, but generally at quiet times of the day. We've been making frequent trips to the library, so we keep plenty of books in rotation. He also likes to joke around. He likes things that are silly and when he finds something funny or thinks you will find something funny, he says 'that funny?' and laughs. Hee. Unfortunately, we've also come to recognize Elliott's 'giggle of doom'. If you hear that giggle, nothing good is going down and you better get in there quick!
I may add to this post as I think of things I've missed because I know there's a ton, but otherwise, I am so excited about where we've come from and where we are going. So here's to three!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
2011...2012
2011 was quite a year for our little family. Lots of changes and all for the better. Brad applied and was accepted to UCSD, we moved (after more than 10 years!) and Elliott started preschool. For me, I think of 2011 as "The Year of Change" as a whole, but except for moving, most of the biggest changes where focused on my boys and their school experiences.
Most of my "big things" are more or less where they were when I started the year. But when I look back on 2011 personally, I see a few big chapters that mark the year. So on a smaller scale, for me 2011 was "The Year of the Sewing Machine" since I was able to add my dream machine (and a fun little Hello Kitty travel machine) to my arsenal of tools at exceptional prices. It was also "The Year of the Guild" as my primary creative outlet centered around my monthly sew-in meetings for the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild.
2011 was also "The Year of Jane Austen". I started reading my way through her catalog and followed up each completed book with the movies and mini-series, as applicable. Heck, she even ended up as the theme of my Halloween costume this year when I made myself a Regency gown.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention "The Year of the Gray Hair", since more and more have taking up residency. And finally, 2011 was "The Year of the Self Portrait". More on this later, but I did manage to work my way through nearly 365 daily self portraits, minus a few 'oops'.
2012 promises to be a busy year and if past years are any indicator, it will fly by in a blink of an eye. As a result, my goal this year (besides the proverbial "eat better", "live cleaner", etc. etc.), is to "be present". To live in our every day moments and not to worry so much about when things get done but how they get done.
Here's to a bright 2012!
Most of my "big things" are more or less where they were when I started the year. But when I look back on 2011 personally, I see a few big chapters that mark the year. So on a smaller scale, for me 2011 was "The Year of the Sewing Machine" since I was able to add my dream machine (and a fun little Hello Kitty travel machine) to my arsenal of tools at exceptional prices. It was also "The Year of the Guild" as my primary creative outlet centered around my monthly sew-in meetings for the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild.
2011 was also "The Year of Jane Austen". I started reading my way through her catalog and followed up each completed book with the movies and mini-series, as applicable. Heck, she even ended up as the theme of my Halloween costume this year when I made myself a Regency gown.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention "The Year of the Gray Hair", since more and more have taking up residency. And finally, 2011 was "The Year of the Self Portrait". More on this later, but I did manage to work my way through nearly 365 daily self portraits, minus a few 'oops'.
2012 promises to be a busy year and if past years are any indicator, it will fly by in a blink of an eye. As a result, my goal this year (besides the proverbial "eat better", "live cleaner", etc. etc.), is to "be present". To live in our every day moments and not to worry so much about when things get done but how they get done.
Here's to a bright 2012!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Family Midway Day
Our day at the Midway...(Sorry my computer just ate my post, and I have no energy to re-write it. So here are some photos of our day ;)
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| In front of the working engine model. I'm pretty sure he could have watched that thing all day! |
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| Fun things to touch and try out... |
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| Looking out to the water |
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| So many airplanes, so little time! |
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| Elliott loved being able to climb inside some of the planes and helicopters. In fact, he didn't understand why we couldn't get in all of them! |
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| Hovercraft demonstration. Wow - those things are crazy! |
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| Audio tour - Notice his ticket in his pocket? He wanted that in there the rest of the day! |
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| Desert Storm tactical room. |
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| About to make a very serious call! |
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| Room o'knobs |
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| Fighter pilot |
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
"Weekend" Away
One of the things I really wanted to do this summer before Brad started school was go away for the weekend. We have periodically had nights to ourselves since Elliott was born, but rarely more than one in a row and never as part of a 'getaway'. I had been trolling for ideas of inexpensive (key) locations when, along with our Oxnard package, one for Primm, Nevada also popped up. We have often stopped in Primm for breakfast after leaving Las Vegas and would joke that we should just stay here sometime. So for a $139 package, we got a two night stay, $50 dining credit at the steakhouse and two massages. Sign me up!
Once there, it was easy to see why they offered up this mid-week special. Its pretty dead during the week and a lot of their amenities are only open on the weekend (like the tram between the casinos). But it was great for us, the room was nice, the steakhouse was delicious, the beer at the "Irish" pub was yummy and the spa was surprisingly nice (something I really wasn't expecting). We stayed at Buffalo Bill's but most everything else we did was over at the Primm Valley Casino, who's biggest issue was the Magnolia air freshener being pumped through the HVAC system (to aid in the southern ambiance? It didn't.).
We arrived on Labor Day and didn't have any other plans but for the scheduled spa treatments (I got them both :D) and our dinner reservations. We ended up driving into Vegas on Tuesday and decided to go out to the Hoover Dam and see the new bridge. We weren't really prepared for walking in the sun (no hats, not much sunscreen, hardly any water), so we took it easy, but still feel like we saw cool stuff. The bridge was really spectacular, but my camera/photos don't do it justice.
All in all the trip was nice. But it is easier for me to say that now. The only problem came from my inability to deal with stress, which ended up manifesting itself in an almost overpowering sense of dread during the vast majority of the trip. Brad received an unsettling email from school right before we left (which was only an issue because he was wait-listed for two of his key classes, and the email made it sound like he needed to be registered or he would lose his financial aid and housing - ugh). I knew it would be fine, it sounded like he was going to be added to at least one class by Tuesday night and there was nothing we could do about anything because of the holiday and turn-around time with the adviser's office. Yet I couldn't shake the dread. I was finally able to let go (and I'm glad I did!) on Tuesday night half way through dinner when it became obvious Brad wasn't going to be able to log into his email at the hotel. And of course, everything was resolved by the time he could log in on Wednesday, so all that stress, worry and physical pain was for nothing. So stupid. Worst part is that I 'knew' it would be fine, but I've lost my edge at being able to handle things like this and put them in their place. I attribute it to my new role as a mom since it's been like this the last couple of years. I think I'm just at capacity right now, so anything additional, is just too much. Anyway, I'm sharing this mostly because I want to remember so that it doesn't happen again. Life is too short and letting things get to me like that will only make it shorter.
Once there, it was easy to see why they offered up this mid-week special. Its pretty dead during the week and a lot of their amenities are only open on the weekend (like the tram between the casinos). But it was great for us, the room was nice, the steakhouse was delicious, the beer at the "Irish" pub was yummy and the spa was surprisingly nice (something I really wasn't expecting). We stayed at Buffalo Bill's but most everything else we did was over at the Primm Valley Casino, who's biggest issue was the Magnolia air freshener being pumped through the HVAC system (to aid in the southern ambiance? It didn't.).
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| Um... |
We arrived on Labor Day and didn't have any other plans but for the scheduled spa treatments (I got them both :D) and our dinner reservations. We ended up driving into Vegas on Tuesday and decided to go out to the Hoover Dam and see the new bridge. We weren't really prepared for walking in the sun (no hats, not much sunscreen, hardly any water), so we took it easy, but still feel like we saw cool stuff. The bridge was really spectacular, but my camera/photos don't do it justice.
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| The Bridge |
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| Water Line |
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| The abyss: something Brad has wanted to see since he was a kid - can't you tell :) |
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| For you, Meagan! |
All in all the trip was nice. But it is easier for me to say that now. The only problem came from my inability to deal with stress, which ended up manifesting itself in an almost overpowering sense of dread during the vast majority of the trip. Brad received an unsettling email from school right before we left (which was only an issue because he was wait-listed for two of his key classes, and the email made it sound like he needed to be registered or he would lose his financial aid and housing - ugh). I knew it would be fine, it sounded like he was going to be added to at least one class by Tuesday night and there was nothing we could do about anything because of the holiday and turn-around time with the adviser's office. Yet I couldn't shake the dread. I was finally able to let go (and I'm glad I did!) on Tuesday night half way through dinner when it became obvious Brad wasn't going to be able to log into his email at the hotel. And of course, everything was resolved by the time he could log in on Wednesday, so all that stress, worry and physical pain was for nothing. So stupid. Worst part is that I 'knew' it would be fine, but I've lost my edge at being able to handle things like this and put them in their place. I attribute it to my new role as a mom since it's been like this the last couple of years. I think I'm just at capacity right now, so anything additional, is just too much. Anyway, I'm sharing this mostly because I want to remember so that it doesn't happen again. Life is too short and letting things get to me like that will only make it shorter.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
School Days
As briefly mentioned earlier, Elliott started school last month. Long before we knew we were moving, we had planned to start him the week of September 12th, so as to give him a bit of time to settle in before Brad started school on the 22nd. Fortunately for us, the move ended up falling into place perfectly with both Elliott's and Brad's school schedules.
Once we settled on Elliott's school, I felt really good about him going. I felt the timing was right and that he was ready. I was also more excited than nervous about him starting school...until a few days before school started. I guess my apprehension really started when we went away on our little getaway trip to Nevada. It aided in my overall feeling of uncertainty that followed me around those few days and culminated in a few shed tears on Sunday the 11th.
It's really starting to hit me that my little baby is growing up. I look at him and I see a little boy. This part of watching Elliott grow had previously been fairly easy to deal with because I always knew we would have another baby. Now we aren't so sure. So I've been feeling little specks of loss within these wonderfully exciting milestones a lot more now.
But all in all, the transition has been a good one and fairly uneventful. Elliott did really great his first day of school and it was all I could do to get him to leave with me when I went to pick him up. I have been cautiously optimistic each day because I know there will be days that it will be harder for him to say goodbye. In fact, we had our first tears last week. Fortunately, I drop him off fairly early, so there's lots of one-on-one time with his teacher if he is feeling a little unsure of being 'left behind'.
The teachers always give me an update about how his day went and there's little charts and things around the classroom to log nap time successes and meals, etc. It's fun to think of Elliott having his own 'day' that is different from Brad's or mine. He is getting exposed to and eating a wide variety of different foods, learning new songs, making some great art and learning to be friends. I am even starting to overhear him singing songs I can actually recognize (vs. his usual generic singing). In fact, I quiet often hear his very interesting interpretation of the alphabet song last ;)
And he seems to love his teachers and they seem to love him, too. He likes one teacher in particular :) They always tell me little stories about what he said or did that day. I guess the first day he was looking for a toy shovel. The teachers were helping him find it and when he did, he exclaimed 'oh, thank heavens!' Ha!
Once we settled on Elliott's school, I felt really good about him going. I felt the timing was right and that he was ready. I was also more excited than nervous about him starting school...until a few days before school started. I guess my apprehension really started when we went away on our little getaway trip to Nevada. It aided in my overall feeling of uncertainty that followed me around those few days and culminated in a few shed tears on Sunday the 11th.
It's really starting to hit me that my little baby is growing up. I look at him and I see a little boy. This part of watching Elliott grow had previously been fairly easy to deal with because I always knew we would have another baby. Now we aren't so sure. So I've been feeling little specks of loss within these wonderfully exciting milestones a lot more now.
But all in all, the transition has been a good one and fairly uneventful. Elliott did really great his first day of school and it was all I could do to get him to leave with me when I went to pick him up. I have been cautiously optimistic each day because I know there will be days that it will be harder for him to say goodbye. In fact, we had our first tears last week. Fortunately, I drop him off fairly early, so there's lots of one-on-one time with his teacher if he is feeling a little unsure of being 'left behind'.
The teachers always give me an update about how his day went and there's little charts and things around the classroom to log nap time successes and meals, etc. It's fun to think of Elliott having his own 'day' that is different from Brad's or mine. He is getting exposed to and eating a wide variety of different foods, learning new songs, making some great art and learning to be friends. I am even starting to overhear him singing songs I can actually recognize (vs. his usual generic singing). In fact, I quiet often hear his very interesting interpretation of the alphabet song last ;)
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| Story Time |
Saturday, October 1, 2011
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