Joy's tea party birthday

For Joy's 3rd birthday we threw her a tea party. She had five friends (Elena, Abigail, Mathis, Christian and Simon) attend and we had it up on our roof. It was a fun afternoon. 

Play time: play dough, scooters and slides before the party started 

  

Joy and her scooter (her favorite thing to do!)

Mathis giving Rudy a little love and attention 

Craft time: Making fascinators and bow ties. 

Tea Time: I made decaffeinated strawberry tea with honey

Snack Time: tea sandwiches cut in the shape of butterflies, sausage (birthday girl's request), fruit and pop corn (birthday girl request)

 Cupcake time: Joy waited very patiently all day for this part. The candles wouldn't light due to the wind but Joy still pretended to blow them out!




 

 Simon avoiding sticky fingers....

Book exchange time: the kids all loved their books and we even read a few of them. Joy got the hilarious book "Children Make Terrible Pets"

Simon is 17 months

What Simon is doing

• Simon loves to blow bubbles (baba) in his milk. 
• Gives kisses and hugs all day long to his family. 
• Points out every banana tree we pass (Brad taught him which trees are banana trees) 
• Says "Bababab) every time we pass a dog and I'm starting to think it is "Bad dog" or "no barking" the two things he hears all the time. 
• Figuring out how to use the scooter. 
• Would love to spend his whole day outside and wants to out bye bye as soon as he wakes up (I spend the next few hours convincing him it is still too early to out outside). 
• Loves to wave "bye bye" and makes sure that all the lights are off in the house before we leave. 
• He has to do WHATEVER Joy is doing...and it has to be exactly the same or there is a melt down
• Has very good fine motor skills and can undo tight twist ties and baby locks that aren't tight enough. He has patience and quick little fingers!
• Has to wipe up any spilled food on his tray/floor/or bib. I have another neat and tidy little person in my house. 
• Has started having little tantrums when he doesn't get his way. 
• Goes around the house singing the "Fallalalla "part of "Deck the halls" with Joy. 

What Simon is saying 

Simon understand everything I tell him. He can follow one step directions. He still isn't much of a talker and has very limited words.
*ga: garbage  or gross
*ma ma: Mamma and MORE food
*da da: dog and daddy
* ba ba: bye bye followed by standing by the door and saying ba ba until we leave. He actually starts to bay ba ba as soon as I put pants on him after his nap because he knows we usually go out.
*naa: NO which he says so EMPHATICALLY. 

Teeth: 10 teeth.

Eats:

Solid food: Simon is a good eater but is super slow. He will only feed himself...which is very messy. He can use a fork and spoon for the first part of a meal and then abandons it. He pretty much can start eating dinner at 5 and still be eating off and on until 6:30pm. 

• Loves: most all food. Especially bread, rice, veggies, fruit. Pizza (he is my son)
• Verdict is still out on:  he will eat beans more often than not now but still doesn't really like....chicken (which was good when we all got food poisoning from chicken and he didn't because he wouldn't eat it!) 

Sleeps:   I feel like a broken record, but Simon is not the greatest sleeper. If anything changes (sickness, teeth, visitors...unknown stuff) his sleep shifts to a bad place. Over Christmas break he was waking up at 5am. We don't go and get him until around 6am. He still is up between 5-6am, no matter what I have tried (earlier bedtimes at 6:40 has helped extend the morning sleep a bit). On the weeks that he is up early and not napping it is hard to not be very frustrated. I tend to loose sight of the big picture and all his great characteristics. Simon is such a sweet and tender little boy with lots of energy. He fills our lives with joy and laughter. 

Naps: He is at one nap and will sleep for 1 hour on bad days and 2 hours on good days. One week he will only sleep an hour, then the next 1.5 hours and then the next 2 hours...then cycle back to the one hour phase. It is kind of unpredictable and maddening to me, but I am trying to roll with the punches a bit more and not get so psychotic about it.

Weighs: 20.5 + Lbs

Likes: 

- Watching construction

-Doing or destroying whatever Joy is doing...

-Trash cans: points to and tells me about everyone we pass.

- Pushing around Joy's stroller: with his blankie in it. 

-Playing rough with daddy: being thrown around, riding on his shoulders...boy stuff. 

-Being outside (playgrounds, walks, the roof): although when out he wants to direct the walk and drags you in the direction or points to where he wants to go. No playing at the park for this guy..he wants to be on the move. 

-Taking out the dog with daddy: Sometimes I think he wakes up super early just so he won't miss taking out the dog at 6am. Simon loves the dog so much and finally is getting more gentle in petting Rudy. 


- Books: Simon's interest is growing in books. "Bigger digger" "10 little fingers" and books involving dogs/animals are his current favorites.  He always plays with is ears while we are reading to him. 

Dislikes: being far away from mommy, being told "no" (although listens better than his sister ever did) and waiting for Joy to wake up in the morning. 

   

Favorite event this month: Grammie, Grandpa and Auntie Ruthie came for Christmas and it was fantastic. We were all so happy they came and very sad when they had to go. Summer is close! Grammie brought pictures of me when I was a babby...and we think that Simon does look like his mamma!

  

Christmas party

Mom's group had a Christmas Party. One of the leaders hosted in her house, which is very kind considering we all live in tiny houses and hers would be filled with many little people, snacks and crafts. We had a craft, read a story, sang a song and ate some yummy food.

 Joy didn't want to be in the picture...so we compromised, she stood behind me

 Trying to read a Christmas story, while Simon used me as jungle gym. 

 Making an ornament for the tree

 playing "pass the snowball"

And of course eating!

Simon is 16 months

What Simon is doing

• Simon is an active little guy. During this baking season he has learned to "enjoy" sitting in his high chair while I do things that are time sensitive (stir almond roca) since he is always trying to do the most dangerous thing. 
• He loves standing on things; the couch, the stool, boxes, baskets, chairs. He knows he isn't allowed to do it...
• likes to play independently 
• can use a fork and spoon 

What Simon is saying 

Simon understand so much of what we say to him and about him.

*ga: garbage  
*ck : means trash can or yuck
*ma ma: Mamma and MORE food
*da da: dog and daddy
* ba ba: bye bye followed by standing by the door and saying ba ba until we leave. He actually starts to bay ba ba as soon as I put pants on him after his nap because he knows we usually go out.
*naa: NO which he says so EMPHATICALLY. 

Teeth: 9 teeth..  This past month he got three molars (the fourth is on its way) and one more bottom tooth (the other is on its way too). It has been a painful (not great sleeping) month. 

Eats:

Solid food: Simon is a good eater but is super slow. He will only feed himself...which is very messy. He can use a fork and spoon for the first part of a meal and then abandons it. He pretty much can start eating dinner at 5 and still be eating off and on until 6:30pm. 

• Loves: most all food. Especially bread, rice, veggies, fruit. Pizza (he is my son)
• Verdict is still out on: will eat eggs now (but not with spinach in them like Joy does) but won't eat beans still....He also goes back and forth with chicken. Then the other day he ate two big meatballs with dinner.

Sleeps:   He wakes up at 5:30 or 6 (some days even 6:30am). The shift to one nap I think has helped his wake up times. With teething though (and sickness this month) he has had some bad nights. His sleeping patterns have shown me that not all babies are created equal in the sleeping department. 

For the last month he has been taking one nap at 12:15. It has been a bumpy ride. He usually sleeps until 1:30  but probably three times a week he sleeps until 2:30+ (today is one of those days). I leave him in bed until he reaches the 1 hour 30 minute mark if he wakes earlier. 

Weighs: 20.5 + Lbs

Likes: 

- Destroying whatever Joy is doing...

-Trash cans: points to and tells me about everyone we pass.

- Pushing around Joy's stroller: with his blankie in it. 

-The balcony; watching dogs people and construction (there has been plenty to watch outside)

-Being outside (playgrounds, walks, the roof) : Now that the weather is nicer we are going to the roof more. He would happily play there all day.

-Taking out the dog with daddy: Sometimes I think he wakes up super early just so he won't miss taking out the dog at 6am. 

-Shoes! He loves trying on daddy's shoe


- Books: Simon's interest is growing in books. He still loves lift/flap books and touch and feel books the best.

Dislikes: we can tell that Simon really wants to communicate and it is frustrating with him when we can't understand what he wants. He still wants mommy the most. Brad sings Simon this song whenever he screams because I'm too far away 

Favorite event this month: Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Ruthie come VERY SOON!! We are super excited. 

Dear Santa...

Brad and I will laugh for years to come about Joy's first picture with Santa. Maybe we waited too long as she is almost 3 years old. But the hysterical crying, flailing and the huge scene she made has made us laugh more than we've laughed in a long time. The whole mall was staring. At least we gave Santa some entertainment in his boring job.  Simon was cool as a cucumber. When Joy has decided she doesn't want to do something there is no amount of convincing / bribing I can do to get her to do it. 

While Joy doesn't like Santa she does love Christmas cookies. She had a great time at our annual cookie decorating/ exchange party. Simon went to visit Daddy at work while mommy and joy did the cookie thing. Next year he can join the sugar rush! 

Christmas craft

My friend Joanna is an early childhood teacher who is great with crafts and messy toddlers. Neither is really my forte so it is good we are friends :) 

We did a cute little snowman and baby Jesus craft. Not many pictures taken during because toddlers and babies and crafts need a lot of hands on deck !