two little boys running to make more dinner
here I come with some dinner!
here I come, too!
all of Mommy & Daddy's dinners
Monday, September 5, 2011
Chefs Gabe & Zach
The other day, Gabe and Zach pretended to cook for me and J. They'd run into their playroom at full speed and then come back with a food surprise. It kept them busy and engaged for almost a half hour. Love when that happens!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Baby Gabe
Gabe is in baby-mode. He's all about being a baby these days. Maybe it was being around Baby Drew on the Cape, but lately he wants to be rocked in our arms when we sing to him at night, he wants to be carried down the stairs, and he likes laying in our arms and pretending to suck on a pacifier (he uses the pretend mushroom that Zach had in his mouth all of the time when he was younger).
The other day I went to get him up from his nap, and he was snuggled in the yellow blanket that Auntie Auntie made for him when he was born. Gabe asked, "Mom, did you see that I was snuggling in my special blanket like a baby?" I told him that I noticed and that I thought it was sweet. I reminded him that Auntie Auntie made that special blanket for him before he was even born, when he was still in my belly. In response, Gabe asked, "Mom, did you eat me?"
The other day I went to get him up from his nap, and he was snuggled in the yellow blanket that Auntie Auntie made for him when he was born. Gabe asked, "Mom, did you see that I was snuggling in my special blanket like a baby?" I told him that I noticed and that I thought it was sweet. I reminded him that Auntie Auntie made that special blanket for him before he was even born, when he was still in my belly. In response, Gabe asked, "Mom, did you eat me?"
The Rest Of The Week In Review
Here's how the rest of the week went. After my terrible blunder of mistakenly thinking that school had started, I took the boys to play with their friends at a park in North Reading, where we hadn't been in a long time and where Zach and I'd planned to meet our friends. Turns out, playing with friends was all Gabe needed to recover from the disappointment that it was not a school day. Phew!
three little boys having a snack at the park
Margot, Hendrik & Zoe having a snack, too
Zach biting an apple! He didn't eat it, but he made bite marks!
Hendrik & Zach traded snacks (that was originally Hendrik's apple)
Will & Gabe
On Friday, Gabe and I went to school orientation. We met Miss Donna and some of his new classmates. I guarantee that his new best friend is going to be Ty - a very active boy. I also predict that he will not gravitate towards Joseph, a very docile, low-key boy. I may be (ahem...hope) that I'm wrong, but what will be will be. Gabe had a good time at school, and I got to meet some of the other parents. It was a good morning, and I feel really good about Miss Donna!
trying to snap a pic of the preschooler on orientation day
but the boys were being silly
look at Zach hugging on Gabe!
more hugs!
monkey see, monkey do
eating snack at school with my new classmate, Gavin
Later Friday afternoon, Auntie Teetee and I took the boys to a play place called, Monkey Joe's. It's full of bouncy houses, bouncy slides, bouncy obstacle courses, and arcade games. At first, Gabe was really having a hard time, and I felt so sad for him. He's not physically confident and often avoids trying new physical challenges. It was pretty painful to watch him try, give up quickly, and cry. He then avoided all of the bouncy options, and played in the toddler area (which was more appropriate for Zach). Luckily, a little girl named, Maya, came over and played with us in the toddler area (she's Gabe's age), and Gabe immediately took to her. They played and jumped and watching Maya gave Gabe the confidence to try the bouncy options. I was SO happy. It was a little miracle. In the end, the boys had a great time at Monkey Joe's. Teetee and I took home two sweaty and tired (but happy) little boys!
driving in my cool car
parenthood expression?
I'm really concentrating
driving in my "f%@*"
my turn in the cool car
he was turning that wheel like there was no tomorrow!
and here's Gabe & Maya playing in the toddler area
I'm jumping!
jazz hands! (look at Zach laughing!)
Maya & Gabe climbing up the slide!
here they go!
I'm so happy that he did it!
look how much fun they had!
two little buddies
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Gabe's First Day Of School..................................Not!
We thought yesterday was Gabe's first day of school. Turns out, his mom needs some special education, folks. Here were the pics from what we thought was his first day:
You were so excited, Gabe. Sorry, bub. Mommy needs to do better next time!
What We Thought Was The Last Day Of Summer
I thought Tuesday was Gabe's last day before school starts. I asked him what he wanted to do on his last day of summer, and he said that he wanted to go to the zoo. So, to the zoo we went. I was going to see if some of the other moms wanted to join us, but I didn't; and I'm so glad it was just the three of us. The boys were easier to manage, and we had a great time.
Here are the pics:
Here are the pics:
brown bear, brown bear what do you see? I see two little boys looking at me!
llama, llama red pajama!
looking at the llamas
on Zach's beloved choo choo car
flamingos!
train ride
Some Hard Conversations With My Big Bub
So, most of you know that Gabe can be a handful. He's a bundle of emotions, and those emotions are usually in the extreme forms. He tends to be over-the-top happy or appreciative OR overflowing with anger and frustration.
An example of super happy Gabe
The other day, he found a reed of sorts in the backyard. It was just a long piece of grass, with a little reedy top, folks. Well, he ran up to me, saying that he found the most beautiful flower of his life; that this flower made him feel better; that he now felt as if everything was okay. Huh?
An example of super angry Gabe
When his struggle-of-a-mom took him to school on the wrong day, and Gabe learned that he would NOT be starting school yesterday, he got very angry. I told him that it was Mommy's fault, that she got the day wrong, and that she was super sorry. Gabe said, "it's not your fault, Mom. It's the teacher's fault" (the teacher who came out to my car to tell me to go home, essentially) Gabe went on to say, "I'm going to hit that teacher into the ground!"
The tough conversations
Last week, I was mowing the lawn in the backyard, trying to prepare for Hurricane Irene. At first, Gabe was "mowing" the lawn beside me with his lawnmower. Evidently it got old, so Gabe went off to play with Zach. All of a sudden, Gabe comes over to my lawnmower and tries to grab it. I got scared and told him never to touch the lawnmower, that it's hot and he could get hurt. A few minutes later, out of the blue, Gabe throws a rock at the lawnmower (making contact with the mower). Now, I stop mowing, and I'm pretty angry with Gabe. I tell him that he should never throw rocks at the mower, etc. Literally a few minutes later, he throws a big beach ball at the mower. Now I'm feeling pretty ticked off. I stop the mower again and have some words with him. He grunts and runs off.
After I'm done mowing, Gabe knows that I'm still frustrated with him, so he says that he's sorry for throwing the rock and the ball and that he'll never do it again. I tell him something to the effect that he knows better and that saying sorry is good, but that it doesn't just fix everything. (He says sorry a lot and thinks that sorry means there won't be consequences.) I tell him that after he threw the rock and we talked, that I never imagined that he'd go on to throw the ball. Gabe says, "I can't stop myself." Now we're getting somewhere! He went on to say that he was angry that I was mowing the lawn and that he couldn't stop himself from throwing things. I was SO happy to hear him talk about how he was feeling, so I told him that I'll never be mad at him for telling me how he feels, but that I will be mad if he acts out those angry feelings with fresh choices. It was a really good talk.
This morning's talk
Gabe was going after Zach this morning. He hit him with a very hard and pointy dinosaur and then hurt him again with the play house. When I took him aside to talk about what was happening, Gabe said, "I want to change." We hugged for a long time and I tried to impress upon him that he didn't need to change himself - that he's perfect just the way that he is - but that he needs to work on his choices and change those choices. As we were hugging, he said that he didn't want to change, that it was too hard.
I just hope that I can help him work through all of this. I feel so sorry for him that he struggles so much. I often feel like, overnight, he went from the easiest, happiest baby to the most adorable but emotional toddler in town.
An example of super happy Gabe
The other day, he found a reed of sorts in the backyard. It was just a long piece of grass, with a little reedy top, folks. Well, he ran up to me, saying that he found the most beautiful flower of his life; that this flower made him feel better; that he now felt as if everything was okay. Huh?
An example of super angry Gabe
When his struggle-of-a-mom took him to school on the wrong day, and Gabe learned that he would NOT be starting school yesterday, he got very angry. I told him that it was Mommy's fault, that she got the day wrong, and that she was super sorry. Gabe said, "it's not your fault, Mom. It's the teacher's fault" (the teacher who came out to my car to tell me to go home, essentially) Gabe went on to say, "I'm going to hit that teacher into the ground!"
The tough conversations
Last week, I was mowing the lawn in the backyard, trying to prepare for Hurricane Irene. At first, Gabe was "mowing" the lawn beside me with his lawnmower. Evidently it got old, so Gabe went off to play with Zach. All of a sudden, Gabe comes over to my lawnmower and tries to grab it. I got scared and told him never to touch the lawnmower, that it's hot and he could get hurt. A few minutes later, out of the blue, Gabe throws a rock at the lawnmower (making contact with the mower). Now, I stop mowing, and I'm pretty angry with Gabe. I tell him that he should never throw rocks at the mower, etc. Literally a few minutes later, he throws a big beach ball at the mower. Now I'm feeling pretty ticked off. I stop the mower again and have some words with him. He grunts and runs off.
After I'm done mowing, Gabe knows that I'm still frustrated with him, so he says that he's sorry for throwing the rock and the ball and that he'll never do it again. I tell him something to the effect that he knows better and that saying sorry is good, but that it doesn't just fix everything. (He says sorry a lot and thinks that sorry means there won't be consequences.) I tell him that after he threw the rock and we talked, that I never imagined that he'd go on to throw the ball. Gabe says, "I can't stop myself." Now we're getting somewhere! He went on to say that he was angry that I was mowing the lawn and that he couldn't stop himself from throwing things. I was SO happy to hear him talk about how he was feeling, so I told him that I'll never be mad at him for telling me how he feels, but that I will be mad if he acts out those angry feelings with fresh choices. It was a really good talk.
This morning's talk
Gabe was going after Zach this morning. He hit him with a very hard and pointy dinosaur and then hurt him again with the play house. When I took him aside to talk about what was happening, Gabe said, "I want to change." We hugged for a long time and I tried to impress upon him that he didn't need to change himself - that he's perfect just the way that he is - but that he needs to work on his choices and change those choices. As we were hugging, he said that he didn't want to change, that it was too hard.
I just hope that I can help him work through all of this. I feel so sorry for him that he struggles so much. I often feel like, overnight, he went from the easiest, happiest baby to the most adorable but emotional toddler in town.
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