I think one of the reasons I was posting so infrequently is I was thinking of posting for the world to see, when the original point of this blog was just for me to have a place to keep memories down and be able to ascribe some sort of timeline to them when I look back later through the fog of childhood. I have recently found myself posting small things on Facebook, now for the reason that I really care to share them now, but I look forward to seeing those memories a year or two years later come back up via Timehop or on this day. And with the amount of time I waste watching T.V. or on Sporcle, I can find 5 minutes every couple weeks to type out a quick post as to what is going on in my life, or more importantly in my children's life. Because they are so big! I have no babies anymore. I realized that the other day when Liam started making sarcastic comments. Little babies don't respond to you with "That was the plan" when you lay out what is ahead of them. I find myself looking at his eyes or ears or nose and just see how perfect they are, but how he is no longer a little baby.
So in the past year, where do I start? I think I'll have to just pretend as though 2014 didn't exist, though if I ever get caught up on grading, perhaps I'll add the Disney trip we were blessed to take again this past June. Sarah is in kindergarten. How did that happen? That is like real school, though I am calling in Kindergarten Part 1 as we're not sure yet what we're doing next year. And after spending the better part of the last half a decade with Lupita caring for our children, Liam has also moved on to Open Arms. I remember making a comment to the director of the school that whenever Liam acted up, just remember that Sarah was also a Flynn, but apparently their behavior at school is very different than home, because Liam is apparently very well behaved, and Sarah, well, Sarah thinks that she is the fourth teacher in the class. But when in twenty years I print this out (or whatever technology exists then), I do want to put on the public record that I'm also very proud of her for being a great helper and excellent reader (again, how did my baby start reading?)
T.J. comments that I always look for something to do instead of grading, so this may be my new outlet. The holidays are coming up, my favorite time of year, so I'm sure there will be lots of photo opportunities. And if it falls back to the wayside again, at least I have "On This Day" as my fail safe.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Sunday, September 14, 2014
More Than 50
A couple of years ago I wrote a post about the words that Sarah knew at 18 months. I just went back and referenced, and her vocabulary at that point was about 21 words or so. Now I know she's a girl, and I know you should never compared one child to another but at Liam's 18 month appointment I was concerned that Liam knew very few works. I didn't write down what he knew (or didn't) but I'm pretty sure it was limited to Mommy, Daddy, Sarah and maybe a few other words, and it was enough that our pediatrician said if he wasn't making marked progress by 2 years that he would be referred for speech therapy.
With Sarah I would have been freaking out. She was also a late talker, but I read somewhere somehow that children who are exposed to more than one language growing up are often later to talk because it takes their brains some time to sort out which language is which. So when Liam was also not talking, I figured he'd catch up, because anyone who has had a conversation with Sarah, um, ever, realizes that she is quite the verbose child. And I had video proof I wasn't being crazy because we took Sarah to Disney at 20 months, so we have plenty of iPhone proof of her talking up a storm. Then I went to Korea for 10 days, and when I came back, it was a different child than when I left. He talked! Not that he didn't before, but his vocabulary was exponentially larger. I can't do the same post for Liam that I did for Sarah, because he knows too many words, and it keeps growing everyday. We have a "color" book with lots of different pictures, and going through and pointing out the objects is one of his favorite bedtime games (though he's still not too good at the actual colors). You can't play "Headbandz" around him Liam, because he'll just walk up to you, point at your head and say "swing", thereby ruining the game. He even knows more idiomatic speech at this point. If you tell him that he has to do something he doesn't want to (get his diaper changed) before he can do something he wants (build a tower) he looks at you and says "deal".
I think I babied Liam longer than Sarah mostly because he was still a baby. He has his baby fat and he didn't talk, and even though he was approaching two, he was still my baby. But I can't do that anymore. He is a toddler. He talks, he sasses, he laughs, he plays, he's a growing boy. And I don't know why stringing words together makes him seem so much older, but it does. His speech currently resembles more caveman than future Harvard alumni, but he is improving. While sitting beneath the "People Remover" at Disney (more about that later) he heard the ride above him and said "I hear Mickey!". His first complete sentence referencing Disney? That's my boy!
But back to his two year check up. Our pediatrician had written down at 18 months to discuss his speech again. So she asked me how I thought he was doing. And I responded I had no worries. So she asked, "does he have at least 10 words?" And I nodded.. "More than 30?" Tia asked? And again, I didn't even have to think twice about that number. "More than 50?" she queried again? And I felt pretty confident in answering in the affirmative.
And yes, when I went home I did count just to make sure he had more than 50. I pulled out that color book that he likes identifying pictures in, and I reached 50 words before I got to the "Green" page, which is the fourth page in the book. I'm sure there will be many more things to worry about in the future, but speech (for now) isn't one of them.
With Sarah I would have been freaking out. She was also a late talker, but I read somewhere somehow that children who are exposed to more than one language growing up are often later to talk because it takes their brains some time to sort out which language is which. So when Liam was also not talking, I figured he'd catch up, because anyone who has had a conversation with Sarah, um, ever, realizes that she is quite the verbose child. And I had video proof I wasn't being crazy because we took Sarah to Disney at 20 months, so we have plenty of iPhone proof of her talking up a storm. Then I went to Korea for 10 days, and when I came back, it was a different child than when I left. He talked! Not that he didn't before, but his vocabulary was exponentially larger. I can't do the same post for Liam that I did for Sarah, because he knows too many words, and it keeps growing everyday. We have a "color" book with lots of different pictures, and going through and pointing out the objects is one of his favorite bedtime games (though he's still not too good at the actual colors). You can't play "Headbandz" around him Liam, because he'll just walk up to you, point at your head and say "swing", thereby ruining the game. He even knows more idiomatic speech at this point. If you tell him that he has to do something he doesn't want to (get his diaper changed) before he can do something he wants (build a tower) he looks at you and says "deal".
I think I babied Liam longer than Sarah mostly because he was still a baby. He has his baby fat and he didn't talk, and even though he was approaching two, he was still my baby. But I can't do that anymore. He is a toddler. He talks, he sasses, he laughs, he plays, he's a growing boy. And I don't know why stringing words together makes him seem so much older, but it does. His speech currently resembles more caveman than future Harvard alumni, but he is improving. While sitting beneath the "People Remover" at Disney (more about that later) he heard the ride above him and said "I hear Mickey!". His first complete sentence referencing Disney? That's my boy!
But back to his two year check up. Our pediatrician had written down at 18 months to discuss his speech again. So she asked me how I thought he was doing. And I responded I had no worries. So she asked, "does he have at least 10 words?" And I nodded.. "More than 30?" Tia asked? And again, I didn't even have to think twice about that number. "More than 50?" she queried again? And I felt pretty confident in answering in the affirmative.
And yes, when I went home I did count just to make sure he had more than 50. I pulled out that color book that he likes identifying pictures in, and I reached 50 words before I got to the "Green" page, which is the fourth page in the book. I'm sure there will be many more things to worry about in the future, but speech (for now) isn't one of them.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
One Day
Maybe over the next 18 years or so I'll have many more stops and reboots of this blog, but it was my (now 2 year old!) son that inspired me this time. The other morning on the way to dropping him off at daycare he asked "one day playground?" as we drove past a tot lot. And I had to answer "No, not today" to which he responded "Why?". How do you explain to a 2 year old that we can't go to the playground because Mommy has to go to work? And though at that moment I promised to make it up to him with multiple playground dates in the future, I realized that if I keep waiting for the "perfect" day to go to the playground we would never make it there. So the next morning, we were (shockingly) running early, and we stopped and had an impromptu playground date, he in his shorts and tee shirt and me in my heels and dress. But it made the rest of the day so much better!
What does this have to do with this blog? I think I stopped writing because I was overwhelmed with all I had missed. I had so many grand plans to document all of the big life moments, that when I missed one (or two or 181, Sarah's current favorite number) instead of just moving on and documenting the next, I kept convincing myself that I would eventually get back and do everything I missed. And instead I just kept missing more events. And it's not like this even takes that long. I find time for facebook or pinterest or the occasional game on sporcle, so why not find 10 minutes to write down what is going on in my kids lives? "One day", I tell myself, and that perfect day would never come. And now I have a two year old and a daughter in pre-K and I'm quickly learning that live goes by far too quickly to wait for the perfect day. The best kid moments are in the moment, and perhaps I will try to document those.
For example, Liam has learned a new set of words - nothing and no one. It's funny and hard not to laugh when you get sass from someone who still doesn't know the proper way to use a fork, but the other day when picking him up from daycare, I asked him what he did that day. Normally I get some response such as "play" or "goldfish" or "coloring" which can then be followed up with more questions. Last Monday? Liam, what did you do at Luptia's today? Liam: Nothing. Me: Who did you play with? Liam: No one. And then I started to laugh and he started to laugh and just repeat it over and over again. Sarah is a little reporter. She's not even to the car before I get the full report of what happened in school, who went to the quiet corner and what they did, so it was even funnier that I was being stonewalled by the person who does not yet speak in complete sentences.
One short other story, more for me than anyone else. I love love love hearing my children laugh. While driving home this evening, not sure how it came up, but Sarah said "I'm going to eat a car". And Liam thought it was hilarious! But what impressed me is after laughing, he responded "I bite car", "I bite bus". He not only "got" the joke, but continued it on his own. Silly story I know, but those were the stories I've missed over the past year. No, it's not our trip to Disney, or her third (or his second) birthday, or Christmas or Easter or snow, but it's our life, and I love it, and I want to document it and remember it. Not one day, today.
What does this have to do with this blog? I think I stopped writing because I was overwhelmed with all I had missed. I had so many grand plans to document all of the big life moments, that when I missed one (or two or 181, Sarah's current favorite number) instead of just moving on and documenting the next, I kept convincing myself that I would eventually get back and do everything I missed. And instead I just kept missing more events. And it's not like this even takes that long. I find time for facebook or pinterest or the occasional game on sporcle, so why not find 10 minutes to write down what is going on in my kids lives? "One day", I tell myself, and that perfect day would never come. And now I have a two year old and a daughter in pre-K and I'm quickly learning that live goes by far too quickly to wait for the perfect day. The best kid moments are in the moment, and perhaps I will try to document those.
For example, Liam has learned a new set of words - nothing and no one. It's funny and hard not to laugh when you get sass from someone who still doesn't know the proper way to use a fork, but the other day when picking him up from daycare, I asked him what he did that day. Normally I get some response such as "play" or "goldfish" or "coloring" which can then be followed up with more questions. Last Monday? Liam, what did you do at Luptia's today? Liam: Nothing. Me: Who did you play with? Liam: No one. And then I started to laugh and he started to laugh and just repeat it over and over again. Sarah is a little reporter. She's not even to the car before I get the full report of what happened in school, who went to the quiet corner and what they did, so it was even funnier that I was being stonewalled by the person who does not yet speak in complete sentences.
One short other story, more for me than anyone else. I love love love hearing my children laugh. While driving home this evening, not sure how it came up, but Sarah said "I'm going to eat a car". And Liam thought it was hilarious! But what impressed me is after laughing, he responded "I bite car", "I bite bus". He not only "got" the joke, but continued it on his own. Silly story I know, but those were the stories I've missed over the past year. No, it's not our trip to Disney, or her third (or his second) birthday, or Christmas or Easter or snow, but it's our life, and I love it, and I want to document it and remember it. Not one day, today.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
I think he says Mama
At Liam's 9 month appointment I asked the doctor what milestones we should be looking for in the next three months. As he had just started crawling two days before that appointment, I wasn't expecting him to start walking in the next three months, but she did say he should start to use words "with purpose".
To start, Liam is the polar opposite of Sarah. Where she is crazy, he is chill. Where she is intense, he is giggly. Where she loves to talk (and ask why? why? why? why?) he prefers to sit and observe the situation. Where she is, well, me, he is, well, T.J. And to that extent is not really a bit talker.
So he babbles, like any baby babbles, but I wasn't sure he was using words "with purpose" and he turns 12 months this weekend. But then I started to notice every time I got him out of his car seat he would babble "mama". Or when I went to get him out of the crib in the morning he would say "mama". And when we come home in the afternoon, if T.J. was here, he would wave his arms frantically and say "dada". It doesn't seem to be consistent, but it does seem to be with some sort of purpose. And if I listen really hard, I think he may even say "aah-rah" (Sarah) as well. No other words, no ball, bubble, up, juice, milk or shoe (which was purportedly my first world) but I think we're getting somewhere.
I remember Sarah also spoke late. The doctor told us that babies that are exposed to multiple languages often start speaking later because it takes a while for their brains to sort out the two languages, but they do eventually catch up (as evidenced by my almost three year old who is verbal far beyond her 22 months). For now I'll relish the nonverbal way he communicates with me - lifting his arms up toward me when he wants to be picked up, waving his arms up and down when he gets excited (about anything), clapping with joy along with music or clearly understanding the word no as evidenced by his pouting lower lip and shrill cry soon after. And I'll relish that just shy of his first birthday, my baby knows his mama.
To start, Liam is the polar opposite of Sarah. Where she is crazy, he is chill. Where she is intense, he is giggly. Where she loves to talk (and ask why? why? why? why?) he prefers to sit and observe the situation. Where she is, well, me, he is, well, T.J. And to that extent is not really a bit talker.
So he babbles, like any baby babbles, but I wasn't sure he was using words "with purpose" and he turns 12 months this weekend. But then I started to notice every time I got him out of his car seat he would babble "mama". Or when I went to get him out of the crib in the morning he would say "mama". And when we come home in the afternoon, if T.J. was here, he would wave his arms frantically and say "dada". It doesn't seem to be consistent, but it does seem to be with some sort of purpose. And if I listen really hard, I think he may even say "aah-rah" (Sarah) as well. No other words, no ball, bubble, up, juice, milk or shoe (which was purportedly my first world) but I think we're getting somewhere.
I remember Sarah also spoke late. The doctor told us that babies that are exposed to multiple languages often start speaking later because it takes a while for their brains to sort out the two languages, but they do eventually catch up (as evidenced by my almost three year old who is verbal far beyond her 22 months). For now I'll relish the nonverbal way he communicates with me - lifting his arms up toward me when he wants to be picked up, waving his arms up and down when he gets excited (about anything), clapping with joy along with music or clearly understanding the word no as evidenced by his pouting lower lip and shrill cry soon after. And I'll relish that just shy of his first birthday, my baby knows his mama.
(Gratuitous pictures of my almost 1 year old little man!)
Of Grocery Stores and Shopping Carts
Being the mother of two has made me reevaluate the way I make even simple decisions. Take grocery shopping. Normally I can put Liam in the front and throw Sarah in the back, unless I have two many groceries, and then I have to go to Wegmans. Why? Not because of the fabulous bakery or fresh sushi but because of the fact that the carts at Wegmans have seats for two kids in the front of the cart. Teeter may be closer, Walmart might have better prices but neither one of them will help me prevent the meltdown that comes when Sarah doesn't understand why Liam can't sit in the back of the cart ... yet.
The only downside is close proximity to each other does allow for easy hair pulling. And as I have yet to break down and cut either one of their hair, there is quite a bit of real estate there. But the positive is that Sarah is an adorable big sister who loves snuggling with Liam when he gets upset. I'm not sure if it helps, but she loves putting her arm around him and saying "It's ok buddy" over and over again.
So when I have both kids and need to get more than just a couple things it's off to Wegmans. Or Costco, as they also have the two-seated shopping cart (and the added bonus of the giant cart where Sarah can sit in the back and fit along with the two kitchen sinks I inevitably buy). Now if only Target would understand the brilliance that is this invention, my life would be complete (and so so so much easier).
The only downside is close proximity to each other does allow for easy hair pulling. And as I have yet to break down and cut either one of their hair, there is quite a bit of real estate there. But the positive is that Sarah is an adorable big sister who loves snuggling with Liam when he gets upset. I'm not sure if it helps, but she loves putting her arm around him and saying "It's ok buddy" over and over again.
So when I have both kids and need to get more than just a couple things it's off to Wegmans. Or Costco, as they also have the two-seated shopping cart (and the added bonus of the giant cart where Sarah can sit in the back and fit along with the two kitchen sinks I inevitably buy). Now if only Target would understand the brilliance that is this invention, my life would be complete (and so so so much easier).
 |
| Their first time side by side. |
I am so glad I didn't get married in the era of pinterest....
So I'm not sure how this happened, but Liam turns 1 on Saturday! And though I must have been crazy choosing to have his party two days before school starts for the year, I've been spending the last couple of weeks planning a Very Hungry Caterpillar party (well, I say week, but I noticed today that I pinned my first party idea on Pinterest 10 months ago, so really I've been planning for a while?)
Oh well, Pinterest. Two years ago I found some online party depot, ordered a birthday party set with girlie jungle animals, filled out the invitations by hand, put a paper sign in our front yard and bought some balloons. I did cater the food and we had way too many people here, but it wasn't stressful. It was a celebration. But in the past three years, the mixed blessing that is Pinterest has entered the American lexicon. The framed pictures may have been sitting there for over a year, but Liam's "theme" to his nursery was the classic Eric Carle story, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" (at least I have a crib sheet and color scheme that matches). So I guess early on I decided that the theme to his party would be the same. Oh yes, parties now have to have themes. So I figured out how to use Pinterest and started pinning things that I figured would never come to fruition. Caterpillar cupcake cake? Balloon sculpture? Month-by-month picture chain? English muffin pizzas in a caterpillar shape? Check, check, check and check. Then the party planning hit the fan and I had to figure out what I actually wanted to do/ versus what I could actually accomplish.
But the moral of this post is, this party planning has been somewhat stressful. It was worth it when my "Liam is Turning 1" candy bar wrappers looked adorable, or the month-by-month caterpillar makes me smile seeing how much he has grown, but I think the multitude of choices makes overachievers like me bite off more than I can chew (especially when school starts 48 hours later).
But it's fun. Really fun. Or else I wouldn't be doing it. But considering my incredible level of indecisiveness, I'm really glad I did not get married in the era of Pinterest. Instead of having celebrated our 6th anniversary, I may still have been ruminating over the different ways I could fold the napkins at the cocktail hour. But alas, I had to settle for magazines and blogs, and instead I could save my Pinterest obsession for Liam's first birthday. Or Sarah's third.....
Oh well, Pinterest. Two years ago I found some online party depot, ordered a birthday party set with girlie jungle animals, filled out the invitations by hand, put a paper sign in our front yard and bought some balloons. I did cater the food and we had way too many people here, but it wasn't stressful. It was a celebration. But in the past three years, the mixed blessing that is Pinterest has entered the American lexicon. The framed pictures may have been sitting there for over a year, but Liam's "theme" to his nursery was the classic Eric Carle story, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" (at least I have a crib sheet and color scheme that matches). So I guess early on I decided that the theme to his party would be the same. Oh yes, parties now have to have themes. So I figured out how to use Pinterest and started pinning things that I figured would never come to fruition. Caterpillar cupcake cake? Balloon sculpture? Month-by-month picture chain? English muffin pizzas in a caterpillar shape? Check, check, check and check. Then the party planning hit the fan and I had to figure out what I actually wanted to do/ versus what I could actually accomplish.
But the moral of this post is, this party planning has been somewhat stressful. It was worth it when my "Liam is Turning 1" candy bar wrappers looked adorable, or the month-by-month caterpillar makes me smile seeing how much he has grown, but I think the multitude of choices makes overachievers like me bite off more than I can chew (especially when school starts 48 hours later).
But it's fun. Really fun. Or else I wouldn't be doing it. But considering my incredible level of indecisiveness, I'm really glad I did not get married in the era of Pinterest. Instead of having celebrated our 6th anniversary, I may still have been ruminating over the different ways I could fold the napkins at the cocktail hour. But alas, I had to settle for magazines and blogs, and instead I could save my Pinterest obsession for Liam's first birthday. Or Sarah's third.....
Monday, August 19, 2013
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