Wednesday: messed up together

During dinner we're watching a show called "Brain Games".  It's not great, but it's ok and it's ok for Isaac to watch.  Today's episode was basically on subliminal messages.

Ben and I got a lot of the games wrong.  They said, "count the ducks" and we both thought they were rabbits.  (It turns out they could be either, but since they said 'ducks', most people think they're ducks.)  They said, "which person would you hire?" and we both chose the 'wrong' person.

Then Ben got out his phone and showed me a picture..."what do you think these look like?"  "Ladybugs," I responded.  Ben said, "Me too!  But when you look at them up close they're just circles with holes in them.  People didn't understand how I could think they were lady bugs."

We might be messed up, but at least we're messed up together.

Monday: seven months

Joshua turned seven months on Saturday, so here's an update.

Eating: after refusing solids for the first two weeks of six months, he finally started eating them.  Today the green beans just disappeared...the first time that has happened.  He's been at about a half container a day.  I haven't been introducing foods as quickly, mostly because he was barely eating them.  He's now had rice cereal, sweet potato, apples, and green beans.  Tomorrow might be squash.

Sleeping: he is still taking about three naps a day: two short ones morning and early evening and a longer one early afternoon.  He'll often end up sleeping with me in the afternoon and I think it makes both of us happy.  He is often waking up several times at night just needing a pacifier.  If it continues, the pacifier will be gone around the same time he's done with day care.

Gross motor: He's very good at sitting up.  He loves to jump.  He doesn't roll over for me (either way), although sometimes I've found him rolled over in his crib.

Fine motor: It's improving.  He can get little things in a fist.  He doesn't seem to put as much in his mouth as Isaac did, so Puffs aren't working very well yet.  He can take puzzle pieces out of a puzzle.

Temperament: most days Joshua is a mellow kid.  He laughs, but not for very long.  He (usually) doesn't get very sad.  He is often happy to play by himself for a bit, especially if he can see someone else.  However, I think teeth are getting him down.  The second one is poking through and he had a rather cuddly day today.

Sunday: last night and another walk

We took another walk on the ice.  Isaac did not want to go, but we told him it was family time and that he could do his desired activity afterwards.  And we stuck his wipe in his coat pocket; I feel like that is what finally calmed him down.  He was a pretty good sport about it once we got out, but we could tell it still wasn't what he really wanted to do.

So I'm sure you guys are all wondering how last night went.  It went amazingly.  I didn't get out of bed for seven hours.  Seven!  I actually felt awake getting out of bed for the first time in a long time.  Isaac stayed dry.  I heard him run to the bathroom around 6:30, but was kind of expecting that since we put him to bed early.  He got back in bed afterwards as we had discussed before bed.  Joshua has figured out how to roll over in his crib and slept that way.  He always seems a bit confused when he wakes up on his stomach, but he sleeps much better.  I still can't get him to roll over during the day, but I'll take what I can get.

Saturday: pajamas and lake

We got some new handme down pajamas for Joshua, and there just happened to be a smaller size of Isaac's favorite pajamas.  So they both wore them last night.

Isaac putting a ball on Joshua's head.

I was having a really hard time getting them to look at me (let alone smile), so I had them look at the fire.  Even that proved a bit difficult.  First Joshua looked right.  Then left.  Then I finally got one of him looking at the fire.

(Side note: Isaac really wanted to wear underwear to bed tonight.  So we're trying it.  He told me he wouldn't have an accident...but he has been staying dry only about 50% of the nights lately.  I'm kind of expecting a 6am wakeup call, but thought I'd see what happens.  Sometimes he surprises me.)

Ben and Isaac also took a walk onto the lake.

See the black speck in the middle of the picture?  That's them.

It's a rather weird feeling to walk onto the lake, even when you know it is well frozen.

Friday: volume

It was a loud day today.

We went to story time at the library.  There was a new teacher, who was very good, but I missed Miss Mary.

Then we went to a play group.  A lot of fun, but loud.  Seven kids and four adults in a house is bound to be loud.  (As a side note, Isaac said his hand really was excited to go to play group.  I don't understand why his hands have minds of their own.)

We got home and the plow had gone through again.  (Why?  I don't know.  It hasn't snowed since the last time it went through.)  Since we have a big bump at the end of the driveway I took a few minutes to clean it up.  But the sun was out and so the snow "loudly" shone in my eyes.

We had rest time at home.  I got a little nap, but could have used a longer one.  That's usually how it goes though.  And after rest time Isaac was just loud.  He doesn't stop talking or making noise.  And if he does stop Joshua tends to fill in the silence.  By about 5pm my mind shut down...too much noise for the day.

I got to pick up the food for dinner.  All by myself.  It was wonderfully quiet.

I got home to a loud house (thanks to Isaac) but after dinner was feeling a bit more normal.

Wednesday: hands

Isaac calls to me from the bathroom, "Can you pull down my pants?"  Surprised, I went over.  "This hand [the right hand] will pull down my pants but this hand [the left hand] doesn't want to."

So obviously, the best solution to this problem was to call me over.

Tuesday: ha!

Mid term grades are due tomorrow, so I thought I'd work on them briefly tonight and get them in.  Briefly...ha!  Well, I guess I did work on the grades briefly.  But then I helped the graders catch up on an assignment, answered a bunch of emails, and just generally got caught up.  So now it's way past my bedtime but I don't feel in the right frame of mind to go to bed because I've been doing something different than normal.

P.S. I have lots of good hints for cheating if you really want to do it.  Probably all teachers do.  Not that I condone it, but if you insist on doing it please do it well.

P.P.S. I find condone an odd word as it sound like a negative word but really isn't.  Although I'm not sure I've ever heard of someone condoning something.  People always seem to not condone something.  I'm rambling.  Guess I should go to bed.

P.P.P.S. I won't give you the hints for cheating well.  It'd be cheating.  Hahahahaha.