Shoes

After therapy Monday morning and armed with my buy one get one 50% off coupon, Matteo Chloe & I headed to our local shoe store where we purchased everyone spring and summer shoes - - Matteo really loved his flip flops (because they are toy story - unfortunately so did Chloe May and hence this made for a day where Chloe kept stealing Matteo's shoes!).

Chucky

When Matteo woke up this morning, I told him to check out the kitchen and tell me what he notices different. His reply: the cabinets are gone above the fridge. True. Ok what else? There is carpeting on the floor - - - :-) Oh Matteo.

So why the big smile???


We're on our way to Austin's birthday party at CHUCK E(bola) Cheese!! Haha. First time for everything - - and I knew that the host would give the kids tokens to play games, etc. but no worries, Matteo spent (and I"m not kidding or exaggerating) 1.5 hours in the sky:


He only came down 2 times for a matter of 10 seconds to tell me who 1) stepped on his finger; and 2) touched his leg. Other than that he was up and down the slide, climbing all around inside, loving life!

Our friend Austin on the other hand, not so thrilled with the loud music and loud birthday serenading (but what an adorable reaction to it all).


And so Matteo is asking me when we can go back to Chuck E Cheese - to which I reply next time we are invited - -hey as long as he had fun and we came home and washed our hands, burned our clothes and gargled. haha.

And alas when the cake was cut I allowed Matteo to go back into the sky ever so briefly and then off we were home to enjoy the remainder of the sunshine! Spring is coming - but hopefully not without one more good snow!

And Matteo has informed me he is going to have his 5th birthday at a jumpy house - to which I replied that due to the high cost we could only invite 1 friend - to which he countered he is 4 so we would need to invite 4 friends: JayJAndrew (I think he thinks this is one person), Kimmie Kim, Grandma and Colleen (know by all the other children as Auntie).

And speaking of our extended family: look at the georgous/too soft towel (well actually it's a blanket but Matteo keeps calling it a towel) they gave him:



Matteo was delighted to wake up to it - and literally rolled around the better part of the morning in it!! Super thanks.

One final nursing update: I believe Chloe May has a sore throat - so when she cried quite a bit last night Daddy said it would be okay if I nursed her (post-bedtime) - but my Dear Followers I could not. I felt as though I am too new at our rountine and the slope would forever be slippery. So I held steadfast and rocked her, spoke softly to her and well it took a good 6 minutes, but off to sleep she went. This concludes our updates - thank you for your interest.

And in goodbye news: Daddy leaves this week. Check back to see how we all handle the departure.

Gramps and Grandma came down Saturday to help Daddy "recess the refrigerator" - hence giving us more space in the kitchen.

By 9:30 AM this is what the kitchen looked like!



Gramps stayed focused the whole day and wasn't much of a talker - which made for some really funny jokes when he left.


Come 11 PM (yes they were STILL here - Grandma fell asleep - it was bound to happen :-)


And alas our new design:


what you probably don't notice is that we put some carpeting down in the kitchen and there are also holes in the floor in front of the fridge - which will be there until we get a new floor. Special thanks to Gramps and Grandma for helping out - and bringing delicious yummies.

*update*

Pinch me I must be dreaming! The ease at which Chloe May goes to bed without nursing - such a large change I feel is really a testament to how much at ease she feels in my arms with my talking to her, etc. This evening she didn't wake as often and I felt even slept more soundly.

The change has been embraced.

And on this windy day we lost power (third time I believe in almost 8 years) - - ironically the kids and I had just come back from our afternoon walk when the power went out (probably because I wanted to shower) - - but we did enjoy some puddle time (notice chloe may's new camera pose!).

Change

Speaking to Daddy recently about my bit of reluctance to change, Daddy pointed out (and correctly so) - that I only have trouble with change when I don't initiate it. For instance, I waited almost 2 years to the day for Matteo's first haircut, and then one day I woke up and decide **today is the day** to cut his hair. But with my last name, I kept it my maiden name as I felt too pressured to change it.

But I've decided that Chloe May is in for a change - it is simply time to stop feeding her at night. After all I don't wake up and eat at night, nor does Matteo or Walter (cannot include Daddy because he works late and eats late). So today my motto was "in for a penny, in for a pound", and tonight when it came time to put Chloe May to bed, I kid you not she cried (not as hard) for ONE MINUTE, and then I continued to rock her/talk to her and she was simply very still and calm for about 10-12 minutes (though having her hand on my chest soothed her) and off to sleep she went. But I took it a step further tonight and did not feed her at night like she is used to, so when she woke up (no less than 5 times), each time I patted her and off to sleep she went. I was trying to hold out until 6 AM (sun up!), but when she really wailed at 5:45 AM - I decided she might just be hungry and gave in (also didn't want to wake Matteo in the next room). So there you have it folks, I feel very ......... empowered, really accomplished, this has been on my mind for a few months now and well I think the road ahead of me is still there, but I think the bumps are far less high then I imagined. Wish me luck.

And speaking of change, I really like what Matteo has done to his hair - wouldn't you agree?

and yes, he has started to play with Chloe May's sole Dolly - carrying it around and even slept with it once - which is fair game considering Chloe May plays with every toy of his - but only if it's in his hand at the moment otherwise obviously she shows no interest :-)

- - Every journey starts with a single step - -

Wednesday update.....

So updating Wednesday night..... I decided to stop nursing Chloe May to sleep - being concerned about her teeth and any milk sitting on them at night was my reasoning. In addition, Matteo stopped completely night nursing by 18 months so Chloe May is a little bit behind. So after about 5 minutes of REALLY crying and my holding/rocking Chloe telling her softly she was okay, etc. she finally drifted off to sleep.

Thus begins a new chapter in our relationship - trusting me enough to fall asleep in my arms.

Driving in the car

Remember how much I told you Chloe May likes to mirror Matteo, in the car she will yell for his hat:



And thanks to our cousins Jay J, Andrew & Kimmy for sending Matteo a slinky - - he takes it EVERYWHERE and loves it (because it's from his favorite movie: toy story- slink the dog).

And in kitchen news: we have our countertop picked out - that wasn't too painful :-)

Kitchen store take 100

So again today we found ourselves back at the kitchen store reworking our kitchen design.

When working with the designer/salesman, I noticed I didn't hear any drawers slamming, or any door slamming, no one was calling my name, by God where was Matteo.??

Oh, only taking a shower:



Alas we think we are pretty close to having our cabinets picked out and placed, next step counter top!

Snow and candles

This President's Day delivered us roughly 3 inches of snow - which is really peanuts considering the amount of snowfall we had in the months of December and January. Having said that, and given Daddy's heavy workload at work, Mommy bundled up my little ones and took to shoveling the driveway - which isn't a big deal because I enjoy the fresh/crisp air and the exercise.

When we were done we ventured over to Helen's house with our dozer (shovel - plastic of course the steel one is too heavy for me!) - and I did her driveway as well because really at 90 years old she need not be shoveling :-)


Then as promised, a snowball fight ensued and so did the use of our backyard play equipment.

When mid-day rolled around we peeled off our big snow clothes and Chloe May put on her best skinny jeans because it was time for a P A R T Y! That's right our friend Julian Matteo (who has a cousin Elissa) - turned 2!

Below Chloe May is partying with Julian's big brother Daniel.

And in the end, we all gathered 'round for some Happy birthday serending

V I S I T O R S

Sunday rolled around at the usual time and look who came for a visit



GRANDMA AND GRAMPS! And no surprise here: given how much Matteo LOVES Grandma and speaks of her so often Chloe May has warmed up to her as well.

And after looking like this for about 6 weeks, Gramps helped Daddy cut the wall down a bit more.

While Chloe napped Matteo soaked in as much of Grandma as possible - until she fell asleep.

Speaking of falling asleep, never fails Gramps, never fails :-)

Skating

So folks today was Matteo's last day of Snow Plow Sam 1 with ice skating. Daddy and Matteo both graduated to the next level so with next week off, we will continue the first week in March with ice skating - for 7 sessions.



And on the way to the car in the parking lot, Matteo (holding Daddy's hand - ahem) - fell while walking. See photo below:

Now let me tell you Matteo and I have, at this point in his life, clocked hundreds of parking lots and never has a fall looked so bad! And you wonder WHY I don't leave the kids with Daddy - imagine if I did - - - Matteo would probably be missing a leg!

And of course our little Dolly (whom I started calling "Me 2" in my head) saw Matteo's bandaid and she too had to have one - below she is demonstrating how to put it on (not that i wasted one putting it on).

Not only does Matteo enjoy Mommy's split pea soup,

but so does our little Dolly!

And yes from not feeling well Matteo has informed me that he likes to sleep under the heating blanket, so this slumber party is occurring a bit more frequently (not that I mind!).

book'em

Can you find the 4 year old boy?



In case you were wondering what that is on his face: a blue monkey that Jay J and Andrew gave Matteo when he was 2 months old (they went to the zoo at night) - yes we still have it :-)

And as I said yesterday, the sun indeed did rise and boy did it shine today - 57 degrees worth! A productive day as we went to the kitchen store and found different cabinets that we liked (maybe we'll add on a second kitchen instead) - found some appliances and just for visiting the store I received a FREE 18 piece culterly set - did I mention how much it was: F R E E !!! :-)

And for those of you following, Daddy has indeed booked his first business trip - to Florida - I know we are both upset over it. Can you come to stay with me - - I don't like being alone :-(

I've had better days

Sadly,




not even Chloe's silliness

could bring me up from the darkness today.

But alas she sun will rise again tomorrow. Thanks for the pizza Daddy - I think that helped :-) (though I didn't want to tell you at the time).

A bug

Well this isn't a good sign.



After picking Matteo up from school he fell asleep! Mind you folks this is Matteo!

And the result was his coming home and going straight to bed - only to be woken for a brief drink. Clearly our little guy is fighing something.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!



With the milder temps, we took the opportunity to roll out Chloe May's Christmas present - a new car! Matteo took out his scooter, only to fall off. No worry after a few tears he was right back on it - - and good to go.

Oh no! Come bath time (about 4 hours later) - Matteo discovered a speck of blood on his knee from where he fell and cried (more than outside) telling me how much it hurt, and how he was never going to ride his scooter again until he was 5! So there you have it folks, one scooter for sale for the next 8 months (wow, I'm going to have a 5 year old!). Sidenote: this crying was a sign (though I clearly missed it) of something more to come.

Another party

Having a bit of a cough Matteo enjoyed sleeping in the family bed last night - only thing is....do you really see room for Mommy & Daddy - -



Feeling better and ready to roll Matteo and Chloe May dressed up for another birthday party - this time Zoey from school.

Isn't she a doll?

When we first arrived, I see how well liked Matteo is as most people at the party (including adults) - said "Matteo, Matteo's here" and then went on to say "oh so this is Matteo who we hear so much about". Hahah.

Matteo had his first take at a twinkie (notice he is eating it with a fork, this I delighted in as it goes to show how he clearly has no clue what it is or how to eat it...and yes, he only ate about 2-3 bites).

I dare not throw stones, so we'll just leave it that when cake was served 30 minutes into the party, we left after 1 hour.

And today we are sadly reminded of how precious life is and that there truly is no safe point/moment in a pregnancy - no matter how far along. Our hearts go out to a Dear Friend - though there are no words to express our sadness for his loss.

5th birthday

We cut our skating short today and only stayed for the 30 minute class as opposed to the hour long free skate as we had a date with a 5 year old!! Actually we had a 5 year olds birthday party to go to - - and oh how joyous we were to be included in such an intimate gathering. Kylee is our friend from library (also comes with brother Gavin) - and such a sweet and pretty 5 year old. The party was that of an old fashioned kind - balloons, "nana says", and something new: you pass around a present (which has about 10 different wrappings on it) and each time the music stops you unwrap a layer - and SURPRISE Matteo got the final unwrapping and thus took home the present: sand art - a first for this big guy!

Here Matteo re-learned how to make a balloon stick to the wall - much to his delight.



Chloe May enjoyed dress up - which is odd considering she is usually walking up to me with her clothes OFF/unzippered.

And again, Happy Birthday Kylee - see you at library no doubt.

And thus begins our birthday season - check back from time-to-time as it seems as though we have at least one party every 10 days.

Back to the kitchen store today and not sure if Chloe is sick or it's just her upper teeth wreaking havoc on her body....time will tell :-)

and yes I just really feel as though I have truly figured out this whole preschool...I do in my heart of hearts believe Matteo just wants his friends attention and is unsure of how to get it, we're working on positive ways to get it, but I really must comment I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulder.

A special hanks for the many chats Sarah.

Also honorable mention to Ms. Marisa, for the 30% off kohls coupon, we knew you would have it!

Lastly, Daddy's client is trying to get him to come to Florida for business, enticing him with a trip to the beach, etc. Check back to see how that plays out (much to this household's dismay).

conclusion

Today after school Matteo came home with the mailbox that he made all filled with valentines - and more candy than this 4 year old has seen in his life! You can see the joy on his face after being promised 2 pieces.



And dinnertime was filled with photos of Matteo and

Chloe May (who I think is trying to smile like her big brother).

I met with Matteo's teacher after school to continue our conversation on Matteo and his swatting the little boy Tuesday in school. I said in my heart I don't believe Matteo to be mean or malicious, but rather after observing him briefly in school on Tuesday (unbeknownst to him) - I feel as though Matteo wants his friends attention but does not know how to get it. The teacher said, after our little meeting Tuesday, she agrees 100% and came to the same conclusion on her own - even expressing same to the boy's mother on the phone. Neither of us believe Matteo to be mean, rather incredibly impulsive and wanting his friend's attention - because the teacher said these two boys play beautifully together most of the time.

Also, on a day Matteo is to bring his book into school for show and tell, the teacher said she cannot believe Matteo doesn't qualify for speech........ :-) [comment reserved].

And so one (hopefully) final preschool update. Today before school I decided to write the little boy who Matteo has now kicked (early January) and hit (not hard - Tuesday) a note to let her know I am aware of the situation and am working with Matteo on good touch vs. bad touch at home, etc. I mean really she doesn't know me as she does not drop off her child or pick him up, so I wrote a note, apologized for everything and included my phone number. Well imagine my surprise when she called and we had the loveliest of lovely chats. Seems as though her son speaks of no one in the class BUT Matteo whom she considers to be her son's best friend! She told me all of Matteo's likes and dislikes (scooby & spiderman made the like list) - went on to tell me her 3 year old son is hitting at school and completely understands and was just as nice as the day is long. Truly appreciated her phone call and afterwords felt as though I had finally stepped off this roller coaster and retired to bed by 8 PM - truly emotionally exhausted. I feel as though I figured out why Matteo swats at this boy (because really that is all it is) - he wants his attention. So now I encourage Matteo to get his attention by saying "let's go play" and flashing a 180 watt smile. Fingers crossed for next week at preschool.

Kitchen

Today we went to the kitchen store to get started on scoping out a new kitchen.....funny thing is in a store with no less than 100 cabinets, Matteo decides he wants to play hide and seek with his woody doll- - - and puts it in a cabinet - - - only question is: which one of the 100?

Yes in the end we found woody and all laughed when Matteo hid in a cabinet and we found him because his hand was sticking out the sink!

Augh Matteo :-)

swat

Today upon picking Matteo up at school the teacher asked me to wait inside until all the children were dismissed. While waiting, I found myself silently praying that someone hit Matteo today...not the case. Quite the contrary, the teacher said if she did not witness it with her own eyes, she would not believe it, she saw Matteo playing quietly and when his friend walked by, swat - just hit him. Not hard, but swat.

Saddened I am exhausted and in disbelief.

bath time

All curled up during the day, I bet you would never guess how long Chloe's hair REALLY is!

and while it's not her new or favorite word, Chloe May just seemed to have enjoyed saying "no" during this bath time - and when Matteo saw this movie he was doubled over laughing with delight - so we are sure our cousin Kimmie will enjoy it as well.