September 26th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
(Damien, My Kids, New, Sergey)
I saw some Hello Kitty DVDs on sale, and thought Damien might like them because he likes his Hello Kitty unbrella.
The kids used to like Veggie Tales, but now have gravitated to Hello Kitty, or as they call it “Cat”. Sergey was under the impression that anything with a cat on it must be Hello Kitty, he pulled a “Felix the Cat” video off the shelf and had me put it in, only to demand that I remove it almot imeadiately.
One of the nice things about Hello Kitty is there is very little violence, so the kids tend to be less wound up.
I had rented “The Clone Wars” a Star Wars cartoon, showing 80% combat of one type or another, very cool from my perspective, but after only a few minutes of vewing I suddenly found myself under atack and Damien and Sergey tried to recreate what was happening on screen (a Light Saber Duel) in real time, using me as the target. Needless to say that one got returned early.
So far I have yet to be assulted while Hello Kitty is playing.
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September 18th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
(Damien, My Kids, New, Olya, Sergey, Xavier)
Xavier is very mobile for his age, he is not crawling (thank God) but he can rotate himself over 90 degrees, and can flip onto his back if he desides that he is done with tummy time.
If he keeps this up we will have to stop changing him on elevated surfaces like the changing table, or the bed.
Then the changing table will be morphed back into a dresser, because changing tables that are no longer used for chaning don’t have as much use as dressers. The bed will still be a bed, luckily it has other uses, like sleeping on (I don’t even want to know where you thought I was going with that one you sick pervert).
Sergey had a good birthday (except for the part where he decided to teach daddy a lesson and slam his head into the concrete with a disturbing “Thonk” noise) at daycare in music class he got to stand in front and everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to him while he wore a crown with a big “2″ on it. and at home he got to pick dinner and dessert (Mac and Cheese and Whipped Cream), and we sang “Happy Birthday” to him again, he and Damien joined in on the singing.
Damien is doing very well in his Early Childhood class, and has befriended a boy named Charlie. Charlie was having trouple saying “good bye” to his dad, and does not like to be touched, hugged, or even have his hand held, but Damien saw that Charlie was having a bad time, and held his hand whiled they walked into the school.
Damien starts an after school swim class next week, and a tumbling calss as well. At first we tried to get into a tumbling class at the “Y” but it was very expensive, and ONLY during the day, but Olya found a place in German Town, that we will be trying out.
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September 17th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
(My Kids, New, Sergey)
Sergey is 2 (and already terrible, he started early) today.
His Hobbies are:
1. Looking cute
2. Stealing toys from his brother
3. Hitting his brother in the head
4. Constantly pushing his boundries
5. smacking his head against something hard (like the floor or wall) when he doesn’t get his way.
6. Showing extra attention to his new yonger brother Xavier (awww)
7. Wearing socks on his hands
Sergey is talking very well and is doing excelent in day care, he has not had a problem day since movign into the new room.
Sergey likes to wear his socks on his hands, and if he has to take his shoes off to do that, so be it. He would often rather go barefoot, than have his hands sockless.
His love of sock may be waining, because he recently went into the bathroom with two socks, one on each hand, closed the door, then I heard the toilet flush, and a very happy Sergey emerged with only one sock (No sock remains have surfaced, as of this writing).
Sergey also enjoys reading books, and annoying playing with Xavier, He often tries to snuggle, and kiss Xavier, then there are other times when he uses him as a foot rest. Though he does pay attention to him, often letting us know that Xavier is crying, and saying “bye bye” to him when Sergey goes to school.
Sergey has already started emulating Damien on the potty, he does almost everything.
1. Lets us know he wants to go potty
2. Leads us to the bathroom
3. Pull pants and diaper down
4. Sit on toilet seat, or potty insert
6. Wipe his butt
7. Flush the toilet
8. Put potty insert into the corner or on the hook
9. Pull up pants (but not diaper if he can get away with it)
10. Wash his hands
Now if only he would do step 5 and actaully go potty, then he would have the whole package.
Well other than that he is doing really well, with self potty training.
Happy Birthday to you Sergey, and many more.
7 Comments
September 12th, 2008 at 10:33 am
(Damien, My Kids, New, Parenting Tip, Sergey)
Often there is a big struggle over putting on shoes and socks (and keeping them on one’s feet) especailly for Sergey, Damien is usually fine.
I have started a new rewards program in the house, similar to credit cards (OK not really all that close) since they both like to feed the fish and press the button for the garage door, I decided they are not allowed to do eaither unless they have their shoes and socks on.
Since there are two tasks, and I have two boys of task age (in a 18 months I’ll need to add a new task), we alternate who gets to do which task.
Odd days Damien gets to feed the fish, and Sergey presses the button, on even days they switch. No apparently Fish Feeding, is the coveted task, and Button Pushing, is still cool but not as cool as Fish Feeding (for obviose reasons which are not apparent to me). Often Button Pushers try to eleveate themselves to be Fish Feeders, to no avail. Sometimes Fish Feeders want to ALSO be Button Pushers, which I tell them it is OK if the want be a Button Pusher, as long as they let their brother be a Fish Feeder, the answer is always NO.
So today when Sergey decided to almost come to get his shoes on (he stopped just out of arms reach and sat down with a “I dont want too“). Just telling him that if he didn’t have shoes on he wouldn’t Feed the Fish. This was not enough for Sergey how held his ground and said “No“. So I upped the stakes, “If you don’t have your shoes on, then I’ll let Damien Feed the Fish“, I said. That was all it took, he walked right over sat in my lap and mad a grab for the socks.
Parenting Tip: It is much easier to hold something hostage than it is to force your kids to do what you want.
2 Comments
September 11th, 2008 at 9:02 am
(Damien, My Kids, New, Sergey)
Both boys are wearing some new shoes, and deither liked them initially (big surprise, they are resistant to change, who would have thought). Damien gave in when I asked with “pleeeeaseeee” several times, which made him laugh. Sergey relented only after having to deal with Olya’s iron will.
On the plus side Sergey did NOT take them off in the car onthe way to daycare. So he is stuck with those shoes for awhile.
So that is the shoe portion of the post, what about the door part.
OK I am getting to that right now.
The mini van has two sliding doors (one on each side DUH) so when I unbuckled Sergey, I can reach across and also unbuckle Damien. Sometimes Sergey wants to leave by the same door that Damien does, then I cloes the door walk around and open the other door to let them both out. This time, once I had unbuckeled Damien he slid out of his chair, steped upto the door, AND OPENED IT!
It totaly freaked me out, I know that he has been trying for some time to open the door, but he has been unsuccessful, for the last few months, I thought I had more time.
Damien didn’t do anything bad, he jumped out and went to play in front of the house, like normal.
But I did have a talk with him about not opening the door if the car is moving.
There is proably a child lock setting that I just have to find and turn on, but then I worry that I may forget him in the car, and he will be trapped unable to get out. I suppose I could teach him how to get out the passenger door.
4 Comments
September 10th, 2008 at 11:26 am
(daycare, New, Sergey)
I find myself contemplating going to bed at 10 PM and waking up at 6 AM.
I must be getting old, or maybe it’s the kids, or maybe it’s because I was up til midnight watching Battle Star Galactica, and I feel a bit tired (thank the lords of Kobol for Caffine).
Also I am very disorganized just now, and am annoyed enough by it to motivate myself to surf the web. I can feel the productivity within my grasp, but it sound like a lot of work, just to do more work (not the most motivational thought I have ever had, but it would make a t-shirt).
We will see how it goes, and so will you, as posting here is a apparently a daily task, whoes idea was that anyway.
As far as kids are concerned, Sergey is all about removing his shoes and socks in the car on the way to school, and then wearing one of the socks as a mitten with no thumb. So I think I will just use socks for his mittens this winter since he actaully wears them.
The barefoot thin is annoying, so today not only did I have him walk in with his bear feet into daycare, which is what I have been doing (though usually it is only one foot, giving him a VERY disticnt sound to his stride, so that the whole daycare knows when Sergey and his slacker fater who doesn’t know how to put shoes on his own sun arrives), this time I also made him carry his shoes and sock (he would wear both, but once he gets one on, he can no longer put on the second one). I got some stares from parents and teachers, but I am not sure if they were condemming me or considering this tactic with their own children.
Well my task was to post not write a novle so I’ll hope to write tomorrow.
3 Comments
September 4th, 2008 at 10:51 am
(Damien, My Kids, New, Sergey, Xavier)
Well the kids have all started in their new class rooms (except Xavier, who refuses to go to school).
Sergey is having a great time with all the new trucks and toys. In his new room, there are low tables to play on (which Sergey likes) so the kids are mostly standing to play on the tables, rather than sitting to play on the floor, this make them look much older.
Also Sergey basically doubled in size in one week (perspectively speaking) because Sergey went from being the smallest kid in the house, to being TWICE as big as Xavier. It is like he had a mega growth spurt. I warned daycare that Sergey has been bitting as of late so to keep an eye on him, so they can nip it in the bud.
Xavier has laredy grown an inch in the last two weeks, and (I think, but don’t quote me just ask Olya if you want the cold hard facts) has passed his birth weight, which is very good for a breast fead baby (I think it’s the breasts).
Damien not only has a new room, but he is back to his EArly Childhood (EC) classes, at the local school, which means he is back to riding the “Special Bus” as Damien puts it. The person who helps put him on and off the bus at daycare, said that “he is a joy to work with” he walks with her to the front, then talks and reads with her while waiting for the bus. When the bus arrives, he just gets right on, and waves goodbye, with a smile.
Damien’s EC teacher says he listens well but does not make eye contact, so we are working on that when we talk to him. Damien’s daycare teachers, also say that he is a good listener, and that they are having no problems with him, I think this is because he is back in EC.
2 Comments