Nathan's swim/flirting lesson

So I'm struggling with Nathan in the pool. All he wants to do is play with the rubber ducks on the side of the pool. Yesterday I got him in the water by putting the ducks on a kick board, and Nathan grabbed the kick board and would float around that way. Today he actually did the kick board thing without the ducks on it. Then we were at the ladder and I was trying to get Nathan to jump in. Nathan saw his teacher, Anna and gave her the sweetest smile then jumped in -- without taking his eyes off of her. It was really like he was trying to impress her.

Why?

In January I posted that Colin had reached the questions stage. Well, I didn't realize that the questions stage is multi-staged. Back then it was "What?" for everything. Now he has reached the "Why?" part of this stage. I'm not sure what is more trying, what or why?

Summer update

Well Colin's swim lessons are done and just this morning he asked when he was going back! So I am probably going to sign him up for more lessons in July. Colin did very well except he didn't want to put his face in the water (except when Mary Glen did it!). Mary Glen is one of the girls in his class that Colin really liked. Mary Glen's mother, Kara would watch swim class with me up in the bleachers with Nathan and Mary Glen's little sister, who is 9 months old. After swim class one day, we all went to Chick-fil-A, which the kids really enjoyed. Colin's teachers also commented on the romance going on during swim class, whereas Colin would always ask to be next to Mary Glen!

Right now Colin is taking 2 weeks of Camp Ladybug, the summer camp offered by his school. Next week will be like a reunion week at camp, there is going to be so many of his friends from school at camp with him!

While Colin is at camp, I'm taking Nathan to swim lessons. Nathan's lessons are more of a "mom and me" variety so I have to get in the water with him. However, Nathan's lessons are not going as good as I had hoped. He is very good at getting in and out of the pool, but is not very interested in kicking or floating on his back. Today he commandeered all of the rubber ducks in the pool and was not about to share them with the other boy that is in his class. I felt like the other mom was giving me one of these looks like "oh, your child doesn't share, how nice."

Colin has had lots of playdates with the kids in his class. Last week he got to see Harrison, his best friend at the Botanical Gardens (now, that's a place we have to spend more time at -- so cool!) Today we have a playdate with Schuyler and Ainsley. Two weeks ago, we went to Sidney Marcus Park with Kai and Agnus.

Gotta go and pick up Colin at camp!

My recon mission

Last night, Colin came into our room at 5am asking for Dat Dog. Apparently we forgot Dat Dog when Colin went to bed, but now he wanted him. So I checked down stairs, no Dat Dog. Then it dawned on me, Dat Dog was in Nathan's room, aka "enemy territory".

You might recall in earlier posts about how light Nathan sleeps, so that we are unable to look in on him at night like we can with Colin. Well, sometimes just opening his door will be enough to wake him up. Now I have to open the door, go in, and retrieve a stuffed animal that will start making music if I'm not extremely careful -- Dat Dog's music is motion activated.

So with the music for "Mission Impossible" going through my head, I approach Nathan's door. Open the door, walk in, and stirring from the crib!! So immediately I hit the deck, and lay face down on the floor. The door is still open. I gently raise my body off the floor on my elbows and toes and edge back toward the door. I don't want to reverse crawl on my belly because the sound of my body dragging on the floor will definitely wake him.

When the stirring in the crib finally stops, and I get close enough to the door to close it with my feet. Now using the same manuever, body raised on toes and elbows, I inch toward the presumed location of Dat Dog. Minutes go by, and I reach around and feel for Dat Dog -- jackpot! I very carefully evaluate Dat Dog's position, then stirring from the crib again! Lots of stirring, I try to see if Nathan has stood up because that would be a very bad sign, but it's too dark. So I just lay on the floor waiting.

Once again, Nathan gets quiet so I resume the retrieval. Very carefully I lift Dat Dog without activating the music and inch back towards the door. Once I get to the door, I slowly open the door and try to get the dog out of the room, then I will follow. But as I move Dat Dog toward the door, I accidently bump the dog on the door and the music starts! Quickly, I exit and close the door. Fortunately I don't hear anything else coming from the other side!!

I put Dat Dog in Colin's bed because Dat Dog is not allowed in our bed. The music keeps Bob awake. Colin is in our bed, asleep ... in my spot. So I tell Colin that Dat Dog is in his bed. Colin quickly leaves our room for the comfort of his beloved Dat Dog.

Mission accomplished!

Singing

On this last car trip to Asheville, we were at the very end of the trip where the kids tend to get a little cranky. I was trying to entertain them so they wouldn't think about how long we were in the car. My solution ... singing, one of Colin's favorite things to do. I was singing the tune to "Batman", na na na na na na na na na -- then Colin would sing "DAT DOG" (instead of "Batman"). Soon Nathan was even joining in and singing "DA DA".

Another song we were doing was Dora's song "Back pack", which is just "Back pack, back pack" over and over again. At least that's all the words that I know. Nathan was even singing along to this one too!

Nathan's signs

I haven't updated Nathan's signs in a while, and he has been adding quite a bit to the list. So just a reminder this is the original list:
milk
all done
sleep
cat
eat
dog
bath
airplane
bird
brush teeth (I forgot this one originally)

Others that he has picked up (most of them Nathan has created his own sign):
car/truck
pretzel
pacifier
baby
music/dance

The latest one that we think he is doing is kinda funny. Recently, Nathan has been tapping his head when he sees people with hats on. Well, I think Bob has narrowed it down even more, it's when he sees motorcycle helmets. Now Nathan has associated the helmets with motorcycles. He will tap his head with his hand whenever he sees or hears a motorcycle.

Another sign that is really cute, is Nathan's sign for music or dancing. Nathan also created this one himself. When he hears a song he likes, he will hold his hands above his head with his hands in fists, then bend his wrists so his fists goes up and down. We call it the Nathan dance. I guess I'll have to take a video and post it because the description really doesn't capture the sign at all!

Backwash & hairballs

We went up to Asheville to see the Biltmore and visit a friend who just moved to Asheville. Ellen came over to our hotel the first night we were there to hang out. Nathan was in bed, but Colin was wired and wide awake. Bob served everyone including Colin some beer that he picked up while out buying forgotten items (like underwear).

Well, Colin got a very small amount; we are doing things the European way, and alcohol is not forbidden. We are trying to teach that alcohol is a beverage to be appreciated and respected, not guzzled and consumed in mass quanities.

Anyway, Colin is not happy with only a small amount and finds my bottle of beer which is basically empty. He pours the rest in his cup and announces "I'm having the backwash".

Everyone cracks up. He realizes that he has an audience and proceeds to start making coughing/hacking noises. Then says, "I'm coughing up a hairball!" What a ham!

Colin's swim lessons

Colin is taking swim lessons at Agnes Scott College, going 4 days a week for 2 weeks. He was very excited about the first day, but the second day said he didn't want to go to lessons with teachers. Umm ... that's what swim lessons are all about! So I explain to him that this is like school and you don't have a choice about going. That usually does the trick. However, today the trick was that he has 3 days off until his next lesson on Monday. "Uh, okay!" he says.

Even though he says he doesn't want to go, Colin always has a great time. Smiling the whole 30 minutes in the pool. Never protesting or compaining. So I really don't get it. Although, I really don't get a lot of stuff about 3 year olds!

A side note to the lessons, the parking lot that was suggested that we park, is always full. Day 1 I found one of the last spots. Day 2 I parked along the curb and was getting out just as a security officer pulled up. Great! I already had the kids unloaded, so he watched Colin and Nathan as I found another legal spot. Day 3 I parked in a parking garage that is just a couple blocks away. However, Colin wanted to park on the very top of the garage. No cars in sight, just us. Okay, whatever you want Colin -- you have to pick your battles you know! Now I discover that there is no elevator service to the top level. Walk down to the next level down to take the elevator. Actually Colin likes to push Nathan in the stroller down the ramp.

Now today is Day 4 and you guess it, back to the top of the parking garage. As I pull into the spot, a security officer pulls up behind me. (Agnes Scott College must be a very safe place!) I get out, he says, "can't get much higher, huh?"

"Well, officer", I say, "my 3 year old insists that we park at the top." I don't know what he thought I was going to do wrong up there, but he didn't make me move the car, and Colin got to push Nathan in the stroller down to the elevator on the next level down!

Inseparable

Colin just adores his little brother. It's just amazing that they have bounded so much in Nathan's 17 months. When Nathan has to take a nap or go to bed before Colin, Colin really protests, "I want to play with Nathan!" over and over and over and over ...

Benefits of a babysitter

Tonight at Girl's Night Out (not necessarily Mom's Night Out because not everyone in this group is a mom), one of the attendees asked me, "How do you maintain your marriage with the whole kid-thing?" She is one of the mom's in the group. After giving a generic blah-blah-blah answer, I finally stumbled on my real answer. "We have lots of babysitters!"

This answer was very inspirational for her especially given that the last group of mom's that she asked this question said, "Marriage counseling, and couple's therapy". I guess babysitters are a lot cheaper than a therapist!

Now, I got to thinking about that answer, and remembered something that I've said many times way back when Colin was born. I said, that in order for me to be a good mom, I need time for me. For me, that is getting lots of babysitters so Bob and I can go out. We don't go out near as much as we did before babies, but we aim for once or twice a week! Sometimes it's only once a month, but that still helps.

The Great Blue Heron at Springvale Park

Look closely and you can see the Great Blue Heron that frequents Springvale Park (it's standing on a something in the middle of the pond).

So we have seen this bird on a couple visits to Springvale Park. I always point it out to Colin, and we talk about the big bird. And when we don't see the Heron Colin says, "He is lost."