Jonah's First Allowance!

Jonah was very excited to learn that if he wanted money, he could do chores to earn an allowance.  We set up a very simple chart (drawn by Jonah) illustrating two tasks he is supposed to do (but needs constant reminding) every day.  #1: clear your plate after every meal, and help clear the table after dinner.  #2: pick up your clothes every time you get dressed, and help put away your clean clothes from the laundry.

Since Friday, this has been going very well.  Jonah has been eager to help, even to the point of taking dishes from his brother (who thought helping looked like fun!) so he could get the allowance, and not Elliott.

After only 3 days (to set Sunday as payday), we rewarded Jonah with his efforts: one quarter for each task done well.  He was so proud and excited to put his two quarters into his money bank.  At bedtime he was too tired, but told me we would discuss his allowance in the morning.  He's already scheming ways of getting more!  (Apparently doing a good job - even for only 3 days - deserves an extra 25 cent tip.)

Jonah's Good-Night Mantra

We hear this - verbatim - every time we put Jonah to bed, just before leaving his room:

"Remember to leave my door open a crack.  And leave Elliott's door open a crack.  And come check on me and check on Elliott.  I will be asleep in 2 minutes, and Elliott will be asleep now, or maybe not.  And you can check on me when you think it's a good time."

YMC

Jonah has been learning new songs in school lately.  No longer does he come home singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" or "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (not that those were ever favorites... just sayin').  No, last week he came home repeatedly singing "YYYYYYYYYYYYYY MC!"

Nailed it.

After much arguing and several viewings of the Village People on YouTube (linked in case you need a refresher) he now has it down pat and even added "it's fun to stay at the..." for a bit of variety.

This week's song: "Copa Banana!"  ???

Now Enrolling: Fall 2017

Short story:
After many tours and much deliberation, we enrolled Jonah and Elliott in a new school for next fall!

Long story:
We've started to have some misgivings about daycare.  Nothing serious, but it is becoming more and more clear that their bottom line comes first and the children second.  Education is a distant third.  Kids are constantly shuffled between rooms to make quota.  Our flexibility and perks have also been declining with the new administration - our sibling discount decreased and we were charged a boatload extra just for switching which 3 days the kids attended for one week.  During parent-teacher conferences, Jonah's teacher seemed particularly discontent with the way things are run.  Case-in-point: for BOTH kids' teacher conferences, we were double-booked with another family!  That gave us time to observe the 32 kids in Jonah's classroom and the chaotic play during the scheduled circle time.

In our town, preschools open enrollment for the following year in OCTOBER.  Yikes!  Add to that pre-enrollment for current families, and it starts to feel competitive to get one of the few remaining spots before they fill up!  We looked at Montessori, which I wanted so badly to love, but I couldn't see Jonah - a very social learner - working quietly by himself.  Elliott would fit right in, but what is the point in telling a toddler he can only play work with something in one particular way?  Apparently I value creativity more than I do the very beautiful and sophisticated math manipulatives.  So we found a preschool that offers play in the mud (Jonah's favorite past-time), field trips to the library (I've always thought that was a super cute way to teach responsibility), and a kindergarten curriculum.

Yes, we are those parents pushing Jonah into an academic program to challenge his little brain.  And so, at the age of 5, Jonah will start his first of two years of kindergarten, since he still won't qualify for first grade when he turns 6.  Elliott will go along for the ride to preschool when he turns 2.9 in October.  Oh, and school gets out at 2:30.  Mommy and Daddy are going to have to figure out the rest...

Mommy Didn't Take Care of Him

We had a lovely outing at the zoo today, but I was shocked and somewhat alarmed by the small comment that seemed to stick with Jonah throughout the visit and back home.

During our visit, I casually read a sign about a baby kangaroo, who's mother wasn't caring for it in the wild, so they are acclimating it to life at the zoo.  A few hours later Jonah asked to go back to see it.  And at dinner it was the one thing he told Dad about his trip.

I can only image how traumatic the idea would be to a small child, to be abandoned by his mother!  I hope it doesn't cause poor Jonah distress to have this thought in his very impressionable brain.

RIP Starbuck Ferret 2008-2016

With sad hearts we laid Starbuck to rest under the old spruce in the backyard.  Starbuck had a wonderfully long life and was well loved.  We will all miss her!

Jonah took the news pretty well, or maybe it just wasn't quite as I expected.  He did a fantastic job of trying to cheer Daddy up by telling him: "I have an idea!  We can go to the pet store and get a NEW ferret!  Or you don't have to get a ferret... you could get a cat or a dog if you want to.  Is that a good idea?"  Later, when Dad was outside digging the grave it seemed to sink in a bit with a tearful, but assertive: "I don't want Starbuck to be buried!  After nap I'm going to go outside and dig her up!"

Perhaps I should have been concerned by this display of hurt, but rather, I was strangely relieved that he showed some emotion over the matter.  I do hope telling the truth was the right thing to do.

FirstBike

Jonah has truly mastered his balance bike and has become a bit of a trickster.  He loves to take tight corners and go over speed bumps wherever he can find them.  He rides to kid's club, the library, church, and even all the way to school (once)!

Today our neighbor gave Jonah his boys' old 16" two-wheeler and Jonah could ride it without training wheels right away!  He was pretty nervous and could barely touch the ground, so starting and stopping need some work, but he certainly had the balance down pat.  Way to go Jonah!

Family Teethbrushing Party

I finally gave up on the finger brush and gave Elliott a kids' toothbrush (for the safety of my finger).  He has been loving to climb up on the stool at the sink and brush his own teeth beside his brother!  I have to fight for a turn to help make sure his teeth get brushed... he takes great ownership and pride in his little green toothbrush!

Scooter

Jonah has such mastery of his scooter, he now rides it all the way to kids' club (downtown)!  Yes, I still take the double stroller so we have a back-up when he inevitably can't make it home again, but it is still quite impressive.  He took his first spill today going down the hill to the playground at a speed he couldn't quite control.  I was so proud when he got right back up and kept going!  (after a few tears, hugs and healing Mommy kisses)  He later developed a red scratch mark on this face and side, so he must have hit harder than I realized.  Fortunately his helmet did its work - I do recall seeing it bounce off the ground!

We love each other, right Mom?

Jonah gets into super-affectionate moods, which are just to die for.  He'll tell me he loves me, and then ask "we love each other, right Mom?"  Lots of hugs, kisses and affirmations ensue.  I do hope he knows how much I love him!

Well, one of these adorable love-fests happened at bedtime.  But then as I was leaving the room, in the same on of voice he says, "I love my Lightning McQueen water bottle."  I'm trying not to be hurt, but to accept that he has so much love to give, there is plenty for his bedside drink cup.

You're my best friend

Jonah has taken to asking me if I'll be his best friend.  No, I tell him, I'm your Mommy!  So much better than a best friend!  I hope he comes to understand that.  I'm pretty lucky to have that distinction, which no one else can claim.

We Are Family!

Jonah LOVES the "We Are Family" song!  Not that he knows or has even heard the original.  I once started singing, "We are family.  I have all my boys with me!".  He took a liking, and not knowing any more of the lyrics, I started making up additional lines to the chorus.  Now Jonah helps invent lines, so our song goes something like this:

"We are family!  I have both my boys with me!
We are family!  Jonah is wearing his PJs!
We are family!  Elliott is getting his diaper changed!
We are family!  Daddy is home from work!
We are family!  Mommy loves all her boys!"

The One with the Fire Truck

Jonah has been getting better at describing things, so rather than "that one" we get complex, if vague descriptions... seemingly always beginning with "the one with...":

"the one with the fire engine" = children's museum we visited over summer vacation
"the one with red and green and blue balls" = ball pit
"the one with the train that goes [hand motions here]" = mindscope race cars
"the one with the red man and the blue man and the green man" = avengers

Christmas Mass

Mema and PopPop arrived early to celebrate Christmas with us!  While I was helping unload hundred of presents from the van, Elliott crawled towards the door.  Blocked by Jonah and a pile of gifts, he started crying inconsolably.  I worried he was hurt (run over by Jonah, most likely), but when that wasn't the case, I couldn't figure out if he had become hungry, tired, frustrated, needed a diaper, etc. As I was at my wits' end, Elliott spotted PopPop again and was completely happy to be swept away in his arms!  He knew exactly what who he wanted.

I pointed out baby Jesus lying in the manger in the church's creche.  Jonah pointed and exclaimed, "He came out of her belly button!"  At least I'm spared the question about how babies get out of their Mommy's tummy...

Favorite gifts from Santa were:
Elliott - a wooden hammer (which he holds and looks like Thor while pushing down the pegs on his pounding bench with his thumb)
Jonah - monster trucks

Grandpa, Aunt Ashley, Uncle Leon and Uncle Kevin also joined us after Mass for gifts, dinner and a little chaos.  We missed you, Aunt Lindsay!  Feel better soon!

We also Skyped with Cailin and Declan, which was fun for the kids to show off all their new toys.  Jonah was a bit too worked up and spent the entire call jumping and doing flips in the living room.  It's amazing to watch him going wild, and then later when asked a question, learn that he had been listening and watching everything.

Merry Christmas!

Jonah on where we live

Dad: Jonah, do you know what state we live in?

Jonah: The blue one!

(He was referring to the map painted on the pavement at the playground, but oh, so true!)

Sleepover

By the end of the long weekend with his cousins, we gave Jonah the chance to "sleepover" in the kids' room instead of in the basement with us.  Cailin and Declan had been looking forward to it for so long!  They all were amazingly well behaved.  They were quiet before the end of giggle-time was enforced and slept through the night with only a short water-break for Jonah.  Wow, if only we had kicked him upstairs earlier in the trip we would have had better sleep!

Aloud

Jonah: Can we go in there?
Daddy: I don't think we're allowed.
Jonah: I CAN BE LOUD!

Jonah-isms

"my parking lot" = driveway
"turning wheel" = steering wheel
"we have ____ together" = we both ___
"I am red team" = wearing red
"make yellow" = pee
"my roof" = sweatshirt hood or stroller canopy

Bath Times 2

In a brilliantly prohibited move, I found a way to bathe both kids at once.  Hallelujah!  The second warning on the side of the infant tub (immediately after 'never leave child unattended') is 'never place the infant tub in a filled bathtub'.  Phooey to that.  Elliott sat safely in his little tub, Jonah splashed in the remaining 3/8 of the big tub and mom gave herself a gold star while the boys played together with buckets and squirters.

Yes, I taught him that.

Jonah managed to get rice all over his face at dinner (no surprise) and in wiping it, a piece went in his nose.  So he sticks his finger up his nostril and wedges it in even farther.  Without thinking, I held one nostril and instructed him to blow.  Poof!  Out flies the grain of rice.

Now let's just hope he doesn't decide this was a cool trick to repeat... next time I may take the time to find the nasal aspirator.