Weekly Haiku

Healthy camping food
They ate marshmallows,cheeseballs
With filthy fingers

What's the Best Way to Avoid Relaxation in a Hot Tub?

Give up? Invite your two year old! My mother-in-law got a new hot tub...wahoo! I went in and brought Theo with me. He proceeded to laugh and wiggle around, slippery and fish-like, for the next 30 minutes. Seriously, giggling the whole time! By the time Joe got in and took over, I was ready to get out. I can't be in hot tubs too long. Apparently that is not genetic.

A-Camping-We-Did-Go

There's nothing like being with 6 boys, ages 2-9, surrounded by dirt, frogs, catepillars, and more dirt. Talk about watching kids in their element!

Thank you Jodi, for inviting us camping with your family. Al, Maria, Andy and their two boys Zach and Justin joined us as well. It was the same gang as last year's trip.

On a personal note, I have always been much more of a woods girl than a beach girl. I thrive on exploring forests, walking through the rocks on rivers searching for creatures, waking up to the lovely song of the birds. Going camping really returns me to my tomboy roots. I remember being 8 and collecting ants and slugs and feeding them hershey chocolate bars.

And so it is a joy to watch the boys get good and dirty and have the time of their lives. Max found many a "calepittar." Alexander caught various things in his net. Ethan caught frogs with his bare hands. Many of the campsite's kids caught frogs and raced them...poor guys were petrified afterwards and could hardly swim (the frogs, not the kids).

Suprisingly, Theo was not very interested by the wildlife; but he did love to run through the woods and throw rocks in the river. We would throw rocks and shout "splash!"...or in his case, "ash." The smile on his face sure made up for the lack of "spl" in the word. I often have to remind myself to bask in his happiness and be assured that the rest will work itself out. When he is, say, 10, and talking just like everyone else is, I'll remember his twinkling eyes and killer grin when the rocks went "splash."

Unlike the other boys, who were running around the fire and throwing things in it, Theo was happy to just sit and gaze at the marvelous flames. He spent both evenings quietly pondering the fire. He fell asleep peacefully in my arms watching perhaps nature's most awesome wonder.

Watch Carl and Max win the frog race:

Froggie Update

Theo saw an ENT last Friday who did feel we will need to go ahead and remove his tonsils and adenoids, and possibly insert ear tubes while he's under. He still has fluid in his ears and his tonsils are swollen, which can possibly explain why his fingers are constantly in his mouth and he is often cranky lately.

Friday we are taking him for a throat soft tissue x-ray. Then the doctor will need to see him again. Here we go again with all the appointments. It's been a frustrating year of appointments with no action taken. I'm hoping something is finally done to help my poor little guy.

What a Great Aunt

Last night we had the pleasure of a visit from Aunt Pia, who of course brought goodies in the form of toys for Theo and yummy desserts for us. Theo sure turned on the charm.
I can't wait for Theo to get to know her better over the years.

Or Is He a Kittycat...

Theo loves getting his back scratched. If you dare to stop, he'll take your hand and return it to his back. It's what got us through church at Gianna's communion.

Told Ya He Was a Monkey

Theo ate 4 bananas yesterday. One after another.

Blow, Theo, Blow

Yesterday, after they put the corn away, Theo said, "bubble." Lorena got out the bubbles, and for the first time, Theo blew bubbles all by himself! Lorena and I were jumping for joy! It's taken many sessions to get him to do it! He would get frustrated when he couldn't do it and make Lorena do it for him, refusing to try. But yesterday, suddenly he succeeded. Once he got it, it encouraged him to do it again and again!

Since he was able to blow bubbles, I got out the old recorder Nonny gave him. He couldn't get the hang of it previously..but lo and behold...yesterday, he blew and made music! He was so excited by our excitement that he kept doing it. My little guy learned to blow. I'm so proud.

I Like A Man Who Knows What He Wants

Theo never fails to amuse when Theresa or Lorena walk through the door. He shouts out the latest thing they have that he wants to play with.

For weeks Theo shouted "apple" when Theresa came. It was the first thing they did together, naming different fruits that she'd bring. Now he searches her bag for the little bears and puzzles that they play with.

When Lorena comes, Theo runs to her bag of goodies, saying "corn." She has a pretend knife and a pretend corn on the cob that splits in half when you cut it, and attaches back together with velcro. Theo is just wild about it. He even cooks and stirs the corn in a little toy pot.

Buuubblllllllllllllllllle!

I was just looking through an old note pad at work. A year ago I drew a picture of a smiling Theo exclaiming, "Bubble!" He used to go around happily saying it because he liked the word, but he didn't know what it meant. I'm happy to report that now he uses the word properly, in context.

Weekly Haiku

Guest Blogger, Joe:

Theo's morning kiss
Delivered with a smile
Innocent and true

Regrettable Progress

I had a favorite number and a favorite letter that Theo would say. "Po" for 4 and "Coo" for Q. Only now, he says Q properly - Cue.

I can at least take comfort in knowing I have W to hang on to for a while. I won't even attempt to spell that pronunciation.

Michelle and Gigi

I'd like to take a few moments to pay homage to Theo's babysitters. I hate calling them that, because they're so much more. They're friends.

They say good help is hard to find, and it's true. We've had our share of sub-par sitters.

We are very fortunate to have found Michelle and Gigi. They are a beautiful couple who go above and beyond to care for and spoil Theo. In fact, Michelle reads this blog daily because she wants to know how "her little munchkin" or "Theo Mio" is doing. So Michelle, if you're reading, thank you for everything.

"Mommy! "

I think it's the reason we have kids. So we can get to daycare, ring the bell, and hear through the door, "Mommy!" And then listen to the excited footsteps running to the door.

It's particularly special for me because I waited so long to hear the word; Theo was well over 2 when he learned it. Most moms get to hear it (or some version of it) when their children are 1, even if they're not saying anything else.

I'm not complaining. Waiting only heightened my anticpation, and sweetened the music that it is when I do hear it now.

Pure Love

Theo fell asleep in my arms. Mid-nap, he awoke from his deep sleep, opened his eyes, and saw me looking down on him. He gazed into my eyes, and a smile spread through his face so enormous that it liquified my entire self. Within seconds, he fell peacefully back asleep.

Again

I mentioned in an earlier post how Joe and I always loved the way small children shout "again!" to demand that you repeat a funny face, a tickle, a game, etc...

Imagine how it feels to lay in bed with Theo at night and read him a bedtime story, and when it's done, have him tell me, "again."

Happy Day

Mother's Day was an eventful day, and not just for mothers. Theo's godfather and my fantabulous cousin, Jacob, graduated college (whoohoo!)! And Gianna received her first communion. She was just beautiful, and did a wonderful job with her special reading.

At the end of the ceremony, when the priest blessed everyone individually, Theo had a gigantic smile on his face when it was his turn. He loved watching the priest sign the cross. He even tried to imitate it (we are not religious folks, and it wasn't something he's familiar with; mommy either for that matter).

He also was a silly banana, dancing to the organ music as the junior choir sang. Church? Rock Concert? Same difference.

Yesterday morning Joe said to Theo, "You're the reason we get to say to mommy Happy Mother's Day!" And I said, "Yeah, without you, it would just be Happy Day."

Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo, How About You, You, You...

I'm over a week late with this. Last Saturday we went to the zoo at Central Park. It was quite remarkable, watching the difference in Theo between last summer and today. Suddenly Theo was looking at the horses with interest as they trotted through the park. Last year, at the zoo, he barely looked at the animals. This year, he gazed in wonder at penguins, sea lions, polar bears...And at the children's zoo, he had a blast. He tried feeding the goats, but every time a goat went for the food, Theo giggled and pulled his hand away. Poor goats never got any food. I felt baaaaaaaaad.

I don't know what happened to make Theo bloom one day, but I'm grateful for it. To be honest, it was a bit scary last summer when he couldn't care less that we were at a zoo. It was a genuine relief to watch his face peer through the glass and giggle when a penguin swam by in front of him. He's doing wonderfully.

Mother's Day Flower

At daycare, Theo made me a beautiful Mother's Day Flower out of tissue paper, glitter, etc. Linda, his daycare teacher, said he did everything himself except cut, and that he just loves arts and crafts. It warms my heart picturing him gluing and pasting with his little tongue sticking out.





And just in case this post couldn't get any sweeter, that plant is my Mother's Day gift from Gianna.

The American Dream

Central Park. A nest of swollen bellies, newborns, and toddlers. If I could make a movie of our Central Park trips, I would show footage of us walking over a bridge while I'm pregnant, then transition into walking the same bridge with baby Theo in the baby carrier, then transition to us strolling our 1 year old over the bridge, then transition to Joe carrying the two year old over the bridge on his shoulders while holding my hand, and finally, have the three of us walk over the bridge together, hand in hand, with Theo in the middle. Did you follow all that?

Sound a bit corny? Like the American Dream? Damn straight. That's what I've got, and I'll brag about it, and if you don't like it...harumph!