Cream of Potato Soup

This morning I took both boys in for their yearly checkups. I figured I'd get into the habit of doing them together in the summer and get it all done at once. The visit went well, even though Ev worked himself up into a tizzy starting last night. I told him no shots ahead of time, but I guess he didn't believe me.

Evan is 45.5 inches tall and weighs just under 42 pounds, while Grady is 32.5 inches tall and weighs about 26.5 pounds. Ev is a little on the underweight side, and the doctor recommended a daily Pediasure to help him catch up. Yeah, we've tried that one before. We'll see if we have better luck now. Grady is shorter and heavier than Evan was at this age, but only by an inch and a pound. So his growth is fine, and hopefully we continue on in the right direction.

Posted by jenny at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments ()

Evan's final report card arrived this week, and it was an exciting day in our house. It took us a few minutes to figure out the grading system--A (advanced)/P (proficient)/B (basic) for academic subjects, O (outstanding)/S (satisfactory)/N (needs improvement) for other stuff like art and gym. I don't know why they make it so complicated--I talked to Mikaele about it and her kids get 1's, 2's, and 3's, so I guess they're really trying to keep us on our toes.

Anyway, Evan really kicked ass and took names in the big K. He got all A's in his academic subjects, with an improvement from a P in speaking and listening at mid-year. He got all O's and S's in his extra stuff too, with an improvement from S to O in art. So I was pretty pumped about that.

We were also thrilled with his reading score--a 16. They use the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) at his school, and I had to do plenty of internet research to figure that one out too, since the scores run from A-44. I realize they are just trying to confuse me, and I should have just called Cara. But he had a 4 at mid-year, and the first grade teacher I met with during his IEP said that she likes her students to have a 4 when they start first grade, and he's got a 16 now so that's good news.

Mike and I are really proud of everything Evan accomplished this year. His reading and writing have improved so much, and his social skills are just amazing. I can't believe sometimes how much he's changed just since last August. Kindergarten was such a positive experience for him in so many ways, and I'm glad he had a wonderful teacher, and great classmates, and just a really good year.

Posted by jenny at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments ()

Evan is behind me, laying on our guest bed, moaning and wailing over the fact that Mike went to work today. How dare he, when there is summer fun to be had? You know, like laundry. He's hanging upside down off the side of the bed now, banging his fists into the mattress. Soon there will be the rending of garments.

It's become obvious that Ev needs a little more structure to the summer, so we've decided to sign him up for day camp. Sadly, that's only one week. Our two year old playgroup starts next week, Monday mornings, and though it's really not for Evan I'm sure he'll enjoy it. He likes being the boss. I'm scrambling for more activities, more things for the kids to do, and hopefully they'll be things that don't involve driving 100 miles to participate in. I never thought I'd see the day when I wished he still had a TSS.

Grady seems to be really enjoying having Evan now home though, which is great (and quite a change from the first few days of vacation). The two of them fight constantly, but the also entertain each other occasionally. G wakes Ev up with a shriek of delight every morning, so happy to find that his awesome older brother hasn't evaporated during the night. Ev is less happy with this waking, he usually groans and mumbles something about breakfast, but it's still fun to watch.

Now G is dancing in the hallway, singing "Mahna Mahna" to himself, while Evan continues to gripe about school being off for the summer. "All schools in the area are off for the summer! Why isn't there anyone in my classroom?" And it's only the third week of June.

Posted by jenny at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments ()

We're settling in to our new pattern of life here, and it's not been an easy transition. I'm talking about the beginning of summer, and the fact that Ev is home from school now. You'd think it would be simple, but it's not--somehow him being home has changed everything. Grady is acting up more, they are both resisting bedtime, and neither one of them seems satisfied with the millions of toys and games we have around the house and in the backyard. Not to mention the almost constant fighting between the two boys--they aren't used to seeing each other so much, and Grady definitely doesn't like sharing my time or his toys.

We do well when I can take the day "off" and take them out somewhere. Yesterday we packed a picnic lunch and spent hours at the park. It was great, we all had fun and there wasn't any fighting at all. But sadly, we can't do that every day--sometimes I need to do laundry or clean house or take care of other things, and that doesn't sit well with my adventure seeking sons.

Our weekend was a lot of fun though. We crammed in baseball, party, rocket launching, water fights, camping out, and a hundred other things. Grady's birthday party was a great success, even with the hot weather. In typical fashion, he was happy to have his birthday cupcake, but burst into tears when everyone started singing to him. I'm hoping the rest of the year is less traumatic for him. I guess it's just not easy being two.

Posted by jenny at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments ()

Grady is two years old today. Seems like it was just yesterday we were finding out that we were going to be a family of four, and now here we are, two parents and two little boys. I remember being nervous, not sure about how Evan was going to handle a sibling, and wondering how I was going to juggle two kids. It turns out I juggle them just fine, but it doesn't look too pretty while I'm doing it.

This morning Grady isn't very interested in breakfast--he got mad at his banana when it broke in half and now he doesn't want to eat it. This has been typical behavior lately, as everything has to be "just so" or Grady won't have it. He wants to pick out his own clothes and he tries to dress himself, but he still would rather have a diaper and just sits on the potty for show. He seems to want to do everything himself, and everything that Evan does, and he's not happy when he's unable to. But he's not unhappy too often, as it's easy to cheer him up and make him laugh.

Bedtime has become a struggle. If he naps he stays up too late, but if he doesn't nap he gets very cranky, so we're stuck in a horrible middle ground. He doesn't want to miss any fun, so sleeping has taken a back seat to just about anything else he could be doing. I seem to remember Evan being difficult about sleep at this age too, so I'm hoping to just ride it out. That's the beauty of the second kid--less stress because above all you know that nothing lasts forever.

That's especially true of his babyhood. Grady's face has become leaner lately, and he's grown taller, and the only bit of baby fat left is his little pot belly. He's running and dancing and climbing all the time now, and there is not much remaining of the baby he used to be. I'm glad though--as much as I loved the baby part, I'm excited for all the things we're able to do together now. Trips to the park or the beach are so much more fun when both boys can enjoy them, and I'm just getting a taste of all the great years to come with these two little guys.

So happy birthday Grady! I hope that two is a wonderful and amazing year for you. You make us laugh, and you make us crazy, and you complete our family in a way I only dreamed about before you came along.

Posted by jenny at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments ()

Grady picked last night to have a massive bedtime tantrum that went on and off from 8 until 11, so I missed most of the hockey game and I didn't get to watch the Mole (thank God for DVR). Luckily, Mike made a little noise from the other room so I could figure out what was going on in the game, and I got to catch replays of the last two goals. Here's hoping tonight is better, and here's hoping I don't miss the last two games of the series (yes, I said two dammit).

We bought paint over the weekend so I could paint the front and side doors to match the shutters we put up a few weeks ago. In my usual fashion, once I got the idea for this project in my head, I can't get it done fast enough. So earlier today I painted the side door since it's protected from the elements and not visible from the street. I got one coat on and this paint that's supposed to be burgundy goes on fuchsia. I am really hoping it darkens as it dries, or we are going to have a bright pinky-purple door.

As I'm painting, Grady's watching Ni Hao, Kai-lan on Nick--think Dora the Explorer but she speaks Chinese. Evan has recently become fascinated with Chinese language (I think due to this show) and Grady just likes it because it's a cartoon. But I'm painting along, not paying attention, and I find myself singing along with the show in Chinese. They were singing this little poem that I learned when I took Mandarin back in eighth grade. This little song was buried somewhere in my brain and out it comes as I'm painting my back door pink. Hours later, I can barely recall the song again, but now I know it's lurking up there somewhere. I guess I did learn something in that class after all.

Posted by jenny at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments ()

And this is the last one for a while, I swear.

Yesterday evening, after a very very long day, my brother Jerry and his wife Tammy welcomed their son, Edward Anthony, into their family. Evan is excited about having his fourth cousin, and we're all looking forward to meeting him soon. I wish they didn't live so far away so I could take in all his new baby goodness for myself, but that will have to wait. I also wish my brother would send some pictures, but I'm sure he's passed out somewhere if he knows what's good for him, so I'll wait on those too. So congrats Jerry and Tammy! Now my folks have four grandsons and family gatherings are going to turn into a real zoo in the coming years.

Posted by jenny at 8:06 AM | Permalink | Comments ()