School Bus Prep

Last Saturday we took Sydney to the "First Ride" program. We went to a school & watched a Winnie the Pooh movie about school bus safety, then the owner of the bus line gave all the kids the rules & then we went on a 10 minute bus ride. I am so glad we did this because I think it will help a lot, but I still think that we will have tears from Miss Sydney on the first day of school. I sure hope I am wrong, but I am steeling myself for the possibility.

Train-obsessed

To say that Jason liked his birthday present would be putting it mildly. He loves his train & has played with it in every way manageable. He also brings his other toys to combine with it too which is nice to see him thinking in different ways.


The one thing that cracks me up is that he insists on sitting in the middle of the track. It is so tiny, so he barely fits in. But if it is in the oval shape, 90% of the time that he plays with it is with him sitting in the middle.

Developing Creativity

Neither Brad nor I claim to have any artistic skills & do not have high expectations for our children, but would be thrilled if they do. Sydney is finally starting to "think" creatively. Tonight she put ladybug stickers on her toe nails claiming that she was painting her nails. Brad & I both thought her rather clever.


Her drawings however are still a ways away from being life-like, or are they? She is starting to paint/draw pictures that have some theme to them. I still have a painting that she did a month ago that I could look at & say that it was an outdoor scene with grass, trees, "people", and sky. I was so proud it was posted on the fridge for over a month. One of her latest pictures, did not get posted on the fridge. Can you guess why?


She says it is a camel. Hmmm, what do you think. Not only is it a camel, but it is a camel with one hump not two. She can call it what she will, but it definitely looks a little phallic to me.

Bisbee North

This past weekend marked our annual trip up to "Bisbee North". Fun was had by all & it was much warmer sleeping this year than last year when Jason woke up as cold as a Popsicle. When we asked Sydney who she wanted to sleep with she said "Daddy, so that Jason doesn't freak out that he can't sleep with Mommy". Funny kid.

Early risers

Give him a truck & sand & he's a happy boy

Apparently I should have stopped them from filling the boat
with water instead of taking a picture.

I think I see a twinkle in her eye as she looks at Matthew.
Six or eight years from now we might need to keep our eye on these two.

The party

Just a few pictures from Jason's day to show

• the picture of the cake I took before removing it from the pan in fear that when it was all done it would no longer look like a train
• Jason's first present of the day, the school bus from Sydney
  
• putting the kids to work cleaning to get ready for the party
• Jason among his many presents
• and of course, the presentation

Two Years Old

I cannot believe you are 2! Although I shouldn't be surprised, you really are a little boy now & no longer a baby. You are really starting to come into your own. It took about 18 months for you to figure out how to laugh, and another 2 months to become free with your smiles, and another 2 months to start to figure out how to say some words. We took you to a speech pathologist a couple months ago & she says that she thinks you have a lot of words because you are quite smart, but the problem is that you don't have a lot of sounds to make those words. However, in the last couple of weeks, more and more sounds are coming so the words are becoming a little easier to figure out. I think you have a lot you want to say to us, we just need to get on the same page and understand each other. Hopefully in the fall we will finally get in the course that helps us help you get there.

One thing remains constant...you love toys! We are often amazed at how much you play with toys, because your sister never really has- she likes books & crafts more. Although, you do love those too. Your favourite toys are still "things that go"- cars, trucks, trains, planes, boats, motorcycles! Currently you are obsessed with your trains that you got for your birthday & like to carry it around. We are definitely going to have to get some "take-along" trains so that you are not carting the other ones around with you all the time- Lord help us if we lose it! Your sister gave you a little school bus for your birthday & you really like it too.

It's interesting, you really are a boy of extremes still. On one hand you are so easy because you are great at playing on your own & you "typically" do what is asked of you, but when you get it in your mind that you want or don't want something- watch out, everyone is going to hear about it. You definitely seem to want to push the envelope to make sure that we really mean what we are saying- so the biggest lesson your dad & I have learned is that we need to be consistent! Don't get me wrong, this is probably a great trait for you to have but it is often a difficult one for a parent to deal with.

You still take awhile to adjust to change. Going somewhere new or having people come over takes awhile for you to "warm up". It often doesn't matter if you see them everyday, you still may take your time to adjust. You even treat each of your grandparents to the shy factor each time, although you are showing signs of improvement. Where I hope to see improvement soon is when we leave you with a babysitter. You sure make Kristin earn her money when she watches you and Sydney. However, last time we went out we listened from outside for a bit before we left. You didn't cry very long, you just did the tortured cry as I was leaving. Again, I think it is just another example of you pushing the envelope to be sure that we really mean it.

You still seem to adore your sister and you copy much of what she does. Sydney loves to "teach" you stuff and is constantly trying to get you to do what she wants you to do. She is learning though that she doesn't get to make all the decisions where you are concerned- you won't be pushed to do something you don't want to do. She also knows that you are still Mommy-obsessed and will allow you to get your way when it comes to being with me. It is nice to see that you are finally seeking your Dad out sometimes. You love to play with him & you often run to him when he comes home from work- unless of course you are too busy playing with your trains, trucks, cars, etc.

As much as it makes me sad to know that my baby is growing up, I really like the little guy that your are growing to be. We will see if at your next birthday people still comment on how polite you are...you say "thank you" every time someone gives you anything. Not everyone understands that is what you are saying, but those of us who know & love you do.

More vacation

Brad & I also took last week off & it was mainly to address a long list of "to do's". To consider the renovation finally complete (pictures will come soon, I promise) there were a lot of little things that needed to get done. Thankfully Brad's parents kept the kids for a day & Mom kept the kids for a day so that we could really focus on getting stuff done without the "help" of little hands. Not to worry, we also tried to make the time fun for the kids to make sure that they actually benefited from spending a week with their parents instead of a week playing with their friends.

We took the kids to Lion Safari on Friday & it was a fun day for both of them. We braved the wreckage of our vehicle & drove through ourselves because we figured it would be better for the kids. Sydney couldn't wait to see the lions & since they were at the beginning her interest decreased from there. Jason on the other hand was more interested in pointing out the buses than the animals until we reached the giraffes. There he got soooo excited! It was pretty cool because one walked right in front of the van so we could get a very close look. I think the kids liked best being out of their car seats, but we explained this was a one time only deal & was only so they could see better. Sydney of course still asked the other day if she could sit in the front seat again- can't blame the girl for trying.

After spending an extended time with Sydney, it amazes me how many times a day I hear "Mum-aay". It is also great to see how wonderful she is with her brother. We really lucked out that she is such a great big sister. I wonder how long it will last that they play so well together & get along. In September things will change a lot when they go from seeing each other all day, 6 days a week to only seeing each other 4 days a week. School will likely be an adjustment for them both. One of the things we wanted to do last week but didn't was go to Sydney's school & play in the yard & peek in the windows. It is something that the school recommends to help the transition. We will definitely need to do that soon. I was also hoping that she would participate in the "First Ride" program & ride the school bus to her school this summer, apparently her school is not participating. I also have heard about what some of the other schools in town have done to help the transition & am very disappointed that our school did not. I hope it is not an indication of what happens when school starts!

The Taylor Nine at Pigeon Lake

Last summer we talked with Robb & Michele about going away together for a vacation next summer. We agreed that we would rent a cottage at a housekeeping resort together for a week & have a family vacation. This plan of course was made before they got pregnant & gave birth to twins. But, we went ahead as planned. When we first arrived & I saw the cottage I was worried that I would be out of my mind within 48 hours, but things went surprisingly well. Everyone got along really well & the kids had a blast. Robb had to work on the Friday so the Taylor 5 headed out on Thursday. Although we were sad they had to go, I was secretly hoping that my two children would sleep better without so much activity around.

My most memorable moment for Sydney was on the Wednesday when she informed us in a very cross voice that "I don't like being 3!" This of course was prompted by our request (requirement) that she take a nap. She was hitting a wall- staying up too late & getting up too early. Sydney was getting up in the morning as soon as she heard us get up with Jason (which was a much too early hour of 6:30am). I think she was afraid she was missing something because she could hear us talking with Michele who was also up with one of the twins. Max on the other hand we had to wake up every morning. She also saw some kids riding their bikes without training wheels & also decided that this was another reason she doesn't like being 3- she wants to ride her bike like a big kid.

Jason's most memorable moment was related to his new saying "All done". The cottage did not have a bath- only a shower. Jason has showers often, but this shower had really high pressure, but only came out in little fine sprays so it was like a needle hitting your back. Each night trying to shower Jason he would say in a very fast, panicked voice "All done, all done, all done..." until the shower was over. It is kind of cruel to be laughing about his "torture", but his voice was so cute during each episode. He also woke us up one morning with "all done" and he has also taken an aversion to teeth brushing which is often done to a chorus of "all done". He still doesn't have a lot of intelligible words, but there is no mistaking this phrase!

Here are some shots with some further commentary.

Bonding with (Grinny) Grace and (Mad) Maddie
Jason LOVED holding the twins. Maddie gets a bad rap for being the more difficult one, but she gets a special place in my heart because she reminds me of Jason (i.e. has no problem telling you what she wants or doesn't want).


Lots of time to play

Jason's in back yelling, "I'm open!"

Happy kids make happy parents

The big kids head off to the park
The best part was we could watch them right from our cottage

X
"I don't want to take a nap!"

Looks like Mom & Dad knew best

Rub-a-dub-dub

Gracie's in the...sink

Time at the beach

A trampoline in the water- pretty cool

Date Night

Part of the plan of spending a week together was also the trade off of babysitting services. So, Brad & I had all 5 kids from 4pm to 11pm. Since Maddie had given Michele 2 nights in a row where she did not go to sleep until 1am, it was my goal to have both girls in bed before they got home. I am happy to say that I did succeed, but I am very thankful that I never had twins. These two do not work together...when one falls asleep, the other wakes up. They rarely are asleep at the same time so it is VERY busy with them during the day. Hats off to you Robb & Michele!

Finger paint helps them not to miss Max

Finger painting lasts 15 minutes

Monster hands lasts 5 minutes

Clean up lasts about 45 minutes

Last night at the cottage


Peterborough Zoo before heading home

If you are ever in Peterborough, check out the park it is great. There is a zoo, playground & splashpad that are all free!

The train costs a dollar.

Mmm, Mmm Ice Cream

This is from last week, but it still makes me laugh so I need to share with you! Brad cannot believe that I want to post it, but I think it is priceless.

Happy Birthday Canada

Today we had a great day, but unfortunately it will be a short "holiday". Tomorrow is back to work. We went to Webster's Falls where they had some activities for the kids, some music & some dancers. It was nice to picnic with the kids & see them enjoy themselves.

Sydney got her face painted & thankfully left it on her face since it was a long wait to get it. Jason was troubled for awhile that we tied his balloon to his shorts, but then he just went with it. He spent the day running around.


Both kids crashed on the way home & Jason went right to bed when we got home. I knew Sydney would not go back to sleep if we got her out of the car & she needed a nap too. So, Sydney slept in the car & I just waited in the garage while she slept. We are those crazy people who have a Lazyboy in our garage- but in our defense it is only a temporary stop on its way to somewhere else. Although its presence in the garage allowed me to catnap while I waited for Sydney to wake up. Maybe we don't need to get rid of it until the fall??? Surely a kid heading to college might pick it up off the curb if we were to put it out?