No No No No No!

No is a frequent refrain at our house these days. "No, no want it" "No, no eat" "No, no do it." It goes on and on. And to add to it is "I be mad." It is a pleasant experience to hear your kid say no on an ever frequent basis (NOT). Ellie comes from a place of "no" for some reason so we are working on ways around that. This month, the month of her second birthday, has brought with it some "terrible two's" though I think we were doing some pretty "terrible ones" prior to September, some time-outs, and lots and lots of deep breathing (on mine and Scott's part). The trouble is, Ellie is so darn cute, so darn smart ,and so darn stubborn, you can't help but smile in spite of all the no's.

Ellie continues to confound us all in many ways. She now loves playing the ipad (hello...I don't think I even touched a computer until I was 8, but that was way back in the 1800's....). She plays "monkey game" with fervor...which includes a matching game which takes her all of 1 minute to master, colors, numbers, letters, shapes (which is different), etc. She flies through the games as if they are easy as pie asking for a "high-five" upon successfully completing one. It is amazing. Puzzles are another easy task for her...she can master any puzzle in minutes, with little hesitation on where the pieces go, even if she's never seen it before. She also loves books and we find her in her room recreating the stories that we've read to her at bedtime with specific details, even if we have only read the book once. Amazing, amazing. Now, ask her what color something is and she'll say "green" without fail. Scott thinks she might be colorblind....

Ellie's transition to a bed was MUCH easier than Nate's, I think in part due to the fact that she can't turn the knob to her bedroom door. Nathan had a handle on the door and it was so easy for him to escape, that was part of the problem. We have had some protests, some sleeping on the floor, some middle of the night wake-ups, but overall she has done really well and the transition was smooth.

Now we are tackling preschool and gymnastics. Ellie goes to a mom's day out class on Mondays and is known as the "aggressive" one at school. She pushes, hits, and does whatever she can to assert her dominance. She is not malicious...just an alpha female showing everyone who's boss. The teachers remind us each week to work on this with her and I struggle between recognizing that we don't want a pusher and hitter, and also realizing that I like the fact that she's independent and doesn't take any BS from anyone...some of this stuff brings me to smile, I have to honestly admit. But we are working on it....

Gymnastics is a whole 'nother story. Whew. What an exhausting event. Scott and I found (who am I kidding...I found) a gymnastics class at 4:00 on Sundays for both Nathan and Ellie and signed up immediately. Ellie's tot class requires parental participation. Our original vision was to alternate Sundays so each of us would get some quality time with kids while the other could get stuff done at home/have some alone time. But I wanted the four of us to go the first week to check it out. Ellie had other plans for us. While Nathan jaunted happily away to his class (he asked EVERY DAY when his gymnastics class was and I think out of everything he does, gymnastics is his favorite), Ellie screamed and tantrumed so many times we lost count and Scott and I BOTH had to participate in her tot class to keep her under control. Let's just say the class involved a lot of chasing Ellie, trying to get her back in line, trying to get her to "be patient and wait her turn," and time-out. Needless to say, Scott and I were more exhausted than Ellie by the end of it and I was ready to give up. I have to say that Ellie really did LIKE the gymnastics class and was very good at the activities. What she did not like was ANYONE telling her when or what to do....But given that it was her first structured class, we are going to stick with it, though our visions of one parent taking a break might be dashed for the moment. Oh this child is going to wear us out. And I say that with a smile.

Ellie's birthday was wonderful. It was a beautiful day and we had about 40 people - neighbors and friends - come to help celebrate. Ellie was the perfect hostess and mingled and smiled and loved all of it. The birthday cake befuddled her a bit in that she sat in her chair and tried to blow the candles out from afar so Scott had to help her with that.

Ellie's 2 year checkup was great as well. I feel like we are on a better path with her immune system in that she has fought off two bad colds without having to go to the doctor so that is a relief. She was 35 inches tall (80th percentile), 30 3/4 pounds (90th percentile) and her head was 19 1/2 inches (95th percentile). No issues to report other than her really bad eating habits but in spite of not wanting to eat much and when she eats , she is very picky, you can see where her weight is, so the doctor was not concerned....I think given her smarts, we are going to wait on the potty training and getting rid of the pacifier. I need a few more drinks before then. The good news is that she responded to her first time out pretty readily...only took three tries to keep her there for the full two minutes. I think she has seen her brother so many times that she knew exactly what to do and that mom and dad were not kidding around. A relief. Also of note, in spite of her toughness, she is quite sensitive, so when someone gets mad at her, it produces an immediate and irresistible pout face...also produced when there are "scary" parts in movies...we are a bit concerned about Halloween, but maybe we don't even need to go since Ellie's latest comment was "no trick or treat." : )

Nathan is doing well and back at school 4 days a week. He is also excelling at swimming lessons, learning soccer, and tennis. We have taken a break from speech therapy after much encouragement from the therapist that he was doing fine, so we'll see how the year goes. He has turned into quite a mommy clinger which we hope is temporary...very sensitive, easily gives up...a little bit of a personality transformation. He learned to ride his bike all by himself a couple of weeks ago, but has not tried again due to fear of falling...we are hoping that soon he'll try again. He can't wait for winter so he can go skiing again, and we are working to learn his letters. He knows 17 of the letters of the alphabet currently and learns a new letter every couple of days. It is very cool.

Nathan's latest obsession is Iron Man and Transformers. Hilarious. He also loves Scooby Doo. Scott can relate to all this, but I cannot, but I get the impression it is typical boy stuff. We have lots of Scooby Doo books, Iron man books, Transformer books...he can't get enough. He is going to be Iron Man for Halloween but has already worn the costume so much he ripped it so we had to take it to be repaired today. He and our neighbor Alexander are very close friends and spend a lot of time playing "good guys" together (no one wants to be the bad guy). Nathan is still the sweetest, most responsive, good kid imaginable and a joy to be around for the most part. With the added benefit that he is an excellent eater and goes to bed without issue. : ) I love 4 1/2....

So that's the news for now. Contemplated getting a puppy lately (since I would love to have another baby but that seems infinitely more complicated) but my allergies caused us a setback. I sneezed all the way home after petting a goldendoodle and I am quite upset about it. We will revisit the dog idea later, I suppose. I really hope we will be able to incorporate one into our family.
Ellie zonked out after her party

Hugging her baby doll

Cute Ellie wearing her Dora backpack, surrounded by presents. What nice friends!

Ellie and friends having snacks at her party.

Cute birthday girl!

Jumping with Daddy (one of my favorite pictures)

Daddy being silly...I love that about him (we all do). Note that I tried to do this and I skinned my knee...note to self...do not attempt things that have an age limit of 7

Mommy and her baby girl

Ellie's birthday cake! Princesses

Ellie's princess moonbounce...it was awesome

Eastern Shore Vacation

The Evans boys...getting ready to kayak

Beautiful sunsets

Enjoying the fruits of his labor

Vacation house 2010 - awesome

Sailing on the Nathan of Dorchester

Just got back from a wonderful week in Cambridge, MD (for the second time) with the Evanses...celebrating Geri and Lee's 40th wedding anniversary with them, Brian and Maryanne, and the kids. I can only hope that Scott and I are as blessed to be married as long and still enjoy each other as much as they do. So far, so good, but we've got 36 years to go....

It was a great week, with lots of crabbing (Nathan's obsession has not gone away but boy does it keep him busy...), kayaking, swimming, and some relaxing time for everyone. Hard to believe that a week has come and gone so quickly.

Big transition yesterday was Ellie's first night in a "big girl bed." On our trip, she began to climb out of her pack n play and I hoped against hope that she would stay in her crib once we got home but my hopes were dashed at 2am Sunday morning when I heard a loud thunk and a knock at her door...So off we went to Babies R Us yesterday for bed rails and last night was first night in her new bed. So sad...I really didn't want to transition her this early because we had all sorts of problems with Nate from doing so, but we really didn't have a choice. I cannot believe she is going to be two in a matter of weeks and that time is passing so quickly by. I have a feeling we will have lots more transitions coming up after we survive the bed transition. The main one will be time out for the first time. However, Scott and I will need to be armed with lots of energy and some alcohol to survive that one. I am not looking forward to it. While Nathan seems to at some point believe and comply with his parents knowing more than him, Ellie does not buy into that philosophy and no matter of cajoling, bribing, or bait and switch can convince her to do anything that she doesn't want to do. Sigh. Tiring but sometimes I secretly love it.

The bed transition went well for the most part last night. She came out a few times and certainly expressed her displeasure at the whole idea of being in a different bed but after about 15 minutes of fussing, gave up and climbed into her bed and went to sleep until 6:30. I can only hope tonight will go as well.

Ellie on the whole is still amazing to me. She talks in multiple word sentences, her favorite word is "why?" (which Nathan thank goodness did not start asking until he turned 4), she can count, say her letters, sing every song on her Music Together CD, knows every line from Toy Story 1 and 2, is a picky eater (but not picky for the same things...she changes her mind every day), has an infectious smile and laugh, and is just generally fascinating to watch. Both of my children amaze me every day and I just love the things that come out of their mouth and seeing the world through their eyes.

Nathan is an engineer at this point, fascinated with how things work. The lights are on and off constantly and he follows Scott around anytime there is "fixing" to be done, trying to figure out how to do it. Such a big boy now...he loves to dress himself (not necessarily in what I would dress him in, but not a battle I care enough about to fight)...particularly in "fast" shorts, can do so much by himself, is an awesome swimmer, and is a real helper around the house and with his sister. He is really sensitive and I constantly worry that someone someday will take advantage of that, but has such great energy and a good heart and is a joy to be around. 4 is a great age. Recently he has figured out how to work the ipad and a leapster adventurer that we gave him...pretty much without any guidance or direction from us. We are working on letters and numbers and can't wait to see what 4 days of school will bring in terms of learning and growing. He is taking a hiatus from speech therapy which is thrilling but concerning for me more than him, I think...I liked the comfort of the support that the therapy provided...but he is doing so well that I guess it is the natural next step. Occupational therapy will continue but I don't think for long...he is growing into himself and is a really good boy. Right now he is a real mama's boy which has been an adjustment...very clingy and like having an extra body part sometimes, but I know it won't last forever so I am enjoying it while I can. Two weeks ago he had two cavities filled - such a trooper. Much drama going on at the dentist's office but my little kid is in and out in 20 minutes, without a tear. I have noticed that he does so well at doctors and I think the reason is a) we are not afraid or make a big deal out of it and b) we explain things thoroughly to him so he knows what to expect. It is just such a nice thing not to have to deal with drama, fear, and panic at the dentist or doctor as I witness it with everyone else. Granted, things could change, but for now I am so proud and enjoying it.

Summer has been relatively busy. Nathan has kept occupied with tennis, swimming and various camps at his school and Arlington County. He is always running into the classroom with nary a goodbye so I take that as a good sign that he likes it. Right now we have two weeks off until school starts and I think it is going to be difficult to keep him entertained. Lots of playdates with the neighbors and swimming should help.

Here are some pictures to enjoy of our trip to MD.

Breaking news....Nathan turns 4!

Easter photo of the family

Mommy and her kids

Mommy and her "big boy"

Easter Egg hunt at home

NEW BIKE! Nice boots.

Cute Nathan

Bunk bed!

Climbing the ladder for the first time

Daddy (and Pop Pop not pictured) assembling bunkbed

Ellie flowers

Blowing out the candles

Birthday boy!

Birthday boy, with his new dinosaur towel, loving his musical birthday card

Superman cake, made by GG with love

Ellie flowers 2

Bowling

Nate bowling

Sigh. Haven't posted since December! Where does the time go? It is a beautiful sunny spring day and I am sitting outside amongst the azaleas working and listening to birds chirp. The snow from my last post seems like an eternity ago....

Lots has happened since the last post, in the Evans household. Ellie is now 19 months old, Nathan is 4, spring has sprung, work is crazy, and life is generally hectic and good. Life was so hectic as a matter of fact, that I totally forgot Ellie's 15 month check-up. When I made the appointment for 18 month they said "oh, she didn't have her 15 month shots..." WOOPS. Not that Ellie was too upset about it, but still....so she got 4 shots at her 18 month which did NOT make her happy. The worst part about it (besides having to hold her down) was that she really loved going to the doctor until that happened and two days later I had to take her back because she had croup (one of the WORST experiences ever, may I say) and she was so freaked out seeing the nurse that gave her the shots again that she was literally trying to crawl into my clothes and hide. I felt so bad...typically you don't have to see these people two days after they stab you....Needless to say that winter for poor Ellie went by in a blur of being sick all the time. If there is such a thing as a frequent patient card for the doctor, we would have earned significant points. Poor thing just seemed to catch every bug that came in the house, most that her brother brought home. I have been vomited on now more than I care to recall (seems our Ellie has a sensitive stomach...in 4 years Nathan has vomited twice) and been up all night rocking a coughing, feverish baby girl more times than I can count. The croup, however, really was the worst. Her breathing got so bad that I laid on the floor next to her bed so I could make sure she was still breathing (not very comfortable by the way). That cough took a while to get over! Thank goodness and knock on wood that she is well now and I think being outside away from all the germy indoor playgrounds has really helped. I am a big believer in fresh air.

In terms of development, Ellie is talking a lot - saying sentences, many words, counting, alphabet, singing. She is quite bossy. For example, the other night when I was putting her to bed she said "rock," so I sat in her rocking chair, then "sing dance me" (dance with me is her favorite song right now), then when that was done "sunshine"(you are my sunshine)....it is funny. I am happy that she can express herself and is easily understood by all, but constantly amazed at her level of intelligence and ability to communicate. According to the pediatrician at her 18 month appt., her verbal ability is that of a 2 year old at this point. Now if we can just get rid of the pacifier and bottle....

Also good news is that we got Ellie into Nathan's preschool beginning January 2011. She will be in the 2 1/2 year old program (a little early given that she'll be 2 years 4 months) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think it will be fun for her to go to school with her big brother and she'll get a kick out of it. In assessing whether she was ready or not, the pediatrician joked that "of course she is ready" but she might get frustrated because she is more advanced than the other kids in the class....I guess we'll see!

We are really enjoying our little girl and can't believe how much she has grown and changed.

Nathan, at 4, is doing great too! He got into school 4 days a week in the mornings next year which will be a challenge for his non-morning person mommy to get organized and out the door, but I think he'll benefit from the transition which will prepare him for kindergarten. He also, as a morning student, gets to stay for "lunch bunch" which is an extra hour with kids to play and interact.

At Nathan's 4 year old checkup, he also got 4 shots (poor kid). He was so brave and rationalizing everything (again, my very smart and mature 4 year old who coincidentally loves the doctor) about how "it will hurt a little bit but then I be all better." The nurse took advantage of his maturity and after giving him the first two shots took WAY TOO LONG before giving him the last two and gave him too much time to think about it and as a result panic. So Scott had to hold him down and he was hysterical. At his checkup he weighed 42 pounds and was 43 inches, maintaining his place in the 90th percentile for height and weight. He is doing so well with speech and occupational therapy and has really advanced. It is likely he will discontinue the occupational therapy and reduce the amount of speech therapy next year - again, we feel so blessed to have found this school and the wonderful impact it has had on Nathan. He is just blossoming. He had a fantastic birthday (a little over the top in retrospect)...got a new bicycle (16 inch, much to my panic), and a new bunkbed! He really loves both - currently he wants to ride bicycles all day long and loves sleeping in the top bunk of his bed. His new phrase is "I can do it mommy, I 4" For example, he can now brush his teeth by himself, get dressed by himself, etc. You will see from the birthday pics that his favorite shoes are boots of any sort, I think because he can put them on so easily. He is so much fun to be around now, goes to sleep most of the time without argument, and is still a happy, energetic kid.

We had GG and Pop Pop up for Nathan's actual birthday and Easter which was fun and then had a party for his classmates and neighbors the following weekend (April 10th). Rented another moonbounce which seems to be a hit for the kids - the party was for four hours and people were still here afterward....Nathan was a real trooper though he did have moments where he said "we done yet?" I think it was friend overload. The "theme" was transformers, though I put that in quotes because he didn't really know what a transformer was, but just liked the invitations at Target. He picked out Tinkerbell invitations too, rationalizing that the girls would like Tinkerbell invitations and the boys would like Transformer....that's my boy! Sensitive. Bad news about Easter, birthday, and a birthday party was now any time a box comes in the house, Nathan says "that for me?" and promptly cries if it is not....how do you train your kids to not be so selfish? We need some help with that one. Hard not to spoil them, though, but I want both of them to recognize that not everyone has all they have.

Life is good here in suburbia. Scott has started up again with yard work when he is not working. He is also coaching Arlington Youth lacrosse again, which he loves. My work has gotten more hectic than I would like and it is interfering with my kids time...hoping to find a better balance with that soon. Nathan is currently taking gymnastics and tennis as well as two music classes and swimming lessons on Saturdays with our neighbor Alexander. We got into the local swim and tennis club, Chesterbrook, so will start going there this summer. I am really excited to be able to go to the pool with the kids and hang out with the neighbors, who all belong there too. I remember many good times at my club when I was younger....

In a couple of weeks we head to Atlanta for vacation to see Grandma and Grandpa Wilson. Very excited - haven't been there since last May since we hosted the holidays here. Uncle David and Aunt Lauren just left after a short visit and we had a blast - my brother really embraced being an uncle and was so good with the kids. Hopefully they'll send me some of their pictures so I can post them.

Life is good, can't complain, esp. as I sit here outside on a sunny day with two healthy happy kids and a great husband. Now if I could just be more diligent about updating this blog....

This is crazy!

Well, here I thought I had seen the most snow of my life in DECEMBER but boy was I wrong....Scott and the kids and I decided to take a trip to New York/New Jersey last weekend and missed out on two feet, but seems that was only the beginning. When we returned on Sunday (very scary drive, by the way...the highways after Baltimore were not even plowed and cars were wrecking everywhere), we had to dig our way to our front door! It was the most snow I had ever seen.

We didn't get to enjoy much, given that we brought a stomach bug back from New Jersey with us and had Ellie and Nathan alternating vomit and then me catching it too...but it wasn't long before MORE SNOW came! Last night and today it has been snowing nonstop and maybe now I can officially say I have never seen this much snow! Holy moly! Schools have been cancelled for the week, public transportation is closed, I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper, no mail, etc. It is amazing. Today it was too cold and windy to enjoy the snow but hopefully tomorrow we can get out and go sledding. As always, I enjoy the peace and quiet that the snow brings but who knows how long it is going to take for things to return to normal?

Kids are doing well. Nathan, like his father, loves the snow, so he is happy as can be to go outside and run around in it, even though it comes up to his shoulders. Ellie, on the other hand, is not so fond. She really likes to eat it, but doesn't want to stand in it or touch it. I remember that was how Nathan was last year so maybe next year she'll change her mind. Of course next year, it probably won't snow like this. In the meantime, we are watching the preparation for Vancouver Olympics where they have barely enough snow for the winter sports! It is so funny how things happen this way sometimes....We have done pretty much every indoor activity we can think of and are spending a lot of quality time together. Hoping everyone is recovered from the stomach bug (seems to be lingering a bit with Ellie) soon so we can get back to normal. Though I think it will be a while before things turn back to "normal" in this city.... Backyard table - you can see how much snow has accumulated.

Our street.

Front of house

Nathan getting buried in the snow!

Scott and kids in snow

Christmas!

Wow - what an amazing Christmas we had. Yes, I know it is February and I am just now writing about it, but it was that amazing that the memories are lingering! We really just spent time together as a family and didn't overprogram. It was so fun to be surrounded by family and to celebrate togetherness and the Christmas spirit, which was constantly around us because of the kids.

Ellie and Nathan loved Christmas! We finally made it to see Santa which was a hoot. Nate told him about the racecar pillow that he wanted and was upset when he left that he forgot to tell him about the toothbrush he wanted too! I assured him that I mentioned it. Ellie was having none of the Santa visit! She was totally not into it and so we ended up having a picture all four of us just to get her to cooperate somewhat. Not what I was intending with my sweatpants on....but it will be a good memory, just like all the memories I have of seeing Santa with my family, well documented on film. Hopefully a new Evans tradition!

Christmas Eve we all went to church together and then had a great baked ziti (made it myself) and went to bed (well, some of us went to bed)...Christmas morning was hilarious because all of us (everyone, including Brian and Maryanne who were on California time) woke up early in anticipation of the kids and to catch every moment on film and the kids SLEPT LATE! Nathan slept until 8!!! We were all going crazy waiting for him. The irony.

However, when they went downstairs they were immediately enthralled with the trains and the Santa toys - Nathan got his toothbrush and racecar pillow and Ellie got a slide. It was great fun watching the joy on their faces as they navigated around presents. Nathan quickly got into the fun and started ripping open packages without real regard to what he was opening and Ellie had no interest in opening anything. She just played with the boxes and wrapping paper. Good. That might save us money later. Everyone was so generous, especially with the kids. The gifts were amazing. Reminded us again just how blessed and fortunate we are.

The rest of the visit really flew by - we had a great visit from Scott's cousin Lee Ellen, her husband Ian and Brigid and Ian's daughter. Really fun to see them and Nate loved his new "friend"...didn't want her to leave. Also went to the Baltimore B&O train museum which was really cool, especially for Lee who loves model and real trains so much. Also meant a lot to me since my Grandpa Wilson was a train conductor for so long, on a steam engine.

We miss everyone already - distance really stinks.

New Year's was a lot of fun - we celebrated a "Greenwich Mean Time" New Year's and had the neighbors over for dinner and poppers. All the kids played nicely together and the grownups actually were able to get some conversation and laughter in, and it all wrapped up by 8:00! The more time we spend with them the more we love our neighbors...

Feels like January has gone by in a blur of kids constantly being sick. We have become regular visitors to the pediatrician which really bothers me. I am hoping this just means they will be well for the rest of their lives....We've stayed local and really had some good family time together. Scott took Nathan on his first skiing trip to Whitetail, PA, on MLK Day, and Nathan LOVED IT! I couldn't be more thrilled than to hear that. He really likes "french fries" (going straight) and hates "pizza" (stopping). Sounds like his Dad! They have already been back once, and Scott snuck Nate into ski school (for 4 year olds....was quite an issue when Scott asked Nathan to tell them he was 4..."but I three Dad, I three!!!!") which he loved. I really hope they get to do more of that together and that Nathan develops the same passion and ability that Scott has for skiing. He also went to his first hockey game with Scott - lots of fun Daddy and Nathan events which is so cool and heartwarming. Nathan is currently back and busy with classes - Little Olympians, Gymnastics, and Swimming.

Other than the doctor, Ellie has been enjoying her Parents Day Out on Tuesdays. She is so cute with the other kids - no separation issues at all - really loves playing with them and the other adults. Quite a social butterfly. Her intelligence is constantly amazing us. She is initiating sentences and talking quite a lot. LOVES taking a bath and "swimming" in the bathtub, and has a smile that can melt hearts. At the doctor, she knows the routine so well that she grabs the instruments from the doctor and puts them where they should go, while using the correct words at the same time "ear" with the ear instrument, etc. It is fascinating. She also loves to read and seems not to be bothered if there are no pictures - I caught her with one of my historical fiction novels the other day thumbing through and "reading" to herself. Wow. A wonderful little girl.

Snowed In!

Wow - we have lived here almost a year and it has snowed about five times....this last time was the most snow people have seen in years, and the most snow I have ever seen in my life! Estimates are about 20 inches. The entire city shut down and it was so quiet and peaceful. Except for being locked inside the house with two stir crazy kids! Thank goodness a neighbor hosted a caroling party at their house. A normally 10 minute walk took about 30 in the snow but it was well worth it! The entire weekend was spent just having fun sledding, playing, and spending time together (plus a little shoveling for me....I am very proud of my handiwork and my "skills" in that area compared to last year). Snowplows were only plowing the major streets so our neighboring street got turned into an awesome sledding hilll...LOVED it.

Nathan loved the snow and the sledding, but Ellie was another story. Didn't much like the wet and cold and especially the fact that the snow was taller than she was! She'll come around eventually.

Here are some great pics from the weekend. We are getting excited for Christmas! GG and Pop Pop, Aunty Maryanne and Uncle Brian arrive tomorrow and the fun begins! Happy Holidays! Formerly a street, now a sledding hill

Trudging to the neighbors

Ellie and Daddy in the snow

Our house

A boy and his Christmas tree