Adjustments

Delaney stopped napping pretty much the same day that she started using the potty. Coincidence?--I don't think so.

Not napping has been an adjustment for Delaney and a MAJOR adjustment for me. I try to get Delaney to play quietly by herself for about an hour and then I get out the play dough or markers. But gone are the days when I have any real downtime and gone are the days when I can get much of anything done during 'nap time'.

I haven't been looking forward to this day; however, I would rather have Laney give her nap up now, and give me time to adjust, than give up her nap right when the new baby is born.

18 Months Stats

Elliot had his 18 mths well baby visit today. I dropped Delaney off to play at a friend's house, and headed to the pediatrician's office, where Dave met us. And here are the big stats:

Weight: 22.31 lbs (8.64%tile)
Height: 32.75 inches (65.14%tile)

Honestly, I would be a little surprised if he's really almost 33 inches tall---he was 30.25 inches in late February, so that would be one serious growth spurt. But who knows! Elliot is definitely catching up to Delaney--I would bet that he weighs no more than a pound less than her. Elliot wears 18 mths clothing and Delaney wears 24 mths clothing; so far, Delaney has always managed to stay one clothing size ahead of Elliot. And they both wear shoes size 5 or 6.

Elliot has been going through a super shy stage----it will be interesting to see if it's 'just a phase', or if shyness is part of his personality. He's putting more and more words together---the other day, he started saying-Talk Mimi (his Grandma), talk Mimi-after he got off of the phone with her. So cute!

Ben & Jerry's

Dave bought the kids Ben & Jerry's cups. They loved having their own little cups and 'special' spoons. Delaney even finished her ice cream---Delaney often likes the idea of treats more than the actual treats themselves---but not tonite, she was thrilled with her ice cream!

Elliot was an absolute mess after finishing his ice cream--we had to just strip him down and let him run around naked until bathtime.

Naked and chocolateyElliot, talking to Grandma Mimi on the phone.

Buried In The Sand

Dave has a bad cold but the day was too nice to not spend it at the beach! We went to Roundhill Pines and played in the sand for a couple of hours. Delaney and Elliot LOVED it when Dave would bury them in the sand and they then had to wiggle their way out!

Ladybugs

After a very, very long week for all of us--Dave worked (at least) 18 hour days, covering the legislative session--Dave had a day off (THANK GOD!!!). We headed to Cave Rock in the morning for some much needed family time.

When we started going to the beach a few weeks ago, Delaney despised the ladybugs and wanted me to banish them from the planet. Now-she LOVES the ladybugs, 'catches' them, talks to them and 'carries' them around. Elliot likes the ladybugs too--but mostly just smooshes them!

Delaney and Elliot were both great at the beach. And after a week of wearing undies (during ALL waking hours), Laney even used the potty at the beach without any problems! Less than two weeks ago, I made her pediatrician swear to me that Laney would 'someday' be potty trained, and since then Laney has decided that 1) Diapers are for babies, 2) She's not a baby, and 3) She wants NOTHING to do with diapers--she even moved all of her diapers from her room into Elliot's room and 4) She doesn't want to go to bed and REALLY doesn't want to sleep (I don't know if this has anything to do with potty training or not-but it's driving us crazy!-One night she only slept from midnite to 5 AM). I've been avoiding writing about her successes in potty training, because I didn't want to curse us, and I know my Laney-Pie, and I know that she may very well 'change her mind', with the very same willpower that she has now decided to use the potty. She's always full of surprises and just when I think that I know what to expect from her, she'll completely change, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Unfortunately, tonite Dave came down from a fever (that's what working insane hours and not sleeping will do!), but hopefully he'll be on the mend soon.

Girls And Trucks

Laney's truck in time-out

Elliot loves, loves truck---really anything with wheels. He pushes them around the house and crashes them down our back steps. Lately, he's been sleeping with a couple of his little trucks. For some reason, I was resistant to letting him take trucks into his bed---but had no problem with Laney's 10 favorite stuffed animals filling up her crib. But I soon realized that his trucks are just as comforting to him as Laney's stuffed animals.

Laney likes to play with Elliot's trucks too---especially the ones with faces and that sing songs. She carries the trucks around like babydolls, covers them with blankets, reads to them and even puts them into time-out (when they've been fighting!). She hugs them and gives them kisses.

Freedom

Delaney and Elliot were totally and completely filthy from playing outside---they had poured sand on their heads (don't ask me why!) and put dirt in their shoes. Before heading inside for a bath, I stripped them down outside. Delaney made a run for it, and Elliot quickly followed; my little streakers were laughing hysterically and having a great time.

18 Months

This little boy is pure sweetness. Elliot's face totally and completely lights up the second that he sees me, and I love it, I love it, I love it. He is crazy busy and active. He loves to play 'tackle', trucks and with any ball he can find. He loves his big sister, and would follow her anywhere. Delaney has already taught him more than I ever will; he has a great vocabulary, including the all important 'me, my, mine' (taught to him by Delaney-of course), pronounces words so well and is putting two words together. He hates it when he doesn't have Delaney's attention, and is more than willing to pull her hair or tackle her to get it. He doesn't back down to Delaney-ever, and he probably starts more than his fair share of their battles. He wants to do everything 'by himself'---put on his shoes, pour his drink, climb up in his highchair and out of his carseat....

He wakes up with a big smile and pretty much smiles his way through his busy days. He's been fairly shy the last month or so, and in new situations, usually is glued to my leg. He throws little fits for 10 or 15 minutes when he doesn't get his way, but Delaney broke us in big-time with 3 and 4 hour long tantrums, so really, it's hard to take his fits too seriously. He's quietly and patiently persistent. He'll push a kitchen chair up to the counter, climb on top of it, I'll take him off and return the chair to the table and we'll do this again and again and again.

I love my Elliot, and I'm so lucky to be his mommy.

Laney Speaks

This is how my conversation went with Delaney:

Delaney: Mommy, I smell something funny.

Me: What do you smell?

Laney: Poop.... Or cantaloupe. (I guess it was a toss-up!)

About once a week or so, Delaney wakes up from a bad dream. When this happens, I go into her room, comfort her and usually take her out of her crib and snuggle with her for a few minutes.

So--what's her new thing to do when I put her down for a nap or at bedtime?--The second that I shut her door, she starts screaming---Mommy, mommy, bad dream, bad dream, come help me!!!!! Laney-you actually need to fall asleep before you have a bad dream.

Cave Rock

At the advice of a couple of friends, we tried a new beach today-Cave Rock. It was great---a little cove with lots of rocks to climb on and very shallow water. I love getting to the beach early when it's so quiet and still. Some of our friends met up with us later, and the kids had a great time.

Everytime I go to Tahoe, I love it a little more! I could look at the lake and the mountains all day.

The Boys

These are my two favorite guys. They are just too cute together! They spent part of the afternoon, wrestling and playing 'tackle' (as Elliot calls it); they have the best time together.

Cooling Off

Dave had the day off today--which was wonderful. The weather was in the 90s, so after nap, we put the kids in their swimsuits and headed outside to play in the sprinkler. Both Delaney and Elliot had a great time, running in and out of the water.

Elliot and Dave pushed Laney through the sprinkler in her beloved car-much to her delight!
Overall, we just had a really, really nice day; the kids were happy and both napped, the weather was great and we even managed to get a few things done around the house.

Today Laney told Dave that she loves Elliot most of all----so cute! And Laney made some real progress at learning how to ride her bike; I can't say that she's super interested in pedaling-but today, she definitely proved that she can do it!

End Of A Long Week

The kids and I headed to the beach on Monday and Friday mornings with some of our friends--it was beautiful. On Friday, the kids woke up early and we were playing on the beach by 9:15 AM. Both Delaney and Elliot love to play in the sand and water. Taking the kids to the beach by myself is a haul--Elliot rides in our red wagon along with toys, towels and snacks, and Laney 'walks' beside me (this usually lasts for about 20 feet, and then I wind up carrying her!). The red wagon is great---until, I have to pull it back up the sand to the car--then it gets a little ugly, but it still works better than hauling a bunch of bags-with my stuff falling everywhere-and trying to carry two cranky, worn out toddlers back to the car. And I must say that the inconvenience of taking the kids to the beach by myself is totally overshadowed by all of the fun that we have while there!

Dave has been working a ton-covering the state legislative session. He's been getting home from work very, very late and worked today as well. His schedule has been hard on all of us. I've definitely been getting a brief glimpse into the life of a single mother--and man, oh man, all of the single mothers out there have my utmost respect! I am very grateful that it's (basically) summertime and that we can spend a large portion of the day outside playing. But I can't wait until this session is over.

Delaney has been Delaney---absolutely horrid and absolutely delightful-sometimes within the same hour. She exhausts me, and from the time that she wakes up in the morning until she finally goes to sleep at night, she's demanding, bossy and strong willed. She literally can be on edge all day-always on the verge of a tantrum. She's soooo verbal, and can say the sweetest things to me, and plenty of mean things as well. She takes all of my patience and then some. And definitely-the less that we let her get away with, the better that she behaves--but it's hard.

This week Delaney told me that she didn't want to wear undies because she wanted to be a baby like Elliot. And if she wore undies then she would have to go to school and she didn't want to leave me because she would miss me. She seems so conflicted--she wants to be big, but wants to be a baby still-that it broke my heart a little. And as much as I would like her to go to preschool in the fall, I just don't think that she's ready in a couple of areas.

Elliot got his 4th molar this week--only 3 more baby teeth (before his 2 year old molars) to go. He's been clingier than normal since we got back from our trip to Pittsburgh, but overall his happy and easy self.

However, Elliot has been torturing his sister--tackling her and pulling her hair-he literally tore out a clump of her hair. He also chases Delaney around the house trying to kiss her--which she hates, of course. I think that we'll be starting the dreaded 'time-outs' with him soon! And he has endless energy---to climb, to tackle and to run!

Delaney certainly can stand up for herself and has no problem retaliating (or initiating!) fights with her brother. And I hate it when they fight. This week, I caught Delaney trying to pull Elliot across the room--by his ear. When I asked her why she was doing that, she told me that she was teaching Elliot how to be mean. Great.... I was totally appalled. I don't know.... My siblings and I were so spread out and we certainly fought-but NOTHING like this. I hear that close-in-age siblings fight a lot--but lately, their fighting has been driving me insane. And I haven't found anything that 'works'.

Elliot is starting to put a couple of words together---he says-kiss me (my favorite) and more pretzels and drink please and mommy, me up (when he wants out of his crib). He has a great vocabulary for an almost-18-month old and speaks soooo clearly.

Tent

We got the kids a tent for the backyard and they love it-especially Delaney. The tent has become Delaney's new favorite 'reading' place--each day she transfers a bunch of her books from the family room into the tent. Elliot will join her--for a few minutes-- to look through books; he has totally caught on to Delaney's love for books and it's absolutely wonderful.

The Cooks

I don't like to cook---at all. I really, really don't like anything about cooking.

But I want my family to eat healthy meals, so I cook. And Delaney and Elliot love to help me cook every single night. I pull up the 'big people' chairs to our kitchen island and have them 'help' measure, pour, stir, wash..... It's quite the process as I'm sure that you can imagine.

While we're waiting for water to boil or preheating the oven, I try to keep them entertained with spice jars-to stack, or silverware to play with. Delaney loves to pick out who is going to eat (or in her mind-who is allowed to eat) with which fork and spoon.

First Trip To The Beach

Today was pretty much the perfect Mother's Day. Dave didn't have to work at all this weekend, which was unexpected and wonderful. After another too short nap, we headed up to Sand Harbor at Lake Tahoe for our first 'summer' trip to the beach. It was beautiful. So, so beautiful.

There were some people on the beach, but it certainly wasn't crowded, so it seemed just so peaceful and relaxing. The kids played happily in the sand and water. I have no idea how Elliot and Laney can wade into the freezing water--but they never once even mentioned the water being cold! They were cooperative and content all afternoon--it was wonderful.

Mother's Day

Delaney and Elliot decorated this gigantic card for me with stickers and markers and I LOVE it! The card makes me smile every time that I see it.

Elliot was the early bird this morning, so he got to cook with Daddy, making french toast---yum!

When Delaney woke up, I was still laying in bed, so Dave tried to get her up and convince her to eat breakfast. No such luck. She staged a 'sit in' outside of my bedroom door, holding onto her beloved 'little puppy', screaming--Mommy, get up, hold me, get up NOW!!!! Elliot, who had been just fine playing with Daddy, decided to join forces with his big sister and grabbed his stuffed cat and screamed--Mommy, mommy, mommy!!!--outside of my door as well. It actually was so ridiculous that it was funny---I mean, come on, I'm with Delaney and Elliot just about every minute of their waking lives, but if I try to grab a few minutes of extra sleep, forget it!

At Least It Got Better

After a too short nap, Laney and Daddy headed out to a children's production of Beauty and The Beast. Considering our morning, I was a little concerned that Laney would be a wreck at the show. Laney yet again proved me ever so wrong and was delightful at the show and for the rest of the night. Daddy and Laney had a good little date and got to spend time doing 'big kid' stuff.

I stayed at home with the little guy, playing with mud in the backyard and then around the block, looking at and watching all of the cars, trucks and lawnmowers. I'm not quite sure what it is about little boys and any type of vehicles, but Elliot could sit outside and watch the cars and trucks go by all day. Elliot was pure sweetness.

The Big Hike

This morning we decided to head out on a little hike on the outskirts of Carson City. The kids were excited and ready to go-until we headed out to the car--then Delaney decided that she wanted to go on a bike ride and went absolutely beserk. Great....

But-we stuck with our plan and headed out to the trail-with Delaney kicking and screaming every inch of the way. Laney refused to get out of the car and then screamed to get out of the car and then screamed to get into the car and then screamed to get out of the car. And so it went. She screamed, she cried and was so unpleasant that it was ridiculous. I let Dave deal with Laney, and Elliot and I walked along, investigating sticks and bugs.

When we got home, Delaney went right into her room (not willingly-of course!). It's hard when we do something 'fun' with the kids and Laney has one of her insane meltdowns.

Excluding her short stint as an angel last nite, Laney's behavior has been horrible the last couple of days and I've had some long, long days with her. But Dave and I are both totally committed to being consistent with her and not letting her get away with bad behavior---it's easy to look the other way, roll our eyes and think-oh, the terrible twos---it's much harder to deal with her actual oubursts and behavior, but that's what she needs. So-we won't give up---we'll continue to plow through each day with her--regardless of the outcome--and be the best parents that we can be for her.

Bedtime

Bedtime often is one of my favorite times of the day---if nothing else, I know that we've all survived another day and tomorrow is a brand new day.

Tonite the kids were being so sweet that we seriously didn't want to put them to bed. They were wearing their new pajamas and were content reading books and snuggling with Daddy.

After Elliot went to bed, Delaney wanted a snack, so she sat at the table like a big girl and ate cantaloupe--happily munching and chatting away.

Planting

With the help of Grandma Mimi and Gramps, Laney and Elliot made our front yard a little more beautiful and spring-like.

Elliot ate his share of dirt and even tried dipping his binky in dirt--yuck! Both Delaney and Elliot loved watering the plants (and steps!).

Egg Cream

Tonite, Gramps made egg creams with Delaney and Elliot. The kids had a great time 'helping' and LOVED every bit of their delicious drink. Elliot even tried to persuade Gramps to make him another one.

Now, if you ask Laney, what is in an egg cream--she'll tell you-Milk, chocolate and 'seltza'.

Grandma Mimi and Gramps

Thank goodness for grandparents. After a pretty long week with the kids, Grandma Mimi and Gramps came into town yesterday--bringing new faces and lots of energy! Both of our kids love to have company.

In Other News....

Elliot is definitely an 18 month old little boy---throwing fits, terrorizing his sister, climbing everywhere and into everything that he shouldn't be. He's like a little puppy--so much energy and mischief. It was chilly and windy today but Elliot was going crazy inside-tackling and trying to wrestle with Delaney, so we headed out to the park to get some of his energy out.

This week, Delaney started to notice my belly. She told me--Mommy, you have a big belly--but Daddy has a really big belly. She also pulled up my shirt this morning and shouted at my belly--Baby, you stay in there, don't you come out! She's lovely, huh?

Yesterday, Delaney and Elliot were entertaining themselves for--oh, about 3 minutes, and I grabbed the chance to flip through a magazine. Delaney quickly noticed that she was not receiving 100% of my attention, ran over to me and shouted---Mommy, you need to take care of me!!! I guess that I was slacking off on the job.

Goofy

This little boy thinks that it's hysterical to run around the house with this bin on his head; when he does this, it always reminds me of the movie Parenthood!