Cole recently had his birthday celebration. He’s been to enough parties over the past weeks to get the idea that it’s a special day for someone, but he didn’t understand this party was for him, until the cake was placed in front of him as we all sang Happy Birthday. At this point, Cole’s face lit up and he clearly understood. Happy birthday, sweet Cole—we can’t believe it’s been two years!
After weeks of observation, Cole finally decided that he wanted to take a ride on the four-wheeler. If he was nervous or anxious, it didn’t show. He just climbed aboard and was off, as if he’d already done it a hundred times. And, when he was done, Cole just went on to the next thing, as if it was all old hat for an old pro. Since his big ride, however, he is constantly talking about Grandpa’s four-wheeler, so regardless of the smooth demeanor, I think he is quite pleased with himself. As he should be!
It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Cole, as back-to-back virus bugs have left him sidelined, nearly two pounds lighter, and barely a shadow of his fun-loving self. Fortunately, he started to really feel better yesterday, which meant he could better enjoy his birthday, today. Although his energy level was unquestionably diminished, he definitely enjoyed his day, which included a trip to the park, a yummy lunch of Yakisoba noodles, and lots of fun opening gifts and playing in the backyard. And, at long last, lots of smiles, giggling, and the return of his happy skip-hop-run. Happy birthday, sweet Cole!
Despite his intense interest in cars , tractors, and trucks and other things that go, Cole has been very apprehensive of Grandpa’s four-wheeler. It was very surprising to all of us his emphatic desire to not go for a ride. Perhaps it was the loud engine, but his little body would shake every time it pulled up close to him. So, he has been content to watch Franny ride from afar—he is obviously interested, but not quite ready for his own ride, yet.
Yesterday, as expected, Cole didn’t want to go for a ride. He shouted Wave! and would wave everytime they sped by, as well as a lot of Vroom, vrooms! But he preferred to just watch very intently—first from the deck; then, from a little closer; and, at one point, it actually seemed like he was going to walk right up to it and climb aboard. But, this time, rather than going for a ride, Cole just wanted to sit on it and check it out—with the engine off, that is. Still, a very big step! I am anticipating that before the onset of summer, Cole will be piping out My turn! and I do it! every chance he can get.
Nearly three years ago I began the Franny blog. When Cole joined our family, it seemed just as easy to do a blog solely for him. Now, with their little sister only nine weeks away, I haven’t yet completely decided if she should have her own blog, or if I should finally just merge them all into one. So many of their experiences are intertwined, yet probably just as many are all their own. It’s a more difficult decision than I had anticipated, as I love the two blogs, even though they have become increasingly basic and brief. As a pregnant mom, I am sure I will change my mind several times over the upcoming weeks, so at this time I am remaining noncommittal. Time will tell.
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly kids change. Cole had started pumping his arms up and down when he was walking around, especially when he was excited. I think it lasted just a month. Sadly, I haven’t seen his happy walk for several days, now. I’m sure he’ll start doing something just as adorable, but right now, I do miss it!
Is their obvious joy from the slide, sibling love, or Spring? I guess, only they know, but I do love to watch them and wonder.
Cole LOVES to wear baseball hats. Unfortunately, right now this is the only one he has, and it's a little bit on the small side. He found it yesterday morning in a box of his outgrown clothes in my office and has been unwilling to part with it ever since. I managed to separate it from him before his nap, with a strategic distraction of chocolate milk, but once he woke up, he wandered around the house repeating hat.... hat.... hat... until he found it again. Now, I don't have the heart to take it away again until his new one arrives in the mail. I just hope it gets here sooner rather than later!
At a recent playgroup gathering, Cole was completely enthralled in playing with their toy tool set, and especially this drill--it didn't leave his possession for nearly the entire two hours we were there. He drilled everything--the floor, sofa, television, walls, windows. He liked the table saw and staple gun (in his other hand) but nothing compared to this drill. Even at this age, I am finding it very interesting to see that boys and girls, while interested in a lot of the same things, are also definitely drawn to different types of toys. Although, watching Grandpa use his saw and drill to build our new shelves over the past two weeks, I am sure helped peak his interest, as well!
Right now, Cole cannot get enough water. I hear his little "water, please" at least ten times a day. Trying to persuade him to drink milk or juice only gets an emphatic shake of the head and a sweet and extended little "nooo" followed by another "water, please". Fortunately, we've reached the point where we don't obsess about his calories so much. Maybe he's trying to balance out the rich, whipping-cream-laden milkshakes he drinks twice a day. Most parents would prefer their child drink water, but Cole comes with his own set of standards. Regardless, it's too hard to refuse this face. And, as a result, Franny is now drinking more water, too. Silly siblings!
Over the last 22 months (can it really be that long, already??) Cole has come to love his weekly visits from Auntie Noelle as much as Franny does. They always have a lot of fun, coupled with even more silliness, which is perfect match for this little guy. Yesterday, they had great fun creating fingerpaint art, which included the body painting of both of them, which then was followed by even more fun cleaning up in the kitchen sink. Only with Auntie...
Irresistible? I admit, Cole is definitely that. The last few weeks, however, has been very good at finding endless mischief to get into. He is also very good at doing things he knows he is not supposed to do, and giggling quite enthusiastically about it all. This week, investigation into some suspicious noises found Cole sliding Franny's Dora dominos into the slats of the large wall air vent in the upstairs hallway. Fortunately, I was able to recover most of them, as well as my watch that went missing a month ago. Now, I'm left wondering what else that vent has witnessed that I haven't been able to recover!
Earlier this week, this is what we found when we checked on Cole on our way to bed. I don't know what it is about our kids and their obsession with getting their clothes off. I think Franny was about three when she finally preferred to wear (and change) her clothes, although she does still like to run around in her skivvies. As for Cole, only time will tell!
This week, Franny and Cole's playgroup visited our local fire station. They had a fun time touring the station, meeting the firemen, and checking out the fire trucks. Cole was especially fascinated with the big trucks, big tires, and all the other big things in the very big garage. The first thing he did when he entered the garage was walk up to the enormous fire truck tire and turn around with a big grin on his face; his interest in cars and trucks is truly undeniable. I enjoy all the fun destinations we visit regularly, but it was also fun to break out and do something new with the group. And, these kids are so great--they are so well-behaved and polite that we can do pretty much anything we have the ambition to do.
Who would have thought a trip to get haircuts would end up being such fun? Definitely not me, but the kids had no less than a great morning. Franny got her car of choice (pink, of course), watched a short Dora video, picked out new green hair clips, and then, also got to pick out a balloon, sticker, and lollipop. Wow! While Cole waited his turn, he bounded between the playhouse, car, slide, and computer games, giggling the entire time. Once he got in his car, I expected the usual meltdown, but he was quite pleased with his penguin cape and the hairdresser letting him play with the clipper and his newly cut hair. He wasn't so pleased when she sprayed his hair with water, but recovered quickly watching an Elmo video and then, picking out his own balloon and lollipop. Franny picked out his sticker, although he did wear it most proudly. The ride home was full of laughing and shouting as the two bombarded each other with their balloons. At home, Cole got a kick out of letting go of his balloon over and over again, but he was having such a good time I couldn't help but indulge him. The haircuts lasted a whole hour, bringing us home with just enough time for lunch followed by quiet time. It was great fun for them, and one of the easiest mornings I've had in a long time. Too bad we can't make it a weekly event!
Cole loves the food processor. And, what's not to love--it's shiny, has buttons, makes a loud noise, and dramatically transforms food instantaneously. Whenever I use it, Cole likes to watch, listen to the whirr, and feel the vibration it generates. But until last week, I hadn't realized how closely Cole paid attention to the actual mechanism of this appliance. While making a yummy garbanzo bean and artichoke dip, I turned around to get a lemon out the refrigerator, and in that short time Cole put the insert in the lid (it won't start without it in place) and pressed "on". And, while I would never purposely allow him to play with appliances, I had to see if it was just a lucky coincidence, and gave him the opportunity to do it again. Which, he did. He was very pleased with himself, and I am still completely amazed.
At our house, the only thing rushed on the weekend is breakfast. And that is so these three can snuggle up on the couch and read books. This is not an occasional occurrence; it's a definite given. Their morning lounging lasts quite awhile--that is, until one of kid's attention spans finally dissipates or daddy's need for coffee wins out. All in all, though, they spend a lot of time, here. My only question is where will number three fit?
We knew from the outset that having three kids would bring extraordinary chaos to our lives. As we draw closer to that point, the reality of how a third child will impact every aspect of our accustomed routine is becoming increasingly clear. Franny is very excited about her little sister and Cole will always follow Franny's lead, so I have begun to make adjustments now, in order to get us ready for her arrival. Since we are unquestionably a family on the go, being able to get from place to place safely and as stress-free as possible is a big priority for me (not to mention being on time!) Most importantly, since I only have two hands, Franny and Cole are learning how to walk together slowly and safely on sidewalks and through parking lots to get to our destinations. Although we still have a lot of kinks to work out, Franny has been very responsive and nurturing to Cole, and it's obvious that Cole is extremely proud to walk hand in hand with his big sister!
Another snowstorm blanketed our yard on Tuesday morning. Cole chose his beloved wagon as his front row seat to view the snowfall, which included gigantic snowflakes that Cole found extremely fascinating. Not a bad way to spend the morning, given the many busy days we've had as of late; I think everyone needs a snow day every now and then.
Cole's routine appointment with this nutritionist showed that his weight is finally on the charts for the first time since he was two months old! At a svelte 22 pounds, Cole joins the third percentile; and his height also shot up, bumping him up to the next growth curve. I don't know if it's the mac and cheese or the Carnation instant breakfast (chocolate only, please!), but he is definitely growing by leaps and bounds, much to everyone's delight!
The last two weeks, the return to our regular routine (as well as a few additional events) has left everyone rather tired and clamoring for the weekend. This past Friday morning, as we all got ready for our morning activity, Cole found it preferable to rest in the laundry, rather than chasing after Franny, as he usually does. As I watched him return to this spot several times, I couldn't help but think that a laundry basket that fit me actually sounded pretty good!
Since Christmas, these two doing their puzzles have been a daily sight at our dining room table. Although he would prefer to contribute to Franny's puzzles, with her's being much too advanced for him, Cole has started to progress to his own multi-piece puzzles. He especially likes this one that makes siren noises when he completes a section; sometimes, he will just pick up one piece and immediately put it back in to set off the siren. Silly Cole!
These cars are at a number of the destinations we frequent for playgroup days. With lots of fun things to play on or with, this is most frequently his toy of choice. He will go in and out, in and out, in and out, and so on (and so on) for most of his play time. When it is time to leave, he protests most emphatically. I think there is definitely something, even at this age, about boys and their cars.
Much to Cole and Franny's joy, we spent Christmas day at Grandma and Grandpa's house. There is something about spending time there that is always cozy, comfortable, and special; it is definitely the kids' favorite place away from home, and we all love spending the holidays there. And, thankfully, it is so close that happy, tired kids don't have a long trip home and could spend a little bonus time with Grandma and Grandpa. Needless to say, it was a wonderful day. We definitely missed our family members who weren't able to be there, but enjoyed a memorable Christmas, complete with special time with Auntie Noelle, music with Uncle Bill (a Cole favorite), and the warm, secure feeling knowing that we are all happy, healthy, and well.
