Michael and Oscar wait for birds to eat from the pinecone.
Michael loves to play with our neighbors, Jimmy and Joey, and all their toys in their sandbox. Luckily for me, Michael rarely climbs into the sandbox. Rather, he stands on the outside and reaches in to play with the toys. This prevents him from becoming covered with sand from head to toe.
Sarah, my neighbor and friend, insists that I invest in a sandbox for Michael and Maeve to play in, but I fear the sand that the kids will track into the house. Instead, I discovered another product that will satisfy Michael’s need to dig and load his …
Michael and Maeve sit on the rocking chair together.
We are adjusting to having Charlie home. As those of you who have children can imagine, Michael has changed so much since Charlie left. How I run our household has changed to better meet our needs.
Michael’s bedtime routine isn’t exactly the same every night, but a few things do remain constant. I read a few books and sing a few songs, all while I nurse Maeve. If I rush the process, Michael can sense it and resists, leaving me frustrated and even more impatient.
Now that Charlie is home, our bedtime routine has changed ever so slightly. Charlie will now read …
Charlie and Michael reunited! Let the games begin.
My husband, Charlie, is home from a six month long deployment. For obvious reasons, I am so glad he is finally home with us. Despite my relief and happiness, Michael’s excitement towards having his daddy home trumps them all. Practically every other word out of Michael’s mouth is “daddy”.
Other than when Michael’s sleeping, Charlie doesn’t have a free moment away from him. Michael’s face just lights up with joy when Charlie walks into the room. I didn’t expect Michael to take a long time to warm up to Charlie. In fact, it didn’t take him anytime at all. The moment …
Michael plays with his trains even at the table.
Michael loves trains. He loves dump trucks, fire trucks, bulldozers, and diggers too. But his enthusiasm for trains is insurmountable.
My sister-in-law passed down her childrens train set to Michael several months ago. It entertains Michael for hours. Everyday he assembles the track on the floor and drives his wooden trains along the route he created. I worry what will happen if Liz wants the train set returned to her. I will have to pack it up when he’s sleeping; otherwise I’ll have one very unhappy two year old.
Likewise, the one DVD that Michael watches in a Thomas the Train video. …
There are some days that I feel like I’m talking to myself and nothing I say is sinking into Sayle’s little noggin. I obviously know that’s not true, but I like instant gratification….I know….I need to get over that issue. Anyways, my husband and I are constantly pointing things out to Sayle, saying what they are, and then asking him to repeat the word. If he acts interested we really get into the item with him by touching it and playing with it and if he’s not interested we try to engage him by acting excited about the item. “Ohhhh Sayle, look at this coat, isn’t it the coolest coat in the world? Can you say coat?”
Sometimes he entertains us …
My husband’s grandfather hardly ever showed much emotion towards his children, and he never told them that he loved them. From what I’ve been told, this was just part of his personality. As a result, my father-in-law chose to raise his children in the opposite manner by telling them often that they are loved.
This has resonated with me now that Michael is talking. I want my children to know that I love them and for them to openly reciprocate the sentiment. When I tell Michael that I love him he either doesn’t respond or yells out a loud, “NO!” and sometimes follows with a laugh … frustrating!
My friend’s three-year-old son, …
