Good Dental Check-up

Anthony had a fabulous dental check-up.  He was moderately cooperative for his cleaning, he hates the taste of the toothpaste.  At the end we decided to give x-rays a try and he was a pro!  No cavities AND the dentist says he'll be losing his first two teeth by the end of the year.   Poor kid desperately wants to lose some teeth, almost all of his friends have by now.   (I can relate, I was well into first grade when I lost my first tooth.)

Pascal the Cat

Pascal the Cat is settling nicely into our home.  It took him a week to come out from under the bed, but once he did he started playing nicely with the kids.  Anthony adores him and loves to play.  Richard finds him absolutely fascinating.  Last week I caught him trying to taste kitty.  He was sitting up in bed, I was petting Pascal with one hand while supporting Richard with the other.  I looked over and Richard was frantically leaning in with his mouth wide open, just wanting a little taste to see what the kitty is all about.

Bob has noticed a disquieting similarity between toys Richard likes the ones the cat likes.  Basically, if it makes noises when you bat it around they both like it.  He further observed that the cat is far more skilled at life than the baby.  (I would argue that Richard has more potential, though.)

Tae Kwan Do Party

 Better late than never…

  One of Anthony's preschool friends had a Tae Kwan Do birthday party over the summer.  It really wasn't Anthony's thing, but he had a good time.  At the end of the party each child got to break a board.  Anthony was really quite proud.  Bob was quite incredulous.

First Day of Kindergarten

 Yesterday was Anthony's first day of kindergarten.  He was SO excited and SO nervous.

  The year actually started on Friday with a new student potluck and an opportunity to meet the teachers.  He was thrilled to discover that his best friend from across the street was in his class!

  We were a few seconds away from leaving for school Monday morning when the parade of kids started.  Anthony immediately took off running to join everyone.  I took off after him, leaving Bob to get the baby out the door.  We did the obligatory photos while waiting for Mrs. Kovac to come and open the door.

  Once inside we did a little scavenger hunt "find your cubby, put your lunch in the cubby, find the bathroom, find the drinking fountain."  All this time Anthony was thrilled and also happy (bossy?) to help Sydney do it all too.

  Then it was time for Mrs. Kovac to talk with the parents for a few minutes and Anthony realized our departure was eminent.  The misbehavior began in a desperate attempt to get me to take him home.  I knew he'd be fine once we left, and he was.  Many of the kids were on the verge of tears, he was far from the only one.

I didn't get too much information at pick-up, except that he didn't have enough time on the monkey bars, and he told me that he got really scared when I left.  Today there was more, about what table he ate lunch at, which playgrounds he played on…

I took the day off so we could spend the afternoon together.  We had lunch with Daddy and then rode our bikes to Baskin-Robbins for ice cream with the Donahues.

I think we're off to a good start!

Seven Months Old

Pudgers is seven months old today!

As you can see from this picture, he can sit!  He doesn't sit well, he still has a tendency to fall front words, backwards or just a nice sideways flop.

He also managed to sit up by himself.  When I went to feed him in the night he was sitting up in his crib.  (He was supporting himself with one hand.)  The trick hasn't repeated itself yet.  I'm sure it was on accident.  He loves getting his legs up underneath his body and pushing his little tushie in the air.

His eating has gotten a lot better.  He's still not fond of apricots but will happily eat his pea/sweet potato mix.  We try prunes tomorrow, I'm sure they will be a hit.

He has lots of favorite things, besides playing with big brother.  Peek-a-boo is just so exciting.  His favorite toys include his Sophia La Girafe and the collection of birds from Aunt Julie.  He is also quite fond of a teething toy Kay put in his Easter basket.  He also enjoys chewing on his toes.  He can't get BOTH feet in his mouth at the same time, though not for lack of trying.

He is still a remarkably easy going little kid.  Basically, if he's crying he's either hungry or tired.  We've worked on improving his night time skills and he'll put himself to sleep in his crib now.  We read a story, put him in bed with his sleepy music and he falls right to sleep. 

Happy Boy

Of course he is happy.  He slept through the night for the first time!

Things They Eat

In this picture he's trying some of Richard's mush.  He was a little jealous.

 Anthony amazes us with some of the stuff he eats; food Bob and I had never heard of at his age.

  In the last few months we've seen him eat:  gyoza, edamame (aka salty soybeans), samosas, artichoke, pad thai, and chow fun noodles.  On the other hand, he rejects turkey meatballs, chicken (that isn't a nugget) and anything with a hint of sauce.  He won't even eat peanut sauce from Thai restaurants.  The number one ingredient is peanut butter!

  Richard is as picky as Anthony is adventurous.  He does like the orange vegetables--squash, sweet potatoes and carrots.  He ate greenbeans once, we'll see if he'll eat them again.  He thinks peas are the work of the devil and will gag in a desperate attempt to get them off his tongue.  I have a whole freezer tray of them, I may just throw them out.   He has also rejected my lovely apricots and PEACHES.  We'll try peaches again next week, if I don't eat them first.  (I make most of his food.)  When Kathleen fed him pears for the first time last week he made faces even before they were in his mouth.  Fortunately he decided they were yummy.

A Day at the Ballpark

 In lieu of a company picnic, Alios invited us all to the SF Giants game today.  It started with a pre-game party in Triples Alley (right on the field!) followed by fabulous seats for the game.

  The promotional give-away was Giants jerseys for all the kids.  Richard especially was adorable in his, size youth XL.

  Anthony's favorite part of the game was the treats.  He started with 1 1/2 hotdogs, followed by a baseball cookie, a big string of licorice and a piece of chocolate cake.  That was before the game even started.

  We made him wait until the 3rd inning for his cotton candy.  He put away an enormous quantity of the stuff, though I did make him share with the kids all around us.

  Anthony also enjoyed the giant slide inside the coke bottle, singing "Take me Out to the Ballgame" and playing with my friend Than, who I never would have pegged as the "favorite uncle" type.

  The boys basically made it through the whole game.  We left at the top of the 9th inning as I expected the train to be crowded and wanted seats for the trip home.

The Kid Can Swim!!!

 We had an impromptu swim afternoon with Lee and Jack up in Redwood City today.  (Baby and I hung out in the shade.)  Anthony impressed us by swimming the entire width of the pool.  He finally convinced Bob of his swimming skill and was granted permission to jump off the diving board.  He did great, he jumped off the diving board, treaded water and swam to the edge!

  Its too bad he can't pass the swim test at our local pool.  You have to swim the width back and forth non-stop to pass.  I think that's a ridiculously high bar.  (At my Girl Scout camp they just had to swim the width once.)  We'll keep practicing, though.

Good check-up

 Richard's dress-clothes were a little big on him, so his thumb got caught inside his cuff.  He had a lovely time gnawing away at it.

  Richard had his six month check-up this week.  He is up to 15 lb, 12 oz (25%) and is 25" long (10%).  Its the first time his height has been on the charts!  He's definitely still a little pudgeball, though.  His check-up went well, though he was a bit miffed at getting 3 shots.

  We increased his dose of Zantac, as he's showing no signs of outgrowing his reflux yet, but has outgrown the current dose.  He shows minimal discomfort, though.  The pediatrician categorizes him as a "happy spitter."  And yes, he is definitely a spitter!

Gymnastics Camp

 The boys' daycare provider was on vacation this week, so Bob and I took turns staying home with the kiddos.  Anthony really enjoys gymnastics, so I signed him up for a week-long afternoon gymnstics class.  He had a great time!

Brotherly Love

   I think the boys are just stinkin' cute in their matching outfits!

  Yesterday Richard had his first popsicle, courtesy of big brother.  I turned around and Anthony was letting the baby slurp away!

It's Final!

 Well isn't that a lousy picture.

  Today we heade down to San Jose to finalize Richard's adoption.  It was a 3 minute ceremony in the judge's chambers.  Short, quick, and he's ours forever.

  Anthony was difficult.  He's going through a phobic phase and the courthouse pretty much freaked him out.   I don't know exactly why he was unhappy, but within seconds of entering the building he started whimpering that he wanted to go home.

Beach Day

As we were driving into Arroyo Grande, Anthony looked up from his movie to discover the ocean outside his window.  The first words out of his mouth were, "I forgot to pack my swimsuit."  Funny, as he didn't pack anything.

  Both boys had a lot of fun at the beach.  Anthony enjoyed playing in the waves with the big kids.  He went in up to his waist, not bad for the Pacific on an overcast day.  Richard seemed to enjoy putting his feet in the sand.

  About Richard's clothing…  I haven't found Anthony's swim trunks from last summer yet.  They are probably too big, anyway!  The hat is a hand-me-down from some neighbor kid.  When Anthony was little I swore I'd never make my child wear such an awful hat.  That was easy to say when your child has a darker complexion and a full head of hair.  The pale bald child wears his hat.

4th of July

 For the first time in a few years we renewed annual tradition and celebrated the 4th of July in Arroyo Grande with the Techau family.  At first Anthony was disappointed that we weren't going to see the fireworks and concert at Shoreline park, but he discovered that at-home pyrotechnics could be a lot of fun, too.

  We started off with Pop-its (the kind you throw down and they ignite), which he was setting off by the handful.  Then we moved on to sparklers and the kid was entranced.  He stayed up through most of our display, and then ASKED to go to bed!

Six Months Old!

 Babycakes is six months old!

  Random thoughts…
1.  He's getting much better at using his hands.  He's getting better at manipulating things--how to get Sophie into his mouth, rather than just grabbing and stuffing.  He also enjoys checking out his key chain.
2.  He eats a little solid food, but not with enthusiasm.  We're still practicing most mornings.   Yes, I've fed the kid squash for breakfast!
3.  Big brother is his favorite toy.  He's not smiling at the camera in this picture, he's smiling at his brother.  The burp fests continue…
3.  He desperately wants to get his feet in his mouth.  Still hasn't succeeded.
4.  He is a tummy sleeper.  At daycare he sleeps in his carseat because Kathleen doesn't want a tummy sleeping baby.
5.  Four months ago I would have said he's a great sleeper and a lousy eater.  Now, I'd reverse the two.  He sometimes will sleep 6-8 hours at  a stretch, but there are definitely other nights where he will wake twice a night.  Fortunately he will happily nap on the go.
6.  He is starting to enjoy baths.  Sunday he did "happy kicking" in the tub and today at daycare he did water play with the big kids.  Sort of.  Maria took his clothes off and dribbled water on him.  He seemed to enjoy it.

Fun Times

 Nothing like testosterone fueled fun!

Swim Lessons

Yesterday we finished session 1 of swim lessons.  As previously, we got 4 days a week for eight weeks.  Anthony actually passed preschool level 3!  Of course, we're doing 3 more sessions of Preschool 3 as you have to be six to progress to the next level of classes.  Consequently there are a number of advanced kids in the class, stuck in a holding pattern.  In any case, we're thrilled he's making progress.  Last summer he went from an absolute beginner just learning to bob his head to swimming 4-6 feet.  I wonder if we'll make the same progress this year.

Sophie La Girafe

 Richard has made great progress in figuring out what to do with his hands.  He isn't TOO grabby yet, but he discovered hair last weekend.  He is quite fond of stuffing Sophie's legs into his mouth for a nice chew.  There's lots of teething action, but no sign of actual chompers.

Sheep to Shawl

   A few weeks back we headed over to Half Moon Bay for Elkus Ranch's annual "Sheep to Shawl" event.  I realized it was our 4th year in a row going.  We did all the standard activities, watched the sheep shearing, ground corn to feed the animals and watered the plants.

  Richrd petted a chicken.  He seemed unimpressed.

Carrots

 We gave Richard his first taste of carrots yesterday.  He didn't seem to like it terribly much, but I think he ate a spoonful or two.  We'll keep practicing.

  On Thursday I gave him a bite of peach, on impulse.  (The difference between first and second child.)  I took a little bit of peach, mushed it up in my fingers and put it in his mouth.  He eventually swallowed it, I think.

Last Day of Preschool!

 Anthony is all done with preschool!

  I'm sad, I think I'm going to miss Children's Center.  Fortunately Richard will be there in a few years.  (I'm particularly attached this year as I got to do pick-up for 1/2 the year!)

  As usual, the last day of school was Fun Day.  Anthony played INSIDE a big inflatable ball, jumped in the bounce house, got his face painted and had a great time playing with his friends.

 He will be spending the summer at Kathleen's house with Richard and all his daycare friends.  Then is off to kindergarten!

Twins

Water Fun at Great America

 Last fall we bought season tickets (for this year!) to Great America.  The Donahues have passes and the cost for one day is the same as the cost for the season.

  It was pretty toasty today and the city pool hasn't opened, so we headed off to Boomerang Bay at Great America.  Anthony made a bee-line for the big water play area.  Once into it, it was a little wild for his comfort level, but he soon got a little more used to it.  It still took him a good while to try out the water slides.  Its funny, as they were MUCH shorter and tamer than the ones at the Aulani resort last fall.  I think part of the issue was that these slides had water spraying AT you, it wasn't just a slide.  He's got his eye on some of the big slides (on tubes) but he has to grow another 1/4".

  We spent a long time in the lagoon, a zero entry pool.  Then I convinced Anthony to go check out the wave pool.  He LOVED it.  Safety wise its still a little stressful, even though Anthony is wearing a vest at all times.  He got beat up in the waves, but was having a ball!

  Oh yeah, Richard came too.  He hung out in the shade on a towel.