Batter up!

The baseball season has come to an end. Hayden has always liked baseball. He could hit a tossed (plastic) ball at 2. He cried at the end of his YMCA t-ball league last year. This year was a bit more realistic, at least as far as t-ball goes.

Hayden played in the Hamel baseball league. Hamel is basically a farm town in the suburbs, and the baseball league has a bit of a small town feel since it's surrounded by corn fields. It was a long season--from mid-May to mid-July. He even had a real team name (the Tigers), a jersey (a Tigers t-shirt with his name on the back), and a hat.

It was substantially more impressive than his hockey season. And cheaper too. Thanks to his cousins, we got free baseball pants and socks, a mitt, and a gift of real baseball batting gloves. And baseball warranted at least something of an attention span. At least while batting. Fielding...a different story. Hayden was usually the one kid not in "ready-position." He liked to spin around and twirl in the outfield. When playing a base position, he was mostly interested in reading the names off the opponents' jerseys. But he loved it. He loved going, he loved playing, he loved the after-game snack. And I preferred watching baseball over watching hockey. This may be insulting to native Minnesotans, but watching kids stuffed in equipment inside a cold ice rink has nothing on baseball on a sunny summer day.

After the last real game of the season, the kids got medals. GOLD medals. This last bit is important, as gold is MUCH better than any other color to a 5 year old. There's no doubt he'll be signing up for baseball again. The next experiment is soccer.... we'll keep you posted.

Backyard Nature

So we got some cheap goldfish for our pond. It was a pretty exciting event, and well worth the 4 bucks in goldfish. A few of the goldfish met their doom in the pond's pump, however...their bodies were discovered when Ben tried to fix the malfunctioning pump. Oh well. 4 bucks. Cycle of life and so forth. Other goldfish were not as foolhardy and wisely remained hidden in the lilypads until we coaxed them out with the skimmer. A few more like to hide out under the waterfall. Unfortunately, with the pump not working, I'm not sure how long the remaining survivors will hold out. It's getting a little stagnant in there without the waterfall. We may be making another trip to Petco in the near future. Still, it's the longest I've ever kept goldfish alive.

Goldfish carcasses aside, Hayden has really enjoyed watching them. They are amazingly fast little swimmers, but skittish. Like I said, they prefer to hide. He named all of them "Ace" for awhile. Then he kept changing their names.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the other frequent inhabitants of our yard are turtles. I saved one from the lawnmower a couple of weeks ago. Mostly we've found babies, but recently Hayden spotted a big one from our sun porch so we all went out to see it. Hayden figured it was the momma. I have no idea how you tell the difference between girl turtles and boy turtles...so momma it is. We found another one (or the same one?) in the front yard too, so we appear to have a thriving turtle population that may or may not dine on the dwindling goldfish population.

I finally found the section in the library on animals, so we'll have to learn about our wild neighbors and report back. It will be a while, because today at the library Hayden was more interested in books about space and dinosaurs, so information about turtles (and toads and fish) will have to be shelved until another day.

Our new town

One of the criteria we had for moving to the suburbs is that we still needed a town. Mini-malls don't count. And the town had to be close enough to walk or bike to. We wanted coffee shops, restaurants, and ice cream. Book stores are nice too. I wanted my kids to have a community that had some character, rather than just a local McDonalds or Applebees (don't even get me started on Applebees).

Our new town, Wayzata, actually has a rich history. I know about its past as a tourist destination in the late 19th and early 20th century. However, I also found out its livelihood was maintained through the trade of ginseng in the mid-19th century. Wayzata was an important train hub (and still gets a lot of train traffic passing through...we can hear the whistles) in the late 19th century, and also supported steamboat travel across Lake Minnetonka to other vacation sites along the lake. You can read more about the history here if you are interested.

A couple of weeks ago, I took the kids to explore the town. We drove this time, since it was close to Marlo's nap, but once there, we walked up and down Lake Street. We found the depot (a big hit with Hayden who loves trains), and the beach and playground. The playground also had "bird hotels" that entertained us for awhile. We watched boats on the lake for a bit, and walked along the docks. After the playground, I let Hayden buy a book at the bookstore, and of course we had to get treats at Caribou. Hayden would have stayed longer, but Marlo was ready to sleep.

I am sure we will spend a lot of time in Wayzata this summer. Especially if there's ice cream to be had.

Happy Birthday Marlo!

Yesterday, Marlo turned 1.

It's the milestone of milestones. All week I've been having flashbacks to last year. A year ago, I went to the clinic for a routine appointment. As it had with Hayden, my blood pressure had suddenly jumped up. However, with Hayden, I was allowed to go home on bed rest. This time, I was sent directly to the hospital.

I spent a lot time getting tests and monitoring. I was already in early labor, so my labor was "augmented" rather than strictly induced. Labor was easy this time around. Marlo was born late afternoon/early evening on the 24th, perfect and beautiful with a full head of hair. I was delivered by my regular OB (just luck of the draw--she happened to be on call). Everyone reading this blog knows the rest of the story. I ended up bleeding buckets (reason still unknown), and was eventually taken to OR and anesthetized and transfused. I spent 3 days in ICU recovering before being transferred to the regular maternity recovery room.

I had a pretty rough go with Hayden, but this topped it. The ICU nurse told me they only see 1 or 2 maternity patients down there per year. However, since I spent most of my pregnancy in a haze of anxiety (shingles, antibodies, hernias, you name it), I was mostly just relieved to have a healthy baby.

Anyway, the memories of a year ago are pretty vivid, given the circumstances. And because the memories are still so strong, the past year seems to have gone extra fast. My little 7 lb 14 oz baby is now walking and starting to talk. Sleepy at birth (she was jaundiced), she still is a good sleeper...but incredibly active when awake. Happy temperament then, happy temperament now (with just a touch of attitude for good measure).

My 1 year old thoroughly enjoyed her birthday. There was cake, after all--shaped like a caterpillar. And wrapping paper, balloons, and time to play outside. She was a little mystified by everyone singing "Happy Birthday," though.

She loved all of her presents. Ben and I got her her own little chair. We got the same thing for Hayden when he turned one and we were amazed by how much he loved it. She had recently been climbing into his chair, and so was pretty excited to get her own. She liked to sit in her chair and look at birthday cards! Hayden got her a book, always a hit, and from family and friends she received many fun and thoughtful gifts--Baby Stella and accessories, a toy flying saucer (Hayden LOVED this one!), clothes, and a play sink.

It's been an incredible first year with her in our family--and we are already enjoying the second.

Happy Birthday baby Marlo!

Preschool Graduation!

Today was Hayden's preschool graduation, and his last day at St. John's. There were caps (cardboard) and diplomas. Every kid got a stuffed dog with the kids' and teachers' signatures. There was even a program which listed each child's future occupation. Hayden, of course, plans on being an astronaut. One classmate is going to be a "mad kitty." Another, an architect. There were several ballerinas, a Jedi knight, a baseball player, a handful of Moms and Dads, policemen and firemen, and one judge on American Idol. We also got to see where all of the graduates will be attending Kindergarten. Hayden, now an urban expatriate, was the only representative of his new school. That was kind of sad, as he has a lot of nice friends at St. John's we will miss. But what do I know? Here's what Hayden has to say about preschool, in his own words:

His favorite thing about preschool: "making friends."

Favorite thing to do: "play, play, play."

Best friend: "Thomas"

What he will miss the most: "magnet animal builders."

Favorite thing to play outside: "Power Rangers"

Favorite thing to eat: "pizza"

Favorite song at school: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Because it was so short."

What he is looking forward to in Kindergarten: "show and tell"

What he thinks he'll learn about in Kindergarten: "space"

Best part about summer vacation: "break from school."
Me: "I thought you loved school." Hayden: "But Mama, I don't get to sit down that much!"

Go West

Well, we've left the city. I swore up and down countless times that I would never leave the city. Famous last words, I suppose. We lived there 12 years--2 in an apartment, 4 in a condo, and 6 in our old house. A part of me will always be in Minneapolis and will always be urban. I may have been raised in the suburbs, but the city felt like home.

And now, here I am, back in the suburbs! But although I worried and wondered whether my heart would break upon suburbanizing, so far so good. Our new house is beautiful, and although we are in the suburbs, it seems really like we have found a little half-acre nature oasis. Already, Hayden and I have spotted deer in the front yard and 2 baby turtles in our pond. The neighbors tell me there are also foxes, and I have seen a ton of hawks. Our house seems covered in bird nests (I've counted 3), and the frogs sing like crazy at night. It's weirdly private--no airplane noise, no neighbors in underwear. We can hear the nearby highway sometimes, and also the sound of a train whistle.

The best part has been seeing the kids in the yard. Hayden loves the wildlife. He's named the 2 baby turtles Snoopy and Max and he loves to watch them nibble at the moss on the edge of the pond. Marlo has a lot of soft grass to toddle around in, and lots of room to roll her beloved balls ("baaa!" "baaa!").
We're a week into suburbia...we'll see how it grows on us!

Look Who's Walking!

The first steps have started---right around 10 and a half months. She's still a little tentative, though. It's been tricky to get on video. Every time I get out the camera she drops down and starts to crawl instead.


She's made it 5-6 feet at times. Like her brother did, she walks a little like the Frankenstein monster--arms straight out (or up). Her main technical difficulties include A) squeezing her eyes shut when she gets going (always problematic) and B) letting her big head get ahead of her tiny legs so that she pitches forward.

It's a lot of fun to watch her walk, but also a little sad. Her babyhood seems to be going by even faster than Hayden's did.

Outside Time

We've actually had some warm days. Shorts weather, even. The day documented here was borderline--not quite summery, but warm enough to play indefinitely in the sunshine. The backyard playset (which will make the move to our new house) is the outside toy of choice. For Hayden, the playset is a fort, rocket, machine, ship, and planet. Marlo pretty much only uses the swings. She likes to be pushed, but she's also happy to literally hang in the swing and look at her toes (see picture above).


We're all very happy to get outside again. Both kids come in from outside appropriately messy. It's been dry and dusty, so the dirt gets kicked up easily. And we have a lot of dirt patches, thanks to the resident mutt. Marlo will crawl through and touch anything, so she always has dirt caked under her fingernails and stains on her knees. It's not unusual to see some specks of leaves on her lips after she snacked on them.



When we move, we'll have a nice big backyard. Our yard now is decent for a city lot, but our new house has a big sloping yard with adjacent woods and wetlands. The property itself has a decorative pond (a "water feature"). The current homeowner told us it's a favorite spot to catch frogs. So, I imagine I'll have a lot of outdoor adventures to blog about this summer once we are settled in. When we visited the new house on Saturday, Hayden took off running through the yard, thrilled with all the space and already imagining sledding down the little hill. The playset will have some competition at the new house, but I think it will still be a family favorite.

Today's Haydenism

"A team of robots will help Santa clean up the earth on Earth Day."

Who knew?

Baby Bookworm

Lately Marlo has been really interested in her books. At first she just liked to empty them out of her bin, but now she is turning the pages and really looking at them. She even "reads" outloud. No doubt she is imitating her brother. Hayden reads everyday. Every night when we check on him, there are books scattered on his bed. Sometimes he still has one in his hand. I can only hope Marlo turns out to be as big of a bookworm as her brother!



If you look on my other blog (http://creakhouse.blogspot.com), you can see a list of books in heavy rotation here. It already needs updating...lately Hayden is into his Jokelypedia, and Marlo is fascinated by The Nose Book. We're bookaholics...I've already lost count of the number of boxes of books I've packed, and those are only mine! Who knows how many more boxes I will fill when I pack the kids' books. AND, I've already filled 2 bags for donation.

Mmmmaaammaaa

Marlo saying "mama":



Note the "better call Child Services" outfit. I'll post a few more pictures of that get-up later.

Haydenisms

From this week:

"Mama, you're not only older than daddy, you're fatter."

"Some guys are interested in their nipples."

Like Brother, Like Sister

Lately I've been noticing a lot of similarities between Marlo and Hayden. Here are comparison photos of them at around the same age (9-10 months). Hayden had quite a few pounds on Marlo. Like, 8. At least. So he's chunkier. But look at their similar little faces! And as far as temperament goes, they definitely have a lot in common. Both are happy, joyful kids. Hayden was a bit mellower at times (he crawled much later), and Marlo seems to have more separation anxiety. But in general they are a lot more alike than I would have imagined. Both are busy busy busy...but in a good way. Except for today when Marlo ate a piece of dog food...she tops her brother in the variety of objects that find their way to her mouth.

Playtime

Although Hayden will occasionally tell me he needs "a vacation from Marlo," for the most part he adores his little sister. The feeling is mutual. Marlo lights up when Hayden is around. She's also fond of his toys. The top 2 are probably the train tracks and the RC robot, Tribot. Marlo likes to chase Tribot around and try to grab its head. She also claps randomly at it, as if to convey her general sense of approval. Like her brother at this age, Marlo is fascinated by all things that move: cars, trains, balls...and now, apparently, robots.

Also, if you look closely at these videos, you may witness Marlo's patented "butt bounce." She can propel herself pretty far across a room using this method. She crawls well, but some situations just seem to call for the butt bounce instead.

False...but happy...spring

After a brutally cold winter, and less than a week after single digit highs, we were treated to 55-65 degree weather. Hayden's been stir-crazy inside, and so have I. I'm not entirely sure if Marlo noticed.

So when the weather broke, so to speak, we headed outside. The bike came out of the garage. The shiny new scooter from Christmas finally made it out of the living room. We've spent the last few days rediscovering the yard (and all the leaves that never got raked) and creek.

Hayden loves all things on wheels so he was thrilled to play with his "outside things." Unfortunately, he couldn't bring all of them out (he likes to line them all up) because some are in storage. And, his helmet is also in storage so he was instructed "not to go fast."

This was Marlo's first venture outside since her newly aquired mobility.


She's always liked being outside...but now she can get down and dirty. Literally. She puts everything in her mouth. Everything. To date I have fished out a screw, a rock, a lot of pieces of paper, bits of pinecone, and one of those wooden screw covers on furniture. So, outside gave her a lot of new things to taste. Leaves were the biggest temptation. I'm pretty sure she ate a few. She's fast, and I also had to keep an eye on Hayden.

When Hayden was a new crawler, he didn't like the grass. He wouldn't crawl on it. He just sort of sat there and looked at me like, "what IS this?" Marlo...she's off. Right into the muddy yard. So she ate some dirt too.

And yesterday, I even saw a butterfly. In March!

Of course, it snows here in April. And even May, so it's not really spring. But for a little while it feels like it.

Hayden's bookmark on the other blog

For those of you who are interested, I also keep a sort of craft/art/reading/whatever blog. Hayden and I made bookmarks the other day and I posted an entry with that here:
http://creakhouse.blogspot.com

FOOD! Part II.

I've written before about Marlo's interest in food. As her palate has expanded, so has her...enthusiasm. Ben and I moved her to table food as soon as she was even remotely ready. Otherwise, it's doubtful we'd ever get to eat. As soon as she is in her high chair she demands food. She complains if her tray is ever empty, even for a split second.


She handles foods pretty well. Most days I can give her whatever we are having. I precook and freeze veggies, broth, purees, and meat to round out her meals (and to speed up the process...she doesn't do "hungry" well). She's not a big baby--about average in weight and a little on the tall side. But she eats as well as her brother who had a good 6 pounds on her at this age. One day for lunch she had half a grilled cheese sandwich and half a mango (all diced up of course). For breakfast she typically has O's, half a banana, a whole tub of yogurt, and baby cereal. The other day she downed a full bowl of pasta tossed with spinach. She's definitely making an impact on the food budget.


She's liked pretty much everything she's eaten. Pureed chicken was a bit questionable, but she does fine with regular chicken. It's hard to even identify her favorites because she eats it all. Butternut squash is big. So are green beans and peas. Apples. Pasta. Carrots. Parsnips. Avocado. It's pretty fun to make her food because she always enjoys it. I figure I'd better enjoy it too...soon enough she'll be picky. Hayden used to eat everything and now he dissects his food. He won't eat the tip of bananas because they are "squishy." Grapes with tears in the skin...forget it. Guacamole, but not sliced avocado. Chocolate milk, not white. And so on. But at least he eats his fruits and veggies, and at least for awhile, so is Marlo.