So much to say

It's funny I find myself not writing in here because I just have too much to share, and just not enough time to write it all. It is amazing how many notable things pass in any given day with three kids. Paul and I are constantly saying oh we need to blog this, etc.

So this one might be a bit random as I am trying to jot down some of the most memorable happenings.

Grayson:
The other day we were driving in the car and I told him I was looking for Chesapeake street. He just fell in love with the word Chesapeake. So much so that when we were driving yesterday he told Paul and I when he has kids he wants to name the first one Chesapeake, the next one Jefferson, then Jolly and Silly and if he has any more Barnes and Noble (we made a visit there yesterday). How cute is that!

He often makes excuses for various things by saying his body just needed to do that. For instance he has a scab that he has been picking for over a year now. Finally I noticed that he is letting it heal (hurray!). I commented on this, and he told me it's because his body is telling him that it no longer needs to be picked because he has some new mosquito bites to choose from (oh no!)

Emerson:
She in typical little sibling manner, is a master mimicker. As Grayson narrates something, Eme almost spontaneously says the exact same thing as if it is her own idea. Although frustrating beyond belief for G it is rather cute. She will say the most amazing things and loves more than anything to make up her own words. She will say... Do you know what is another word for baby? Then she'll answer "blabla"", etc. etc.

At night I sit with her and rub her back until she falls asleep (while I read a good novel). It is such a special time and fun to watch her unwind for the day. When she is super tired she will ask for things that she knows she can't have until she gets so worked up and then cries. It isn't until she can blow off this extra steam that she can fall asleep. I have recently found a work around. I can do this little piggy over and over and over and over on her hand and this almost sends her into a meditative state (and it's a challenge for me to keep changing where the piggy goes, eats, etc). But on a normal night, she now asks for a little quiet reading time (no mommy allowed), then she calls me in and immediately asks if I will appreciate her (I love this age of being able to ask for what she really wants/needs without feeling guilt). Then she will babble to herself and her kitty, then drift off to sleep. I am glad that we have learned to accept that this is what she needs and wants at night time and got over all the advice that we are teaching her bad habits (don't get me started on this one)

Anna:
Though not real verbal yet an amazing communicator (already wrote about this). She still doesn't sleep through the night, but we have found a workable solution for that. She is becoming fiercely independent with all her new found walking and crawling. Last night we went out to dinner and she was having a ball running up and down the aisles. Then she just got sooo tired that mid pass, she stopped sat down and refused to move anymore. Today she was exhausted and after waking from her nap she just wanted to lay in bed with me and hang out for 40 minutes while I read. It was so weird, but she just sat there playing by herself, talking and being silly.

She really loves the water. After watching her brother and sister swim every day she now thinks she can do it. If I set her on the bench she will launch herself and try to wiggle her body in imitation of Eme and Grayson swimming. It is a little nerve racking as I can't turn away for a second, but comforting to know that she will most certainly be an early swimmer.

Grayson loves to play a game with her where she tries to bite him and he always gets away. The two of them think this is hilarious, and Grayson is too fast to get caught (for now). However the down side is I have found I definitely don't have the reflexes of a 4 year old and I get bit often. Not really funny and I have at last count 7 nasty bruises on my legs from Anna biting me. I am trying to put and end to this game, but not having a lot of luck.

Well, since the kids are asleep early, my emails are done and I don't have any work out tonight I am going to indulge in some good reading and early to bed!

Anna's big month

Anna is standing, walking, and crawling (in that order)!

She finally has made the transition from baby to toddler. It's so wonderful to see the pride she takes in her accomplishments. Today she walked across the kitchen to me and was clapping her hands with the biggest smile imaginable, all at the same time. Yesterday she crawled for the first time (and what a an amazingly strenuous mechanical thing it was)

I am not a big fan of labeling our children, but Anna certainly seems the most social of all of our kids. She has this burning desire to communicate, and does so amazingly well for not really being able to talk. She tries to engage anyone that comes along with the baby signs and words that she knows. She points out to me birds (she has a sign for this) when we mention the fact that it is hot (we are in a heat wave) she shows us her sign for hot, and says the word to match. She points to the horse's water trough and does her sign for fish (we have fish in there to eat algae and larva). She points to Paul's weather station and does her sign for fan (because of the wind gauge). When she wants to go outside (always) she does her sign for swing. She has signs for dog, milk, all done, more, hi, bye, and actively looks to me to learn more signs. And will immediately respond back to me with the sign after I show her. And it's not just me, she will do this to anyone she meets on the street. I just don't remember Grayson nor Eme being so driven (but then again maybe all the lack of sleep is catching up to me and I am getting forgetful).

I can't believe how big she is getting. Grayson cried today because he told me he never wanted Anna to grow up. He loves having a baby around and worries that when she grows up she won't play with him as much as she does now. (how adorable is that!) But then again today he also cried for at least 30 minutes about his yellow rubber band breaking, and no matter how many other yellow rubber bands (or other colors for that matter) we offered he just couldn't be consoled.

Life is good in the Dawes household, things are back on track again and we seem to have found balance again. And Anna is a toddler!

The Zoo and irrational/rational fears

So this week we had the pleasure of having my Aunt Jill come for a visit. The kids adore her, and all the attention she brings (and of course all the goodies), and I always welcome the adult conversation. On Tuesday we decided to visit the SF zoo. We are members but haven't been since Feb.

Eme, the poor thing was so tired that she ended up falling asleep in the car on the way there. I transferred her to the stroller, had Anna in the Ergo (back pack) and Grayson was on foot. Grayson was soooo excited about going to the zoo. Probably the first time that he really got into it. He decided it was really important to go see the Gorillas and the Polar Bears, (of course they are on opposite sides of the park!)

We saw the gorillas first, but they really weren't that visible - and Grayson was a little bit disappointed. He looked at the pictures on the signs and asked me some questions (why do they pound on their chests, etc) Then he pointed to one picture and said, I think when they do this - he gestured the same as the picture, they are trying to say they are bored. I thought this was very clever and I was really proud that he was associating signs with Gorillas, like KoKo. He went on to say that someday he will work at the zoo with the Gorillas and talk with them in sign and I will come visit him, no wait work with him (along with Great Aunt Jill, Eme and Anna). I really love this age when they still really envision having me a part of every moment of their life forever.

Then it was off to the Polar Bears. Of course along the way we saw many other animals. A favorite was the grizzly bears. They were playing and very entertaining - which of course made the Polar Bears laying around look a little boring in comparison. However Grayson didn't mind and spent most of the rest of the day pretending he was a Polar Bear, and I was the zoo keeper. At lunch we ate "seal intestines" (mac& cheese) and seal skin (pb& j). Eme of course having to get in on the game was a Meerkat, and was eating "grass".

We then managed to make it to the feeding of the Lions, and had front row seats to boot. Apparently twice a week for their daily feeding they get whole rabbits to eat. I wasn't sure how this would go over but warned G & E and went with it. Well Grayson was beyond fascinated, Eme was interested as well but much more concerned about the little girl next to her touching her. I asked Grayson if he had any questions. He asked what the crunching noise was (bones). He stayed there until the last crumbs were gone, we couldn't pry him away. That's my little budding scientist :-)

Last stop the Meerkats in the children's zoo (Eme's choice). The prairie dogs were actually more impressive as the Meerkats all seemed to be below ground sleeping. Eme was happy though and off we went to the petting zoo.

I have failed to mention Anna during all this. She had a great time. She has a sign for bird, and was so proud to use it every time she saw a bird (which is all the time with the gulls, pidgeons, peacocks, etc) She also loved pointing to and watching the animals. It was fun to see how animated she was and how much fun she was having. I thought she would get a real kick out of the goats and such that she could actually touch.

So the petting zoo... Grayson and Eme tried to feed the goats, but the animals were friskier than usual, Grayson and Eme decided that feeding wasn't for them. Anna was pretty into it, and then she saw a goose. I am sure she thought this is her big chance to chase and get close to a bird. Well the goose had a different idea. At first it just seemed interested then as Anna got closer (I was holding her hand) the goose clearly saw she didn't have any food, and they were about the same size, so the goose started honking, hissing and lunging (as we all know geese do). I was right next to Anna, and didn't see any immediate danger, yet I was waiting to see how she would receive this (we were about an arms length away thorough a fence). I was sure she would laugh (like she does when the cats hiss at her). She was frozen, and then started to convulse with fear (literally shaking violently). Then came the big wails. Of course by this time I had already scooped her up and was comforting her. She was distraught. She settled okay but really lost interest in birds after that (hope I haven't done anything permanent!)

Anyway where this very drawn out story is going, is that night and last night as well, Anna has slept abysmally! I can't help but wonder if she was reliving the goose moment and or having nightmares? Isn't she a little young? But I really can't attribute it to anything else. When she normally wakes at night, she sort of whines and complains, but the last two night she has awoken full out wailing and crying. I feel so terrible (not to mention exhausted!)

All in all it was kind of funny, but poor thing I hope she doesn't grow up to be some kind of goose hater (although would that be such a bad thing :-))!