Category Archives: toddler

Those imaginations!

Both kids have such great imaginations, and I love sneakily watching/listening to them as they pretend. Enzo is a little harder to get pictures of lately as he tends to notice the camera more and doesn’t always want his picture taken (which I completely respect). Phoebe, however, is still at that age where it’s very easy to just quietly watch her.

Lately she has been enjoying all of the typical games you associate with young girls. She has a baby doll she carries around as well as a purse, but she also loves playing with various toy houses. When Enzo was this age he had a great imagination as well, but he always tended to be more active whereas Phoebe channels her imagination differently. I love seeing their differences and similarities in all aspects – it’s so much fun.

Enzo always enjoys sending cars crashing off ledges or superhero/villian scenarios where someone needs saving, and while Phoebe also enjoys similar play she’s a bigger fan of playing “house.” She has a little Minnie and Mickey house and also a bigger Minnie play house (she really can’t get enough Minnie and Mickey) and I’ll watch her as she pretends to put Figaro in the bath or tuck them all in their beds. She was majorly stalling at bedtime last night and mostly because she couldn’t find all the beds for everyone in Minnie’s house.

I confess, I’m kind of thrilled that she gets such a kick out of playing with dollhouses and the like because if it keeps up I will probably end up getting her the dollhouse I always dreamed of having as a kid. The hardest part will be actually letting her play with it. Ha ha. I know, I know, one should never live vicariously through their children. I can’t help it if there are some really fun toys out there today that I can finally afford, though. 😉

Constantly Busy

The weekend was busy and once again I’m reminded that children are way more easily affected by lack of routine and sleep then I’d sometimes like to think. They were up a bit late Friday night, which wouldn’t have been so bad except for the fact that Enzo didn’t want to take a nap on Saturday and even though Phoebe did, she was a tad more clingy than usual. We’re also learning that we really, really need to limit all screen time and come up with some household rules because it is becoming apparent that too much screen time is making children (and I think occasionally the adults) more prone to crankiness. It was still a fairly productive weekend with some fun mixed in, though. It’s funny how different Enzo and Phoebe are and how it becomes more obvious as they get older. For instance, if I announce we’re going to get of the house and go shopping, Phoebe will get excited and want to leave immediately. Enzo, on the other hand will immediately say, “I don’t want to go shopping.”

He’d much rather stay at home with his Dad and snack and play video games or watch TV. I knew that there had been too much time in the house, though, and made the executive decision to take us all to the mall. It probably serves me right that the kids were full of energy and completely uncooperative and into everything. Thankfully most people were in a great mood and didn’t mind when our circus crossed their path. We had one mom with teenagers laughing because she remembered those days (as I chased Phoebe down an aisle while Enzo went the opposite direction), and a couple of young girls were laughing at Phoebe’s antics as she attempted to outrun me a second time. You’ve also go to love the limp noodle when you try to pick them up and suddenly you have a toddler laying on the floor at your feet. At that point I had to laugh because we must have looked like a complete and total joke and like the most inept parents unable to control two small children. There are just those days, though, you know?

Thankfully it isn’t always like herding cats when we take them out, so I suppose we’ll keep allowing them out of the house. 😉

Sunshine and Giddiness!

I have no idea why I’m in such a fabulous mood, but I am. Maybe it’s just the time of year, maybe it’s the fact that it’s 40 degrees outside, or maybe it’s because I’m having a great hair day and get to leave work early. Who cares? It’s sunny outside and life feels great right now. Granted, not everyone woke up feeling that way this morning, which was sort of funny in a way.

Enzo came stumbling into our bathroom while I was in the shower because he needed to pee and Josh came to tell me that Phoebe was also up… but wouldn’t let him get her. She was demanding that I come get her. That was kind of the theme for the morning and she wanted nothing to do with leaving the house and threw a major tantrum. Thankfully it ended, though I admit we were all kind of yelling – mostly to be heard over her because Enzo was also yelling about how he wanted candy because he was being good and wouldn’t drop it, all the while Phoebe is screaming and doesn’t want her coat or hat. Finally I think I yelled at Josh and he yelled back, so I started mock yelling/tantruming and we were all good again.

See? Nothing is stopping my annoyingly good mood today! I may have to rush a bit to get ready for the work party we’re going to tonight, but I’m looking forward to it. I just made the mistake of buying a dress I have to iron… I’m usually very good about not buying high maintenance clothes too. Oh well, good mood prevails!

Happy Friday, World!

Toddler Talk

Mondays after a long weekend are the worst, aren’t they? We had a very productive, but also fun weekend. Got to see family we don’t see very often and we rearranged the house a bit, did some decorating and tried to fit in some fun as well. That being said, I don’t have much in the way of motivation today, so how about some fun with what the kids have been saying/doing lately? I need to keep better track because they crack me up.

Enzo

He says “What the heck?” a lot. Apparently so do I.

“Last morning.”

Me: Enzo, do you need to go to the bathroom? (He was squirming).

Enzo: No… my underwear is just in my butt.

This weekend, I also got a text from Josh while I was out with Phoebe doing a little shopping and apparently Enzo had been asking for a treat so Josh told him he had to eat some blueberries and grapes first. He didn’t want to and said, “My mom will be so mad if you don’t give me a candy.” Ha ha, nice try!

Phoebe

Says “Um” a lot. Not sure where she picked that up… hopefully not me?

“Mies from Morrowland!” (Miles from Tomorrowland).

Still sings everything, especially her favorite theme songs. She’s really using a lot more gestures and facial expressions lately, though, which can be hysterical at times.

The other day Josh was trying to change her and she was not cooperating at all. Finally I walked in to see what was happening and she was being a total goofball, so I said, “Phoebe, can you please let Daddy change you?” The stinker stopped moving and said, “Ok.” Hahaha.

Love, love, love their personalities. The awesome little moments make it all worthwhile.

Every year it’s the same…

Can I just hold onto fall for just a little bit longer? We had our first snow flurries yesterday and I am really just not ready for that kind of cold wind to become just another daily occurrence even though it happens every year and we should just be used to it already. One thing is for certain, we’re getting a snowblower this year. If anything, that will ensure that we don’t get nearly as much snow as usual. Neither of us feel like shoveling several feet of snow in sub-zero temps this year, though.

So, in the spirit of not giving in to winter, here are some fall pictures I haven’t posted yet.

Sure, there will be more of this in the upcoming months, the blanket just might be heavier and hopefully the nuk will be gone… her teeth are being affected and we’re going to have to lose the nuk.

Painting punkins! Really, we’ll paint anything in our house. Enzo has always been really good about keeping crayons, markers, paints, etc on actual paper or specified places, but you can’t leave Phoebe alone for a second. It is imperative to only have washable art supplies in her reach because she will make art wherever she feels like it, and especially if she feels like she’s taking a stand against “The Man” aka Mom and Dad who like suppress her artistic expression.

We’ll see if Phoebe changes her mind about the cold and snow, but even if she doesn’t, Enzo will want to go outside and play. I’m thinking maybe we’ll get some food coloring and make some art in the snow to mix it up a bit. It’s fun using different seasonal mediums with the kids.

Okay, maybe winter won’t be thaaaat bad. We’ll see.

Dino and Bunnies

Every day adventures