Trio

Cole has little interest in eating anything for dinner, including any kind of dessert. He will frequently request dessert (following Franny’s lead), but then, won’t eat it. Yesterday, however, he ate two whole bowls of ice cream. Initially, I thought he was eating because all his cousins were eating. But soon, he was alone at the table, continued to finish his first bowl, and then, asked for and finished a second. He also asked for a third, but he didn’t finish that one. Maybe he really likes Butter Pecan, but I think he just likes to keep us guessing!

Everyday I read Cole books before his afternoon nap. Today, when we were done, he looked at me and said Daddy tuck me in. When I told him that Daddy was working, he looked at me and said Franny tuck me in. Of course, she obliged with the utmost enthusiasm, giving him choices on what blanket he wanted, and insisting that he take off his hat, and then gave him a big hug and kiss before walking out. She then gave me a quick synopsis of their exchange; she was obviously so proud he requested her, I couldn’t help but smile. Days like this melt my heart.

Franny is a great big sister, and tries to help with anything and everything possible that has to do with Delaney. She also wants desperately for her to be big enough to play with. One of Franny’s favorite games to play inside is ‘Picnic’; this week, Delaney became the center of her game, finding herself gradually surrounded by increasing amount of food during her floor time. Although I frequently wonder what Miss D thinks about her siblings who endlessly shower her with attention, I am sure this was her most interesting floor time, yet!

This week, while Franny was at school, I came downstairs to find that Cole had not only raided the pantry for a bag of his favorite Veggie Booty, but had dumped it out, was sitting in the middle of it, and was shoving large handfuls into his mouth. The ensuing conversation went something like this:

Me: Cole, what are you eating?

Cole: Veggie Booty!

Me: Can you put the Veggie Booty back in the bag?

Cole: (blank stare)

Me: Did you dump out the Veggie Booty?

Cole: (very seriously) Franny did it.

Me: Franny did what?

Cole: Franny dumped it out.

Me: Franny dumped out what?

Cole: Franny dumped out the Veggie Booty.

These very important, wonderful words have been repeated by Cole probably 100 times today.  We kicked it off with a morning walk in NW, and a fun pizza dinner at home with friends, complete with five happy kids playing in the water table and running in ‘Zone 2’ sprinklers. Good times!

Three napping kids—an unprecedented event since Delaney came home.  I’ve frequently had two, but never three.  The sense of peace that transcends on the household when all are sleeping is unparalleled.  Unfortunately, it is a rarity, as Franny’s naps have long been replaced by ‘quiet time’, which just doesn’t compare.  I can’t predict when this occurrence will be repeated, but I do know that it won’t be soon enough.

Cole is a great little kid. He is fun, charming, out-going, a sweet brother and playmate, and he has a smile that melts my heart. A good listener, however, he is not. I take some responsibility—my pregnancy with Delaney thoroughly exhausted me, and I didn’t have the energy to follow-through very well with Cole, who is extremely strong-willed and tenacious to begin with. Now, I have to both very patient and meticulously consistent to get his responsiveness and listening in line. He is unquestionably improving, but it is definitely a work in progress. This week, I set up these cones to keep Franny and Cole off the wet carpet I had steam-cleaned; I explained why they were there and that they needed to stay out of this area. I don’t think the picture needs any further explanation. Like I said, it’s a work in progress.

This week, Franny’s playgroup retreated indoors to take a respite from the heat wave, and returned to our old favorite, Out of this World Pizza. Although the massive slide complex was still the primary focus of activity, she also had a lot of fun conquering the rock climbing wall. I’m really not surprised that she was such a natural—Franny will climb or hang at every opportunity—something my recently pruned Dogwood can definitely attest to!

A little long, but with Miss D, every grimace, yawn, grunt, and squirm is just too sweet.

Wake up Miss D. from T on Vimeo.

Even in a heat wave, pool water can cause a chill, so Grandpa filled it up with warm water for the kids. They had a great time! But really, don't they always?

Pool from T on Vimeo.

Pool 2 from T on Vimeo.

This week, Delaney ‘woke up’. We haven’t seen one of her long morning naps since Tuesday. This is, of course, a fun and good thing, but it has become the perfect time to introduce the pacifier, since during her waking hours she has a lot to say, and so far most of it has been relatively disgruntled, to put it mildly. I don’t know if it was the heat wave—90+ degree weather is enough to get anyone out of sorts—or, if this is the beginning of new developmental stage for Miss D. The pacifier, thankfully, seems to take the edge off, giving her—and us—some periods of peace. The last couple of days, though, we have begun to hear a more neutral voice, albeit briefly; and, she is beginning to visually explore and tune in to the world around her—she is definitely most comfortable in her bedroom, and James Taylor seems to have a calming influence on her (or maybe it’s just a calming influence on me—time will tell on this one). I have also been lucky enough to see two smiles. We are looking forward to more of those. A little balance is always a good thing!

Cole had his 2-year check-up this week. A quick check on the scales showed that he is now in the 10th percentile for weight! What a difference a year makes!

Following our excursion to Jamison Square, we stopped at the corner ice cream shop for a cool, yummy treat. This shop had a ledge in front of all the ice cream freezers where the kids could kneel and watch the servers scoop. Franny and Cole probably could have stayed there all day!

This week, Franny and Cole’s playgroup met at Jamison Square for some fun in the fountain. It was packed with lots of kids—as it always is this time of year--but everyone had a great time! When the water drained mid-way, all the kids chanted Water, water! until the water again started flowing into the square. Cool water on the feet and a very comfortable breeze helped squelch the heat from the hot sun, and a yummy picnic on the grass with our friends was a great way to wind up our morning fun.

And what was Delaney up to during all the fun? She gave us all break and slept from the car ride over, until about a half an hour before we left the square. Thanks, Miss D!

Meet the gang, as they affectionately refer to themselves.  I could also call them my weekend warriors or my unsung heroes.  They go for long excursions in the morning hours, providing a quiet house where a weary mama can sleep (Miss D. willing), returning in time only for a quick lunch before they retreat to their rooms for naps and quiet time.  They do the grocery shopping, get the tires rotated on the car, fill up the gas tank, and all the other random errands that, although necessary, would never get done.  The gang also always brings me coffee and a paper so I can do my crossword puzzle and Sudoku.   They are wonderful, and have made a huge difference in my being able to manage these first weeks of caring for a newborn, without becoming overwhelmed and succumbing to the chaos.   I miss them terribly, however, and am looking forward to the time when we can all be a more united family, again.  But now, with Delaney being just shy of four weeks old, a routine of any kind is still amiss, and she needs the opportunity to sleep,eat, and thrive with as little complication as possible.  Eventually, we will join the gang—I’m looking forward to that.  But, for now, Delaney and I will take our quiet mornings, most appreciatively!   

Yesterday, after his ride, Gator gave Cole a surprise by blowing hot air on him. I asked him if Gator had given him a kiss. I think he misunderstood, because he responded by giving Gator a kiss! Lucky horse, but I think he probably would have preferred an apple.

With Franny’s boundless energy and natural athleticism, there is no better fit of an activity than gymnastics. She expressed her interest to do gymnastics back in February, and began her first class in April, once her last swimming session had concluded. Franny loved it from the very start—her class encompassed the balance beam, bars, spring board, and various floor exercises. Last week, her teacher moved her up to the next class. She was definitely a little nervous at first, but was also very excited. She, of course, had a great time, and announced afterward that she wants to do gymnastics every day. I love that she found an activity that she is so enthusiastic about, and that she has two great instructors to work with, who will give her a positive experience. Not to mention that I love anything that can make her smile like this!

This week, riding in her car seat elicited some choice expressions to accompany her strong opinions…

Our Fourth of July tradition once again brought us to Auntie Noelle’s house for a parade, BBQ, and lots of family fun. Although Franny unquestionably had a great time, Cole particularly enjoyed the parade, complete with horses, trucks, fire engines, and tractors. He also liked swapping hats with Grandpa, chatting with Uncle Bill and Auntie Noelle, and eating multiple partial pieces of candy. And then, there was running around the yard, swimming in the pool, checking out the new puppies, and eating a yummy hot dog. All the excitement, not to mention the hot sun, finally caught up to Cole, who fell asleep on Auntie’s lap, while listening to the sweet sounds of Uncle Bill playing his guitar. For Cole, days don’t get much better than this one.

Incorporating Delaney into our regular weekly activities and routine has been one of the many challenges that we knew we would have to quickly adjust to once she was home.  This week has been our first that could be considered completely routine, without any additional, irregular help.  And, I think we’ve done really well.  Franny made it to her two days of school, Cole made it to swimming, and both made it to their gymnastics classes--all on time.  Probably most significantly, all of us made it to playgroup this week.  It’s the longest of our morning excursions-usually close to three hours—which is a large block of time for a newborn.   And this week, it also was Delaney’s first time to the park, first time in a stroller, and first time out to eat.  She napped for the first thirty minutes, but everything must just have been too much new, as she was awake, alert, and unfortunately, frequently upset for the rest of the time.  In fact, she didn’t settle down for any extended period of sleep until three in the afternoon—that’s a tough day for this little girl.  The rest of us, however, took it all in stride.  We know that our ‘triple play’ days are going to be chaos at best with the all of my meticulous planning being thrown to the wind.  But, in retrospect, it’s pleasantly surprising how much fun can be had when your only expectation is to survive.

With Franny in preschool, Cole was able to have some one-on-one time with his little sister, this week. I want to maximize this time, and encourage Cole to interact with her, even though her responses are relatively minimal at this point. Although it can sometimes be challenging, I really try to avoid saying ‘no’ to him unless it’s absolutely necessary (fingers in the ears); I want him to feel confident in his relationship with her, and to really feel that he has a special relationship with her. With two years of experience, Franny was already very sure of herself as a big sister from the day Delaney came home. But, this is new territory for Cole, and I can see his uncertainty with both her and himself, as he adjusts to our new family dynamics. And, it makes me see just how important these few hours a week together can be. I still remember how pleased Franny was when Cole reached out and touched her face for the first time. I can’t wait for those kind of moments between these two.

The last pictures I posted of Delaney were when she was ten days old. Now, another ten days later, not a lot has changed, yet she is starting to emerge into a new baby stage. Her hours are still dominated with sleeping and eating—that hasn’t changed. We are, however, starting to see a glimmer of personality in her eyes, as well as just a hint of the sweetest smile. Over the last couple of days she also has started to voice some very strong opinions—hopefully those will soon be balanced out with some coos and other sweet, happy baby sounds. But, she is such an incredible addition to our family, I really can’t complain—the last 20 days have been nothing less than wonderful. I think Delaney has made me more of a ‘baby person’. With Franny and Cole, for the first year, they couldn’t grow fast enough. But with Delaney, I already want to freeze time in this all too brief newborn stage. Maybe, I feel this way because I know she is our last and I know we will never have this experience this type of joy again. Nothing else seems consequential. Her presence is still so novel and amazing, and I am enjoying every minute of it!

What’s got these kids in hysterics?  Normally, the pool is enough in itself to get them excited—but then, add in a fun-loving Auntie Noelle who not only doesn’t mind staying inside the ‘wet zone’ , but who will also instigate a water fight, and the giggles, silliness, and fun are non-stop! 

Cole was just months old when he made his first trip out to the barn to see the horses. Since then, he has come to love helping out Grandpa when it’s time to feed the horses or just make a trip out to the barn to visit. This week, Cole not only had his first ride, but his first solo ride on Gator. Besides some very brief initial apprehension, Cole followed his big sister’s lead, and wanted his own turn in the saddle. He got the hang of it very quickly, and soon was riding with enough confidence to give a big, proud wave to Grandma as he went around. He later proudly told us (numerous times) I rode a horse! But, who’s prouder—Cole or Grandpa? Well, that’s really hard to say!

It’s not your usual riding gear, but for Franny, a tutu just seems to work!