All School Meeting is held every Friday and the whole elementary building gathers together. It's kind of like a pep rally. Lexi was excited that I was able to come and see her sing with the class about being ready for 1st grade.
June 7, 2013
Lexi's class leads All School Meeting
All School Meeting is held every Friday and the whole elementary building gathers together. It's kind of like a pep rally. Lexi was excited that I was able to come and see her sing with the class about being ready for 1st grade.
June 4, 2013
Natalie's latest antics
We have a Norwegian Stokke high chair for Natalie. Now that she's able to get around better - up and down places - on her own, we removed the plastic parts to the seat that make it a high chair. It's the type of chair that grows with the child. You can move the seat down as the child grows bigger. So now it's basically a stool - a chair with a high seat.
And now that it's no longer a high chair for a baby, Lexi wants to sit in it too. The jealousy, the sibling rivalry, has come back a bit from Lexi. Sarah had to say very seriously to Lexi last night that it is Natalie's chair. Lexi was upset and cried because she feels Natalie is getting a lot of new things, that she is getting all of the attention. (Don't tell her that we're about to buy Natalie a new dresser, which she needs now.)
So Lexi went to bed upset last night. I was surprised that first thing this morning, Lexi had remembered how upset she was last night. Both girls woke up early and were lying on our bed with me as Sarah was showering and as I listened to the news first thing, like I do every morning. And I was surprised at how smart and sophisticated Natalie has gotten. Lexi asked her several times, each time adding a "please" or "pretty please," the question: "Can I sit in your chair?" Natalie answered each time with a "no." She is understanding more and more words and instructions from us by the day. She is saying many words now, although they are still not as clear as an adult would say them.
Then, when I came home from work today, I rounded up the garbage and recycling so it can be picked up tomorrow. I took the recycling bin out to the curb and left Natalie in the house, since she had already taken her shoes off. Sarah was picking up Lexi from school. Normally we go out the back door and take a key that hangs above the door and unlock the screen door, leaving the key in the lock until we come back through the door. Well, while I was outside taking the recycling bin to the curb, Natalie played with the key and somehow locked the screen door. I could see her and talk to her through the door, and I tried telling her to turn the key the other way. She tried, but she couldn't turn it hard enough. Fortunately, I knew Sarah would be home any minute with the keys to the house so she could let me in, which fortunately she did. We thought this was funny, but we know now to take the keys with us when we go outside, even just to take the garbage out!
And now that it's no longer a high chair for a baby, Lexi wants to sit in it too. The jealousy, the sibling rivalry, has come back a bit from Lexi. Sarah had to say very seriously to Lexi last night that it is Natalie's chair. Lexi was upset and cried because she feels Natalie is getting a lot of new things, that she is getting all of the attention. (Don't tell her that we're about to buy Natalie a new dresser, which she needs now.)
So Lexi went to bed upset last night. I was surprised that first thing this morning, Lexi had remembered how upset she was last night. Both girls woke up early and were lying on our bed with me as Sarah was showering and as I listened to the news first thing, like I do every morning. And I was surprised at how smart and sophisticated Natalie has gotten. Lexi asked her several times, each time adding a "please" or "pretty please," the question: "Can I sit in your chair?" Natalie answered each time with a "no." She is understanding more and more words and instructions from us by the day. She is saying many words now, although they are still not as clear as an adult would say them.
Then, when I came home from work today, I rounded up the garbage and recycling so it can be picked up tomorrow. I took the recycling bin out to the curb and left Natalie in the house, since she had already taken her shoes off. Sarah was picking up Lexi from school. Normally we go out the back door and take a key that hangs above the door and unlock the screen door, leaving the key in the lock until we come back through the door. Well, while I was outside taking the recycling bin to the curb, Natalie played with the key and somehow locked the screen door. I could see her and talk to her through the door, and I tried telling her to turn the key the other way. She tried, but she couldn't turn it hard enough. Fortunately, I knew Sarah would be home any minute with the keys to the house so she could let me in, which fortunately she did. We thought this was funny, but we know now to take the keys with us when we go outside, even just to take the garbage out!
June 1, 2013
And down she goes...
Stairs, that is! Natalie has gone down both sets of stairs in our house on her own for the first time. She faced forward and sat on her bottom and scootched down, placing her hand on the wall or the bannister where is was at her height. She even managed to navigate around the corner on the upper level stairs. She started down on the right hand side, but when she got to the corner you could tell that she felt slightly insecure so she slide over to the left and continued on down around the corner.
Guess she can graduate to the toddler bed now. I wanted to make sure she knew how to handle the stairs before giving her a bed she could get out of easily.
When I was outside weeding this morning before the day heats up too much, I also watched her go down the slide on the swingset all by herself. She climbed up the steps, got herself in the right position with her legs out front and down she went!
Guess she can graduate to the toddler bed now. I wanted to make sure she knew how to handle the stairs before giving her a bed she could get out of easily.
When I was outside weeding this morning before the day heats up too much, I also watched her go down the slide on the swingset all by herself. She climbed up the steps, got herself in the right position with her legs out front and down she went!
ttMay 30, 2013
Lexi and the field trip
The kindergarten classes are having several field trips this month and today was the day that I volunteered to chaperone. We went to the nature center in Rock Creek Park. There was a scanvenger hunt for things like leaves and sticks. I was in charge of Lexi, her friend Ruth and this boy called Randolph. Everyone seemed to have a good time running in the woods and picking things up. It didn't feel very educational to me but good for the kids to be out in nature.
I also learned that Lexi is something of a mediator in her class. The teacher called for the "Special Friend" and Lexi cam running up. Ms. O'Connor told her which two friends were having a problem. Lexi then went and talked to the friends and I guess, straightened things out. Ms. O'Connor said she plays this role a lot; all the kids listen to her and they do what she tells them. I did notice that she was kind a of ring leader - leading our little group around, shouting directions, etc.
Lexi was very pleased that I was there. It seemed really important to her that I came.
I also learned that Lexi is something of a mediator in her class. The teacher called for the "Special Friend" and Lexi cam running up. Ms. O'Connor told her which two friends were having a problem. Lexi then went and talked to the friends and I guess, straightened things out. Ms. O'Connor said she plays this role a lot; all the kids listen to her and they do what she tells them. I did notice that she was kind a of ring leader - leading our little group around, shouting directions, etc.
Lexi was very pleased that I was there. It seemed really important to her that I came.
Natalie visits the Emergency Room
Monday evening Lexi, Natalie and I walked over to the local Thai restaurant for dinner with Auntie Michelle. On the way back, Natalie did not want to hold my hand when we crossed the street. I had a fairly good grip on her wrist when she yanked away from (I didn't let go) and I heard two pops like when someone cracks their knuckles. We get to the other side of the street and I sense that something is wrong though it is hard to know for sure. She was crying - but was that because she was mad that I wouldn't let her walk without holding hands or was she hurt? Her right arm was limp when I picked up her hand and there was no resistance there. I carried her home and when we got there, Natalie still wasn't moving her right arm at all. I felt but didn't feel anything poking out so I assumed nothing was broken. My guess was that she had maybe dislocated her shoulder.
Natalie had mostly stopped crying but as we couldn't get her to use her arm at all, I decided we would get it checked out at the emergency room. Lexi grabbed some books while I put the leftovers in the refridgerator and then we were off to the Children's Hospital ER which is just a 5 minute drive from our house. No one was ahead of us in line so we were checked in immediately and were seen by a nurse practioner probably within 10 minutes. I explained why we were there (I probably explained what happened at least 6 times) and the nurse felt Natalie's arm, shoulders, etc. Natalie still wasn't using the arm and was kind of cradling it against her body; still no major crying. She was diagnosed as having nursemaid's elbow which is common I was told in the under 3 set. The elbow pops out of joint and just needs to be put back in.
So that is what the nurse did - by moving Natalie's arm down and then up. She cried then. We were told that usually in around 10 minutes, the child will be ready to move the arm again. Stubborn Natalie didn't. They tried to tempt her with stickers, a frozen ice pop and hospital staff badges. They tried with a clementine orange - she grabbed it with her other hand. They did give her some pain medicine and two others felt her arm, but thought it was back in place. They scheduled us to go get it x-rayed. Lexi had to go to the bathroom so all three of us went; Natalie did lift her arms in the bathroom slightly when I asked her if she wanted to wash her hands, but she still wasn't really moving it. Off to the x-ray room we went where I had to hold her arm down in different positions on the table she was laying on. When we got back to the room where Lexi was waiting, Natalie slowly started moving her arm. Soon she and Lexi were wrestling around on the floor with Natalie using her right arm unhesitently. I was ready to go home but since we had the x-rays done, they had to be looked at. Roughly 3 hours after we arrived, we finally made it home - and all went straight to bed.
Natalie hasn't been bothered by her arm at all since then though I am a bit nervous about holding her hand. They told me it was more likely to slip out of place again now since it had already done it once.
Stephen is in New Mexico for work so he missed all of the excitement.
Natalie had mostly stopped crying but as we couldn't get her to use her arm at all, I decided we would get it checked out at the emergency room. Lexi grabbed some books while I put the leftovers in the refridgerator and then we were off to the Children's Hospital ER which is just a 5 minute drive from our house. No one was ahead of us in line so we were checked in immediately and were seen by a nurse practioner probably within 10 minutes. I explained why we were there (I probably explained what happened at least 6 times) and the nurse felt Natalie's arm, shoulders, etc. Natalie still wasn't using the arm and was kind of cradling it against her body; still no major crying. She was diagnosed as having nursemaid's elbow which is common I was told in the under 3 set. The elbow pops out of joint and just needs to be put back in.
So that is what the nurse did - by moving Natalie's arm down and then up. She cried then. We were told that usually in around 10 minutes, the child will be ready to move the arm again. Stubborn Natalie didn't. They tried to tempt her with stickers, a frozen ice pop and hospital staff badges. They tried with a clementine orange - she grabbed it with her other hand. They did give her some pain medicine and two others felt her arm, but thought it was back in place. They scheduled us to go get it x-rayed. Lexi had to go to the bathroom so all three of us went; Natalie did lift her arms in the bathroom slightly when I asked her if she wanted to wash her hands, but she still wasn't really moving it. Off to the x-ray room we went where I had to hold her arm down in different positions on the table she was laying on. When we got back to the room where Lexi was waiting, Natalie slowly started moving her arm. Soon she and Lexi were wrestling around on the floor with Natalie using her right arm unhesitently. I was ready to go home but since we had the x-rays done, they had to be looked at. Roughly 3 hours after we arrived, we finally made it home - and all went straight to bed.
Natalie hasn't been bothered by her arm at all since then though I am a bit nervous about holding her hand. They told me it was more likely to slip out of place again now since it had already done it once.
Stephen is in New Mexico for work so he missed all of the excitement.
May 27, 2013
Natalie
I feel like we haven't done a good job noting all of the neat things about Natalie. I often think "oh, I should write that down" but it doesn't get done.
Her latest thing is that she likes to sit on the bar stools at the breakfast bar. It makes me a little nervous but she seems really steady and always asks when she wants to get down. We try and sit near her to hopefully, be close enough to catch her if needed!
She also wants to sit in a regular chair now and not her high chair. I got out the booster seat and she seems happy to be there. Her high chair does turn into another kind of seat - we just have to figure out how to get the baby seat off. I hope Stephen remembers as I do not.
Natalie also loves being outside. It is hard to get her to come in after playing outside. She can go up and down the back porch steps on her own and she carefully avoids the stairs down to the basement. She hasn't figured out how to climb up the slide so that she can slide down on her own but I figure that she will have mastered it by the end of the summer.
Natalie continues to love to eat though she does say no to some foods - though not consistently the same food. I guess she just doesn't feel like eating chicken some times. :) She seems to have the same sweet tooth as Dad and Lexi. Bananas still rank as a favorite food and she also likes broccoli a lot. She can ask for a granola bar (just like her sister) and helps herself to things in the snack drawer - even we think she should be full.
She's also tall - the top of her head is higher than the dining room table and several of the 2T dresses have to worn as shirts as they are too short. She still has plenty of clothes that she can wear.
Overall, Natalie is a delightful child. People are always commenting how cute and happy she is. It's hard to believe that in roughly 15 months she can start pre-kindergarten. It just seems like she will feel too little still. She will be the youngest in her class with a birthday 1 day before the cutoff.
Her latest thing is that she likes to sit on the bar stools at the breakfast bar. It makes me a little nervous but she seems really steady and always asks when she wants to get down. We try and sit near her to hopefully, be close enough to catch her if needed!
She also wants to sit in a regular chair now and not her high chair. I got out the booster seat and she seems happy to be there. Her high chair does turn into another kind of seat - we just have to figure out how to get the baby seat off. I hope Stephen remembers as I do not.
Natalie also loves being outside. It is hard to get her to come in after playing outside. She can go up and down the back porch steps on her own and she carefully avoids the stairs down to the basement. She hasn't figured out how to climb up the slide so that she can slide down on her own but I figure that she will have mastered it by the end of the summer.
Natalie continues to love to eat though she does say no to some foods - though not consistently the same food. I guess she just doesn't feel like eating chicken some times. :) She seems to have the same sweet tooth as Dad and Lexi. Bananas still rank as a favorite food and she also likes broccoli a lot. She can ask for a granola bar (just like her sister) and helps herself to things in the snack drawer - even we think she should be full.
She's also tall - the top of her head is higher than the dining room table and several of the 2T dresses have to worn as shirts as they are too short. She still has plenty of clothes that she can wear.
Overall, Natalie is a delightful child. People are always commenting how cute and happy she is. It's hard to believe that in roughly 15 months she can start pre-kindergarten. It just seems like she will feel too little still. She will be the youngest in her class with a birthday 1 day before the cutoff.
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