Sunday, March 15, 2015

Knots of Fun!


Bodie accomplished a big milestone last week - he learned to tie his shoes. He got two pairs of lace-up shoes and I immediately made the rule, "If you can tie them, you can wear them. I do not tie other people's shoes." Amazingly, this was the exact motivation he needed, he wanted to wear those shoes. So he sat down and began to learn. I was prepared for it to take daily practice for about a week. Thirty minutes later, he had it and has been tying them up ever since. Way to go buddy!

The weather from the Antarctic has finally left and we have been outdoors nonstop. In three sunny days we hit five parks and are loving the sunshine. Bodie jumped on his bike and hasn't looked back, except to pick his brother up.Who, also, has decided he should be riding a bike and a scooter. Gates gets his own helmet, drags out an item to ride from the shed and then begins to grunt like a caveman until someone hooks his helmet on and sets him up.


He has no concern that he doesn't know how to pedal yet, he will sit on that tricycle for 20 minutes grunting in hopes that it will move, occasionally getting motion that ends in a wipeout. He definitely has the will to ride a scooter and a bike, which may be all he needs. Skill will come...

Bodie is leading the way in fearless park behavior. He can be found climbing the outside of any park equipment until he reaches the top and some petrified parent anxiously cautions him to come down before he breaks his leg. Gates is learning from the best. I turned my back the other day to get something out of my bag and found Gates on top of this 15 foot play structure with three of the four sides as open drop-offs. Even I was nervous. Then I saw and heard this noise - he climbed up and down probably 15 times, laughing every time.
No doubt with these two little dare devils the emergency room is in our future. At least laughter will have preceded the pain.

It was hero day at preschool on Friday. I gave Bodie a long list of people he could dress as, his dad, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, I went on and on. He looked up, so focused on what I was saying then smiled and said, "Or Batman!" And Batman it was. Oh well, I tried. We were also responsible for the special snack that day, so we made a super kid cake.

Lastly, we've been teaching our kids "music appreciation," inspired by my brother, Rick. He decided that each Christmas his kids would receive a classic (Led Zeplin, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, etc). We're attempting to give this same gift of music to our boys through my love of rap music. You can see, they are definitely taking to it. It's so fun, what's not to love!

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Stiring It Up

While Gates has only been on this earth about 19 months, I can already tell you, he likes to stir things up. He's got a strong will, clear opinions, and laser-like focus. These are not common characteristics of little people just trying to master how to walk straight.

We've said he was "feisty" from day one. In fact, when Gates was just a few months old we were sitting in the second row of a packed Catholic church - we're talking 2000 congregants - and I referred to this beautiful, sweet newborn as a "ticking time bomb." Because honestly, that's who he is. Had he woken up and not wanted to be quiet and held at that moment, he would have let everyone know, even at just a few weeks old.

What's cool now, is watching that energy evolve. He's beginning to figure out how to focus the energy and express himself in creative ways - when you have limited words and lots of opinions, the world can be a frustrating place.

The pots in our house are the perfect example of Gates' determination. He loves them. They are loud, heavy, and very inconvenient for me to be used as his toys...He doesn't care. He loves them. Any hour of any day you can find Gates hauling, or re-hauling them out around the house. He then goes and gets kitchen utensils to "stir" the pots. He has also recently decided that the small bottles of baby powder are spices and he's figured out how to shake them into the pot (and everywhere else). He leaves the room, I put the pans away, he returns and takes them all out again, and the cycle continues.

This same determination is seen with his disdain for shoes - though he is finally relenting a bit, but only on his terms. He can often be found outside in the yard, in the snow, without shoes on. He doesn't care. It's his choice and he's exercising his control. You may say, "you're the parent, put shoes on him." That's what I would have said before I met Gates.We're learning that when we treat him as a person - not an un-opinionated toddler, the respect is returned.

This determination, while a bit off-putting to some adults, is pretty cool to watch when channeled correctly. This short video clip is a great example of who he is. We went to a huge, open gym to get out some energy. Gates immediately wanted his own basketball. He took the ball and walked directly under the regulation-height hoop and began to shoot. He stood there for nearly 30 minutes, attempting to make a basket. He wasn't intimidated by the dozens of adults playing around him or the 10' basket above him. He wanted to make a basket...period. The heavy ball hit him in the head and face over and over again, he never stopped, his focus wouldn't let him. Finally the lure of a water break and power bar got him off the court.
Lucky us to have two incredibly fun, kind boys. I love how different they are from each other and how perfectly they play together. I could listen to their laughter together all day, it's the best sound. I've never fit life's "mold" for me and I'm glad I can now support our two boys as they shape their own molds for what they want out of life.