Just Being a Ralph

Lately at daycare Ralph and I have been giving hugs/kisses when I leave which is a lot easier to take than the whining that had been going on for weeks. Last week Ralph introduced "applejack hugs and kisses" one day and "snafulaphagus" another day. This week it was a "pop." The "applejack hugs and kisses" are beyond description. "Snafulaphagus" involves standing across from each other and holding hands then we go up and down with our arms a few times. "Pop" is similar with a jump at the end.

Speaking of daycare, Ralph has decided he 'needs' to enter the code that allows us entry into daycare. After a few days of impatience on my part as I wait for him to find certain numbers, I found our card that we can swipe in front of the security pad. Oh, happy day! He is pretty proud when the light turns green and we can enter.

Ralph has picked up the saying "You are hurting my feelings" from a friend at daycare. He started a few weeks ago and, luckily, subsided after a few days of use until I did a few things today that he didn't like. I think the last straw was at supper tonight when he earned a time out for pushing a pea on the floor after being told not to.

When Ralph requests something lately it is usually in the form of demanding it - Give me X. We are working on being polite more often.

In the past 48 hours, two different things that make me wonder if Ralph is not a little clairvoyant. Thursday night he is very worried about something and took extra long to go to sleep. After some time I went to his room and held him for a bit until he was comfortable enough to go to bed. He told me more than once "something is going to happen" but did not expand. Friday afternoon we found out someone we have a connection to passed away Thursday night. Friday morning he found a band-aid and had to take it to 'school' in case he needed it. He survived the whole day at 'school' without needing it but did break skin Friday night while playing outside and 'needed' a bandaid. Just some strange coincidences, I know.

Cute side note from Thursday night: I encouraged him to have some good dreams Thursday night suggesting he dream about Mater (from The Cars movie) and his Uncle Larry along with playing bubbles with his Uncle Nick. Then Ralph tells me he has a secret and to lean in if I want to hear it. I lean in and he tells me he is also going to dream about Lightning (Mater's best friend). Good idea, I said.

In the past couple of weeks we've finally gotten Ralph to sit on a little seat that sits on the regular toilet when he goes potty, sometimes. He's been potty trained for almost a year but we've never pushed the issue of using the big potty - mostly out of convenience for us at home but it is an inconvenience when we are out and about.

A few weeks ago Ralph convinced Mike to not put the gate up at his door at bedtime. We've started putting the gate up at the top of the stairs instead. The first time Ralph did get up in the middle of the night he stood at the top of the stairs when he called out looking for Daddy. It did not take him too many nights to head towards our room when he woke up. Mike's side of the bed is closer to the door so we usually hear "Hey Daddy" when Ralph visits our room in the middle of the night.

Ralph is the best procrastinator from the minute he wakes up to the minute he goes to bed. He wakes up earlier than he should most days, giving him ample opportunity to get dressed. We've tried incentives - can't take milk or a snack to 'school' unless you get dressed in the allotted time . . . most days he barely gives an inch until the very last second. He can take 45-60 minutes to eat supper AND still not be done.

Ralph's fear of most animals carries over to animals at the zoo. He will not feed the goats. He has fed ducks before and is okay with that since it involves throwing the food - no direct contact. Today he fed the camels at the zoo - feed goes in a PVC and dumps out into a feeding dish . . no direct contact. The camels (named Mike & Courtney) may have made a new friend today.

(Photo taken last Saturday at Grandma & Grandpa's house - playing outside with Uncle Nick, wearing a beanie hat Uncle Nick brought back from China.)

Henry: Celebrating 19 months!

In one month, two more teeth have decided to poke through - up to 7 total teeth. Still not exactly sure which teeth they are - maybe the first year molars?

In preparation of our trip at the end of last month we re-instituted "cry it out" at bedtime in hopes he would develop better sleep habits and not wake up our neighbors at the hotel. Now, nearly a month of using this method it is clear Henry needs to cry to put himself to sleep. The 'worst' night had him crying for roughly 30 minutes (I did go in after 20 for a quick reassurance). For the most part he will fall asleep within 10 minutes. He is sleeping better all night and, sadly, if he wakes up we just turn off the monitor and wait for him to put him to sleep. I do not encourage this method but nothing else seems to work.

Henry has made one small step in the potty training progress. He has told me is his poopy twice in the last month. He also likes to sit (fully clothed) on the potty and say "peee."

Henry is now officially a Toddler as he moved up to the Toddler 1 room at daycare. The morning drop-offs are not the smoothest but I know he is fine within minutes. He is starting to hold his own a little bit and not get 'bullied' by the older kids in his room - I've even seen him push Ralph a few times as he tries to stand his ground. The other week at the dinner table he clasped his hands to show us he was ready to pray so we prayed . .and then he clapped when we were done.

His vocabulary is slowly progressing. If you listen close enough and know the context you might actually hear him utter a simple sentence. Milk, water, rock, bubbles, ball, and mommy are more clearly understood. He does scream when he gets excited about something. He knows how to turn his upper lip and give a good pout.

Henry likes to pretend to feed some of the stuffed animals. Our little daredevil also likes to get on and sometimes stand on things he is not suppose - Thomas the Train table, boxes, chairs, etc. He likes to put his head on the floor - as if he is preparing to do a somersault - and thinks it is fun when someone helps him roll over.

Henry is wearing size 12 mo shorts and 18 month tops.

Yesterday we were given the all clear to stop the nightly breathing treatments and administering singular until September, unless Henry comes down with an upper respiratory infection or cold. We've been doing the breathing treatments since early May with the exception of maybe three days where we just ran out of time because we got home late. So nice the last two nights to not give a treatment and do something else a little more fun during the time we had been doing treatments. In September we'll visit the asthma/allergy doc again for a plan going into fall/winter.

Having fun with snappers!

A little video of Henry trying his best to get the snapper to snap.

4th of July Weekend!

Our 4th of July celebration started on Saturday when we ventured to Lake Leba near Fremont. We were invited to a pre-fourth celebration. The boys went on their first boat ride and loved the endless sand available. Ralph also loved the Kool-Aid Jammers. He did dip his feet in the lake but did not venture any further (not so much his fault - we remembered the kids swimsuits but forgot ours). We left for the lake right after lunch, hoping they'd (or at least Henry would) nap on the way there. Henry did nap in the car but not as much as one would have hoped. He was beyond tuckered when we left, and instead of napping on the way home he cried/whined nearly the whole way home . . . right up until we turned into our development. Rather than waking him for bit and keeping him miserable we put him in bed at 5:30 pm . . . he did wake up around 1:45 and I did go through some of his nighttime routine at that time and he went back to sleep after about 1/2 hour . .and slept until just after 6:30 am.

On Sunday the boys tried their hand at snappers at Grandma & Grandpas and watched Grandpa light some parachutes, tanks, and smoke balls. Ralph put a lot of effort into his snaps - he'd raise one leg as he was gearing up for the throw and put it back down when he released, similar to a pitcher pitching a baseball, I guess. Henry's throws were a little more lighthearted - some had enough force to snap, some had to be thrown again - there really was not any technique to his throws. He's not quiet coordinated to stomp on them but gave it his all.

Today the boys watched the parade in Waverly. Henry did great with all the noises but lost it when an unexpected water gun got him. I think they both were a little overwhelmed watching all the cars and tractors but had fun seeing all the flags. After naps it was back to Grandma & Grandpa's for some time in the water and more 'fireworks' (ie. snappers, tanks, smoke balls)

I am a bit of a fuddy-duddy. The boys did not see any nighttime fireworks - and luckily slept through all the noise in our neighborhood (so far). Maybe next year.