Olivia
1. Macaroni and Cheese
2. Hamburgers
3. Pizza
4. Mexican Chicken
5. Chalupas
6. Enchiladas
Gretchen:
1. All kinds of chicken.
Kaitlyn:
1. Cereal
2. Hamburgers
3. Macaroni and Cheese
4. Salad
5. Cake
Kaitlyn:
1. Cereal
2. Hamburgers
3. Macaroni and Cheese
4. Salad
5. Cake
Adult ambitions:
Olivia:
1. Librarian
2. Author
Gretchen:
1. Illustrator
2. Pop Star
3. Mom
4. Teacher
5. Fashion Designer
6. Chef
Kaitlyn:
1. Do you mean for a name? I was thinking of Rosa. But Ryan's little sister is named Rosa. I could change my name to Rose. But my last name will still be Barhorst.
2. I want to bake.
3. And brush my hair.
4. And brush my teeth with yucky toothpaste.
5. And eat yucky food. Because you are a grown up and you like yucky food, so I will, too.
6. And I'm going to buy presents for my kids.
I am guessing that there are approximately 45 days in a school quarter. The girls just got their second quarter report cards and they were tardy 17 times. Those are just the days they were late enough to need slips. I am confident that the remaining days fall mostly in the nebulous "late for drop off but technically before the tardy bell" time. We're that family. :(
We've been working on remembering that no means no, because consent is important, even for playing a chasing game around the house. Our discussions are meant to allow the kids to realize that their words have meaning and that they should not feel like they have to go along with a situation that makes them uncomfortable. I also want them to learn to respect the "no" of others. It's hit and miss, except with Kaitlyn. With Kaitlyn, it's all miss. She is not using "stop" or "no" to step away from things she doesn't want to do. For Kaitlyn, the phrase "no means no" grants her PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER and now everyone has to do things exactly how she wants or else she will shriek "no" at them.
Recent doctor visits:
Theodore (4 months) -- 14 lbs, 8 oz, 25.25 inches long
Olivia (8 and a half) -- 55.5 lbs, 52 inches tall
Kaitlyn and Matthias have a word, uggah, that they use to indicate that they ARE obeying, but with maximum reluctance because they have been unfairly coerced by tyrannical parents. It started as ugh, I believe, but is now a full two syllables and is quite versatile in that you can say it both quietly under your breath and more dramatically, depending on what reaction you're hoping for and what level of subversiveness you're trying to convey.
Kara and Gwen came to visit for most of a week in mid January while Jacob was attending a conference in Fort Wayne. Donna came as well on her way home from Cleveland. And Justine brought her kids so that she could see Kara, Gwen, and Donna. And then Zach came down and Jacob stayed with us one night as he retrieved his family... It was a full house. :) Poor Gwen was a little overwhelmed by all of the extra children, but she survived.
I abandoned my family (except for Theodore) and flew to Austin at the end of January. Two of my college roommates, Danielle and Amanda, live in Austin now, so Robin and I decided that we could each make the trip and have a reunion. This is the first time the four of us have been together since May of 2008. It was a fun time and we are already talking about making it a more frequent thing. Perhaps every January, so that those of us from colder climates can enjoy the Texas winter for a few days. :)
Theo cut his first tooth just after we returned from Austin. Bottom left is in, and bottom right looks like it's not far behind.
Matthias is potty trained. He wears undies all day every day and I don't worry about him having accidents when we're out and about. He is reluctant to poop in the potty, so I generally have to pay attention and manhandle him into the bathroom at the appropriate time, but other than that he's very reliable. And, actually, he's reluctant to poop, period, so it's not hard to catch him because he puts a lot of effort into holding it in. I don't worry about that when we're out and about, either, because his sphincter has thus far been reliably strong and/or stubborn.
Theodore has discovered things. He knows that there are hands that wave around in front of him and catches them regularly. He does have trouble letting go, so he often looks quite pious. He's also noticed that there tend to be animal faces on the ends of his legs, so he's been practicing catching those and consequently gets his leg stuck up in his pajamas on a regular basis. His arch provides entertainment in that he is aware that he can knock it down... somehow. When he is placed on the mat he flails all of his limbs wildly until the arch falls down on his face. Then he chews on the animals. To the victor go the snacks. Limb flailing is also effective in the bathtub, so cleaning time has become splashier. He is content to be stored in his flying saucer and has learned to turn it around so that he can look at all the different toys. Sometimes he can make them do things. Other times he just stares.
In other Theo news, he can roll front to back, but often chooses not to. You just never know when the surface you're laying on is a nice comfy bed and when it's a hardwood floor that will bump your head. Theodore can not, as of this writing, roll back to front. I blame this on his faulty technique. He grabs the knees of his sleepers, pulls his legs up towards his stomach, and rolls onto his side before getting stuck. He appears to care not a whit that generations of babies have accomplished rolling by chewing on their hands while looking over their shoulders at things above their heads. No, Theodore is forging a new rolling path, and the knee-grabbing crunch is the core of his revolutionary philosophy.
I have been practicing more (yay!), aided by the fact that somehow I tricked Theodore into associating viola music with calm. For a few weeks I had been practicing nearly every day right after his first nap while he did tummy time nearby. He would generally be content to listen for twenty minutes or half an hour before getting antsy. Then one night he was fussy but not sleeping, so I plopped him down on his belly and got out my viola. Instant calm. I did it again the next night, and again he was calm. Another day he gave up on waiting for me to finish and just took his nap while I practiced. I was worried that he would lose this association while we were in Austin, so I had my phone play cello suites during his nap if he was having trouble falling asleep. Danielle laughed at my cultured baby who preferred classical music playing quietly in the background while he slept. Now whenever Theo is generally crabby but won't sleep, I try to bring him into my room and practice while he listens. When he's had enough (15-20 minutes later), I'll try his nap or bedtime again and it works!
Pictures:
Kaitlyn:
1. Do you mean for a name? I was thinking of Rosa. But Ryan's little sister is named Rosa. I could change my name to Rose. But my last name will still be Barhorst.
2. I want to bake.
3. And brush my hair.
4. And brush my teeth with yucky toothpaste.
5. And eat yucky food. Because you are a grown up and you like yucky food, so I will, too.
6. And I'm going to buy presents for my kids.
I am guessing that there are approximately 45 days in a school quarter. The girls just got their second quarter report cards and they were tardy 17 times. Those are just the days they were late enough to need slips. I am confident that the remaining days fall mostly in the nebulous "late for drop off but technically before the tardy bell" time. We're that family. :(
We've been working on remembering that no means no, because consent is important, even for playing a chasing game around the house. Our discussions are meant to allow the kids to realize that their words have meaning and that they should not feel like they have to go along with a situation that makes them uncomfortable. I also want them to learn to respect the "no" of others. It's hit and miss, except with Kaitlyn. With Kaitlyn, it's all miss. She is not using "stop" or "no" to step away from things she doesn't want to do. For Kaitlyn, the phrase "no means no" grants her PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER and now everyone has to do things exactly how she wants or else she will shriek "no" at them.
Recent doctor visits:
Theodore (4 months) -- 14 lbs, 8 oz, 25.25 inches long
Olivia (8 and a half) -- 55.5 lbs, 52 inches tall
Kaitlyn and Matthias have a word, uggah, that they use to indicate that they ARE obeying, but with maximum reluctance because they have been unfairly coerced by tyrannical parents. It started as ugh, I believe, but is now a full two syllables and is quite versatile in that you can say it both quietly under your breath and more dramatically, depending on what reaction you're hoping for and what level of subversiveness you're trying to convey.
Kara and Gwen came to visit for most of a week in mid January while Jacob was attending a conference in Fort Wayne. Donna came as well on her way home from Cleveland. And Justine brought her kids so that she could see Kara, Gwen, and Donna. And then Zach came down and Jacob stayed with us one night as he retrieved his family... It was a full house. :) Poor Gwen was a little overwhelmed by all of the extra children, but she survived.
I abandoned my family (except for Theodore) and flew to Austin at the end of January. Two of my college roommates, Danielle and Amanda, live in Austin now, so Robin and I decided that we could each make the trip and have a reunion. This is the first time the four of us have been together since May of 2008. It was a fun time and we are already talking about making it a more frequent thing. Perhaps every January, so that those of us from colder climates can enjoy the Texas winter for a few days. :)
Theo cut his first tooth just after we returned from Austin. Bottom left is in, and bottom right looks like it's not far behind.
Matthias is potty trained. He wears undies all day every day and I don't worry about him having accidents when we're out and about. He is reluctant to poop in the potty, so I generally have to pay attention and manhandle him into the bathroom at the appropriate time, but other than that he's very reliable. And, actually, he's reluctant to poop, period, so it's not hard to catch him because he puts a lot of effort into holding it in. I don't worry about that when we're out and about, either, because his sphincter has thus far been reliably strong and/or stubborn.
Theodore has discovered things. He knows that there are hands that wave around in front of him and catches them regularly. He does have trouble letting go, so he often looks quite pious. He's also noticed that there tend to be animal faces on the ends of his legs, so he's been practicing catching those and consequently gets his leg stuck up in his pajamas on a regular basis. His arch provides entertainment in that he is aware that he can knock it down... somehow. When he is placed on the mat he flails all of his limbs wildly until the arch falls down on his face. Then he chews on the animals. To the victor go the snacks. Limb flailing is also effective in the bathtub, so cleaning time has become splashier. He is content to be stored in his flying saucer and has learned to turn it around so that he can look at all the different toys. Sometimes he can make them do things. Other times he just stares.
In other Theo news, he can roll front to back, but often chooses not to. You just never know when the surface you're laying on is a nice comfy bed and when it's a hardwood floor that will bump your head. Theodore can not, as of this writing, roll back to front. I blame this on his faulty technique. He grabs the knees of his sleepers, pulls his legs up towards his stomach, and rolls onto his side before getting stuck. He appears to care not a whit that generations of babies have accomplished rolling by chewing on their hands while looking over their shoulders at things above their heads. No, Theodore is forging a new rolling path, and the knee-grabbing crunch is the core of his revolutionary philosophy.
I have been practicing more (yay!), aided by the fact that somehow I tricked Theodore into associating viola music with calm. For a few weeks I had been practicing nearly every day right after his first nap while he did tummy time nearby. He would generally be content to listen for twenty minutes or half an hour before getting antsy. Then one night he was fussy but not sleeping, so I plopped him down on his belly and got out my viola. Instant calm. I did it again the next night, and again he was calm. Another day he gave up on waiting for me to finish and just took his nap while I practiced. I was worried that he would lose this association while we were in Austin, so I had my phone play cello suites during his nap if he was having trouble falling asleep. Danielle laughed at my cultured baby who preferred classical music playing quietly in the background while he slept. Now whenever Theo is generally crabby but won't sleep, I try to bring him into my room and practice while he listens. When he's had enough (15-20 minutes later), I'll try his nap or bedtime again and it works!
