E is at a great age. I'll post pics from Christmas as soon as I find the time to get them off my camera. In the meantime, I'm writing these down before I forget them:
Today - I pull up in front of the house to drop off the key I forgot to leave for the nanny who is patiently playing with E on the porch as she is locked out and our lawn is being mowed. (I also manage to leave the car on and get out before I realize I've left the keys in the car - at least I remembered to put it in Park):
E: "Mama - be CARE-ful so you don't get run over by Mark."
Yesterday - E is playing on the back porch with play dough while I try to pay bills on the computer in our adjacent laundry room.
E: "Mama - I need company."
Me: "Huh?"
E: "I need company because there are train sounds and bird sounds."
Earlier - looking for photos of planes on the computer (a favorite past-time):
E: "Let's look for pictures of vehicles that transport people to the hospital." (word for word, I swear)
Over the weekend:
I started to pitch baseballs to Eamonn and showed him a proper stance (to the best of my ability) and told him to keep his eye on the ball. He hit two in a row! Cracked'em. But then - he started to miss. I cheered nonetheless.
E: "NO, Mama! Don't cheer! Eamonn didn't hit the ball."
Oh dear.
And a last few nuggets as they come to mind:
"Dada will come home from work and then he will sit down at the table and eat dinner with us."
"Mama - don't go to your office - because I LOVE you."
Me: "What did you dream about today?" (post-naptime)
E: "Calerpitters! And the fast slide at the park!"
Me: "Name one thing that made you happy today."
E: "Playing with Mama. And the fast slide at the park!"
E: "Where's Dada?" Me: "He's at work - but he will be home soon - for dinner."
E: "He's bringing home the bacon, Mama." (thank DeeDee for that one)
Oh! And post-Disneyland stress surfaced the weekend after we returned as follows:
We were playing outside, G was raking the leaves and E was happy as could be pushing his bubble mower when all of of sudden he stopped and got emotional. Something was wrong. He whimpered (but not in a whiny sort of way). I asked him if he had hurt himself (what had I missed?!?) He said no - "Eamonn's sad." I asked if he needed a hugh. "No - Eamonn wants to go inside."
OK - I led him up to the porch - and it became clear he wanted to bring his mower into the house.
Me: "Eamonn - you know the mower is an outside toy - we can't bring that inside, it stays outside."
E: face turns bright red, tears well up in his eyes - and he says
"But Mama, I don't want the pirates to get it!"
Uff. We had a long talk about pirates and reality. Days later, he occasionally talks about hiding his toys from the pirates. Poor kid.
Other common outbursts:
"Eamonn's frustrated!"
"Eamonn LUUUUUUUVES spices!"
"Eamonn LUUUUUUUUVES cookies!"
"Mama/Dada take off your work/exercise clothes and put on play clothes."
In viewing the nativity scenes around town - some honored the tradition of putting Jesus in the manger on Christmas Eve night. This concerned Eamonn - "Where is baby Jesus?????"
And now: "Where is Christmas?"
Disneyland
We went to Disneyland for the first time - G ended the fiscal year with a bang and, frankly, we all deserved a break after the months of October and November, so I selfishly set my heart on going to Disneyland to see the Christmas decorations and the boys indulged me. We stayed at the the Grand California which was gorgeous and involved multiple Santa sitings (on separate occasions, thank goodness). E wasn't a fan of the rides OR the noise, but he loved jumping on the hotel bed:
while his parents loved the sunset from our room:
And Cinderella's castle adorned with Christmas lights:
And by the second day we eked a few smiles out of Eamonn - mostly in Toon Town:
while his parents loved the sunset from our room:
And Cinderella's castle adorned with Christmas lights:
And by the second day we eked a few smiles out of Eamonn - mostly in Toon Town:
Too good to pass up...
This weekend we went out to the ranch after Thanksgiving. One night Eamonn had trouble going to sleep, so I had to return to his room and sing a few songs while I absentmindedly stroked his hair.
All at once he took out his binky and said, emphatically:
"NO Mama! Don't touch Eamonn's head - there's a MACHINE in there."
I went downstairs and asked his grandmother (DeeDee), "Mom, did you tell Eamonn there's a machine in his head?" Sure enough, they had been out hiking and my mother explained something to Eamonn - and as she watched him process it she said "I can see the wheels turning" - he looked back at her quizzically - and apparently translated that into there being a machine in his head. Of course!
"NO Mama! Don't touch Eamonn's head - there's a MACHINE in there."
Adorable.
All at once he took out his binky and said, emphatically:
"NO Mama! Don't touch Eamonn's head - there's a MACHINE in there."
I went downstairs and asked his grandmother (DeeDee), "Mom, did you tell Eamonn there's a machine in his head?" Sure enough, they had been out hiking and my mother explained something to Eamonn - and as she watched him process it she said "I can see the wheels turning" - he looked back at her quizzically - and apparently translated that into there being a machine in his head. Of course!
"NO Mama! Don't touch Eamonn's head - there's a MACHINE in there."
Adorable.
Jekyll and Hyde
So he's finally hit what the Sears' would call a "negative phase." Meaning: Eamonn's realized he has a will independent of a grown-up's, and he exercises it at every opportunity. He is physically incapable of using the word "yes" - and it's kinda funny....exasperating....but still amusing. It's amazing to me that in the span of five minutes he can go from absolutely adorable and happy, to on the floor on all fours and just sooooooo upset.
We spend a fair amount of time discussing emotions and feelings now. I try to emphasize how his actions affect others and getting him to recognize his reactions to those effects. This results in some amusing conversations with a two and a half year old. Case in point:
Last week DeeDee bravely watched both Ava and Eamonn at the same time. They played well together until I pulled up - whereby they both started tugging on the swing. Eamonn fell to the ground and hyper-reacted because it was naptime. When it came time to say goodbye I asked him to say goodbye to Ava and he said:
"No, Mama, Eamonn can't say goodbye to Ava right now because Eamonn's saaaaaad."
!
On the way home in the car I asked him if he was feeling OK.
Eamonn: "No - I'm still sad."
When I asked why, he explained that it was because he thought it was his turn to use the swing and Ava wanted it, too. So I explained that they are both young and both still learning to share with other people, and that Ava did not mean to hurt his feelings. This prompted:
"What are feelings and how do they hurt?"
So then I launched into happy feelings and sad feelings and my usual "be considerate of others" speech.
Silence.
A few minutes later I started to cough (we've all been sick for over a week now). Eamonn said:
"Mama, we need to go home and get you a lozenge. Then you'll FEEL better."
We spend a fair amount of time discussing emotions and feelings now. I try to emphasize how his actions affect others and getting him to recognize his reactions to those effects. This results in some amusing conversations with a two and a half year old. Case in point:
Last week DeeDee bravely watched both Ava and Eamonn at the same time. They played well together until I pulled up - whereby they both started tugging on the swing. Eamonn fell to the ground and hyper-reacted because it was naptime. When it came time to say goodbye I asked him to say goodbye to Ava and he said:
"No, Mama, Eamonn can't say goodbye to Ava right now because Eamonn's saaaaaad."
!
On the way home in the car I asked him if he was feeling OK.
Eamonn: "No - I'm still sad."
When I asked why, he explained that it was because he thought it was his turn to use the swing and Ava wanted it, too. So I explained that they are both young and both still learning to share with other people, and that Ava did not mean to hurt his feelings. This prompted:
"What are feelings and how do they hurt?"
So then I launched into happy feelings and sad feelings and my usual "be considerate of others" speech.
Silence.
A few minutes later I started to cough (we've all been sick for over a week now). Eamonn said:
"Mama, we need to go home and get you a lozenge. Then you'll FEEL better."
Changes...
Has it really been six months since I've updated this page? It seems impossible to recount everything we've enjoyed, accomplished and endured in that timeframe, but I'm up for the challenge:
April: Eamonn turned two!!! And we went on a family vacation to Kauai which was awesome.
When we returned I moved in to my very own office downtown in San Diego. Six months later we are *still* working out the details but stay tuned for a website launch...
May: We enjoyed a visit from the Daniels grandparents and hosted a Memorial Day BBQ with friends from PLCPC.
June: Father's Day - the blueberries came in and Eamonn loooooved picking a few every day. We made it to Sea World, the Zoo and the train outside the Zoo as a family.
July: Ugh, July. Eamonn caught his first stomach bug (he made it to 2 without vomiting!); God bless him - the second time he threw up I made it into the bathroom with him and he made it into the toilet - I was so happy I wasn't going to have to clean it up that I kept praising him and rubbing his back, and in between heaves he smiled because he was so proud of himself. I'll never forget that.
After the flu we headed to the Adirondacks sans Greg this year :(. It was a difficult trip. The flights were a nightmare; I have now experienced being trapped on an airplane while solely responsible for an exhausted, screaming toddler. Our hosts were gracious, but Eamonn still wouldn't sleep through the night or let me out of his sight. In hindsight, we now understand that despite his verbal skills Eamonn couldn't vocalize that he was FREAKED OUT by the different environment, people, etc. We returned home and he slept as if nothing had happened. He's my son and he's resistent to change - surprise, surprise!
Also in July we transitioned Eamonn from the crib to the bed. This went smoothly, thank goodness. He woke up on Saturday AM and we moved the furniture and let him help Daddy take down the crib (upon sage advice from Grammie). He's never looked back! He stays in bed until we get him - both in the morning and after naptime. We'll see how long this lasts....
August and September - we spent the rest of summer trying to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. Lots of time at the beach, pool and sailing. Eamonn continues to improve his communication skills and it's so much fun to watch. He's increasingly independent - now wants to get his own cereal in the morning and pour the milk from a pitcher. He started a pre-preschool program M-W-F for two hours a day and it's been a rocky start, but we're confident things will improve with time. For now someone stays with him until he adjusts. I'm a firm believer that there's a difference between "getting over it" (i.e. the kid gives up) vs. truly acclimating the child. We've always been fans of the attachment parenting style and we see the payoffs every day with Eamonn - he is secure, happy, kind, trusting and an absolute JOY to be around.
April: Eamonn turned two!!! And we went on a family vacation to Kauai which was awesome.
When we returned I moved in to my very own office downtown in San Diego. Six months later we are *still* working out the details but stay tuned for a website launch...May: We enjoyed a visit from the Daniels grandparents and hosted a Memorial Day BBQ with friends from PLCPC.
June: Father's Day - the blueberries came in and Eamonn loooooved picking a few every day. We made it to Sea World, the Zoo and the train outside the Zoo as a family.
July: Ugh, July. Eamonn caught his first stomach bug (he made it to 2 without vomiting!); God bless him - the second time he threw up I made it into the bathroom with him and he made it into the toilet - I was so happy I wasn't going to have to clean it up that I kept praising him and rubbing his back, and in between heaves he smiled because he was so proud of himself. I'll never forget that.
After the flu we headed to the Adirondacks sans Greg this year :(. It was a difficult trip. The flights were a nightmare; I have now experienced being trapped on an airplane while solely responsible for an exhausted, screaming toddler. Our hosts were gracious, but Eamonn still wouldn't sleep through the night or let me out of his sight. In hindsight, we now understand that despite his verbal skills Eamonn couldn't vocalize that he was FREAKED OUT by the different environment, people, etc. We returned home and he slept as if nothing had happened. He's my son and he's resistent to change - surprise, surprise!
Also in July we transitioned Eamonn from the crib to the bed. This went smoothly, thank goodness. He woke up on Saturday AM and we moved the furniture and let him help Daddy take down the crib (upon sage advice from Grammie). He's never looked back! He stays in bed until we get him - both in the morning and after naptime. We'll see how long this lasts....
August and September - we spent the rest of summer trying to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. Lots of time at the beach, pool and sailing. Eamonn continues to improve his communication skills and it's so much fun to watch. He's increasingly independent - now wants to get his own cereal in the morning and pour the milk from a pitcher. He started a pre-preschool program M-W-F for two hours a day and it's been a rocky start, but we're confident things will improve with time. For now someone stays with him until he adjusts. I'm a firm believer that there's a difference between "getting over it" (i.e. the kid gives up) vs. truly acclimating the child. We've always been fans of the attachment parenting style and we see the payoffs every day with Eamonn - he is secure, happy, kind, trusting and an absolute JOY to be around.
Talking up a storm!
Eamonn has become our little "narrator" - he is enjoying his new language skills and exercises them non-stop by giving the play-by-play of what he sees, thinks and does....it has only increased in the week since I filmed this clip!
Sunglasses and rainboots - only in CA
Eamonn and his mother went on a shopping spree to use their "gymbucks" up and we stocked up on the essentials - as far as Eamonn is concerned, one wears sunglasses and rain boots together. If you put one on him, he now runs into his room to retrieve the missing item (sunglasses or the rain boots).
We've actually had a few showers in the past couple of weeks - so the boots have been broken in and used to splash in puddles more than once. The first time was at 6:45 AM in our pajamas (it was raining but 70 degrees!) - Eamonn had woken up at 5AM so by 6:45 we were raring to go.
We've actually had a few showers in the past couple of weeks - so the boots have been broken in and used to splash in puddles more than once. The first time was at 6:45 AM in our pajamas (it was raining but 70 degrees!) - Eamonn had woken up at 5AM so by 6:45 we were raring to go.
We're Back!
After 2 month hiatus we're back on Blogger - Thanksgiving, Christmas and a New Year's trip to Boston have all come and gone and Valentine's day is upon us. I'll post a few summary photos here - but as of today Eamonn is 2 weeks shy of 22 months old and is SO MUCH FUN!!! A switch turned on a few days into 2009 and he hasn't stopped talking since then - lately he is trying to form sentences, and is now very interested in concepts (e.g. things that are the same [color or object]; things that are attached).
It is pretty amazing - now that he is talking we realize all of which he is aware and understands. Fire trucks and trash trucks remain high on his list of favorite things. Last week I came home from work wearing a red sweater - he saw me, ran into the kitchen, grabbed a red cup from his cupboard, and then held it up to my shoulder saying "red - same." So cool!!!! All in all, Eamonn leads a pretty nice life. Martha adores him and he adores Martha; she takes him out 2-3 mornings a week. His grandmother also gets him out and about on Fridays, and then I try to have a "Thursday-FUN Day" with him (sometimes going to the store is fun). Eamonn is surrounded by people who love him - both near and far - and he remains a sweet, sensitive and very observant little boy. His parents hearts are overflowing! Life is good indeed.
For Thanksgiving we had a nice visit from Aunts Fidge and Robin.
We spent Thanksgiving weekend at the ranch picking apples and Eamonn looooooooved it.
We spent Christmas again at the ranch - this time with cousin Ava and lots more fun outdoors.
And we ended 2008 in Boston with a foot of snow! Needless to say, Eamonn did not like the cold, but he had a great time with the relatives there.
It is pretty amazing - now that he is talking we realize all of which he is aware and understands. Fire trucks and trash trucks remain high on his list of favorite things. Last week I came home from work wearing a red sweater - he saw me, ran into the kitchen, grabbed a red cup from his cupboard, and then held it up to my shoulder saying "red - same." So cool!!!! All in all, Eamonn leads a pretty nice life. Martha adores him and he adores Martha; she takes him out 2-3 mornings a week. His grandmother also gets him out and about on Fridays, and then I try to have a "Thursday-FUN Day" with him (sometimes going to the store is fun). Eamonn is surrounded by people who love him - both near and far - and he remains a sweet, sensitive and very observant little boy. His parents hearts are overflowing! Life is good indeed.
For Thanksgiving we had a nice visit from Aunts Fidge and Robin.
We spent Thanksgiving weekend at the ranch picking apples and Eamonn looooooooved it.
We spent Christmas again at the ranch - this time with cousin Ava and lots more fun outdoors.
And we ended 2008 in Boston with a foot of snow! Needless to say, Eamonn did not like the cold, but he had a great time with the relatives there.
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