Spring is in the air

Everywhere you look around ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫

Crocuses are in full blossom, the tulip bulbs, planted last fall, are poking their heads out of the ground, the first cherry blossoms can be seen, even the days are getting longer. 

Signs of warmer days ahead are creeping, crawling and flying everywhere.

Last week, after picking the boys up from day care, I parked the car, unbuckled Sidney and asked him to carry a bag to the door.  Meanwhile, I went to the other side of the car, unbuckled Spencer and from around the corner came loud shrieks:

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!MAAAAMA!!”

An obviously frightened “Sidney” came running around the corner, tears in the corner of his eyes.

Mama: (looking for Jack the Ripper to appear around the corner) “Sidney, what’s wrong?”

Sidney (grabs Mama’s hand, grips tightly, looks up, lips quivering): “Spider, Mama, Spider”.

We proceeded to the door steps, where a small, black (yes, a bit ugly, but nothing near toa tarantula) spider was slowly making its way across the steps. The spider proceeded to the wall and we quickly went to the opposite side of the steps and made our way into the house – ALIVE! 

Yesterday the boys were just settled in their beds for naptime when I opened the window for some fresh air.  I was about to exit the room, when screams arose out of both beds   AAAHHHH! MAAAMA, A FLY, A FLY!!! EEHHHHH! (tears streaming down the faces).

After retrieving a fly swatter, continually missing the target, and reopening the window – neither I, nor the boys were sure that the fly was gone.(continual screaming from both beds).  After much reassurance and the promise that when covers are on, fly’s can’t get to us, they finally closed their eyes for a much needed nap.

After naptime, the situation escalated.  (the night before, Daniel noticed some ants are making their way into the house, probably through a spot in hall missing silicone).  Under the kitchen table, despite a Labrador who substitutes as a vacuum cleaner when it comes to food, things tend to be a little bit sticky (juice spills, etc.) – during the day, some of these ants discovered this. 

Sidney still shaken from the preceding events

As the boys sat down for their afternoon snack – a few of these ants (few=3) made their way across the floor.  Suddenly Sidney is standing on his chair, arms flailing in the air,  “AAAAAA, MAAAMA, they’re coming up my chair, EEEEEERRRGGGHH!!!!!”  Then, the air raids began: two flies, which had made their way in through the terrace door were additionally buzzing around the kitchen.  (We then discovered that our Texas Fly Swatters work equally as good for flys as for ants).

In the end, we cut snack time short and in order to escape the bugs, we went outside for a bike ride.

Safe at last!

That evening, Daniel and I agreed that in order to make it through this summer, we will have to invest in at least a new screen door and some silicone.

Stamping Out the Bed Bugs

We started an experiment this week.  Since the boys climb over their crib walls in the morning anyway – we decided to take out the middle part of the walls – this way they can easily get in and out of bed without the risk of hurting themselves.

Night One:

3 AM:  Creak, the bedroom door opens quietly, only a crack.  2 small eyes peer through . . .

“Spencer, come in, come in bed”.  (Spencer lays down, with snuffle towels and his penguin in the middle of the bed and continues to sleep.)

6:15 AM: Loud PITTER PATTER, PITTER PATTER, STOMP; STOMP, STOMP.  Sidney – smiles wide “HELLO!  GOOD MORNING” –  (He definitely did not get this morning person thing from his mom!)

Mama:  “Sidney, it’s still time to sleep, please come in bed and close your eyes”.

Sidney: (climbs in bed):  (turns over) UUUHHEERRGG (elbows mom in the face) “Where is my snuffy?”  (pulls Snuffy out from under the covers) AAAAHHHHH (turns over) UUUHHEERRGG (elbows mom in the face) “Mama, cartoons?”

Mama: “Sidney, it is still too early for cartoons “ (realizing there will be no more sleeping this morning) “Sidney, do you want to go play Lego?”

Night Two:

1:30 AM:  Bedroom Door opens – Spencer stands next to bed waiting to be put in the middle of Mama and Papa.  He sleeps further, peacefully.

6:00 AM: (note 15 minutes earlier than Night one!) – Door slams open: BAM:  Sidney: “HELLO!  GOOD MORNING” –

Mama:  “Sidney, it’s still time to sleep, do you want to go back to your Bed?”

Sidney: (shakes his head)

Mama: “good then come into bed, but you have to be quiet  and close your eyes”.

Sidney: (climbs in bed):  (turns over) UUUHHEERRGG (elbows mom in the face) “Where is my snuffy?”  (pulls Snuffy out from under the covers) AAAAHHHHH  (turns over) UUUHHEERRGG (elbows mom in the face) “Where is my snuffy?”  (pulls Snuffy out from under the covers) AAAAHHHHH “Mama, cartoons?”.

Mama: “Sidney, it is still too early for cartoons “ (realizes there will be no more sleeping once again this morning) “Sidney, do you want to go play Lego?”

Night Three:

1:45 AM:  (coughing) – Daniel hears Spencer coughing, is about to stand up, when he feels something soft under his feet.  Daniel looks down and discovers Spencer laying on the floor next to the bed.  Spencer is gently lifted in the middle of the bed and continues to sleep.

5:45 AM:  See Night Two 6:00 AM.

***Now Mom has had it and is really crabby – this has got to stop***

Night Four:

At dinner: 

Daniel:  “Sidney, Where do big boys sleep?”

Sidney:  (points to his bed)

Daniel / Mama / Spencer / Sidney:  (clap hands) “BRAVO”

Daniel: “Spencer, where do big boys sleep?”

Spencer: (grins sheepishly and points to Mama + Papa’s bed)

Daniel: “Nooooooo”

Spencer: (laughs and eventually points to his bed to get his bravo).

Before bed Mama tells the boys that if they sleep in their bed all night and wait for Papa to come in and tell them it is morning time, they can each pick out a stamp to wear on their hand.

3:30 AM:  (Spencer crying) Daniel gets up (by the way, Daniel is the best father and husband – he always takes care of the things that go bump in the night – Daniel – I know you are reading this – Thank You – I love you!).  Daniel has a half hour discussion with Spencer avoiding our bed and the bedroom. At the end of the half hour, Spencer is in his bed and Daniel comes back to our bed, exhausted, but having succeeded (at least this time!)

6:30 AM:  (Shrieks of laughter and talking reach Mama in her bed, amazingly, there are no children in the bed – they are, still in their room.)  Papa goes in and tells them it is morning time.  Spencer asks Mama if he can have his stamp now.  She gladly gets the stamp set out.  (Spencer decides on a blue crab / Sidney a green dolphin)

Night Five:

Bedtime: 

Sidney (laying in bed, looks at his Hand): “My stamp is all gone – it flew away”.

Mama:  “If you stay in bed again tonight and wait for Papa to come in and tell you its morning, then you can pick out a new stamp tomorrow – and even the color.”

Spencer (laying in bed, looks at his Hand) announces: “My stamp flew to the moon”

Sidney: “Mine flew up to the sunshine”

 .. . . . .. . . . .to be continued . . . . . . . . . . .

Despite some poorly rested nights (and this is not any dramatic sleep deprivation - the first eighteen months were sleep deprivation and dramatic), when I see a moment like this I can deal with it all much better:

Some favorite pictures from February / March 2011

Potty training gone wrong . . . . (new pull-up applications)

Modern technical advances with buttons and sounds and water really impress these boys.

Here Spencer said to Sidney: "Look, I'm washing my hair".

Sidney: "I wash hair too!"

Spencer: "I'm washing the back of my hair."

Be careful whose shoes you want to wear.

You never know whose feet they've been on!

In the city with Oma and Opa.

Can we eat it?

mmmmm, I can almost taste hiim already!

Boys on wheels - a Sunday walk.

This little piggy with Baby Emilia.

"Hello?"

Glasses

Daniel and I were on a walk with the kids yesterday discussing that a young child's life right from the beginning is filled with many little white lies and a lot of pressure.

Examples of a white lie:
'This chocolate (which I am sneaking in my mouth as you are not looking) is sour'

Examples of pressure: 
'If you don't sit still in your chair while we are all eating, I will go get the buckle and strap you in',

'If you eat your carrots, then you can have a highlight'. 

One of the most memorable from my own childhood was: 'If you eat your Spinach, you will grow up to be as strong as Popeye' (I still don't eat Spinach today - I would look funny with strings of hair in my face and those strange-looking muscles - no thank you!).

The pressure is usually there, just to get the kids to do something that generally I want them to do or learn to do (sitting at the table until everyone is done eating, I realize is a dificult task, but they have to learn it).  The white lies usually come into play when I am tired of discussing something.

Today, when changing Sidney's diaper, after the new diaper was already on - he started arguing - he wanted a diaper with the picture of a Kitty.  Using the white lie tactic, I told him, you do have a Kitty, it's brown (I told him this, knowing that it is a bear, but not wanting to get into a discussion). 
Sidney:  "Let me see" (Sits up a looks down at the diaper)  "No Mama, its a bear!"
Mama: "Oooops, I thought it was a Kitty"
Mama  "Sidney, you know why I thought it was a Kitty?'"
Sidney: "No, why?"
Mama: "Because I don't have my glasses on, and when I don't have my glasses on, I can't see very well'.
Sidney: (stares deep into my eyes for minute) "Mama, your funny".

At this stage, the diaper issue was forgotten.  I'm thinking, good, I got out of this one easy.

Then Spencer who had been playing in the room during this discussion leaves the room shortly and comes back in, carrying my glasses in his hand:  "Here Mama.".

Look out Peltor - the newest design in hearing protection

Boys and tools  . . . my boys don't like to leave home without them.  However, working in the safety industry there is a large focus in our household about personal protective equipment.  And when using tools - the right personal protective equipment should also be worn.  (thanks to birthday parties and Christmas, we not only have a lot of  power tools, we also have safety gloves, hearing protection and protective eye wear)

Today when I picked the boys up from day care - I was greeted by Sidney sporting a newly designed type of hearing protection.  Steffi, our day care providers, said that Sidney had forgotten his in the car this morning, so they "found another solution".  One of the other mothers looked at Sidney and was astonished that he had been wearing them all day.

Maybe this is a learning for manufacturers of hearing protection like Howard Leight and Peltor. . . when the design is right and comfort is good - this protection can really be worn all day long . . .even at nap time.

Note the yellow signal color and the innovative attachment clip to the head!

Sticks and Stones

The Mud Trail

Our afternoons are usually spent outdoors.  Especially Bob enjoys getting outside.  All three of these boys have discovered a common hobby - collecting sticks.  Nowadays it is not unusual to find piles of sticks at our front door.  Even when I pick Sidney and Spencer up at day care, the walk to the car always includes collecting sticks.  Today, I had to ensure there was enough space in the trunk so that Spencer's stick would fit inside.  And promptly, after arriving at home and getting out of the car, the stick was taken out of the trunk and landed on the door step.

Sometimes there are quarraels about whose stick it is.  This one is Bob's.

However, sticks alone are not enough and boys being boys - Sidney and Spencer need to bring tools with on their walks.  They request to walk on the "mud" trail (a small path between two fields filled with puddles, mud, and a small stream with stones that can be thrown into it)    Once on the trail there is a whole host of sticks to choose from.  Once the boys have sticks (and have dipped them in mud and puddles) - I turn back to see them both sitting on the ground - tools in hand.  They call to me "Mama - we're working", "Mama - I am fixing it"

Some pictures of the " Men at Work"

Conversations - Part 1

OK, there are so many developments happening with the boys - I wanted to find somewhere to share and keep these memories while also staying somewhat up to date on online stuff - hence I have decided to start a blog. 

Sidney and Spencer are being raised bilingually. They have started talking a lot - and the funny thing is, when they talk to each other - they talk in German. 

Here just a couple of excerpts of the some of the latest conversations I have caught:

Wednesday March 9, 2011.
Both boys sitting in their room playing legos - building tall buildings (turning Torsos (like in Malmö, Sweden).
Sidney (to Spencer): "Und ich habe blaue Augen".  (and I have blue eyes)
Spencer (to Sidney): "ich habe braune Augen und Mama hat rote Augen" (I have brown eyes - and mom has red eyes).
Sidney (to Spencer): "Und Papa hat Grüne Augen" (and dad has green eyes).

OK - so my eyes are red when I don't get enough sleep or when I have been drinking in excess - but on this Wednesday - neither was the case.  Nor are Daniel's eyes green - they are brown.  I just found it fascinating that they are talking about something like this with each other.

Tuesday March 14, 2011.
It is 6:30am - Sidney comes running out of the bedroom squealing with joy as he wakes up.  (I peek in - Spencer is still in bed).  I tell Sidney - Papa is out walking Bob and Mama is going to take a shower - you can lay on Mama's bed and watch cartoons until I am finished.  10 Minutes later, I come out of the shower to find my room empty - cartoons on.  However, the light in the boys room is on, and they are sorting through their tools deciding who gets a wrench and who gets a hammer, etc.  They don't notice me watching, but I hear Sidney talking to Spencer.
"And look here Spencer - on this finger I have an oua - and here too"
"And Spencer look over here on my knee, here is an oua too."
Spencer still waking up, just nods his head.
Their conversations remind me of 'older' folks talking about their health problems.
I go to dry my hair and get ready . . . and I hear sprudels of conversation coming out of the room - beautiful.