A Painted Lemur

You might think that if I heard the voice of a certain Lemur, alone by himself in the bathroom, saying things like, "I'm decorating myself!", I would check the situation out.

I did. After I finished reading my e-mail.

This is what I discovered...

...a Painted Lemur!

"Look, Mommy! I decorated myself with your lip gloss!"

He sure did decorate himself. With the really nice lip gloss I got for Christmas.

But he was so pleased with himself and had such a good time painting that I just can't be mad!

In Which Liam Expresses His Confusion

We were running late to nursery school one day last week, and of course traffic chose that day to be extra-heavy. A stressed-out driver sped by, zooming around us and the four cars in front by using the shoulder as a passing lane. I mumbled something under my breath (I thought!) about "idiot drivers." From the back seat came the voice of a very confused little boy...

"Mommy? Why are you calling him a 'Giddy-up Driver'? He wasn't riding a horse. Horsies don't go that fast!"

Moments like this are worth their weight in gold. As long as I'm not laughing so hard I drive the car into a tree.

Little Kids Are So Literal

Tonight I heard Kevin and Liam in the living room. We've had issues recently trying to instill the idea of privacy and private activities in our son; his hand are often in his pants because, well, he's a little boy. (Why did no one inform me that this is one of the downsides of potty training?)

Kevin: "Hands out of your pants."

Liam: "Why?"

Kevin: "Hands out of your pants!"

Liam: "But I just like my hands IN my pants."

Kevin gave up and retreated upstairs. Liam popped into the kitchen with me, hands still you-know-where, and repeated a phrase that someone at school taught him. (This particular phrase is neither vulgar nor rude, but is very, very annoying should someone repeat it over and over while, say, one is fighting morning rush traffic on Route 1. Yes, I ended up begging him to be quiet or at least say something else.) And just to be sure I was paying attention, he said it about three more times.

Me: "Dude, are you just trying to annoy Daddy and me?"

Liam (absolutely horrified): "Oh, no! Oh, dear! Actually, I was just trying to annoy Daddy!"

Me (trying hard to look stern): "Well, thanks for the clarification."

Liam: "You're welcome, Mommy."

And with that, he stomped off to find his father.

The silence, she was golden.

Bored With Your Usual Snack?

It used to be that yogurt-covered Cheerios were the go-for snack around here. But today, things have changed for the messier...

The Menagerie House proudly presents...

The yogurt and Cheerios covered baby!

Ta da! Cute, no?

Says The Lemur, "Mommy, it's good thing Casey likes to clean babies and floors!"

That is very true, Son. Good observation!

By the way, Kieran had his nine-month check-up this morning. We finally found a new pediatrician, and she was great with Kieran. Now I have to make an appointment for The Lemur and see if he likes her as much as his brother and mom do. At any rate, Kieran is 20 pounds, 4 ounces, and 28 inches long. She was impressed by his Fuzzi Bunz and the fact that he eats entirely table food and breastmilk. (In truth I think he gets a lot of Casey fur, too, but I didn't mention that. It is impossible to keep off our floors and furniture just adds protein to his diet.) She feels he's doing great, and it was so nice to have a pediatrician who wasn't telling me what I was doing wrong. Phew!

Six Months Of Brotherhood

In six months we've gone from a little boy and his newborn baby brother to a full-fledged pre-schooler who has a little brother almost half his size:

Don't they just look like they're up to something?

Liam dyed this silk at his school's Michaelmas festival. He brought it home and promptly used it to transform himself into Super Lemur, a broccoli-eating primate...

Speaking of fall festivities - Liam found all these "treasures" on a bike ride. We brought them home and made a wreath with them.

Meanwhile, back in Babyland, Kieran demonstrates the "sit up and pull off the socks" maneuver.

I think it's a construction worker playing guitar, but I'm not entirely sure...

Mmmmmm, peaches!

All this eating and playing sure make a fellow tired!

I can't believe it's been six months already!

Truth From A Three-Year-Old

Liam: "Why does Daddy go to work in the mornings?"

Me: "Because he likes his job and because it earns money for us."

Liam: "Well, see, that's not what he said."

Me: "No? What did he say?"

Liam: "He said he goes to work because the people there actually listen to him."

Me (laughing): "Well, I see...maybe he was talking to himself, or he was joking?"

Liam: "No, I don't think so. You know me, I never listen to anyone!"

One thing I will say for three-year-olds - you'll get the truth, whether you want it or not!

Enter The Sibling Rivalry

Quote 1:

"Mommy, I want you all to myself this day. I think Daddy should take Kieran to work with him."

Quote 2:

(After Kieran let out a series of happy baby shrieks)

"See. Mommy? I'm the big boy and I know how to control myself."

I guess the baby brother honeymoon is over. Yikes.

22 Weeks Of Brotherhood

I'm late once again, no news there. Without further adieu, I give you the latest set of brotherhood pictures...

The first couple of photos are not the kids (!!!). We took a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo, and I got a couple of interesting shots while there. This is the view from the Zooballoon, a giant helium balloon that takes passengers 450 feet above the Zoo. This is the view of the Philadelphia skyline with the Schuylkill River in the foreground. Liam and I went up together, and he was most impressed by a) the crew teams rowing on the river, and b) the trainyard.

This Galapagos tortoise has a bad leg, so the Zoo keepers and vets managed to rig up a big roller skate for his belly. Definitely an example of low-tech being the clever solution to a problem.

Because Robbie and Gran-Gran asked, here's a picture of Kieran and me at the Zoo.

Kieran is still all about spoons as toys. Also, he's starting to eye our food. Solids will on the menu soon, I think.

I love this picture because it's a great shot of both Liam and Kevin, and then you look at Kieran and he's clearly questioning how he came to be related to these two.

Look at this! An arboreal Leaping Lemur!

Nanny nanny boo boo!
I stick my tongue out at you!

Two brothers! Yes, Kieran is really as big as he looks in this photo. He's just shy of 18 pounds at the moment, which makes him 1/2 the weight of The Lemur. Wow.

That is the photo roundup for now. Coming soon - The Goodyear Blimp Stops Mr. 3's Tantrum In Mid-Screech!

Three Is Hard

One day earlier this summer Liam and I were up the street at the farm buying some veggies for dinner. While we were there we met another neighborhood mom (I'll call her Maggie) who was there with her twin boys, age 2, and her four-month old baby. We saw them there a couple more times, and she and I thought it would be fun to have a playdate. On Friday, they came over.

When I told Liam of the plan that morning he told me he didn't want them to come over, but couldn't give me a reason why. Thinking that he would change his mind once the boys arrived, as has happened previously with other playdates, I didn't give it any more thought.

I should have.

The family arrived at the door and Liam started screaming. In a matter of seconds the whole thing escalated to a purple-faced tantrum in which he kept sobbing and yelling that he wanted them to leave. He grabbed Maggie's hand and tried to pull her back out of the door.

I had no idea what to do other than take him into another room and try to calm him down. I told him I would talk to Maggie and see what we could do. Maggie and I agreed to give it ten minutes and see what happened. We attempted some small talk. Periodically Liam would scream out, "Are they gone yet?" Once he ran in to retrieve some especially important toys. Maggie asked him what would help him feel better.

He answered, "I want my Mommy to myself, and I want you and your children to leave."

Ouch.

After remarking on how well he speaks, and admitting to being a bit worried about having three-year-old twins on her hands, Maggie and her kids left. I felt bad, especially since they walked over in the heat. And a bit embarrassed. And a bit mad, since I had been looking forward to some adult conversation. And confused, since Liam's only had a tantrum of this magnitude once before, and that was the day after Kieran was born.

I spent the remainder of Friday and a lot of Saturday thinking things like "He's going to be a tantruming 3-year-old forever" and "I'll never be able to have anyone over again" and "I have to teach him to behave and soon!" Then this essay by Anna Quindlen was serendipitously sent to me by a friend.

In it, Anna Quindlen talks about how important it is to enjoy our children at each stage, because they grow quickly and soon all we have are memories and photos. So I got to thinking - what is a 3-year-old?

3 is a lot of baby wrapped up in a mercurial shell that looks an awful lot like a big boy, especially when you've got a baby brother in the house.

3 is easily provoked, and 3 doesn't yet have the skills to manage anger.

3 is realizing you have power, and learning how to use it.

3 is being a bit scared of that power.

3 is a lot of pressure. Adults expect you to go to school and use a potty, and maybe, just maybe, you don't want to.

3 is not having the choices you wish you had.

3 is sometimes way too big a job for such a small and inexperienced person.

3 isn't always bad, though,

3 is fun because you can teach your baby brother to sign "I love you!"

3 is exciting because on your next birthday you will be four! years! old! and will have a red fire engine cake!

3 is telling your Mommy, "The best thing about loving you is hugging you."

And 3 is almost over. November brings Birthday Number 4, and probably a whole new set of challenges.

(And maybe, just maybe, fewer tantrums.)

Imagination Land, 1:23 PM

Scene from a New Jersey childhood...

Liam is trying to play trains on the floor. Casey is blocking his way.

Liam: "Mommy! Make Casey move!"

Me: "Oh, is there a dog on your railway tracks?"

Liam: "No. Not really. He's not a dog. He's a big traffic jam and my trains can't go down Route 1 now. It's a problem."


Me: "Hhhmm. I think we ought to call the Department of Transportation."

20 Weeks Of Brotherhood

Here we go again! It's the bi-weekly photo roundup. Someone please explain to me how this baby got to be nearly five.months.old.already????

"Um, Mommy?? I like the shirt you picked, but Leaping Lemur is at it again. Would someone please help the baby and remove these glasses already?"

"On second thought, they help me project a certain beach dude attitude."

"Mommy, you can't even imagine how hot I am."

(He does look like he's steaming away, doesn't he?")

"Mommy! It almost seems like I'm driving a steam train!"

(We were having fun times with dry ice and water.)

And then disaster struck. One big kid with stomach flu..

...and the next day, Kieran woke up with a cold. This was the scene for much of yesterday. They are both feeling better today, fortunately.

Is this not a classic baby picture??

As for the Lemur Training, it was put on hold by the stomach bug. Hopefully we will have progress soon. If not, I guess he'll learn to use the bathroom eventually, perhaps even by college. Ack.

And that's the scoop from the Menagerie House. I'll be back soon, undoubtedly with further Misadventure in Parenting.

A Quick Conversation...

...in honor of World Breastfeeding Week.

Liam: "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Come, Mommy!"

Me (teasing, looking all around): "What Mommy? I don't see any Mommy!"

Liam: "You! You're the Mommy!"

Me: "I am?? How do you know that?"

Liam (all seriousness now): "Weeeeellllll, um, you have long hair."

Me: "Aha. And?"

Liam: "You carry babies and kids around all day. And sometimes ferrets."

Me: "Mmmmmmhhhhhhhmmmm, and?

Liam (triumphantly): "And!!! You have the milk! That makes you the Mommy!"

I almost broke a rib laughing when I heard that!

18 Weeks Of Brotherhood

I was just looking at my stats page, and it seems someone found my blog with the search phrase "puddle of pee under the table." Which is apropos in that we are submerged in the world of potty training here, and well, thanks for asking, it's going so-so. I'm not going to write about it just yet because a) I'm afraid of jinxing the minor successes we've had this far, and b) my nerves have had it for tonight.

Anyway, I'm way late with the biweekly Brotherhood post, so here you go...

No Name Diesel Engine Leaping Lemur gets down and rocks with his "kintar."

Here's Kieran attempting his new trick, the roll-over.

Pets are great for kids. See how much Pippi and Liam love each other? (Ignore the fact that Pippi's eyeballs are bulging from being hugged.)

Kieran still loves his spoon!

Gran-Gran and Pop-Pop were up here for a few days before we went to Chicago. Here are Kieran and Pop-Pop enjoying a visit.

Two brothers together.

And my favorite picture, GG (Great-Grandma) and the boys. They all look so gorgeous! And thanks to Gran-Gran for all the pictures!

Coming soon (I think) Misadventures in Parenting "How to Potty Train a Lemur in Thirty-ish Days."

Imagine the bizarre search terms I'll be seeing from that title...

Morning Cnversation, 6:00 AM

Liam: "Mommy, why are you so grumpy?"

Me: "I guess I just don't like being up this early in the morning."

Liam: "Oh. You know what?"

Me : " What?"

Liam: "I love you. Even when you're grumpy."

Aaaaaaawwwwwwww...........

The Rest Of The Chicago Story - With Pictures

Here are the pictures I promised the other day...

Kevin and Liam spent a morning at the Chicago Children's Museum. It seems Liam's new best friend, Big Bird, came along for the ride. Actually, Big Bird was very helpful this trip - he pecked elevator buttons right and left, and also "ate" his way down Ontario Street one afternoon and trimmed away excess shrubbery.

A fun time was had playing drums.

And here's Chef No Name Diesel Engine creating a tofu stir-fry at the wok station.

We had lunch outside at the Navy Pier one day, and Liam had fun letting his little brother play with his hair.

A quick shot of the older son at lunch.

More brotherly goofing around.

The conference ended as well as it began, and I just wish it could have been a bit longer. The last morning of the conference, Kieran and I caught a cab to the Hilton. The cabbie turned out to be a recent immigrant from Somalia. He saw Kieran's Maya Wrap, and then he asked me if all the mothers at the Hilton this week were American. I told him not everyone was, but the majority were. He thought that was interesting, as apparently he'd never seen so many babies in slings outside of Africa, and he asked what the conference was about. I told him it was about breastfeeding and other aspects of raising babies and young children. He got me with this comment...

"Why do you need a conference about nursing and carrying babies? Isn't that just what you're supposed to do with them?"

Yes, sir, it is, but not everyone has that idea yet. We're working on it.

(And then I realized some parenting frustrations are universal. Our cabbie went on to ask, only half in jest, if I knew of any conferences discussing how to get five-year-olds to brush their teeth and go to bed at a reasonable hour.)

We had one extra day in Chicago, and we had the distinct pleasure of a playdate in the park with Amy, Kevin, Carter, and Archie. Amy and I have known each other on-line for almost four years, and I have always admired her parenting style, so it was exciting to finally meet in real life. The boys got to burn off some steam playing ball, the adults got to visit, and a fun time was had by all. Thanks for the meetup, you guys. I hope we can do it again next year!

We then played around at the Navy Pier a bit more, and then that night we walked up to Watertower Place and had dinner at a 50's-style diner that had the best mushroom burgers I've ever eaten.

The next morning we came home, fortunately without major problems. There was my ID issue. My wallet was never found, and my passport was safely tucked away in the safety deposit box at our bank (no, they wouldn't let anyone else in to get it, even with our permission), so I had no picture ID. When we checked in at the airport, no one even blinked an eye. It turns out you can fly without ID. You just have to be willing to go through the extensive hand search (Kevin and Amy, you two were right!) That was all kind of a relief, but Liam wasn't prepared for me to disappear for as long as that took. Kevin ended up trying to convince a crying 3-year-old to go through a separate line with him and Kieran. No one was happy until the four of us were back together again, and then all was well.

Today we've been doing the laundry and opening all our mail that accumulated during our trip. And lookee what came:

This bracelet was made by the lovely Kate as my prize for guessing how many odd socks her boys had squirreled away in their room (28). It is gorgeous - I love the color of blue, and the heart clasp - the picture does not do it justice, trust me. Thank you, Kate! It's is so pretty, and it fits perfectly.

And that is the tale of Chicago '07. I hope we get to go to Chicago again, whether it's for a conference or not, and I hope there is another La Leche League International Conference in the next few years, whether it's in Chicago or not. And next time I won't lose my wallet!

Safe Travels

We arrived in Chicago safe and sound, although I think Liam set a new record as to how many "why????" questions one child could ask in the time it takes to drive from our house to the airport. He was terrific during all the check-in and security rigamarole, even though he was obviously tired and on the verge of a meltdown....

...and in fact he collapsed shortly after take-off. He didn't even wake up for the snack service, so I know he was tired.

Kieran was awake for a lot of the trip, although he did sleep at the end. He was quite happy the whole time, though, so it was a fun flight. As we were getting off the plane one of the flight crew said to us, "You guys have great kids!"

Well, yup, we do think they're great kids, but don't you love it when the equation

1 Quiet Baby + 1 Sleeping Preschooler = 2 Great Kids

is the rule of the day?

We got a car to the hotel, got registered, and took went back to the room for a room service dinner. Both kids are sound asleep, and I think they'll be sleeping late in the morning since they are both really tired.

We had one small crisis today - my wallet got lost on the plane, which went on to LA after landing in Chicago. We called Southwest's lost and found in both Chicago and LA, but no one has turned the wallet in. If it hasn't been found by morning we'll have to replace a couple of credit cards. Of course, my driver's license was in there, so it might be interesting trying to get me back on a plane for home next week since I have no other forms of ID with me.

Oh well, there's nothing to be done about it tonight...

Tomorrow is another day - Kieran and I are going to hear Peggy O-Mara of 'Mothering' magazine fame speak, and Liam and Kevin are going to the Museum of Science and Industry, aka "The Jet Museum." It should be a fun day!

16 Weeks Of Brotherhood

Thank you to everyone for your get well wishes. I'm feeling much better, and I have a newfound respect for mastitis. I didn't quite appreciate before how it could just knock you flat, but boy howdy, it can. Thank goodness for antibiotics!

Here's the current round-up, abbreviated since I'm still trying to get some extra rest...

The boys and I have developed this ritual of going to the park every morning. This happened to be the morning I got sick. I had Kieran in the stroller as it was a bit hot for slinging.

LiamNo Name Diesel Engine on his new favorite thing, the swings.

No, I have no idea where this name came from.

Then I got sick and went to bed, taking the baby with me. Here he is contemplating whether 'tis better to chew the Wild Doggie or the thumb.

Look out world, it's a rolling baby!!

The elder son continues to inflict unfortunate fashion choices on his sibling.

And the classic brotherhood picture - look how big Kieran's getting next to his brother.

And that is it for now. I'm going back to bed. More posts to come as health and circumstances dictate.