Monkey Turned 2

My little girl turned 2 last week  2 weeks ago. (It took me a few days to get all this posted because we moved into the new house and had no internet for a few days.) I can't believe that last 2 years has gone by so quick. We had dinner and cake with my brother, his fiance, my Grandma, my mom and her boyfriend. GeoDad was away for work so we are doing another small family only birthday event after we move into the new house.

Monkey's big gift was a play kitchen, it came with dishes and some food, as well as a chef's hat and apron. Her and LB both enjoy standing at it. She loves to 'make' coffee for me

I acquired a Wilton Monkey Cake Pan over the winter and thought this was the perfect event to test it out. I made a Coconut Banana Cake (recipe here) with Chocolate coconut frosting. Monkey thought it was delicious and tried to force me to eat a second piece. We froze a portion of it to share with GeoDad in the new house.

I got Monkey's skirt finished (but not in time for her actual birthday). Here it is just before finishing the hem: 

The skirt should be down to mid shin, and the elastic in the waist can be let out about 2 inches, so I am hoping this skirt fits for quite some time because it was way more work than I though it would be when I started. 

As you can see the skirt is too long as is... I am going to do a second hem to shorten it by about 4 inches... hopefully then she will want to wear it for longer than 10 minutes.

Getting settled into the new house and new routines that hopefully have lots more sewing time.

GeoMama

Work in Progress Wednesday

Happy Wednesday
It has been a busy week so far. Both kids have stuffy noses and have rosy cheeks. Monkey is working on getting her 2 -year molars, and LB might be on his way to his first tooth. Neither has been sleeping well (so neither have GeoDad and I) which is cutting into my energy and motivation to get out of the house to exercise. On a plus side I have found a few new interesting times to sew.

Sunday I started tutoring math again for the first time in about 6 years. GeoDad and I were discussing that a bit more income would be good, and since we are staying with my mom for now, it would be possible for me to head out for an hour or two and do this. I was a math tutor in high school, and a bit during university (when my schedule allowed for it). I have always been a strong math student, and I enjoyed helping my friends with their homework, which is why I started tutoring way back then. Anyway, I was a bit rusty on Sunday and it was good that the student had a textbook. I definitely didn't remember all the formulas used in basic sequences and series, but we got through it and he was thankful.

The 2 sewing projects I have been doing are coming along very slowly. I have now basted 171 hexagons (see Hexagons in previous posts). I basted 8 at 3am a few nights ago while LB was wide awake and needing to poop. I also managed to basted 12 or 15 while he napped in my arms on Monday (this was much more tiring because I had to keep my right hand up in the air above him).

As for the cloth diaper project. It turns out I don't really enjoy sewing the elastic onto the PUL fabric. I like all the other steps and I like the outcome, but after I sew the elastic onto one cover I want to work on something else for the rest of the night. So one diaper a night seems to be my limit. I have completed 4 now. I am going to start using them, and until I have enough for a 2 day rotation, they will get washed everyday. From the looks it of it, they should fit Monkey too, I'm just not sure Monkey will lay still enough for me to do up the snaps on the front. I could also make some pull-up style ones for her, but I will get LB's done first.

In the mean time I am going to watch Monkey and LB learn to play 'together' with the tunnel in the living room.

GeoMama

Weekend Wrap-Up

Wow, Sunday again already, and its the middle of March. I thought I would get more done this week, but doing the snipping on LB's quilt took way longer than I planned. Luckily it is FINISHED!!! It has had 2 trips through the washing machine/dryer and is looking lots more raggy and feeling lots more cuddly.

LB is having fun playing with the raggy seam allowances

I have a new page on blog devoted to finished projects with more pictures of LB on his quilt. Check out  Completed Quilts on the upper tab.

I had another good week of exercise and fitness, but bad eating habits are proving to be more of a challenge to deal with.

In other random bits of my life... we set up a queen sized boxspring and mattress in the room Monkey is sleeping in. I am not sure she is ready to transition completely to a big girl bed, but we have many nights where someone ends up sitting beside her bed holding her hand and it would be nice to just be able to pull her into a bigger bed and cuddle instead.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day
GeoMama

Paper Books Vs. EReaders

Before you get started into to this post please watch Le papier ne sera jamais mort/ Paper is NOT Dead (it is a short video and it should make you laugh).

This video got me thinking about the ease of reading on my eReader (I have a Kobo if you were wondering) versus the love I have for a good solid paper book. In the 15 months since I got my Kobo, I have devoured 17 novels. I have been able to read while nursing LB, in the car on long road trips and while waiting at the doctors office. I would not have read nearly that much if I had had to lug heavy books around (I carry enough stuff with me already... it is one of the side effects of having babies and toddlers).

In my former life as a student at university and then as a field geophysicist, nothing could beat a good page turner in paper form. Between GeoDad and I, we have 6 large bins of textbooks and 3 to 4 bins of novels. We used to keep most of these on our shelves until Monkey started trying to pull textbooks off (she was about 9 months old).

"Daddy read to me about Chemistry"

Although neither GeoDad or I read much on paper anymore (it is too risky - toddlers are not kind to books), we do want to have our children love books like we do. Most of the gifts we got Monkey for her first Christmas were board books and we make a point of reading to her and LB everyday.

Book shelves on Monkey's custom dresser (Made by WoodRefined Inc.)

Living in the Yukon has also allowed us to participate in a wonderful program called Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Monkey (and now LB too) receives a book in the mail every month. Children are eligible to sign up from birth until their first birthday and the books will continue to arrive until they turn 5. That is 60 books, all for free. It is a pretty fantastic program to be part of and it is filling up our shelves in a hurry. 

So while GeoDad and I read most of our novels on eReaders, we spend a few minutes each day reading good solid paper books to the kids. If I want to read while in the tub, a $2 paper back is a much safer choice than my Kobo. And if you are lost in the woods, your paperback will make a much better firestarter (but please refrain from book burning unless it is a matter of life or death). 

In the battle of Paper book vs. eReader we have a tie at our house. What about you? Paper or electronic books?

GeoMama

My New Best Friends: Sam, Jeff, Anthony and Murray

Any other parents of small children probably know who I am talking about. For everyone else, I am talking about The Wiggles. The Wiggles are 4 Australian men who sing, dance, tell nursery rhymes, dress up in silly costumes and bring huge smiles to Monkey's face.
They have cds, dvds, tv shows, live shows, and merchandise. I bought one of their DVDs (Sing a Song of Wiggles) on iTunes and it has got us through many a cranky post-nap time. It has been nice to find something that I don't mind listening to repeatedly. Most things geared at toddlers has annoying voices/characters/songs whereas the The Wiggles DVD has mostly nursery rhymes that I remember from when I was little; much more tolerable.

I have learned some new songs to sing to the kids and Monkey has learned some sweet dance moves! She dances to a song called Joni Works with One Hammer. Here is a short video:

The only downside to listening to nursery rhymes nearly everyday is that I when I wake up in the night to tend to LB I have silly little songs stuck in my head on repeat. Small price to pay for having a much happier toddler.

Monkey is waking up so it is almost time to go hang out with my new best friends.
GeoMama

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Let me set the scene:
Sunday afternoon at Grandma's house. Grandma is vacuuming the living room. LB is on GeoMama's lap on the couch. GeoDaddy is on the loveseat finishing his coffee. Monkey is helping to push the vacuum and making vacuum like sounds 'bbbbbbbbssssssssssshhhhhhhhhh' or something like that. 

Grandma vacuums near GeoDaddy, GeoDaddy lifts his feet so she can vacuum under them. Grandma vacuums near GeoMama, GeoMama lifts her feet so Grandma can vacuum under them. 

Monkey runs around. Grandma gets near Monkey with the vacuum. Monkey sits down on the floor and lifts her feet so Grandma can vacuum under them. 

This reminded me how much children learn from watching the world around them. Monkey was keen to start using her potty because she watched me using the toilet. She went through a faze where we had to trade forks at dinner because she wanted to use mine. She wants a travel mug (of water) in the morning while GeoDaddy and I drink coffee. She wants to put diapers on her stuffed animals, and wants wet wipes when she changes them. When the dogs barks outside she runs to patio door and bangs on it, wagging her finger at them . Back at home if we let her into the fridge she would open the crisper drawer to get peas out, then try to push it shut with her foot, just like she has seen us do countless times.

Today was just a healthy reminder to keep what I do to things that I wouldn't mind seeing repeated in public by Monkey (and eventually LB) and to model behavior that I want them to repeat.

GeoMama

Spoons

There are so many actions that we do every day as adults that we take for granted. We walk, we stand, we sit, we drink from a cup and use spoons and forks to feed ourselves. All these skills we learn in our first couple years of life.

It is not just as simple as picking up a spoon and eating from it. Babies must learn to swallow things other than milk or formula. Not an easy task. Once they learn how to swallow, they can gradually move to foods that are thicker, pureed veggies and fruit. Then chunky foods, and maybe some easy to chew and dissolving things like rice crackers or arrowroot cookies. But still they lack the motor skills to effectively feed themselves with a spoon.

Anyway, this week LB took his first sips of rice cereal off a spoon. Most of the cereal ended up on his bib, or chin, but a little bit was swallowed. The second day more than on the first day. Its a big step towards growing into a busy toddler like Monkey.

Monkey has been eating off a spoon for 15 months now. She doesn't need my help anymore, but hasn't completely mastered it. I know she will with time, you don't see many adults that dirty after a bowl of yogurt.

LB's first day eating off a spoon

Monkey 15 months of eating off a spoon. Clearly she has not mastered it.

So while spoons may look like the simplest of utensils, remember that we all started out not having a clue how they worked. 

I need to go make sure I have some clean wash cloths before I feed the kiddlets again.

GeoMama

Jumperoo

I didn't feel it was scientifically accurate to state an equation until I had more than one case study. Luckily LB is ready for the Jumperoo now.

LB at 5.5 Months 5:30 in the morning

Monkey at 8 months (1 year ago)

So here is my Jumperoo Theory:

Fussy Baby + Jumperoo = Happy Baby + Very Poopy Diaper

So Happy. So Poopy.

It is hard to be mad that you are up at 5:30 when these are the smiles you get.

Off to try and get some stuff done before the first early nap of the day and before Monkey gets up

GeoMama