Capturing our adventures one photo at a time...
Happy Tuesday! On the boys’ first day of school, I mentioned I had also taken some pics of them on the front porch with my big camera. Well, just now getting around to sharing them…
Stinkers. I sure do love them and am so happy they’re loving school so far!
On Sunday Maxwell decided he wanted to give his new bike a little test ride. So, we took him out in the alley behind the house and went for a quick little spin. He was pretty trepidatious at first but warmed up and did great….on what was a VERY short trip! 🙂 But, it was a great first start and I see many afternoons of bike riding in his future!
One loop down and back and that was enough for day one!
“Phew. My head is sweaty, Momma.”
Go Speed Racer!
Both boys had a GREAT first day of school! I took some pics on the front porch with my big camera that I’ll get up later but here’s the day with the iPhone…
Attempted photos inside…
Attempted photos outside…
And the one that seemed to be the best (despite Maxwell’s kinda funny face) and was shared on IG and FB…
We dropped Spencer off first in the Older Toddlers class with Ms. Alice. He was so excited to be in his new room with so many new toys. Maxwell was even excited about Spencer’s new room because they had a TOY KITCHEN (which is the #1 item on his Christmas list this year btw). Happily, Spencer got distracted by some toys and Maxwell and I were able to slip out without him noticing or crying. Yay!
I walked Maxwell over to his new room, the 3 year old class with Ms. Kathy, and he just marched right in like a big boy! Lila was already there and he immediately took a seat next to her and could not have been happier.
He was surrounded by girls which he’s going to have to get used to this year! 🙂
I stood out in the hall for a few minutes waiting on a friend to go to the Parent Meeting and Maxwell saw me and just gave me the cutest little thumbs up. Sweet boy.
Later that day, the school sent me this pic of Spencer playing away in his class. He clearly liked the TOY KITCHEN too – check out the pot holder on one hand and pot stirring with the other! ha!
Btw, that’s not his lunch in front of him but if he wanted to eat some of those apples and carrots that would be fine with me. 🙂
Later that day when I went and picked them up (my FAVORITE part of the week), both came running up to me with big smiles on their faces. A GREAT day was had by both boys.
Here’s to a FANTASTIC start to what I’m sure will be a FANTASTIC year!
We did it. We pulled the paci plug. And it has been just as easy as it was with Maxwell. Hooray!
Spencer is slowly (very slowly) but surely improving on his talking, but he still has a long way to go. Even though he would only get his puppy paci during nap and night time, he would inevitably end up with it in his mouth at other times during the day. Either he would go pull it out of his bed or we would reflexively give it to him when he was mad, sad, hurt, etc. Every time there was a paci in his mouth, that was just one less time he was going to talk. So, we decided it was time to snip that paci of that puppy’s head!
Maxwell’s beloved NeNe was (is) a Pacimal and I really like how easy it was to take the pacifiers off of those. Spencer’s puppy however is a Wubanub and the paci is sewn in. The only way to get it off is to cut it and you’re still left with a little sliver of rubber on the stuffed animal. Not perfect but it doesn’t seem to be bother Spencey.
We cut it off last week on Friday and gave it to him before bed. He was confused and just kept looking at it saying “Uh oh!”.
He then decided to just stick the puppy’s whole nose into his mouth! ha!
He did cry a bit that night and during nap the next 2 days, but, overall he’s adjusted like a champ. Puppy was the only paci anywhere in the house that he ever got so it was one and done. When I woke him up from his nap on Monday at 5:15 (!) I loved seeing him snuggling with Puppy up against his face…paci or not!
Of course his monkey blanket was right next to him too.
The best part is to now hear him on the monitor practicing sounds and words while he’s laying in bed at night and in the morning. We used to only hear the sucking on the pacifier! Paci gone, let’s get this boy talking!!
ps – after adding the links it looks like Pacimals are no longer being made? what?! I might need to stock up for baby #3 before they’re all gone!
Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend!
I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about swim lessons yet because Maxwell has been taking them for almost a year! Whoa! I think he started last August doing private lessons once a week with Coach Rafael up at the JCC. It’s been great and, slowly but surely, he’s learned to swim. Here’s a few pics from the past 10 months…
Can you see the terror in his face here? 🙁
Thankfully he more often looks like this in the water!
Always with orange goggles, of course!
He’s been learning proper strokes and doing great.
We love Coach Rafael.
A few months in, Rafael moved him into a group class with 2 other little boys, Mercer and Wyatt. It was a great push for him and I think he really enjoyed swimming with friends.
Earlier this month, we started Spencer on swim lessons too. The first lesson was a little rough, as to be expected. He didn’t cry the whole time but he didn’t exactly love it either.
Rafael then thought it might be good for Spencer to actually do the boys’ lesson together. Fine with me! I think they love getting to be in the pool together and it doesn’t seem to be slowing Maxwell down at all.
Butterfly!
I know there are a million ways to learn to swim, but this “slow and steady” approach has been good for us. I’m just viewing the swim lessons as our one activity right now, like dance/gymnastics/karate. We go once a week for 30 minutes and Maxwell has gone from full floaties to jumping off the side and swimming with no floaties at all! He can even do the backstroke and is learning the butterfly! I’m sure Spencer will be right there with him in no time.
So proud of my little swimmers!
ps – swim day is always a favorite because every Thursday after their lesson, the boys get to go to their favorite for lunch – Moe’s!
pps – I also have about 100 swimming videos fron the past 10 months if anyone is interested! Thinking they might be the kind of thing only a Momma can love….well, a Momma and a Dad/GJ/Susan! 🙂