Raging Waves waterpark

Mothers & More planned a family day at Raging Waves waterpark in Yorkville.  Raj and I were just $12 each, Shawn was $7, and Lilly was free! That included all day admission and a picnic lunch (Lilly shared ours). It was a great deal! Regular admission would have been $30 for Raj and me (each), $20 for Shawn, and Lilly still would've been free. Mothers & More ordered picnic lunches from Jersey Mikes in advance: Original Italian sub for Raj, the American Classic sub for Shawn, and a turkey & provolone sub for me, chips, cookies, pickles, and sodas (though they disappeared before we got any). 

(Cheeeeeese!)

Unfortunately, there was a bit of a bug problem back at home and Raj didn't feel comfortable leaving them until we got back. So he stayed behind while I got the kids out of the way.

We could've arrived as early as 10 AM, when the park opened, but we ended up getting there around 12:30 instead. We started with the picnic, walked around to get the lay of the land, dabbled our toes in a kiddie area and then watched a cheesy diving/trampoline/comedy show, Sinbad and the Search for the Golden Pineapple.

"Join Sinbad and his band of Gold Seekers on the search for the fabled Golden Pineapple.  After finding the Book of Knowledge, they sail towards a mysterious island – diving for treasure along the way.  After arriving, Sinbad has to make repairs to the ship while slapstick comedy ensues when a crew member falls into the water.  Sinbad and his crew then follow with amazing dives from 3, 5 and 10 meter platforms.

After the pandemonium subsides, the only person who can see the Golden Pineapple is the crew member on the 80 foot platform."

Though we didn't do any stunts like Sinbad or his crew, we had a lot of fun at Kangaroo Falls.

"Kids will love this Aussie-themed area filled with slides, water cannons, rope bridges, and water hoses. Whether its your child’s first or fiftieth trip to Raging Waves, they will be ecstatic when the bell goes off signaling the tipping of the giant dumping bucket! There is one thing for sure, YOU WILL GET WET."

(Shawn's in blue, scoping it out in the far left corner)
This was one of Shawn's favorite areas. He was thrilled that he was tall enough to ride all 5 of the slides in this mini-park. I was shocked that the giant bucket of water that splashed down every 10 minutes or so didn't turn him off completely, but it actually got him really excited trying to 'beat it' by jumping into a covered slide just at the right moment.

He even went in farther than I expected him to go, with me within arm's reach, of course. The farther into the pool you went, the deeper it got and the bigger the waves grew. We got in far enough that Shawn had to jump when waves came toward him in order to keep his head above water, but otherwise, he could still reach the bottom easily.

(Yup, you WILL get wet when that bucket dumps out!)
Lilly had fun splashing in a series of troughs that emptied into each other and I helped her down a small slide a few times. (I thought the water here was a bit chilly!)

We spent a couple of minutes in Koala Kove.
"A wading pool featuring tipping toucans sets the scene for those young ones making their first trip to a waterpark.  When your child is ready to try something a little more challenging, two kid-sized slides await where you can meet them on the bottom!" We were there just long enough for Shawn to go down both slides, but there were too many other exciting things to do! Lilly wasn't overly impressed by the wading pool or the bubblers and sprayers in this area.

Lilly and I liked Kookaburra Kreek and, while it might not have been his favorite of the day, I think Shawn did too (except for when he somehow flipped his inner tube and he thought he was trapped under it for a split second).
"Enjoy the relaxation of the slow current of Kookaburra Kreek, our quarter mile long lazy river.  Float on a single or double tube,  enjoy the warm weather and blue skies straight above you."

I was surprised how much Shawn enjoyed the Great Barrier Reef Wave Pool.

He even went in farther than I expected him to go, with me within arm's reach, of course. The farther into the pool you went, the deeper it got and the bigger the waves grew. We got in far enough that Shawn had to jump when waves came toward him in order to keep his head above water, but otherwise, he could still reach the bottom easily. 

(Check out the waves behind us!)
Lilly clung to me pretty tightly the whole time. I managed to pull a couple of giggles out of her in the very shallow end by lifting her up and down (just to her waist deep) over and over again. She splashed and kicked the water a little at the very edge.
"Crikey! Surf the raging waves at this 25,000 square foot wave pool! Big kids can travel to deeper depths for more wave action, while little ones can stay at shallower depths and enjoy the waves reaching kid-size heights."

It was too bad that Raj didn't make it out with us, but we found out his ticket it good until Sept 1. So, we may go back next Sunday so he can have fun with us. Then Shawn can go on some of the slides that I couldn't take him on today since I had Lilly, too.

Exploration & Adventure

Today we went on a Mom & Tot outing with Mothers & More to Exploration Adventure at Odyssey Fun World.  Because our outing was during the school day, the building was a little tricky to find, and it was bitterly cold and snowy out, our group was the only people in the entire place! We barely even saw any employees! (And we didn't need to pay for it to be a private party!) It was great! (Story with pictures)

“The Exploration Adventure is a 4-story tall, soft-play structure designed for children between 1 - 10 years of age. Each structure is unique; however, they all encompass traditional ball pits, slides, tunnels, mazes, and more!"

Shawn said, "It was too fun! I couldn't stop playing in it!" His favorite parts were the ball pits, a motorcycle ride (that I didn't get tokens for, but he pretended anyway), and going way up high to the top of the towers. Shawn even helped "rescue" a few of the younger kids who got stuck in the high structures and couldn't figure out how to get back down. Afterwards, he proudly announced "Mission accomplished!" Shawn and some of the other preschool aged boys even had fun playing in the baby area, which wasn't supposed to be for big kids, but as long as there weren't any babies using the area, we said it was okay. There was a tree house and creatures like dinosaurs, a frog, and an alligator to climb on. Lilly had fun exploring a ball pit and the babies' area, too.

Our Mothers & More friends had to leave to get older siblings from school, for nap times, or simply because they had been there long enough. So Shawn, Lilly, and I were the only ones left. Though I kept trying to talk Shawn into leaving to get a snack, he was having too much fun playing! I thought it was a bit eerie to be the only ones in the entire play center, but I will admit it was also nice not to have to compete with anyone for space or listen to the extra noise.

It was a fun day!

But why isn't Shawn tired?!?!?

MOM Resale extravaganza

I was up until about 2 AM tagging clothes and things to sell at mothers and more resale.  I volunteered for the first time last spring, but I've shopped for many seasons. (Each year, we hold a spring/summer sale in March and a fall/winter sale in September.)  My pack rat side was having panic attacks and convulsions at the idea of selling Shawn and Lilly's baby things, but once I got on the roll, it felt pretty good to let go of a *few* things. I did allow myself to keep a few things off to the side until I can let go of more. I have noticed during past sales that some members get very stressed out about tagging, getting everything done, using all of their tags, etc. in time for the sale. Instead, I shared a seller's spot with another member and only used a handful of her tags that she wasn't going to use. I was proud of (& nervous about) tagging anything, so I simply tagged until I ran out of time and then I was done. The fact that I was able to sell anything is an accomplishment, I think. I'm sure next season I'll be able to tag more items, and feel more comfortable with letting go.

One of the perks of the resale, besides getting rid of stuff and making a little cash, I also volunteered over 16 hours in the three days. This gave me special privileges to shop earlier than most people and much earlier than the general public.

I did some awesome shopping! Lilly has a few boxes of things from Freecycle and borrowed things from Abby, so I tried hard to stay away from the infant girls section of the clothes. Instead, I stocked up on a new winter wardrobe for Shawn.  He had asked me to keep an eye out for an Ironman costume for Halloween - score! I hope it's not too big for him and I need to find a mask or something to go with it, but he was thrilled when I told him I got it. I looked for a mini superhero costume for Lilly, but found an adorable sweet pea costume instead. I hope she doesn't grow too much before Halloween so she can still fit into it! Luckily, both costumes were so cheap that if there is a change in plans, it is no big deal. I can always resell them next fall.

Shawn had a lot of fun while I was volunteering. After school on Thursday, he had a play date at Abby's house until Daddy picked him up after work. On Friday, he went home from school with Xander and had an incredible playdate going to Kid Town play center and Portillo's for lunch. When they were done they delivered him to me at the resale building. There were not supposed to be any children in the building while we were setting everything up, but I found an out of the way place for Shawn to sit.  He waited very patiently for me to finish my shift. He was sitting at a table near our kitchen/break room and I gave him a few snacks and told him I would check on him every once in a while. While I was gone another member kindly refilled some snacks for him. When I came back to check on him, he excitedly reported that a "chef" came out to give him more food! (Certain volunteers wore aprons to designate that they held certain positions.) He felt very privileged to be the only kid in the building and soaked up the attention he was getting from the other volunteers. I had him help me check out the things that I was buying and then help me carry things to the car. He was thrilled by the glimpses of treasures he saw. (I just hope I can hide some things away for the holidays, rather than have him dive in to it all at once.) I brought him home to have another Boys' Night with Daddy while I volunteered a few more hours.

Saturday, we stayed home in the morning, but when Raj got home from work, he and Shawn had more boys' time while Lilly and I went back to volunteering for the last day of the resale. Lilly and I put in a lot of hours, but it was incredible to see each phase of the event unfold from an empty building to a fully functioning consignment shop to a distribution center (to return unsold items to sellers or to a donation collection) and then back to an empty building.

The totals still need to be figured, but at the end of the day, we estimated a gross income of $75,630.07, which is $3000 more than last fall! We had 859 shoppers who paid $1 admission in the morning, 1056 total shoppers in the morning (some had free entrance coupons), and 425 shoppers in the afternoon.
W. O. W!

Mommy tummy-and-head aches

While Shawn was in school, Lilly and I spent the gray and rainy morning at the DMV to renew my license. The woman verifying my information definitely fit the stereotype if the people who work at DMVs. My name, address, hair color, eye color, voter registration, willingness to be an organ donor - all the same. But, she gave me a doubtful look when she asked if my weight was accurate.

Gee.  Thanks.

I also had to take the  written test. ugh. (At least I didn't have to do the driving test!) It turned out not to be so bad. I was in and out in less than an hour! Now, I don't need to go back to that oh-so-joyful place until 2017, which is still too soon!

Since Lilly was born, people have been asking how Shawn's doing with her. He has been GREAT - with her! But he has occasionally been really difficult with Raj and me. Screaming. Hitting. Kicking. It doesn't happen often but any of it is too much!

Today was particularly bad. He had a full blown tantrum this morning almost as soon as he woke up. (This was after 12+ hours of sleep, so I don't think tiredness was an issue.) Later, he fell asleep immediately after school, so I thought he could start the day over when he woke up. The first five minutes when he woke up were great, but then he fell apart again and the rest of the afternoon was disastrous.

I got a break this evening because Lilly and I went to a Mothers & More board meeting. But, Raj walked into a war zone when he came home from work. As I was walking out the door, Shawn hit him  in the face!

What. A. Day.

(As I was buckling Lilly into her car seat to leave, Shawn came up to me with the sweetest look in his face and asked, "Can I come with you too? " WHAT?!? Are you kidding me?? NO!!)

The M&M meeting was the perfect break I needed. Other than needing to be fed when we first got there & then needing a diaper change a little while later, Lilly slept the whole time. She happily (sleepily) went from lap to lap of the other moms who needed a 'baby fix.' And, I had a jumbo chunk chocolate chip cookie for dinner. Life was starting to look better.

Lilly all girly-girled for her first Mothers and More meeting

Since we were at Starbucks, our meeting had to end at 10 o'clock, when they closed. We still hung around and chatted for a while, but eventually they kicked us out. Honestly, I was a little scared to come home and find out how the rest of the evening went with Shawn. When I did get home, Raj said that Shawn spent the first 20 minutes or so sitting and thinking in Time Out (much longer than typical sessions), but after that he was fine and the rest of the evening was calm and back to normal.  Thank goodness!

When I came upstairs to get ready for bed, a little voice from the darkness called out, "I didn't know you were home, Mom!" I handed Lilly to Raj, since he had not seen her all day, and ran into Shawn's room for goodnight hugs and kisses. My sweet little boy was back.

Since he had a very long nap after school earlier that afternoon, he was still wide awake. We took some time to chat about his evening with Daddy. He told me he wanted to get me my very own toolbox for my birthday, so we could all have our own sets. He told me that he and Daddy made mac 'n cheese with shell noodles. I explained to him how much I enjoyed snuggling and cuddling and talking with him like this, rather than how we spent the rest of the day together. I also told him that the problems we were having earlier made me feel badly and gave me tummy aches and headaches, but spending time together like this made me feel happy and I was warm and fuzzy inside. Even in the darkness I could see his big smile.

And magically,  the rest of the day was erased.

I've been prepared for Shawn to show some sort of regression since Lilly was born. A backslide in potty training, comments about giving Lilly back to the hospital (I have heard that is a common one), acting babyish - that kind of thing. But, he really has been great in all aspects related to her. I think he's very proud to be her big brother. Meanwhile, I have completely missed what he's actually doing. Days like this are probably his way of demanding attention. When he had Raj all to himself in the evening, he was fine. When we were chatting one on one in his bed, he was adorable.

So, I think I may have finally figured it out. (Something about not seeing the forest for the trees?)  I need to make more of an effort to give Shawn undivided attention. Duh!

Mom & Tot Wore 'Em Out!

We had a Mom & Tot Outing with our Mothers & More friends this morning.  It was simply free play time in a multi-purpose room in a church basement, but the kids had a great time with friends they don’t see often, different toys, and a new location.  There were cones set up for an indoor-obstacle course, a plethora of balls to shoot hoops (or whatever), a variety of tricycles, scooters, and cozy coupes, as well as a variety of other toys (a pretend grill, cash register, gas pump, grocery carts…) to encourage interactive play. There was also a craft project for kids to do, as well as a light snack for the kids.  I was shocked that Abby wasn’t interested in doing the craft project (it was just decorating cut-out hearts with markers and stickers), but she was much too busy playing to want to sit at the table.  She did manage to snag a sticker heart before we left, so that made her happy.  Shawn’s lack of interest in the project didn’t surprise me at all.  I knew he wouldn’t want to tear away from the toys.  Some friends from the playgroup invited us to join them at All Aboard Diner for lunch – how could we turn that down?!  On the way home, both Shawn and Abby fell asleep. 

My FaceBook post:

   A fun and playful morning with Mothers & More friends+ exciting meal at All Aboard Diner+ Full bellies+ Cozy winter coats+ Car ride in the warm sun= Not a fighting chance!

I was able to pick up Freecycled coupons for K-cups for my new Keurig and then across town to Raj’s Wood Dale office to pick up a giant box that he needed to take to his Bartlett office, but couldn’t fit into his own car.  The whole time, the kids were sound asleep.  They eventually woke while I was telling Bill about our day when he came to pick up Abby.  She’ll be well rested for fun a night with her Papa Rock, but I’m a little nervous about how late Shawn will be up tonight (and Raj has a late meeting, so I’m on my own to wear him out)!

A Sick Day - Abby's Turn

Abby hasn’t been feeling well the past few days, so this morning, when she still wasn’t feeling well and her fever returned, Bill decided to keep her home.  We have nothing on the schedule today, so I let Shawn sleep in and wake on his own.  He’s still getting over the tail end of his icky-ness from last week too, so I figured that the extra sleep would be good for him.  (As Oma reminded me, “He is his mother’s son, afterall!”  We do love our sleep… in the mornings, at least!)

Once he did wake up, Shawn met me at the top of the stairs with a big smile.  Nice!  I like those kinds of wake-ups!  After I helped him change out of his clothes from yesterday that he fell asleep in and into fresh clothes, I asked him what he’d like for breakfast.  “Eggs!  …and yogurt!”  That was easy.  We shared a double egg omelet, though I would’ve preferred to add cheese or something to it he politely requested, “Just eggs, please.”  Afterwards, Shawn helped me clear the table.  Then, while I was emptying the dishwasher, he helped me by sorting and putting away the clean silverware.  When he was done, he gave me a hug for being such a good helper!  (I'm not sure what I said to get him so excited about sorting silverware, but I hope I can remember it for next time!)

 

A little later, we tracked Oma down at work via Skype and chatted for a little while.  We wouldn’t want her to accomplish too much in one day!  We also figured out how to add email subscriptions to our blogs.  This will definitely help me stay on top of the news from the Barony and the NJ Hardwicks (if we can get her to join the bandwagon) better. 

During lunch, Grandma Fanny showed up at our doorstep unexpectedly.  In her very broken (yet improving) English, she explained that her passport issues were finally resolved and that she was on her way to O’Hare Airport hoping to try to get on a stand-by flight back home to Hong Kong.  Needless to say, she wouldn’t be coming over for our English lessons anymore, as long as she could get on a flight.  (This summer, she was planning a trip to meet some friends in Toronto.  The night before her flight, her daughter was helping her get ready and realized that they had let her passport expire – by. ONE. day.  So, she couldn’t go on her trip.  For the past three or four months, her family has been trying to get her passport fixed.  The winters here are very hard on her, there’s a big family wedding back in Hong Kong coming up, and her husband, who she hasn’t seen almost a year, is still in Hong Kong. She got her new passport today, and she’s very excited to be able to go home again.)  We gave each other a big hug and I wished her a safe trip home.  Though I don’t think she understood the words I was saying, I’m sure she understood the idea.  She turned around and hurried back to her daughter’s house two doors down from us. 

I’ll miss our twice weekly sessions, deciphering her attempts to tell me a story in English, trying to explain certain spelling patterns or grammar rules in as simple and basic language as I can manage, and (mostly) interacting with a student who is so incredibly motivated to learn something that is challenging (ahem - foreign!) to her.  I’ve had a lot of fun dabbling into teaching / tutoring again and I feel like I’ve actually been able to use some of the things from my Reading Specialist program, which I haven’t needed a whole lot in the past year.  I’m happy that she finally gets to go home again, but I’m sad to see her go.

A few minutes later, our doorbell rang again!  Grandma Fanny came back just to give Shawn a pack of his favorite orange flavored yogurt drinks that she picks up for him each time she shops in Chinatown.  They’re the perfect size for little hands and little mouths.  He loves to guzzle them down and since they’re small servings, I don’t mind too much that they’re really mostly sugar.  After I thanked her profusely for being so thoughtful and generous, I was able smuggle the drinks into the refrigerator without Shawn seeing them.  They’ll be a nice surprise for dessert or something later.  I'll need to ration them out, since we won't be getting any more!

When Shawn started to slow down at lunch time, I asked him if he wanted to finish lunch or if it was time for his nap.  The first time I asked him, he said he wanted more lunch.  The second time I asked him, he admitted he was ready for a nap.  WOAH!  I think this is a first!  I can’t think of a time he’s ever been ‘ready’ for a nap or bedtime!  Put this day on the calendar!

While he napped, I intended to accomplish a list of jobs around the house.  Instead, I emailed more with Oma, Skyped with Jennifer and Jonathan, and blogged a bit.  Before I knew it, hours had past and I heard Shawn rattling his doorknob, announcing that he was awake.  Darn!  Well, maybe I’ll get to those things later!

After a bit of play time together, we went to Staples to pick up a few supplies for a gift certificate that I made for Mothers & More.  We are contributing to two new mom gift baskets that will be put into a silent raffle.  I’ve created a glossy card that opens to reveal a free year membership to our chapter.  I also wanted to attach our business card to the inside, but I didn’t want to be permanently affixed.  That’s what led me to Staples, in search of temporary, repositionable glue or tape or something.  Luckily, I found some!  The dispenser looks like white-out tape, but it basically turns paper into Post-It notes!  Now, our business card is inside the card and won’t fall out, but can be removed without destroying it or the gift certificate.  Perfect!

We also stopped at Costco before meeting Raj at home for dinner.  At the end of the day, I didn’t get done nearly as much as I had hoped (especially for having only one child and no scheduled events today), but now that I see it all in writing, I guess it wasn’t a total blow-off of a day!

I got a text from Shelley saying that they took Abby to the doctor, had a throat culture, but everything is clear – even her ears.  She just has a cold.  That’s great news.  Therefore, she’ll be back with us tomorrow!  Shawn will be very happy to see her again.

Party 'Till We Drop!

Shawn completely lacked confidence during his swimming lesson today. He clung to me, the wall, or any floating device he could reach – practically white-knuckled. I’m not sure why. Ms. Becca and I agreed, since there’s only one class left in this session, Shawn needs another round of practice at this level, then we could revisit moving him up. Even though there are kids at the Pike level who can’t do some of the things that he can do already, because he’s so young, the director has higher expectations of him in order to move up. Oh, well. I’m disappointed, but I understand, especially after his ‘off’ day today. Another session of Pike with Parent certainly won’t hurt!
After class, we dropped Baron off for grooming. I made beer bread and spinach and artichoke dip (both from Tastefully Simple boxes) for a Mothers & More party this evening. While Shawn finished lunch with Raj, I picked up Baron from grooming. (They got out lots of his shedding fur out of his coat – phew! The fur balls he’s been leaving on the floor were big enough to sprout their own legs!)

I quickly showered and got ready for the Gymboree Pumpkin Patch Party, the first festivity of the evening. Shawn wore the Dalmatian costume that he picked out from the Mothers & More resale. (He’s been reminding us that he didn’t want the lion costume that I showed him that day because he liked the ‘Dalmatian Dog’ better – how does he remember this stuff?!)

At the Pumpkin Patch Party, we saw our friends Andrew (the cow), Alex (the pirate), and a few other faces that we recognized from various classes, but most of the attendees were pretty young in comparison to Shawn. (Probably because the party took place in the late afternoon, so little ones with early bed-times could come to this one.) There were a lot of really cute costumes, including three Tiggers, a Pooh Bear, a dragon, a catepillar, a fire fighter, a lion... the list goes on and on!  Not surprisingly, a few parents (and even a teacher) asked where Abby was and how odd it was to see us without her. We sang songs modified for the Halloween season. Even though the equipment was still set up in the same configuration as the ‘Animals in the Zoo’ theme from last week, they re-named each station to be associated with the holiday and season. We visited an arts and crafts table where Shawn decorated a foam pumpkin and Raj decorated a real one. A little later, we came back to the same room for Halloween cookies and water. On the way out, we said our thank-yous and good-byes to the teachers, who then gave us the rest of the party balloons to take to our next shin-dig!

Then, we headed out to Naperville to the DuPage Children’s Museum for a Mothers & More Fall Family party. We got there an hour early, so we visited a park around the corner to kill the time. It was a little odd having our little Dalmatian running around the playground, but it was a nice day to be outside and his costume kept him warm.

Once the party started, we had the whole place to ourselves. Shawn remembered being at the museum with Oma and with his friend Anna before. (Again, his memory amazes me!) It was fun to show Raj around to the different exhibits, since he’d never been there before. Shawn had no trouble jumping right in to all of the hands-on play-learning. Since it was a private event and we didn’t have to battle the crowds of kids who are normally there, we got to play in the bubbles area and work in the carpentry/handyman room, which we’ve never had a chance to do before. (Raj commented how fun it would be to host Shawn's next birthday there, but was disappointed when I told him that it wouldn't be a totally private event like this was.  We may still look into what a party would entail and if it's even possible, private or not.)  The kids lined up for a costume parade, which zig-zagged around the main floor. (Yet again, we never made it to the other floors, but I heard that there’s not much there and what is there is more directed towards older kids.)

It was a lot of fun. Even without a nap, Shawn did amazingly well. While we were refueling in the snack room, Shawn finally hit the wall. Raj and I joked about him falling asleep before we would get out of the parking lot, but Shawn even beat us to that! He fell asleep before we got out of the museum (~8:00 pm)!

Like last weekend, I wasn’t able to transfer Shawn to bed as smoothly as I had hoped, but since he woke up, I was able to change him from a Dalmatian back into a boy (wearing pajamas). He had a hard time settling down for the night and woke up a few times upset and screaming, but each time, he was later able to tell me, “I’m okay now, Momma.” When he was finally able to fall asleep for the night, it was still just about 9:30 pm.

I’m starting to wonder if we should cut out naps in order to get the early bedtime… 8:00 pm is much more reasonable than 11:00 pm!

An Adventure to Sonny Acre Farm

Spanish class focused on body parts.  Our friend, Gavin, wasn’t in class again, but a little girl, named Mia, joined us for the first time.  (I’m not sure if she’s in our class now or if it was just a one time deal.)  Shawn loves the opening song, Buenos Dias, Amigos!  Though he only chimes in to reply, “Muy Bien!” he does it with gusto!  Abby sang along with the ending song Hasta Luego, Amigos! including hand motions, of course!  Our project was simply a coloring sheet, but we had more fun singing and dancing to Mi cuerpo hace música / My Body Makes Music:

Mi cuerpo hace música (track 10, Around the World with Language Stars) Mi cuerpo, mi cuerpo hace música. (2x) ¡Mis manos hacen clap, clap, clap! (2x) ¡Mis pies hacen tomp, tomp, tomp! (2x) ¡Mi boca hace la, la, la! (2x) ¡Mi cuerpo hace cha, cha, cha! (2x)

My Body Makes Music (track 10, Around the World with Language Stars) My body, my body makes music. (2x) My hands go clap, clap, clap! (2x) My feet go stomp, stomp, stomp! (2x) My mouth goes la, la, la! (2x) My body goes cha, cha, cha! (2x)

After class, we headed for an adventure in West Chicago at Sonny Acres Farm with Mothers & More for a Mom and Tot Outing.  The newsletter said:

Let's enjoy the day at the pumpkin farm. At Sonny Acres you'll find everything relating to Halloween, fall and harvest time - including huge mounds of pumpkins! They also have hay rides, haunted barn, amusement rides, pony rides, and a Kiddie Koral where little ones can run and play.

What a day for an outing!  It was 80°F without a cloud in sight!  (This is October, right?  In Chicago?  Really?)  We met the other moms and kids in the Kiddie Koral.  It was a fenced in area with lots of things to explore: tunnels, a tractor, slides, fun Halloween props…

When we left the Koral, Shawn and Abby were drawn to some rabbits, chickens, goats, sheep, ducks, and llama (or is that an alpaca??  I really don’t know.)

Suddenly, they realized there was a mini-train ride right behind them and the animals were no longer exciting enough!  I restocked my supply of tickets and they eagerly hopped aboard.  …Until it started moving, then Abby didn’t think it was such a great idea anymore.  She finished her ride, but was sure to be the first to get off.  On the other hand, Shawn loved every moment of the ride and would have stayed on all afternoon if he could have!

After revisiting the animals, we went on a 15-20 minute wagon ride pulled by a tractor through a ‘haunted’ forest.  Though it was set up to be scary for nighttime visitors, in broad daylight, without spooky sounds, lights, or animatronics, it was perfectly suitable for little ones.  They even had child-friendly characters hidden among the ghosts, goblins, and skeletons, like a cardboard cut-out of Big Bird perched in a tree!

 We finished our outing wandering through rows and mounds of pumpkins.

It was a great way to spend the day!  When we got home, Shelley was home early from work.  So, Shawn and I said goodbye to Abby and headed off to a well deserved naptime.

All day long, Shawn was having a pants problem kind of day.  Not just pants, but a pull-ups problem too!  Every few minutes I’d notice that he was imitating a plumber!  Oy!  A very (overly) concerned (read: nosey) mom from our group actually asked me if I’d stopped dressing Shawn in diapers when she saw his pants slipping down.  I tried to explain that we’re potty training and done with diapers, but that he wears pull-up type diapers when he sleeps and when we leave the house.  When he’s running around as much as he was this afternoon, his little wiggly waist just doesn’t have enough girth to keep the darn things up very long.  And, when we’re at home, it’s even more of a struggle with underwear… but there’s rarely an audience there, so it’s not a big deal.  And, really, is a little toddler butt that big of a deal anyway?  Who doesn’t like toddler butt??!?!

Speaking of potty training, Shawn filled out another Potty Paper with stickers this afternoon.  He pulled an ice cream truck out of the toy surprise bag.  It’s fun to watch him pick his surprise toy because he knows he’s not supposed to look inside and can only put a hand in.  (I’ll try to remember to catch it on video next time.)  Since he’s not familiar with what an ice cream truck is, I tried explaining it to him, but realized it’s something that’s better seen in person to really understand.  Oh, well.  It’s a new truck to add to his fleet.

Note:  Steve Jobs, of Apple Computers, succumbed to pancreatic cancer today.  It’s interesting to hear, read, and see people’s reactions to the passing of such an influential man.

April Fools!

Hmm… was that today?  No jokes or pranks or anything exciting happened.  I’m quite okay with that!  Maybe when the kids get older, it could be fun to do something for April Fools, but I don’t think they’d really understand it yet.  Again, I’m fine with that!

In the morning, Abby, Shawn, and I went to a Mothers & More  Toddler/Preschool Playgroup at one of the moms’ houses.  As we were getting ready to head over there, I caught Abby and Shawn on camera demonstrating their fantastic climbing ability.  When did they get so independent?

After the playgroup, we went to Gymboree for Family Gym.  There was a farm theme, which was pretty cute.  The kids pretended to be pigs and roll in ‘mud’ as they rolled down ramps and they put ‘hay in the cows’ troughs’ by putting scarves inside an inner-tube.  There were lots of activities, including a story, that Shawn and Abby really got into.  Of course, Abby’s favorite was riding the rocking horse and shouting, “Neigh!  Neigh!  Neigh!”

It was a busy day!  Full of excitement and (as my sister, Jennifer, would call it) adventures.  Unfortunately, Shawn wouldn’t unwind enough for a nap while Abby slept, but wasn’t acting cranky either, so he and I played quietly on our own.  However, after she went home and I explained that we couldn’t play with her anymore and that we needed to go to the grocery store, Shawn got very upset and demanded, “I want to play with Abby!  No grocery store!”  Then, he quickly fell asleep in the car on the way to Target.  Of course!  I was sure he’d wake up while I was getting him out of his car seat, but, luckily, he even stayed asleep while I did some quick shopping.  The cashier, who gushed when she saw him sleeping on my shoulder, asked if he’d stay asleep now for the night.  Doubtful, though with our jam-packed day, it’s possible!  Minutes later, as we were leaving the store, his little head popped up and he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  I thought he might go back to sleep in the car, since he’d only napped for about an hour (and his usual naps have been between 2-3 hours lately), but no such luck.  Curse that check-out clerk!  He stayed fairly quiet on the drive home and even was subdued while he played and I made dinner… until Dadda came home.  Then life was exciting again!  Just as I was hoping to get him ready for an early bed time - naturally!  I still managed to get him to bed a little early, but not as much as I had hoped.  It turns out that it didn’t really matter… it was a rough night and neither of us slept much as a result.

Hmmm... is this Shawn's prank for April Fools Day?  I am not amused.

Firey Abby, Dueling Shawn, Melodious Mom, Pixies, Wizards, and Dragons! Oh, My!

It was a rough morning.  Abby threw her breakfast of scrambled eggs on the floor.  She and Shawn were like oil and vinegar today.  They bickered all morning and couldn’t figure out how to share any of the plethora of toys.  This doesn’t happen often, but WOW!

Thank goodness for a change of scenery at Music Class at Gymboree.  Miss Elizabeth subbed for Miss Kim.  There were many of the usual students missing from class, but there were also lots of new people in class either coming as makeup from other sessions or newly joining us.  Miss Elizabeth used Abby to demonstrate the movements for some lap-riding songs and my lap was happy to take a break from having two “riding along”!  Shawn was pretty quiet today (maybe all of the bickering earlier wore him out!), but he participated and followed Miss Elizabeth’s directions for each of the songs.  Whenever a new tub of instruments was brought out (maracas, blocks and sticks, or the music exploration box), he’d suddenly jump to life and sprint across the room to pick out his instrument.  He and Abby always want their maracas to match.  They even pick matching ones for me to use, too.  (Sometimes that means taking a little longer to find “the perfect” colors they each want to use.)  Abby was very hot and cold in class today – one moment she’d be enthusiastic and excited about the activity and the next minute she’d cuddle on my lap or (if we were standing up) she’d want me to pick her up.  (I don’t think she was tired because she normally puts her head on my shoulder when that’s the case.)  Even with her unpredictable mood today, she was an absolute star during the “Bah-bah” activity.  Miss Elizabeth held the microphone to Abby first and she showed the class exactly what to do.  When it was Shawn’s turn next, he froze like a deer in headlights!  Rats!  I thought last week was the beginning of a new trend!  Oh, well.  We’ll try again next time.  It turns out that Abby was one of the only kids in class who did the “Bah-bahs” today!  Way to go, Abby! 

After class, we had a few minutes to play in on the gym equipment before heading home for lunch.  A few of the parents from music class asked about Shawn and Abby and I had to explain that they’re not related.  More than once, I heard about how well they get along with each other and how nice it is that they get to do things together… I have to agree - though maybe I wouldn’t have this morning!

On the way home, Shawn called out, “FedEx mail truck!” each time he saw one, and we must have been on a busy mail route because we saw many of them.  We also practiced identifying colors by naming the signs, cars, and trucks that we saw on the way home.  Abby figured out pretty quickly that when in doubt, the signs are green (at least on the highway)!  She asked for a pink sign, too, but as hard as we looked, we didn’t see any.  Maybe we’ll try a different way home sometime or maybe one day we’ll see a billboard that will be pink.  In the meantime, we’ll keep looking.

I assumed Abby would be more than ready for lunch when we got home, so I got the kids in their boosters right away.  Abby gobbled down her yogurt without hesitation.  She looked like she was enjoying it so much that Shawn asked for some yogurt, too!  While the yogurt was disappearing quickly at both seats, I warmed up Abby’s mac & cheese and cut up some turkey and cheese for Shawn.  I presented Abby with her main course as well as a side of blueberries, a granola bar, and her cookies for dessert.  I guess I didn’t have to rush quite so much though because all she wanted was her yogurt – nothing else interested her.  Not even the blueberries or cookies!  This is not normal for Abby.  I got her to eat a few fork-fulls of the mac & cheese, but only if I fed it to her.  (She’d be tight lipped until I got it to her mouth and then she’d take the bite with no problem.)  Meanwhile, Shawn kept eyeing her untouched blueberries, so I made sure to get him a bowl of his own. 

About halfway through the meal, Shawn started making requests for various songs:  The Wheels on the Bus, Ring Around the Rosie, The Monkeys on the Bed, Mr. Sun, ABCs, and Boogie Woogie Piggy… just to name a few!  As I performed my best repertoire of children’s songs (which you will NOT be finding on video!  Again, I’m instrumental, not vocal!), the young diners helped me with the words and actions when they could and when they couldn’t they giggled encouragingly at Silly Mommy!  When it was pretty clear they weren’t going to eat any more and I was getting weary of my own song & dance act, we were off to nap time.

Abby woke up from her nap seconds before Bill knocked on the door to pick her up.  She was definitely still drowsy when I brought her downstairs with her head on my shoulder.  When Shawn woke up from his nap, I found him climbing into his rocking chair with a book.  When I greeted him, he replied, “Abby at home. I see Abby to-mon-ow (tomorrow).”

Raj got home from work just in time for us to go to a Mothers & More Family Outing to MagiQuest in Lombard.  We had never been there before and really didn’t know much about it, but this was a good excuse to check it out.  It was a sort of a living video game.  The website describes it as, “an interactive live-action, role playing game where players embark on quests and adventures in an enchanted fantasy world using real magic wands to solve the mysteries of the game.”  The interesting thing about the wands is that they ‘remember’ what quests you’ve done and what you’ve already accomplished on each quest.  Repeat visitors can buy their own wand, so their progress is recorded and so they can visit other MagiQuest locations (or online) while adding to their own profile.  (Of course, the store in front as all sorts of trinkets to buy in order to ‘personalize’ the wands, too.)  When we got there, we were given a Magic Wand and a pamphlet sized guidebook, or Ancient Book of Wisdom, to use along our ‘quest.’  The Magic Wand worked as a sort of remote control to trigger things to happen along the way.  We’d point the wand at a treasure chest and it would open to reveal the loot inside.  We’d point it at a forest scene and the monitor would reveal a nymph or wizard who would grant us a charm or give us a clue for our next step.  Shawn figured out that the wand caused things to happen, though he didn’t always point he wand at the hidden sensors in the scenery just right, so he’d start shaking it wildly in hopes that something would react to it.  Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t!  He really liked pointing at the gemstones that would light up in different colors.  Later, we actually went on a quest to find all of the gems and Shawn was thrilled to revisit them, so we already knew where most of them were.  Along our quests we found a Pixie, learned from a wizard, fought a goblin, and tricked a dragon. Though it’s a good thing we could use Shawn as our excuse to be in this living video game, I can honestly say we had a good time and it was fun to act like kids running around on secret quests through dungeons!

Buenas Noches, Mis Chicos

The new toddler bed setup must have been really exciting for Shawn because he woke up early this morning (6:30 am).  He switched between being awake and asleep off and on until 7:15 am, when I had to get ready for Abby to come over.  I got out some of his toys, turned on some music, and closed the door.  Raj was impressed that Shawn could entertain himself, unsupervised, and not get himself into trouble AND that he didn’t melt down when I left him alone in his room.  (I think part of the secret is that Shawn’s still a little tired in the morning, so he’s not exactly bouncing off the walls!  We’ve also practiced having short time periods to himself for months.  We started with just a few minutes and then built up from there.  I think it’s important that kids have a chance to do their own thing without adults directing their play.)

In Spanish class, Abby and Shawn were super hyper.  (It didn’t help that their friend, Xander, runs around throughout each class and his mom just looks helpless as to what to do with him.  She's a very nice person, but I'm nervous that Xander is going to have trouble once he gets into a structured setting like school, unless either he matures and figures it out on his own or his mom steps in to help him get under control.)  Normally, both Abby and Shawn are very interested in Diego’s lessons and activities, but Xander must have been more engaging today.  It’s a good thing that we were just reviewing counting today and they weren’t missing new stuff!  On the other hand, maybe a new topic would have kept them more attentive! Hmm…  Diego’s project was simply a coloring page of a girl holding balloons.  Abby liked the balloons, but I don’t think any of the kids paid much attention to actually counting them. 

Later, Abby’s nap was about an hour and 45 minutes.  Shawn took his first nap in his converted bed.  He must’ve been happy with it because, I woke him up after 2.5 hours!  (Again, no problems with him escaping when he’s not supposed to, now that he’s able to.)

In the evening, Raj and Shawn went to Open Gym at Gymboree and I went to a Mothers & More board meeting at Cozymel’s in Wheaton.  When I came home, I found Raj and Shawn asleep in the rocking chair… awww…

Kiddie Klub Lane and NO COATS!

Shawn called out for Oma and Opa’s dog, Gambol, last night/early this morning.  Normally, it seems like Buddy is his favorite of their two Brittany Spaniels, but, for whatever reason, Gambol was on his mind this time!  Must be time to visit again…

Mothers & More had a Mom & Tot outing to Kiddie Klub Lane in Lombard this morning.  I planned that we would stay for about an hour and then go to music class Gymboree just down the street... but it turned out that we stayed all day!  The center was set up like a small village with cottages lining the walls.  Each cottage had a different theme: bait shop, diner, fire department, gas station, grocery store, vet’s office, etc. and each was had a variety of themed toys that went along with it.  There was even a small area with toys for less mobile infants.  There were also a few tables so the adults to sit and relax while the kids played freely.  In the back was a party room, which was also were Mothers & More provided snacks for any of our little ones who was interested.  It was definitely a family owned place, but I was impressed with the creativity behind its design.  I only wished it had an outdoor area, so we could enjoy the gorgeous weather today!  It was 59 F outside, so it was a shame we spent so many hours inside… though it was a lot of fun.

When Shawn woke up from his nap, we went for a walk.  I just couldn’t let this beautiful day pass by without taking advantage!  It was the first day of the year that we went out without a coat.  We played at park, watched trains, gazed at and heard geese at the pond, and watched dogs playing at the dog park.  By the time we got home, we had spent 2 hours on our wonderful walk enjoying being outside again.

We could have spent all day outside! (could’ve, should’ve, would’ve…)