Yesterday when loading everyone up to go up to Meika’s house for lessons, Samuel insisted on taking the little violin. I didn’t argue, and let him. So he had a short 5 minute lesson with Meika that made him so happy. The interesting thing was that during one of my cello lessons today, Samuel watched the whole lesson. At age 3, I’ve never had any of my boys stay and watch a lesson voluntarily. He was squirming back and forth on the couch during the lesson, but he was watching nonetheless! Hmmm….I wonder….
The most exciting thing that has happend this summer so far is that Samuel has potty trained. Well, I shouldn’t say potty trained because sometimes he doesn’t use the potty. I’ll explain.
Funny Samuel
When we went camping the end of May I decided that this would be a good chance for Samuel to learn how to get close to nature. So I took off the diaper, and let him “go commando”. This is something that my Aunt Joanna did for her kids on the farm. Teach them how to go while running around outside playing. “Go on that rock,” is what she said to her kids, and it worked remarkably well. I just forgot to include that part of the instructions because Samuel decided to be like the dog and mark his territory everywhere.
So now that he has potty trained, I now have to remind him that if he’s in the backyard playing, that he needs to come inside to go pee. In fact yesterday after dinner, Samuel finished his dinner then went outside. The rest of us were finishing up. One of the kids got up to clear their plate and went to the window to see where Samuel was. “He’s got his pants down again. Oh! He’s popping!” I sent Dave out to help Samuel. When Samuel came back inside I quietly and gently pulled him inside and told him that he really needs to be inside when he has to go pee or poop. “Understand?” He said yes. I asked him “Where do you go to pee and poop? “Inside.”
We’ll see if he actually remembers and follows instructions.
Trying to 'crack the egg'. Samuel doesn't like this game.
During piano and violin lessons, the kids take turns going on the trampoline. There have been a few accidents. And for sanity’s sake, I should probably stop letting them do this while we come for lessons. But it has been a great bribe at the beginning.
While Savvy and Ryan have been visiting us, they also have come to lessons so they can also play on the tramp. Oh, and Ruxpin too, so he can see his half-brother, Sachmo. (Meika’s dog.)
I can’t remember exactly why it is Benjamin and Samuel are camped out in the kitchen. I think it was because Jacob was beginning to sit up, so I put blankets and pillows around him, so the hardwood floor wouldn’t be such a hard landing. Sam and Ben got in the spirit of things as well.
Julles’ dog, Ruxpin, is pretty much a fixture in our family life. Wherever the boys go, he goes. Here’s a cute picture one morning of the boys playing on my bedroom floor, with the dog right smack in the middle of it all. It reminds me of my dog when I was a kid. She did the exact same thing. My mom told me that there was a children’s book in the 50’s that had the phrase, “And there was Timmy, right smack in the middle of it all”. So this phrase I use a lot because I heard it a lot growing up!
The school has a program every semester (I think) where the dad’s are invited to come and read to their children in the classroom. Children seeing their father read is supposed to greatly increase the odds that children will also be readers, and continued learners. Having the boys see dad reading isn’t a problem at all. Though we could probably improve on spending time reading with them. Sometimes at night during story time, one of us (the parents) fall asleep mid-story. Then in the morning the child who was jipped with the story, insists that their book is finished that very morning.
At this particular Dad’s and Donuts we arrived a bit late (goodness, that’s something else we need to work on). So by the time it was time to get a donut, they were all gone. And when they were reading, they were kicked out of the room. Well, not literally, but were encouraged to leave to go get some donuts. Which had run out.
Carlos N and JamesAnthony and Caezar NBrothers reading
(If viewing extract, click on the “Read more about…” link below to see the pictures.)
January 13th, 2009 – Samuel’s 3rd Birthday
The first few pictures are of Jacob of course, in case that adorable smile distracted you from the name on his shirt. 🙂
I went to the store the night before to get him 3 balloons and the standard “sugar cereal” birthday breakfast. When he woke up in the morning he and his brothers were VERY excited to have the rare Froot Loops for breakfast. (I can’t even bear to stand to type ‘fruit’ because it’s not even close to being in a food group. But that’s just my opinion and precisely why we don’t have sugar cereals. )
Samuel’s 3rd birthday was easy going by little kid birthday standards. Lynette came over in the morning and helped me do his Thomas cake. Initially I wasn’t going to do it at all. When I got the cake pan out of the cupboard the week before to look at it and see if I wanted to even attempt it, Samuel saw it and got soooo excited. For the rest of the week he insisted on looking at the cake pan about every hour, “Where’s my Thomas?” he would ask over and over if I had moved it to a different part of the kitchen counter. I had pity on Samuel, and Lynette had pity on me and came over to help. She did really the lion’s share of the decorating and it was greatly appreciated by me and Samuel! (Julles had let me borrow her cake decorating kit.)
After we finished decorating the cake about 1:00 Samuel said, “is it my birthday now!?!” No, sorry sweetie, we have to wait until dinner time when dad gets home. At 1:10 Lynette and I had a rehearsal at my house with another flute player for a symphony performance next week. During the rehearsal in our living room he got a sippy cup and fell asleep on the couch from 1:30 to about 4:30! So when he woke up he was good and excited for his party! The Lewis’ came in shifts (Brynn arrived from Ballet just as Karalyn had to leave for YW), and LaMont and Matt came over a little after the cake had been served. (The other Leavitt’s were at piano lessons.)
Samuel and his brothers played with a new Thomas set until about 10:00pm. His brothers crashed pretty fast, but since Samuel had that long nap and had a bunch of sugar, and all the other excitment he didn’t fall asleep until nearly midnight!
