S.O.S.

My BIG Craft Project

Remember when I wrote that I was undertaking a my very first craft project as a mom? Well, it's complete and I couldn't be happier with the result! I had to work diligently around nap times and when the babies went to bed each night, but it paid off.
I talked about my quest for meaningful play in this post and when I came across the idea for this project, I knew it was one for me.
Take a look!

Family and Friends Building Blocks!

Each block has a picture of a friend/family member and has their name on the opposite side.

Our beautiful family!

Wonderful Friends

Grandparents

Best Friends

 More Wonderful Family

You get the idea.  Each family has their own paper design, so the babies can sort them in a myriad of ways: by paper families, by children, by adults, by mommies and daddies, etc.).  Sorting, classifying and patterning are important learning tools, so I was excited to bring this to light with this project.  Listen, I know that all the babies will do with these blocks for now is chew on them (and that's totally okay) but later we'll see all sorts of good stuff come from them. I can't wait!

One of the best things about this project is the cost. Here's the breakdown:
1. One piece of 2x8 maple (J. cut them into 1.5 inch blocks) = $2
2. Scrapbooking paper = $0 (I had a ton of it left over)
3.Non Toxic Mod Podge = $10 (approximately with taxes)
4. Printing pictures = $5
5. Sandpaper = $0 (J. had a bunch of it)
Total cost = $17 and change. 
Considering I saw this same idea on Etsy and that the seller was asking $25 for THREE blocks, I think I did pretty well. I have 30 blocks in total, so it would have cost much more had I not done it myself.
The blocks aren't perfect, but what family is? 
Can't wait to see the babies play with these!

Nine Months

Today, you turn nine months old. Nine months. How can it be? I hate time and I also love it because these past nine months have been the best months of my entire life. They've also been the most exhausting, the most trying and the most exciting.

As of two weeks and five days ago, you have officially been living outside of my body longer than you lived inside my body. I don't know why, but it makes me sad. I am finding myself longing to be pregnant again. Longing to bring new lives into the world again. But then Daddy reminds me of those sleep-deprived first few months and I snap back into the reality with which I am quite comfortable. Getting eight (+) hours of sleep a night (most nights) is a lovely luxury that I am not messing with at this point.

Dear Pea,

At nine months, you have six SEVEN beautiful teeth (one broke through during the night...no wonder you cried from 3am onward!). You used to enjoy brushing them with the finger toothbrush, but now that we've switched to a big boy toothbrush, you're not so fond of the routine. I think you have sensitive gums like me.
You are crawling at warp speed and it makes you oh-so happy to be independently mobile. So many people told me to not encourage you to crawl because I would become SO busy. However, your ability to crawl has made you so happy and how can I deny you that? You love to cruise while holding onto furniture and you especially love to climb all over Mommy or Daddy when we are sitting on the floor with you.
This past month, you were really sick. Really, really sick. At one point, you had a fever of 104.9 and scared the living daylights out of us. Luckily, Gramma, Grampa, Auntie Lisa and Uncle John were here to calm us down and help reduce your fever. Throughout your illness, your sleep was compromised. When you would wake in the night, feverish and out of sorts, I would scoop you up and take you into our bed. We would snuggle together all night and I loved every single second of that time. Never in a million years would I have ever imagined loving sharing our bed with a baby. Never. However, it is the most precious gift I have ever received. Hands down - something I will think back on and never regret. I can still feel you; your small, warm body snuggled cozily against mine, my lips resting on your fuzzy little head, my arms enveloping you in a circle of trust and your rhythmic breathing lulling me to sleep.
You love the companionship of your sister. Typically, you wake before her each day and the moment she comes into view, your body springs to life with excitement. You find her so funny and love to play "catch me" by crawling quickly away from her in the hope that she will follow.
You are so like your father in that you love to figure out how things work. You could easily spend all your time playing with the battery compartment of a toy than actually playing with the toy itself. You are so like me in that you are incredibly stubborn. So many times, I have been trying to rock you back to sleep and have had to say over and over, "I'm more stubborn than you, kid" in my head. Turns out, you're way more stubborn than me. Way more.
You are loving swimming lessons (which is amazing considering your reaction the very first time we took you swimming) and love to splash with your hands.  You are not a fan of being on your back in the water, but you truly enjoy treading on your belly.  You especially love it when you have a ball to play with in the water.  
You have quite a unique laugh and everyone who hears it thinks it is so funny.  I can't describe it, so here is a video to show you how your sounded at nine months.




 Nine Months - Laughter from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.
Dear Chick,

My bright little girl.  You have the biggest smile and freely give it to those you trust.  You are a little more reserved around those you don't know, but once you get to know people, your wide grin comes out.
This past month you got your very first tooth.  We were all wondering if we'd have to eventually get you fitted with dentures since you weren't showing any signs of teething at all.  However, this month that tiny white tooth broke through and it barely fazed you.  For a week, you weren't drinking as much milk as your normally did, but other than that, you took it in stride.  You are a tough little trooper.
Speaking of tough...you have to be.  You are SO much like your Daddy in that you are likely the most clumsy little baby I have ever seen.  This clumsiness is mostly due to your adventurous side, so I take it as part of your learning curve.  We can typically bank on knowing you will hurt yourself several times a day.  You bonk your head on the floor whilst trying to stand without holding onto something, you pull heavy toys down onto your hands, you crawl under things and try to stand (thus bonking your head again) and you seem to get your whole body stuck between furniture at least once a day.  While you think you are great friends with Bear, he thinks the opposite.  You love Bear a little TOOOOOO much sometimes and after all your crushing love, he finally swiped at you with his clawed paw this month and you had a bloody scratch on your head to remind you of his prowess.  Bear can only put up with so much and he had reached his limit with you.  I can hardly blame him.  Live and learn, my little Chick.
You are so much like me in your determination.  It is awesome to see.  If it takes you a million tries to stand, you will continue to try until you can do it.  You don't like to accept help and would rather hurt yourself trying to accomplish a goal than accept a hand.  Funny little thing.
You have recently started making "fishy" sounds.  Often, we'll be driving somewhere and we'll hear these smacking sounds from your car seat in the back.  It's too funny.




 Fishy from Two Kayaks on Vimeo.
You love your brother and think that he is the funniest person on the planet.  He can make you giggle by crawling away from you with his little wiggled crawl.  You love to chase him and bonk heads with him in your toy tunnel.  It's a game you both love to play together.
This month, you have said the word, "cat" and have signed the word, "more". 
The attachment you have to Daddy is incredible.  Truly, it is something I have never seen in my life.  No one gets the kind of smiles from you that your Daddy gets.  When he comes home from work, if he doesn't immediately pick you up, you always begin to cry.  If we decide to meet Daddy for coffee somewhere, he has to hide from you until he orders because he knows if you see him, you will want to be held and won't let him get his drink.  You love him so very much.

Happy nine months, babies!!

Sometimes I Forget

This past week, my dad (a retired principal) and I were asked to judge presentations made by groups of high school students representing local grassroots charities. The winning group would win a $5000 grant for their charity. I saw some of my colleagues and many past students who asked questions about the babies. Driving home, I told my dad that I didn't miss it one bit (teaching). I was more anxious to get home to Chick and Pea than to stay and chat with everyone after the presentations.
Until I saw this tonight and it made me miss it...just a little.

Black And White Wednesday

Waiting For Daddy

See other beautiful images here:

Is It Really A Surprise?

I am a teacher and since education is in my blood it won't come as a shock to anyone the importance I place on strategic stimulation.  Literacy is particularly important to me and since the babies' brains are developing at warp speed, it is important to take advantage of their pliability. 
There is a wonderful teacher's store in Canada that also doubles as a parent's dream.  There are many, many early literacy books, manipulatives and games that empower parents in their quest for meaningful play. 
Yesterday, I headed out in search of a manipulative that would act as a learning tool in a variety of ways.  I easily could have spent hundreds of dollars and the better part of my evening in the store, but with a twin budget I had to hold back.  I settled on a very cool ABCs line.  The cool thing about this line is that the letters are clings!  Instead of putting them on our walls with sticky tack, they cling to ANY surface and can be peeled off and reclung (?) again!  Cool, right?  The other reason I chose these particular clings is that I can teach them colors (since each letter has its own color), I can teach them numbers (some letters have two objects or more on them) and I can sign the objects (and eventually they will sign back) that are representative of the letters. 
I know...I get too excited about stuff like this.
Here are the babies' reactions to the new "toy".  We are only starting out with A, B and C for now (these letters are on our fridge since the babies like to spend a lot of time around it).

A Pictorial Interview With Chick

Mama: How did you feel when your FIRST tooth broke through today?

Chick:  Well, I wasn't particularly aware of it, but did feel more aggressive than usual.  I've apologized to Pea for this little tackle.

Mama:  Yes, that was a little rude of you.  I'm glad you sorted it out.  Now, when you did realize what was happening, how did it make you feel?

Chick:  At first I thought I could handle it.  You know, I'm pretty strong and all...

Chick:  But then I was like, HOLD THE PHONE!  What IS this I'm feeling?!?  Youch!

Chick:  When you came at me with that syringe full of medicine, I got nervous...

Chick:   I was like "NO WAY!  NOPE!  Not opening my mouth for ANYTHING!"

Chick:  But I relented and soon my mouth felt much better.  Thank you, Mama!


Mama:  You're welcome, love.  Congratulations on your very first tooth!