This weekend Amaya and I a girls weekend in New York! I love these one on one trips I get to take with the kids.

The kids are old enough now that we start talking about the trips in advance. Everyone knew that Amaya and Mommy were going to New York. We headed out early for an 8:30am flight. Amaya was a trooper with the early morning and, like Steven a few weeks ago, was excited to see the airplanes.

Whenever she was uncomfortable or anxious, Amaya wanted to sit back in her car seat. She definitely felt a sense of security there, and I’m sure it helped that she had Jenna to care for. Jenna was a big focus of our morning.

Amaya’s smile. It makes me laugh every time.

Amaya did great on the flight. The benadryl doesn’t knock her out but it definitely solved the issues with motion sickness. Between Jenna, snacks and drawing on my iPad, she was mostly content from take-off to landing. Interestingly, she didn’t want the airplane window open. Steven loved to look outside but the minute we took off Amaya insisted that I put the window down. She also seemed a little nervous when we accelerated during take-off. “All done! All done!” I’m very nervous during take-off and have to try really, really hard not to show it. I’d love it if SSA can actually enjoy flying.

Waiting to exit the plane…

Back at home, Steven and Sammy were holding down the fort with Megan.

The first thing Amaya did when we got to Nana and Papa’s house was head for the kitchen and get “cookin”. It wasn’t long, though, before Aunt Sara, Uncle Dave, Chase and Charlie came over and the fun really got started. Now that Amaya is talking, she can play with Chase and Charlie on a totally different level. They’re so good with her, too. Careful, kind and engaged. It’s so cool to see.

Wearing Charlie’s sock.

Dinner for Amaya was corned beef, chicken nuggets and green beans. Amaya’s in a phase where she wants “dippy” with everything. The dippy that went with this meal turned out to be golden brown mustard and sriracha mustard! Amaya was licking the sriracha mustard straight off her fingers. She may be developing her mommy’s taste for spicy foods!

Amaya and Chase

Zerberts for Charlie!

Nana and Aunt Sara on the phone with Amaya. Hand gestures are a must.

Checking out the photos on the fridge & wearing Nana’s slippers.

While we were having our fun, the boys were having their own fun with Grandma Sunshine who came to spend the weekend!

After a long day, it was time for bedtime stories and night night.

Saturday was more cuddles and fun for everyone – in NY and back in MI!

Coloring time!

Saturday afternoon we all went to visit Savta who’s been recovering from an infection. It was the highlight of the trip, for sure! We were especially lucky that Auntie, cousin Mike, Jake and Naomi were visiting at the same time.

The Amaya smile.

Steven, Sammy, Daddy and Grandma Sunshine having fun on the home front.

Out for a pizza dinner. Keeping up with the spicy theme, Amaya insisted I put hot pepper on her pizza. I was afraid it would be too hot but she kept asking for more. A girl after my own heart!

At bedtime, Chase and Charlie were a huge help again. Chase even did an expert job brushing Amaya’s teeth.

Pile On!!

On Sunday our flight wasn’t until 2:30pm so there was ample time to play and go out for brunch before heading to the airport.

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Miss Amaya has mastered the stink eye. This is what you get when you ask her not to color on her shirt.

With an option of bacon, eggs and fries, Amaya’s entire breakfast consisted of bacon dipped in ketchup. At least she knows what she likes.

As it neared time to leave, two special boys were ready for us to come home.

Papa took us to the airport and off we went!

Smiling for a picture to send to Daddy!

A kiss for Jenna on the airplane.

After a great weekend in NY, we are HOME!

Back to earlier in the week, music was on break so Megan and I decided to check out Toddler Time at a local community center. For $3 a child it was advertised as a play place for kids between 1 and 5 years old. We were the first ones to arrive on Tuesday and found an open gym with a handful of ride-on toys.

Steven was a bit too small to ride this tricycle on his own but he loved it and we pushed him all around the gym.

The hit, though, were the basketballs. An open gym, three two year olds and basketballs!

Sammy couldn’t get enough. He was a happy, HAPPY boy!

Fun times with headbands and clips.

Daddy’s nightly sight when he gets home from work.

Play time with Megan.

Steven, this week.

Looking under the bathroom door while Daddy gets toothbrushes prepped.

Comfy for TV time.

Sammy, this week.

Sammy’s answer to why he was crying: Cause I wants to cry.

It’s hard to believe that this kid was once scared to go down the slide on his own.

Amaya, this week.

Amaya’s first braid, compliments of Megan.

Comfy tv time.

Aside from my trip with Amaya, the highlight of the week is that I finally have printed copies of the first year of the blog! I don’t want to have to worry about what happens if I lose the digital version so, for months, I’ve been working with a graphic designer to convert it into a print version. It’s finally printed!! Many thanks to Nana for reading it through for my many typos. I hope this is something Steven, Sammy and Amaya treasure when they’re older. Now on to year two!

We started our week with a play date with my friend Julie and her boys, Cooper, Walker and Tucker. The kids are 9 months apart which was a big difference last summer but is no big deal now. I no longer have to worry about Steven, Sammy and Amaya crawling straight over immobile babies. Sammy seemed to have jealousy issues, though. I think they may have been more specific to Julie than her boys but I’m not sure. He spent most of the play date in another room crying, crying, crying for me. I don’t think he wanted to share his mommy with so many people.

Everyone is still having fun with baby Jenna. While Amaya gives her the most attention the boys take their turns when they get a chance.

Often we’ll put the kids over our shoulders and call them a sack of potatoes. “Sack of tatoes! Sack of tatoes!” Amaya got the great idea to carry Jenna as a “sack of tatoes”.

The boys, of course, wanted to join in with Ruf and Monkey.

Poor little Jenna had nowhere to sleep so we also got her her very own crib.

This week we had music class on Tuesday and Wednesday thanks to a make-up session for a week we missed.

A pre-music snack!

After I nearly killed my back trying to pull this tractor, Megan had the great idea to grap a hula hoop and let the hoop do the pulling.

We had a fun visit from Grandma Sunshine this week!

SSA are all thriving in their group. It’s a combination of music, gross motor skills and fine motor/sensory activities.

For the first time, Amaya was willing to get on the trampoline.

I love this picture. She looks like such a big girl and it totally captures her personality and sass.

In the fall, Sammy was reluctant to even get in the ball pit. Look at him now! Practically taking a nap in there!

Hiding!

Steven, in music. The heater was making a chirping sort of noise and Steven kept saying, “birdie, birdie.”

We have a few toys we’ve been saving that we finally brought up from the basement.

I knew the digger would be a hit with Steven.

A parking ramp/garage for the cars.

Notice Amaya dressing herself in the background?

Very proud of herself!

Amaya is having baby doll Jenna move the beads. There is just so much imaginary play at this age!

Watching the sunrise with Megan.

Watching TV with Mommy. Steven, Sammy and Amaya are still obsessed with Mother Goose club. We’ve been watching for about 30 minutes at night before we go upstairs and, try as I might to introduce a new show, they just want their “goose club.”

Amaya and Sammy really have it down with spoons. They just get it. Steven is still happier eating with his fingers. In this case, it was chopped spaghetti. Though tonight Amaya told me she wanted to use her fingers, not a fork. I guess sometimes we all prefer our fingers.

In the words for their daddy, “You look so silly! You have pants on your head!”

Cheese!

I’ve never been to a Mom 2 Mom sale but I’ve heard they’re a great way to find some gently used clothes/toys for the kids so today Sammy and I went to check one out. I was a total rookie and forgot a stroller but it worked out well. Sammy did great. He held my hand when I needed him to, took the crowd in stride and had a chance to explore a lot of the toys for sale. We were on a timeline and it wasn’t actually easy to shop with him wandering around but I did find a shirt for Amaya and, best of all, Sammy and I had some great one on one time. My Sam Man.

Amaya in her new “a” shirt.

Steven this week!

He put his hat on by himself. I just love him in his backwards baseball cap.

Steven loves to hold as much in his hands as he possibly can. Full to bursting!

Chilling with cheese.

Steven sat lining up his cars on the piano complete with a narrative about his activities. “Man car here. Lady car here.” He loves vehicles! He can stand at the window for ages watching for cars, trucks and bicycles.

Sammy this week!

Amaya this week!

We’re playing a lot of basketball these days. Steven is comfortable with a straight dunk. Sammy has actually figured out how to step away from the basket and throw the ball. Amaya really wants to but hasn’t quite figured out her release. She’ll get there!

Finally, this week, a bedtime photo with my little loves. Have a great week!

Steven had an adventure this week. On Friday night, as Megan was leaving, he was racing to try to say goodbye to Megan and tripped, falling eye first into the little digger truck he was holding. Poor Bobo! Megan was calm and cool, cleaning the cut while I held him. Amaya got one look at the blood and was in tears herself.

While Megan waited for Jason to get home from work, Steven and I headed to our pediatrician’s after hours care. He was such a trooper. In true Steven style, he spent the time waiting narrating our environment. “Black TV. Daddy’s TV. Man. Lady. Baby. Chair.”

Steven lost his mind when they took vitals. Boy, he hates standing on a scale. He was amazing, though, when it was time to clean the wound. He put his head on my shoulder and watched Mother Goose Club on my phone and stayed still like a champ.

All bandaged up!

Ready to go home.

By morning, his eye was somewhat shockingly swollen. Steven didn’t seem bothered by it, though. If you ask him, he says his eye is “better”. And if you ask about getting it taken care of he says, “Lady do it. All done. In the car.” That pretty much sums it up!

By late afternoon Saturday, the swelling was already decreasing. He may have one heck of a shiner, though.

Back to earlier in the week, which seems like a lifetime ago… Nana was still visiting! Monday afternoon was warm enough to head to downtown Northville for some frozen yogurt and a walk.

I wanted to get a photo with the kids but Steven refused to let go of Megan’s hand so we improvised.

Here I am trying to persuade Steven that life will be ok without Megan’s hand.

Nana and kiddos

Whenever Nana visits we have fun cooking together. Steven, Sammy and Amaya are so interested in everything happening in the kitchen and they want to participate as much as possible.

Nice weather continued through the week. We were able to get out for a few walks. With 2 adults on hand, we can often go without the wagon which Steven, Sammy and Amaya love. It’s hard to believe that none of them were even walking a year ago.

We made our way down the block where the neighbors were out playing. Steven saw the house the day before and remembered that there were pumpkins on their porch last fall. It amazed me that he remembered those pumpkins!

We’re back in the backyard! Spring is upon us!! Jason reworked the gates to give the kids a bit more space than they had last year. We still have last year’s water table and, as I hoped, there’s much more imaginary play with the little figures. We named them Betty, Bob, Julie (Lullie, says Steven) and Joe. This year those four are sliding down the slide and taking rides in the boat. I love seeing all of this unfold.

We also adventured down into our backyard which was a first for us. It’s spacious enough that I think we can spend time playing in the grass even with just one adult. Just like in the fall, SSA love seeing the airplanes fly overhead.

Calling Daddy

Everyone still loves Mommy & Daddy’s shoes. My boots are fun to play with but Daddy’s shoes are the mother-load.

On Thursday, SSA’s group went to a place called the Lekotek. It’s a center where you pay an annual fee and can borrow toys for 4 to 6 weeks at a time. It was mostly a sales pitch but the kids did get a chance to play with different toys. Amaya was totally drawn to this baby doll. She spent the hold time holding, hugging and feeding it.

It was time for a doll of her own! Well, their own. We share in our house. Baby doll “Jenna” is a hit and, amazingly, everyone is doing a decent job sharing.

You can see that Steven’s eye is a little better this morning. The swelling is improving fairly quickly.

Back to the kids helping in the kitchen… oh, how they want to help! They love to hold the “big brush” and the “potato brush.” On Saturday I paused cleaning up lunch and heard a commotion in the kitchen. Sammy was taking everything off the counter and putting it in the sink for me. “Bubba put noodles in the sink.” He was so proud of himself.

Then Sammy was nearly apoplectic at the thought that he couldn’t help me do the dishes so I had to give him a dirty pot and a brush. It wasn’t long before everyone was joining in. I think I need a third scrub brush!

We got some play doh and sand time in this week. It’s really nice that SSA can now articulate their needs or interests. In both cases, one of the kids asked to play with the play doh or the sand. Makes for an easier path to happy kids!

Earlier in the week at the Lekotek place, we started off the morning with Timbits. Steven, Sammy and Amaya don’t get a ton of sugary snacks so these were a huge treat. You can see the sugar sparkle in Steven’s eye!

Sammy can get comfortable in any setting.

And there’s Amaya’s sugar sparkle!

On the way home, Amaya was in the car calling for Jason. “Jason! Jason! Jaaaaaason!” I have no idea where they came from. She thought it was hysterical. She and Steven were also caught holding hands in the car. I love those moments.

This afternoon Jason was out watching Michigan State win the Big 10 Tournament and the selection show. When SSA woke up from naps, Sammy really wanted to see Jason so we texted and asked for a picture. (And I swear Sammy understands that I’m sending Jason a message with this request.) When we got the photo back, each of the kids took turns waving hi to their daddy.

Sammy also insisted on showing Jason the cheese in his mouth. “Send picture to daddy.” Showing the food in our mouths is already something I’m starting to regret but I couldn’t say no and, of course, Steven and Amaya wanted in.

Steven this week!

Sammy this week!

The safety lock on the garbage broke. Sammy was trying to fix it for Daddy.

Amaya this week!

At music class, Sammy was lounging in the back of this tractor and Amaya was helping we walk him around the music class space.

Smiling for the camera. Toddler smiles look a little deranged.

Need a toddler activity? Forget painter’s tape shapes on the floor, just give them pieces of tape and let them have at it.

Finally, tonight at dinner the kids and I all ended up holding hands. It started because I was holding Steven’s hand and Sammy wanted to hold my other hand. That left Amaya without any hands to hold so she turned to her brothers. (Only after wiping off the bbq sauce. Steven didn’t want to hold her dirty hand.) We were sitting there all holding hands and Sammy said, “Take a picture.” My hear just about exploded. I obviously couldn’t get a shot of all 4 of us but I did get the kids with a cameo of my hand. Amaya said, “Cheese.”

Have a great week!

Nana is visiting so, in preparation for Purim, we had a fun Sunday morning and made hamentashen. Steven, Sammy and Amaya made pizza during a play date with Ben & Sam but this was my first chance to really cook with them. They’re so fascinated by every last detail.

We mixed!

We patted!

We cut our circles!

And we rolled!

They came out great, too! Strawberry and black raspberry. Sammy had a meltdown when I would only let him eat one with lunch.

Yesterday everyone headed to Zingerman’s Roadhouse for lunch. It’s a great spot. The food is delicious, they take reservations, the tables are big and the service is phenomenal. These kids ate and ate and ATE. Mac & cheese, chicken fingers, fruit, sweet potato fries. I can’t believe how much they can put back when they put their minds to it.

Sammy was sad he couldn’t see the food in Daddy’s mouth.

Daddy fixed it!

Steven and Daddy holdings hands.

The ladies! (That’s no lady, that’s Nana!)

We also opened the last of our birthday presents! I think doling them out slowly has worked well for the kids. They’ve had a chance to enjoy each gift they received. From the Kotres, we got new building blocks and new musical instruments!

Amaya’s hair is finally long enough to wear a pony on the back of her head instead of the top of her head. I’ve been waiting a long time to really start to have fun with her hair.

Of course sometimes the boys want to join their sister in the ponytail fun. Sam-urai is back!

Even Steven, who usually isn’t interested, wanted in.

I have two year olds. Three of them. I am at their mercy. Seriously at their mercy. Right now, it’s a fine line between holding my ground and giving in to whatever will keep them happy. So when Steven wants me to lie with my head on the wood floor and Amaya wants to lie on my back, it’s a no-brainer.

Aside from the pony, there are a couple of things going on here. First, this kid loves his pockets and he knows how to wear them. Second, you’ll notice Sammy is missing a sock. He loooooooooves these pink socks and they’re starting to wear out. I’m going to need to find alternatives stat. (See note above about picking my battles.)

Amaya, inspired by Sammy’s pockets.

We had music this week. Amaya is fairly independent these days. She’s comfortable roaming around and playing without having a familiar adult by her side.

“Bubba can do it.” That’s what Sammy told me when I tried to help him climb down from this slide. He was right! Bubba can do it!

Steven went down the coaster over and over and over again. As they weigh more, they’re starting to get more distance, too. I wish they made one of these in my size.

Each of the kids took a turn on Miss Marie’s lap for a song. That’s particularly helpful without a 1:1 adult/SSA ratio. “Rie! Rie!”

My kitchen helpers are still at it. Steven and Amaya barely let me in at the sink. When they’re teenagers can someone please remind them of this willingness to help?

Steven can run the dishwasher for me with an oven mitt and a lawnmower.

More random fun from the week…

A Steven/Amaya pile-on. Steven was a great sport.

The kids tested out of early intervention services in our home but they were invited to continue to attend the weekly group to help with socialization. Sammy and Steven both took turns climbing stairs by themselves. They’re slightly shorter steps and perfect for a learning toddler.

Amaya and Sammy are huge fans of the ball pit.

One of the sensory activities involved shaving cream, which Steven called “snow”. He did a great job driving his cars through the snow. Sammy found his own way to have fun without having to touch the shaving cream. He picked it up with one bowl and carefully transferred it to another. It’s so interesting to see how they all play differently with the same activity set-up.

Our good friend Grace had surgery this week to replace her chemo port so Steven, Sammy and Amaya wanted to wear their Team Grace shirts to support her.

Smile!

I play a game on my phone and, when the kids catch me, the love to watch. Sammy will ask for “dots”, too.

Climbing the stairs for nap time.

Amaya!

Snuggling with Daddy after naps.

So far, my time out strategy is not a winner. Mostly because Amaya wants time outs. I told her she’d get a time out if she hit Sammy again so she grabbed a toy truck, hit her brother, and marched over to the time out chair. She did apologize, but I’m not really sure she knows what that means. We’ll keep working on it.

Amaya has officially mastered the use of spoon. For soup, no less!

Mommy & Amaya

Steven!

Sammy!

Sammy cries at the drop of a hat these days. It’s incredible. He’s such a typical toddler. Crying because he can’t see the food in daddy’s mouth. Crying because he wiped off the jelly and wants the jelly back. Crying because he asked me to eat food and I ate it. Crying because I came into the room. Crying because I left the room. Crying because he’s not done pooping. (He’s done pooping.) He’s always been sensitive and he also has always had a hard time getting himself out of it once it starts. I wish I could help him but I know I probably just need to wait it out. We’ll keep working on this, too.

But when Sammy is happy, his smile is incredible.

Mohawk!

Sammy dragged the bean bag chair into the kitchen so he could relax where I was working. Once again, his daddy’s son.

And, finally, for the week…

Nana and SSA looking at a photo of Chase & Charlie

Sunday morning fun on Fudgie

And last, but not least, a screenshot of my play list from the other night. 40 minutes of The Muffin Man. Over and over and over again. This is how much your mommy loves you, kiddos!

Have a great week!