The Way We Are

I last wrote a blog three weeks ago. How embarrassing. Good thing my followers have more in their lives than reading my posts. What can I possibly give as my excuses for not posting updates sooner?

How about these?

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Life is full. Some days both boys nap and everything goes relatively smoothly. Those are the days I actually remember to take out the camera. Then there are other days--yesterday, for example--when I noticed a toy bus was missing a tire, found it in my son's mouth, extracted it, and then a few hours later realized he was trying to eat the wallpaper off of my mother's kitchen wall.

That's one thing about Michael. He keeps us on our toes.

He's fast, curious about everything, and loves to play. He likes doing "Trot, Trot to Boston" on my lap, reading "My Truck Is Stuck" again and again, and laughs and leans in for kisses while I'm singing "Toora Loora Loora" at bedtime. Michael still passionately detests going to sleep, but he likes all the preliminaries, and he has been sleeping well--despite his protests.

He adores reading and brings me everything from lift-the-flap books to pictureless 300-page tomes he finds on the shelves--though you can guess which ones he actually sits through.

Michael still has some fears, but he's no longer afraid of our cuckoo clock. He used to leap into my arms when the bird popped out. Now he smiles and says, "Cuckoo!" after the bird appears. He says so many words: milk, night-night, ball, bye-bye, hi, book, choo-choo, cup, boo (which he and Louis have been saying to a spider outside our window), moo, quack-quack, no (of course), mama, baba, and all kinds of words I can't think of right now. He doesn't seem to call Louis anything in particular, but he definitely knows his big brother--and adores him.

Michael is terrified of merry-go-rounds--just watching them spin. We won't try an actual ride for a while. Sometimes, though, Michael surprises us with his courage, as when he asked to go on this train and rode it twice--with pleasure. Then a few weeks later he cried when we offered the same ride again.

Michael is still not into animals. When he saw a bird land on our deck last week, Michael screamed and flew into my arms. He's scared of birds, bugs, anything that moves outside, his brother in a rat costume, and many things that are stuffed. Halloween may be a bit dicey for us this year--and Michael's costume may be a last-minute creation. Whatever the costume, somehow I think he'll get treats--and inhale them.

He loves to talk on the phone.

And he will even color--something I didn't expect at his age.

And I am sure he's a leftie.

Louis and Michael both like using both hands.

But when faced with an important task--popsicle eating, for example--it's obvious where the dexterity lies.

By the way, this is one of my new survival tactics. When the boys ask for a snack right before dinner, and I am trying to get things done in the kitchen, I seat them at the table and give them homemade juice pops. It takes them a long time to finish one, I get a lot done, all they get is a little watered-down juice, and they think they have had a snack.

Sssh. Please don't tell them it's not really a snack. They think they're getting away with eating dessert before dinner.

Our most exciting dessert lately was Baba's birthday cake--or cupcakes, actually.

We had a quiet party, just the four of us, and the boys got their quota of chocolate frosting.

Louis managed to keep Baba's birthday present (an electronic Bigfoot toy) a secret for three days. I was sure he would spill the beans, but he didn't. Our little boy is growing up.

The other night when John got home from work late, he walked in and Louis said, "Baba, your boys are eating ice cream!" It is fun to see how conversational our almost-4-year-old boy is.

Meanwhile, Louis is doing well. He still loves trains and reading and playing with whatever Michael has. Some days sharing is easier and some days it is hard. Every week seems to be a little better, though, and overall we are grateful that we have had such a smooth transition for our family. There are still a few kinks we need to work out, of course, but I assume family life is a constant evolution. We are fortunate that I am on leave from work for another month.

One thing we have tried to do to help Louis through the transition is offer special time with his parents. One special treat is playing Baba's Bigfoot boardgame. (Louis has a lot of questions about Bigfoot.)

Bigfoot is fun. It's the zombie statue at the party store that gave Louis nightmares. Hearing his descriptions of the dreams almost gave me nightmares. Our boy has a vivid imagination--and a new nightlight in his room.

Overall, though, we are excited for fall and Halloween. Louis loved the straw maze.

Michael was a little less certain.

 His big brother finally coaxed him inside.



Then our boys ran in opposite directions, and there were only a few fleeting moments when their paths intersected.

I'm not sure which Louis loved more--getting lost or getting out.

Michael, however, was more of a fan of the world outside the maze.

Some days are more maze-like than others, but we are sticking to our routine and we have two incredible, happy, fun-loving boys. And we are loving life as a family of four.

There are still train rides.

And Baba thinks Michael is already showing signs of train enthusiast--though I'm reserving judgment.

Right now I'd say Michael enjoys almost everything--except going to sleep, relinquishing rubber tires from his mouth, and being told he can't throw food--and that he especially loves his ABC hat, which is his main security item.

He also loves playing Peek-a-Boo behind our dining room wall. This wall has been such a source of entertainment ever since Louis came into our lives, so it's no surprise that Michael likes vanishing behind it too.

We just love watching his face reappear around the corner. I can't get enough of that smile.