Vocabulary

The kids were talking to each other while I was home alone caring for the kids.

X: There are 3 of us--you, me, and Daddy...so we're a trio."

A: And if Mommy were here, we'd be a quartet!"

Inherited Traits

Kids' minds work differently.

X, holding a paper airplane and a fairy doll (less her wings), said: "I'm her mother" (speaking as if he were the plane, referring to the fairy).

Without hesitation, Alana, said, "Oh yes, you both fly beautifully!"

Even at this age, their minds are cranking away, looking for patterns and commonality to explain the world.

Inherited Traits

Kids' minds work differently.

X, holding a paper plane and a fairy (less her wings), says, "I'm her mother" (speaking as if he's the airplane).

Alana, looking at them, said without a second's hesitation, "Oh yes, you both fly beautifully!"

Even at this age, their little minds are racing, looking for patterns and commonality to explain the world.

When Alana Began Using Chopsticks

We went out for Japanese food tonight, because Alana was begging for sashimi (that's my daughter for you!). While there, I learned how she started using chopsticks...somehow I had never heard the story.

At this same restaurant, several years ago (when she was 3, I believe), AC had gone to the same restaurant with her mother and grandmother and Alana, and had ordered a chicken nugget-y children's meal. Alana was hungry, so she picked up her chopsticks and started to eat.

A-ma (AC's grandmother) asked when AC had taught her, and AC said she hadn't...and they all stared while Alana enjoyed her food!

Good Advice

X looks at me very seriously today, and says "Don't look at the sun. You can burn your eyes out." Um, yes. Sounds like good advice...

My Buddy is a Space Shuttle Pilot!

I learned today that Guido (the fraternity nickname for Dominic Anthony Antonelli) is piloting the Space Shuttle in February! He and I used to ride unicycles up and down Comm Ave and terrorize BU students.

Alana Swimming Update

She's really swimming today! Big week...swimming by herself and skiing beginner/intermediate trails.

Alana Swimming Update

Alana threw herself into practicing swimming today. She has lost her fear of putting her face in the water. She jumped into the deep end of the kids' pool (5') to me a bunch of times, surfacing by herself, and she swam around a bit.

Xander Ski Update

I took Xander down from the top of the gondola between my legs, then once from the Seven Brothers chairlift (at Loon Mountain). He was thrilled!

The skiing was OK, but riding the gondola and the chairlift on the same day as the blue schoolbus (shuttle to the mountain) and Henry (the steam train that shuttles between East and West mountain at Loon) was almost too much excitement for him...

Snowflake Connosieur

While riding up the chairlift, Alana told me "the snowflakes at the top of the mountain taste better than the snowflakes at the bottom...fresher", as she caught them on her tongue.

Alana Ski & Swim Update

Alana started skiing off-leash today. Awesome! Turning, stopping, skating a bit at the bottom. She gets it.

We put Xander on the magic carpet at the kiddie slope today, too. He was scared yesterday, but is starting to lose his fear.

Alana also swam with no floaties BY HERSELF!

New Skills

X and I were tickling each other after he woke up. He started making 'pff. pff.' sounds (recently, he's been exploring vocal sounds--talking while chewing his tongue, etc.)

I asked, "What are you doing, pooting?"

And he proudly said, "No. I'm spitting!"

How Do I Put This So They'll Understand?

X was playing with some stickers and a sticker book. After AC showed him how to put the sticker into the sticker book (a book of pictures that you can lay stickers into to complete the scene) he decided to put it back into the book of stickers it had come from.

AC: "I don't think that will go into the book, honey."

X: (slowly, explaining) "It's got sticky on the back, Mama." (as in, "Hellooo, silly. It's a STICKER. Of course it will go into the book!")