"Late Childhood"

Those two words at the bottom of Koen's well child exam record made me take pause and quite honestly catch my breath. How could my sweet baby be in Late Childhood?  Really? This makes me want to quit my job tomorrow and spend every waking minute with these little munchkins....wait, I feel like that all the time.  :|

Koen had an impromptu annual check-up yesterday with the pediatrician.

It was sort of an ambush, since he and I only popped in for copies of records before going to the bank. But when the doctor offers to squeeze you in within the next 30 seconds, how can you refuse. I'm pretty sure I watched all of the blood drain from Koen's face as he listened to our conversation.

But alas, there was no 'pinch' to be had (also known as a shot), so he regained color quickly and was a great sport.

Quick facts:

Age: 6 yrs, 2 months, 1 day

Weight: 51 lbs.  (85%)

Height: 48.5 in.  (95%  Tall kid!)

No joke, when the doc asked Koen a few questions about his favorite foods to eat, he made his mama beam with pride.  :)

Fruit:  Raspberries

Vegetable:  Broccoli

All time favorite food:  Oatmeal

And during our spontaneous appointment, I couldn't help but look around the room at the familiar frog murals, frog clocks, frog books and stuffed frogs and remember. Six years, 2 months, and 2 days ago, I sat, 9 months pregnant, in that very chair, in that same frog room...interviewing Dr. Carol to see if she was 'The One'. Turns out, she was.

It was Halloween, and I went into labor that very night.

Interview with Koen

We celebrated Earth Day by hiking around Discovery Park.  I took a moment to interview Koen. What an adorable age. I always want to remember the way he looks and the way he talks right now, at the tender age of four and a half.  So endearing to me. :)

Koen's Special Week

In preschool, each week of the school year is dedicated to a particular student. It is called their 'special week'. We learn a little about the child, and also the country/state from which their family originated.

Koen's special week happened right after Thanksgiving break (yes, I'm playing catch-up). There are many events that take place throughout the week and weekend, one of which is to take, Margaurite, the class mouse (stuffed animal), home for the weekend prior. She brings her backpack full of dress-up clothes and accessories. We had Margaurite with us for the entire extended weekend of Thanksgiving. Upon return, Teacher Sandi read to the class the excerpt from Margaurite's journal telling of her adventures with Koen.

Because Grandpa was born in Alberta, we chose to learn about Canada at school. What a cool place (I had no idea!). Did you know that the zipper was invented there? And that the sport of basketball was invented by a Canadian? They also eat poutine, a strange combination of french fries, gravy, melted cheese curds and hot sauce? We have yet to try it, but I hear it's surprisingly tasty.

Poutine.

Scrumptious looking, right?

Anyway, here are two photos of Koen wearing his special crown and posing in front of his mini-museum, a collection of items from Canada that remained on display throughout the week.

It just so happened that Koen's special week coincided with Potlatch, the annual celebration dinner hosted by our class during which we invite members of the local Tlingit community to come dance and eat with us.

All week long we learned about First Nations people from the Pacific Northwest (and Canada), practiced dances and songs taught to us by their leaders, heard stories of the Orca whale people, tried our hand at making different types of Native American art, and constructed special button blankets for the kids to wear as regalia during Potlatch. What a beautiful culture, and what a fabulous week!

Clay and I were quite surprised when Koen willingly jumped right in with his peers for the ceremonial dances and songs. He wouldn't crack a smile for anyone, but he stayed with the group through the whole performance. Later, he told us how much he enjoyed the dances! Way to go, buddy!

Koen in his regalia, dancing with his group.

Finnie had a regular blast. He loves marching and drums.

Did I mention that he loves marching?

Koen, showcasing his button blanket regalia.

He refused to take it off all evening.

The funny things they say

Finnie's vocabulary has exploded lately. He's trying to repeat any and all words that he hears. But these are the most recognizable and regular so far:

Cow-ee = Koen (my favorite yet)

My-eee! = Mine! (my least favorite yet)

Fah = fall (something he's quite familiar with lately...we should also teach him to say 'bruise')

Meh = either Mom or Milk (are they really still synonymous?)

Buh-puh = pumpkin

Up-buh = apple

Fie (like 'eye') = High five (every time I give Koen a high five for something, Finn now holds up his little hand and says 'fie'. He wants one too.)

Sar-wee = sorry (usually to Oscar after he smacked him or poked his eye)

And finally, a seasonal addition to his budding vocabulary...San-sa (Santa). The boy loves the man, and he doesn't even know why or who he is? Curious.

***************************************************************************

Some hilarious things come out of Koen's mouth too, lately. Part of me wishes that he never out-grows them.

• When something is taking too long for his liking, he tells me it's been a 'long minute'.
• He inadvertently combines short expressions. Rather than saying, "in a little while" or "in a couple minutes"....Koen says, "in a couple while".
• And instead of "too much" or "enough", Koen has coined the phrase 'too-nuff'.
• Memory games are his favorite lately, but he calls them 'remember-y' games. Pretty logical if you ask me.
• The other night at dinner, our brussels sprouts, suddenly became 'special brouts' from a slip of Koen's tongue. We all had a good laugh at that one, and something tells me we will never call them by their rightful name again. :)

Random Updates

I just wanted to share a few funny stories and tidbits about the kids lately, mostly for the purpose of documentation. I forget so much lately, but I don't want to forget the most important things...the little things.

• Koen has been waking up and playing quietly in his room before we get up in the morning. Sometimes he plays with Finn in his crib and reads him books. We can hear their conversations on the baby monitor near our bed. When Finn starts to get antsy and whiny, Koen says in a very nurturing voice, "I'll get your mom. Do you want me to get your mom, Finn? Yes? Ok." This makes me smile.

• Our new favorite quiet time activity (during Finn's nap) is to write stories. Koen sits at the table and draws a picture. When he's done, I come in and listen as he describes the picture and corresponding story to me. I do my best to transcribe everything he says onto the back. He loves to listen as I read the entire story back to him. I can see the pride on his face, knowing that he made all of it up...all by himself. Then on the front, I write out one or two of the key words from his story so he can practice writing the words himself. He's completely tickled with his new writing skills. Practice makes perfect!

• Koen takes pretty good pictures lately (including the following self portrait). I'm often surprised when I upload photos from my camera and find some interesting shots (and video) that I had nothing to do with.

Koen, photographer

This is one of his recent videos. I have to give him credit. He's very careful with the camera and knows how to turn it on and off, point, shoot, and put it away like it never happened.

Finn's hair is taking on a life of its own. He often has a large rat's nest in back, tangled and fluffy. His bangs are long and well on their way to reaching the tip of his nose now. They often have mysterious bits of food plastered in them. Finn is the king of smearing his messy hands all over his face and hair just as I'm about to clean him up. I need faster reflexes.

Finnie, fresh out of the bath.

Cheeseball poser.

Yep, Finn still loves hats and non-hats alike.

This time it's an opened envelope from a bill. Why not, right?

• Finn loves to say 'Hahh!' (hot) and blow on his food. It doesn't matter what it is, he just enjoys doing something that the rest of us do. The other day he tried to tell me that his peanut butter and jelly sandwich was hot. And last night, I caught him blowing on the ice cream cone that I was 'sharing' with him. Finnie, the ice cream is not hot.

• He has a thing for the springy door stoppers in our home. He manages to unscrew one and carry it around the house for a while. I find them everywhere and I've gotten to the point where I don't bother to replace them for a few days.

• He still loves to remove his socks, but the bonus part is that he sucks on the sock for a while. Later, I find it, sad and soaked on the floor.

• He waves and says 'bye' when we lay him down to sleep in his crib. It is hard not to giggle when you see his tiny, waving hand, through the darkness.

• Each time I come around the side of the car to get Finn out of his car seat, he waits...quiet and still...hidden by the tinted window. Then as soon as I open the door he JUMPS (in his car seat) and yells to scare me. He then cracks up laughing at his own sneakiness. It is pretty cute.

• And lastly, Finn is obsessed with the Christmas lights decorating the houses and yards around town. He whimpers and cries out from the back seat, "Yie! Yie!" (lights) and if I don't immediately acknowledge the colorful lights we just passed by, he gets louder and more frantic. Then he wildly signs 'more' with his hands and says "Moe...yie!" (meaning lets find more). But quite honestly, it has revived my Christmas spirit this season to hear his utter thrill and see the wondrous wide eyes and beautiful smile on his face as he sees each colorful display. It's enough to choke you up. I find myself driving around for a few more minutes each night, or taking a new route home from wherever we've been so that we can see 'moe...yie'. Thank you, Finnie, for bringing the childlike excitement back.

4 is a lotta BIG!

It has happened. Koen has officially turned four! A major event at our house. We somehow ended up celebrating his birthday for an entire week. As a result, Koen is somewhat confused about when his actual birthday was. But that's o.k. An entire 'birth week' sounds better anyway.

His actual birthday started with a few presents and some very nice phone calls from family. When he talked to Nana that morning, he told her (with gusto) that "four is a lotta big!" You got that right buddy. He is rather obsessed with getting 'bigger' and asks us each night at the dinner table if we can see him grow with each bite.

I didn't realize how serious he was with this question until one day I jokingly told him (after he refused to eat his lunch) that I thought I saw him shrink a little bit. You've never seen a smile drop from a face so drastically. He sat staring at me, and then the wall for what seemed to be ages while I cleared our dishes from the table. Soon he began to wail, telling me to bring his lunch plate back so he could eat and grow.

Don't worry, I sat down and told him that what I had said wasn't true and that he wasn't going to shrink. Yikes! I need to be more careful with my jokes! He is a 'Literal Lou'.

After breakfast, we headed over to the gymnastics academy for some indoor romping with our friends. Wouldn't you know, the day before and the day after were terribly gorgeous and summer-like, but the day of his birthday was pouring rain...all day!

The boys in the foam pit.

Finn has gone kamikaze lately on the little slide that drops into the pit. I can hardly keep up with him...up, down, up, down. He goes so fast, that he sometimes starts sliding before both of his feet are in front of him. Needless to say, he's done a few trips down the slide with his legs in the splits.

Koen is getting more agile and daring with each visit.

It's been wonderful for his coordination.

But then again, he is a big four-year-old now!

He spent some time in front of the gym mirror,

checking himself out to see if he looked older that day. :)

Fearless Finn.

If I turned my head for a split second, he'd be at the top of a ladder.

We definitely have a climber on our hands.

After the gym, Koen spent an hour out in the rain trying out his new alligator umbrella that his friend gave him. He felt very special...and big, of course.

And, naturally, it wouldn't be a celebration at our house without an ice cream outing. We have a new place we like to go for frozen custard. Koen only gets chocolate anymore. That's my boy!

Midweek, we invited Collin and Shandy over for pizzas, cake and ice cream. It was low key and perfect. Finn and Collin logged some serious cuddle time. It has now become their little ritual, I'd have to say. Once Collin gets Finn into position, Finn doesn't move for at least an hour (or as long as Collin can stay put). He also doesn't make a peep. It's like Finn disappears into his uncle's lap. Very tender.

Mmmm...chocolate cake!

And to wrap up the 'Week of Koen', we threw a little birthday party at a local community center for a few friends. We ate, we sang, Koen opened gifts, and then we chased the kids all over the play gym. Koen loved every minute of it. And he was thrilled to be able to hand out balloons and handmade bookmarks (made by Koen himself) to each of his guests as they said goodbye.

Our beautiful, BIG, birthday boy!

You may be getting bigger, but you'll always be my 'baby boy'.

Love, Mom

3 Things...

3 Things Koen:

• He loves his new preschool teacher, Teacher Sandi...so much so, he announced today that he wants to be her for Halloween. Hmmm.
• He asked me the other day if I was going to have a bowl of 'cold' for lunch. He was referring to the turkey chili I had made the night before. Get it...chili...cold? Sweet.
• He makes his bed, brushes his teeth and gets himself dressed every morning. And he always makes sure to ask me beforehand, "What kind of day is it today, mama?" This is how he decides whether to wear shorts or pants, a T-shirt or long-sleeved shirt.

Koen's first day of preschool.

Just moments later, he threw the world's largest tantrum as I had to leave him there. It was traumatic for both of us. Luckily, the goodbyes have greatly improved! No more tears.

3 Things Finn:

• Finn loves his socks to be off of his feet, and anything resembling a hat to be on his head (books, baseball mitts, trick-or-treat buckets, small boxes, etc.). When he puts an object on his head, he then drops his arms straight down to his sides and says "Haa (Hat)!" while he waits for anyone to notice.
• He loves to say 'no' to anything and everything you ask him. Sometimes, he'll even whine/sing the word over and over. Imagine the word 'no' strung together six or seven times, and put to a whiny tune that spans an entire octave. Pretty funny. And he's trying to talk more every day. But on his 'off' days, he resorts to pointing a crooked little finger in the air and saying 'Sssst'.
• He's all about giving hugs and kisses right now. And let me tell you, if his skinny little arms, stretched as wide as they can go, with his tiny fingers clenched firmly around your shoulders isn't the most precious feeling in the world...I don't know what is. To make it even sweeter, he's now coming in for the hug (without prompting) and saying "Awww" while he holds you. Love that baby to pieces!

The Trick-or-Treat bucket doubles as a hat.

Made me laugh...

Today, Koen and I had a conversation that made me laugh out loud. It also reminded me how quick-witted and smart he is.

Me: Koen, I have a special job for you. I need you to take this bag and put all of your stuffed animals inside so that we can take them to the clubhouse (this is what he is calling our new apartment).

Koen: Ok, Mom. (disappears to his room for ten minutes, then shuffles back in with a frown)

Koen: Mom, this is too hard! They won't go in the bag!

Me: Well, at least put some in and then I will come help you with the rest.

Koen: I did! Now you put the rest in.

Me: You already did put some in?

Koen: Yes! I put one in, and ONE is SOME! Now you can do the rest.

I just stared at him in disbelief, processing his logic at the age of three. And he stood there, just looking back at me. After a minute we both busted up laughing. He knew he was being a little smarty pants, but played it very cool. I'm sure this sassy behavior is only amusing when your child is three. And I won't laugh out loud when he's 14 and says this to me. Joy.

Tidbits...

Today:

Koen was giving Oscar rubs, inspecting his fur and the scratch Oscar got from our neighbor's mean dog. He began to make believe he was a doctor caring for Oscar's wound and gave him a pretend shot and band-aid. Then he looked up at me and asked why Oscar had fur. I gave him a quick reply (I was preoccupied at the moment).

Next, he asked what was under his fur. "Skin, just like yours!" I said. "Most animals have skin just like we do."

A few more moments passed, then a puzzled look came across his face. "So...is his fur stuck on to his skin with tape?" he asked. ;) So cute the way his little brain works. I then stopped what I was doing to have a more educational conversation with him. I could tell he was really trying to think this through.

Yesterday:

Koen and Finn had a little snack together in the kitchen. They tend to babble at each other and make one another laugh while they eat. Sometimes they even strike up a game of peek-a-boo. I sat down to join them. And I asked Koen (for sake of simple conversation) what his favorite part of his snack was; the almonds, the yogurt, or the blueberries. He caught me by sweet surprise and warmed by heart with his reply.

He thought for a moment, chewing an almond. Then he smiled and said in a soft voice, "My favorite part of my snack is Finn."

Strawberry Pop

Behold...the first fruit of our efforts! Koen and I have taken up gardening in several forms. We have five tomato plants in pots, we have a hanging Topsy Turvy of strawberry plants, and a small plot at the community garden down the street.

After weeks of tender loving care and patience, we have a strawberry! Woo-hoo! Yes, it is white as a ghost, but will hopefully turn red before Koen loses interest. I'm excited for him to see this growing process and to learn where his food comes from. I also hope he learns to love tomatoes and strawberries (two fruits that he currently doesn't care for).

And another benefit...Koen is learning to appreciate bugs...yes, BUGS! His all time nemesis! I'm trying to show him all the bugs, worms, spiders, and bees in the garden, explaining how they are beneficial for the plants. So far, he's been very receptive and curious. He still won't hold a bug, but he's getting closer. :)

Exhibit A: a ladybug on our strawberry plant yesterday.

Koen named him 'Pop'. I told him that the ladybug was so happy, sitting on a leaf, feeling the warm sun on his back while he waited for his lunch to come crawling by. Koen got up close to look at 'Pop'. Then, in all earnest he said, "Mom, I want to see his smile."

Here is Koen, gardener and painter, hard at work on his latest masterpiece (a watercolor for a certain someone with a birthday coming up!)

New Do!

Caution: If you are in any way attached to Koen's curly blond locks,



continue




reading




at your




own




risk!



(And be warned you may shed a tear)




On a wild hair (pun intended), Clay decided during dinner last night that it was time for change. He somehow convinced Koen of this and before we knew it there was a new kid and a small furry animal on the floor of the bathroom where our son sat just moments before.

Before

During

(We were tempted to stop here, but that idea quickly passed)

Our new dog

Our new kid!

He's still trying to get used to it, as are we.

I've witnessed him rubbing his head several times today.

So....very...strange. A little sad, but also exciting! It seems he aged two whole years over night! :( But doesn't he look handsome? Bring on the heat of summer! Koen is ready!

Koen's Garden

Watch out, Uncle Paki, Koen is perfecting his green thumb. The other day at preschool, we planted seeds in paper cups. It went like this:

1. Koen scooped dirt into the cup, barely one inch deep.
2. He then grabbed a massive handful of random seeds and dropped them into the cup.
3. More dirt.
4. The entire cup was dumped out by another kid.
5. Scooped it all back in.
6. Lastly, Koen completely drown the poor things with water (we basically took home a cup full of runny mud).

Needless to say, my expectations for success were low. So I was pleasantly surprised when one little sprout poked it's head up a couple of days later. Then another, then another....until I went from pleasantly surprised to concerned. Soon the paper cup was bursting with life. Now I not only felt the need to keep these precious little plants alive and well, they needed to be identified (something I had failed to do in class that day).

After some internet searches and conversations with other preschool parents, we've decided that we have one pumpkin plant, one sunflower plant, and about eight pea plants. They're all sharing the new pot, but that will soon have to change. These guys are super happy in our bright breakfast nook and are growing so fast, you can practically see it with the naked eye!

My favorite part about this new adventure is Koen's shear excitement. Each morning when he comes in for breakfast, he checks on his plants. And each morning I hear him yell, "Whoa! Mom! They're biggehr!" (Koen pronounces his 'r' like 'ehr')

Other updates....

Koen's new favorite thing is to play a quick game of 'Memory' with Clay right before bedtime. He calls it 'Remembery'. We don't correct him. :) He also loves to give us back rubs and hand massages while we lay in his bed with him at night. I know, I know, he's the one who needs to be going to sleep, but it's so hard to resist his offer. We hope this trend continues!

Finn took his very first wagon ride this week. He felt so big. Koen was thrilled for the event, too. He's been waiting patiently for his little brother to grow up so they can play together. This was a big step in the right direction.

Now that Finn has found his legs (or knees, I should say), he has wasted no time in covering every square inch of our house over the past 24 hours. He has obviously spent the past 11 months taking mental inventory of all the interesting things that were just beyond his reach.

"GAME...ON!"

Plants..........................check

Fireplace....................check

Under the bed...........check

Magazine rack...........check

Kitchen cupboards....check

It might be time to invest in that whole baby gate thing.

Peek-a-boo

Finn's latest game.

It's terribly endearing and he makes every effort to engage all of us. My only complaint is that he usually wants to play while he's eating, which adds about 15-20 minutes to the time it takes to feed him, and makes a huge mess.

We also have some big news to report! At the age of almost 11 months, Finn crawled roughly four feet in a forward direction this morning! Yay (I think?)!

Other random updates:

• Both kids have colds. :)
• Finn is cutting tooth #5 & #6.
• And for those of you dying to know...Koen is successfully using the toilet at all times now! (Granted it has taken dozens of lollipops to get to this point, and I'm having nightmares about his teeth rotting in his head. Are we trading in diapers for cavities? Yikes!)

Snowbird

Clay went snowboarding this weekend. Koen was very excited when he saw his Dad's gear all set out by the door Saturday morning. As any curious kid would, he pulled everything apart, inspecting it and trying it all on. It was so sad though, when he realized that he wasn't going with Dad. Koen watched longingly out the window while Clay loaded up the car. He was very concerned that Daddy might forget his sunglasses. We sat in the breakfast nook eating our cereal and Koen was quite melancholy. Every once in a while he'd return to staring out the window, saying, "Wish I could go snowbirding with daddy."

Even an hour or two after Clay had left, Koen came to me and said, "I wonder if Daddy's on the mountain right now?" He truly thought about it all day long, talking about 'someday, when he's bigger (or daddy's smaller...whichever comes first), they can go snowbirding together'. So sweet.

When Clay returned that evening, he had a cold surprise for the boys...snowballs! Koen smiled and laughed a little, but was more concerned about how Clay was going to get these snowballs back to the mountains? Finn wasn't so impressed. He held some snow for about 4 seconds, then started to cry.

Both kids were equally enthusiastic about donning Daddy's gear, however. Truth be told, Koen didn't take these goggles off for the rest of the night. He wore them on our daily walk, and even wanted to wear them to preschool this morning. While on our walk, he looked up at me and said, "I look good in these goggles!" And upon our return home, he said, "That was a hot journey!" (Huh?) "Do you mean a hard journey?" I asked. "No! My goggles made me hot on our journey!" Funny kid.

Here are just a few other random shots to share from our week.

This kid means business.

Batting practice isn't for sissies!

The trouble with learning to crawl, is that you usually start out going backwards. The only problem with this is that you always get farther from the object that you most desire, and you usually end up in the corner of the room, helplessly under a chair.

Koen's new favorite task is giving Finn his nightly bottle.

He's a very caring and loving big brother. Please let this last forever!