Catching Up

Here are some photos and videos from Marley's birthday and Christmas that I've been meaning to post. Enjoy!

Our Little Picasso

Happy Birthday to You!

Stay tuned for a better birthday update. In the mean time, here's Marley opening his present from Auntie Sarah. I hope you like the sound of crinkling paper!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

I love the Thanksgiving weekend holiday! Yes, it's great spending time with friends and family, and eating lots of yummy food. But, mainly I love it because it means I'm done with fall report cards and conferences! I just feel SO relaxed after finishing this very stressful part of my job. Conferences went fine this year. I ended up with three no-shows that I wasn't able to reschedule. Oh well! I held 25 successful conferences (that's 12.5 hours of actual conferencing on top of the approximately 14 hours of doing report cards!).

The most exciting thing this year was attending my first conference as a parent. Marley's teacher decided to hold conferences this year to share what they have been learning, and how he is doing in school. Her goal was to identify his strengths and challenges, and to tailor his experiences at school to meet his needs as a learner. Wow - sounds familiar!

Anyway, the cool part was that she used video evidence to show examples of his cognitive, social, motor, and language development. She told us that he's fitting in really well there, gets along with other kids easily, and has picked up all the daily routines. I hope you enjoy Marley's conference video as much as we did!

Field Trip!

Marley and Reid, the two oldest Beetles, got to join the centipedes yesterday on a trip to the Seattle Children's Museum to see the Sesame Street Body exhibit. It sounds like they had a great time. When prompted, Marley reported that his favorite part of the day was, "Reid and the fire engine." Enjoy Jena's photos and videos from the trip!

Unhappy Halloween

Marley's mood improved considerably once he realized that dressing up in strange costumes would result in lots of candy!

Adventures in Michigan (finally)

Feeding the animals with Aunt Cyndi at Apple Charlie's

More Apple Charlie's. We had fun drinking cider, eating donuts, feeding the animals, and of course, buying APPLES!

Playing frisbee with Uncle Pat at the cool wooden playground.

Watching the backhoe work next door to Patrick and Cyndi's house.


Carving pumpkins with Matt and Alicia.


More to Come...

Playing with the old school toys.


Learning how to make our favorite childhood snack: Ants on a Log!

The Incredible Naptime Trick

School is going great for Marley. He is going five days a week now, and totally loves it. One of the hardest things for me to imagine has been how naptime goes there. It's hard enough for me to get my one child to sleep at home. I can't imagine trying to get ten of them to nap at once. Yet, the Amazing Jena does it, and has shared this video as proof. Just in case you can't tell, Mars is the 6th kid lying face down with his arm draped over his bear:)

Being Sick Stinks!

Well, Marley went to school today, but I stayed home. I started feeling terrible yesterday and it just got worse and worse. Mars, on the other hand, was totally fine yesterday. Besides having a stuffy nose, I'm feeling much better now. I'm planning on going to school tomorrow as long as no one is puking tonight. Keep your fingers crossed.

Here's the Beetle Daily Note for today:
Naps-
Reid- 1:05- 3:30
Marley- 1:10-3:30
Finn- 1:00-3:30
Grace- 1:20-3:15 (woke at 2 but fell back to sleep)
Layla 1:30-3:30
* We woke all the boys up so they could eat snack! They must be tired from busy weekends!

Today we sang lots of new songs during circle time and the Beetles are starting to remember the fingerplays that go along with them. They really enjoy "The Firetruck Song" and especially like the handshake at the end. They also like the "Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands Song" and laugh when we clap our hands slowly and then quickly. For our classtime we painted our body tracings with watercolor brushes and paint dobbers.

During outside time, we played in the sandbox; building sand castles and then smashing them down. We counted together "One, two, three" as we poured each shovel of sand into the bucket. We also set up the tunnels and tents in the yard and enjoyed climbing in and out and peeking our heads up out of the hole on top. After lunch we headed upstairs to the living room and rode the cars around to get all of our energy out before naptime.

Jena

And the Puke Goes On

So Thursday night was a long one. Marley continued to throw up on and off until about 3:30 am. His tummy was pretty empty after the first couple of times, so it was mostly dry heaving. Poor baby. Jeff was already planning on staying home with him on Friday (as he will every Friday), but I still had to go to work on, like, 3 hours of sleep.

Friday and Saturday he seemed totally fine. Then, it started again. Saturday night was like a repeat of Thursday. This time it was about 11:00 pm when he woke up puking. *Sigh* I don't know what's going on, but we suspect that we just rushed him back to his normal diet when we should have taken things a lot slower. He just seemed to be so much better. We'll see how he does on Sunday, but we may decide to keep him home from school on Monday. 'Tis the season, eh?

The Joy of Puke

Marley's sick. I knew it would happen now that he's a daycare kid, but it's only day three! Okay, so he probably didn't get it from the daycare. In fact, since he didn't have a fever, I'm sort of thinking it could be something he ate.

He woke up crying at 10:00 tonight, and when I went up to check on him I smelled it. Uh-oh. He threw up in the worst possible spot: right between the beds. He managed to get it all over both his sheets and ours, two pillows, two bears, and two blankets. It ran down the sides of the mattresses and got into the bed frames and on the carpet. It was also all over the wall next to the headboard. Not to mention on Marley's jammies and in his hair.

Jeff was at a soccer game, so I grabbed Mars, stripped him down, and we jumped into the shower together. I managed to get him freshly diapered and in clean jammies just in time for him to puke everywhere again. At least we were in the bathroom that time. After that I got smart and skipped the jammies altogether.

We were able to get him back to sleep on the couch pretty easily after Jeff got home (he was SO tired). And then the cleaning began. Now I'm just waiting for the first load of laundry to finish so I can put in the second (yes, he puked on TWO laundry loads worth of stuff). Then, I'll just hope that he stays asleep for the rest of the night.

Whoopsie

Can you tell school has started? Yikes! I'm really behind in my updates. School is in full swing for me - and for Marley. That's right! Mars started "school" on Tuesday. I will update with pictures (I have to take some first). Marley didn't cry when we dropped him off on either day. He simply waved and said, "Bye!" I think it was because we had been looking at photos of all the kids (and learning their names), the teachers, and the classroom beforehand. Jena was quite amused when, on the first day, Marley began saying the names of all the other kids:) His teachers, Jena and Carrie, send parents an email update every day on his group, the Beetles (1-2 year olds). The Centipedes are the 2.5-4 year olds. Here's what she said about Marley's first two days.

Day 1: Tuesday, September 15

Naps:
Marley went home to nap
Eli 1:15-3:30
Layla 11-1pm

Today we welcomed a new friend, Marley Franklin, and his parents, Dawn and Jeff. We had a small group today. Grace had a stay home day with her mom. Finn is out visiting with his grandparents. Marley, Eli, and Layla were exited to get out for a neighborhood walk in the buggy. We stopped and played at the pocket park, visited a construction site, and walked through Thriftway to see the sights and share a bagel. Upon our return we played in the yard in the sensory tables (still filled with birdseed) and practiced blowing bubbles. We came in and sat for a short circle time and learned some new songs. Marley was still really interested in the new environment so we had some more free play before lunch. Eli and Marley chased each other around the climber and underneath it, colored with markers, and drove cars down the ramp with Carrie.

We will really be focusing on self-help skills over these next few weeks. Specifically we are taking extra time for training in hand washing, fastening and unfastening shoes and coats, and cleaning up our toys and dishes.

Day 2: Wednesday, September 16

Naps:
Marley 1:05-3:00
Reid 1:10-3:30
Layla 12:45-4:00
Grace 1:10-2:35

We have temporarily altered our daily schedule a bit so that the Beetles and Centipedes are not using the classroom for circle time together, which is a bit too distracting for my group right now. Until both groups get acquainted with class time we will be taking our walk first from 10-11 and then having our class time before lunch from 11-12 while the older kids are on their walk.

We headed out for a walk to the Lincoln Park Pea Patch this morning. Reid, Marley, Grace, and Layla really enjoyed running up and down the paths and hiding from each other in the tall plants. A nice man playing tennis nearby gave each child a tennis ball to play with. We found a potato bug and took turns holding it and watching it crawl around on our hands.

For circle time we sang our hello songs again and then turned some music on for dancing w/ scarves. We practiced jumping, clapping and stomping. After lunch the group read stories with Carrie and then all went off to sleep. It was Marley's first time sleeping on a mat and he had no issues, hugged his bear and was the first one asleep.

Marley's Trip to Vashon Island

Tomorrow is the first day of school, and I've hardly been able to spend any time at all getting my classroom ready. So, when my friends and fellow Highlands teachers, Nancy and Debbie, casually offered to take Mars off my hands for the day, I jumped at the opportunity! I got my room all set up, and Marley had a great time riding the ferry and feeding the animals at Nancy's sister's mini-farm on Vashon Island. Nancy, I hope you don't mind me sharing your photos. Enjoy!

Marley's New Ride

What else is new?

So, you're probably wondering what else we did with our summer since our big trip only lasted about three weeks. I've been wondering the same thing myself. Monday is the official end of summer for me. I go back to work full time, and the kiddos arrive on Wednesday. As usual, the summer has absolutely flown by! Here's some of what we've been doing:

1. Pest Control: We have termites. They are the slow-eating kind, so we're hoping that they haven't done too much real damage to our house. We've been cleaning out our storage room, where they've been hanging out, so that we can have someone get in there and spray. It's a total pain, and has taken up way too much of my precious summer!

2. Childcare Hunt: Jeff is planning to add more days to his work schedule, and that means we need daycare for Marley. This has been super depressing for me - I can't tell you how many times I've threatened to quit my job this week! Although many tears were shed in the process, I'm pretty sure we've found a place we love. We brought Marley there for a visit and he had a blast running around with the other kids. We're still working out the schedule, but right now it looks like he will start in October and go three days a week. I think this will be really good for him. *Sniff* At least that's what I keep telling myself!

3. Auntie Sarah's Visit: The only reason I was able to stay somewhat sane during the search for childcare was that my amazing sister was here. She watched Marley while I made phone calls. She came along to check places out with me. And most importantly, she gave me lots of hugs while I sobbed in despair! It was hard to let her go, especially because Mars was getting so used to having her around. Luckily, we're planning a family get-together in October, so we won't have to wait too long to see her again!

4. No Longer a Teen: Most importantly this summer, Mars turned 20 months old! He is growing up so fast right before our very eyes. Here's a little of what Marley is like at 20 month old:

*Wears 18-24 month clothing.
*Loves to accessorize (hats, shoes, glasses, jewelry)
*Knows some of his ABC's, and tries really hard to sing along with the alphabet song.
*Knows some of his numbers - he surprised us by counting to six today! Correctly!
*Can recognize a stop sign and a stop light, and likes to point them out to us while we're driving.
*Can correctly identify crows, pigeons, and sea gulls (and can imitate corresponding sounds)
*Can speak in four word sentences (yesterday he said, "I spy dirty clothes." Great.).
*Loves to play "I Spy".
*Can jump with both feet (only about an inch off the ground, but is very proud of himself nonetheless).
*Can build a tower seven blocks high before the urge to knock it down overcomes him.
*Is no longer breastfeeding as of the end of July (his choice, not mine).
*Is very good with a spoon.
*Sleeps in his crib, which is sidecaring our bed.
*Is still wearing cloth diapers.
*Uses mostly spoken words rather than sign language any more. (He still loves Signing Time, though and we are always trying to learn new signs).
*Can go up the stairs and down the slide all by himself at the park.
*Favorite foods include: broccoli, edamame (soy beans), peaches, pizza, strawberries, Pirate's Booty, yogurt, chicken, french fries, and spaghetti.
*Loves to sing, dance, read, play with cars, swim, go to the beach, and play at the park.
*Amazes us daily with all his new accomplishments!

Part III: The Cote d'Azur

This was the part of our trip where we planned on relaxing, eating, and playing at the beach. The vacation, within the vacation, if you will. We stayed in Villefranche-sur-Mer, at the same hotel Jeff and I stayed at on our honeymoon. Here's the view from our balcony.

And the waterfront promenade where we frequented an excellent gelateria.

We ate at this restaurant twice during our stay. The children who lived nearby came out to play and gave Jada and Marley balloons.
We were able to walk to this beach from our hotel. We spent LOTS of time there!

We walked around, shopped, and ate in Eze. It was just a short bus ride from Villefranche.

Jeff and I decided to walk down the sea-view trail (about a 45 minute hike). Marley kept busy by pointing out all the things he could see (boat, sky). Poor kid couldn't see much back there.

Another day, Jeff and I hiked along the Cap d'Ail trail. Marley pretty much slept the whole time. We stayed in a hostel here the very first time we visited France in 1999. Walking along this trail and seeing the hostel brought back lots of fond memories.
And of course, we had to go into Nice. We visited a lovely park overlooking the city (complete with jugglers). We walked through old Nice and I was reminded how much I really enjoy that part of the city.

It was a wonderful five days on the coast, followed by a hellish journey home. And here we are! Thanks for bearing with me though my v-e-r-y drawn out recap of our trip!

Part II: London and Paris

First, by special request, a photo showing my (and Marley's) entire outfits - including shoes:) Bonus: You get to see the back of Kristina's dress up close!

So, the day after the wedding, we left Cornwall and headed to London by train. We arrived in the late afternoon, ate dinner and then met up at the hotel with Tanya, Troy, and Jada (who had spent the first part of their trip in Brighton). The next day Jeff was really sick (we think food poisoning - Ick!*) so he hung around the hotel while the rest of us headed out for a boat ride along the Thames. You've already seen the photo of Mars with Big Ben in the background:) After the ride, we headed out in search of some children's museums. First up was the Natural History Museum. It would have been better for a little bit older kids, although on the plus side, it was free! Fine by me since Marley slept the entire time.

Here's Jada looking perplexed (and a little frightened) by the "womb room" - complete with a heart beat and a giant fetus! I thought it was cool.

After the NHM, we made our way over to the Science Museum. Since it was getting late, we headed straight to "The Garden", the very cool interactive exhibit for kids under 5. Marley and Jada loved touching all the different textures, making all sorts of sounds, crawling in various nooks and crannies, looking in the fun mirrors, and building towers with huge foam blocks.



But, by far, the most popular thing to do at "The Garden" was explore the water works. I highly recommend the Science Museum, if you ever find yourself in London with little kids - and it's free!

The next morning we took the Eurostar (the "Chunnel Train") to Paris. We didn't go to museums or even really try and see a lot of sites. We mostly just wandered around and enjoyed being in Paris.


The day we arrived was Bastille Day, so there was a celebratory mood in the air and we got to see fireworks.

We didn't actually go up the Eiffel Tower, but we were okay with that.


We loved our hotel, and its location. Jeff and I even got to go on a child-free date on the last night. (The weather was crazy that night! We were seated outside, but it suddenly started to hail, so we had to go in. Then the power went out! We eventually got our food, and the storm was over by the time we left.) Three nights was definitely not enough time in Paris. Oh well, looks like we'll have to go back!

Stay tuned for our final vacation episode, Part III: The Cote d'Azur.

*Jeff did eventually feel better and visited the British Museum. So, London wasn't a total loss for him.

Part I: Reading, Cornwall, and The Wedding

Our first night in England we stayed at Adam and Kristina's house in Reading. We were only there for about a day and a half, and we really wish we could have had more time. We walked on the river trail, which is only about a block from their house, and found a really cool playground for Marley to run around at.

Kristina and Adam's mid-nineteenth century home was really comfortable, and super cute!

When we left Reading, we headed to Wadbridge in Cornwall for three nights. The adorable Brookdale B&B, where we stayed, was just a few minutes walk from Adam's parents' house.

The Full English Breakfast was served hot just for us every morning. Yum!

One of the days we went surfing at Polzeath Beach. Well, not "real" surfing. Most of us were just boogie-boarding, and some of us were just floating around in the waves:)

Jeff and I took turns squeezing into wet suits and playing on the beach with Mars. Here's everyone getting ready for the "cold" water (it was warm compared to Puget Sound).

We hiked along a gorgeous trail that went along the coast. It was so pretty that Jeff and Marley even came back the next day to do more hiking while I was at the wedding rehearsal.

On the day of the wedding, we headed to the lovely Rose-in-Vale Hotel. It did drizzle a bit during the ceremony, but most of the guests were prepared. The ceremony was at 12:30 pm, and the reception didn't end until around midnight, so it was really nice to have our room right there. Jeff even took Mars up for his nap after the ceremony. Everyone told us how "smart" Marley looked in his dress clothes:)


The bride was lovely, and the groom handsome. We ate, drank, danced, and had tons of fun. Boy was it a long day!


Stay tuned for Part II: London and Paris!

Home, Sweet Home

Wednesday morning at around 10:30, we checked out of our hotel in Villefranche and boarded the train into Nice. We then hopped on a bus to the Nice airport, where we caught a plane to London's Heathrow Airport. From there, we hopped on another bus that took us to Gatwick Airport, where we caught a shuttle that put us at our hotel around 8pm. Phew! We grabbed a quick dinner and went to bed.

The next morning (yesterday) we woke up early to catch the 7am shuttle back to Gatwick, so we could catch a 8.5 hour flight to Charlotte, NC, where we had a long 4 hour layover! Yuck! After we finally boarded our plane for Seattle, they informed us that the runway was closed due to an incoming storm. So we sat on the plane, at the gate, for another 45 minutes before takeoff. We arrived in Seattle, after a 5.5 hour flight from Charlotte, just after 9pm (which I think is 6am Nice time).

Our luggage took forever to come out - but finally did, thank goodness. Liz picked us up at the airport in Seattle. Thanks, Liz! We said goodbye to our travel companions. Thanks, Tanya, Troy, and Jada! And we curled up in our very own bed sometime around midnight.

We have tons of stories and photos, which I will share soon - when I can muster up the energy. In the meantime, here's an adorable Marley picture to tide you over:)

And we're off! (Almost)

Our bags are packed (mostly), the house is tidied (somewhat), our travel arrangements have been made (for the most part), and we're ready to go! (more or less). Bright and early tomorrow morning we get on a plane bound for London. Okay, technically we get on a plane bound for Philadelphia first. We're looking forward to this, most likely our last, flight with Mars as a free "lap baby". Actually, I'm not exactly looking forward to the whole flying part of it (read: dreading), but I'm very excited to be going on vacation.

I may or may not be able to update the blog while we are away. So, here's our itinerary for those who would like to imagine where we are on any given day.

July 6: Leave home at 6am courtesy of our good friend, Liz (Thanks, Liz!); Depart SeaTac Airport at 8:40 am
July 7: Arrive at London Gatwick Airport at 6:55am; Hop on a train to Reading, UK to stay at Kristina and Adam's house
July 8: Hop on a train to Bodmin, Cornwall, UK; Pick up our rental car and drive to Wadebridge, Cornwall, UK to stay at the charming Brooksdale B&B
July 9: Enjoy a day at the beach with Kristina and friends; stay at the Brooksdale
July 10: Attend a garden party at Adam's parents' house; stay at the Brooksdale
July 11: Kristina and Adam's Wedding at the Rose-in-Vale hotel in St. Agnes, Cornwall, UK; stay at the Rose-in-Vale
July 12: Return the rental car and hop on a train to London; Meet up with Tanya, Troy, and Jada; stay at the Ramada
July 13: See London; Stay at the Ramada
July 14: Take the Chunnel to Paris; Stay at the Hotel de Seine
July 15: See Paris; Hotel de Seine
July 16: More Paris; Hotel de Seine
July 17: Take the train to Nice; stay at the Hotel Provencal in Villefranche (where Jeff and I stayed on our honeymoon)
July 17 - 21: Sit on the beach; stay at the Hotel Provencal
July 22: Fly to London; Stay at the Holiday Inn near the airport
July 23: Fly back to Seattle, arriving at 9pm (Liz?)

Whew! Wish us luck!

Proud Mommy

Here are the stats:

Weight (fully clothed): 27lbs 6oz (68th Percentile)
Height: 33.5" (78th Percentile)
Head Circumference: 18.5" (26th Percentile)

He only had one shot (Hep A) and was very brave - only a few tears. Here's the part where I brag:) His doctor said he should be saying at least 10 words by now. He is saying so many (well over 100) that I've lost count. He said over 10 words just while he was at the doctor's office. Including: Up, down, hi, bye, helmet, pen, light, hot, owie, teeth, fish, water, and yeah.

I've stopped trying to keep track of ALL of Marley's words, but I had an idea while talking to Kristie and Cecily the other day. I think I'll try to do several word lists grouped by location or circumstances. So, here are all the words (that I can think of) that Mars uses independently while playing in our backyard:

Down, help, kitty, meow, rock, stick, moss, hose, water, pretty, gnome, baby (frequently in reference to the gnome), bird (sign), yuck, caw (as in - the sound a crow makes), pine cone, owie, tree, and dirt.

Well-Baby Guessing Game

Marley has his 18 month well-baby check up on Tuesday. Any one care to guess his current weight and height? Do you think he's continued to climb the growth carts since his 15 month appointment?

Good Hair Day

Before


During

After

It was worth the $20 ($25 with tip) to take Mars to West Seattle Kids Salon for his very first haircut. He was excited from the moment we walked through the door and saw how many toys (and kids) there were to play with while we waited. He hardly realized he was getting a haircut between driving the tractor, watching the other kids, and playing with various toys. At one point, when he noticed the hair really starting to fall, he picked some up and said, "Uh-oh", but then it was back to driving the tractor. Our stylist, Janet, was amazing - and fast. She even gave us a lock of hair in a little keepsake card to take home at the end. Of course, for Marley, the best moment was when he got to have his very own lollipop - another first.

Thanks, Auntie Sarah!

Marley got a "just because" package in the mail today from Sarah. The first thing he pulled out of the box was a lion costume that Sarah got on clearance. Notice how he goes right past it to get to the books. He LOVED the pop up book, and was actually quite gentle with it (read: hasn't torn it to shreds yet). He had me read him all the books several times (once he got past the book cover confusion). Later, I tried to put the lion costume on him, but he was afraid of it. Luckily we have a while until Halloween!

Is it a baby or a hat?

Well, we all survived our time apart. In fact, Mars seemed kind of surprised to see me again. I think he was getting used to his new life at Nai Nai's house. Things went so well, in fact, that Jeff and I decided that we need to do an overnight where we actually sleep in the same room (and where we aren't responsible for 75 5th graders!).

Marley is 18 months old today! He is becoming so grown up and developing quite an imagination. He will pick up a stuffed animal and hug it and rock it and say, "Baby". The funny thing is that he does not limit this behavior to stuffed animals. Today, for example, his babies included Jeff's shoe, his sippy cup, a block, a pair of shorts, and the shampoo bottle.

He also likes to pretend various things are hats. He will pick up an item and say "Hat" and put it on my head or on his own head. He finds this quite hilarious. It's so cute!

Going Away

Jeff and I are leaving Marley overnight this week for the very first time since we brought him home from the hospital. He will be enjoying two fun-filled days and nights at his Nai Nai's house. And where will we be going for our first night without our son? Somewhere tropical? Somewhere romantic? Some place where we get to sleep together in the same bed? Not even close. Jeff and I will be spending Monday and Tuesday at Camp Seymour with the 5th graders. It will be a blast, I'm sure. It always is, but it's definitely not a relaxing vacation. And although Marley will be fine without us, I'm not sure the reverse is true.

Put your fingertips together for More, More, More!

We have discovered that the Seattle Public Library carries the Signing Time DVD's that were highly recommended by my friend, Carol. I picked up Volume One of Baby Signing Time, and Marley absolutely LOVES, it! I have to admit, the songs are really catchy. Jeff and I have to be careful not to accidentally start singing or humming any of the tunes or Mars will run to the TV room and plop down on the couch, ready to watch. The library has all four volumes of Baby Signing Time as well as the entire regular Signing Time series. That should keep us busy for a while.

When Marley's not watching DVD's, he's playing with Uncle Troy in Jada's new swimming pool.

Or tormenting Ginger, the neighbor cat, in the back yard.

As of Late...

For some reason, I've been having a really hard time uploading videos and images lately. Here is some of what Marley has been up to.

Helping in the Garden

Helping at the 5th Grade Car Wash

Playing at the Beach

Our Little Yes Man

Dancing to his Favorite Tunes