Big Boy:
Cameron is really into music, books, cooking and generally being silly. much to my amazement, he will be 3 next month! we're throwing him a super hero party, which should be fun. that's the only "play theme" that he's consistently into now, although he still enjoys a good bit of curious George. (and waffles - but I didn't think that would be a very fun birthday theme for someone severely limited on funds and time) my mother in law has generously offered to make the cake and we have invited a couple of friends and some of the ladies from daycare. he doesn't really have friends at school that he's into. he is clearly a leader in the room, but he couldn't care less about any of that social nonsense. he interacts appropriately, but he also enjoys being on his own and actively avoiding trouble and chaos. (unless it's his idea, and then he's leading the charge.) while I sometimes worry that he isn't social enough, I'm also proud of the fact that he doesn't need validation from anyone else. and in fairness to him, by the time I see him at the end of the day, he has been in the room with the same crazy kids for the whole day and is ready to have his space.
potty training is finally under way and seems to be going fairly well, but slowly. we seem to have gone through the variety of potty options at home and the little mini seat that fits on top of the regular toilet seems to be working. I think he was scared of falling in. he will now agree to sit on the toilet a few times a day, sometimes things come out and sometimes they don't, but it's a start! at home, he gets a chocolate chip each time he sits on the potty. this weekend he was roosting and jabbering on as usual when he would suddenly get really pensive and whisper in an incredibly creepy way "I'm gonna get a chocolate chip..." to no one in particular, then go back to jabbering. it was ... interesting...
language is also a source of entertainment lately. he has excellent manners, for the most part. and to further his accreditation as the bossiest kid in the universe, he has started correcting us if we ask him to do something without saying please. it caught me off guard, but it's also pretty b.a.! "how do you ask, mama?" pahahahahah!!! funny kid.. another zinger is when he is told that it is time to go to bed: "no thank you mama, maybe later." :D he's getting better at catching song lyrics, which is both good and bad. he started singing a song the other day that I didn't even realize he liked, but it was quite clearly the tune. this concerns Charles a bit more than me. I, for one, thing it's hilarious to hear him sing "all about that bass" and have tried to convince Charles that it's a good song about having a positive body image. he, on the other hand, has a hard time hearing his son say "shake it shake it, like you're supposed to do". the jury is still out. although he did learn the valuable lesson of previewing youtube music videos before showing them to Cameron when he expresses an interest in a song from the radio.
big brother stuff is pretty cool too. for the most part, he doesn't mind sharing. and he is great about covering up brother if he needs a blanket, or bringing diapers (needed or not). the kisses on brother's little head are the sweetest things ever, trying to pry open brother's eyes while he sleeps in his car seat - not so much. but we're learning. I am so excited to see them play and interact more as they get bigger!
Little Boy:
Lucas is pretty much adorable. those big brown eyes just suck you in! I didn't think it was possible, but he is even more chilled out and happy and snuggly than Cameron even was! and to think, I had been so terrified of having a second child because I was convinced that there was no way I could get so lucky as to have two easy super cool kids. so maybe they'll be terrible teenagers, but for now I will not borrow any more worry than already comes with the territory and will say that I am 10000% enjoying the contentment of my two little gifts.
his bottles were not sufficient any longer, so the weekend before last I had him try some cereal. I was reluctant to do so at only 5 months but felt that he really did need something extra. I was right! he had zero learning curve and is now scarfing it down 3x a day and with applesauce mixed in at home. once I can get to the store next week I will start more foods, but for now it's all going very well. he is definitely a healthy and growing boy! he's also starting to get better control of his hands, so toys are entering his world as explorative opportunities. and without a doubt, his big brother has sunshine glowing out of every orifice. if lucas is in the walker, his little eyes will follow Cameron around the room like a spot light! and any bit of attention from him, or anyone, will just light up his sweet little face.
he was sleeping through the night for a glorious couple of weeks until lately, when he has been too hungry for that nonsense. he will be up in the night starving to death only to realize that he's too tired to actually stay awake and finish a whole bottle. such is life. he also does a lot of scooting in the night. I have to lay him at one side of one end of the crib and will find him in the opposite corner by morning. it took me a couple of days to come up with that solution as opposed to be woken up by a freaking out kid who is stuck in the corner of his bed. go me.
so life is definitely good at my house! I have two of the coolest kids around. they both are so sweet and innocent and they live 100% out loud without any inhibitions. it's just beautiful to see. I still struggle, during those times when everything seems to be happening at once and there are too many demands on my time or attention, but that has leveled out a lot and for the most part I manage to really give the best of myself to my family these days. it's pretty cool. :)
