A LONG overdue post and updates

So much has been happening and we've found ourselves very busy.

Recently little C found some shopping bags with pictures of the Asian Longhorned Beetle on it -and she need to know about it so we looked them up on the computor, she is fasinated she tries to say their name and comes very close - and she also labeled them monsters.  That was after big C told her tha tif they weren't stopped we wouldn't have maple syrup - she was horrified by that thought.

Little C has gotten more into doll play recently and has been caring for her baby.
Most recently she has been asking to carry her baby on her back or tummy - when I talk about when I used to carry her that way she seems to remember, which is very cool.  The picture to the left is one I snapped when she spontaneously sat down in her rocking chair to nurse her baby.

Snow has finally arrived and we anxiously await our first ski trip, Mad River opened this weekend - but I had the flu so there was no skiing, little C did help shovel the steps and went shopping with big C for a snowblower.  She then got to watch excitedly as the deck got cleared off.

Potty Progress

 

We've expeirenced day two, in a row, of being dry at school.  Yeah!!!!!

For every one who hasn't heard we spent a pretty bad week at school and big C and I seriously considered changing little C's daycare, there was so much tension between little C and her teacher  Little C's potty learning took a nose dive at school, which we attributed to the attitude the teacher was having.  1.5 weeks into little C's training at school and the teacher was claiming that little C peep on the floor on purpose and was sending home angry notes regarding little C's attitude and potty issues - things not developmentally appropriate.    Thank fully a meeting with the director and the teacher has brought around change for the good so far.

Last weeks disaster seems to be behind us and everyone attitude seems much improved at school.

It is nice to see and hear happy reports from little C's teacher and we are glad to see the progress.

We took our camping weekend as a break, little C was both in underwear and diapers equally as she choose.  We end up with a 4 day weekend, Friday was spent home getting ready to camp and in my case sleeping after a very sleepless night.  The break seems to be exactly what little C needed.

Labor Day Camping

We had perfect weather for camping - ok so it was a little chilly at night (40 degrees one night).  But the days got warm enough for swimming.

We camped at a lean-to site this time and that worked out well, it provided a great place for little C to play.  It even served as a stage for her to sing twinkle twinkle little star for us.  It was so very cute.

We rented a boat saturday and a canoe sunday, little C loved both, and while in the boats we had to sing Row Row Daddy's boat (or Mommy's...)

Little C even got to help paddle the canoe and she got to sit up in the front seat all by herself while daddy paddled her in.

We brought our bikes with us, all of ours along with little C's bike trailer and we took a few bike rides around the campground and little C and I "rode" our bikes together.  She got really quick after that even though I was going as slow as I could.  She also learned to lift her legs up while she's coasting - Lots of progress.

FRiday night after we got set up, we wandered down to the boat launch and found to ducks swimming around.  Little C decided to go swimming and was soon bossing the ducks around - they ignored her except for the times they thought she had food.

This was a great way to close out our camping season and we are looking forward to next year and having at least 4 trips. 

Photos from the trip including to little campsite visitors :)  They were much cuter than the visitor we had last time (a skunk).

The things they say...

Tonight little C was very cute, we were treated to her singing that she loves us :)  Very heart warming.

After dinner I asked big C if he could take something up to the bathroom with him and little C since they were on their way to brush teeth and do bath.  I was turned down, little C was requesting to hop up the stairs, which requires her to hold our hands.  So sarcastically I asked big C "what no pockets?!"

Little C came to me in the kitchen so she could help take the item up (so cute). She carried it over to the stairs and big C and asked "Daddy no have pockets?" upon checking she says "yes daddy have pockets!" and she shoved the item in so he could carry it up.  Her tone was perfect and had both big C and I in stitches.

Last weekend, we all went camping and took little C out in a boat for the first time (a row boat and a canoe).  Little C commented that the water was big and full.  Cute perspective.

The good temper tantrum!

Suprised to see that title?  I never thought I would have written it for the fiery red-headed 2-year-old.

This morning little C showed her temper and and a lovely display of emotion, but she also managed to use her words and she handled her feeling in a very big girl way.

We were preparing breakfast this morning - a peanutbutter and apple spread sandwhich, and I cut it wrong.  I did ask her he opinion and for permision before so, but 1/2 through the second cut she broke down.  She was very mad and sad.  She got down from her step, and sat away from me by the door.  I followed tryign to find our what was wrong and to offer comfort - and she looked right at me and said "Me go away" and went to sit else where.  Upon further questioning she needed a time out to herself, so we gave it to her.

Little C screamed and cried for about 2-3 minutes, then she looked at me and said "No cut sandwich" and then she came for hugs, cuddles and milkies.  We then worked together to make a new sandwhich, saving the cut one for another day.

We were very proud of her use of words and that she knew of, and acted on, the need for some space.

Very Full Saturday

We started our weekend with a blitz cleaning - we had a showing this afternoon, hopefully something good comes from it. But we were able to put the new storage container to good use buy shuttling most of the counter top appliances down to it to clear up room in the kitchen. It was a very productive morning.

We followed up our cleaning with some shopping - not really note worthy except that little C had been looking forward to this all week and then she fell asleep for her favorite part - groceries

Big C and I went for a walk, and little C came along on her bike, we went through the yard, down the driveway and then down the road, about 1/3 of a mile total but she is really learning to cruise along on it. She even lifted her feet several time for a longtime - she's really getting good at balancing the bike. Biking along the road also gave us the chance to discuss safety and vehicles.

Little C also got her fist creeme (soft serve if your not in VT) she got a tiny tot maple creeme and only ate 1/2 of it. - but she enjoyed.

The weather has been great today and we have thoroughly enjoyed our day.

Camping

We went camping and swimming this last weekend and had a blast, we were joined by friends and little C had the youngest babysitter ever.It rained Saturday night but since the boys created a little tent city for us we were still able to make ice cream and and chat. And the boys kept the fire going through the storm.

We may not have been perfectly dry but we were not drenched either, well most of us. Big C got pretty went.

We are looking forward to camping two more times this summer. And are very happy that little C seems to have taken to it so well.
She loves the tent.

Day four - diaper free

Aack! we have slipped big time today.
Last night little C was very restless and ended up sleeping with us completely (she kept me up until 2:30 trying to help her sleep though) but stayed dry all night.

After that though its a whole different story - we missed all of her pees this morning, poop did make it in the potty. Little C ended up wearing a pull up for a bit in the early afternoon and for nap, so not completely diaper free, but her choice. we figured it was a chance for her to relax.

After nap she woke up refreshed and went back into underwear, again her choice, and stayed mostly dry, one accident. She really like to pee outside, requested to go 2 times this evening.
so maybe not as bad as I thought. the morning was rough though, we could tell she had to go, and could see she could feel it - but no interest in the potty or the toilet. We just kept repeating "Go pee pee, tell mommy. Go pee pee, tell Daddy" Mostly trying to get her comfortable with letting us know she has to go.

She does know:
"no pee pee on mommy"
"no pee pee on daddy"
"no pee pee on 4 wheeler"

Day three - No Diapers

Today was more of a 50/50 split on success. Just as many accidents as catches, but little C is still very proud of herself for not wearing diapers, she keeps chanting "no diapers". And despite our misses she is definitely connecting peeing to a feeling before hand.

We had a really rough night last night, little C woke up wet but refused to be changed and we spent about an hour trying to get her changed and she managed to pee twice on the floor, but we did make it.

Day two - no diapers

We made it through the night and her nap today dry
We were out of the house for about 4 hours and only had 2 accidents, both really from mom and dad not paying attention.
We had 2-3 requests for the potty and made it through the whole day with only 3 or 4 accidents.

I am amazed at how well this is going we had every intention of canceling this if it got to be too much for little C. But she is absolutely pleased with our "game".

She announced several times today - NO Diapers! Yeah!

We still have some things to work on, telling mom & dad when she has to go mostly (she can and does tell us that she's going 75% of the time now)

Day one - totally diaper free

I took today off from work to a) give me an even longer long weekend and b) to give me 4 days home with little C were we could work on potty training, and we are spending the weekend diaper free.
We have a planned outing tomorrow and well we got an outing today :)
We started without diapers after work last night until bed time, when we diapered her back up.
There were plenty of puddles last night and we never made it to the potty but she does know whats happening.
This morning we jumped right into being diaper free and made it to the toilet all but 3 times, one of those was nap time.
We are trying to get her to be more vocal about letting big C or I know that she is going (next will be telling us before she has to go)
Surprisingly there were no accidents at the Dr. Office, a big shock all things considered.
We are doing a bit of shopping in the morning, although she's been better about telling us she needs to go when we are out.

All in all I would say day 1 went really well.

Emergency Dr. Visit

We had our first emergency Dr. visit this morning.
little C had a good size embedded splinter in her heel, kept crying, wouldn't let me touch it and wouldn't walk on it.
This required an office surgery - yikes.
Not too horrible but she needed a local anesthetic and there was blood. Took about 10 min to remove all of the splinter but they got it all out and put a bandage on her heel.
She was very brave, she did cry but she was mostly mad that she was being held and people were poking at her sore foot.
After we left the procedure room and were checking out, she got a sticker and life was much better :)
She came home a proceeded to nap for 3+ hours until 4:30.

She currently has NASCAR band aids on both feet, but she's resting peacefully.

It may have been hardest on me.

Today was her 3rd non well-baby/ child visit, pretty amazing for a little over two years.

Easter

We have a snowy Easter this year, the ground is mostly free of snow, but it's snowing pretty good right now.

Little C loved Easter. Friday she had a Easter party at school and the Easter Bunny visited and they had an egg hunt. We hid plastic eggs around the house and she was so excited every time she found one. She had 12 eggs to find, 4 were filled with Bunnie cookies, goldfish cracker, raisins or craisins; 4 were empty, 2 had tiny play silks, and the last 2 had play dough. Our Breakfast started with 4 oranges, some blackberries, which we ate while big C made pancakes, from scratch - they were very yummy. We had the pancakes and sausage, of course.
Little C ate the Bunnie cookies that came in some of her eggs too, she was a very hungry girl.

The Easter bunny brought her a bucket filled with all sorts of goodies; safety scissors, a wooden plane, an organic chocolate bunnie and organic jelly beans, a crocheted egg with play silks, the bucket was lined with a huge green play silk.

Little C and big C tended a small bonfire to burn some extra wood we've had lying around, and we colored a few eggs in the afternoon. We all had a wonderful day.

A apple, A apple.....

Little C was chanting this while we prepared lunch today :)

It was so cute

She was playing with alphabet fridge magnets she got for Christmas from Grandma & Grandpa A, but with the letter C, hen asked if she wanted to play with the A, she said "no, C"

So we think she is starting to recognize some letters.

The long awaited skiing video

So this is a quick compilation of little C on her skis, both inside and out.

Words and Phrases

Little C has picked up "Ready, Set, Go" She really likes "ready" Which started while watching snowmobiling videos and really got her attention skiing.

This morning she requested to go to the Basement with big C, using basement for the first time.

Little C also talked to both of her grandmothers on the fun, she didn't say much, she mostly replied with a very enthusiastic yes or once she said fast (talking about sledding and snowmobiling with big C)

Last week we had a bit of a warm up, it got into the 40's, and while watching the weather she yelled at the weather man every time he was talking about the forecasted temperatures. "No...Noooooo nonononono!!!!" over and over. I figure it was a coincidence but it sure was funny.

Love to all
Urs

New Word

Little C learned a new word this weekend!!!

STUCK

We were watching big C on the snowmobile, he was packing down some trails so he could take out little C for some fun and he got stuck in the deep snow out back. So I pointed this little fact out to little C and used the word stuck in a sentence once or twice.

As big C cleaned up after getting unstuck, he stopped in close to the same place to grab his come-along and ropes and little C asked "stuck?" I explained what he was doing.

Time went by, the played outside, went snowmobiling, came in had a snack etc.

Later in the afternoon I hear a little cry for help, that was quickly getting distressed...once I tracked down little C she looked at me and said "arm stuck" with a disgusted look/ tone. She had gotten her arm stuck in a drawer. Well at least we know she figured out what the word meant.

love
U

Sleep talking & signing

Yesterday while little C was sleeping in a bit, she was restless and she actually talked clearly in her sleep. Actually first she was signing for cheese, then she was asking for yogurt.

We were out, had been since the night before - she will have to wait till I go shopping again.

Snowmobiling

Well this has been the result of little C's last few snowmobiling rides.

Today we managed to get her helmet, goggles, and boots off, and she's a little more unzipped. But it required us making snowmobile sounds and jiggling the chair.

Initially we hadn't planned on taking little C out to snowmobile or ski - it was a bit too cold but she saw a motorcycle on TV and felt the need to go out for a ride - so since she requested we bundled her up real good and big C and little C went on out.

Hoiday # 5 - Camp Cornish

Our final family Christmas.

We are at Camp Cornish for the gathering with my parents, Gramma and Grampa A, Morgan, Jon and there little one JP.

We all arrived Friday night and got settled in.

Big C and I headed to bed late for us around 9 pm, little C was not interested in sleeping so we left her with the rest of the adults. She was brought up shortly after to nurse and go to bed. She managed to nurse but not to sleep, she actually left our room and when down stairs again. We were fine with this since the lights were on so some one must have been up. Gramma A and little C stayed up until 1 am. What a little night owl. Little C was then up at 6 am ready to go.

We spread out our stocking and gift opening to not over whelm the little one. The weekend was filled with lots of fun times, family and a lot of great food.

We were in charge of breakfast Saturday and served up omelets, muffins, english muffins, friut, OJ and we even brought along some of our own apple butter made with the apples of the tree in our back yard.

We had a wonderful weekend.

Holiday # 4 - NH

So this is our 4th holiday celebration, if you count our first one in CT, then actual Christmas week in FL, then we as a family celebrated our Christmas on New Years Day - it was a very low key event, although we learned the maximum number of clementines little C should eat is something less than 5.

We still have one to go in Cornish.

This weekend we were in NH visiting Big C's Gram and uncle Jack. And again we had more wonderful visits with everyone. We arrived Friday night, got to bed early, and got an early start to the morning.

Little C tried out her ski's inside the house and out. We celebrated our Christmas Saturday morning after breakfast. Little C brought home a first words radio toy and an stuffed life size emperor penguin. Little C loves the penguin and carries/ drags it around the house everywhere she goes.

We provided lunch, big C made chili, a green bean salad, and we brought bread. Everone seems to have liked it and we managed not to poison anyone.

Big C, myself and Mike headed out to the dump leaving little C in the capable hands of her Grammy and Great -Gram - apparently she didn't even know we were gone until she heard us come back.

We had to cut our trip short, we came home Saturday night after dinner, unfortunately little C got sick and we felt it was best to finish the weekend out in our own home.

We are hoping we didn't share anything more than good food and family time.