Tag Archives: reflecting

Ewan-isms

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Back in the day, when I was a Masters student studying Elementary Education (somehow that hardly seems like my life anymore), I took a whole bunch of courses on childhood development. It was interesting within the walls of a university and between the covers of textbooks.

But now. Watching it. Living it. It is beyond interesting. It is fascinating.

It always seems to go in fits and starts. We’ll have a bit of a straightaway, with not a whole lot happening. Then all of a sudden, there is a burst. And, just like that, we bound ahead to the next level. The next straightaway.

Can I just say. This sudden verbal burst. It is all kinds of awesome.

There is thought. There is communication. There is, dare I say it, real conversation. A give and take. A back and forth. There is understanding. There is humor.

And before I blather on anymore, how about I just regale you with a few recent Ewan-isms. A few of the things that have made me laugh, smile and melt into a puddle of tears as I realize how very fast he is growing up.

“Oh mama, it’s a bad one.” – Said matter-of-factly as I prepared to change his diaper. He is a master at peeing in the potty. Not so much with the pooping.

We don’t force thank-yous or I’m-sorrys around here, instead we generally thank and apologize on his behalf and remind him that it is sometimes nice to think about ways we can make it right. After having my foot run over by a rather ambitious indoor cyclist, I explained to Ewan that it hurt me and reminded him that it is generally nice to try to make amends. All of a sudden he dashes of and returns, disappointment on his face, “Bad news, mama. There’s no string cheese.” This is the second time that string cheese has been a part of the gesture. It was much more successful the first time when offered to an almost two-year-old.

“I’d like a klum and an apricot.” – After being asked which he would like for lunch. First off, I have no idea why he calls them “klums” when he is perfectly capable of saying the letter “p.” Second of all, this boy knows how to work the system. Totally.

This boy. Sometimes he just kills me.

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A Mover and a Shaker

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I guess it should come as no surprise that these two boys are different. But sometimes it strikes me how very different they are.

Ewan wasn’t a sleeper. Waking every hour or two for most of his first year and not, reliably, sleeping through the night until the past few weeks.

Xander is a sleeper. Already waking only once or twice a night. Preferring to sleep solo.

Ewan was a luxurious nurser. Lingering. Spending as much time as he possibly could there.

Xander is a get-it-done kinda guy. On, drink, off. Done. No lingering. Just business.

Ewan was reserved, the smiles and giggles were tough to come by. We worked hard for those rewards.

Xander smiles and laughs so very freely. Even when no one is looking.

Ewan sat upright, unassisted, at about 7 months.

Xander is pushing that envelope right now.

Ewan loved baby wearing. Content to be in a carrier all day long. Inside, outside, it didn’t matter. He loved it, still does actually.

Xander tolerates it. He loves it if we’re out and about, plenty of new things to look at. But in the house, forget it! This boy wants to move.

And that, my friends, is how I became the not-so-proud owner of a garish piece of baby equipment that I never thought I would ever have.

Hello, exersaucer.

At least one of us is happy to have you.

And, I guess, that’s what parenting is all about. Watching our kids. Listening to them (even when they’re small). Finding some way to balance their needs with our own.

I need to make dinner. Xander needs to move.

With this newest addition, we’re both happy.

And at the bargain price of $15 (thank you, craigslist), who wouldn’t be.

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Life without Wheels

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Yesterday as I braved a new first with my two little guys (taking Ewan and his bike on the train), I was reminded that we are nearing our 4-year anniversary of being car-free.

I’m not sure that I’ve really talked about it before but getting rid of our car was an easy decision. We were moving abroad and knew that it didn’t make sense to have it parked for the two years while we were away.

As it turns out, staying car-free has been relatively easy too.

Sure, there are some challenges but we are still committed to working through them. Why not just buy the car and make life easier?

Well, to put it simply, I love the life that being car-free forces us into.

I love biking as much as we do (though I still haven’t fully returned to biking since Xander was born).

I love walking and chatting and noticing things as we move, literally, through our days.

I love that it keeps us out of stores, that it keeps us mindful of the purchases we make because we’re going to be carrying it home.

I love that it helps us to step more lightly on this earth.

I love finding creative solutions to solving the challenges that being car-free brings up.

I love that we notice the weather and change plans accordingly. Rainy days call for rain boots and umbrellas. Hot days might be spent nearer to home. Some days the weather keeps us from going out entirely. I much prefer that to going from home to car to building, barely taking notice of the outside world around.

I love that I am able to stay home with our two boys, in part because we’ve made financial choices (including not paying for a vehicle) that allow me to do so.

And now, watching Ewan as he starts to zoom on the first little bike of his own, I’m loving that he is learning so many good lessons too.

He is learning that we have to use our bodies to get from place to place.

He is learning that biking is faster than walking, even at two-years-old.

He is learning that he can take his bike on public transportation.

He is learning that the process of getting somewhere, the journey, can be as much fun as the destination.

And I know Xander is learning this all too. And I’m glad that both my boys have this chance.

I’m not sure how long we’ll be car-free. For now, there’s no reason to change. There might be in the future and we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

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Subtle Shift

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Five hours left in the giveaway. If you haven’t already, leave a comment on the post to be entered to win!

There is a shift happening in our days, in our home.

As the weather warms and the never-ending-April-showers pass, we are more often found outside than in.

Walking.

Park playing.

Dining.

Digging in the dirt.

The nice thing about this shift is that the house doesn’t get quite so messy. Toys never leave the shelves. Meal crumbs land outside, rather than in.

The bad thing about this shift is that the house doesn’t get clean either. Dishes are quickly cleared and then abandoned for a walk to the garden. Laundry is taken off the line and placed inside, but never put away.

It’s hard to complain, really. So, I’m not. I’m going to embrace the clean messy home we live in knowing full well that this season, these young years with my little ones, are short and fleeting. Meant to be soaked up and enjoyed. I am.

Hope you are doing the same!

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Quiet Time

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There’s been a bit of a transition going on around here the past few weeks, well, several really (ahem, new babe). One of the most frustrating and difficult has been Ewan’s decision that he is, for the most part, done with naps.

Frustrating for me because I am not ready to entertain a toddler for the entire day. Frustrating for me because I need a little down time, a chance to nap after a tough night. Frustrating for me because I cherish the hour (or two) to have a chance to cuddle and flirt with Xander. Frustrating for me because I am just trying to get my little shop off the ground and I need the time to come up with new designs and fill orders.

We needed a new plan.

Quiet time to the rescue.

I’ve always said that there are two things you can’t make kids do. You can’t make them sleep. You can’t make them eat. No sense trying.

I know that I can’t make him sleep, but I can encourage/enforce a quiet time each day, so that’s what we’ve done.

To make it a little more special, Ewan and I made a quiet time bag together.

The bag was made by me and we decorated it together using fabric markers.

Each day the bag is filled with a new story (thank you classroom library) and an activity or two (more on this in the next few days).

We take the bag into his room, we read the new story, I show him the activity that he has in his bag, I turn on the music, and I leave.

During quiet time he is free to do just about anything he wants, he just has to stay in his room until the music stops (we created a playlist that lasts just over an hour).

Most days he plays. He reads stories. He chats. Some days, he sleeps.

For now, it is working. And for that, I am extremely thankful!

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