This morning I sent off my youngest son in his first bell-choir trip. Three years ago I blogged about the first of such trips for our family and how Kelvin had such a great time. Kel was in 6th grade at the time, but L only joined the bell choir this year in 7th grade. I imagine that Kel is probably happy about this so he didn't have had to put up with his "little brother" during last year's trip. ;-)
As in most previous years there are 4 boys and 9 girls in the group and two of the boys happen to be my son's good friends (although the friendship is changing with the oldest of the two since he's going through puberty ahead of L and getting moody and cranky, which strains the relationship). I hope he'll have a good time, though I know he won't be as enthusiastic about the trip as his brother was three years ago -- they are so different from each other!
Edited to add: He just called me (9:40 pm) and all is well, but he did forget to pack pajamas! He'll be able to use a pair of comfortable shorts and a t-shirt. I told him to try to select one of the t-shirts or at least wear a new one every night (and then keep it during the day).
I miss him, of course!
P.S. this is the third Tuesday in a row I miss going to the Farmer's market because of an outside obligation (in this case, going to the airport, unfortunately Reagan, to pick up some students. I'm being paid $200 for my trouble, but it's still kind of annoying, sigh...).
Showing posts with label Son #2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Son #2. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Eleven!
My "baby" turned eleven yesterday!
He is a joy and makes our lives and our family complete.
We had some of his friends for lunch (pasta: Spaghetti and Farfalle with red & alfredo sauces) and since he mostly wanted ice-cream I baked him a simple Brazilian carrot cake: a yellow cake made with carrots put in the blender with eggs and oil with an also really simple chocolate frosting: sweetened cocoa (such as Nesquick) with some butter or margarine & a few spoons of milk put in the microwave, stirred, and spread over the cake while it is still warm (the frosting sets later when the cake cools and gets less shiny).
I can't believe L is already eleven!
He is a joy and makes our lives and our family complete.
We had some of his friends for lunch (pasta: Spaghetti and Farfalle with red & alfredo sauces) and since he mostly wanted ice-cream I baked him a simple Brazilian carrot cake: a yellow cake made with carrots put in the blender with eggs and oil with an also really simple chocolate frosting: sweetened cocoa (such as Nesquick) with some butter or margarine & a few spoons of milk put in the microwave, stirred, and spread over the cake while it is still warm (the frosting sets later when the cake cools and gets less shiny).
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Two Goals!!
While his brother's team didn't do too well on the West Coast, my youngest son played very very hard in his incomplete soccer team and scored TWO goals!
For a long time in the game they were losing 4 X 2, then tied 5 X 5 for a while, that means his last two goals granted their 7 X 5 victory! He was so proud of himself and I screamed and jumped up and down as a really proud mama!
He's one of the smallest kids (and certainly the skinniest one), so I kept screaming that he was a tiny titan, no I think it was tiny wonder, or some such silly thing. ;-)
I'll try to edit to include a photo of him from earlier in the season (haven't transfered those to computer yet!).
Good thing we had at least one great victory to celebrate today!
For a long time in the game they were losing 4 X 2, then tied 5 X 5 for a while, that means his last two goals granted their 7 X 5 victory! He was so proud of himself and I screamed and jumped up and down as a really proud mama!
He's one of the smallest kids (and certainly the skinniest one), so I kept screaming that he was a tiny titan, no I think it was tiny wonder, or some such silly thing. ;-)
I'll try to edit to include a photo of him from earlier in the season (haven't transfered those to computer yet!).
Good thing we had at least one great victory to celebrate today!
Friday, November 14, 2014
10 Years Old [on 5/30]!! or Happy Birthday to my "baby" (written on 5/30/14)
Instead of writing another lame post, I looked in my drafts folder and found this post that I forgot to finish and publish on my youngest son's birthday in May. Oh-oh!
I can't believe my "baby" is a decade old today. Wow!
He's such a joy, my youngest son, very sweet and caring, responsible and helpful, he's quiet with people he doesn't know and almost shy, but a chatter-box when he knows you. (you know all about that, right, J?). He's got this very unique sense of humor, mostly using word-plays and puns. And he has the most beautiful cursive handwriting.
My mostly easy-going boy gets all of his brother's hand-me-downs and doesn't ever complain, bless his heart! Of course I do get him new clothes once in a while! ;-) He's very skinny, but is growing very fast. I keep hoping both boys will wear different sizes for a while longer, but we know he's probably going to be taller than his brother, so soon enough they'll be wearing the same size clothes and shoes. I'm not looking forward to the extra-expense!
He's beginning to behave like a "tween" already and his attitude and teasing manner sometimes take me by surprise.
(the draft ended here)
Some things have changed since last May. Now he's in 5th grade and feeling pretty "grown up." He now plays in the band and sings in the choir and he wants to join the bell choir next year (much to his older brother's chagrin ;-). I still feel like he's my "baby" and he's definitely still a young boy, but his "baby face" is slowly transforming and changing.
They grow too fast, these kids, and I try to enjoy every second and every phase. I would include a photo, but I don't think he would like that. I hope he enjoyed his birthday celebrations! He had a playdate with his two best friends on the day and a pool and climbing wall party with some other friends a few days later. It's the last "official" party, the 10th birthday one. I know it's an "arbitrary" decision, but I think that 10 parties each is enough, right? ;-) Maybe I'll do a "round up" post of all their birthday parties (nah, too many photos to choose from!).
Ha!! I found two usable photos from his party, I don't think he'll object to these (and you can barely see the kids' faces on that second one).
Goofy birthday photo! The party was also a good-bye to two of his friends: the boy in the middle [in white] and his twin sister, [not pictured] -- they are the youngest kids of our former school principal who moved to the West Coast with his family.
I can't believe my "baby" is a decade old today. Wow!
He's such a joy, my youngest son, very sweet and caring, responsible and helpful, he's quiet with people he doesn't know and almost shy, but a chatter-box when he knows you. (you know all about that, right, J?). He's got this very unique sense of humor, mostly using word-plays and puns. And he has the most beautiful cursive handwriting.
My mostly easy-going boy gets all of his brother's hand-me-downs and doesn't ever complain, bless his heart! Of course I do get him new clothes once in a while! ;-) He's very skinny, but is growing very fast. I keep hoping both boys will wear different sizes for a while longer, but we know he's probably going to be taller than his brother, so soon enough they'll be wearing the same size clothes and shoes. I'm not looking forward to the extra-expense!
He's beginning to behave like a "tween" already and his attitude and teasing manner sometimes take me by surprise.
(the draft ended here)
Some things have changed since last May. Now he's in 5th grade and feeling pretty "grown up." He now plays in the band and sings in the choir and he wants to join the bell choir next year (much to his older brother's chagrin ;-). I still feel like he's my "baby" and he's definitely still a young boy, but his "baby face" is slowly transforming and changing.
They grow too fast, these kids, and I try to enjoy every second and every phase. I would include a photo, but I don't think he would like that. I hope he enjoyed his birthday celebrations! He had a playdate with his two best friends on the day and a pool and climbing wall party with some other friends a few days later. It's the last "official" party, the 10th birthday one. I know it's an "arbitrary" decision, but I think that 10 parties each is enough, right? ;-) Maybe I'll do a "round up" post of all their birthday parties (nah, too many photos to choose from!).
Ha!! I found two usable photos from his party, I don't think he'll object to these (and you can barely see the kids' faces on that second one).
Thursday, October 10, 2013
On *Being* Dreams Come True
I am beginning a new "series" of posts about dreams (not the sleeping kind) and I think this may be a good place to start.
My sons live with the full awareness that they are dreams come true.
Yesterday, after we got home from an incredibly busy afternoon & evening (more on that later on another post about piano!) I scooped up my youngest son, sat him on my lap and asked him, not exactly expecting a response:
"Do you know what I dreamed of the most in my life?"
He immediately answered, "Children!"
"Yes! You're right!" I responded.
I was not surprised that he knew the answer, though I think that was the first time I'd asked that question directly.
I tell them every day that they were (and are) so incredibly wanted and desired and that they are my greatest gifts and treasures. And I can only hope that all children everywhere can be desired and wanted too because I know that this is not always the case and I'm heartbroken at the thought. :(
I am doing my part with the two I was given.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Vision Therapy Has Ended
Five thousand dollars and nearly a year later (technically 7 months, but with several breaks it stretched out a bit longer) my youngest son has been "released" from vision therapy.
You may (or may not) recall that back in 2010 we finally took him to the optometrist (at 6 years old -- our fault) and realized that one of his eyes had really poor vision and didn't see at all (suppression & amblyopia or lazy eye).
After a year and a half of patching (and a wrong prescription that made us waste 70 dollars on a pair of spare glasses) we switched doctors and then, last March, had him evaluated by a vision therapist who recommended therapy, so we started it in September, after coming back from Brazil last year.
His eye can see way better and it's almost 20/20 now, but there is some suppression still going on, especially when he tries to focus on something far. The doctor says that contact lenses would help with the binocularity and making the left eye work better (because the good right eye takes over, basically). We'll see if our optometrist can help with that. Apparently 9 years old is not too young for contacts, if it's done well (with lots of patience).
His therapist (the woman who actually works with him) thought he should keep going a while longer, but the doctor who owns the practice released him. The super-tall and pretty young lady was sad to see our son go, so she told him:
"I hope you can come back, maybe you can have other vision troubles."
My son didn't miss a beat and retorted: "And we'd pay another 5 thousand dollars?" (like -- are you crazy? We're not doing this again!).
The adults in the room (there was another lady with her son) laughed slightly nervously, but that was the truth, we paid way too much for what had been done (and part of me wanted him to continue, but the doctor doesn't think it would help). He will see my son in 6 months again, so we'll probably see the young therapist again at that time.
They gave him a Target gift certificate to celebrate the end of his months of therapy. It was only 5 dollars, so dad helped him buy a small Ninjago Lego set. He was beyond thrilled that he no longer need to do therapy at home or come to weekly sessions (we drive nearly an hour each way).
I am glad that his vision improved so much, I just wish it hadn't cost so much! (insurance doesn't cover it) Now we need to take to the optometrist because his last visit was a year ago. I'm sure he'll be surprised to see such improvement! And maybe my little one will wear contact lenses at some point (he's not too excited about that). I'll keep you posted!
You may (or may not) recall that back in 2010 we finally took him to the optometrist (at 6 years old -- our fault) and realized that one of his eyes had really poor vision and didn't see at all (suppression & amblyopia or lazy eye).
After a year and a half of patching (and a wrong prescription that made us waste 70 dollars on a pair of spare glasses) we switched doctors and then, last March, had him evaluated by a vision therapist who recommended therapy, so we started it in September, after coming back from Brazil last year.
His eye can see way better and it's almost 20/20 now, but there is some suppression still going on, especially when he tries to focus on something far. The doctor says that contact lenses would help with the binocularity and making the left eye work better (because the good right eye takes over, basically). We'll see if our optometrist can help with that. Apparently 9 years old is not too young for contacts, if it's done well (with lots of patience).
His therapist (the woman who actually works with him) thought he should keep going a while longer, but the doctor who owns the practice released him. The super-tall and pretty young lady was sad to see our son go, so she told him:
"I hope you can come back, maybe you can have other vision troubles."
My son didn't miss a beat and retorted: "And we'd pay another 5 thousand dollars?" (like -- are you crazy? We're not doing this again!).
The adults in the room (there was another lady with her son) laughed slightly nervously, but that was the truth, we paid way too much for what had been done (and part of me wanted him to continue, but the doctor doesn't think it would help). He will see my son in 6 months again, so we'll probably see the young therapist again at that time.
They gave him a Target gift certificate to celebrate the end of his months of therapy. It was only 5 dollars, so dad helped him buy a small Ninjago Lego set. He was beyond thrilled that he no longer need to do therapy at home or come to weekly sessions (we drive nearly an hour each way).
I am glad that his vision improved so much, I just wish it hadn't cost so much! (insurance doesn't cover it) Now we need to take to the optometrist because his last visit was a year ago. I'm sure he'll be surprised to see such improvement! And maybe my little one will wear contact lenses at some point (he's not too excited about that). I'll keep you posted!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Pajamas
"Mom, I'm getting tired of my pajamas," says my 9 year-old while getting ready for bed.
"But why, sweetie? Why is that?"
"They are all old and they're getting shorter!"
As he was saying that I got up from the computer and went to his room hoping to show him at least one pair of pajamas that I had transferred from his brother's drawer to his on my "day off" last Friday.
And when he said that they were getting shorter both of us started laughing uncontrollably...
Yes, sometimes growing up and being the younger brother who gets all the hand-me-downs gets funny... ;)
I do buy him some new clothes once in a while, just never pajamas. Maybe he should get him a brand-new pair, right? Poor guy!
"But why, sweetie? Why is that?"
"They are all old and they're getting shorter!"
As he was saying that I got up from the computer and went to his room hoping to show him at least one pair of pajamas that I had transferred from his brother's drawer to his on my "day off" last Friday.
And when he said that they were getting shorter both of us started laughing uncontrollably...
Yes, sometimes growing up and being the younger brother who gets all the hand-me-downs gets funny... ;)
I do buy him some new clothes once in a while, just never pajamas. Maybe he should get him a brand-new pair, right? Poor guy!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Nine
The photo of the "nine" cake(s) will have to come later... Yellow, with green stripes, made "as best as I could" as my "baby" instructed me... yummy cakes too (vanilla & chocolate, both vegan). ;)
And I can't even tuck him into bed tonight, though I've kissed him good-bye while his birthday party was still going at the park. (I had to come to Maryland to go to a conference tomorrow).
Nine years ago I gave birth for the second and last time (I wanted to have more babies, but my husband and my rational brain did not let me).
My youngest son is a joy. He has a strong personality (has had it since birth) and sometimes it is complicated to deal with him, but he is delightful the rest of the time. Funny, extremely bright, talkative to the extreme, very caring and perceptive ("You look so beautiful today, mama!"), he loves to interact with his best friends.
So today we had his two best friends for lunch & a play-date and then, after soccer practice, our very first "typically American" birthday party (with plenty of food, though, after all, once a Brazilian, always Brazilian): cake and food in the park with friends. Nothing planned but singing Happy Birthday. It was nice, even though I had to leave before the actual end.
He bought his gifts yesterday, but I'll blog about them later.
No photo because I think he wouldn't like it. Sigh... :)
And I can't even tuck him into bed tonight, though I've kissed him good-bye while his birthday party was still going at the park. (I had to come to Maryland to go to a conference tomorrow).
Nine years ago I gave birth for the second and last time (I wanted to have more babies, but my husband and my rational brain did not let me).
My youngest son is a joy. He has a strong personality (has had it since birth) and sometimes it is complicated to deal with him, but he is delightful the rest of the time. Funny, extremely bright, talkative to the extreme, very caring and perceptive ("You look so beautiful today, mama!"), he loves to interact with his best friends.
So today we had his two best friends for lunch & a play-date and then, after soccer practice, our very first "typically American" birthday party (with plenty of food, though, after all, once a Brazilian, always Brazilian): cake and food in the park with friends. Nothing planned but singing Happy Birthday. It was nice, even though I had to leave before the actual end.
He bought his gifts yesterday, but I'll blog about them later.
No photo because I think he wouldn't like it. Sigh... :)
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Wimpy, Degonflé, BANANA! ;) (plus dork & moron)
My parents spoke French to each other a lot when I was growing up and after a while I understood quite a bit! (and I later learned French right before and during graduate school)
There are a few words that my parents always say in French because they think they conveys what they're thinking and meaning better than Portuguese. A big one is courant d'air (for a draught, wind coming from an opening window and blowing through the house) and another even "bigger" for them is gonflé (proud, "puffed up").
I was happily surprised to find out yesterday that the title for The Diary of a Wimpy Kid in French is Journal d'un degonflé!
Now, the title in Brazil makes lots of sense, but it's pretty derogatory, almost annoying: Diário de um banana !! :-) (a "banana" in Portuguese means a weak, useless person).
My oldest son (he'll be 11 in a week, isn't that crazy?) is a huge bookworm and he has read all the books (except for the 7th) a long time ago, but my youngest (who is 8.5) had never been interested in them... until now!
He is a good reader, but very particular in his tastes. Despite the fact that he's perfectly capable of reading longer chapter books, he's been sticking to reading and re-reading his beloved Berenstain Bears books and a Boxcar Children book once in a while.
Last Sunday he spent hours reading the first Wimpy Kid book and he has been re-reading various passages ever since. And today I realized that this reading had unexpected consequences.
My very sheltered and innocent son had never encountered the words dork and moron before, but now he knows them. :( He obviously knows not to use them, but I guess a new "universe" has now opened up for him, he's no longer my naive baby -- which is normal, I know. But still, hearing your child say "What does dork mean?" "What is a moron?" is not fun.
Good thing their school (K-8, small, private) and his classmates are nothing like those he's reading about. Phew!
Have you/your kids read this books? What do you think of them? At this point, I value reading so much that I'll have my sons read whatever will get them excited about reading. Hopefully it won't harm them too much. ;)
There are a few words that my parents always say in French because they think they conveys what they're thinking and meaning better than Portuguese. A big one is courant d'air (for a draught, wind coming from an opening window and blowing through the house) and another even "bigger" for them is gonflé (proud, "puffed up").
I was happily surprised to find out yesterday that the title for The Diary of a Wimpy Kid in French is Journal d'un degonflé!
Now, the title in Brazil makes lots of sense, but it's pretty derogatory, almost annoying: Diário de um banana !! :-) (a "banana" in Portuguese means a weak, useless person).
My oldest son (he'll be 11 in a week, isn't that crazy?) is a huge bookworm and he has read all the books (except for the 7th) a long time ago, but my youngest (who is 8.5) had never been interested in them... until now!
He is a good reader, but very particular in his tastes. Despite the fact that he's perfectly capable of reading longer chapter books, he's been sticking to reading and re-reading his beloved Berenstain Bears books and a Boxcar Children book once in a while.
Last Sunday he spent hours reading the first Wimpy Kid book and he has been re-reading various passages ever since. And today I realized that this reading had unexpected consequences.
My very sheltered and innocent son had never encountered the words dork and moron before, but now he knows them. :( He obviously knows not to use them, but I guess a new "universe" has now opened up for him, he's no longer my naive baby -- which is normal, I know. But still, hearing your child say "What does dork mean?" "What is a moron?" is not fun.
Good thing their school (K-8, small, private) and his classmates are nothing like those he's reading about. Phew!
Have you/your kids read this books? What do you think of them? At this point, I value reading so much that I'll have my sons read whatever will get them excited about reading. Hopefully it won't harm them too much. ;)
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Eight Years Old
Today my youngest turned eight and, embarrassingly, I didn't remember it was his birthday until 11 am! His party was back on Mother's Day and we've been celebrating ever since, so we didn't do anything special today, apart from the small gift (a 5 in 1 Berenstain Bears book) that I had saved for today. Yesterday the boys spent part of Linton's birthday money at Target buying Legos and a Wii game.
I'm so glad to have Linton in my life! I hope to write more about him and his birthday party later, but I wanted to mark the day with a post!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Boy and the Blue Flowers: @ Longwood Gardens 2005 - 2010
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| 2005: 9 months old |
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| 2006 - Almost 2 |
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| 2008 - Almost 4 |
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| 2010 - Almost 6! |
Closer:
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| 2005 |
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| 2008 Growing up: |
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| 2005 |
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| 2006 |
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| 2010 |
2010: Complimentary extra photo, tree-hugging brothers
(following in the footsteps of their tree-hugging forester uncle!).
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
"I don't like Math anymore..."
Said my 7 year old son and all kinds of worries went through my mind in a split second, but then he continued:
"... because it's too easy!"
(sigh of relief). He takes after his older brother, his daddy and his uncles who are all mathy types. I think Math will always be easy for him and his brother, at least in grade school, but I bet daddy will be teaching the boys calculus before they get into college. I know that in a few years my 9 year old (and maybe the 7 year old too) will probably be doing research in dad's lab over the summer.
This comment came when I reminded K that we bought a school-sponsored Math summer book for the boys and that this is a good activity for this afternoon and the next two days in which daddy will have to take care of the boys in his office while mommy goes to a conference by herself (we're trying to find a sitter for the whole day tomorrow, though). I have to go finish writing my paper and packing before I leave this afternoon, but I can't wait to blog about our adventures in Montreal!
"... because it's too easy!"
(sigh of relief). He takes after his older brother, his daddy and his uncles who are all mathy types. I think Math will always be easy for him and his brother, at least in grade school, but I bet daddy will be teaching the boys calculus before they get into college. I know that in a few years my 9 year old (and maybe the 7 year old too) will probably be doing research in dad's lab over the summer.
This comment came when I reminded K that we bought a school-sponsored Math summer book for the boys and that this is a good activity for this afternoon and the next two days in which daddy will have to take care of the boys in his office while mommy goes to a conference by herself (we're trying to find a sitter for the whole day tomorrow, though). I have to go finish writing my paper and packing before I leave this afternoon, but I can't wait to blog about our adventures in Montreal!
Monday, May 30, 2011
7 Years Ago!
At 2:52 in the afternoon, seven years ago, my youngest son, my "baby," was born. It was a joyous day, in spite of the fact that my mother- and father-in-law missed being at the birth for a few hours because they had to fly to TX to be there for my BIL's wedding a week later -- as I left for the hospital, they left for the airport.
And six days later I would fly to TX too, this time with a newborn, surprising the whole family with our presence. That part was fun! When my husband's grandma saw me inside the car, she exclaimed, "But with who did she leave the baby?" She could not imagine that one would actually travel with a newborn and that the baby was right there with me. :)
I think of that birth with fondness because I know I won't go through that ever again (longtime blog readers will know that I've always felt sad and conflicted about our decision not to have another baby).
His party was two weeks ago, but after going out to eat, we came back to a house full of visitors -- our Brazilian friends from Philly who had stopped by on their way back home after spending the weekend at a camp 1h30 from our house -- so he had friends to play with for a few hours and to sing happy birthday to him once more:
He was so happy! He is a happy boy who brings us lots of joy!
Oh, and last Friday, also the last day of school for my boys, I brought this to his class:
I guess our celebrations for his birthday are officially over now! :)
And six days later I would fly to TX too, this time with a newborn, surprising the whole family with our presence. That part was fun! When my husband's grandma saw me inside the car, she exclaimed, "But with who did she leave the baby?" She could not imagine that one would actually travel with a newborn and that the baby was right there with me. :)
I think of that birth with fondness because I know I won't go through that ever again (longtime blog readers will know that I've always felt sad and conflicted about our decision not to have another baby).
His party was two weeks ago, but after going out to eat, we came back to a house full of visitors -- our Brazilian friends from Philly who had stopped by on their way back home after spending the weekend at a camp 1h30 from our house -- so he had friends to play with for a few hours and to sing happy birthday to him once more:
Oh, and last Friday, also the last day of school for my boys, I brought this to his class:
Monday, April 11, 2011
First Game, First Goal!
Soccer or, as we call it here at home, futebol, is the new family obsession. Even Kelvin has regretted not signing up and most certainly will next season/school year.
Linton still doesn't know much of how to play the game (and you can blame it on his dad who didn't get him started earlier) and he had only one practice last Thursday (since he was sick on the first practice of the season the week before) -- but that didn't keep him from scoring on his very first game! I didn't capture the actual kick, but here's the goal:
K is already thinking of keeping count of our "artilheiro mirim" (mini scorer)'s goals, no doubt hoping he'll reach Pelé's 1000 goals! ;)
Linton still doesn't know much of how to play the game (and you can blame it on his dad who didn't get him started earlier) and he had only one practice last Thursday (since he was sick on the first practice of the season the week before) -- but that didn't keep him from scoring on his very first game! I didn't capture the actual kick, but here's the goal:
K is already thinking of keeping count of our "artilheiro mirim" (mini scorer)'s goals, no doubt hoping he'll reach Pelé's 1000 goals! ;)
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Soccer Mom
Today I officially joined the ranks of the millions of soccer moms in this country.
Sigh...
I am happy for Linton -- he is as excited as can be and is so cute and serious during practice -- but I sure hate the idea of being "tied down" for 8 Sundays in a row. So, as K said on the phone to a fried today, we have mixed emotions about this milestone. ;)
Photos will be forthcoming. Meanwhile, here's my aspiring soccer player last summer (it's not his birthday, BTW):
Do your kids do soccer? How is it?
Sigh...
I am happy for Linton -- he is as excited as can be and is so cute and serious during practice -- but I sure hate the idea of being "tied down" for 8 Sundays in a row. So, as K said on the phone to a fried today, we have mixed emotions about this milestone. ;)
Photos will be forthcoming. Meanwhile, here's my aspiring soccer player last summer (it's not his birthday, BTW):
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
The Tooth is Out!!
Well... the things in my "will happen" New Year's list are beginning to take place!
(My apologies for the delay in posting. This happened last Friday night during dinner time, but I wanted to include the photo, so I waited until I had uploaded it).
(My apologies for the delay in posting. This happened last Friday night during dinner time, but I wanted to include the photo, so I waited until I had uploaded it).
The best part of it all is that it was so easy (I was worried about that)! Thanks to the hard crunchy ciabatta bread rolls we used for our sandwiches that evening, the tooth unexpectedly came out almost painlessly and we just had to instruct the happy boy to go rinse his slightly bloody mouth.
The only think I have been unable to do is to properly document the milestone because the moment I approach my boy with a camera, this is what happens:
This was the closest I got, but I'll keep trying.
If I succeed, I won't share the photo in the blog, but I still want to take a photo "for posterity," after all, I celebrated and photographed a lot when these baby teeth first appeared (even letting him cry so his mouth was wide open & we could see them, I know... mean mama). Anyway... I promise that no crying will be involved this time! :)
This was the closest I got, but I'll keep trying.
If I succeed, I won't share the photo in the blog, but I still want to take a photo "for posterity," after all, I celebrated and photographed a lot when these baby teeth first appeared (even letting him cry so his mouth was wide open & we could see them, I know... mean mama). Anyway... I promise that no crying will be involved this time! :)
Saturday, January 15, 2011
First Loose Tooth Watch 2011!
Remember item #2 in this list? Two weeks into the new year and we already have a loose bottom tooth to deal with!
Yesterday Linton hardly ate any breakfast because he complained that his loose tooth hurt when he chewed. He did eat some lunch at school ("slurping" the spaghetti, as he put it) and I think that when dinner time came he was too hungry not to eat two (vegetarian) hot dogs.
Daddy tried to pull out the tooth out with a piece of dental floss last night, but it didn't work, so we wait... Hopefully Linton will be able to keep on eating, in spite of the fact that it's harder to bite this way. I'll keep you posted!
~ ~~~ ~ ~~~
As for Kelvin, two years ago I planned to write a couple of posts on how I feared that it was going to be really hard for him to get his tooth out, but it was just so incredibly easy! (check out that post because it has cute photos of my firstborn).
This is a summary of what I planed to post: when we were in Brazil in June 2008 Kelvin had blood drawn to test for Lyme Disease (I don't think he had it, but he underwent a full round of antibiotics just in case at the recommendation of his pediatrician's office). He kept the band-aid on for almost 2 days and then, when it was time to remove it, it was a nightmare!!! I tried to get him to immerse his arm in water, tried to pull it off... to no avail. He just wouldn't let me touch it for anything! After over 45 minutes he finally did it himself.
That morning I just thought to myself that I had to be prepared to deal with the loose tooth that were coming. If the band-aid was any indication of things to come, I imagined that it would be really awful. Well, I was squarely wrong about that one!! He pulled his own tooth very easily (it was extremely loose at that point) when we were backing off in the driveway of his best friend's house after a visit (I rushed back inside to share the news with them!). The second tooth came off as he bit a piece of bread at a school function and it's been a breeze ever since.
Maybe I'll have my reprieve with his younger brother... sigh. I'll let you know how it goes!
Yesterday Linton hardly ate any breakfast because he complained that his loose tooth hurt when he chewed. He did eat some lunch at school ("slurping" the spaghetti, as he put it) and I think that when dinner time came he was too hungry not to eat two (vegetarian) hot dogs.
Daddy tried to pull out the tooth out with a piece of dental floss last night, but it didn't work, so we wait... Hopefully Linton will be able to keep on eating, in spite of the fact that it's harder to bite this way. I'll keep you posted!
~ ~~~ ~ ~~~
As for Kelvin, two years ago I planned to write a couple of posts on how I feared that it was going to be really hard for him to get his tooth out, but it was just so incredibly easy! (check out that post because it has cute photos of my firstborn).
This is a summary of what I planed to post: when we were in Brazil in June 2008 Kelvin had blood drawn to test for Lyme Disease (I don't think he had it, but he underwent a full round of antibiotics just in case at the recommendation of his pediatrician's office). He kept the band-aid on for almost 2 days and then, when it was time to remove it, it was a nightmare!!! I tried to get him to immerse his arm in water, tried to pull it off... to no avail. He just wouldn't let me touch it for anything! After over 45 minutes he finally did it himself.
That morning I just thought to myself that I had to be prepared to deal with the loose tooth that were coming. If the band-aid was any indication of things to come, I imagined that it would be really awful. Well, I was squarely wrong about that one!! He pulled his own tooth very easily (it was extremely loose at that point) when we were backing off in the driveway of his best friend's house after a visit (I rushed back inside to share the news with them!). The second tooth came off as he bit a piece of bread at a school function and it's been a breeze ever since.
Maybe I'll have my reprieve with his younger brother... sigh. I'll let you know how it goes!
Friday, November 12, 2010
The Blind Side
I'm borrowing the post title from a Brazilian friend (K's former middle school student and a talented singer) because her son Lucca is experiencing the same problem that my "baby" most probably has - amblyopia, or "lazy eye." Since we're going to the doctor this afternoon, reading her post was good, and, at the same time, very sobering.
You may remember that my six-year old is wearing glasses now, and I feel truly terrible that it took us so long to take him to the optometrist and find out that his left eye has very poor eyesight (-3.5 each astigmatism and nearsightedness/ myopia). Because of the move we were unable to take him back to the doctor for a follow up visit, but we received a huge blow and reminder when a free Lyons club sponsored vision screening at school last month revealed that he still can't see well with the left eye even while wearing his glasses.
Carine researched and wrote in her post that if amblyopia is not treated until the child is 8 years old, it may become irreversible. I hope that both Lucca (who is 4) and Linton can fully recover the vision in their affected eyes. I'll let you know how the doctor's visit goes. All I know is that I am going to ask the ophthalmologist lots of questions. I just don't know if he'll be able to give many answers. It will probably take time (up to a year with an eye patch!! that sounds so hard!), but we'll have to deal with it.
Edited to add: I wasn't paying attention to my own links, look at what Google Health says about the prognosis: "Children who receive treatment before age 5 usually have a near complete recovery of normal vision. Delaying treatment can result in permanent vision problems. After age 10, only a partial recovery of vision can be expected."
OH NO!!! He's six! Now I'm despairing a little bit. or a lot. or... oh, wow. my poor baby, we failed him! :-(
Please, go take your own young kids to the optometrist right away!! They have these cool machines that "read" a person's eye prescription. I can't believe I didn't take Linton earlier. :-(
Carine researched and wrote in her post that if amblyopia is not treated until the child is 8 years old, it may become irreversible. I hope that both Lucca (who is 4) and Linton can fully recover the vision in their affected eyes. I'll let you know how the doctor's visit goes. All I know is that I am going to ask the ophthalmologist lots of questions. I just don't know if he'll be able to give many answers. It will probably take time (up to a year with an eye patch!! that sounds so hard!), but we'll have to deal with it.
Edited to add: I wasn't paying attention to my own links, look at what Google Health says about the prognosis: "Children who receive treatment before age 5 usually have a near complete recovery of normal vision. Delaying treatment can result in permanent vision problems. After age 10, only a partial recovery of vision can be expected."
OH NO!!! He's six! Now I'm despairing a little bit. or a lot. or... oh, wow. my poor baby, we failed him! :-(
Please, go take your own young kids to the optometrist right away!! They have these cool machines that "read" a person's eye prescription. I can't believe I didn't take Linton earlier. :-(
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tomorrow my "baby" goes to school
Both boys are going back to school tomorrow, after our tough "cyber-schooling" year (I couldn't blog much about it, but maybe I'll use the other blog I created to reminisce and reflect about our experience).
So, in spite of the fact that Linton is going to 1st grade, tomorrow will be the first time he goes to school. I think the boys will enjoy going to school and I love their school* and the teachers.
I will probably miss them since I've been home with Linton for the past 6 years and Kelvin only went to school by himself for one year (the other one I taught 3 days a week there). However, it will be good for me because I'll be very busy this semester (more about that in another post).
Tomorrow I'll post the requisite photos of the first day in school & write about it. I kind of missed those for last year (can't remember if I posted anything...).
I'm both excited and sad. Good thing I'm not worried (I thought I'd be because of Kelvin, but I think he'll be fine, in spite of the fact he's not very happy to be going back to school -- I hope that feeling evaporates soon). Let's see how it goes.
*It's a small K-8 private school and their classes have two grades together (1-2, 3-4), around 20 children in each room (the teachers have an aide).
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
The Birthday Boy & The "Moving" Party
A chaotic moving day (OK, the first of several "moving days" we're having here) prevented me from posting on my son's birthday, May 30th, when he turned 6 years old.It doesn't feel quite right to celebrate the life of a beloved son when another mother (Katie Allison Granju) has just lost hers, but I think he deserves it.
He was born on a hot Sunday and his birthday fell on a Sunday this year too, hotter than that one back in 2004. I was unable to throw a party for him, but in the end, I think his day was funner than any party he could have had.
It definitely felt like a party. The two cousins had been here since the night before when the boys went to bed really late (and their parents, with the exception of BIL, who had driven for 7 hours that day, almost didn't go to bed -- K, D & I worked until 4 am) and on Sunday they went to "work" early, riding their bikes, playing on the swings, playing the Wii. Then the friends who were helping us load the truck started coming bringing along three boys and a teenage girl. They played lots (see above), but the day's highlight was this "train" or "roller-coaster" with the three office chairs going down the sloping driveway (BIL's idea). Check it out:
I ordered pizza for everyone (only the second time in my whole life I ordered pizza for a group of people at home -- the first was when we unloaded our things with church friends back in 2007) and after we ate (with lemonade), I went to the store and got a Carvel cake so we could sing happy birthday:
Later on, when most friends had left and one more family had come to help, we turned the sprinkler on for the boys to play (the plan was to fill up a plastic pool BIL had brought, but it was too late for that) and that's when the first photo of the post was taken. One more view of the birthday boy happily squinting in the late afternoon sun:
I love you so much, baby, you're so precious (and you know it too!). I can't believe you're already six, my big boy, going to first grade! I hope you enjoyed your birthday!
I love you so much, baby, you're so precious (and you know it too!). I can't believe you're already six, my big boy, going to first grade! I hope you enjoyed your birthday!
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