The Countdown Has Begun

Christian has been counting the days until Christmas, and he refuses to count the day we are in, so two days left in his book. He continues to ask me to add to his list, though we are done shopping and wrapping. I hope he isn't too disappointed that he won't get everything he has asked for. He will probably just tell me that he wants it for Easter. He went to the babysitter's today and was all excited about that. Tori seemed happy he was going too. Tonight is haircuts and an hour at McDonalds afterwards. We all need a haircut, especially Christian and Tori.

Being Good

Christian's behavior has improved at after-care, but he still cannot keep his hands to himself, as proven by his scuffle with Tori last night. She asked him repeatedly to leave her alone, and he didn't of course. He got into trouble and almost got sent to his room. We have to keep reminding him that Santa is watching. He is excited about the fact that Christmas is only eight days away and got a real kick out of the story in which Uncle Frankie received a Barbie doll one year and ran over it with his remote-controlled truck. He thinks that is the funniest thing ever and liked to tell the story over and over.

Counting the Days

Christian only has six days of school left until vacation, and he cannot wait. He is looking forward to returning to Sharon's, which means he won't be staying home on the couple of days that Huts and I each have off. He misses his friends, Nathan and Hunter, and even the girls. Kylie and Maya. Tori misses him too.

Scuffle

Christian and Owen wrestled a little too hard yesterday, and Owen went home from after-care with some scratches and a red eye. Christian was told to keep his hands to himself and wrestle with Owen no more. Little booger!

It continued into the afternoon after-care. He got written up for pulling another kid by the ankle and play fighting with Owen. If he gets written up twice more, he'll be suspended from the program. Looks like we are in for fun with discipline.

Loved It

The kids loved church, so we're going back again. Christian went to his own class and came out smiling. Tori too. She was very disappointed on Monday morning when she discovered that we weren't going to church. Good thing the sitter got another puppy. Christian has requested snow boots so he can go outside with the other kids at school so we are headed after work to get those. I hope we find some he can get on and off himself.

Baby Jesus

The creche is up, and Christian and Tori are fascinated with it and the story surrounding it. They want to know who baby Jesus is, who his mom is, who his dad is, and so forth. They are ready to go to church, so I am taking them this Saturday night. They are going to a class that my friend teaches, while Eli goes to the nursery. Huts and I are going upstairs to listen to the sermon.

We Did It!

Tori, Eli and I took our picture with Santa. It's not a very good picture--Eli was too busy looking at Mom, but we did it. We also rode on the train and did some window shopping. Our Christmas lists are growing each day. I found all kinds of things I wanted this weekend. I found a spaceship at Sam's, a Rubik's cube at the mall, and a gum ball machine at Linens and Things, which I cannot have according to Mom, so don't buy me one. I can't wait for Christmas! Oh yeah, I watched The Wizard of Oz last night, and guess what, the witch was the woman riding the bike in the beginning. Awesome!

Santa

Christian now knows that there is more than one Santa, but the real Santa lives at the North Pole, while the helpers are at malls and such. We didn't tell him this, so he must have been discussing the matter with his friends. Speaking of his friends, another one of them came up and hugged him last night before we went home. Everyone sure does like him.

Is

Christian needs to learn to recognize a whole list of words, and "is" is the first one that has gotten his attention. He found the word in a book several times and is hooked on it. Now, if he would just find another word to learn, we might made some headway on this list.

She Likes Me

According to Christian, some girl in the classroom next door likes him. I don;t know why he thinks that. According to his teacher, lots of kids like Christian, and on, Samer, wants to be him. Samer hugs Christian a lot, so much so the teacher has to stop him. Nice to know Christian talks.

Day Off

Christian has Veterans Day off and he was quite excited about it because he was going to Sharon's. He couldn't wait to see Hunter and Nathan. Hopefully, he had a good time and will be ready to get back into the swing of things tomorrow. We spent last night reading books and coloring and cutting out turkeys in order to collect a certificate for a free personal pan pizza. He likes getting those.

Early Birds

Christian and Eli have been getting up early recently, around 5 a.m., and in Eli's case, 3:30 to 4:30 a.m. The time change has thrown them off. Tori, the night owl, has not followed suit, though she did get up at 6 this morning. I thought that Christian would be tired last night, but he wasn't. He was happy to see me and Tori at after-care and ate his dinner happily. Then he played with his sister until bedtime. This afternoon, it is parent-teacher time. We'll see how well Christian is doing at school.

A Riddle

What comes out the same way it goes in? what starts the day one way and remains unchanged all day? What is ignored, even though it was requested?

That would be Christian's Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich!

On his cold lunch days he usually requests this delicacy. Then in the afternoon he returns home with it untouched, along with his trash. He doesn't throw it away. He doesn't always eat his lunch either. He usually seems too rushed to eat lunch and either doesn't eat it at all or just eats the parts he wants. Apparently he's doing something other than eating lunch.

He seems to like eating a hot lunch though. This has expanded his food intake to include hamburgers, Sloppy Joe's (even though he thought it was a hamburger), chicken tacos and pizza. He still doesn't want to try the nacho's yet. For the most part he likes what he gets and seems to eat most of it. If only it rolled over to his cold lunch.

Trip

It was a quick trip to the farmhouse this weekend, and the kids were exceptionally good. They put up with all of the traveling and running around. I took them to Walmart for cookies the first night and for supplies the next morning. They talked us into toys and showed us what they wanted for Christmas. They sat in the floor at the nursing home and played, never once complaining. Then they sat at the hotel while I ordered a tombstone. Finally, we went to the farmhouse and they played there. Ollie even took Uncle Travis' Tinker Toys home with him to play with them. Don't worry, Tyler, we'll have them when you are ready to play with them. Eli slept well and cooed and smiled on the floor while Tori and Ollie played with everything they could find from packing tape to Tinker Toys. It was a good trip!

Sick Boy

Tori was sick on Wednesday night. Christian got it on Saturday night and Sunday. He threw up a few times and vegged out all day on Sunday. He was one tired fella. We put him to bed at 8 and he got up feeling fine this morning, at least in his tummy. He now has the cold that the rest of us have and sounds stuffed up.

Date Night

The kids don't know it yet, but Mom and Dad are having a date night tomorrow night. Uncle Dale is babysitting and we're going out for a few hours by ourselves. Huts is so ready, and I am too. Meanwhile, Dale will get to hold Eli and try to listen to the other two talk at the same time!

Back to School

Christian had a ball at Sharon's yesterday. She had them all there--a full house. He came home happy and was a good boy. He told me how sorry he was that my dad had died (we hadn't really talked about it until that point) and finished his homework. He has a heck of a time writing letters. He seems to do better when I hold his hand and guide him through the letters a few times.

Settling Down

Well, things are finally settling down in the Erickson household. Christian likes school and before- and after-care. Tori ad Eli are back at Sharon's, and Huts and I are back at work. The kids don' seem to mind getting up a little earlier; they are getting to bed a little earlier, so that helps. Eli slept better last night than he has in a long time, so that's good. it's nice for things to be normal again.

School Boy

This week Ollie (or Christian as he's called in school) started before and after care. He was tired of riding the bus and his Mama was headed back to work. This was the best transition so far for him. He didn't like camp in the beginning, he didn't like school, he didn't like the bus, but he likes before and after care. He barely cried the first day and was excited to go back the 2nd day. So far he hasn't said he dislikes it. Some of his classmates are in it as well. He seems to enjoy doing all the activities they do and is ready to go back every day. Hopefully it stays that way.

He's also excited about his Daddy helping to setup the classroom's fish tank. He's told me how they have it in their classroom and how they are going to release the fish into the tank, which was something I told his teacher in an email. We'll got to his class room next Tuesday after work and he'll help setup the tank. From the box of supplies she has, it looks like it'll be an interesting and good size tank. I'm sure Christian will be proud to show the fish tank to his classmates and tell how he helped set it up.

School Boy Christian

Ollie (or Christian as everyone in his school calls him) has adjusted well to Kindergarten. He started out rocky with crying for the first week, but has come to enjoy most aspects of it. He still doesn't like the homework, which he has little. He likes riding the bus, but his Mama is going back to work next week so he'll have to go into before and after care. We thought he'd hate that, but he seems excited to go since he has gotten to know more of the kids in his class that go there.

He's shown an interest in learning as he asks us to help him count to 100 regularly and puts the magnetic letters in alphabetic order on the fridge. He gets about 1/2 way through without much help. We still have to work on his birthday, address, tying shoes and a few other minor things that he will be tested on. We were surprised he will be tested on shoe tying. Its not helpful that he has velcro on all his shoes. Overall its been a good experience for him. Hopefully that continues for a long time.

First Day!

Ollie started kindergarten on Tuesday. As we expected, the tears started flowing as soon as he got up. He cried for about 30 minutes, almost made himself puke, composed himself until it was time for the bus. We were able to walk to his stop without much problem. He didn't hesitate getting on the bus, but he still cried once on there.

Once he got home he couldn't stop talking about school and all the things he did there. He was only there for 2 1/2 hours, so I bet today's list of things will be even longer. Its the first full day with gym, recess and lunch as new twists. For lunch he is taking his lunch most of the time. Out of 28 days scheduled for lunch, he is only eating the school's lunch 8 days. He doesn't like much of what they are serving. Maybe that'll change next month once he sees what others are eating.

This morning went better as he didn't cry as much and admitted that he didn't like the bus. He can't wait to start before and after care when his Mama gets off maternity leave in October. At least then he won't have to ride the bus. He'll just have to get used to a new situation again. Which I'm sure will cause more tears.

Traveling Man

Ollie went on a trip this weekend. He went to visit Mama's family. He went swimming in Uncle Travis' pool with his sister Tori. On the 2nd trip to the pool he had a water fight with Uncle Dale. Ollie thinks he won, but they both ended up soaked.

He enjoyed the hotel like any hotel he stays in. He was a crabby boy on Sunday. He got woken up early so we could head home. He threw a fit about eating breakfast which he claimed he wanted the day before. He was fine until we got half-way home and he threw a fit at the restaurant. Once we forced him to eat an egg he seemed to be more pleasant. Guess we'll see when the next time the Evil Ollie comes out.

He starts school next week, so I'm sure we'll see a little of him then.

Things Are Changing

We've got a couple of trips planned as soon as I can walk right, and Ollie and Tori are going to be seeing a lot of people soon. They have no idea what's coming, and it will be interesting to see how they take to the trips and all of the new faces. Hopefully, they will see it as quite the adventure.

Real

Last night, Ollie decided to play Eli. He got into the exersaucer and started talking like a baby. Tori was Mommy and laughed and played with him. They have also spent lots of time talking to Eli in the womb. Guess they know the little one is about to make his big entrance!

Haircuts

We have haircuts on Wednesday night and Tori is already bugging me about them. She wants to know when we are going and will insist on going first. Then she'll head to the playroom and be a happy camper. Meanwhile, Ollie is supposed to sit on the bench by himself for the first time ever. Unlike his sister, he has always insisted on sitting on his dad's lap. Well, that's getting a little ridiculous, so this week, he is sitting on the bench. He swears the hair stylist is going to cut off his ears. She cuts off the ears of all little boys names Ollie, don't you know? Funny boy! There should be big teardrops come Wednesday.

Surprise!

Ollie and I played skeletons last night. We took these very small skeleton Legos and moved them all over the couch and my tummy. Ollie tried to talk to Eli again, but this time, he got a surprise. Eli started moving like crazy, making my stomach move in waves. Ollie jumped back and then started giggling. He has seen Eli move but not that hard. We also found a hard spot and tried to guess if it was Eli's foot. Whatever it was, he liked moving it to the right side. Just 13 more days and Ollie can see his face!

Sunday we're returning to Sommer Park where Ollie went to camp and taking in Old Pioneer Days. There is supposed to be a variety of activities like blacksmithing and candlemaking. We'll see if the kids like it or get bored really quickly.

Bargain Shoppers

Last night, we took the kids out to eat to celebrate Huts' promotion. Neither one of them got the significance of that until I told them that there would be more money for toys. Then they went nuts. I took them to the toy store and they picked out two of the cheapest toys ever, some action figures that were on clearance and marked down another 70% and a $7 hula hoop. We also found a backpack for Ollie and a lunchbox, which was free with the purchase of the backpack. Now all that Ollie needs for school is new shoes.

Ball Game

Ollie is finally becoming a boy, and in addition to farting, burping and talking about nasty things, he has expressed an interest in sports. He discovered baseball at camp and has had me and his dad throw the ball to him several times. He is not a bad hitter, though Huts assures me that is because we are throwing the ball to him. He watches soccer with his dad occasionally and says he wants to see a game. Huts is planning to take him to baseball game on Wednesday when they have free hot dogs. He thinks they will make it through three innings. I don't know. Huts also want to take him to a college soccer game. He doesn't expect they will make it through that either. Wish him luck

Slippin and Slidin

We sent swimsuits with the kids this morning. Sharon was supposed to buy a slip 'n' slide yesterday and let the kids have some fun today. As usual, Ollie said he wasn't going to participate, while Tori was all for it. Bet he changed his mind and gave it a shot. He was all worried about Sharon having to use her bathroom towels for them to dry off with. I didn't bother getting out his beach towel and sending it. That seemed a little overboard.

Cool

That was Ollie's reaction when Huts discovered that the wind had blown down a tree in our backyard late on Saturday afternoon. None of us heard it, but there it was. The tree that had been leaning out from the hill was snapped down. The base is cracked, the roots are gnarled--no digging out this stump. There is none. Huts removed all of the limbs and cut some of it. He is planning to finish the task this weekend.

Long Day

Ollie and Tori went with Annie this weekend to a friend's house to play on the trampoline. They left at 5 and didn't return home until 10:30 that night. They had a fantastic time and were invited to next weekend's barbecue. Tori found a buddy in Teresa, the lady of the house, while Ollie played with her sons. Tori told Teresa that she would come back, and apparently, she is this weekend. Just as we thought, Ollie bounced high and asked me to get a large trampoline for him.

All Done

Camp is over, and I think Ollie is glad. He got a bit upset this morning when his dad dropped him off. Huts saw him pouting by a tree with a counselor talking to him. He should be feeling better in about 15 minutes when his aunt picks him up. I think the long days in the hot sun with kids he doesn't know that well have taken their toll on him. At least he got through it. Just six more weeks and school will be starting.

Happy Camper

Ollie seems to like camp, but he doesn't love it, that's for sure. Today he was supposed to go fishing and dig for dinosaur bones. Tomorrow he is doing crafts. He seems to be looking forward to the fact that he gets to go back to Sharon's on Monday. He is getting tired I think. He sure does have some stories to tell now.

First Day of Camp

Ollie was excited about camp but cried this morning. He was nervous, but I imagine by now he is having a good time. They were going to go fishing, but it was raining this morning, so who knows. He was the first one there this morning to before-care, which may have intimidated him but was probably good since he got plenty of one-on-one attention. We are going to see how he feels this afternoon. If he is tuckered out, Aunt Annie may come to his rescue in the afternoon and pick him up when camp is over rather than at the end of after-care.

No Boy

The 4th of July is coming up and we would like to take the kids to a parade and a movie, as well as do some fireworks, but Ollie has vetoed everything. He does not want to go to the parade--we are going anyway, he does not want to see Wall-E--we are going anyway, and he does not to light sparklers--we are doing it anyway, though he may skip out on this one. He would rather stay at home inside the house with his toys and Sponge Bob. He is going to summer camp next week. Wish us luck!

That's Enough

Birthday cake, cupcakes, cookies and more. Tons of sweets sitting on our counter not getting eaten. Had Annie come by and get them to share with her friends. She played with the kids for a while and then I distributed the cupcakes. Ollie watched intensely, telling me when I had given her enough. Then in true 5-year-old boy fashion, he scarfed down a cupcake and spit part of it out because his mouth was too full.

Ants

Ollie sat down last night and drew his dad, mom and a friend pictures of ants. My ant is black, and he pointed out the mouth that hurt him. We have ants in our house, which he runs around smashing. I guess one of them bit/stung him. This was the first I had heard of it. Anyway, he told me to take my picture to work so that every time I looked at it I could remember him. That's what you do for the people you love. Aww!

Another Card

Ollie got one last birthday card yesterday from his great grandpa. He was thrilled to get it and thrilled to help his sister open all of her birthday cards. She got three or four and loves them all. Thanks to everyone out there who sent Ollie and Tori cards. On a side note, Ollie got the first two caps at the dentist yesterday. Everything went fine. Tori can't wait for her turn in December.

Annie Time

Ollie and Tori are spending Saturday evening with Aunt Annie while Huts and I go to a wedding reception. We are looking forward to time away, and they are looking forward to time away from us. Annie may take them to the park, so they should be two tired cookies that night after time at the farm park and time at the playground with Annie.

Big Eater

Ollie's appetite finally came back last night. He ate at McDonalds and then again at home after the grocery store. He was one hungry boy as he demonstrated in the car to me. While Huts and Tori were inside getting dinner for us, Ollie was eating his snack pack and showing me the leftovers on his tongue. Yuck!

Toys

We bought the kids some toys and they arrived last night in the mail. Ollie wanted to know why they didn't ship them. We had to explain what shipping meant and so forth. He got extremely excited when he noticed the box by the front door and screamed when he opened the box. He was so excited to get his Spider Man blocks. Huts helped him put them together, and destructo Tori took them apart later. Ollie came downstairs with big tears in his eyes. Tori broke his blocks, his dad was trying to fix them and he had to brush his teeth before bed. I wiped away his tears, comforted him and helped him brush his teeth. By that time, Huts had the blocks fixed and Ollie was ready for bed. In the car this morning, he demanded to know which one of us had misplaced his bears on the bed. I was the culprit of course. Darn it, I cannot keep the order of how those bears are supposed to line up straight. I always put the blue one where the red one should go and so forth.

Different as Night and Day

Ollie is a morning person; Tori is a night owl. Ollie likes to talk, create and imagine; Tori likes to run and play ball. Ollie's verbal skills are excellent; Tori's motor skills are excellent. Ollie could talk better at age 2 than Tori can; she learned how to go up and down the stairs faster than he did. We have a brain and an athlete right now; who knows what Eli will be. Speaking of Eli, he will be here in 58 days, less than two months!

Just Like Daddy

Tired and wound up, Ollie decided to mimic his dad last night. He got the laptop, set it on his lap and told the rest of us that he was going to be just like Daddy. Huts was amused. I always tease him about working on the computer so much, and now the kids are in on it. Of course, Ollie has also mocked me, laying on the couch and pretending to spit into the trash can; he's got this whole pregnancy thing down pat.

Boy 1, Glasses 0

Ollie got his glasses on Monday and has worn them for everything except roughhousing, baths and sleep. Occasionally he'll forget to put them back on when changing clothes, but he wears them without a complaint. He even said that he can see better with them.



Four days into wearing them, we've already had our first problem. Getting out of the car this morning at the sitter's, one of the lenses fell out. Except no one noticed. I got a call at work from the sitter saying he only had one lens in the glasses. He's not wearing them for the rest of the day. Luckily it was found in the car, we'll get it repaired tonight and he'll be back in his glasses in time for dinner.

Poor Guy

Ollie is having a rough week. He got his glasses on Monday only to lose a lens this morning--thank goodness the babysitter noticed. We found the lens in the car, and we're getting that fixed tonight. He got the flu on Tuesday night. He went to the dentist yesterday and needs eight caps on his molars (cavities between teeth due to snacking). We start that on the 16th. He has been a really good sport about everything, but the flu has taken its toll. Last night he was a crab from no sleep and cried a couple of times. We are all hoping he feels better tonight when everything is back in order.

Sleeping Babies

When I got to the car yesterday, everyone was sleeping. Apparently, Ollie and Tori had fallen asleep--oh wait a minute, I saw an eye peep open and there's a grin on Tori's face. Ha-ha, they're just tricking me and continue to trick me all the way home. They sure do like to trick their mom!

The Best Day Ever

That was how Ollie summed up his weekend in the car on the way home from St. Louis on Sunday. He had a good time at the Magic House with Grandma and Grandpa, swam in the pool, ate a lot and spent several hours at the zoo. He left with lots of loot and was happy as a clam. Of course, he did let Grandpa know at dinner on Saturday that he was OK with this trip because he knew that he was not going home with them. That's my boy! Brutally honest, even on Sunday when he announced at 1 o'clock that he was tired and ready to go home. He nixed seeing the hippos in favor of running in the rain to the car and going home. He couldn't wait to get home and have his dad help him put together the Lego's.

Ok, but...

Ollie knows we are going to St. Louis this weekend to meet up with the Ericksons and have a little fun. He is OK with that as long as the four of us go up together and return together. No hopping into Grandma and Grandpa's car and going home with them. We tricked him last December, and he isn't falling for that one again. I have reassured him that he will be coming home with us and he seems to have relaxed a little. Looks like his solo visiting days are over. He's a homebody like his mama.

5-year-old Pranks

Now that he has turned 5, Ollie has become a little snottier. He likes to tease his sister--"Hey, Tori, look at the ice cream I've got." He likes to tell us that we don't know what we are talking about--"You said that I only had one minute to play, so I am not going to play." (We never mentioned one minute only; we told him that we weren't going to sit by the playground forever.) He likes to play jokes on us, but doesn't want us to play jokes on him--"Mom, I'm not made of puppy dog tails and snails." He has been in more trouble this week than ever. i so love the age of 5.

Battery of Tests

Ollie's battery of tests continue. Last week he got his eyes examined and he needs glasses. He has astigmatism like his father and other family members on both sides. He went through his appointment without a fight and didn't cry until he was told that he'd have to get glasses. They will be ready in 1 week, so we'll have to start the battle of him wearing them then.

His yearly check-up went well. He doesn't have any issues other than his eyes. The amazing thing is that he willingly participated in every test they wanted him to do. He's 44 inches tall and 45 1/4 lbs. He's still on the 75% scale of height and weight for his age. He's constant in that department. He did all the funny walking (heels and toes), let her check his eyes and ears without crying (a first), he let the doctor push, prod and poke him only giggling when it tickled.

Then came the shots. He willing got on a nurses lap, while a second nurse cleaned his leg for the injections. The nurse he sat on held his arms and had him yell Scooby Doo while the nurse injected him. It worked the first time, then the pain hit. He started crying and he barely got the second Scooby-Doo out by the third shot. He got four in all and cried for a little while because they stung. He got a bruise the next day, but he hasn't complained about it since. For as bad as all of his medical exams used to be, they are getting much better as a whole. He even likes the dentist! Our oldest boy is growing up!

Birthday Party #1

Ollie had his first birthday party this past weekend. Two of his friends from the sitter's, Nathan and Hunter, came over for the party. We wanted to make it a party, but not over do it, just to get him used to the idea. Once he determined he wanted a party, he couldn't stop talking about it.

The big day came and he waited for his guests to arrive. Nathan arrived and was a bit tentative. Ollie was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Hunter so he could start the party. Hunter arrived, Ollie bolted for the presents and almost had two open before Hunter made it through the front door. After the carnage was wrought, Nathan told his Dad he could leave and they all started to party.

They went outside to fill the swingset while I assembled everything. In and out, up and down, cake, in and out, up and down all over again. The toys got the biggest workout since they were new. Eventually it was time for Nathan and Hunter to leave, but they didn't want to go and Ollie was too entranced with his new toys to notice. He got up long enough to say goodbye and thanks, then went back to his toys. He's decided he wants to go to Maid-Rite for dinner on his actual birthday to get a strawberry shake and chicken tenders. His favorite meal.

He enjoyed his party and will probably have a bigger one next year with the kids from his kindergarten class. He'll have more presents, more fun and more tired parents...fun for all!

Truly A Pleasure

Years from now when Ollie looks back at this journal and learns about all of the funny things he did, we want him to know how grateful we are to be his parents. They say a baby changes everything, Ollie has truly changed our lives. He has made us step outside of ourselves and become better people. He has taught us so much and given us so many gifts from his silly jokes to his tender smile. It truly is a pleasure to come home every day to his sweet face, even if it's scowling. No matter how bad the day may have gone or how many mistakes we may have made, Ollie is always there to give us a pat on the back and tell us how much he loves us. The unconditional love of a four-year-old…who wouldn't want that?

O-L-L-I-E

In two days, we taught Ollie how to spell his name. Now we are working on spelling his last name and reciting his address and phone number. All of this i stuff he must learn in kindergarten. He is extremely excited about knowing how to spell his first name. Huts and I will get off really easy with Tori and Eli. They should have no problems learning how to spell their nicknames.

You're Wrong

Ollie loves to tell Tori that she is wrong. He doesn't care that he makes her cry; he just wants her to know that she is wrong and he knows all. Lately, Ollie has been somewhat better about this and has taken to playing with Tori, chasing her and ordering her around, He gets angry when she doesn't follow his directions. So far, though, he manages to keep his temper in check. Wait until she hauls off and slaps him one day. She won't be prone to tears forever.

Rocky Start

Ollie went to kindergarten kickoff last night with Mom and Dad. He was somewhat interested but started crying when the teachers took all of the kids to their homerooms. Huts went with him, while I stayed behind to make notes during the lecture. We got him enrolled and have two doctor's appointments set up. We will make the last one soon.

Ollie was shy in the classrooms and wanted to sit on the teacher's lap. She had him sit upfront. Not sure how well he is going to adapt to the bus, teachers, kids and schedule. It is an all-day affair with lots of activity. We have a major list of school supplies and instructions. Wish us luck in remembering everything.

Staying Home

This past week, Ollie and Tori got to stay home with their Aunt Annie and Mom. Ollie loved it. He played, vegged out, spent 3 hours at McDonalds playing and had a grand time staying home. He does miss the other kids at the sitter's though and he's ready to go back on Monday.

We are going to put Ollie in a camp this summer. He will learn about Dinosaur's at Sommer Park. This will get him out of the habit of being at the sitter's and around other kids. We hope it'll prepare him a little bit more for school. He wasn't too thrilled with the idea in the beginning, but we decided to force him to go and now he's at least ok with it. He should have a good time.

Finally, Ollie starts school in the fall and we have a lot to do to get him ready. He has to have an eye exam, dental exam, lead test, diabetic test and all of his shots up to date. His next doctor's visit isn't going to be pleasant for him. We have a hard time getting him to weigh himself on the scale. Getting blood and giving shots is going to be a nightmare. We may just have to bribe him with a new toy for him to be good.

The Weekend

Ollie used to hate going outside. It still isn't his favorite thing to do. This was evident by him dumping 4 large buckets of toys on the living room floor to play with on Sunday night. He was going to be camped in for the long haul. During the weekend, he did go outside. He helped his sister make 'sand pies' after soaking their damp sand with more water. It ended up all over him, his pants, shirt, arms, hair and even face. I'm just hoping he didn't actually eat one of his pies!



After he made his pies, he got a bath in the sink to get all the sand off of him. While his sister napped, he went back to playing with his toys until she got up. Then the law needed watered, so Ollie grabbed his sister and they both went to play in the sprinkler. After about an hour of battling the sprinkler, he decided it was time to go in and get warmed by another bath.

His outside time resumed on Sunday, but was altered a bit. He thought he saw a snake in our yard and ran in screaming. After investigating, we found no snake, but plants that looked like a snake. However, Ollie wouldn't set foot in the yard without someone else walking with him. So we had to hold his hands to get to the swings. Once he was at the swings, he was fine. Eventually he'll get over it, but it may be a few days before that happens.

And Baby Makes 3

We found out yesterday that we are having a boy! Elijah is doing fine and kicking all around. Ollie seems pleased to have a brother; he has finally come to the realization that the baby is going to bug him and Tori regardless of its sex. Tori doesn't really have a clue what is going on. She continues to pat my belly and go about her way. Everyone says poor Tori, but not to worry. She is bossy and will be keeping both of her brothers in line. She will also be spoiled rotten as the only girl.

Shake!

Every time we go to Maid-Rite, Ollie has to have a strawberry shake. Not just the tiny kid sized shake, but a large adult size. He usually drinks more of the shake than he eats of his meal. He loves shakes, ice cream, whipped cream and cherries as much as his dad! He is even nice enough to share with his sister. They put 2 straws in and drink from the shake at the same time. Its pretty cute.

The other night, I got the idea to make shakes for the kids in the blender. Last time I tried that, Ollie wanted nothing to do with it. This time was different. He couldn't wait to start making the shake. We put in strawberry ice cream, strawberry syrup, real strawberries and milk. We could've put in strawberry milk, but it may have been overkill. Ollie and Tori got there stools and each took turns putting in the ingredients. Then Ollie hit the mix button and the fun began. They got excited while it was chopping everything up.

Once it was done, I poured there glasses. Ollie finished full glasses in seconds. He loved it and if he wasn't full, he would've had more. He like it so much he asked for the left-overs 2 days later. Too bad you can't keep a shake around. It just means we'll have to make more!

Easter Is Coming

And Ollie's wish list is a mile long. No doubt he will ditch all of the little stuff and go straight for his big gift. THis, of course, will take place after Friday's egg coloring fiasco. Ollie has all of the colors worked out in his little mind, He has been learning color combinations for months now. Too bad the dyes won't mix exactly as he thinks they should. Should be fun!

Forget About This Day

For some peculiar reason, Ollie did not like the thought of having to wear a green shirt today. In fact, he got upset about it until his dad promised to get out his football shirt for him to wear today. Well, Dad forgot and I found Ollie hiding behind the recliner with face pressed flat on the floor and tear running down his cheeks. Huts had given him a plain green shirt to wear, and when I presented the other options, he continued to cry and wishes he could make this day go away. I still don't know what all of the fuss was about, but Ollie managed to get his act together before we left for work.

Change is Good

That's Ollie's new philosophy these days, and it's a good thing since we sold the pool table last night. He enjoyed playing in the big open space. He is also enjoying the new big-screen TV. He didn't want to have anything to do with it, but when he saw Sponge Bob, that was it. He got disappointed when Teen Nick came on and he had to go upstairs to watch the digital channels. Tori is also mesmerized with the new TV and the big space to run through. Anyway, Ollie says that we can now make changes around the house.

Grandma Who?

In a few weeks, Sharon our sitter is going on vacation to see her new grandson. My mom is coming up to stay with the kids. Ollie keeps getting confused as to which grandma is coming up, and every time I tell him Grandma Vickie, he demands to know about the third grandma. I keep thinking it's Tip, but when I mention her, he says no, the other one. I know he can't be talking about my dad's mother, so I am not sure who this third grandma is. It isn't Grandma Marie, he assures me. Who it is I don't know. She must be the mystery grandma.

Tori, Tori

That's all Ollie kept yelling last night. He was a motormouth, and so was his sister. Nonstop chatter from the moment they got into the car. When we got home, Ollie put away his blocks, pulled out his Power Rangers and spun some yarns for me. Than, when his sister got home from the grocery store, he plied her and his dad with stories. The two chatted with each other and with us all night long. It got so loud at one point that Huts and I had to shush them. They were so quiet at dinner, and then, boom. The talkin' started.

The Best Brother Ever

We went to a '50s diner the other day, and Ollie had a milkshake. For some reason, he was being extra nice that day and fed his sister the cherry. Then he put another straw in his milkshake and the two drank it together. He also fed her a strawberry that was in it. I wished I had a camera, so you could see their two heads together as they sucked on the straws. So cute.

Change Not Necessary

The TV in our living room is on its way out--too many color changes from blue to green to gray. Huts would like a larger TV, but Ollie has another opinion. He is afraid of large TVs and says we may only buy one if we change everything back to the way it used to be. We moved the cactus in the kitchen, got a different table for the TV and added a sofa table in the living room. I also moved around a couple of other things. Well, that has just been too much for Ollie, and he wants everything back the way it once was. Things look way too different to him. Boy, is he gonna be sad when the new TV comes in and the old stand goes upstairs. That should really flip him out since the family room is his domain.

Scrunched Up Hands

Ollie's knuckles are raw from constantly washing his hands. He is obsessive with washing his hands. Can't touch his underwear without washing his hands or eat gooey food in fear of getting his hands messy. Another phase. Because his knuckles are so raw, he has been clinching his fingers and walking around with scrunched up hands. He looks silly, and when I ask him about it, he gives me a sly smile and giggles. He already knows how to push my buttons.

Lego-Mania

Every time we see toys, the only thing Ollie wants are Lego's! He is Lego crazy! He's gotten very good at looking at a picture in the Lego book and building the car/boat/animal/person in the picture without instructions. Every time he gets a new one he and I put it together together. If its simple he can put it together by himself without following the instructions. Some of the harder ones like his Star Wars vehicles, take a helping hand from his parents. I don't think he's played with much else since since he's got his first small set of Lego's for Christmas.

Every night its the same thing when we get home, turn on the Good-Night Show on Sprout and play with Lego's. We always end up with multiple things he creates from the Lego's nightly. Sometimes he has to borrow pieces from his already created objects to make new ones. He knows exactly where to get the pieces. His memory and building ability are astounding at times. He's definitely more creative than his Dad!

Pitch Man

It started simply enough. It was an innocent viewing of a Life Alert commercial. We were told often how we needed Life Alert, how great it was and how we'd never be alone when we were alone at home. This is what the Pitch Man said, so it must be true.

The other day a banana inspired a pitch about the Green Bags that allow your food to stay fresh. Its continued on with putty, cleaning supplies and space saving bags that are even water tight! All the information was dizzying! Apparently its his current calling because the Pitch Man won't stop! Luckily, we can say "No" to buying this guys products.

The Pitch Man

Brother OK

Ollie has decided that it is ok for us to have a boy, He says that he will play with him, teach him things and be good to him. Of course, it is ok if we have a girl too. He will name her Abby and let us name it if it is a boy.

Oops!

While walking through the furniture store last night, Ollie decided to tell me a story about his babysitter. He got excited, raising his voice, and in the middle of the story, he blurted out the word "ass!" A couple of women in the store swung around and heard me tell him that we don't say that word. He had no idea what the word meant; he was just repeating what he had heard at the babysitter's. Poor guy hung his head when I told him not to say the word anymore. Oh well. He returned to his sunny self by the time we got to the front door.

A Kiss

That's what Ollie is giving me for my birthday. He was really worried that his chapped lips would not get healed in time, but after some carmex, they are a-ok. He is all set to give me a kiss for my 35th birthday, and maybe, he teases, he will give me some birthday cake, too. What a wonderful boy!

Little Sister Wanted

Ollie spoke to Grandma Vickie last night on the phone. She asked him if he wanted a baby sister or a baby brother. He told her that he wanted a baby sister because a baby brother would bug him, whereas a baby sister would bug Tori. No mention of the two younger ones bugging him.

He's got it all figured out apparently.

Hard Worker

I'm not sure Ollie really know what we do for a living, but he knows where we work. As we've said before he is too smart for his age. This morning on my way out the door from the sitter's after Tori gave me her words of wisdom. Her brother had some of his own.

"Don't work too hard Dad!", Ollie exclaimed.

The boy is too smart sometimes.

New Story

Ollie had a new tale last night. He was afraid that the bad haircutter had gotten Stacy, our hairdresser, tied her down in a chair and cut off her ears. He wasn't sure that Stacy would be there when we arrived, but she was. He did well during his haircut. Tori did marvelous as usual. We read stories in the playroom while Huts got his hair cut and then they went to the pet store to see the dogs. Ollie came back and told me that he was getting a beard! The boy's imagination never stops!

No Friends

That was Ollie's sad story last night, Apparently Hunter has a lot of friends, which he says he brings home with him from preschool. Ollie is all sad that he doesn't get to bring friends home with him. He thinks that Tori will be his only friend ever, even when he goes to school next year. Huts tried to tell him otherwise, but he wouldn't listen. Won't he be surprised next year with all of the friends he makes?

We also went back to the issue of me sleeping on the couch. Apparently, Ollie doesn't like it because he needs me to be upstairs so he doesn't get scared. I reassured him that his dad was still sleeping upstairs, but he still got upset. He went upstairs with big tears rolling down his face. Bad Mama.

Morning Chat

Background: Tresa & Huts discussing how tired they are gonna be in August.
Ollie: "Well, if the baby is too afraid to sleep in his bed, he can sleep with me."
Tresa: "Babies like to be fed every two hours. Are you going to get up and feed him?"
Ollie: "No, Mom. Feeding babies is a big responsibility."

Smart boy!

I have been sleeping downstairs on the couch with my trash can by my side, and Ollie has finally realized it. He got very distraught last night as he was going to bed because I was going to be downstairs on the couch. I don't know if he thinks that I am mad at his daddy or what. He always tells us when we fight that we don't love each other anymore. We've tried telling him that you can fight and still love each other, but every four-year-old knows all.

Toys Everywhere

Ollie has taken our family room hostage. He had his little blocks, big blocks and Power Rangers out. Then he brought in his Spiderman stuff and Transformers. Then he brought in some of the baby toys from the toy room. Huts and I finally had enough of tripping on everything and helped him pick up everything. Right now the floor is clear. Bet it doesn't stay that way tonight. On another note, Ollie finally let his dad send back the Backyardigans DVD in exchange for another one. He sure is getting a kick out of having a subscription to NetFlix.

Tori's Going to Be A Big Sister

That's what Ollie told his dad this morning. He is starting to be more aware of my bulging belly. Thankfully, he is blissfully ignorant of all of the vomiting and spitting going on. (Tori mimics the spitting.) He paged through the developmental magazine and remarked how cute all of the babies were from one month in the womb to nine months in the womb. The alien-looking creatures didn't seem to faze him and he totally thought all of the pictures were of our baby. I think he will be excited later when he can feel the baby move in my tummy.

Dem Bones

Ollie came to me crying last night in the kitchen. He didn't want a snack, he was afraid.

He asked tearfully, "Daddy, do I have a broken bone?".

I got a bit concerned, but he wasn't screaming in pain like a kid normally would if they had a broken bone. I asked if he was hurt and he said he was fine and I asked why he though he had a broken bone, he demonstrated tilting his head to the side and said it made a noise last time he did it, so he thought he broke a bone. I reassured him that he didn't break a bone and he probably just heard a pop like when you pop your knuckles. Then I demonstrated the sound by popping my fingers repeatedly. That brought a smile to his face and he got excited hearing the noise from my fingers.

Funny noises and not having to go to the hospital cheer a kid up quick.

Building King

Ollie got a lot of things to build with during Christmas. The tinker toys and Lego's both came with books on how to make things. So far, we've made a car and motorcycle from the tinker toys. Then Ollie adds his own 'embellishments' with the left over pieces. The Lego's have been different. Anything in the book is game to be made. Including pictures that have no instruction guide to them. So, we've created several houses and cars just from a picture. Luckily Ollie hasn't been too picky about them being the exact color or size. I'd be in trouble if he was picky.

He's also created his own houses and has even created animals from his Lego's without any help from his parents. He's a fairly creative kid and comes up with lots of stories, jokes, games and creations that he tells us all about. For instance, every time he paints, he always paints Lightening McQueen from the movie Cars. He also paints the other characters and creates a story about them. His artistic skills are decent for a 4 year old. He even created a picture of himself and his Mama that each had a head, arms and legs instead of a blob with eyes. I have a feeling he'll be doing something creative in life, until then, we'll be making things out of his toys.