the future is here

ok, so please fast forward THREE YEARS and here we are. seriously, that is just ridiculous. how can it be that in my last post ivan was still in diapers?!  time is going a bit too fast for my liking. it really needs to take a chill pill. literally i feel like i blink an eye and a week goes by. anyway, i am trying to ease back into this blogging thing again. i feel sort of overwhelmed though... too much time has passed for me to mention everything that has happened, but i'd think the biggest change in the past three years, besides the boys' amazing transformations, is buying our home in the germantown section of philly.  it was one of the best moves we ever made mainly for the reason that there are trees around, LOTS and LOTS of TREES!! living in port richmond for six years, i resigned myself to living in the concrete jungle, but moving here made me realize how very much i need green in my life. it makes such a difference to me mentally, emotionally and physically. it makes me feel so much more peaceful in spirit and clear-minded. it seems i can breathe easier here.  not to mention, my neighbors are so wonderful, as are our close friends in the neighborhood. so yeah, germantown is clearly the place for us. 

do you see how the boys are growing like weeds?! sometimes i look at victor and i see a lanky, stretched out miniature man, and my baby ivan, his body is no longer, for lack of better words, babyish and squishy (although, thank god, he still has some delicious, kissable cheeks.) that is the strangest thing to me, that my boys will some day be men, too old to climb into my bed, curling up close in the early morn. how can it be that i miss these days already?

TWO YEARS OLD!

Five Years Old!

Warm Weather Fun in the "Backyard"

As you can plainly see, Victor and Ivan have been enjoying many popsicle parties these last couple months.  I can't believe I haven't posted anything since the winter. How did that happen? I feel so busy all day long, by the time it is quiet enough for me to put a coherent sentence together, I am already fried and end up watching the Office on Netlix or going to bed early to read for an hour or two. I thank Nicole for allowing this time in the middle of the day. She invited Vic over to play while Ivan napped.  What a friend you are!  Alone time is sacred and I don't get enough of it.  Sleep, Ivan, sleep. 

Besides being a sticky mess, Ivan is a pure delight. He is always making funny faces and talking in wierd voices and doing wacky dance moves which never fail to make us laugh and laugh. Our little clown.  He is also usually laid back and easygoing but lately is going through a major clingy phase, wanting to be held a lot more than usual. I love that he is extra cuddly but the carrying thing is not so sweet. My baby boy is heavy. I'm talkin' dead weight, diaper full of bricks. Needless to say, my back is bothering me a  bit these days.

Here are the boys cooling off with their buddy, Matthew, last seen on this blog all bundled up on one of the chilliest days of the year. Now here he is in his birthday suit... My, how the seasons change things. Yes, that is our sled filled with water and a floating horse shoe crab. Don't worry, it is dead. Bryan found it on the beach a couple weeks ago and is now part of Vic's natural collection/toys.  And yes, that is our old stove into which I want to put flowers... one of these days.

I bought Vic this coloring book for Easter. He has never gotten excited about coloring, but since there are mythical beasts involved he, of course, went crazy over this book and has been coloring ever since. He has gotten quite good, using lots of colors and staying in the lines practically better than I could.  Ahhhhh... coloring, what a peaceful, quiet, calm activity! 

Ivan trying to be a thief.  He is hardly ever quiet, calm and relaxed. Always on the move, getting into something...

 

The boys seem to be growing closer everyday. They truly enjoy doing everything together. The other day, Vic asked me when I was going to have another baby, and I said we weren't really planning on having any more, that having the two boys was all we wanted. He was disappointed so I asked him "Why? Do you want to have another brother or sister?" to which he replied "no, I want another friend." I love watching them so deeply enjoy one another and know that life with our two boys is just going to get more and more fun.

Bonding over books...

I want to focus this post on Victor since the last one was about Ivan who is basically back to his happy-go-lucky self and sleeping much better now, thank God! 

The biggest and most exciting news is that Victor has started to read! He is only starting with the most basic stuff ("Bob book" series.)  All of a sudden, it seems that something has clicked in his brain, and he totally understands how to sound things out... as long as he is focused which is not always the case.  I'll tell you,  it takes a whole heck of a lot of patience, more than what I've got, to get him through a book if he is anywhere close to la-la land, one of his favorite places to be.  Anyway, I made a reading chart and put a star sticker on it for every book he reads.  After he completes the whole series, he receives a surprise. 

Bribery works so well on this kid.  We also have a "Victor Sleeps Through the Night like a Big Boy Chart" in which he gets a sticker each night that he goes to sleep without Bry or me having to rock in his room until he falls asleep. You see, mama got a little fed up with that and had to put her foot down. Wish I'd done it sooner since it is going so well. We are on the ninth consecutive night. Hooray!

Bryan and I were just discussing that in the past several months, Victor has started to really mature. For instance, today at the barber shop, he just sat up on his chair and let the barber do his job, while chatting quite casually. At one point I overheard him say "my mom only lets me have sweets, like, once in a blue moon..." which isn't exactly true as he has dessert every night, but still, the point is he was conversing so naturally and confidently and well, more like a grown-up.  There was no squirming or fussing like every other time he has gotten his hair cut. I was blown away and so proud.  

I have to mention his latest obsession with mythical beasts, specifically the collection of little plastic figures he received for Christmas.  He carries them all over the house and is constantly setting up scenes, flying or swimming them here and there.  Ever since he got them, he would show them one by one to Ivan who would just stare and smile while listening to Victor pronounce their names in his Mr. Professor tone.  Well, it just so happened that Ivan is now equally fascinated by the "beasts."  Victor's enthusiasm rubbed off on him in a major way.  For a while, there was a constant battle in our household over these darn things.  They are Vic's favorite toys so I understand that it was hard for him to share, which he did many times (of course, after much coaxing and pleeding and Ivan crying of a broken heart). After several weeks of this, I could stand it no longer. We drove downtown to the bookstore and purchased a new set, just for Ivan who was beyond delighted. He just glowed when I  handed the tube of beasts to him and told him they were his beasts, not Victor's,  and he had to get his hands on "Backa" (Chupacabra) right away. The house is much more peaceful since and I do not regret my decision.

Victor's imagination is baffling to me. I don't understand how or where he comes up with some of the scenarios in his pretend world.  They are oftentimes too complex and involved for me and at some points, my mind will basically just shut off and I can't even attempt to compute what is going on in his crazy head.  He is on another planet sometimes.

Every day that goes by,  he seems to enjoy his brother more and more. Their brotherly bond is becoming stronger and it is clear that they truly love and enjoy each other. Victor especially likes taking his brother by the hand and leading him places although Ivan won't always have it. By favorite thing is hearing them laugh together. It fills my heart with sheer joy and I can't help but join in on their laughter. 

My darling boy, why do you torture me so?

How can such an angel face be such a rascal? I ask myself this a lot these days. For well over a month now, Ivan has been teething. He is getting his eye teeth and I vividly recall Victor dealing with the arrival of these bad boys; it was also a very nasty scene. For some reason, these particular teeth seem to be the most painful to emerge. Every night, this poor baby (and his poor mama) have been awoken almost on an hourly basis.  As a result, I believe sleep deprivation is causing me to have frequent headaches. 

During the day, he is often cranky and quick to whine, especially when I am trying to cook. The teething is also causing some ugly diaper rashes which are even painful to the eye. 

I often find myself wondering when this particular teething phase will pass. It seems to be going on and on and so far, only one tooth is visibly cutting through his gums. Lord, have mercy.

On a more positive note, when he is in a good mood (thanks, Motrin), he is absolutely delightful, constantly coming up with new silly ways to move his body and talk more and more. He calls Victor "doo doo" and is still obsessed with "orseys" (horses) and "gucks" (ducks) and is getting better and better at repeating much of what we say. It really is amazing to see how quickly he is learning to talk, although he still does his share of baby babble; like for some odd reason, he calls bananas "lallys." As much as this age can be a challenge, it is also such a fun time full of unbelievably adorable moments, and I can not get over how ridiculously fast he is growing and changing from a baby into a little boy.  Despite being exhausted, I am trying to savor and enjoy him as much as possible (at least during the daylight hours.) 

Out in the Cold

The Thrill of Spotting an Airplane.

This is one of my oldest and dearest friends, Christina's two year old boy, Matthew. Christina and I go way back to the summer after I graduated high school. We both worked at the local mall as market research interviewers and share some hilarious memories of all sorts of crazy people we met through that job. I'll save that for another time. 

Anyway, she is one of my only close friends who has also recently entered motherhood and because of this I feel we have an even stronger bond than before.  I love seeing her as a mom, and a great one at that, and watching her dear sweet boy's transformation from day one. It is so amazing to watch a newborn baby so quickly change into a child with such a colorful and budding personality. I just adore that little guy and love being his Aunt Wendy. He and my boys are already having so much fun together and we are just getting a glimpse of the havoc they will reap together in just a matter of a year or two.  

These photos were taken the other week when Christina and Matthew came over for a visit. We had been in the house all day due to the arctic temperatures outside. I think one (or maybe all?) of the boys were getting a bit restless so we decided that a walk would do us good. We bundled up for a loooong five block trek up the street to the local cafe and then back home again, where we stopped at the playground that is a block from our home. The reason it turned into such a long excursion is because both Matthew and Ivan did not want any part of sitting in their strollers. Instead, they took turns pushing the baby stroller and walking freestyle. And of course for an 18 month old, there are many, many distractions along the way. I was itching to take some pictures and the two younger kids were having so much fun going down the slide and generally just breathing "fresh" air that it turned out to be the perfect opportunity to click away. The eldest complained about his hands being "soooo cold" but I am glad we ventured out because it turned out to be an invigorating outing for us all.

The Sound of Silence.

It is two days after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature is stirring, not even a cat. 

Finally, I am a getting a moment's peace. Ivan is taking his now one nap of the day and Victor is with his pop and the rest of the Hitch crew at the Please Touch Museum. Don't remember the last time I was able to catch up on my thoughts. Looking back on the past several days,  I can say it was a really lovely Christmas. We have been spending tons of time with family, in fact, today we will be going to my aunt and uncle's house for yet one more day of holiday indulgence. I swear I have gained at least 10 pounds, but I refuse to get on the scale to check. 

Both boys were totally thrilled with what Santa brought them. For Vic, it was a dragon Christmas and for Ivan, horses. Some of the gifts are already lost or broken. Imagine that.

As for me, I am absolutely wasted. Feel like I have had a cold or have been fighting a cold for several months. Trying to take care of the boys and keep the house from looking like a pig sty with no energy makes me feel overwhelmed and sort of blue. I believe my fatigue is due partly to hormones, partly to all the holiday mayhem but also I think having no time to myself is having an affect on my whole outlook on life. In 2009, I need to have some sort of real Wendytime. I haven't figured out what that may be yet. Maybe some sort of exercise class, like yoga, or even more appealing at the moment, a weekly movie night with my girlfriends. I don't know. I just think I need to make more time for myself or else a cranky lady, who has been appearing from time to time and whom no one likes, including myself, will be here to stay.   

Believe.

Today was our annual "Christmas in the City" trip with my mom and my brother's family. We did the Reading Terminal holiday train display, Wanamaker's (Macy's) light show, the same one that I have many memories of seeing as a child, a stroll through Dicken's Village,  a visit and photo with S. Claus and then a final stop at the giant Christmas tree at City Hall. We spent the remainder of the day playing, eating, talking, laughing at my parent's place. It was loads of fun, but I am almost too tired to form a sentence. 

Regarding the picture, Ivan is clearly not wanting to be on Santa's lap but he enjoyed observing him from a distance and even gave a high five to the jolly ole' St. Nick. Victor was very serious and told Santa as soon as he got on his lap that he wanted some mythical beasts book and a paint your own dragon kit that he saw at Barnes and Nobles. Hope they are still there. He is holding up his favorite toys of the week, a yoda head space craft and a cut-out of a spider monkey (from Spy Kids 2).

Must. Sleep.

Doctor, Doctor, Give me the news...

A cross-eyed moment.

Important business to discuss on his cellular phone.

"How exactly do I go about removing these here spectacles?"

I realize these shots are out of focus but I love them just the same. Two typical expressions from one silly goose.

Preshool Drop-out

So, here it goes...

I officially pulled Victor out of his preschool this afternoon. When  I picked him up yesterday, I ended up having an informal conference with his teacher and I got the sense she was frustrated and no longer willing to deal with him. She said she really doesn't think Vic is getting anything out of this experience. He constantly craves their undivided attention, which they simply aren't able to give to him considering there are 17 other children in his class.  During the structured activities, he seems to do okay but whenever there is free time, he does nothing but cry and ask to go home. SO, I thought the best thing to do for everyone involved was take him out of there and try something different. It wasn't the right place for him. At first I was upset and emotional, but the more time I have to think about it (I didn't sleep a wink last night, so tired) the more I realize that it really isn't THAT big of a deal. Victor is an amazingly wonderful child. So what if he has an extremely hard time being away from home and specifically, me.  He is only four years old. It is our society that urges us to get our children away from the home at such a young age, and that is why I was feeling the pressure and stress to get him used to school right away. Many children are okay with this transition but he is obviously not developmentally ready.  It seems unfair to him (and me) that I force him to be without me when I am home and able to provide him a loving and safe place until he is ready, which I know will happen eventually. In the meantime, I am going to be looking into different classes and programs, ones that allow the parents to be present. We really are in no rush.  If I have to home school him for a while, then I am totally fine with that. 

Springtime...

DSCN0079, originally uploaded by wendyhitch.

Oh, how I miss thee.

Fall is Fun!

A couple of weeks ago, I took these photos of Ivan, who was admiring the newly fallen fall foliage. He was making sure that I had noticed the beautiful colors all around, which of course, being a lover of autumn, I had. We were in the playground outside of Vic's preschool, minutes after we had dropped off a sad, protesting little boy. Yes, believe it or not, Victor is still having issues with going to school. I thought surely by now he would be over the whole crying, wanting to go home thing, but such is not the case. It is rather confusing to me. He seems to look forward to it when he first wakes up, but right before we leave he starts trying to convince me that he is just too tired to go and as I help him put on his shoes and jacket the sad tears start a-flowin'. He has development this new intense attachment to his "blankie" and the thought of being away from it for three whole hours is just too much for him to bear. The teachers say he is always asking when he can go home,  complaining that he is "so tired" and wants his damn blankie.  This past week he has improved a bit, still emotional at drop-off but not so much during the time he is there. We are having a play date with one of his classmates this Friday. Hopefully, having a friendship with this little boy, Vinnie, will make things easier on him. 

I am trying not to be so worried about it because he seems absolutely normal at home, happily pretending, creating all sorts of fantastic stories, often times too complicated for my dense adult brain to process. It is clear that the trauma of going to preschool is not going to scar him later in life. 

Ivan, on the other hand, has no cares in the world. He is one happy-go-lucky child. Curious and into everything, he keeps me oh, so busy.  I am downright exhausted at the end of each day.  He has really enjoyed this fall season and has taken on the habit of finding a pile of leafs, then plopping down in them with the hopes that either his big brother or myself will bury him up to his neck in the crunchy, crackling goodness. He is such a pure joy and makes me smile, giggle, laugh constantly.

 

Squirrel Fascination

Ivan has developed a love of squirrels.  We often go to our local park while Vic is in preschool so that he can watch their frantic pre-winter hustle and bustle. Sometimes when he is in a more vigorous mood (obviously not at this moment), he may even try to creep up on one... but if he gets too close and actually makes eye contact with the little rodent, then he gets rather nervous and runs back into my arms.  Whenever we see pictures of them in books, he points and stares and wants me to say "squirrel" over and over. Really, the same goes for horses, cows, crocodiles, and dogs. To be honest, I believe I have become quite a successful animal imitator. I could easily make animal sounds in my sleep.  

Playing House...

Parading around with dragons

I am almost too tired to type. It has been an extremely long day. We were brave (crazy) enough to join the two million people for the big Phillies parade. All four of us were packed into a can of sardines el train and then squished onto the sidewalk. But the experience was pretty unforgettable ; a multitude  of happy faces, red Phillies gear everywhere, confetti and toilet paper streamers filling the sky, and of course lots of loud enthusiastic cheering. Quite a sight to see and after all is said and done, I am glad, yet exhausted, that we went. 

And then after all that excitement, we still had Halloween to celebrate...