Questions of the Month

The Nugget has been quite inquisitive this month and has asked some real good questions. All I can say is thank God for Google ...I know it will come in handy when she asks some real stumpers in the future!

Overheard:
1. Dad, how come fishes make this face (and then she proceeded to pucker her lips and suck in her cheeks)
2. Dad, how come the baby Jesus wasn't born in a hospital?
3. As we passed an incomplete nativity scene while walking the other day she asked: "where are the Kings and the Shepherds?"
4. Dad, how will Santa fit down our chimney?

Long Day - December 9th

We had a long day on 12/9 after a long week that started when my mom passed away on 12/5. After we came back from the church post-funeral it was just Liana and I in the house. I was helping her get changed and she told me she was going to draw a picture for Grammie Danubio. It would be all the shapes like squares, rectangles, ovals, circles...you get the idea. She had been at the church after all the services and burial were over and there were a lot of people there. I asked her if she wondered where Grammie was. Liana then told me she was in Heaven because she died (proving that she was listening when we told her this a couple days earlier). Then she asked me how she died and if it was because she was old. I told her Grammie was sick and couldn't get better. She had some more questions to ask and then circled back to the picture she was going to draw. She said we could give it to her tomorrow and I explained again that we wouldn't see Grammie for a long long time. It made me sad to know that Grammie is loved so much by little Liana and vice versa but neither would get to experience that love in a meaningful way on this earth.

She knows

Out of nowhere as I was tucking her into bed the other night the Nugget asked me: "Do you miss your mommy?" I told her that I did and she said "me too". That little girl is so in tune for 3.5 years old.

The Baby Jesus Rides a Train

The kids had a busy day yesterday. Liana had her Christmas play at pre-school and she had the lead role as the baby Jesus. Yup, the baby Jesus was a 3.5 year old girl :-) I have never seen her be so quiet and still for so long. From there it was off to lunch and birthday cake with Papa and Grandma and then we all went to Edaville to ride the rides, see the lights and take a train ride. Of course, we got to see Santa and have some snacks. The lowlight of the trip was was when Auntie Julie threw after after she, mama and the Nugget took a spin on the tilt-a-whirl.

Too much Siri?

Today the Nugget said: "The tree farm is far away. What does mommys phone say about how we should get there."

The Doodlebops

Thanks to Aunty Sharol/Uncle Lanny (my aunt/uncle) the kids have a slight addiction to the Doodlebops. If you don't know who they are, consider yourself lucky. Google them and you will see 3 kinda weird face-painted children's entertainers. They sing songs, teach lessons, the usual, but they are weird - even weirder than The Wiggles who we can tolerate. Anyway, we got a Doodlebops video from Sharol and Lanny last Christmas and it didn't make its way into the rotation for a while - it was just not anything Liana was interested in. She eventually got obsessed with watching them to the point that mama made the video disappear. It was rediscovered by the Nugget and we found out that there is a show on TV as well on Saturday mornings. Liana claims she loves them because I do but that is just good old fashioned Freudian defense mechanism of projection if you ask me :-)

Short story longer - Henry is now obsessed. I have never seen him so mellow as when he is watching the Doodlebops. He gets into a total relaxed comatose state and stares at the TV. He asks for them by name ("bops") and will climb up on the couch asking to sit if he even hears you mention them.

Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw20EhKP8tm

C is for Cookie

Just a couple of other things to note for the McNugget. Henry is a big fan of Cookie Monster - he loves his voice and is mesmerized by him when Cookie is singing or talking. We got him a little Cookie Monster plushie (from Hasbro of course) and hope that it might be a special comfy toy that helps him forget about mama's milk!

Pride and Prejudice

It's official - I think my kids are the cutest, smartest, most adorable and lovable kids in the world - no prejudice here :-) Now that we have that out of the way I need to share a moment of pride that Liana Marie had recently. She had a brand new 24 piece Dora the Explorer puzzle. She asked if she could do a puzzle (one of her favorite things along with coloring, painting and doing playdoh). I said sure and we opened it up and laid out all the pieces. With very little help from me she put the whole puzzle together and the best part was as she was almost done and had about 5 pieces left to place. She blurted out "Dada, I'm so proud of myself" and she leaped on my lap to give me a giant hug. I in turn told her how proud I was of her and was grateful not just that we had taken the time to do the puzzle but that I was able to control myself from just giving her all the clues and getting through the activity.

Gobble Gobble, a turkey, a turkey

The Nugget had her first little program at school - a Thanksgiving play. All the kids in her class (the Teddy Bears) were little turkeys and they came out every once a while to sing a song and dance in between the Thanksgiving story that the big kids (the Dinosaurs) acted out.

She was adorable as always and hammed it up just like I figured she would. We are so proud of her and can't believe that she is growing up so fast.

Catching Up ... Again

So lots to write about since I have yet again let too much time pass since the last time I updated this. I have been writing down notes to blog about but they just haven't made their way here.

A few updates from a developmental perspective - Henry's vocabulary continues to expand. He repeats everything and surprises us all the time with what he knows. He pulled the loaf of bread out of the grocery bag tonight and carried it around saying "toh" - his word for toast.

He says "kuhla" (color) and "papa" constantly. They are by far 2 of his favorite words. He pretends like he is talking to papa on the phone (see video here where he actually is talking to him) all the time and he enjoys coloring with markers and crayons (although he eats them at the same time as coloring).

The Hman is enamored with Boots the cat. He calls his name quite clearly and chases him around the house. The cat tolerates him and playfully paws at him in self defense as Henry tackles him.

Nursing is still one of Henry's favorite things and we will need to bring that to a halt at some point, especially since I was holding him last week and he clutched at my shirt, looked down it and said "Nur" (his word for "nurse"). Yeah, Daddy can't help with that!

"Mine" has become a new obsession as well. He sounds like the possessed girl in The Exorcist as he clutches something he wants, holds it tight to his chest and says "miiinnneee". It is funny and disturbing all at the same time!

The word "brah" (for brush) is said often although I am not sure why since Henry despises brushing his teeth. He will grab the stool in the bathroom, put it as close to the sink as he can (we help adjust it), climb on top and say "brah, brah". What he wants to do is stand there with the toothbrush and run it under water. He cries and fusses when the real tooth brushing commences. To be fair he has been better in the past couple of weeks.

The kid has a winning smile and we love watching him grow up and learn about the world he lives in - despite the fact that he still sucks at sleeping :-)

Here are some words - there are many others that I can't even think of right now:

Kah-Kah (cracker)
Yuh (yes)
No (while shaking his head furiously back and forth)
pease (please, while doing the sign for "please")
booh (Boots the cat)
Kuhla (color)
dada
mama
papa
"ah" (Liana)
"bah" (ball)
"bops" (wants to watch the Doodle Bops)
bruh (brush)
myyy (mine, while growling)
nur (nurse)
baba (bottle)
"mo-mo" (more, while doing the sign for "more")
eat (sign language only)
"cah" (car - he is already dropping his "r's")
"buh" (bus)
He has a word that resembles "Kristen" (the babysitter) and "Julie" for aunty Julie
"truh" (truck)
"dat" (that)
"shit" (yup, that means sit or shirt depending on the context)
"bub-oo) (bubbles)
"koh" (coat)
shoe
sock
"tee" (teeth)
hat
hah (hair)
"dah" - that is actually his word for plane. Whenever he hears one overhead he reaches his right hand straight in the air and declares "dah"

Henry knows where his eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hair and chin are and he is happy to show you his or yours on command :-)

Bye for now - and on to the next batch loaded blog post!

Like Sister, Like Brother

About a week and a half ago I get the text from mama with a picture of Henry's mouth. Yup, like his sister he has managed to cut his mouth pretty good, but he avoided stitches. If you slide your tongue up over your front teeth and past your gums you will feel a piece of skin/tissue that connects your gums and your upper lip. Henry fell in Panera bread, landed on the back of some lady's shoe and cut whatever that thing is called. Mama called Dr. Derek the oral surgeon, texted him the picture and the rest is history ... he said nothing can be done, you don't need that and Henry will be fine. Waiting to see what happens next!

Santa Claus is coming to town

Some face painting at Colony Place this weekend (weekend of 11/19) to start getting in the holiday spirit. We stood in line to see Santa with the Allely's who are visiting from Park City - very tolerable in the 60 degree weather!

Guy Smiley

Good old Henry boy gave me some solid and heartfelt "da-da"'s when I got back from my trip - so good to know he missed me :-) Those were followed by some nice cuddles and beautiful smiles. He is certainly a smiley guy lately and he plays coy by putting his head down on a pillow or on your shoulder and looking at you as if to say "yeah, I'm cute, what are you gonna do about it" :-)

He is learning so much, and even though I just wrote about his quest for growth and knowledge I had to tack on here. He is repeating everything he hears and it was so funny as we were listening to The Wiggles today. He hasn't heard them as much as Liana but he was holding up his finger to his mouth and saying "shh-shh-shh" as they sang those words in Rock-a-Bye-a-Bear, "go, go, go" as they sang "Go, Santa, Go" ad he did his darndest to eek out as close to "cock-a-doodle-doo" during "Captain Feathersword Fell Asleep on His Pirate Ship".

He has recently been announcing "pooh" as he begins to squeak one out or if he hear someone do a fart.

I can't believe how his dexterity has come along - Henry will stab his own food with a fork and get it in or around his mouth (mostly with his left hand but sometimes with his right). One of his new favorite words is "push". He uses it in context and that is good and bad - he says "push" when he is on the swing or if someone else is but he will also go up behind Liana or other kids and say "push" as he pushes them. It is kind of funny to watch but obviously bad behavior so we reprimand him for it. He is not a big fan of being told "no". No matter how gently you tell him it usually results in a lot of tears. That happens even if I am telling someone else (like the cat or Liana) "no". Oh Henry Boy, you are our Gentle Giant.

The moon, dada, the moon!

I say it all the time - I move at a fast pace like most adults as I try to squeeze in work, play, family, sports, reading, chores, etc. I am so thankful that Liana and Henry slow me down a bit. Now, for those that now the pace at which she moves, that sounds strange, so let me explain. On our way home from preschool we got in the car and as we were driving away she found one of her favorite things in the world and exclaimed: "Look, dada, I can see the moon". Sure enough I looked into the clear blue sky and saw it too. I am often so preoccupied that I never take the time to see the moon, but she always shows it to me.

Surprise Visit

I was in Vegas this week for work. As with any type of work in Vegas, there is some play involved too. Early flights, long nights and the redeye home (with a delay at the connector) equals recipe for disaster. That said, I went straight from the airport to pick up the Nugget at preschool. She had no idea I was picking her up and when she saw me she screamed "Daddyyyy!" at the top of her lungs, ran to me and jumped in my arms. We hugged and gave kisses and I put her down. Within 2 seconds she screamed "Daddyyy!" and we did the whole thing over again. What's better than that?!

Pumping

The Nugget is so proud of her ability to "pump" on the swings. Mom and dad are pretty pumped about it as well.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zKeqzhXREY

I love that Henry Boy!

Hammerin' Hank has certainly slimmed down - at his one year appointment he was still at the same weight as his 9 month appointment. Nothing to sneeze at but he has been getting longer and leaner and the meaty paws and big feet and head are still there for the loving.

He is developing his own little personality and I have to say he loves his daddy but man, he is a mama's boy for sure. I think it has something to do with the fact that he is still nursing and those boobs have some major power :-) He has the sweetest little laugh and he will copy anything that his sister is doing (including pointing at her and saying "no", just like she does to him).

The "Gentle Giant" moniker still applies - Henry will be very coy and cuddly and give the best smiles and snuggles. He is a talking machine and it seems like every time we turn around he has another word - "spoon", or his version of it was the lastest tonight. We counted up over 35 words that he says - not all perfectly, but he gets his point across. He is really using his sign language as well mastering the signs for "more", "all done", "milk", "thank you" and "please".

This will embarrass him later in life but man, that boy has STINKY feet. I mean, adult-like, no-sock wearing, after soccer practice double sessions STINKY. And the shoes are retaining the smell, too, despite our efforts to powder and sanitize them.

To that end, he loves wearing his shoes. He has quite a collection of Nike sneaks, Nike sandals, loafers, and his favorite lately, the fire engine wellies. He goes to his basket of shoes every morning and picks a pair and says "shoe" while carrying them over to Mama or Dada. We put them on and he waddles around. The wellies with the PJ's or just a diaper is a sweet look.

And finally, the best news of all - he is sleeping much better (fingers crossed!). It took a long time, some patience and popping 16 teeth to get here but he is only waking up once during the night and he usually gets himself back to sleep without any assistance. And, to be honest, if I have to go in and pick him up, he usually falls asleep immediately in my arms, and who doesn't love getting a nice cuddle from a sleeping little baby.

Harvest Day ...

Well, really it was Columbus Day and I had the day off from work. It was unseasonably warm and there was a festival at CN Smith Farm in E. Bridgewater. We rounded up the troops and headed over for a hayride, overpriced pumpkins, and some apple cider. We all had fun and the proof is in the pictures.

Wait, what did you say?

I have so much more Disney stuff to blog about but wanted to share a couple of funny conversations since we got home.

It was a pizza night on Friday since we just got back and had not yet gone shopping. On the way home from the pizza place the Nugget informed me that her two favorite foods are pizza and bacon (because they are soooo delicious!). I said "well do you think you would like bacon pizza (thinking I would be introducing her to a path of pizza perfection)?" She said "that wouldn't taste very good". I said "you might like it if you just try it". In a high pitched Nugget voice she sort of said and sang "I don't think so!"

We were going to make my mom a cake and out of nowhere Liana asks: "what kind of cake does Sally like?" I said "who's Sally". She said: "Grammie Danubio". I said "who told you that?" She said: "well she's your mom.". Yup, that is basically a 3 year old's way of saying "duh-uh Dad!"

Save your money ... Just buy bacon

After an action packed day of breakfast with Goofy, Minnie and Donald (Henry is a HUGE Minnie fan by the way), playing at the pool, going back to Seaworld to ride the rollercoaster, feed the dolphins and see Shamu (in the soak of course) we asked Liana what her favorite part of the day was. Her reply? "Eating lots of bacon at Disneyworld!" Just don't tell that to Porky Pig. Pictures to follow.

Hey Mickey You're So Fine!

The Magic Kingdom was just that...we opened it, left for a while, and then went back and closed it down just a little after midnight. Multiple rides on the teacups, Dumbo, some Winnie the Pooh and It's a Small World. All this of course not to be outdone by all of the Princesses, Disney parades, and the best fireworks ever. Henry slept through a lot of it but did enjoy Dumbo and for some reason he really took to the Minnie Mouse plushies of all sizes. We settled on a Pluto instead :-)

Disney here we come!

So far, so good. We made it out of the house on time, had a great day to fly and both kids behaved quite well in the plane ride from PVD to Orlando. Liana was very excited to see Papa and Grandma and with no nap she was a little over the top but is now sleeping soundly. I can't even wait to see the excitement on both of their faces ...they will be experiencing the magic of Disney for the first time...and so will I, at least as far as The Magic Kingdom is concerned.

We were hoping for a small crowd but we are going on what us the actual 40th anniversary of Disneyworld. Who knows, maybe Walt himself will make an appearance in the cryogenic chamber!

So, more updates to follow every day as we hit Magic Kingdom, Sea World, the Bippity Boppity Boutique and Aquatica. Seeing it through their eyes will be something to behold. And yes, I know Henry is barely 13 months, and he won't remember any of it but that just means we will have to come back.

Raynham Pride

We had a lot of fun celebrating Raynham Pride Day this past Sunday. It was a beautiful day and hundreds if not over a thousand people showed up for free hot dogs and soda and a host of events and activities. Henry mostly hung out in the stroller and ate a big snow cone while the Nugget got her face painted, held some baby bunnies and kitties, and took her turn at spraying the fire hose from the town firetruck. She even got to wear a real fireman's jacket. Henry did get to pet a doggie and a piglet but like I said, nothing beat that snow cone!

Hank-enstein

> Henry is a walking machine. He keeps his arms up for balance and ambles along like a zombie trying not to fall over. Because of this I have begun to call him "Hank-enstein".

All Grown Up

Liana had her first day of preschool today. Hard to believe that she is growing up so fast. She ran inside with excitement and couldn't wait to start playing at the water table and meeting new friends. Better start saving for college - it will be her before we know it!

9/11/11 - A Day of Service and Remembrance

Yesterday we took the kids to Hasbro to volunteer as part of the National Day of Service and Remembrance in honor of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The tricky thing was that the last time Liana was at Hasbro it was for Family Fun Day. When we got to the parking lot she said "we will have cotton candy and popcorn" ... which we did have on Family Fun Day.

I am so proud of how she handled the fact that there was none of that. In fact, one of the things she was able to do was decorate cupcakes that were going to the VA hospital. She put on the plastic gloves and decorated 3 cupcakes - we told her before she even got started that these were for other people and not for her. No crying, no whining, just happy to serve. We also packed boxes with toys that were pretty cool - she never once said "I want that" or "why don't I get to have a toy". We packed them in boxes and then used glitter glue and stickers to put nice messages to families affected by the 9/11 tragedy.

She still asked me today "what does volunteer mean?". I explained again that it means "to help other people" and she may not fully understand for a number of years what it really means but she had her first day of hopefully many more of serving others that are not as fortunate.

And yes, Henry just chilled out and took it all in as usual. His time will come!

All By Myself

The Nugget was proud to do this with no help.

Tired Out

I must have run really hard to make Henry so tired!

King Henry - photos from the private party ... big bash to follow on Sunday!

Here are the pics I promised from Henry's birthday.

Henry's 1st Birthday

Internet issues preventing any picture uploads from today .... I will get gem up tomorrow!

Happy 1st Birthday Henry Boy

We love our Henry Boy, Hankles, McNugget, Rocket Tot, Gentle Giant, Hammerin' and more often than not, the H Bomb.

We had a lot of fun having him wear his birthday crown, making cupcakes (Liana and mama), and opening presents. The party is on Sunday, 8/14 - more presents, cake and fun!

Oh Henry Boy

We are T minus 7 days before Henry turns 1 - hard to believe. He is coming into his own little personality and he is recognizing a lot of the world arund him and grunting and groaning his way through.

There are definite sounds for dog (dah) and cat (ka) and I get to hear "dadadadada" as he shouts and crawls toward me when I come home from work - makes my day as much as when the Nugget takes a full on sprint and jumps into my arms!

Crawling has been mastered and Hankles is taking steps if you hold his hands and he has been pushing the "cruising" boundaries and gives us the "look ma no hands" routine every once in a while. His sign language is coming along but he is stubborn - he will only sign "more" when he really wants something - the other day it was potato chips. He is holding up his index finger when we say "1" and he touches his nose when you ask him where it is - he also touches his nose if you ask him where his toes are... sometimes, so the jury is out on that. When we ask about shoes he lifts his feet in preparation to be sandaled or sneakered. He recognizes light and fan and we'll see if he calls them both "sha" like his big sis did.

Let's see, what else? Oh yeah, he will point and repeat "dat, dat, dat" (that) when he sees something he wants.

His smile and laugh are infectious and that's what keeps us from throwing him out the window when he won't sleep - yup - not a good sleeper...yet! The Bomber dances on queue when he hears a good tune coming from a toy, the radio, or on TV.

I tried out my juggling routine with him the other day and he took to mimicing my "ch, ch, ch" which is what I do when I throw each ball in the air. The Nugget would make those sounds and hand me balls or anything else when she wanted me to perform my circus act. Sounds like he may follow suit.

He has the "High 5", "touchdown" and "so big" nailed cold so it will soon be time to work on the "knuckles" and maybe for the playoffs this year we should get him working on the middle finger in case the Yankees go against the Sox :-)

All in all, we love the little guy and can't wait to see him keep coming into his own.

Watch This, Dada, Watch This!

I hear this from the Nugget every 5 minutes - usually the ask is to watch her do some crazy jump with a funky leg twist, throw a ball in the air and hit it with her hand or something else that if it weren't so important to her would seem otherwise trivial. Both mama and I are going on about 2 weeks of the "watch this!" treatment and we are tracing it back to the RAC where we go to the pool. Many parents go there and seem to just hang out pool side in full lounge mode while their kids (who can either swim or are equipped with enough flotation to survive the Great Flood) desperately pine for their attention. I'm a sucker so I usually give them one quick "nice job" or a "that's cool" and then it is all over - it becomes the "watch this game" until we leave. The parents could not care less. So, Liana has taken to this approach as if she was equally neglected on a regular basis (yeah, I am saying we are better than those parents ;-)). Anyway, like anything else, this phase will pass ...

The Beach

We are thankful that The Nugget and the H Bomb love the water and the beach. The only benefit of surviving the long cold winters here is that the summer affords us a bit of a reprieve (if you consider 90+ degrees and almost 100% humidity a reprieve) and a chance to go to the beach. We hit Green Harbor Beach twice and the kids had a blast. See some shots from our time on vaca as well as just last wee

k at Old Silver Beach.

Story Land - We Came, We Saw, We Kicked your A** :-)

The family ventured north to New Hampshire to Storyland on July 22nd. It was us, the Kemps and the Guevremont's - 11 people in total with a +1 parent to child ratio.

It was nearly 100 degrees and not a cool breeze in sight. We ventured to the park in the late afternoon on Friday and headed back on Saturday. In between there was pool time at the hotel and a night of trying to keep Hankles asleep for the greater good of all.

The Nugget for some reason decided the pack 'n play was her sleep destination which meant Henry was in bed with mama. Daddy got the queen size to himself but none of us (other than the Nugget) got anything close to a good night of sleep.

Short story long - Storyland was a big hit. Liana LOOVVVED the Polar Coaster - a good sized roller coaster for someone her age and she loved Bamboo Shoots - a water ride that ends with a fast cruise down a hill and a big splash. We rode both rides at least 6 times over the course of the 2 days in addition to the Ferris Wheel and the Flying Shoes. We had a Pumpkin Stage Coach ride to see Cinderella in her castle and we visited the carousel, the Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe, and other fairy tale themed exhibits, rides and games.

There were temporary tattoos, shaved ice, and family fun aplenty :-) Next year we will hit the swan boats, antique cars and the train that goes around the park.

Henry enjoyed the ball pit and the Flying Shoes - he cried when it was time to move on from both of these - so much so that we gave him another turn on both. He was also a big fan of the splash pad where he could play with water and cool down.

This could turn into an annual traditon for the three families - maybe the adults will even get some time at some point to chill and enjoy the ameniteis at the hotel and outlets - doubtful!

The Wiggles

The Nugget is anxiously awaiting the on-stage arrival of The Wiggles. She picked out a sweet Dorothy the Dinosaur lid for the Wiggly Party. What's next? Miley or perhaps some Beiber Fever!?

Kitty Love

Just like his big Sis Henry boy is a big fan of Frankie the cat!

Leg cut...

Nope, not a cut on the leg. The Nugget told me her legs were getting real long and maybe she needs a leg cut. I've been trying to grow mine out with little to no success since 1991.

Jailbirds

There is a new gate at the bottom of the stairs...neither Henry nor Liana are big fans of their newly restricted land space.

Swinging Singles

We spent another 4th of July (actually the 2nd of July) in Onset with the Somerset's. Good time kayaking, swinging on the deck and eating burgers and dogs. The fireworks were spectacular as ever and Henry Boy had a good time watching them for the first time. Look out Bridgewater - we are coming to the parade on Monday!

Strawberry Picking in Raynham