April 2013

Lukas’s first haircut

We knew we needed to get the kid a haircut, but those Easter pictures were hilarious proof that it was way past time, so the next week, we dug up all the haircut tools and took his highchair outside. He squirmed and twisted and protested (mostly because he’d been sitting there for awhile, through lunch -- he didn’t seem to care so much about the actual haircut part), but R. still did a great job on him. He looked like a different person! It was so, so cute, and now he can eat without getting his hair in all of his food.

Starting swimming lessons

This is the month we finally got around to signing Annika up for swim lessons at AVAC. It’s a group lesson with four kids, grouped by age and current skill level, and one teacher. They’re kind of expensive, but worth it -- and Tuesdays quickly became her favorite day of the week. She got stronger in the water right away, improving every time; she won her first ribbon (making her an “O-fish-al” Jellyfish) after just four or five lessons, which made her determined to get to the next level ASAP. That’s our little achiever! Heh. 

Lukas Skills & Interests Roundup

The little guy is into: 

--Fluffy books. Those Usborne Touchy-Feely books became a favorite this month; he’d request one of them (e.g. That’s Not My Monster, or That’s Not My Kitten) by pointing and saying “fuffy!” 

--Train books. He loves Freight Train, a very simple board book that we read with sound effects (he tries to make them himself -- adorable!), so we also dug up some other books with train pictures in them and bought an abridged board book version of The Little Engine That Could. 

--Yo Gabba Gabba! He can spot “Mumo” from like a half mile away -- he’s learned which ones the others are, too, but “Mumo” is still a collective name as well as an individual one, heh. 

--Throwing the ball. This ball, that ball, any ball, things that are in fact not balls. He’ll hold it in one hand, pound it into the other, then huck the thing with all his might. Sometimes it goes behind him, or to the side, or much farther across the room than you thought it possibly could, or -- surprise! -- up onto the stove as you’re cooking. 

--Getting into the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen. He likes to get them open, mess around with whatever he finds, and/or slam them shut and yell “boom!” 

--Scribbling on the MagnaDoodle. He figured out that the pen thingy actually does something, so he’s been entertaining himself with both the small board and the bigger one, sometimes for three whole minutes. In a row! 

Spring Break trip to Happy Hollow

Because I just don’t know when to quit, apparently, I decided to take Annika to Happy Hollow during her school’s Spring Break. We invited her friend Amani (I figured the fact that Annika had been to her birthday party the week before, and it was a drop-off party, might mean they’d let their kid go with us, and I was right!). I had planned on soloing, but R. came with us (yay!); he mostly wrangled Lukas while I trailed the girls around (and tried to keep Annika from melting down -- mostly successful until we were actually leaving the place [headdesk]). They had a great time, but it’s exhausting -- I think we’ll wait another year before we try it again!

Mama’s 5K race

As part of my training for this damn fool half marathon I’m going to do, I registered for a 5K event in a town about a half hour south of here. So on April 14, we all schlepped down there, and R. had the job of kid-minding while I did my run. It was awesome to see them at the finish line (Annika with a little “GO MOMMY GO!” sign she’d made -- awwww!). I had a great time, and Annika was very proud of the “Finisher” ribbon I won. She wants to run the kids’ race next year -- that should be fun! 

Piano lessons

Annika and Daddy started piano lessons at the community center -- it’s a very entry-level thing for kids 4-6 on Saturday mornings, with a parent participation required. The two of them have really enjoyed it, including practicing on the keyboard R. bought for the purpose. She wants to keep learning, so we’ll keep it going.