See Me Run

Degen has started his first class at the community center. It is called See Me Run. It is mostly a free play time for toddlers, but there is a circle time with songs and fingerplays, a craft and games, too. Degen really enjoys his time in the class (parents stay to supervise). He especially likes the big riding toys and the slide.

They change the toys every week, and he could not get enough of this 'coaster' last week. He rode it at least fifty times.

Finally, The Rec Room Remodel

My goodness! I cannot believe that I am just now posting the pictures for our remodel of the rec room. The room has been almost done since we moved in, except for the trim. Finally, we had a handyman come out and put it up (I had painted all of it before we even moved in and it has been sititng in the basement). I am beyond happy with the finished look! Several times the handyman commented on what a great job we did of picking out colors, which made me very happy because I chose the wall colors and everything else followed. So, here is our rec room that is really, truly the kids' playroom. It is filled with toys & books & art projects, and the floor is rarely free of the clutter from their play. I'm pretty sure that there is an overturned snack bowl in one of these photos, which is typical. You can usually walk through the room and find no fewer than four snack bowls no matter how often I tell them to use the bowls they already have out. The room is huge and we've generally tried to divide it into three areas: active play, quiet play (+ homeschool study area) and lounging. Several years from now, we would like to transform this space into the master bedroom & bath.

This area is the exact area pictured above (though taken at less of a distance). This is the lounging area complete with entertainment center and futon.

This is the active play area.

This view includes the quiet play area with the kids' desk & computer.

This is a close-up of our fabulous trim. We kept the chair rail and added extra trim underneath it and then put on a simple baseboard. Kudos to Darren for envisioning that extra trim underneath the chair rail. I wouldn't have thought of that detail, but it really adds nice depth to the room's trim.

We Put Baby in the Corner

Darren loves a piano. He had a keyboard for years, but we got rid of it as it fell in need of repair and any of his extra time went towards the kids. He has sorely missed having a piano in our home and made the most of any opportunities when he found a piano in public (yes, that would be my husband sitting in the lobby of the hotel playing the piano). He started scouting around on Craigslist a few months ago and recently found one he liked. He went out to see it and made the purchase on a used, baby grand last weekend. It was delivered on Tuesday.

Well, that "baby" is a pretty big girl! We had her in one corner, but it overwhelmed the room. So, we moved her to the corner on the other side of the room. Though it has taken some getting used to, I am adjusting to our new addition. She really is a beautiful instrument. The kids love the piano! And, of course, Darren loves it, too. It has been nice to hear him playing in the evenings after dinner. We are looking forward to getting Kyrie (& Degen, when he's older) started in piano lessons this year!

Painted Lady

This is the princess that Kyrie painted at Color Me Mine! She really did a good job with the painting (I helped a little with the face) and LOVES her princess so much that she has insisted on carrying it around the house like a baby doll.

A is for Apple

Kyrie has been doing a wonderful job with her letters! She has learned to write about half of her upper- and lower-case letters. All over the house, you can find pieces of paper with various letters written on them. I introduce 1-2 each week during lessons, but sometimes that is not enough for her and she will study the letters and figure out how to form them on her own. This past week, I came home to find the word "APPLE" written on a large piece of paper, and Darren told me that Kyrie had written the word on her own, finding it in a book or on a computer game (she wasn't quite clear on where she found the word, insisting, "I just know that word") .We were both impressed!

Here is Kyrie showing off her writing and saying the word "apple."

Big Boy Bed

My baby boy is fast becoming my big boy and leaving behind the trappings of babyhood. We took another big boy step this weekend when I transformed his crib into a toddler bed. Earlier in the week, I removed his crib tent (a zippered, mesh covering that kept the cats out and Degen in) and lowered his mattress after discovering that he was getting in & out of his crib regardless of either. My first thought was that lowering the mattress would be enough to keep him in the crib, but it was not. Though getting out of his crib has not been a problem at night, I worried about him getting hurt when he played during the day. So, I decided that it was time for the toddler bed.

As I started taking the crib apart, I was a bit worried about how this would change bedtimes and nighttimes. I was thinking back to this transition with Kyrie and how we struggled for weeks to keep her in her bed. My thoughts also lingered around this change in our lives as our baby boy is growing up and our family moves forward with no plans for more babies.

I love watching my babies grow up, as bittersweet as it can be. I love their new discoveries and abilities and all the possibilities that lie ahead. My heart aches with joy when I see photos or think of my darling babies so small & new, but also overflows with delight when I think, "And what will we do next?" How can I not be excited when I imagine all the things that we will experience together? Even while taking apart the crib, I was thinking to myself, "The next time I put this crib together, it will be for my future grandbaby." Wow! Though I want them to do so much before then, I cannot help but smile when I think about the love and adventure, the moments big & small that make up a life well-lived, and even the little bundles of joy in my kiddos' futures... we just have to get through the night, right? Well, how about 10,000 more nights before they make me a grandma!?! Ha!!!

Thankfully, our first night was as normal as any other night. He went to bed easily and when he woke during the night, he stayed in bed. Even this morning when he awoke, he stayed in bed and called for me. Whew! I am relieved and hopeful that this will continue.

Cosi

I have said it before, and I will say it again: we are very lucky to live in a city with so many great activities for kids. Not only is our zoo rated #1 in the nation, but we also have the #1 science center in the nation: Cosi!

I started taking Kyrie to Cosi when she was about 1 year old, and Degen has been going since he was just a newborn. We go about once a month and spend most of our time in Little Kidspace. There are so many possibilities for play & exploration that the kids find something fun to do every time we go, and sometimes getting them to leave can be difficult (after "just" 2 1/2 hours, Kyrie cried & cried when I told her we had to leave). 

Kyrie likes to spend her time playing with the puppets or role playing with the babies in the home or hospital centers. Degen can't get enough of the (brand new) water table. The kids also enjoy going through some of the other exhibits like Ocean, Progress and Space. In the cold, rain or heat, Cosi is a refuge for active kids!