Best Friend Train and The Wonder Pants

The neighborhood is nice this time of year.  We are trying to walk more especially since we get to go to the beach and I have to get into a bikini next month.  Archer is working on his walking stamina.  We like to sing and talk and play when we walk.  One of his newest games is the best friend train.  I get to be his best friend train and follow him all around the sidewalk.  Sometimes we get to hold wheels when get tired. It's fun.  Just a good memory and phrase that he uses.

Archer is also enjoying the Wonder Pets show.  Except he calls it the Wonder Pants.  Just a byproduct of potty training I suppose.

Archer's favorite construction wonder pants are in the picture above.

Minnie Tighe Getting Bigger

Archer sporadically tells me that "Minnie Tighe" is not getting bigger.  I have tried to explain to him that yes, she is getting bigger and getting bigger really fast.  She was born at around 6 pounds 8 ounces, but has been gaining speed in terms of weight gain since August 31st.  At her 2 and 1/2 month doctor's appointment she weighed 12 pounds 13 ounces.  Over Thanksgiving when Archer and I got strep throat Mary Tighe had to be weighed too.  She weighed 13 pounds 4 ounces.  Will the child ever stop gaining weight?  Don't get me wrong, I love her fat rolls on her legs, arms and chest, but sometimes it's hard to get the lint out of them without really digging.

"Why is my hair wet Daddy?"

So I had Minnie Tighe on August 31st.  I had Archer at the end on April 24th .  I have learned it is better to have a child in the spring then at the end of the summer because of the following reasons:

1. you don't have to deal with the accoutrements of cold weather
2. you can take nice stroller rides in the spring (you can take nice rides in the fall too, but with less clothes)
3. the pool is an activity that can always be counted on
4. potty training outside
5. runny noses and coughs

Archer has had 2 colds so far and I don't want him to have anymore because that translates into 2 colds for Minnie Tighe.  According to the Washington Pediatrics and my wonderful mother in law/ pediatrician there are only so many things you can do for a cold.  Here is what I have done for a cold, some recommended, some not:

1. get grumpy and paranoid - shouldn't I be more relaxed about my second child?
2. get the humidify going and have both of the children in same room at night to share the wonders of a wet room.
3. give periodic and unwanted saline drops in the nose and then suck them out with the electric sucker outer.
3. wake up in the middle of the night to help the 2 month old breathe better in a steam shower
4. watch for the number of breaths in one minute to see how strenuous the breathing is in the 2 month old
5. stop sleeping for fear that the 2 month old needs to go to the emergency room - Shouldn't I be more relaxed with the second child?

I will have to relax and deal with the repercussions of a cold, which I no doubt will.  The humor in all this is when Archer awoke from spending a night in the "steam room", which is the room where the humidifier is, he probably noticed the water droplets on the wall, on the windows, on his clothes and on his hair.  He asked his daddy why his hair was wet.  The logical answer is that he is living at night in the jungle during the wet season.

Hide and Seek

Archer loves to play hide and seek.  He loves to play it with his daddy in the bed with a comforter, he loves to play it at the Monastery with his friends Olivia and Emery, he loves to play it in the stroller with his mom, and he loves to play it in the house with whoever is around.  The best thing about playing hide and seek with Archer is that he will help you out if you are stuck.  If David and I are looking for Archer (after we count to 10 of course) we play for awhile and look in the obvious places -  in a tree, on top of the roof, or on the moon - then Archer will pop up and say "I'm in the bathroom" or "That's not grass, that's my head!", or "look under the blanket!".  He is so helpful.  I love my boy.

Water Color Painting

Since Mary Tighe has been born, I have been feeling less adventurous when it comes to going places with 2 children.  I think the biggest outing we have taken with the 3 of us (minus David) is to the Post Office Museum.  That museum may sound boring, but it has a really big truck cab that must be an actual post office trailer truck cab.  Archer can climb up into and pretend to drive.  There are never any people there so he doesn't have to worry about other children wanting a turn.  I can sit in the seat next to him in the cab and nurse in relative private.

Most days, I try to take a walk with them somewhere like the monestary or arboretum and then maybe hit one of the 2 stores in my neighborhood - CVS or YES Organic market.  A few weeks ago we went to the CVS and got some water color paints and a blank art book.  Archer sits outside on our back porch at his little table and paints and paints and paints.  There is little color to his paints as he likes to mix all the colors and create a really dark green, red, yellow, or blue that resemble mostly a nice dark grey.  His paintings remind me of a Japanese or Chinese calligrapher using a bamboo brush to make interesting characters.  Not much color, but a lot of nice fluid strokes.  It's a great way to pass the time as I sit in the rocker and watch him and nurse.

Kissing

Kissing has been a theme recently.

1. Archer is a pretty good kisser.  When Mary Tighe and I were the hospital Granny Goose explained how Archer would plant one on her and just hang out there pushing his lips hard against Granny Goose's.  He's done that a few times to me too and after awhile it just kind of hurts, but I know I'll miss those hard kisses one day.

2. Archer likes to kiss Mary Tighe a lot too.  He likes to kiss her mouth, her cheeks, her forehead - all the places I get nervous about especially since he has a runny nose and he inevitably leaves a trail on her head.  I try to get him to kiss her feet, which just seems weird to me.  I want him to love her and I know she is going to get sick this winter, but it makes me so nervous (the sickness part).

3.  Last Friday, we went over to my friend Stephanie's house to play with her kids and my friend Janine's kids. The kids were kind of grumpy and tired so we didn't stay long.  I finally get Archer to the car and he says, "Wait, I didn't give Olivia a kiss goodbye." Okay.  So we walk back to the house and knock on the door.  Archer and Olivia embrace and kiss each other on the lips.

4. Mary Tighe is growing out of her Kissy Kissy clothes way too fast.  I am going to have to stop relying on the clothing bought for her as presents and go out and get some more.  I wish they made Kissy Kissy for grown ups.

"See that Mary Tighe"

I try to give Archer positive attention whenever I can.  I have read over and over again how important it is to 'catch them being good' so that the older sibling won't feel he has to resort to doing things that are not allowed or will get him in trouble in order to be noticed.  When Archer takes a bath, washes his hands, makes a block tower, climbs up stairs - the most mundane events I say, "See that Mary Tighe, Archer can _________ (whatever it is that he is doing)."  I think it makes Archer feel proud of himself - he can show Mary Tighe what he can do.

Now Archer says it all the time on his own.  David and I think it is so cute.  "See that Mary Tighe!"- he puts on his shoes. "See that Mary Tighe"- he rides his tricycle.  "See that Mary Tighe" - he is watching Little Einsteins.