Two weeks ago, Robert swallowed my wedding ring. It was my fault. I left it on the counter. He swallowed it, and I had to do the Heimlich on him until he threw it up. True Story.
Yesterday I looked into the family room and there was Alex, with a gallon sized plastic bag over his head. He must have thought it made a good hat (it was a perfect fit) and he was just ready to pull it over his nose. I got it away from him before he suffocated himself.
How he got a gallon size plastic bag, I don't even know.
This morning, A&A were playing in my room as I got dressed. They pulled out my 'little glass jars' - one filled with safety pins and one with buttons. Alex got them both open and even though I was right there, he still managed to swallow a button while I cleaned them up. He bit me pretty hard when I tried to fish it out of his mouth.
Today my MIL had to pry a fully wrapped hershey kiss from his mouth.
I never said my kids were good eaters.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Robert's Class Trip
Today, Robert's preschool class at Holy Family took a trip to Graver Farms. They rode on a tractor out into the pumpkin patch and picked their own pumpkins. Robert had a blast. He totally loves his friends from school and I learned that they love him back just as much.
It was quite interesting to see him 'in action' with his friends and just so cute when he realized his teachers were there too and he threw his arms around Mrs. Fulmer waist to give her hug. (Mrs. Fulmer is a twin mom too!) He even interacted with the "Farmer" as he explained how pumpkins grow.
I learned who Robert's best buddies are (TJ, Mikey and Matthew) and witnessed that Robert is a born leader and the kids just seem to want to be around him. It was really a neat experience and it makes me so proud to know how independent and social he can be- Such a dramatic change from the library incident this past summer!
I guess we are doing okay at this parent thing after all.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Friday, October 03, 2008
Little Minds
My kids are creative.
Ava has very few 'girl toys.' She improvises the best she can - she'll put a hair tie on her wrist and pretend it's a bracelet. She loves to make anything into a hat and she will carry around any thing she can that may resemble a purse.
But this... this may send me to the toy store much earlier than anticipated (we were waiting for Santa)
Ava pushes her favorite doll around in this dump truck (backwards) pretending it's a stroller. How sad is that? We need to get her some girly toys asap.
This is Alex's new favorite toy of choice:
To him, it's a phone. He carries it around and repeatedly yells "Hawoah."
In real life... it's an old powder compact that he found in my bathroom.
Robert is very much into Time lately. He asks me many times a day "What time is it? What day is it? and How much longer? (To which I respond "until what?") Of course, it means nothing to him when I reply with the time and day, but it's interesting that he even cares.
Ava has very few 'girl toys.' She improvises the best she can - she'll put a hair tie on her wrist and pretend it's a bracelet. She loves to make anything into a hat and she will carry around any thing she can that may resemble a purse.
But this... this may send me to the toy store much earlier than anticipated (we were waiting for Santa)
Ava pushes her favorite doll around in this dump truck (backwards) pretending it's a stroller. How sad is that? We need to get her some girly toys asap.This is Alex's new favorite toy of choice:
To him, it's a phone. He carries it around and repeatedly yells "Hawoah."
In real life... it's an old powder compact that he found in my bathroom.
Robert is very much into Time lately. He asks me many times a day "What time is it? What day is it? and How much longer? (To which I respond "until what?") Of course, it means nothing to him when I reply with the time and day, but it's interesting that he even cares.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
How does your meat loaf?
When I was growing up, my mom made meatloaf into a, well, 'loaf.' She'd make it into the shape of a football and bake it in the same black roasting pan everytime. Her meatloaf was always good no matter how she made it. She'd sometimes put rice or stewed tomatoes in it, and she's always use canned tomato soup on top. My dad always enjoyed an 'end piece' and would rave to my mom that "This is the best meatloaf you've ever made" - every time.
As I grew older, I learned there were other recipes for meatloaf. I learned a recipe from a family for whom I used nanny. Theirs called for milk and dry onion soup mix - a recipe I adapted as my own.
When Bobby and I got together, he hated my meatloaf. He hates onion soup mix. He wanted his meatloaf dry and flavorless - just meat in a pan. A pan? Yes, a pan.
Bobby grew up eating meatloaf pressed into a flat pan and then cut into squares like brownies. This was odd to me. But I sometimes make it this way for him - for nostalgia's sake. No onion soup mix - just salt, pepper, bread crumb, Locatelli cheese, and egg and occasionally some ketchup or dry onion flakes. He seems to like it.
So, now when meatloaf comes up in conversation, I ask people "How do you make your meatloaf? In a 'loaf' or in a 'pan'?" The answer is almost always 'in a loaf'. See, I knew the pan thing was odd.
But it all tastes the same no matter how you shape it, I guess.
As I grew older, I learned there were other recipes for meatloaf. I learned a recipe from a family for whom I used nanny. Theirs called for milk and dry onion soup mix - a recipe I adapted as my own.
When Bobby and I got together, he hated my meatloaf. He hates onion soup mix. He wanted his meatloaf dry and flavorless - just meat in a pan. A pan? Yes, a pan.
Bobby grew up eating meatloaf pressed into a flat pan and then cut into squares like brownies. This was odd to me. But I sometimes make it this way for him - for nostalgia's sake. No onion soup mix - just salt, pepper, bread crumb, Locatelli cheese, and egg and occasionally some ketchup or dry onion flakes. He seems to like it.
So, now when meatloaf comes up in conversation, I ask people "How do you make your meatloaf? In a 'loaf' or in a 'pan'?" The answer is almost always 'in a loaf'. See, I knew the pan thing was odd.
But it all tastes the same no matter how you shape it, I guess.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
More tidbits
Alex says uh huh when you ask him a question. It's more like 'uh huh' (his voice goes up on the huh part) - not just uh huh. Hmm, you probably have to hear that one to get it, huh? It's very cute nonetheless.
Today I took the kids to the Halloween Store. Robert tried on a few hats. He said "Mommy, how do I look?" Before I had a chance to answer, he told me "I look very distinguished." I almost peed my pants. That darn Max and Ruby got him again! (I mean, I am guessing that's where he got it from anyway!)
Tonight Bobby and I were sitting on the couch. I leaned in to give him a kiss and Ava caught us. She ran over and climbed onto Bobby's lap. She pushed outr faces together and made a kissing sound. It really made us laugh, so of course she did it over and over. Too cute.
Today I took the kids to the Halloween Store. Robert tried on a few hats. He said "Mommy, how do I look?" Before I had a chance to answer, he told me "I look very distinguished." I almost peed my pants. That darn Max and Ruby got him again! (I mean, I am guessing that's where he got it from anyway!)
Tonight Bobby and I were sitting on the couch. I leaned in to give him a kiss and Ava caught us. She ran over and climbed onto Bobby's lap. She pushed outr faces together and made a kissing sound. It really made us laugh, so of course she did it over and over. Too cute.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Sorry, wrong number...
When Bobby is away, I sometimes let Robert 'give him a call.' I supervise as he dials the digits to Bobby's cell phone - saying each number and watching him find and press each number with such precision. Then he gets to push "the green button" to turn the phone on and 'make the call.'
Tonight I watched him until the very end. Well, almost. I walked away as I announced the last digit - 7. I looked back and saw the he did in fact push the green button to connect the call and I reached over and pressed speaker phone. This is what I heard:
Man: "Hello?"
Robert: (very enthusiastically) Hi Daddy!
Man: Hi! How are you? (Me: hmm, that doesn't sound like Bobby.)
Robert: I miss you. When are you coming home?
Man: Who is this? (Me: its kind of sounds like our BIL Eddie. Bobby was out to dinner with him tonight - it must be Eddie)
Robert: It's me Daddy - Robert.
Man: Who? (Me: hmm, maybe we dialed the wrong number)
Robert: (proudly) Robert Trifiletti!
Silence.
Robert: Daddy? Why aren't you talking, Daddy? (me: okay we definitely dialed wrong)
Silence.
I took the phone and turned it off and looked back at the last number dialed. Sure enough, he had dialed a 4 instead of a 7.
Oops.
Tonight I watched him until the very end. Well, almost. I walked away as I announced the last digit - 7. I looked back and saw the he did in fact push the green button to connect the call and I reached over and pressed speaker phone. This is what I heard:
Man: "Hello?"
Robert: (very enthusiastically) Hi Daddy!
Man: Hi! How are you? (Me: hmm, that doesn't sound like Bobby.)
Robert: I miss you. When are you coming home?
Man: Who is this? (Me: its kind of sounds like our BIL Eddie. Bobby was out to dinner with him tonight - it must be Eddie)
Robert: It's me Daddy - Robert.
Man: Who? (Me: hmm, maybe we dialed the wrong number)
Robert: (proudly) Robert Trifiletti!
Silence.
Robert: Daddy? Why aren't you talking, Daddy? (me: okay we definitely dialed wrong)
Silence.
I took the phone and turned it off and looked back at the last number dialed. Sure enough, he had dialed a 4 instead of a 7.
Oops.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Trif Kids update
Alex says shoes, juice, cheese, fishy, upstairs, go, down and outside. He is always talking, but we never know what he is saying, He loves to turn off the television while Robert and Ava are watching. And he is always looking for trouble. My mom says he has 'mischievous eyes.'
Ava says Stop and cheese fishy among other things. She will point to her body parts if asked. She knows, hair, ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, tongue, and belly button. She uses anything she can find to use as a necklace, bracelet or purse. She is very maternal and loves her baby dolls. She is in desperate need of 'girly toys' but Santa will deliver this year, no doubt. She just started giving real kisses and there is a little boy in particular at the gym that she loves to kiss.
Both kids have a crazy appetite and will eat anything you give to them. Alex especially loves fruit of any kind. He will take whatever he is chewing out of his mouth when fruit is placed in front of him. Ava once ate a 4oz steak. Need I say more?
Robert knocked his front tooth loose a few weeks ago. He had compromised this same tooth last year and the dentist didn't seem concerned at that time. Now, it's very loose and discolored and I fear it won't 'hang around' much longer. We have an annual appointment with the dentist in a few weeks. She said she'll check it then, but if it falls out, there is not much that can be done.
Robert knows all of his upper case letters and most lower case, but he gets confused with b,p,q and d. He can spell his name with ease and is loving his new school already. He knows all of his colors and can count to 20. Is it too early to be counting on that Penn State scholarship?
Ava says Stop and cheese fishy among other things. She will point to her body parts if asked. She knows, hair, ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, tongue, and belly button. She uses anything she can find to use as a necklace, bracelet or purse. She is very maternal and loves her baby dolls. She is in desperate need of 'girly toys' but Santa will deliver this year, no doubt. She just started giving real kisses and there is a little boy in particular at the gym that she loves to kiss.
Both kids have a crazy appetite and will eat anything you give to them. Alex especially loves fruit of any kind. He will take whatever he is chewing out of his mouth when fruit is placed in front of him. Ava once ate a 4oz steak. Need I say more?
Robert knocked his front tooth loose a few weeks ago. He had compromised this same tooth last year and the dentist didn't seem concerned at that time. Now, it's very loose and discolored and I fear it won't 'hang around' much longer. We have an annual appointment with the dentist in a few weeks. She said she'll check it then, but if it falls out, there is not much that can be done.
Robert knows all of his upper case letters and most lower case, but he gets confused with b,p,q and d. He can spell his name with ease and is loving his new school already. He knows all of his colors and can count to 20. Is it too early to be counting on that Penn State scholarship?
Handsome Robert
About a month ago I taught Robert that "Boys are handsome" and "Girls are pretty." He caught on rather quickly.
Today over lunch, I explained that Grown up boys are called 'men' and Grown up girls are called 'women.'
After I explained, he said "Yes Mommy. And me and Alex are hamsters."
Monday, September 08, 2008
Where's that Lion Pride???
We are so proud of 'our' Nittany Lions here at the Trif house. The season has started off looking good so far and JoePa is still going.
During the excitement of this weekend's game, we chanted "We Are..."
Robert replied: "No, We Aren't!"
Take Two:
Me: "WE ARE..."
Robert: "No! We Didn't"
Guess this kid has a lot to learn in the next 15 years.
Ava said "TouchDown" and "Football" during the game. She'll be the one that only takes 4 years to graduate.
Alex didn't have to do much but look cute. He's gonna be a Penn State line backer some day!
Saturday, September 06, 2008
House for sale
My mom and dad have put their house on the market. They have lived here for 30 years. It's the only 'home home' I have ever known.
My dad's health is not good and the house has become too much to upkeep. No one is happy about this decision. It's a very emotional time for us all. But we are all in agreement that it is going to be a hard experience whether done now or done 5 years from now.
I went to realtor.com last night and searched for the listing. When it popped up, my heart almost skipped a beat. My mom said she had the same feeling when she walked outside yesterday and saw the 'For Sale' sign on the front lawn.
I'm sad just typing this. I know they don't want to move. They love that house. It's filled with so many memories and so much love. I hope some day my kids will say the same about our home.
My dad's health is not good and the house has become too much to upkeep. No one is happy about this decision. It's a very emotional time for us all. But we are all in agreement that it is going to be a hard experience whether done now or done 5 years from now.
I went to realtor.com last night and searched for the listing. When it popped up, my heart almost skipped a beat. My mom said she had the same feeling when she walked outside yesterday and saw the 'For Sale' sign on the front lawn.
I'm sad just typing this. I know they don't want to move. They love that house. It's filled with so many memories and so much love. I hope some day my kids will say the same about our home.
School Days
Robert is starting school on Tuesday. He will be attending the preschool program at our church on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. One of the neighbor's kids is in his class - it's so nice to see familiar faces.
This morning there was an open house - a chance for him to re-meet his teachers and get orientated. He seems very comfy there. We scoped out the cubby area and the coat hooks - He looked very carefully for his name, and was so excited when he saw it. We checked out the potty and played with the very popular train table. He didn't want to leave.
I am hoping this is a good decision. I was really happy with the school he attended last year and I was sad to pull him out. But the fact that this school is affiliated with our church is very important to us. We want the morals and values we are teaching at home to be reinforced at school.
Will post pics on Tuesday...
This morning there was an open house - a chance for him to re-meet his teachers and get orientated. He seems very comfy there. We scoped out the cubby area and the coat hooks - He looked very carefully for his name, and was so excited when he saw it. We checked out the potty and played with the very popular train table. He didn't want to leave.
I am hoping this is a good decision. I was really happy with the school he attended last year and I was sad to pull him out. But the fact that this school is affiliated with our church is very important to us. We want the morals and values we are teaching at home to be reinforced at school.
Will post pics on Tuesday...
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Peach Pickin'
I took the kids to Strawberry Acres this morning to pick some peaches. In addition to our 10 lbs of beautiful peaches, we also picked up some fresh local squash, cantaloupe and eggplant.
We'll go back in a couple of weeks for raspberries and then in early October for apples and pumpkins. We love it there!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Wall Art
There's not a wall in our house that isn't a mess. I try not to leave crayons, pens or other writing utensils out for the kids to get, but the somehow find other items to display their creativity on my walls. They use colored blocks (a birthday gift from Aunt Julie - Thanks, Jule!) or chunky puzzle pieces. Yogurt works well, as does an ice pop wrapper or chocolate milk. We've got it all.
My kids are probably the most creative kids I know. And my house? Well, it's very well decorated, as you can see.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Stung
Robert had his first bee sting last weekend. He didn't cry, but boy did his hand swell up! (the sting was on his ring finger)(and ever since, I haven't been able to get that good old silly summer camp song out of my head - sing along if you know it...)
B
B-E
B-E-E
Bee sting
Kumalata Kumalata Kumalata Bee sting
Oh no no no not the beesting
Eeny Meeney Esamene oh wa a wanna meene
Esamene Salamene oo wa oo wa
A be billy oaten goaten bo bo ba deetin dahtin....
Shhhhh
snagged
Ava managed to get past the gate at the bottom of the stairs, but the gate did its job and prevented her from making it upstairs anyway.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Noise of Toys
Behind the walls of the home of any child rearing family lurk toys... toys that make noise.
Ah, but do your toys make noise when the house is still - when all little children are tucked snug in their beds?
Ours do.
I was awoken at 3am to "Come on Baseball Fans" in my kitchen. I stumbled down the steps and found the toy wedged under the kiddie table and turned it off. As a trudged back up the stairs Elmo called from the playroom "That tickles."
Too tired to think, I let it all go.
The next morning, I realized we have several toys speak when not spoken to.
How does this happen? Bad batteries? (maybe) Spilled milk? (probably) Or could Disney's Toy Story be more real that we ever thought?
Tonight, as I cleaned up the family room, The Fisher Price car said (in her happy, chirpy voice) "Let's go for a ride!"
I was almost ready to respond, but Elmo interrupted (yet again) "Phew, that was fun." Boy he has a lot to say!
Tomorrow he might take a vacation to the basement.
Ah, but do your toys make noise when the house is still - when all little children are tucked snug in their beds?
Ours do.
I was awoken at 3am to "Come on Baseball Fans" in my kitchen. I stumbled down the steps and found the toy wedged under the kiddie table and turned it off. As a trudged back up the stairs Elmo called from the playroom "That tickles."
Too tired to think, I let it all go.
The next morning, I realized we have several toys speak when not spoken to.
How does this happen? Bad batteries? (maybe) Spilled milk? (probably) Or could Disney's Toy Story be more real that we ever thought?
Tonight, as I cleaned up the family room, The Fisher Price car said (in her happy, chirpy voice) "Let's go for a ride!"
I was almost ready to respond, but Elmo interrupted (yet again) "Phew, that was fun." Boy he has a lot to say!
Tomorrow he might take a vacation to the basement.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tubes
Author's Note: Just to show how minor this surgery was... I typed this up the day of Alex's surgery (last Wednesday - 8/3) and I completely forgot to post it! oops!
Alex had his tube put in his ears this morning. We had to be at the hospital by 7:40 am. We spent a whole lot of time just waiting and he finally went into surgery just after 9am. He was such a joy to spend one on one time with. Of all my children, he is the mellow and relaxed one. I can put him down and he'll stand close to me. He won't run off and get into anything forbidden. He plays hand games and sings songs. He is such a love and I so enjoyed our time together.
By 9:40, we were in recovery and Alex was miserable. As the anesthesia wore off he was confused and grumpy. This lasted for about an hour. He finally had some juice and animal crackers and life slowly got back to normal.
The best part of all was Alex's roommate - his name was Kyle. Kyle's big brother Colby was in my infant class when I worked at Hildebrandt back before I was even married! It was so great to see his mom and dad and chat with them. Colby is going to be starting kindergarten this fall! Man, I feel old!
We were discharged around 11:30 and Alex slept soundly on the car ride home.
The most important thing, the doctor says, is keeping his ears dry. The tubes should fall out by themselves within a year and we're hoping for no more ear infections.
Thanks for your prayers!
Alex had his tube put in his ears this morning. We had to be at the hospital by 7:40 am. We spent a whole lot of time just waiting and he finally went into surgery just after 9am. He was such a joy to spend one on one time with. Of all my children, he is the mellow and relaxed one. I can put him down and he'll stand close to me. He won't run off and get into anything forbidden. He plays hand games and sings songs. He is such a love and I so enjoyed our time together.
By 9:40, we were in recovery and Alex was miserable. As the anesthesia wore off he was confused and grumpy. This lasted for about an hour. He finally had some juice and animal crackers and life slowly got back to normal.
The best part of all was Alex's roommate - his name was Kyle. Kyle's big brother Colby was in my infant class when I worked at Hildebrandt back before I was even married! It was so great to see his mom and dad and chat with them. Colby is going to be starting kindergarten this fall! Man, I feel old!
We were discharged around 11:30 and Alex slept soundly on the car ride home.
The most important thing, the doctor says, is keeping his ears dry. The tubes should fall out by themselves within a year and we're hoping for no more ear infections.
Thanks for your prayers!
smile for the camera
Robert just brought me his Fisher Price camera and told me "you need to fix this mommy, it's not cheesing."
He makes me laugh.
He makes me laugh.
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