On Thursdays, they have Spanish lessons at Trey's school. Yesterday's lesson was colors. When I picked up Trey yesterday, one of his teachers, Ms. Erika, gave me the following report:
"Trey is so smart! You know, he doesn't really talk, but he understands so much. Today we had our Spanish lesson and we did colors. The teacher put out squares of colors on the floor, gave a little teddy bear to Trey, and asked Trey to find verde. Trey thought about it really hard, and then he put the bear on green!"
(Verde is Spanish for green.)
I loved hearing this, not only because any mother loves hearing someone else say that her child is smart, but also because I'm glad to know Trey is learning his colors! We work on colors at home, but we're never quite sure whether Trey really knows the colors or is just guessing correctly. The teachers tell me that Trey does well with colors at school, so maybe he is just a little more silly with us at home or he is tired from the day of learning. (On a related note, Trey also knows almost all his shapes!)
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Morning Routine
Several of my friends lately have asked how I'm able to get Trey and all of our collective "stuff" out of the door each and every morning without going crazy. This question is typically asked by my friends who have nannies and who, therefore, don't have to get the kids ready and their stuff gathered each and every day. In response, I thought I'd dedicate a post to our morning routine. I typically try on this blog not to write in the first-person very much or have posts dedicated to my life as a mother - I try to make it all about Trey - but I'm breaking the mold for this post.
First of all, I must say that we have been blessed with a very good baby. Trey is a rock star sleeper - so much so that I'm sure many of my friends think I am exaggerating when I mention how well he sleeps at night. But I promise I am not lying when I say it is not unusual for him to "sleep" until 10 or 11 on the weekends; once he "slept" until 12:30 before I realized it (because I, too, had slept unusually late that day). I use quotes when I say "sleep" because I'm sure he is not actually continuously sleeping this entire time; rather, he is probably lying in bed entertaining himself for at least part of the time. But, regardless, he usually does not start fussing or loudly rustling until very late in the morning unless he hears one of us (almost always me) out and about in the house before then.
Second, as I'm sure most of you know, the Edwardses of Houston are not exactly morning people. We, in fact, loathe mornings. If it were up to us, the day would not begin before noon, and it would end very late at night. Based on Trey's habits as a very little baby, I'm sure he would be quite happy with this arrangement as well. But, alas, we are victims of "the man" (the most limiting factor being the hours of operation of Trey's school) and have to conform at least somewhat. Still, because Jack and I do not have "clock-in/clock-out"-type jobs and can get away with working some at night after Trey goes to sleep, we typically do not get to work before about 9 a.m.
Third, I feel compelled to mention that we have knowingly chosen the "school" route for our childcare option even though it adds to our task list each morning and evening. While I do often wish I had someone at my home each day to pick up the house, run my errands, and otherwise perform all of the non-childcare tasks that a nanny does (and I have been thinking for a while about hiring someone solely for these functions), I have never regretted our decision to put Trey in group care. Without going into this issue in detail, and while recognizing that child care is a very personal choice for each family, we appreciate the structure that school has to offer Trey. He learns things there that I know he would never learn if he were home each day with a single caretaker. I also appreciate the built-in accountability present at Trey's school, among other things. Having a nanny would certainly make my life easier, but I am willing to sacrifice some of the ease of childcare for what I feel is a benefit to Trey.
So, how exactly do our mornings go?
First of all, I try really hard to make sure I am ready for the day before Trey wakes up. This is easier said than done (see #2), but as most moms know, it takes twice as long to get ready once Trey is awake. He doesn't exactly like to sit still. And for some reason, Trey wakes up like clockwork right around 8:00 during the week, probably because he hears us in the bathroom, which is right next to his crib.
So I set an alarm and try my hardest to get up as soon as I can after the alarm goes off (I confess: I am a snoozer). I shower, and then I wake up Jack (yes, he is my first child). While he is shaving, I put Trey's morning cup of milk in the bottle warmer and I pack his bag for the day. When Trey was an infant, this meant prepping all of his bottles and baby food for the day; now that he is older, I usually only have to pack his breakfast (a whole banana) and one sippy cup. But if it is a Monday, I'm sending a sheet and blanket and a jug of milk, and if it is a Friday, I'm sending a towel and a full change of clothes for after the morning "splash" activity. Sometimes I am also sending diapers and/or extra clothes to replace the ones that were sent home after being spilled on or getting way too dirty on the playground.
Once I'm finished packing and making my morning coffee, Jack is usually in the shower. I finish getting ready along with him, and whichever one of us is ready first goes to get Trey ready for school. On good days, we get to wake him up together. We sing him a "good morning" song, get him dressed, and we're out the door. Most days, we all carpool together. Jack reads to him and we both talk to him as I drive.
Getting Trey up and taking him to school probably adds about 20 minutes or so to my day each morning, but I feel it's time well spent. Not only do I get to have this time with my little boy, which I think in its own way is quality time, but I also enjoy going into his school each morning, saying hi to the teachers and the other kids and some of the other parents, and spending a few minutes talking about what Trey is learning and the fun new things he is doing. I really wouldn't have it any other way. He loves going to school, and instead of him feeling like I'm leaving him each morning, he feels like he's having some special time of his own with his friends.
First of all, I must say that we have been blessed with a very good baby. Trey is a rock star sleeper - so much so that I'm sure many of my friends think I am exaggerating when I mention how well he sleeps at night. But I promise I am not lying when I say it is not unusual for him to "sleep" until 10 or 11 on the weekends; once he "slept" until 12:30 before I realized it (because I, too, had slept unusually late that day). I use quotes when I say "sleep" because I'm sure he is not actually continuously sleeping this entire time; rather, he is probably lying in bed entertaining himself for at least part of the time. But, regardless, he usually does not start fussing or loudly rustling until very late in the morning unless he hears one of us (almost always me) out and about in the house before then.
Second, as I'm sure most of you know, the Edwardses of Houston are not exactly morning people. We, in fact, loathe mornings. If it were up to us, the day would not begin before noon, and it would end very late at night. Based on Trey's habits as a very little baby, I'm sure he would be quite happy with this arrangement as well. But, alas, we are victims of "the man" (the most limiting factor being the hours of operation of Trey's school) and have to conform at least somewhat. Still, because Jack and I do not have "clock-in/clock-out"-type jobs and can get away with working some at night after Trey goes to sleep, we typically do not get to work before about 9 a.m.
Third, I feel compelled to mention that we have knowingly chosen the "school" route for our childcare option even though it adds to our task list each morning and evening. While I do often wish I had someone at my home each day to pick up the house, run my errands, and otherwise perform all of the non-childcare tasks that a nanny does (and I have been thinking for a while about hiring someone solely for these functions), I have never regretted our decision to put Trey in group care. Without going into this issue in detail, and while recognizing that child care is a very personal choice for each family, we appreciate the structure that school has to offer Trey. He learns things there that I know he would never learn if he were home each day with a single caretaker. I also appreciate the built-in accountability present at Trey's school, among other things. Having a nanny would certainly make my life easier, but I am willing to sacrifice some of the ease of childcare for what I feel is a benefit to Trey.
So, how exactly do our mornings go?
First of all, I try really hard to make sure I am ready for the day before Trey wakes up. This is easier said than done (see #2), but as most moms know, it takes twice as long to get ready once Trey is awake. He doesn't exactly like to sit still. And for some reason, Trey wakes up like clockwork right around 8:00 during the week, probably because he hears us in the bathroom, which is right next to his crib.
So I set an alarm and try my hardest to get up as soon as I can after the alarm goes off (I confess: I am a snoozer). I shower, and then I wake up Jack (yes, he is my first child). While he is shaving, I put Trey's morning cup of milk in the bottle warmer and I pack his bag for the day. When Trey was an infant, this meant prepping all of his bottles and baby food for the day; now that he is older, I usually only have to pack his breakfast (a whole banana) and one sippy cup. But if it is a Monday, I'm sending a sheet and blanket and a jug of milk, and if it is a Friday, I'm sending a towel and a full change of clothes for after the morning "splash" activity. Sometimes I am also sending diapers and/or extra clothes to replace the ones that were sent home after being spilled on or getting way too dirty on the playground.
Once I'm finished packing and making my morning coffee, Jack is usually in the shower. I finish getting ready along with him, and whichever one of us is ready first goes to get Trey ready for school. On good days, we get to wake him up together. We sing him a "good morning" song, get him dressed, and we're out the door. Most days, we all carpool together. Jack reads to him and we both talk to him as I drive.
Getting Trey up and taking him to school probably adds about 20 minutes or so to my day each morning, but I feel it's time well spent. Not only do I get to have this time with my little boy, which I think in its own way is quality time, but I also enjoy going into his school each morning, saying hi to the teachers and the other kids and some of the other parents, and spending a few minutes talking about what Trey is learning and the fun new things he is doing. I really wouldn't have it any other way. He loves going to school, and instead of him feeling like I'm leaving him each morning, he feels like he's having some special time of his own with his friends.
Talking
Trey is really starting to get the hang of this talking thing! He is picking up new words more and more each day and is getting really good at repeating words back to us. Yesterday, he wanted more milk in the morning. We usually give him a warm cup of milk when he wakes up, but if he wants a refill, it comes straight from the fridge. But yesterday, he pointed to the bottle warmer and tried really hard to say "warm." It came out like "waaaah."
Trey has a book of farm animals that shows bails of hay. In the past week, he has started pointing to the pictures and saying "hay." He will also point to the clock on the way out of school and say "clock!" (though it's without the "l") and sometimes he'll point to the tree outside school and say "tee!"
So far he isn't really saying multiple-syllable words, and no phrases yet, but we can tell it's coming soon!
Trey has a book of farm animals that shows bails of hay. In the past week, he has started pointing to the pictures and saying "hay." He will also point to the clock on the way out of school and say "clock!" (though it's without the "l") and sometimes he'll point to the tree outside school and say "tee!"
So far he isn't really saying multiple-syllable words, and no phrases yet, but we can tell it's coming soon!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Happy Half-Birthday Trey!
Trey is 18 months old today! It's hard to believe it has been a year and a half since this precious little boy came into our lives. We didn't really do anything special to celebrate today, but we did serenade him with "Happy Half Birthday" in the car on the way home. We love you, Trey!!Picky Eater
Trey is getting better and better about feeding himself with utensils. He knows how to use a spoon, and while he sometimes has trouble eating vegetables or larger foods, he is pretty good at eating yogurt. He's also learning how to use a fork but doesn't quite have the stabbing motion yet.
Overall, Trey is a pretty good eater, but he generally does not like fruit (with the exception of bananas, which he eats for breakfast almost every morning). A colleague at work suggested masking unpopular foods with yogurt; her kids, she says, will eat anything covered with yogurt. So I tried this with blueberries. But, alas, Trey saw through my scheme and either picked around the blueberries or spit them out.
Overall, Trey is a pretty good eater, but he generally does not like fruit (with the exception of bananas, which he eats for breakfast almost every morning). A colleague at work suggested masking unpopular foods with yogurt; her kids, she says, will eat anything covered with yogurt. So I tried this with blueberries. But, alas, Trey saw through my scheme and either picked around the blueberries or spit them out.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Yes/No/I Don't Know
Lately, Trey has turned into a real "yes-man." I could have posted about this weeks ago, when he first developed the trick, but Trey now has this adorable little way of nodding "yes" in response to nearly every question you ask him. While we think he understands what we are asking most of the time, when in doubt, his answer is a nod of "yes." "Did you have fun today at school, Trey?" Nod. "Did you play with all your friends?" Nod. "Do you like your friends at school?" Nod. "Do you want to eat your friends?" Nod.Trey has also learned the word "no." While we have feared for this day to come, he actually says "no" in the cutest little voice and in the cutest little way. He mostly uses the word when he is doing a puzzle or a shape sorter and the piece does not fit into the hole he is attempting to put it in. He also sometimes says "no-no" when he knows something isn't right or that he's not supposed to do something. But he isn't yet using the word to tell us "no" or to refuse to do things, which is nice. We'll enjoy it while he lasts.
Another cute "trick" of Trey's lately is to shrug his shoulders and sort-of say "I don't know" in response to a question. Mostly, for example, "where's Mama C?" Shrug. It's too cute. We think Daddy taught it to him when asking "Where's Mommy?" "I dunno!"
Trey is making all kinds of fun new sounds and saying new things every day. Here is a video that is a good montage of some of his tricks. See if you can spot Trey a) head-nodding; b) shrugging "I don't know;" c) saying "bubbles;" d) making the monkey sound; e) saying his own versions of "meow" and "tweet tweet;" and other cute things.
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