Funny stuff

Just wanted to share a few recent anecdotes.

Kalten saw me reading a book and wanted me to read to him. I knew it was way over his head, but he seemed to be really listening. About halfway through the page, he suddenly interrupted me, saying, "I have eyebrows!"

He likes when I tell him bedtime stories about Simon, a character we made up. Simon does all sorts of things, many of them closely mirror Kalten's daily adventures. Last night, Simon went to Chuck E Cheese, just like Kalten did and, like Kalten, he picked four Tootsie Rolls as a prize. At that point in the story, Kalten held up three fingers and said, "I have this many Tootsie Rolls!" Thinking that he had just performed simple subtraction (because he had eaten one already and had three left), I encouraged him. "Yes, you had four and you ate one, so you have three!" I tried to get him to do some more. "What if you had four Tootsie rolls and you ate two?" He paused in thought for a few moments and answered, "I'd get sick!"

New Year Goals (a little late)

1. Learn to crochet
2. get the etsy shop back up and running
3. List at least one new item per week
4. Add one blog entry both here and at heydooney every week
5. Give away clothes until my stuff fits in the dresser

Coen is nearly walking. This is nothing new, he's been nearly walking for ages, it seems. He can walk all over holding onto a hand or even a pant leg, but he will not let go and do it on his own. He takes a step here and there, and he took three yesterday, but he hasn't yet put it together that he can do it. Now, however, instead of cruising along the furniture, he climbs on top of it. This is scarier than having him walking because he's got farther to fall!

Kalten is nearly reading - as he has been for ages, he just doesn't put the sounds together into words. He can spell his name, and "go" and a few other simple words. He's really fun to watch on Starfall.com. He's figured out the games and does really well.

We went to Paul's parents' house for Christmas. We traveled for two days each way. Kalten did great. I packed a brand new backpack full of stuff he'd never seen before: books, cars, activities, cheap toys. There was always something interesting to do or look at. Coen was rough. He cried a lot and I spent most of the trip smashed in the backseat between the two carseats so he would travel better. He wasn't interested in the new toys I'd brought for him. He would take something and throw it over the side of the seat into the space between the seat and the door. Then when I opened his door to get him out, an avalanche of toys would fall out into the dirty slush. Cereal strung on yarn and tied in a circle kept him occupied for quite a while, but I don't like to give him sugary stuff often.

We had a great trip, and I've posted pictures over on Facebook. I need to get my videos up on Vimeo and I'll be set. We got to meet Leanor, from Scum of the Earth Church, who we support. It was so nice to see Paul's family again. I wish we lived closer.

We have yet to give Kalten his Christmas presents. We didn't bring them along to Colorado because we would have just had to bring them home again, and we're celebrating the family Christmas on Sunday when my brother and sister-in-law will be home from their trip to New York. We don't really have anything for Coen, we got him a bunch of new toys for the trip - a little cell phone, a teether strawberry, a book, and a few other things. So he already got his.

It's time to start thinking of birthdays. First Coen, then Kalten. First birthdays are a big deal in my family, so Coen's birthday is going to be crazy. Kalten's will be simpler.