Three Weasels http://threeweasels.com Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:19:22 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 The Dollhouse Lives On http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-dollhouse-lives-on.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-dollhouse-lives-on.html#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:19:22 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4858 Juliana received the dollhouse as a gift when she was one and she played with it almost everyday for years.

It was one of the few toys from her toddler years that was still in the active toy rotation when the boys turned one and started to play with it as well. . . . → Read More: The Dollhouse Lives On]]> Juliana received the dollhouse as a gift when she was one and she played with it almost everyday for years.

It was one of the few toys from her toddler years that was still in the active toy rotation when the boys turned one and started to play with it as well. They still play with it, but they usually play with the house or the people from the house not together. Sometimes they fill the house with cars and drive them around the house and along the roof.

The people are never in the house because they are busy driving cars – you will notice that the mommy doesn’t go anywhere without the baby.

Wyatt put the whole family in the Jeep together yesterday and drove them around. When they were done with their drive Wyatt took the baby and the mommy out of the Jeep. He walked the baby over to the mommy and yelled “uppie Mommy”…play imitates life.

 

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-dollhouse-lives-on.html/feed 1 Out With the Old http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/out-with-the-old.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/out-with-the-old.html#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:23:15 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4849 After the Honda started acting up again a few weeks ago, Scott took it to the shop and the news wasn’t good, it needed $1,500 in transmission work. We were still trying to decide what to do about the Honda when we took the Jeep to be inspected. We were down to one car . . . → Read More: Out With the Old]]> After the Honda started acting up again a few weeks ago, Scott took it to the shop and the news wasn’t good, it needed $1,500 in transmission work. We were still trying to decide what to do about the Honda when we took the Jeep to be inspected. We were down to one car for a week…that was not fun. After ~$700 in repairs to the Jeep to pass inspection we had it back in time for Scott to drive back and forth to the Air Force base that weekend. Sunday afternoon while he was driving home, the engine died, in dramatic fashion, inside the Fort Pitt Tunnel. When he called me from the tunnel I was so grateful that he was ok and that there were no other cars involved.

We needed to make some quick decisions, life with one car is not a good situation. Monday morning we decided it was time to retire the 2002 Jeep and the 1997 Honda. Scott searched the Honda website for cars in the area and by the end of the day he was home with a 2008 Honda Accord. So now we have 2 reliable vehicles.

I can’t tell you much about the new car. I was supposed to drive it today, but Scott decided it would be easier to move both of the boys’ car seats and have me take the van instead. So now the boys have been in the car and Juliana went for a ride earlier this week. Someday I will go for a ride in the new Honda and maybe even drive it.

 

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/out-with-the-old.html/feed 1 The Beginning of the End http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-beginning-of-the-end.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-beginning-of-the-end.html#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:02:10 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4835 At the beginning of each month Juliana brings home a homework calendar attached to a stack of worksheets. Technically there is an assignment for each day, but since each one only takes a minute or two it is not worth the trouble to do it each day. So generally Thursday evenings after the boys are . . . → Read More: The Beginning of the End]]> At the beginning of each month Juliana brings home a homework calendar attached to a stack of worksheets. Technically there is an assignment for each day, but since each one only takes a minute or two it is not worth the trouble to do it each day. So generally Thursday evenings after the boys are in bed, I grab the worksheets for the week along with a pencil and the crayons and we sit down together. I used to read the directions to her, but she can read them on her own most of the time now. So instead I sit with her to help her stay focused and answer questions.

Last week she was quietly working through the assignments when she yelled, “I did it right!” I glanced over to see why she was so excited and I saw it. The letter J – it was facing the correct direction – and she was so happy that she wrote it correctly. The J in Jet at the bottom of the page is correct; the J in her name at the top of the page is how she usually writes it. I think that she writes all of her letters the correct direction except J (she still as trouble with the numbers 4 and 9).

You would think that the letters in her name would be correct since she writes them all the time, but since she has been writing them that way for so long it is natural for her. It is also the only word that she still writes in all capital letters. All caps except the letter i complete with a circle over it instead of a simple dot…I expect the circle to be replaced with a heart any day now.

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-beginning-of-the-end.html/feed 1 He is Always by My Side http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/he-is-always-by-my-side.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/he-is-always-by-my-side.html#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:34:46 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4809 I take a lot of pictures of the kids and when I look through my image catalog there are so many pictures of Juliana and Ruslan laughing and showing their personality. I have fewer pictures of Wyatt and it’s not because I don’t spend much time with him. In fact I spend a lot . . . → Read More: He is Always by My Side]]> I take a lot of pictures of the kids and when I look through my image catalog there are so many pictures of Juliana and Ruslan laughing and showing their personality. I have fewer pictures of Wyatt and it’s not because I don’t spend much time with him. In fact I spend a lot of time with him and he is usually very close.

Wyatt can be found clinging to my leg while I am trying to be productive in the kitchen or sitting on my lap when he drags me away to the playroom.

Some nights he is overtired and won’t eat dinner unless I am near.

He loves to sit on my lap in the evening so my view of him is the back of his head.

When my friend Michelle took pictures of us in December, I had to hold Wyatt for much of the time. And if I wasn’t holding him I was only a few inches away. Wyatt may not have a silly smile on his face, but I love this picture. This is Wyatt who loves to snuggle and this is how we spend a lot of time. On the days that Wyatt screams whenever I walk away from him, I try to remind myself that this phase won’t last forever.

Speaking of Michelle, check out the website for her photography business. She is awesome!

 

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/he-is-always-by-my-side.html/feed 1 He Really Does Love His Sister http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/he-really-does-love-his-sister.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/he-really-does-love-his-sister.html#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:24:51 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4797 While we were shopping today Juliana asked me to take her picture with Wyatt. I don’t know if Wyatt was afraid she was trying to steal his crackers, but he made it clear that he did not want Juliana close to him.

. . . → Read More: He Really Does Love His Sister]]> While we were shopping today Juliana asked me to take her picture with Wyatt. I don’t know if Wyatt was afraid she was trying to steal his crackers, but he made it clear that he did not want Juliana close to him.

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/he-really-does-love-his-sister.html/feed 2 A Sick Day for Wyatt http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/a-sick-day-for-wyatt.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/a-sick-day-for-wyatt.html#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:52:28 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4771 Wyatt was home today with a fever and upset stomach. He started to feel better mid-morning although he was very tired and clingy. We keep some toys in closed storage – I opened some of those bins this morning to entertain him.

He watched tv and ate some food and we had yet another . . . → Read More: A Sick Day for Wyatt]]> Wyatt was home today with a fever and upset stomach. He started to feel better mid-morning although he was very tired and clingy. We keep some toys in closed storage – I opened some of those bins this morning to entertain him.

He watched tv and ate some food and we had yet another change of footie pjs. At times he put his head down on the table and eventually we went back to the playroom so he could lounge more comfortably and we read books.

And when I really needed to get some work done, I opened the kid apps folder and handed my i-pad to him. He “read” books and played games, never moving more than a few feet away from me.

He didn’t protest nap time and we woke him up after 3 hours. He seemed much more like himself after a good nap and his temp was normal. He ate a snack and soon Ruslan was home and they played together. Wyatt ate 2 large pieces of pizza for dinner (I was really hoping his stomach was settled as he kept eating more) and drank lots of water. After dinner it was a normal evening with playtime and books and snuggles before bed. Looking back at this picture I took after dinner last night, he probably wasn’t feeling well then. I’m glad he is feeling better tonight.

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/a-sick-day-for-wyatt.html/feed 1 The Flying Princess http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-flying-princess.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-flying-princess.html#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:39:36 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4758 It was so beautiful yesterday that we had no other choice than to pick up the boys early and head to the park. As we ran out the door, I didn’t even notice the crown.

. . . → Read More: The Flying Princess]]> It was so beautiful yesterday that we had no other choice than to pick up the boys early and head to the park. As we ran out the door, I didn’t even notice the crown.

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/02/the-flying-princess.html/feed 3 Parking the Cars http://threeweasels.com/2012/01/parking-the-cars.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/01/parking-the-cars.html#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:37:25 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4733 You can often find Ruslan quietly playing with the small cars – driving them across any flat surface including walls, tables, floors and window sills. After dinner tonight Ruslan disappeared into the playroom and started to collect cars and park them on the window sill. He was sitting on the table with a pile . . . → Read More: Parking the Cars]]> You can often find Ruslan quietly playing with the small cars – driving them across any flat surface including walls, tables, floors and window sills. After dinner tonight Ruslan disappeared into the playroom and started to collect cars and park them on the window sill. He was sitting on the table with a pile of cars. He would slowly drive each car across the table, up the wall and along the window sill until he reached the next available spot where he would park it.

I did remind him that he should not be sitting on the table and he would get down and then hop back up again.

And he is so silly cute…

He parked cars until he used all available space and then double-parked them to make room for some of the larger vehicles.

When he was done Wyatt joined him at the table and they had ”coffee”, and fake snacks and chatted…just like little old men who met for breakfast.

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/01/parking-the-cars.html/feed 2 Random Ruslan http://threeweasels.com/2012/01/random-ruslan.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/01/random-ruslan.html#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:17:35 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4638 Ruslan has the best manners of my children. He almost always remembers to say please and thank you. If he hears anyone in the house sneeze he runs to tell them Bless You.

 

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Up until recently Ruslan had no interest in TV. Why sit still watching TV when he could be climbing, . . . → Read More: Random Ruslan]]> Ruslan has the best manners of my children. He almost always remembers to say please and thank you. If he hears anyone in the house sneeze he runs to tell them Bless You.

 

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Up until recently Ruslan had no interest in TV. Why sit still watching TV when he could be climbing, running and getting into trouble. He still doesn’t have that unbreakable toddler stare in front of the TV, but he will sit and watch for 15-20 minutes. Those breaks when he will sit without me and I can leave the room for a few minutes…life changing.

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He still spends the majority of his day being very busy and he runs from one side of the house to the other. He plays for a while and then comes to sit on my lap for break. I love those still moments when he goes from high energy to complete calm, snuggles in and sucks his thumb. And after a few minutes he runs off to his next activity.

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Ruslan makes me laugh constantly – his silly grin, his happy demeanor, but mostly it is listening to him talk. He always has something to say and responds to everything, usually with Otay or Oh! He repeats most of what I say but not in an annoying way. He is repeating to learn and I hear him use the same phrasing later. He generally speaks in complete sentences. He keeps a running commentary of everything that he is doing.

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He still loves to wear everyone’s shoes especially his new cowboy boots.

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I love watching him play. I love watching him interact with others. I love how much he loves me. And I love him so very much.

]]> http://threeweasels.com/2012/01/random-ruslan.html/feed 4 Playing in the Snow http://threeweasels.com/2012/01/playing-in-the-snow-2.html http://threeweasels.com/2012/01/playing-in-the-snow-2.html#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:31:54 +0000 Jennifer http://threeweasels.com/?p=4671 We finally got enough snow that it was worth bundling the boys to play outside. I asked them if they wanted to play outside in the snow and they jumped up and down and screamed. It took awhile to assemble all of the snow gear and cut the tags off the new snow pants, . . . → Read More: Playing in the Snow]]> We finally got enough snow that it was worth bundling the boys to play outside. I asked them if they wanted to play outside in the snow and they jumped up and down and screamed. It took awhile to assemble all of the snow gear and cut the tags off the new snow pants, gloves and coats (I bought the $70 coats for the boys on clearance for $10 2 years ago).

They were so excited when we walked downstairs and they stood at the back door pointing at the snow and growing impatient while I put on my boots and gloves. I opened the back door and stepped into the snow but the boys stopped at the threshold and started to yell, “Up Mommy”. Scott herded them outside and they demanded up. Ruslan was sad and Wyatt was typically skeptical of the situation.

We persuaded them to make tracks in the snow and soon they were wandering around the yard.

Scott showed them that they could pick up the snow and throw it and they were sold – playing in the snow is fun!

Wyatt decided to try the snow – the last picture is a new favorite.

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