It seems as though the holidays - and all of the craziness that goes along with them - has taken a toll on this mama. I thought for sure I had updated The Abby (and Zach) Adventures more recently than NOVEMBER!! But alas, I see it's been almost 3 months! And what a busy 3 months at that:
November:
- Post-hurricane donations
- Dog surgery (she's ok!)
- Trip to Chicago for Thanksgiving (flight going was just mom and both kids for the first time ever!)
- Grammy in NYC to compete in the Scotch Most Gifted Wrapper contest (she didn't win)
December:
- Abby's trip to the Nutcracker, sleepover in the city with Grammy at a hotel
- Abby's first trip to the American Girl store in NYC
- Abby's first Broadway show - Annie!
- Abby's first time ice skating
- Hanukkah! (Zach's Hanukkah theme was trains, cars and legos; Abby's Hanukkah theme was Annie & American Girl doll)
- Potty Training!
January:
- New Year - 2013!
- Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show
- First preschool Shabbat for Zach
- A bunch of sick Strongins (colds, flu) :(
- Celebrating our baby nephew's first birthday
- A great report card & first kindergarten parent-teacher conference
So here we are, 3 months later with a lot accomplished, including potty training Zach in just 3 days. Yep, the little guy did great and is diaper-free (other than Pull-Ups at night) and we could not be more proud! It was a rough few days but we plugged along and made it happen. And at his first preschool parent/teacher conference, Zach's teacher told me that he his "the happiest kid in the whole school, always willing to do anything and is so good-natured." Also a proud moment, but his teacher isn't at home when he throws a fit because I won't put "Woody" (Toy Story) on or give him ice cream if he doesn't eat his dinner! But that's the Terrible Twos I fear - and I suppose we are lucky that it took him 8 months to get there.
I also could not be more proud of Abby, whose teacher wrote: “Abigail is a happy, outgoing, energetic student. She loves doing arts and crafts and drawing pictures. It is clear that Abigail is trying hard to follow the rules and be a good friend to her classmates. She often positions herself in front of the teacher during group lessons, and this usually helps her focus on the speaker. Abigail has become a fluent writer, she sits down, writes independently and also helps her peers when asked."
We, too, have seen huge progress from her in her writing, spelling and reading just in the past few months. It's exciting and encouraging when your kindergartener writes "I like Jijibredman bcoz the butis" (I like (the) gingerbread man because (of) the buttons) or "I love mom, dad, Zach and Sadie." Her teacher said she is reading at the level she should be at in June, which is promising to hear. And for a minute during her parent/teacher conference when I saw she received a 4 (for meeting with excellence) in "algebra," it turns out that kindergarten algebra is really pattern formation and recognition. Oh well, guess she won't be in MENSA :).
We have a busy few weeks ahead of us, with trips to Maryland and Florida planned as well as February vacation (for them, not me) and lots going on at home. Hopefully mama will take some time to update their adventures more frequently so that I don't forget the fun and exciting things they do!
Showing posts with label terrible twos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terrible twos. Show all posts
Monday, February 4, 2013
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Fours are Here!
I am one day into Abby's 4th year and already am breathing a sigh of relief that the 3's are over. I mean, you always hear about the "terrible twos," but I, for one, was not exactly prepared for the "torturous threes"! Granted, Zach was just 7 weeks old when Abby turned 3, so a lot of changes happened at once for her, but it's been a rough year, to say the least. Abby has always been a hot/cold kind of gal, but the hots were scorching and the colds were frigid this year. She could go from the happiest girl on the block to a screaming, crying mess in the drop of a hat if something didn't go her way. I was told this is what 3 is like, and it did not disappoint.
The good news is that we seem to have moved into a calmer (albeit still whiny) phase as she gets older. She is able to clearly express her needs/wants/desires and we encourage her to choose words over tears when possible. I am hopeful that each day that she gets further away from 3 and closer to 5, her words and emotions will be tied up neatly in a little gift-wrapped package.
And speaking of gifts - oh my! Her birthday party on Saturday was fun-filled 1.5 hours of painting, dancing and eating. Abby seemed to have a good time in the group activities (painting, dancing, eating) and became shy and pouty when the focus was on her (limbo, parachute, singing happy birthday). I don't know why she gets shy when the spotlight gets on her, but I hope she gets more comfortable. She has a lot to be proud of and I want to try to help her grow into herself. Her friends and family all love her and it makes me sad when she gets mopey or shy.
Our task now is to find room for all the wonderful gifts she received, from lots of great princess dress-up costumes to dolls, beach toys, a picnic set, a huge dollhouse and her first big girl bike. Jason and I can't wait to watch our little girl begin her fourth year of fun!
Happy birthday, Abby! We love you!
The good news is that we seem to have moved into a calmer (albeit still whiny) phase as she gets older. She is able to clearly express her needs/wants/desires and we encourage her to choose words over tears when possible. I am hopeful that each day that she gets further away from 3 and closer to 5, her words and emotions will be tied up neatly in a little gift-wrapped package.
And speaking of gifts - oh my! Her birthday party on Saturday was fun-filled 1.5 hours of painting, dancing and eating. Abby seemed to have a good time in the group activities (painting, dancing, eating) and became shy and pouty when the focus was on her (limbo, parachute, singing happy birthday). I don't know why she gets shy when the spotlight gets on her, but I hope she gets more comfortable. She has a lot to be proud of and I want to try to help her grow into herself. Her friends and family all love her and it makes me sad when she gets mopey or shy.
Our task now is to find room for all the wonderful gifts she received, from lots of great princess dress-up costumes to dolls, beach toys, a picnic set, a huge dollhouse and her first big girl bike. Jason and I can't wait to watch our little girl begin her fourth year of fun!
Happy birthday, Abby! We love you!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Little Man
With the hoopla of the first birthday come and gone, it has been fun looking back on what I was doing this time, last year (just had his bris, was about to miss out on Mother's Day due to a horrid allergic reaction to my c-section strips...) and being very relieved that I'm on to new and different things this year.
Zach's first birthday was a lot of fun - he had a great time listening to the music (he was very intently watching) and had the most fun shoving an entire piece of cake in his mouth for the first time. Probably the highlight of his whole year! Abby loved watching him, too, and I just sat back and took pictures while marveling at my baby boy turning into a big boy. Oh, and not to worry, he is still "little" in some ways - he measured in the 3rd percentile for height and 6th for weight at his 1-year check-up!
Of course, I have some sadness at the fact that he is no longer a baby as he is most likely my last child (I say that with a 1% chance of changing my mind, never say never!). I know that in no time, I'll be chasing him around the park, telling him to stop bugging his sister and complaining about the "terrible twos" (or threes, in Abby's case). But in the the meantime, I am just so happy to have my little boy, who delights in the littlest things (balloons! paper towel rolls! Sadie's kisses! his sister's tickles!) and makes my world that much better.
I am so lucky to be Abby and Zach's mommy and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel blessed to have these two little people in my life, who make my life complete.
Happy Mother's Day to all the great mommies out there!
Zach's first birthday was a lot of fun - he had a great time listening to the music (he was very intently watching) and had the most fun shoving an entire piece of cake in his mouth for the first time. Probably the highlight of his whole year! Abby loved watching him, too, and I just sat back and took pictures while marveling at my baby boy turning into a big boy. Oh, and not to worry, he is still "little" in some ways - he measured in the 3rd percentile for height and 6th for weight at his 1-year check-up!
Of course, I have some sadness at the fact that he is no longer a baby as he is most likely my last child (I say that with a 1% chance of changing my mind, never say never!). I know that in no time, I'll be chasing him around the park, telling him to stop bugging his sister and complaining about the "terrible twos" (or threes, in Abby's case). But in the the meantime, I am just so happy to have my little boy, who delights in the littlest things (balloons! paper towel rolls! Sadie's kisses! his sister's tickles!) and makes my world that much better.
I am so lucky to be Abby and Zach's mommy and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel blessed to have these two little people in my life, who make my life complete.
Happy Mother's Day to all the great mommies out there!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Bad (and Busy) Mommy
Well it seems that I have been a bit delinquent in posting since my last update 2.5 months ago!! Maternity leave flew by and I'm now back at work, where I seem to have more time now than I did at home with two kids, a dog, nanny and husband!
Hard to believe that my little guy is 3 months now. Zach is such a little ball of joy...very content, happy and generally has a very good demeanor. He's happiest when his big sister Abby pays attention to him or when he's "talking" to his "friends" on his bouncy seat or swing. He's been a great sleeper at night and not so good about napping during the day, but he's never cranky when he doesn't sleep (which is ridiculous because I certainly am!).
As for Big Sister Abby, she has been great with him, very gentle and loving. If you get too close to him, she'll tell you "don't touch, he's MY brother"! With us, however, she hasn't been exhibiting the best behavior as of late. It seems that the "terrible twos" have progressed into the "more terrible threes" with frequent bouts of whining, crying and demands. I would be convinced that it was all due to the arrival of her baby brother, but my friends with 3-year-olds are all saying the same thing - it's their age and their need to want to be independent. It's frustrating at best and there are days I want to put her up for adoption and other days when she is as sweet and good as can be. We just need to tough it out and hold our ground.
Because her behavior hasn't always been so stellar as of late, we have implemented a rewards/behavior chart at home. If she gets 4 out of 5 stars for good listening, no whining, no hitting, potty and/or good manners, she gets a lollipop at the end of the day. So far just the threat of no lollipop or no Dora on tv is enough to make her stop and think if her bad behavior is worth it!
Unfortunately the potty training, or lack thereof, hasn't been going so smoothly. Abby stubbornly refuses to use the potty, no matter what or how much we bribe her with her favorite things (ice cream, lollipops, M&Ms, etc..). Her pediatrician tells us to wait until she is ready, but the days just keep creeping past us, getting closer to when school starts (when I'd like her to be trained), so we might use the long month between the end of camp and the start of school as time to dump the diapers for good. We will see who wins that battle!
In other news, Abby's third birthday came and went quickly. We celebrated with some cute (and not-so-cute) animals at the Greenburgh Nature Center and lots of cake. About a month after her birthday, Abby joined the ranks of the big girls and gave up her crib for a bed! She has been doing great in the bed and following the two golden rules - no jumping and no getting out after naps or in the morning. We'll see how long that lasts!
Anyway, I promise to do a better job of keeping up to date now that I have two kids to keep track of. Each day is a new adventure and I look forward to sharing it with you!
Hard to believe that my little guy is 3 months now. Zach is such a little ball of joy...very content, happy and generally has a very good demeanor. He's happiest when his big sister Abby pays attention to him or when he's "talking" to his "friends" on his bouncy seat or swing. He's been a great sleeper at night and not so good about napping during the day, but he's never cranky when he doesn't sleep (which is ridiculous because I certainly am!).
As for Big Sister Abby, she has been great with him, very gentle and loving. If you get too close to him, she'll tell you "don't touch, he's MY brother"! With us, however, she hasn't been exhibiting the best behavior as of late. It seems that the "terrible twos" have progressed into the "more terrible threes" with frequent bouts of whining, crying and demands. I would be convinced that it was all due to the arrival of her baby brother, but my friends with 3-year-olds are all saying the same thing - it's their age and their need to want to be independent. It's frustrating at best and there are days I want to put her up for adoption and other days when she is as sweet and good as can be. We just need to tough it out and hold our ground.
Because her behavior hasn't always been so stellar as of late, we have implemented a rewards/behavior chart at home. If she gets 4 out of 5 stars for good listening, no whining, no hitting, potty and/or good manners, she gets a lollipop at the end of the day. So far just the threat of no lollipop or no Dora on tv is enough to make her stop and think if her bad behavior is worth it!
Unfortunately the potty training, or lack thereof, hasn't been going so smoothly. Abby stubbornly refuses to use the potty, no matter what or how much we bribe her with her favorite things (ice cream, lollipops, M&Ms, etc..). Her pediatrician tells us to wait until she is ready, but the days just keep creeping past us, getting closer to when school starts (when I'd like her to be trained), so we might use the long month between the end of camp and the start of school as time to dump the diapers for good. We will see who wins that battle!
In other news, Abby's third birthday came and went quickly. We celebrated with some cute (and not-so-cute) animals at the Greenburgh Nature Center and lots of cake. About a month after her birthday, Abby joined the ranks of the big girls and gave up her crib for a bed! She has been doing great in the bed and following the two golden rules - no jumping and no getting out after naps or in the morning. We'll see how long that lasts!
Anyway, I promise to do a better job of keeping up to date now that I have two kids to keep track of. Each day is a new adventure and I look forward to sharing it with you!
Monday, March 29, 2010
One more month
Oops, I just realized it's been quite some time since I last posted some updates. My apologies - things around our household have been quite crazy!
With just about a month left until Baby Boy Strongin's due date, we've been gearing up (literally and figuratively) for the big day. We dug out all of Abby's old toys, equipment and accessories to see what shape it is in before using it again. Luckily, we kept everything in good shape so we don't need too many necessities. We finished putting a few things on our registry at Buy Buy Baby, did a load of newborn laundry (thanks to my nephew's old clothes), picked a place for the bris and we may even have chosen a name (you'll have to wait until he is born to find out)! And most importantly, we've been trying to spend as much quality time with our only child (for now) since we know it's only a matter of 4-5 weeks until she has to share us with her baby brother.
Abby's been doing great for the most part, other than an occassional "terrible twos" outbreak, which we realize is normal. She has been thrilled to be able to play outside as the weather improves (slowly but surely) and still loves school. Each day she continues to surprise us with a new phrase, sentence or funny thing she does and it is so much fun to watch her grow up.
We've been dealing with a lot of issues with our new nanny, Simone, lately, which is a whole other situation. We thought it would be a great idea to hire someone without children as there would be no excuses and they'd be more reliable. Well, she does show up (albeit a few minutes late each day) but we realized that she has NO motherly instincts at all and really doesn't have a good grasp of how to deal with Abby. We have seen a number of situations which we haven't been thrilled with and we don't see that Abby is loving her either. So the search is on for someone new since we don't want to just settle for anyone, especially since I'll be home with this person for 3 months during maternity leave! So if you know of anyone, please send them my way!
Happy Passover & Easter and get ready for spring, even if it brings a bad allergy season for you as it does for me!
With just about a month left until Baby Boy Strongin's due date, we've been gearing up (literally and figuratively) for the big day. We dug out all of Abby's old toys, equipment and accessories to see what shape it is in before using it again. Luckily, we kept everything in good shape so we don't need too many necessities. We finished putting a few things on our registry at Buy Buy Baby, did a load of newborn laundry (thanks to my nephew's old clothes), picked a place for the bris and we may even have chosen a name (you'll have to wait until he is born to find out)! And most importantly, we've been trying to spend as much quality time with our only child (for now) since we know it's only a matter of 4-5 weeks until she has to share us with her baby brother.
Abby's been doing great for the most part, other than an occassional "terrible twos" outbreak, which we realize is normal. She has been thrilled to be able to play outside as the weather improves (slowly but surely) and still loves school. Each day she continues to surprise us with a new phrase, sentence or funny thing she does and it is so much fun to watch her grow up.
We've been dealing with a lot of issues with our new nanny, Simone, lately, which is a whole other situation. We thought it would be a great idea to hire someone without children as there would be no excuses and they'd be more reliable. Well, she does show up (albeit a few minutes late each day) but we realized that she has NO motherly instincts at all and really doesn't have a good grasp of how to deal with Abby. We have seen a number of situations which we haven't been thrilled with and we don't see that Abby is loving her either. So the search is on for someone new since we don't want to just settle for anyone, especially since I'll be home with this person for 3 months during maternity leave! So if you know of anyone, please send them my way!
Happy Passover & Easter and get ready for spring, even if it brings a bad allergy season for you as it does for me!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Terrible Twos or Teething?
Whoops, it's been close to a month since I last had any good Abby updates or stories! Bad mommy! So I'll give you the download on this past weekend's events which caused me to wonder: is Abby going through the Terrible Two's or Teething (or both)??
Friday afternoon, we went to Abby's cousin Matthew's 3rd birthday party and then to a BBQ at his house. That evening, Abby was in a good mood but we came home and discovered she was running a low fever - around 99/100. We gave her some Motrin and sent her to bed, only to be woken at 1:30 am as she was throwing up in her crib. We dreaded a stomach virus - the last one was not exactly pleasant and getting her to eat or drink anything was a challenge. The next morning, she woke up with a fever but insisted on drinking her milk, which is a big no-no for an upset stomach. We took our chances and she gulped down 6 ozs and it stayed down - whew. The rest of the day was pretty low-key - she napped for 4 hours, had a fever on and off and was pretty tired and cranky.
The next day, Sunday, she woke up without a fever and ate and drank normally. I couldn't believe that this "virus" was so short-lived. After an unusual early morning nap, Abby woke up and was beyond cranky. She whined or cried at the drop of a hat, and was only happy the few minutes she was on the swing at the park, eating ice cream or in the pool that day. I figured she was just being a good ol' "terrible toddler" and chalked it up to a bad day and I went to bed early.
Monday rolled around and she felt and acted much better, though was still cranky. It finally crossed my mind that perhaps the fever/throwing up/crankiness (and a slightly runny nose, by the way) were all a result of teething, since a virus usually lasts much longer. She still had her top two molars which had not come through yet, so perhaps they were the culprits of her behavior over the weekend. Low and behold, Tuesday night as I was brushing her teeth, I saw one of her top molars poking through.
While Abby is generally a very easy-going child, I realize it is normal at her age to have tantrums and breakdowns, but I am relieved to know that this one, at least, had a good reason and now she only has ONE more tooth to pop through until she has all 20 baby teeth!
Friday afternoon, we went to Abby's cousin Matthew's 3rd birthday party and then to a BBQ at his house. That evening, Abby was in a good mood but we came home and discovered she was running a low fever - around 99/100. We gave her some Motrin and sent her to bed, only to be woken at 1:30 am as she was throwing up in her crib. We dreaded a stomach virus - the last one was not exactly pleasant and getting her to eat or drink anything was a challenge. The next morning, she woke up with a fever but insisted on drinking her milk, which is a big no-no for an upset stomach. We took our chances and she gulped down 6 ozs and it stayed down - whew. The rest of the day was pretty low-key - she napped for 4 hours, had a fever on and off and was pretty tired and cranky.
The next day, Sunday, she woke up without a fever and ate and drank normally. I couldn't believe that this "virus" was so short-lived. After an unusual early morning nap, Abby woke up and was beyond cranky. She whined or cried at the drop of a hat, and was only happy the few minutes she was on the swing at the park, eating ice cream or in the pool that day. I figured she was just being a good ol' "terrible toddler" and chalked it up to a bad day and I went to bed early.
Monday rolled around and she felt and acted much better, though was still cranky. It finally crossed my mind that perhaps the fever/throwing up/crankiness (and a slightly runny nose, by the way) were all a result of teething, since a virus usually lasts much longer. She still had her top two molars which had not come through yet, so perhaps they were the culprits of her behavior over the weekend. Low and behold, Tuesday night as I was brushing her teeth, I saw one of her top molars poking through.
While Abby is generally a very easy-going child, I realize it is normal at her age to have tantrums and breakdowns, but I am relieved to know that this one, at least, had a good reason and now she only has ONE more tooth to pop through until she has all 20 baby teeth!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
One more day of the one's
I am saying goodbye to the ones - in about 12 hours, Abby will turn TWO! What a mix of emotions I'm feeling - excitement for the next phase and seeing what she'll learn and do and nervous for the challenges this stage of toddlerdom will bring.
My hopes for her this next year (in no particular order) are:
- to love and prosper in preschool
- to become potty trained
- to sleep in a big girl bed (later rather than sooner)
- to learn colors (seriously, not everything is "red"!)
- to learn to share
These tasks seem minor in comparison to what she learned to do this year, including walking, talking, feeding and dressing herself!
In the meantime, we have her birthday party this weekend and then her big 2-year check-up at the doctor on Monday. Grandma Sheryl is coming in town and Abby's friends will all be able to help her celebrate this milestone.
Happy Birthday, sweet pea! Mommy and Daddy love you so much!
My hopes for her this next year (in no particular order) are:
- to love and prosper in preschool
- to become potty trained
- to sleep in a big girl bed (later rather than sooner)
- to learn colors (seriously, not everything is "red"!)
- to learn to share
These tasks seem minor in comparison to what she learned to do this year, including walking, talking, feeding and dressing herself!
In the meantime, we have her birthday party this weekend and then her big 2-year check-up at the doctor on Monday. Grandma Sheryl is coming in town and Abby's friends will all be able to help her celebrate this milestone.
Happy Birthday, sweet pea! Mommy and Daddy love you so much!
Friday, May 8, 2009
No Want It!
Alas, as the "terrible twos" approach in just 6 weeks, Abby has a newfound favorite phrase: "No want it!" Which, by the way, she uses a minimum of 20 times a day! Sometimes it's specific: "No want shoes" but most of the time it's a general statement of defiance and trying asserting her independence. Today it was first used when our nanny asked Abby if she wanted more milk and her response was: "No more milk. No want it." Ok then! The good news is that she is also saying "yeah" or "yes" more frequently, so we are at least pretty confident when she says no, she MEANS NO!
I just hope that her learning how to assert herself early on means she'll be confident and independent later in life!
I just hope that her learning how to assert herself early on means she'll be confident and independent later in life!
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