No Fear? No Problem...

Yesterday we started up one last round of daily swim lessons before preschool starts up again.

It helps Bubbalu learn how to swim (duh) and helps keep his huge bucket-sized need of social interaction and physical activity partially filled. MUCH more full than can be accomplished sitting at home with a boring Mama and a sister to torment.

This kid has no fear. As I've said before, I've always wanted his swimming instructors to scare him a bit, to help him develop a healthy sense of fear for water.

NEVER works.

Hence the need for LOTS of swim lessons so we know he will be safer when he is around water.

This lack of fear was proved again at our local fair where he rode as many rides as his height would allow, the faster and scarier the better. Oy.

This is our first lessons at this local pool for Bubbalu. It's actually where I learned how to swim. Great memories! After a swim lesson is done, all students get a chance to go down the really tall (for a 4 yr old) slide or jump off the diving board.

Of course there was no hesitation from our thrill-seeker.

Grabbed my phone JUST in time to snap this pic of Bubbalu shooting off the end of the slide with a look of absolute glee on his face:

Pin It

Makes me laugh EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I look at it :)

Off to rinse out his swim stuff...

Amanda

VintageDutchGirl on FACEBOOK :)

Vintage Xbox for Four (and a HALF) year olds...

Being that is was another cold Washington Summer Weather 2011 day, the kiddos were getting bored being stuck inside the house. Again. (and I may have been going slightly bonkers).

Having been introduced to the wonderful world that is video gaming by my boy cousins at a recent family dinner, I hauled out our old school Xbox to show Bubbalu how it's done.

A. When I say old school, I mean it. The date promter started at '01. Which made me giggle. Just think, only 9 more years and it's eligible to be sold as Vintage on etsy!

B. Bubbalu is a better Rallysport driver than I am. Embarassing. Being showed up by a 4 (and a HALF! he always insists) year old. Huh, all those days growing up playing Wolfenstein on our PC didn't teach me anything!?

C. Should I teach him DanceDance Revolution? That'd be some serious hilarity. And an effective energy burner....hmmm. (...Runs off to find DDR dance mat....).

D. I need to unearth some older Xbox kids games. Anyone willing to donate some old castoff games to the "Amanda needs to clean her house and keep her sanity" fund?

Happy gaming!

Amanda

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The BOYS...

Yeah yeah yeah, I KNOW urine is sterile.

I KNOW bathrooms are the place to empty thyself of urine.

I KNOW toilets are supposedly the place to put the urine INTO.

But.

Can I just say???

Boys are disgusting.

Thank you,

A

Reasonable, Understanding and Rule-Following Child...

My husband and I had a great, Christmasy time wrapping all the kiddos Christmas (and birthday) presents yesterday afternoon. We listened to Christmas music and talked about how the kids would love their presents.

We had a strict talk with Bubbalu about the presents needing to stay under the tree and that they were strictly off limits.

I'm just SO glad he has recently developed into a reasonable, understanding and rule-following child:



It will be a miracle if the presents remain intact until the 25th. I'll keep you posted...

A

Health Has Returned From Its Vacation...

I was able to give Lil Chick her very last dose of antibiotics this morning and dump the rest down the kitchen sink.

(insert sigh of relief)

Guess what? Her eyes aren't red rimmed and glassy. Her little body is no longer a fever factory. If her appetite is any indication of health, she is H.E.A.L.T.H.Y.

Bubbalu is better as well! I know this because he is being his normal stubborn ornery self.

Last night he said to his dear sweet Auntie Joanie, "You shut your mouth Joanie!"

Of COURSE he was punished. But the little stinker would NOT apologize. More punishment. He still would not apologize. After about a ten minute long time out period he sauntered over to me, his Grandma, and Auntie Joanie and started quietly chanting, "you shut your mouth, you shut your mouth, you shut your mouth" and slowly increasing in decibels until I could hear him.

Yep, he is ALLLLLL better now!

A

p.s. The Customizable Jones Soda Giveaway still going on over at the Vintage Dutch Girl Giveaway Blog! Go and enter to win!

The Tomato Bandit...

My tomato bandit has struck again. Sure my tomato plants are looking sickly, withered and crispy but they were still producing happy little tomatoes for me to enjoy in my salads.

On the deck I found this:



(Picture me exhaling loudly in frustration)

Then I looked up and saw this:



(Picture me AGAIN exhaling loudly in frustration)

Well Bubbalu, I hope you enjoyed your throwing practice. With all that repetitive throwing motion, I'm wondering if you might have yourself a little case of tomato elbow.

Serves you right...

A

I Love Daddy Everyday...

I want to be like Daddy someday, and have a little son.

I'll treat him like my Daddy treats me, I'll be his bestest friend.

Soon I'll be all growed up big and just because I can,

I'll still hug my Daddy everyday and say that I love him.



A

Jump Frog Jump!!!

We took Bubbalu out to our brother Alec's cross country meet a few weeks ago. It was sorta crummy weather, but Alec ran great.

The highlight of the trip (sorry Al!) was when I spotted a tiny green frog jumping his way across a huge field. Bubbalu was VERY interested:



I see it Daddy! I do!



OK, I really don't see it. Daddy where is it?



Silly Daddy put it right on my boot!



Mommy? If I am a VERY good boy today can I take my froggy friend home?



Not today sweetie, fish are all that we can handle right now...

A

He's Agrowin'...

I took Bubbalu to his well-child visit at his new pediatric clinic today. All is well and good.

I LUV going to Pediatric visits. I may be kinda nerdy that way. Or, maybe because I'm a nurse and like to chat with others in the medical field? Who knows.

I'm an information person. I like to know Bubbalu's growth percentages, weight gain, newly accurate acetaminophen dosaging and to have my finnicky questions answered.

I also see it as a way to validate how I'm doing as a mother. "Is my beloved offspring, the object of my continued attention and affection, thriving?"

I found it funny that they wrote directly on the growth graph: Father is 6'4".



He's just like his Papa.

Could it really be that I am THIS blessed?

A

Backpacking It...

In the interest of yesterday's post displaying all of my baby carriers, I figured I must also include Lance's favorite carrier of all, the Piggyback child carrier.

Surprise surprise, it comes from his other home, REI. Or, in our case, a kind neighbor who just wanted it out of her closet and willing to part with it for penny change.



It has lovely hip and back support, and is fully adjustable for height of the carrier, and the age of the child.

Awww, look at those chubby arms!!!



It also has a zip-off day pack that I usually use on our longer hikes. You can see it lying on the ground in this pic:



See? Happy baby!



We love this carrier and highly recommend it if you are a hiker with a little one running around. It has allowed us to continue hiking while Bubbalu enjoys the ride.

Here's the most recent pic of us hiking Little Mount Si :



Any of you hikers?

A

Mother Goose...

Our little family went out this morning for a quick jaunt in the protected wetlands area by our house. Lance wasn't due at school until after lunch...such a senior slacker! Lance often takes Bubbalu there to get some energy out and see the ducks and geese.

I am a protective Mama. I see the possibility of bad things in most situations. For instance, when Bubbalu is walking along a trail and two large geese (larger than he is) notice his presence. Um, not good. Yes, it is the spring "we're making goslings and I'm a protective Mama goose" season Also, I am sure these geese are no strangers to goldfish cracker handouts. I get a leetle nervous when he gets too close.

Have you NEVER seen America's Funniest Home Videos? Or AFV for those who watch it daily. It is one of my all time favorite television shows. It always makes me laugh.

Have you seen the videos of kids getting attacked by various large fowl? It's one thing if you are ten or eleven, but Bubbalu is only 17 months old.

I pictured these huge geese running at him feathers flying and attacking him. I just couldn't let that happen. So, I quickly picked him up and carried him.

Lance made fun of me. "I let him walk past geese ALL THE TIME, it's not like their going to attack him or anything".

Am I paranoid? Probably. Did the geese attack him today? No. Did Mama feel like she was protecting her offspring? Yep.

It's just too bad her precious protected offspring danced in the goose poop...

A

Pretty Big Shoes To Fill...

Uh Dad? Can I borrow these for just a sec?


I'm concerned about the wear pattern on your tread. Are you sure you're not supinating?


See Dad? They look better on me anyways...


Now, how do I get these things off?

'Cause my feet are getting sweaty...

A