the rock collector

I don't know if it is all three (almost four)-year-old boys or just mine, but Malcolm is very big into gathering and "collecting" things right now.

Whether we are hanging around the house, or talking a walk around the block (or doing any other benign activity), he will inevitably gather up a group of items and declare them his "collection."

Last week, while we were at Conneaut Lake with my family, Malcolm got to it right away ...

Down at the beach one sunny morning, he and the husband were milling around on the shore, looking for rocks to throw into the clear water, when Malcolm found one that he liked ... 

So he hung on to it.

He then proceeded to find dozens more and declared them all his collection.

"Come see my collection, Mom!" he excitedly called to me when I made my way down to the lake that morning.

The "collection" wasn't hard to spot.

There they were, lots and lots of rocks, lined up carefully along one of the neighbors' docks.

It's good I snapped the above picture because, every day since we've returned from the lake, Malcolm has asked to look at his collection ...  Better an image on a computer screen (and eventually a tangible 4x6 print) than a box full of rocks in our living room!

Now if only I could get him interested in collecting something that will grow in value and help to subsidize his (eventual) college education!

exploring the planet trail

Before the ridiculous heat wave last week (which sucked out my motivation for anything other than sitting around and doing absolutely nothing), we took a little family hike in the Cleveland Metroparks.

Our trail of choice is usually the "Planet Trail" (which is within the Rocky River Reservation for any local readers who may want to check it out) for a couple of reasons ...

First is Malcolm's (and, let's be honest, my) nerdy love of the solar system. I personally enjoy that the planet plaques are not just posted willy nilly, but rather positioned to scale, as if they were really floating out in space ...  It's crazy how large some of the distances between the planets are!

Tee shirt: Circo ($4.00)

Shorts: Jumping Beans (hand-me-down)

Socks: Unknown brand (hand-me-down)

Shoes: Sperry (thrifted for $2.00)

 

Second, not far from the walking trail is a little playground and "decorative" fountain that also provide lots of entertainment for our kiddos.

As long as we come prepared (with extra clothes and beach towels), we always leave with two, exhausted kids ...

Which ultimately makes for two happy parents!

an interview with malcolm (almost four edition)

During one of the hottest days last week, the kids and I were spending some time on the porch and I got the bright idea to "interview" Malcolm.

Here are some of his favorite things ...

Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Shape: "Half moons, crescent moons, full moons ...  They all my favorite."
Favorite Fruit: "Bananas, of course!"
Favorite Lunch Food: Macaroni and Cheese
Favorite Dinner Food: Noodles (this usually means spaghetti and meatballs)
Favorite Dessert: Gummies, cakes, or pies
Favorite Drink: "Lemonade at Gramma's house, that's my best drink."
Favorite Movie: A Bug's Life
Favorite Game: Hide and Seek (although I don't think he's ever played it before!)
Favorite Train: Gordon
Favorite Stuffed Animal: Peach (the starfish from Finding Nemo)
Favorite Bug: Lady bugs, thorn bugs, caterpillars, and butterflies
Favorite Animal: Seals and reindeer
Favorite Plant: "Droopy flowers, of course ...  And tulips."
Favorite Thing at the Park: Walking on the tires

Favorite Thing About Dad: "He chases me."
Favorite Thing About Mom: Getting hugs and kisses
Favorite Thing About Pearl: Reading books with her

Hopefully, I'll remember to try this again next summer ...  And see how his preferences change over time!

train wreck

We took Malcolm to a "Day Out with Thomas" event over the weekend and witnessed the (unexpected?) highs and lows of a three-year-old in the span of a half hour.

I think the following photos sum up the experience quite nicely ...

Photo #1: Too much excitement leads to an all-out kicking and screaming melt down, and some tears.

Photo #2: The train is coming back into the station?  Wait a minute ...  This is fun!

Photo #3: Being cooperative and actually posing for pictures (with Gordon, his favorite engine) ... Maybe he wants to come again next year?

 

You've got to love the roller coaster that is life with a three-year-old ... 

As much as I like to complain (commiserate?) about it, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

everybody climb the dinosaur

The kids and I spent an afternoon at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History last week.

While Malcolm wasn't too impressed with the dinosaur bones inside of the museum (his favorite thing there was a large, coral-like chunk of calcite), he did greatly enjoy climbing the (life sized?) stegosaurus outside.

It was fun to sit back with Pearl and watch as he gained the courage to climb higher and higher ...  Starting carefully at the tail and gradually making his way up the oversized lizard's back.

Tee-shirt: Garanimals (thrifted for $1.00)

Hooded sweatshirt: Circo ($8.00)

Pants: Old Navy (hand-me-down)
Sandals: Cherokee (gift)
 

Although he isn't there yet, I know that it is only a matter of time before he is one of the "big kids."

He wants so badly to just get out there and do it ...  To break free and be like them.  And with him being preschool-bound at the end of the summer, I suppose that's a very good thing.

My little boy is growing right before my very eyes.

I wonder if I'll even recognize him in a couple of months!

tagalong monkey

Pearl always wants to do whatever Malcolm is doing ... 

And she is quickly becoming an expert climber ...

So I was only partially surprised when I heard laughter coming from my bedroom and went in to see two little monkeys jumping on my bed.

Long-sleeved shirt: Osh Kosh B'Gosh (hand-me-down)

Onesie: Old Navy (thrifted for $0.50)

Fleece pants: Circo (thrifted for $0.50)
 

Long-sleeved shirt: Arizona Jean Co. (thrifted for $0.50)

(Ripped!) pajama pants: Okie Dokie (hand-me-down)

I'm definitely going to have my hands full as soon as Pearl decides to ditch the crawling for walking ...

Then these two siblings will be unstoppable!

a boy and his toys

My husband is always concerned that our kids "don't have enough toys."

I think he's silly.

(Especially after hauling the multiple, over-sized boxes of toys ...  And train tables ...  And books ... During our move!)

While, I know my sisters and I had our share of possessions, I also spent many (many!) hours being creative and making up new games or situations for the things that I already had ...  I didn't necessarily need something new to grab my attention.

So, it seems (at least right now), is the case with Malcolm.

He will go for longs spans of time, basically ignoring something, then get into it full force all of a sudden.

Just this past weekend, he reacquainted himself with his collection of cars and trucks and was back to his old tricks of racing them and carefully lining them up ...

Over and over again.

Sweater: Greendog (hand me down)

Tee-shirt: Now & Zen (hand me down)

Khaki pants: Old Navy (hand me down)

Socks: Unknown brand (hand me down)

Shoes: Sperry (thrifted for $2.00)

In fact, although you can't tell from the above expression (he was actually trying to hide behind the couch), he was less than enthusiastic about me and my camera infringing upon his play time.

sibling love

While out on our last walk through the old neighborhood (last week), I snapped this photo of my kiddos.

 

 

Although I doubt that either of them will remember much about this part of their lives, I hope that they can look back at my photos (and this blog?) and see the formation of their friendship from the very beginning ...

(I know I'm happy that I'll have this space to return to once they are a bit older!)

on the lookout

This isn't exactly the "something cute" I referenced last week, but it is "real" and I think it sums up the way we've been spending the last couple days around here.

Long-sleeved shirt: Miniwear (thrifted for $1.00)

Sweatpants: Jumping Beans (hand-me-down)

Socks: Cherokee (pack of six for $8.00)

As I posted on Monday, we are half way through our move, and are currently enjoying a bit of an adjustment period in our new place.  This includes exploring the neighborhood and the house itself ...  Both of which have been a lot of fun with a three-year-old, because everything is interesting to him!

One of Malcolm's favorite things right now is to stand out on our front porch and watch (with a bird's eye view!) as various vehicles make their way up and down the street.

 

Hopefully, he continues to enjoy this little past time as the weather gets nicer and spring turns to summer ...

I, for one, will never tire of seeing his adorable expressions (like the one above!) when "favorite" vehicles (like UPS trucks or anything orange) come into view!

hell on wheels

Malcolm is something else nowadays.

At three, he continues to be a dichotomy of opposites.

Yet, sometimes, he is nothing but pure sweetness and light ...

(And a pinch of mischivousness thrown in for good measure.)

Winter coat: Osh Kosh B'gosh (hand-me-down)

Winter hat: Unknown brand (borrowed for the day)

Snow pants: Old Navy (thrifted for $2.00)

Winter boots: Walmart brand (thrifted for $2.00)

Baby four-wheeler: Fisher Price

 

 

While he is definitely pushing his boundaries every day, it is all just a natural part of him growing and changing before my eyes ... 

 

Turning into a full-fledged little boy.

 

A preschooler that has yet to set foot inside his first classroom.

 

A too-rough (but still protective and loving) big brother.

 

It's impossible to imagine my world without him (and his daily shenanigans).

 

I am so lucky that he is mine.

bundled boy

Since Pearl had her very own photo-inspired Haiku last week, I thought it only fair to give Malcolm the same courtesy ...

Adult ski mask?  Check!
Winter coat, gloves, and boots?  Check!
Eyes for seeing?  Uh ...

best friends

It started as an object on my baby registry.

Just a snuggly soft, multi-colored polka dot blanket.

(Can you see it?)

Just a little something I had seen many times during shopping trips to Target.

Cute and unisex.

Perfect for for keeping my firstborn bundle of joy warm and cozy.

But, over time, this simple blanket's role began to change and it became much more than just a blanket ...

It became "Spot."

A security object ...

A companion ...

A travel buddy ...

Today, it is (in Malcolm's words) his "best friend."

And, although I wish he would have picked a less white blanket to drag everywhere with him, I couldn't imagine my days without seeing these two together.

progress (maybe?)

With the arrival of February came the realization that Malcolm's actually been working at the whole toilet training thing for a full month.

So, although, last time I said I wouldn't talk toilet training around these parts, I feel the need for a brief update.

I think we've made some progress.

Maybe?

Hopefully?

I mean, Malcolm knew what to do from Day 1 on this little adventure ...  It literally only took one accident in his real underpants for him to realize that he needed to let us know when it "was time."

Just one.

So, the kid gets it.

He understands the feeling of having to go.

He knows how to make it to his little potty, pull down his pants, and do it.

He hasn't, to date, had an accident outside of our home.

The (only) issue is whether or not he feels like following through ...  Or cutting his losses and just making a mess of himself.

It's completely up to him.

On his whim.

And it's killing me!

Call me a control freak, but when it comes to loved ones, especially my children, I have an major drive to do whatever it takes to keep those close to me (Malcolm, in this case) happy.

So, when Malcolm was an infant, it meant keeping his belly full and his bottom dry ...

When he became mobile, it meant keeping him safe during his many explorations ...

When he was a toddler, it meant helping him learn to communicate his needs and wants.

And now that he is a three-year-old, it means teaching him the skills he'll need to go off to pre-school on his own (away from me!) this coming fall. 

I always thought that once a child was "trained" and understood the concept of using the toilet (with the exception of regression during times of stress), that the "teaching" part was over. 

Success! 

Job well done!

On to the next milestone!

But, at least for us, this process has been much more than that.

Yes, at its most basic, it's learning to use the toilet ...

But it's also a lesson in trust ... For me and my son.

Me trusting him that he'll let me know when he has to go (and not nagging him constantly throughout the day) ...  And him trusting me that I'll still be there no matter what (even if he does have a messy accident).

So, while I appreciate the conversations where he just chatters on an on while sitting on the toilet, and I like having to fold all the tiny underpants that make it through the wash each week ...  I'm so ready to feel like the "training" portion is over.

I'm not sure when it will hit me that we are done, and he is good to go ...

Maybe when there have been no day time accidents for longer than a month? 

Or two?

After all of this, I truly hope I get a (lengthy) break before Miss Pearl is ready to drop the diapers on her end ...

a break in the weather

Is it really the end of January?

This little winter thaw (just like last year around this exact same time) is throwing me off ...  Yet, I'm certainly not complaining.

As anyone with a couple kids will tell you, it is always nice to have a moment to step outside when the weather is decent (albeit gray and dreary) and just breathe ...

And I will never grow tired of sitting back with my camera as I observe my kids from the sidelines.  There is something so rewarding about seeing them occupy themselves for a little while (although, I guess Pearl didn't have much choice in the matter) ...

Malcolm was definitely in his element.

Free from all of the "No running!" and "Stop climbing on the couch!" that he usually hears from day to day, for a little while, he could be as active as he wanted.

He could run and climb to his heart's content.

 Jacket: The Children's Place (thrifted for $1.50)

Long-sleeved shirt: Jumping Beans (hand-me-down)

Pants: Jumping Beans (hand-me-down)

Socks: Old Navy (gift)

Rain boots: Buster Brown and Co. (hand-me-down)

He could push his sister (in her stroller, of course) without consequence.

I'm sure he'd love to do it all over again tomorrow.

If only this thaw could last a little longer ...

maybe it's not so bad

My husband and I have discussed it many times, and I have been quick to tell family and friends that having a three-year-old is exhausting.

Even if Pearl was not a part of our family ...  On his own, Malcolm would still be a force to be reckoned with.

His energy is off the charts.

His mood is all over the place.

His stubbornness in the face of toilet training is ridiculous.

Yet, through all of these challenging attitudes and behaviors that make me want to pull my hair out, there are the moments where he is just so sweet.

I can't keep track of the number of times he has just come up to me while I am working during the day, rested his head against me, and asked, "Mom?  Do you love me?"

To which I stop whatever I'm doing and tell him, complete with a big squeeze, "of course I love you!  I love you so much!"

Every day, without fail, it goes the same way.

Sometimes, I even hear him talking to himself in the other room.

"I'm so lucky!"  He'll say.  "My mom loves me!"

Yes, she does, Kiddo.

Even in the midst of all your craziness, she certainly does.

making room for the big boy

I had planned to write and publish this post about a year ago, as the impending arrival of "Baby #2" grew closer and closer.  At that time, instead of getting a baby's room ready (since it was already unisex, as we didn't know what Malcolm was going to be before he arrived), my husband and I found ourselves turning our attention (back) to "Baby #1."

More specifically, we spent many a moment crafting and executing a proper "big boy" room for Malcolm in order to coax him away from the small baby room that he knew, and into our larger third bedroom ...  He seemed perfectly content to stay in his crib forever!

Because (at that time) he really liked owls and moons, I thought the two things could be a loose "theme" for the otherwise neutral room.

The bed tent (although he hasn't actually slept in it in ages) was the final piece of the puzzle ...  The pictures on its sides included a crescent moon and an owl, and seemed to tie the "owls and moons" idea together.

It's like we had a camping under the stars theme going all along!

As you can see, it took some time to put everything together, but I feel like we are finally finished ... 

Luckily, the house being up for sale (again) prompted me to take some photos while it was clean and tidy!

(hand-me-down) happy pants

With this week being high on the depressing scale (at least in terms of my mindset), it seemed right to feature today's outfit in my Thursday post.  Although it fits Pearl today, it was worn many times by Malcolm when he was a little bit younger (around six months or so).

We called the pants from this simple ensemble his "happy pants," because he just seemed upbeat whenever he was in them ...

And, it seems, the same holds true for Pearl.

Long-sleeved onesie: Old Navy (gift)

Striped pants: Gymboree (thrifted for $0.50)

Socks: Unknown brand (from the hospital)

Now, if only I had some "happy pants" of my own ...

new year's babies

Another New Year's Day has passed, so the tradition continues ...

Malcolm: 

3 years (and 3 months)

Pearl:

9.5 months

And, this year, I got to stick two children in the bathroom sink!