Summer Brothers

 Forrest: 3 years, 5 months --------------------------------------------Talin: 15 months

Little boys run abound in this house hold. I am truly surrounded by little baby and older toddie bums, little peee pee's learning how to do their thing in the potty, ( I WISH!!!!!) and little cutie personalities that make my heart melt.

To start with Forrest....oh Forrest. The highs and lows of this kid I tell ya, enough to make you think you're bipolar...or maybe he's bipolar...maybe....or just a "spirited" child. Whatever the cause this kiddo makes us scatch our head, weep tears, and leap for joy, often in the same 24 hours. 2 months ago we were wondering if childcare outside our home was even an option for him, researching child behavioral analyst shadowers to help him through the normal interactions of preschool, and wondering how we were going to afford the mucho $$$$$ this all was going to cost.   Today.....well, not far from that though in the last month Forrest has been doing well at his preschool, (maybe due to a limited schedule...a few more days off from his normal 3 days a week...or just maturity? Gluten free diet??? Who knows???) We have had two or three "no timeout" days which are a rarity in our house for him. Yes, all of them involved putting him in preferred activities to keep him calm and non-agressive. But our super duper daycare/preschool teachers Kyle and Sheila were quick to point out that that is NOT necessarily abnormal in any kiddo's case, and that they often have to do this. So, insert a least a little relaxation from the parental side of things. Forrest is quite amazing actually. Currently infatuated with all things  robotic, (Wall-ee of course,) cars and trucks are also a fav...and fishing!!!! He got to go on his very first ocean salmon fishing trip with his Dad and did GREAT! Despite getting sea sick, was a trooper. He was master junior deck hand, baiting those sardine down riggers like a champ. Not necessairly interested in the big BIG salmon, but the little guys were just fine for him. And, yes, all while puking twice. And I know first hand how crummy sea sickness can make you feel! Poor guy, home he outgrows my soft stomach!----Another major Forrest point. He can swim!!! Well, okay...swim with a life jacket and LOVES wearing it! This is SUCH a major breakthrough with this household, us living by a river and all, water safety just has to be first and foremost. There are kiddos and adults that drown yearly in our river and having a three year old that adamantly refused his lifejacket was a no go! Thanks to Granny and "papa's" visit Forrest is now a life jacket wearer, pool and river. He paddles around like a champ, often relaxing and letting the life jacket due the work, (a learned art, as at first he exhausted himself, not wanting to stop paddling for fear he would sink!!!) It really is so good watching him practice his doggie paddle around the river and pool, jumping in, etc. It's our plan to get him into swimming lessons in the fall and winter, sans lifejacket of course.
And, yes, gluten free diet for Forrest. We're just trying anything at this point to make sure us, as parents, are doing as much as we can. There is a lot of evidence that in certain kiddos, a gluten free diet can dramatically help with behavioral issues. Although I can say we haven't seen a dramatic difference in this regard, his eczema and psoriasis patch on his scalp has been gone for 4 months, roughly the time of the gluten free diet, (for the most part...) Interesting I'd say.......And, still no potty training. All I can say is you can't force an old dog into new tricks. And at 3 years, 5 months, he is officially an old toddie dog. So needless to say, unless it's his idea, it ain't happening. Until further notice. :-(

And now for Talin....my baby he will always be!!! Sweet T bird is 15 months and such a cutie STILL! I just can't get enough of his little snuggles, baby belly, and cuddles. We always remark at how we can't wait till Forrest gets older so we can see the boy he'll be, but with Talin, we just wish he would stay the way he is forever! His little blonde hairs ore coming in slowly, though from a distance, he still is sporting his little baldie head with his hair just blending in!!!His communication is surprisingly good, though we are coming from a first child who's verbal communication is still a work in progress. Talin uses the signs quite well for all done, more, no, and yes. His words seem to come daily with his favorite things such as "nannas" *his absolute fav, he could eat two a day, easy!) "go!!!!!(telling the dogs to go away...) and he is just a cute personality in general hardly ever getting crazy about anything. We have starting to firmly telling him "NO" in cases where he is starting to hit or throw things, (obviously a learned behaviour from his dear brother) and it is actually quite sweet but sad to see his little face often crumple up in tears at "NO!" but it also works! Which is amazing to us parent's of Forrest where "NO, "Stop", and everything else has done nothing in the form of direction or discipline. He is still a pacifier and blankie baby, needing both to sleep. He recently has gotten in the habit of chucking his pacifier's FAR far away at nap time, out of his bed, so we are debating on "pulling the plug" so to speak totally. I don't know, a bit scary. We have never ever done the paci leaches or clips, just not wanting to get the boys too attached and F just dropped his on his own at about 18 months. So time will tell!
Little T baby has just popped his 7th and maybe 8th tooth. Teething causes frequent wakeups at night and a very grumpy baby. I know we have a lot more teeth and then molars to go so we'll see how much sleep we get in this household! He is still always am early riser, liking to wake up between 6 and 645 in the morning, and no later! His eating habits are great at the moment. He was a bit picky, but now is eating everything and takes his whole or 2% milk, depending on what we have, with no problem. He still likes his little Klean Kanteen bottle, but we're working on the sippie cup action at the moment.
Talin's daycare is fabulous, not so much in the curriculum or anything....just in that Dianna has late hours great for my crazy schedule, and she and her other care giver Rhonda are so great with babies. Talin LOVES Rhonda, cries when she leaves, and laughs when she comes in the morning. They are great for babies and younger kids, though maybe not so much for older kiddos as the TV is on a lot. T doesn't give a hoot about TV yet, though if he's anything like F, it will come into play at around 2. I think Talin is great there until he is 2 and then we will start to look around, and probably put him in Forrest's preschool. (I really think that currently although having both boys at two separate places is a scheduling mess somewhat, I believe the brothers get along better on their 3 day weekends together bc. they are not around each other 24/7, sibling love....absence truly does make the heart grow fonder!!!)
Regardless of all the craziness, two boys in diapers, two cutie naked boys running around, two crazy early toddie and late toddie schedules to deal with, these are great years! Tiring yes, maddening at times yes, but great none the less. These boys are really growing up so fast. Before we know if Kindergarten, 5th grade. Jr. High, and, gulp, highschool!!!! Makes these days of naked baby booties, endless dirty diapers and poop, and cute baby cuddles seem short lived.....maybe.....in the thick of it here....;-)