Halloween 2013

What a great Halloween this year!

Both Dave and I were able to leave work early and made it to the kids’ Halloween party at school.  This year the school went all out and did a full on costume party.  Everyone was dressed up and each class went around the school collecting candy and oranges.  It was pretty darn cute.  Ajax was Spiderman and Noomi was a neon colored owl.  Most of the kids in Ajax’s class were super heroes of some sort.

When we got home my parents, sister and grandma Flo came over and we all enjoyed some of Dave’s wonderful chili before gearing up.  Ajax was so excited he kept doing laps around the house.  And Noomi was excited because Ajax was excited and was also trying to do laps.   It was of course raining outside, but on the up side it was quite warm, which was kind of odd given the season.   Given the odd weather we only took Noomi to a few houses in the cul-de-sac.  She seemed to enjoy it, though one house had on “scary music” and she did not care for it.

I brought Noomi home and then Ajax, Dave, grandpa and Emily continued trick or treating.  Grandma Flo, grandma, Noomi and I passed out candy.  Noomi had so much fun carrying around her little plastic pumpkin and dumping out the candy and then putting it back in.  She also enjoyed handing out candy to the kids and when Ajax got home he took up the job.  Sometimes I think it’s more fun to hand out candy.

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Parent teacher meeting

Last night we had our first parent-teacher meeting.  Unfortunately, Dave couldn’t attend, but honestly we were thinking that it was going to be a quick conversation and then we’d be on our way home.  I mean, Noomi is a baby and Ajax is four.  Well, it was a real parent-teacher meeting, I even had to sit in the little chair.

Ajax’s teacher, Ms. Megan, had wonderful things to say about him.  She said he was a pleasure to have in her class.  He was an excellent helper and has really opened up.  She felt that he has wonderful leadership qualities.  She said that he was on target, hitting all his developmental milestones and that the few outbursts or tantrums are completely within the realm of normal for his age.  We discussed his writing and she showed me some of his artwork and progress on writing his name.  She said that if she orally spells out a word for him, he can write it perfect.  But if she writes it and asks him to look at and then write it, the letters get inverted.  She said that this happens, kind of like you’re seeing things in a mirror.  I explained that I see the same thing at home.

Noomi’s teacher, Ms. Toria, also had wonderful things to say about her, though really she is now spending her days in the toddler room, not the baby room.  The teacher said that Noomi hit all the milestones, was walking, well adjusted and happy.  I asked if she was concerned given Noomi’s lack of vocabulary and she said not at all.  Noomi is a second child and it’s normal for the second child to talk a little later.  I guess that makes sense as Ajax’ is constantly talking.

Overall, I felt both meetings went well, both kids had glowing reviews.  We also received our first snow yesterday.  Looks like we’ll be putting winter coats on over Halloween costumes.

A teacher at school put Noomi’s hair in a pony tail! I was so surprised when I picked her up.

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Fall activities

Fall is in full swing here, what a wonderful season.  It’s cool, a bit rainy, and the leaves are changing colors.   Today we carved pumpkins.  This was the first year that Ajax put his hand into the pumpkin to scoop out the guts/seeds.  He also asked for scary faces and they turned out quite well.   Noomi sat at the table and licked the pumpkins and somehow managed to eat some of the pumpkin guts that landed on the table near her.  She gobbled them up before we could stop her.  Oh well, veggies right?

Besides pumpkins today was pretty darn quite. We bummed around the house.  Dave and Ajax did a bit of running around.  Emily stopped by to visit, but other than that pretty quiet.

While I was making dinner tonight Noomi insisted on being right under my feet.  As I was working at the stove with hot oil that wasn’t the best place for her to be, but every time Dave brought back into the living room she threw a temper tantrum.  We ended up putting her in her high chair in the kitchen with me so that she could watch me cook.  That seemed to make her happy.

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Argh.

Argh. Where to start.  Here’s a down and dirty recap of our last few weeks. Starting with this past weekend.

We’re sick!  Well, Noomi and Ajax are sick and Dave and I are still on our feet but fighting off the sniffles.  It’s too early in the season for such nonsense.  But there Ajax slept on the couch for the most of the day wrapped up in blankets and eating Popsicles.   To compound our day, I had a doctor’s appointment in Livonia this morning, then on the way home I stopped in Howell and picked up a winter coat for Ajax, hats/gloves, and other misc. winter accessories (usually the first snow hits and I then I squish Ajax into his last years winter coat and then scramble to the store to buy whatever they have).  I’m now officially ahead.  When I got home Dave headed to his doctor’s appointment and then when he got home I took Ajax to the ENT to check his tubes.  They did a hearing test and his hearing is just fine.  Both tubes are still in place, but the doctor said he would be shocked if they were still in at his next appointment.  The doctor didn’t know if Ajax would need a second round of tubes or not.  He said that 80% of kids do just fine with one set.  So we’re hoping this is it.

To back up a bit more.  Last weekend Ajax headed up north for the weekend with grandma Dara and papa.  He came home saying how nice their new dog, Moba, was.  I kept asking him, Moba? Yes, he replied, Mobaa!  Dave informed me the dog’s name was – Mabel.

Backing up a bit more.  At 14.5 months Ms. Noomi is FINALLY WALKING!  Hoorah!  She is now walking and toddling all over the place and it is so darn cute.  She is also sleeping better, which is wonderful.  She still isn’t talking a ton, but understands a lot.  She’s interested in body parts currently and today we worked on – eyes, nose and mouth.  Again, pretty cute.

On a side note.  I do believe that Noomi is our adventurous child and therefore more accident prone.  I was prepping lunch and told her to go get her chair.  So she ran over and grabbed one of the empty dining room chairs.  She then tipped back and brought the chair right down on top of her, giving herself a fat lip.  Poor baby.   Ajax never did that.

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