Harmon hooping again!

Harmon played basketball again this fall and he was INTO IT! It helped that he had a classmate on his team and others in the league but, more than anything, he really seemed to get – and enjoy – the whole concept. He took A LOT of shots and scored on more than a few of them. I’m hoping the rest of his teammates didn’t find him to be too much of a ball hog! At the end of his season, he had a banquet and attended the Bradley @ U-M basketball game. It was this game that really jumpstarted his new-found love of Michigan basketball.

The North Pole

The last few years, I had heard about a train in Owosso that is called the North Pole Express. It’s actually the train that The Polar Express was based on and it offers rides to the North Pole each winter. It’s pretty pricey so we hadn’t done it yet but, this year, Harmon’s best friend Jackson invited us to go so we decided to just do it. Jackson’s Mom simply said “we want to do it while he still believes” and that sold me!

So, on Saturday, Dec. 17, we made our way to Owosso. They boys were dressed in their pajamas and all was going well until we got near Brighton … and Simon puked. At this point, we figured it was just car sickness so we stopped at the closest Kohl’s and fortunately found him some cute "Cars" pajamas on sale.

We had planned to stop somewhere nice for lunch but with the puke threat looming, we just stopped at McDonald’s. After downing about half of his Happy Meal, Simon threw up again. Luckily, I hadn’t put the new pajamas on him yet.

The rest of the way to Owosso was, thankfully, without incident and we met up with Jackson and his family at the train station. The ride to the North Pole was fun and all the boys were wide-eyed and excited. When we got there, they saw Santa and were able to play, ride some carnival rides, eat dinner, etc. Although Simon did well on the train, the carnival rides shook him up and, yep, he puked again … before AND after his dinner.

By this time, Simon was miserable and just wanted to leave. We felt so bad for him. He made it back to the train station OK and then slept the entire way home.

Although Harmon had a great time with Jackson (thank GOD for Jackson’s parents), Simon declared that he never wanted to go to the North Pole again!

Cold Stone

My parents still come to Ann Arbor on Wednesdays to watch the boys. They get to spend a lot of quality time with Simon (finally) most of the day and then, at 3 p.m., they head to St. Francis to pick up Harmon.

And, more often than not, on the way back home, they stop off at Cold Stone to get Harmon ice cream. He loves ice cream and he’s usually starving (that’s what happens when you skip most of your lunch so you can a) talk or b) be the first in line to go to gym) so it’s a real treat for him. And, after 3+ months of doing this, it’s more than a treat, it’s practically a tradition. He’s probably rocking some chocolate ice cream as I type this!

Butt Rogers

Along the way, Simon has picked up a few choice words from TV, big brother, Daddy, etc. Some of the most popular have been damn it (Daddy), butt crack (Harmon) and now … introducing … Butt Rogers.

In Toy Story 3, Ken Doll tells Buzz Lightyear “Zip it, Buck Rogers!” But, of course, that’s not how a two-year-old boy hears it, no way.

To his preschool boy ears, it came out “Zip it, BUTT Rogers!” And he takes every opportunity to say this. His favorite time to say it is at the end of the phone call. It goes something like this:

“OK, love you, bye bye, Butt Rogers!”

What can you say ...

All he wants for Christmas …

So, I’m guessing that all Harmon wants for Christmas is his two front teeth! These teeth have been loose for a while. He had his dentist appointment in mid-September and they were loose then! I think he finally just got tired of TRYING to eat with them in there. He was eating apples, carrots, anything hard to get them out and it wasn’t working so he turned to his Papa.

The first one (front right), which came out when the boys were at my parents’ house (while we were at the Nebraska @ U-M game) took some work. I was stunned when my Mom texted me and told me that Harmon let my Dad have three attempts at removing it. And I guess the third time was a charm because here he was:

He continued to work the other one and passed on my offer to help. I think he was just waiting to see his Papa again. So, again, back at my parents’ house (this time so we could go to the OSU @ U-M game) and, again, another text and another tooth gone (front left). This time, though, just one attempt, and now he looks like this:

Typically, the tooth fairy leaves $1 in his tooth pillow but, for the two front teeth, she paid a little more. He got $5 per tooth! He was very excited to get it and very excited to spend what he calls his “money dollar!” Actually, both he and Simon say “money dollar” - so cute!

THREE

Simon is three today. He was so excited to be three and he talked about it for weeks. He actually thought he was three back when we had the boys’ joint birthday party (understandable). That’s Simon, though, always rushing things, always wanting to be older and bigger.

He was due on Dec. 13 and my c-section was scheduled for Dec. 5. Simon had his own schedule, though, so he kicked his way out almost three weeks early on Nov. 25. When I was pregnant with Simon, the mere thought of Starbucks made me sick to my stomach. But, near the end, it started to sound a LITTLE better so, after my appointment on Nov. 25, Kevin stopped and got me a small frappuccino. I’ll always wonder if that shot of coffee powered him to kick his way out.

And, three years later, the kicking hasn’t stopped. He’ll lay in bed with you and ALWAYS kick and push off on you. And, just as he was in utero, he is always moving. Flipping, running, jumping. The jumping is actually the most hilarious thing. If you look at his legs, he has actual muscle definition in his calves and quads. I would put my money on him in the long jump in the preschool Olympics!

When I think about Simon, so many adjectives come to mind. While there’s nothing simple about him, he, quite simply, just has this spirit about him. We were at the dentist back in September and he was being a little crazy. The lady in the waiting room said to us on the way out “He is so sweet and full of life. He’s going to be the kind of person that EVERYONE wants to be around.” That made us feel so good! It also made is ease up on him a bit - we don’t want to kill that spirit.

When I look at Simon, I wonder how I ever doubted my ability to love another child. I remember being worried about that when I was pregnant with him. But, he’s IMPOSSIBLE not to love and IMPOSSIBLE to stay mad at. He’s so disarming. When he knows he’s in trouble, he’ll walk up to you, give you and hug and tell you how much he loves you. I know it’s borderline manipulation too but still! He’s smart and funny and random and kind and caring and appreciative and extreme … I could go on for days with the adjectives and they all would apply.

I think, though, that my favorite things about Simon are his spirit, the way he looks at his older brother and the way that, when he wants you, he’ll come up to you and give your leg the biggest hug.

I know there’s no such thing as the perfect SECOND child but, if there was, he or she would be like Simon. I can’t imagine one second of my life without that blue-eyed boy!

Joint well-child exams

Well, we learned this year that having the boys’ well-child exams at the same time was … well … a bad idea. Too much going on, they got each other all jacked up and we were lucky to even get their stats much less talk about any REAL issues. Simon is doing just fine but our doctor would like Harmon to see an otolaryngologist as he’s a huge snorer/mouth breather and has one insanely large tonsil that just doesn’t want to shrink. It’s also time for an eye exam. So we’ll take care of those appointments AFTER the holidays.

And, here are those stats:

Harmon weighs in at 53.35 pounds and measures 48.43 inches tall. Aw, he’s just over four feet tall already!

And, Simon, good Lord. He weighs 38.14 pounds and measures 40.35 inches tall - both in the 95th percentile. Good to know he’s growing into his massive feet.

In short, some pretty healthy boys and we’ll take it.

Mario Party

The boys can’t get enough Mario so their birthday party theme was too easy this year. I found lots of Mario stuff on amazon.com and BOOM we were all set.

Kevin’s parents came to town and my whole family made it over for their party. We got food from Camelia’s Mexican Grill and it was AWESOME! We couldn’t get enough and there were tons of leftovers and I had Spanish rice for DAYS!

After everyone stuffed themselves with Mexican food, we went to the basement to open way too many presents. It was like Christmas! Everyone overdid it, as usual. The boys are SO spoiled! They got so many nice things and I can’t mention one or two without mentioning them all!

After opening presents for what seemed like AGES, we headed back upstairs for cupcakes and ice cream. Once again, the Cupcake Station in Ann Arbor did a bang-up job on the cupcakes in the form on Mario, Luigi, Toad, Donkey Kong and Yoshi! The boys were excited to blow out their candles and tear into them. And, in general, I think they were excited to once again celebrate their birthdays together. I know we all were so happy to see them sitting there on the bar stools together. It’s so hard to believe they are 6 and 3!

SIX

There’s something about the age six. Five was fine, we dealt with that OK, but six?!?! Maybe it’s because it’s closer to 10 than 1. That’s all I got, right now anyway.

Harmon is six. He is in kindergarten after a redshirt year and I’m so glad we waited. NOW, we don’t have to wonder if we made the right decision - we know. We know because he loves his school and he loves his friends and he has adjusted to everything so wonderfully.

At six, Harmon still loves to read but has discovered … video games, specifically those played on his Daddy’s iPad and Wii. He would play with both of these devices for HOURS if we let him so we set lots of limits. And, we’re going to try to hold off on the handheld games for as long as possible.

At six, Harmon is learning a lot about Mom and Dad’s favorite sports. He’s pretty versed in baseball and football and, sadly, is learning about basketball from the NBA Jam app for the iPad. God, I hope he doesn’t want to go to an NBA game - those things are awful.

At six, he’s still very snuggly and loving, especially when he wakes up or is ready for bed at night. He’s always one to give you a hug at any odd time and it’s awesome!

At six, he’s starting to look like a hockey player. The tooth fairy has visited twice and I see two more visits in the very near future. I sure hope his adult teeth grow in like Daddy’s instead of Mommy’s.

At six, he is his brother’s hero. Simon wants to be all that Harmon is and Harmon has a hard time understanding it. While he indeed loves his little brother, they have this SERIOUS competitive thing going on lately. Kevin tells me it’s my fault and it probably is. With them together, everything is about who can be first. I wish they understood that being first is going to get one (or both) of them hurt but, hey, why listen to us.

At six, he continues to test limits, continues to see just how much he can get away with. On some days, he can be so good (like when he’s with just one of us) and then, on others, oh boy. At least we know ALL of it goes back to simply listening and doing what we ask of him.

At six, he always has a story to tell and he draws us a picture in school each and every day. We try to let him tell his story and we keep all those pictures because we want to enjoy six ... before it turns to seven.

Parent/teacher conference

Harmon loves kindergarten! He is excited every day and he can’t wait to see his friends. And, most importantly, he tells me his favorite part is “all the hard work.” I hope that’s true and I hope that is the case in grade school, middle school, high school, undergrad and grad school!

Even though he loves it, I was still a little nervous for his first parent/teacher conference yesterday. I knew I was getting good feedback from him and I was crossing my fingers that I would get similar feedback from his teacher.

Full disclosure, I’m kind of a freak about education. To me, it’s THE most important thing and I have very high expectations. I am borderline unreasonable and it’s hard to check myself sometimes (that’s what Kevin and my Mom are for). So, when we got Harmon’s report card ahead of his conference, my FIRST question was “why aren’t ALL these Es (excellents) and 1s (as opposed to 2s and 3s)?” To be honest, MOST of them were but … yeah … I have a problem.

Anyway, when I went to the conference, the teacher started by asking me if I had any questions and I blurted out that same thing (in a very self-deprecating way). She laughed and said, well, if it makes you feel any better, out of 34 kids in kindergarten, Harmon is easily in the top three. Yes, that DOES make me feel better, thank you! Furthermore, she said, if Harmon would just SLOW DOWN and LISTEN, that report card probably would be all Es and 1s. Ah, listening. Good to know it’s not just a problem at home, I think. It’s not that he’s not paying attention. It’s that he’s just SO excited about the projects that he can’t wait to get started. He’s also excited about being with his friends everyday, mostly because he only went to preschool two days each week. She assured me he’s doing very well and she loves having him in her class and, most importantly, that his lack of all Es and 1s on his very first report card won’t keep him from getting into Harvard one day!

First official school picture

Harmon is all official in the annals of St. Francis now and he's rocking the flannel. Ah, yes!

Halloween 2011

Mario Kart is kind of a big deal in this house. It’s the ONE thing they both love to do together and the ONE thing they both get so excited about. So, it was no surprise that they wanted to go as Mario and Luigi for Halloween.

On Halloween weekend, we surprised them with a trip to the Detroit Zoo Boo so they could give their costumes a dry run (minus the mustaches). They were so excited and had a great time! And, it really got them ready for Halloween!

On Halloween night, they inhaled their dinner so they could get right out there. And, as agreed, the sported the mustaches.

They were a hit at every house and brought home quite a haul! We had some candy, watched the Great Pumpkin and stayed up a little later than usual.

Once they were in bed, we talked about yet ANOTHER Halloween that came and went. Having November birthdays, Halloween was their last first holiday so, once it’s over, another year us upon us. I wish those Halloweens would quit coming quite so fast!

He got more into it later ...

From the SECOND Harmon was born, all I could think about was sports. I longed for him to love sports as much as Kevin and I do. We’ve involved him in lots so far - soccer, swimming, t-ball, football and basketball - and, this summer, it really started to pay off. He loved t-ball and thanked me for signing him up as we drove back home from each of his games. And, he was FIRED up to try flag football and basketball again. More importantly, though, he started to GET IT. He watched Tigers’ games with me and would ask about the players, read their names and numbers, and watch where they hit the ball and where they played in the field. He got so excited for home runs and great plays! Although he can read the names of MOST Tigers players on the roster, the EASIEST name for him was Don Kelly so he quickly became his favorite player. He would ask me if Don Kelly was playing and when he was batting. When the Tigers lost in the ALCS (I’m still sad), he seemed sad when I told him they wouldn’t play in the World Series. He did, however, say “well, Mommy, they can try again next year,” which is how I wish I could think of it!

It’s just like, all of a sudden, something clicked. He DID end up watching some of that World Series (since Kevin is a Cardinals “fan”) and he was NOT cheering for Texas, after they beat the Tigers. He’s also picking up more Michigan football too. We’re not big NFL people so most of his exposure is to college football. Sadly, he plays a lot of NBA Jam on Kevin’s iPad so he’s learning a lot more about basketball. We’ll try to steer him to college hoops instead of the NBA, which probably won’t be hard since they’re locked out (does anyone even notice). He’ll be 6 in just a few days and he’s finally into it! While I hate to rush things, I’m so happy this time is here.

Another year of flag football

Harmon played flag football again this year and, with a season under his belt, it went much better. He had more fun (last year, there were a couple of meltdowns), enjoyed his teammates and really started to pick up some football concepts. The highlight of the season was a great catch and run ALMOST to the end zone. He was taken down just short - like Roy Roundtree! I should mention, however, that he ran the WRONG WAY! Ah, what can you do! On the last day of his season, the YMCA staff had cider and donuts for them and each player got a medal and a team photo! He was very proud and held onto his team photo the rest of the night. All in all, a good season and now on to basketball!

Simon @ 35 months

Today, Simon is one month shy of being three. Where did the last three years go?!?! While he did come second, I maintain he has a third teacher in Harmon and much better parents. I’m better simply because I haven’t been pregnant from ages 2 to 3 like I was with Harmon. I remember TRYING to play with Harmon while Simon was roundhouse kicking me and I’m going to say that Simon has a much better deal going on at this age.

This month, there were two pretty big events. First, we woke up one day and realized that Simon basically potty-trained himself. Sure he’s been sitting on the potty since he was just about 1 ½ but the rest has really been him. BOTH boys were great going #2 on the potty but #1 took some work, especially with Harmon. I remember thinking some days that Harmon was NEVER going to get it. But, with Simon, he just did it. He even got to the point recently where he wanted to pee standing up all the time. We told him we would try but wouldn’t go full-on until he got better at aiming! He’s rarely had an accident of any kind and he hasn’t required a lot of bribing either. Maybe a few M&Ms here or there. Harmon loved stickers and would do anything for one. Simon doesn’t really want to deal. He would just rather get it over with and get back to what he was doing - no bribe necessary. He is still in a pull-up at night and probably will be for a bit longer but, for the most part, we’re starting to wonder just what we’ll do one day WITHOUT A DIAPER BAG!!!

The second event was basically the death of “Babo.” Since Simon was old enough to talk, he called Harmon “Babo” - short for big brother. This month, though, he just started calling him Harmon. It was like he woke up one morning and decided it was going to be Harmon from now on, no more “Babo.” And he’s not reverted back at all. Everything is Harmon this, Harmon that. We’ll sometimes slip up and say “Babo” and he looks at us like we’re crazy. All good things must come to an end ...

Bowling

A few weeks ago, Kevin was insistent that he wanted to plan a Saturday for us. This was music to my ears as this job typically falls to me. He told us nothing, other than what time to be ready and, at that time, we headed out. We had some errands to run first so we did that and then ended up … at the bowling alley. I can’t tell you how excited the boys were!

Kevin had gone recently for a work outing and thought the boys would have fun and he was right! Sure, we put up the bumpers and Simon used a ramp and Harmon basically dented our lane with his bowling ball but it was so much fun! Kevin beat me by just a couple of points - something I wasn’t real happy about - and Harmon came in dead last (he didn’t have the help of the ramp) - something he wasn’t happy about. I wonder where he gets his competitiveness?!?!

After bowling, we grabbed lunch at home and then headed to the Franklin Cider Mill - the cider mill I grew up going to (and my favorite). The boys got their donuts on and I drank way too much cider. We then hit up a few parks on the way home too, just to complete the day. It was a good day, a fun day, and it made me think that maybe, just maybe, Kevin should plan things more often!

Papparazzi

My friend Alec says he’s never seen children photographed quite as much as ours. And, to drive home his point, we have more than 3,800 photos on our Flickr page. So, when the time comes to get “official” photos of the boys, you would think it would be no big deal. But, it is! Harmon is actually easy. You tell him to smile, he does, click, great pic. And, together, they’re usually pretty good. Sometimes, though, Harmon will get Simon going and then we’ll have to intervene and start all over. So, the wild card here is Simon. He’s either “all in” or “all out.”

Well, my sister, Stacey, kindly agreed to chase them around again this year for their official 6YO and 3YO photos, with an assist from Nana. We chose Island Park in Ann Arbor as the backdrop simply because of THIS PICTURE. I know it was October, not January but still … ANYWAY, I think they turned out great and here’s a sampling:

All this picture taking got Harmon ready for this first official school photo just a few days later. I hope those turned out just as well!

Elusive monkey bars

When I was in grade school, I fell - back first - from the very top of the spiderweb monkey bars. Although there are some memories that are fuzzy after my car accident years ago, THAT memory is not one of them. I still can remember the fall as well as how much it hurt AND how I could not breath.

Well, Harmon decided to follow in my footsteps today. He attempted to swing across the monkey bars … and didn’t quite make it. The teachers relayed to Kevin that, aside from not being breath for a short time, he was just fine. No scratches, marks, bumps or bruises. I’m guessing he might steer clear of those monkey bars for a while, though. I’m also guessing he’ll remember THAT fall when he’s in his 30s!

Big boy bed for Simon!

Simon never liked his pack and play. We tried to keep him in our room in that thing for the first few weeks and he was miserable. He simply hated it. So, around 8 weeks or so, we moved him into his crib and he SLEPT LIKE A BABY (haha)!

We converted that crib to a toddler bed when he turned 2 and he slept just fine in that as well, until recently. We started noticing around Labor Day that he was VERY restless and he kept waking up early almost every day. He is a big kid so we thought maybe he just didn’t have enough room in his bed anymore.

We originally planned to move him to his full bed around his birthday but, as always, he had other plans. We had ordered his mattress and box spring back in August (to be delivered Oct. 14) so we decided to try to get everything done before then. We sent the boys to spend the night with Nana and Papa and while they were gone we cleaned, painted and rearranged Simon’s room. We had it all prepped and ready to go and just a few minutes after the delivery guys left, we unveiled it to him and got this reaction:

So far, he loves it! He is sleeping great again and using every square inch of that bed while doing so. He’s such a big boy now!

PBJ v. PBH

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The more peanut butter, the better and, if it's CRUNCHY peanut butter, wow! I also like me some strawberry (grape is my second choice) jelly to go with it. When Harmon was just a little over 2, we gave him PBJ for the first time and, now, almost 4 years later, he is perfectly happy to have a PBJ every single day.

Now, Simon, not so much. We tried it a few times when he was a little over 2 and he was not into it at all. But, one day, Kevin, being a peanut butter and HONEY kind of guy, decided to make Simon one of THOSE sandwiches instead. And, now, a few months later, HE would gladly eat one of those every single day. It's kind of funny that they each took after one of us with the whole peanut butter accoutrement!

Simon's first trip to the Big House

Unlike his brother’s FIRST trip or his game just a week ago, Simon’s first game was COLD and against Minnesota - not a good combo! Just plain cold. He was bundled in three layers and then added his fleece and Michigan hat. Just like he did with me and Harmon a week earlier, Kevin dropped us at the corner of Main and Stadium and we entered at that gate.

Simon was shocked by all the people but was focused on his mission - food. Just like big brother, he wanted a hot dog so that’s what we got (and also a soft - I use that word loosely - pretzel). He ate and watched and was mesmerized by the scoreboards. He listened to the band and cheered a very lazy “The Victors!” While I think he had fun, he didn’t seem to have as much fun as Harmon did at the same age. I assume he’ll get more into it as he gets older. Towards the end of the half, he got really antsy so we decided to leave. Because it was so cold, we decided to meet Kevin on one of the side streets near the stadium instead of walking around and taking pictures. It was an OK debut for Simon - Michigan got the win - and, if nothing else, I hope he’ll want to go again next year.

More L and SW combinations

It's well documented that Ls are hard for Simon and, while Ss and Ws are fine alone, the combo really throws him. For documentation purposes, here are a few more words to add to his list:

Fweatshirt - Sweatshirt
Fwings - Swings
Wiberty - Liberty (our Jeep Liberty, specifically)
Wowwipop - Lollipop

I'm sure he'll love hearing about this when he gets older ...

Simon @ 34 months

Almost 3 going on almost 6. Simon, no doubt, thinks he's Harmon's age. At times, we feel like he was never really a baby. Since he's been mobile, he's only wanted to do what his brother does. We've tried to slow things down but it just doesn't work.

This past month, though, has been faster than usual. We've been using the high chair less and less over the summer and, finally, we decided to boot it out of the kitchen. He's been just fine at the table at home and, most of the time, he's fine at the table when we're out. In those cases, though, the mere MENTION of getting a high chair usually shapes him up pretty quick.

At school, he moved to a new room - the Lightning Bug room. This is a room where they learn A LOT of independence and they actually start leaving the building to go on field trips. They are learning the fine art of "holding the rope" in preparation for these big outings.

And, speaking of school, Simon now gets a lot of one-on-one time with Mom and Dad while Harmon is at kindergarten. Tuesdays and Fridays have a whole new look and we're finally starting to get used to spending time with just him. One thing we've noticed, he's perfectly well behaved and there's almost no screaming when he's alone. And while we thought he would really miss his "Babo," he's only really mentioned him a couple of times. I think he's digging the attention.

He no longer lets me rock him so, right after we read 3-4 books, he climbs in his bed and we tuck him in. We had to stay with Harmon (mostly to ensure he didn't get up and start playing), but we don't have to do that with Simon. He usually settles himself down and gets off to dreamland within a few minutes. He doesn't sleep late much anymore, though, and I think it's because his toddler bed is getting much too small. If he moves down at night, even a bit, he bumps his feet on the railings so we don't think he's sleeping all that well. To deal with this, October will be the month when we move him into his full-size bed. We got a bed that converts from a crib to a full and we're going to make the move. He has been napping in Harmon's bed to get used to it and he is VERY excited about the whole deal. He just can't stop talking about it!

The biggest news, though, is the stellar potty skills he has. He's been in underwear during the day (pull-up at night) and has been accident-free for almost two weeks now. Over the long Labor Day weekend, I told him I would give him two M&Ms if he told me when he had to go potty (and then went potty) and I feel like this was the turning point for him. Part of the time, though, he forgets to get his M&Ms! He's excited about this, excited about the underwear and, at school yesterday, he decided he wanted to pee standing up! This has been the last step in the process in OUR training so, quite frankly, we were stunned by this news. I know there will be setbacks but he is doing awesome and, if you allow me to compare, he's ahead of Harmon's pace.

He's doing wonderfully and we just wish he would slow down and let US enjoy it ... at least a LITTLE bit.

Harmon's 2011 trip to the Big House

While I had planned to take Harmon to the Eastern Michigan game, I was not about to take him up in the club seats. 5 years old and ALREADY up in the club - no way. So, Kevin and I did the club thing and, a week later, Harmon scored the San Diego State game.

It was a perfect day and Harmon was excited to get inside and see the new scoreboards. Kevin dropped us off at the corner of Main and Stadium and we headed in. On the way to our seats in Section 19 (which is awesome, for many reasons, including NEVER having a line to get in), we stopped to get him his food. He LOVES getting food and, this time, rocked a hot dog, popcorn and a bottle of water. He was really into the game and was cheering and yelling on his own most of the time. The people in the seats next to us never showed up so he had a nice seat cushion to sit on and a lot of room to move around.

With a few minutes to go in the half, though, he started asking me when the team was going to take their break and go into the tunnel. Then he started counting down the minutes. I could tell he was getting a little bored so we decided to leave at the half. I would rather have a half game of a good experience for him than a whole game of a bad experience.

On our way out, we visited our brick and got some pictures. Kevin and Simon met us outside the stadium and then we got even more pictures. Overall, a good day (and a win) and another fun trip to the Big House for Harmon.

Your hair looks like a rat's nest!

Both boys have hair that grows fast and so they need haircuts every 5-6 weeks. We have a woman who has been cutting Harmon's hair since he was one and we've followed her to four different salons in the metro area but, sometimes, it gets to be too much. So, while we aren't leaving her forever, we were hoping to find a place in Ann Arbor where we can take the boys. After doing some research, I found Arcade Barbers, which is located on the U-M campus in Nickels Arcade.

The boys love walking through the Arcade so we thought the haircuts would be an easy sell and they were. Kevin took them this past Wednesday and everything went very well. There are a few women stylists there (Tiffany and Jessica, to be specific) that do a lot of kid haircuts so they were in good hands and their hair looked good. I know cutting boys' hair isn't rocket science but, since we don't buzz them, it does take some skill. All involved were happy with the first visit so I think we'll return in 5-6 weeks. At long last, we finally may have found a local place for the boys' haircuts!

We be clubbin'

When the suites went up at the Big House, our only hope was that they held the noise in better. We never thought we would actually get to see a GAME from them but that’s just what we did this past weekend.

It wasn’t the greatest of games but maybe that was just as well because it afforded us the opportunity to wander the 3rd and 4th levels with mouths agape. As U-M Athletic Media Relations alums, we had seen the press box but our friends Nayla and Mike gave us the opportunity to check out the east side structure as well. It was great to just walk up to the club and get in - no lines to deal with. And, because it was a little chilly outside in the first half, we spent that time at the high-top seats just inside the club seat area. I ate some very yummy soft pretzels and cheese (not the kind down in the bowl) and Kevin got some equally yummy chicken strips and fries. At the half, we wandered and were in awe at the awesome views from up there - Ann Arbor is so beautiful in the fall. We spent the second half outside in the actual club seats and that was awesome too. Although you’re a little disconnected, you at least have open air and can “hear” the game.

Overall, it was awesome being up there and we thanked Nayla and Mike profusely for the tickets! I told Kevin, maybe one day, when we’re too old and crochety to deal with the bowl, we’ll investigate those kinds of seats. But, that’s many years and lots of dollars from now!

One week in

So, Harmon just finished his first week of kindergarten. We look at him and wonder if it's possible for him to have grown up already. He sounds different, he looks different. He seems so much more mature. We look at him and then look at each other and note how happy we are that we waited to send him to kindergarten. He comes home with stories of all the things he's done each day. He's been excited about gym, Spanish, the library. He told me that his favorite part of kindergarten, so far, is “all the work!” I hope it’s always like that! He is happy at St. Francis and that happiness totally validates our decision to send him there. He’s so comfortable and so calm, it’s almost like he’s been there for years. We were nervous about the transition and, although we know it’s only one week in, it’s going as well as we could have expected.

Zombies

As a family, we kind of like zombies. I remember lots of zombie movies from when I was a kid and it seems zombies have made a bit of a comeback, especially with the awesome Walking Dead series. Harmon even has an great game he plays on Kevin’s iPad called Plants vs. Zombies. So, it should come as no surprise that, when we came home one Wednesday a few weeks ago, the boys told us they were playing zombies with Nana and Papa.

Here’s how it worked. Nana and Papa took turns putting marshmallows in their mouths and doing the zombie shuffle (complete with arms outstretched) in pursuit of the boys. If they boys screamed, the zombies HAD to stop. Since then, we've done a lot of playing zombie around here. Simon insists that we play zombies before bedtime most nights and Harmon will ask for zombies quite often as well. One day, when they are MUCH older, they can check out the real zombie stuff out there. Unfortunately, THOSE types of zombies don't stop when they hear a scream. They NEED brains ...

The meaning of Harmon

Being a lifelong Michigan fan, I had always heard of Tom Harmon but it wasn't until I got to college that I thought it would make a really cool name for a son. So, while Harmon isn't necessarily NAMED after Tom Harmon, he is the genesis of the name. Living in Michigan, most people recognize Harmon's name and associate it with Tom Harmon. However, when we were in Minnesota in July and I called out Harmon's name in the airport, it struck me that it has a bit of a different meaning THERE. I'm sure when people heard the name, they assumed I was a huge Twins fan (hell to the no) and obviously named my son after Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew. This was really the first time I had considered Harmon's name had a different meaning and, honestly, it was a little weird!

Butterfly to Lightning Bug

Lost in all the talk of kindergarten is the fact that SIMON also moved into a new room at school. He is staying back at Annie's and he left the Butterfly room for the greener pastures of the Lightning Bug room. We loved when Harmon was in the Lightning Bug room because there is a huge treehouse in that room that the kids get to play in all the time. I'm sure Simon will love the treehouse as much, if not more, than big brother did. There is also a lot more independence in this room. They are responsible for things like getting and unpacking their own lunch, cleaning up after themselves, putting their toys away, etc. I think Simon will do great and I'm hoping his new teacher, Ms. Angie, will appreciate his fire! It's hard to believe this is our second boy in this classroom at Annie's. How time flies!

KINDERGARTEN!

In our house, kindergarten has been the hot topic for almost two years now. Harmon has a November birthday and the cutoff date for kindergarten in the state of Michigan is December 1 so we had a decision to make. We decided to wait ... and we're so glad we did. While waiting has helped Harmon, it didn't do us much good. Once Wednesday, Sept. 7 came, he was so excited and so ready! He talked about it for weeks and was basically counting down the days. We, however, were pretty sad. I cried on and off for days leading up to a BIG cry the night before his first day. Kevin took the boys to the park and, while they were gone, I just kind of lost it. I assume all my tears were gone by the time the next morning rolled around because I actually managed to hold it together. There were also a lot of other parents, parents we knew, at drop-off and I didn't want to be the only blubbering idiot of the bunch. So, I sucked it up. I got teary, especially as I saw him leave my sight and enter the building, but I did OK, a lot better than I thought I would.

He starts at 7:55 a.m. and goes until 3 p.m. and, let me tell you, 3 p.m. took FOREVER to arrive. We were so excited to go get him and he was excited to see us and even more excited to tell us all about his day. I know there will be tough days but I hope, during those days, he'll remember the excitement of his first day. You only get to do it once, which is especially good for sad Moms and Dads!

We're here

The other night, when I was getting Simon down to sleep (no more rocking - I haz a sad), I heard "Barely Breathing" by Duncan Sheik. This song was a hit (I use that word loosely) when Kevin lived in St. Louis and ALWAYS reminds me of our time there.

It seems like just yesterday I was booking flights to St. Louis for every break I had during graduate school. And, now, we've been married for almost 10 years, we own a home in Ann Arbor (where we've always dreamed of living), we have a son who is just days away from starting kindergarten and another son who is just days away, it seems, from being potty trained. HOW did this happen? HOW did we get here? HOW are we so blessed to be living out our dreams every day? However it happened, we're so glad we're here.

Last day at Annie's!

In the beginning, we chose a different daycare for Harmon - a place called KidZone - and it was a place we really liked. But, it ended up closing unexpectedly and then, there we were, scrambling to find another place to take care of our precious boy. We landed at Annie's Children's Center in downtown Ann Arbor with Harmon's first day there being March 1, 2007. Now, 4 1/2 years later to the day - September 1, 2011 - he attended Annie's for the last time.

Back then, I remember being worried about him adjusting to a new place. But, if we had known then what we know now, we wouldn't have been worried at all. Annie's has been great and Harmon - even though he attends just two days each week - has grown and thrived and learned so much. He's had wonderful teachers along the way - Ms. Connie (at left), Ms. Laura and Ms. Sandy (at right), to name a few - and he's had a great time with his classmates.

I told myself I wouldn't cry today but that was just wishful thinking. After just a few minutes of talking to Ms. Connie, the waterworks started and then continued on and off for most of the day. Harmon is a great kid - very smart, considerate, polite and cooperative. The entire time he was at Annie's, we never once received a bad report. I would like to thank his teachers for helping mold him into the awesome little dude he is today. He is ready for kindergarten and excited for the next step. But, he's told me he WILL miss Annie's and so will we. And, although Simon will continue at Annie's, we'll miss BOTH boys being there, in the care of such great people!

Wednesdays at Nana and Papa's house

This past year, mostly in anticipation of kindergarten on the horizon, Kevin has been meeting my parents halfway and letting them take the boys to their house. It's maybe once a month but it's a nice break for everyone.

When it was still cold, they would sometimes go see a movie or go to an indoor play area. Once it got warm, though, they were all about the kiddie pool. Unlike our backyard, which is small and, um, slanted (understatement), my parents have a huge backyard with plush green grass. In short, a yard that is awesome for a kiddie pool and the boys will play out there for hours. Before they come in, though, my Mom will give them yard showers. These are showers outside in the yard with the hose. Soap is involved, as are cushy wash clothes and towels. The boys love these, even though the water from the hose is cold.

After a nice yard shower, they usually come in for dinner and, if they're good, they'll stop by Dairy Queen on the way to meet me and Kevin. I hope, as they get older, they'll remember the fun Wednesdays they spent at Nana and Papa's house.

33-month update

This past month, we've seen great strides on the potty. So much so that his teachers have requested he try wearing underwear at school. We're giving it a try at home too. Not every day but almost every day. When he's not in his little Disney underwear, we're just fine to let him hang out in a pull-up. We're not one to push when it comes to the potty.

One place he doesn't wear a pull-up OR underwear is the lake or the pool. When he's in these places, he wears his FWIMMING trunks. Yes, FWIMMING trunks. Ask him to say something that starts with a "S," no problem. Ask him to say something that starts with a "W," no problem. Ask him to COMBINE those and it comes out in a F-W combo. So, when we were in Traverse City, all he wanted to do was put on his FWIMMING trunks and go FWIMMING. It's the cutest thing ever!

Aside from the potty and anything related to FWIMMING, he and his brother have discovered the mini basketball hoop that we've had in the garage. They played with one at school and were surprised that we had one at home and, since seeing it, they've been outside playing with it every night (until the mosquitos carry them away). He loves to play anything with his brother and, lately, they've been getting along much better. Maybe there's hope.

Traverse City

On Thursday, Aug. 18, we headed north to Traverse City for one last bit of summer. We stayed for a long weekend at a resort on the eastern bay (snaps to Kevin for finding the place). It was right on the beach so the boys got to swim twice each day. In fact, they were in the water within a half hour of arriving! Kids and water!

We love Traverse City and this is the third time we've been there as a family. We have some favorites and we hit one up - the Blue Tractor - for dinner the very first night. There IS one in Ann Arbor too but the Traverse City spot is so much better simply because of the Tractor Twists - OMG!

On Friday, we headed west to Glen Arbor (Cherry Republic - ah yes), the Dune Climb and the Lake Michigan overlook. The boys had fun in the sand and Kevin and I had fun just looking at Lake Michigan - so beautiful! On the way back to town, we hit up the Underground Cheesecake Company just before closing. In addition to getting some great cheesecake and yummy cookies for the boys, I bonded with the guy manning the store - he was working his last few days before heading back to Ann Arbor to the greatest University in the land. The boys shoveled down some dinner back at the hotel before hitting the beach for an evening swim.

On Saturday, we made our way to the Old Mission Point Lighthouse and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. In between those lighthouses, we stopped at another restaurant favorite, the Jolly Pumpkin. Again, Ann Arbor has one but, again, the Old Mission one is better. It was so good that me and the boys rocked some t-shirts. Another long day ended with some very dusky swimming and a lot of sadness as this was our last night at the resort.

We hit the road out of town early Sunday afternoon and we all were very sad. Harmon was a bit teary-eyed and Simon couldn't stop saying that he wanted to stay. I think part of the sadness was that we knew what we were returning to - an end of summer and the start of kindergarten. I just wish we could make these long summer days last even longer ...

VTech USA Explore & Learn Map

For Harmon's 5th birthday, my parents got him the VTech USA Explore & Learn Map. He played with it for a while and then in went away, into the dark corners of his closet. This summer, though, probably prompted by his classmates talking about their various vacations, the map has made a comeback. Harmon can't put it down and, because Harmon loves it, so does Simon. Since they couldn't possibly, you know, SHARE A TOY, we decided to get Simon his OWN map and things have been a lot more peaceful. It's amazing for us to witness Simon actually knowing where various states are. He learns so much from his brother, whether Harmon wants that to happen or not. The way I see it, coming second isn't all that bad. He's got better parents and a third teacher. Sounds like a good deal to me!

The elusive L

Simon speaks very well, probably better than Harmon did at the same age. He hears us talking all the time and just soaks it all up and spits it back out. Rare is it that we don't understand what he is saying. However, there is one letter, one elusive letter, that gives him trouble: L.

I have no idea why but he has trouble with Ls. The perfect example of this was a recent trip for ice cream. I asked him what he wanted and he said he couldn't decide between vaniwa or chocowit. I died. I love you is I wuv you. Legs are wegs. The lead teacher in his class is Ms. Felona but, to him, she's Ms. Fewama. It's kind of hilarious and I hope I remember how cute it is when, in no time at all, he's saying his Ls the right way.

iMac love!

When Kevin and I met, all those years ago in the U-M Athletic Department, we worked on Macs. We could argue that our best work has been done on Macs! But, when we left sports and entered the more "corporate" world, it was all-PC, all the time. So, having PCs at work impacted our choice for a home computer as well. Not to mention, my uncles could pretty much fix any PC problem we had (and provide us with pirated software). So, we buried our love for Macs and did the PC thing for years. Our most recent computer, which we got in early 2005, worked just fine BUT it had crapped out three different times. The first time, no big deal. The second time, we lost baby videos of Simon and I was devastated. So, we got an external drive and kept EVERYTHING stored on it. The third time, well, that was it! We didn't lose anything but we were done, so done. Right after the second crash, we started talking about getting a Mac and, when the third crash happened, we really weren't that broken up about it. In fact, the day after my uncle called and said it could not be resuscitated, we were at the U-M Computer Showcase getting the computer of our dreams - the iMac! Of course, later that night, we both were like kids on Christmas day playing with our new toy. I think we stayed up past midnight just to play. And, it's just so fast and so simple and so easy. We take a ton of photos and using iPhoto has shaved HOURS off the time I typically spend on this task. We're still getting to know it but we're already in love. iMac love! Our computer dreams have come true!

Ah, McDonald's!

So, either McDonald's advertising is very effective for two-year-olds or we go get $1 drinks way too often ... or both!

Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, I'm loving it!

Random Statistical Update

The boys had a very fast doctor's appointment on Aug. 4 just to check on a few things (tonsils for Harmon and ears for Simon). Everything was just fine so the highlight of the appointment was the statistical update. Three months from being 6 and 3, here is where the Bergquist boys rate:

Harmon - 51.37 pounds and 47.6 inches

Simon - 35.49 pounds and 39.13 inches

Let me just say, giving horsey rides through the house is kind of painful these days.

Hershey's

I love chocolate (or "sockowit," as Simon would say) and that's no secret, even to my boys. While I like all kinds of things with (or covered in) chocolate, my favorite chocolate thing to eat is a simple Hershey's bar. This is well-engrained in Harmon's mind and, anywhere he goes, he gets me a Hershey's bar. I have them stashed all over the house mostly because I can't eat them at the rate he gets them for me - at least not without weighing 300 pounds! I'm not complaining because it's actually a very sweet thing and I hope he still remembers this when he comes home from college to visit. If he comes in the door and gives me a hug and a Hershey's bar, I know I'll melt (no pun intended).

Hanukkah Birthday

This year, we celebrated my birthday over the course of a couple of weeks. Kevin dubbed it my Hanukkah birthday.

We did the baseball game (and I got my awesome new sweatshirt) on July 16 and then, the day before my birthday, he got me a Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake and the boys picked out these awesome orange flowers (they know I love orange). Cards and well wishes rolled in daily and then, on Saturday, July 30, we went to my parents' house to do the usual family birthday celebration. I got awesome stuff from my sisters and my parents.

I'm thinking celebrating this way takes the sting out of that whole "getting older" thing. I might have to do it this way from now on!

32 months

Simon is a sponge. He soaks up everything he sees, hears, and reads. Most of the time, this is a good thing. But, when he's witness to his "babo's" questionable behavior ... well ... it's not such a good thing. If Harmon doesn't listen, Simon doesn't listen. If Harmon is sassy, Simon is sassy. We try to explain to Harmon that he needs to set a good example and, at times, this works. However, this needs to work ALL THE TIME. We're working on it. When he's not blindly following his brother, he's a pretty awesome 2YO. He's always been pretty good with the whole "please and thank you" thing but, lately, EVERYTHING is "please I can have ...?" Please I can have a cookie? Please I can have you read to me? It's nice to hear, even if it's grammatically incorrect.

His learning of the language is also pretty funny when it comes to Ys or Ls. He's had a hang-up with these letters for a few months now but we know he'll figure it out. In the meantime, it's hilarious to hear "yellow" become "wewwow" or "legs" become "yegs." I had a logo on a t-shirt the other night and he asked me about it. I said it was a "logo" and he repeated "yogo." Another funny thing is how he says accident. If he drops something, for example, he'll say, "oh, it was just an accent."

While I thought he had grown out of the whole "getting rock to sleep" thing, he's given me a few nights here and there where's he's let me hold him until he falls asleep. It's usually because he's just too exhausted to fight me. Most of the time, though, he loves to talk before bed and tell you all about his day. And, when he's doing this, he will grab your face and position it so you're looking directly at him. Don't dare break eye contact! Kevin took them to the Chelsea Tree House recently and some older kids weren't being very nice. They were calling the boys "dummies" and Simon has told me this story no less than 1,493 times.

Since Harmon is about done with naps, Simon has found a way to escape one every now and then. But, this is not a good idea. He usually ends up asleep during his dinner. And then grumpy when you try to get him away from the table and into his bed. You still have like three years of naps left, buddy, so cool it. You're not 5, you're 2!

Art Fair 2011

Every year, we go to the Ann Arbor Art Fairs with the boys and we never really get to see all that we want. It's hard to do art with two crazy boys. So, after every year, Kevin and I say to each other "next year, we need to take an afternoon off and go by ourselves."

Well, this year, we finally did just that but it was hot as balls! Good God, was it HOT! We went on the first day and sweat more than we ever have in our lives BUT we saw the whole thing. We covered from Main Street to Church Street and that effort, with temps in the high 90s, was impressive. Unfortunately, we didn't see a whole lot that we liked so the only purchases made were for our Moms.

It was nice, though, to walk through town and just leisurely gaze at everything without worrying that Simon was going to grab something or Harmon was going to knock something down.

5-year-old and 2-year-old boys and art do not mix!

T-ball is done for the summer

Wednesday, July 20 was Harmon’s last t-ball game of the season and he was a little sad. Here’s our awesome conversation about it:

Harmon: I’m sad that t-ball is over.

Mommy: Well, don’t be sad, you can play again next spring.

Harmon: But I’m also sad that I have to put my t-ball stuff away.

Mommy: No, you can keep playing with it and, each year, we’ll get you more and more stuff. And then, one day, you’ll be as good as those guys that play on TV.

Harmon: Well, I AM going to be playing on TV.

Mommy: Oh, really, what will you be doing?

Harmon: I’ll be HITTING!

I hope so, big guy, I hope so!

Buoyant boys

Although it took us a little while to get there, we took the first of our two family vacations this summer to Minnesota to spend five days on Upper Gull Lake. We left the evening of July 2 and made it as far as Minneapolis, but bad weather back in Detroit had delayed us too much. We made a mad dash — O.J.-style — through the Minneapolis airport, only to see our connecting flight pulled back from the gate. So we spent two hours retrieving our luggage and scrambling to find a hotel at 11:30 at night. We found one of the last few rooms at a Holiday Inn near the airport, and settled in for a quick night.

Harmon and Simon and Aimee were absolute saints during all of this. We kind of expected the boys to be a little cranky, as our second flight would have gotten us into Brainerd at 11:30 p.m. anyway, but they were very well-behaved, considering the circumstances. Even as we sat on the tarmac in Detroit for almost two hours, the boys — albeit distracted by iPads and DVD players — kept their cool.

We were re-booked for the first flight the next day, and arrived in plenty of time to feed the boys and catch up on the Casey Anthony trial — our obsession for the better part of three years, including the final week. The flight from Minneapolis to Brainerd was approximately 20 minutes and my Dad picked us up at the airport. We arrived back at the cabin about 1 p.m. and the boys immediately wanted to get in the water. We knew Harmon would do fine, as he is taking swimming lessons, but we weren’t so sure about Simon on his inaugural trip Up North. Harmon did fine, save for his fear of weeds, but Simon — true to his nature — was the real daredevil. He quickly wanted to venture out into deeper water, and by the end of the week he was jumping off the dock with a life preserver on. In fact, both boys were little fish most of the week and couldn’t wait to get in the water.

We kept very busy during the five days, eating at Bar Harbor, Zorbaz, Ernie’s on Gull, etc., and taking lots of boat rides. The boys loved taking turns “driving” the pontoon with Grandpa, although Simon was very upset when Grandpa put his hands on the wheel, as he wants to do everything “by his own self.

On July 5, while the boys went to the park with Grandma and Aunt Angela, Aimee and I cleaned off the paddleboat and headed down to the north end of the lake to catch two turtles for the boys for the Nisswa Turtle Races. The races have been a summer tradition for my 40 years, including the time we served as turtle “brokers” for about 10 summers, netting (no pun intended), like $1,000 (I know, CSB!). I was a little rusty in seeing and catching turtles, but Aimee spotted a few and we eventually netted two mid-size painters. Harmon and Simon named them, appropriately, “Mario” and “Luigi,” after their favorite video game, Super Mario Kart.

On July 6, we drove the boys into Nisswa and I waited in line for about 30 minutes to get two numbers for the turtles. We secured two spots in the 500-range and settled in to watch the races. When our numbers were called, I took Simon and Aimee took Harmon to the center of the track. I was watching Luigi when I noticed that Harmon’s Mario was booking for the finish line. Lo and behold, Mario crossed the finish line and Harmon had officially settled into his Daddy’s footsteps in Turtle Race lore. Harmon was so proud! Mario let up in the semifinals, so his racing days were over after just two heats (on our final day at the cabin, we let the turtles go off the front of the pontoon and let them swim back to their homes). The boys were tired, so my Dad took them back to the cabin while Aimee and I looked around town a little. When we came back home, of course, Harmon had been swimming.

We left mid-day on July 8, exhausted, but well-tanned and glad the boys had so much fun. They got to spend some quality time with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Angela, and my Uncle Bill finally got to meet Simon. I also got to spend some time with Tommy Fournier. We used to be inseparable during our summers growing up, and it was great to catch up. Harmon had fun swimming with his two little girls.

After a quick flight to Minneapolis, the boys both feel asleep on the second leg back to Detroit. We grabbed our luggage, took a shuttle to our car and were back home by 7 p.m. It was our first trip without Isabel in our lives, and it was a little sad to come home and not see her cage in the living room. We took the weekend to recuperate and get ready to go back to work. All in all, it was a great trip and a fun time for the boys.

Last year, we added a second, mini-vacation to our plans by going to Traverse City in mid-August. Hoping to make it a family tradition, we will go again this year and hopefully many years to come. We want to get away and enjoy some time with the boys before Harmon starts Kindergarten after Labor Day (sniff, sniff).

I must be in the front row!

Each year, we hit up Comerica Park several times with the boys and while I would love to watch every pitch of every inning, I know our time at the ballpark with the boys isn't about me. It's about them having a great experience and learning to love everything about Tigers' baseball. Because of this, though, Kevin will usually take me to a game - by ourselves - in July for my birthday. Well, that once-a-summer game was this past weekend and it was freakin' awesome!

Kevin outdid himself getting front-row seats behind home plate for the White Sox- Tigers game on Saturday. It was a 4:10 p.m. start, which meant the ballpark opened just after 2 p.m. and we were there! I felt like a little kid just watching batting practice with my mouth wide open! In all my years, I've NEVER sat that close so I tried to take in every second. It was awesome that it was the White Sox because I have a unexplainable love for Ozzie Guillen. And, to make it even better, it was a Scherzer start and I love me some Max Scherzer!

Aside from moving my arm to get a drink of beer, I did not move for nine innings. While the outcome could have been better (they lost 5-0, score some damn runs) and it could have been a little cooler (it was 88 most of the game), I had an unbelievable time! It was a day that won't soon be forgotten and it was one of the BEST birthday presents ever!

No longer napping 'Nators!

Many kids at school and many of my friends' kids gave up napping LONG AGO but Harmon has remained a good napper ... until now. I think once we hit June, he decided he would phase HIMSELF out of naps. The will still nap if he's up before 7 a.m. - like on school days - of if we're just riding in the car for a while, like on the weekends. He never could resist a car nap!

I suppose it's just as well because he won't get a nap in kindergarten. I think, though, that we'll have to put him to bed a bit earlier each night, at least in the beginning, just to make sure he's getting enough sleep. He's always really welcomed his naps and I hope Simon keeps on napping as long as Harmon has. It helps to have the house quiet, if only for an hour or so!

Brown eyes, blue eyes

On Monday mornings, Kevin drops me off at work first and then drops the boys at school. Before I head into my building, I give and receive all those awesome hugs and kisses but their favorite part is when I saw "bye, brown eyes" to Harmon and "bye, blue eyes" to Simon. I don't know WHY they start looking at each other and getting all giggly but I love those giggles! They are the perfect start to a Monday workday!

Diamondbacks at Tigers

So, our second Tigers' game this year was much, much better. Not only did the Tigers' come away with an awesome come-from-behind win but the boys got to do all the things they wanted to do. We got there early - in time to see the retiring of Sparky Anderson's number - and immediately hit up the face painting booth. Harmon desperately wanted his face painted like a Tiger and it was well worth it - he was very cute! We then grabbed the boys some hot dogs and pretzels so they could make the biggest decision of the afternoon - carousel or ferris wheel. Since they rode the carousel at our last game back in May, the ferris wheel won. The line wasn't too bad and we loaded into our "baseball" car before Simon had the chance to escape (he was a little grumpy and just wanted to run free). We then hit the upper deck concourse and caught the last half of the game. It was hot so I watched in the sun while Kevin kept the boys in the shade. Harmon would join me every now and then to ask what the score was, who was batting, etc.  SIDE NOTE: I LOVE that he's finally asking these questions.

After another save by Papa Grande, we headed down to the main concourse to get in line for kids run the bases. The line - which we were near the end of - wrapped around the entire stadium but it moved pretty quickly. Before we knew it, both boys were hand in hand taking steps on the field at Comerica Park! Harmon was very sweet in showing Simon where to start before he took off running - Harmon was about to home plate as Simon was rounding 2nd base. Kevin and I were trying to snap pictures and videos so we weren't right at home plate when Simon finished. He looked a little lost so Harmon went into the fray to retrieve him and bring him to us. It was, quite frankly, one of the sweetest brother moments I've seen between them!

Once we got packed up, we headed to the car and both of them were out pretty fast. I asked Kevin if we could drive by the old Tiger Stadium site on our way out of town and we did. There was a group of kids playing baseball there, which was good to see. The flagpole was still there too, with the flag flying high. It was a very odd moment for me - thinking about all that has happened at that famous corner of Michigan and Trumbull and thinking about how my boys won't ever know what it was like there. I'll have to tell some very good stories so they'll FEEL like they've been there. Every trip to the ballpark makes me so happy I have boys - I hope there are many, many, many trips to the ballpark in our future.

Cars 2

When Cars premiered - June 9, 2006 - Harmon was only six months old so he didn't care. He didn't even know he was alive. As he got a little older, though, it was ON! He loved that movie like no other and, because his parents are geeks, he had every damn car from that movie along with all the accoutrements. And, because Harmon loved Cars, so does Simon. It was a HUGE step in their relationship when Harmon FINALLY allowed Simon to place with his precious "face cars!"

 

Anyway, once both boys realized Cars 2 was coming out, there was a countdown of sorts. Not much time would go by without Harmon reminding us about the June 24th date!

 

So, on Friday, June 24, Kevin took the day off and we took the boys to an 11 a.m. showing. Things started off very well with both boys fixated on the big screen, snacks in hand. But, as we reached the one-hour mark, Simon started to get a little restless. As an aside, Cars 2 is 1 hour and 53 minutes long. Come ON! That's LONG for a Disney movie (the first one was 1 hour and 17 minutes). Harmon did well but the younger kids were all having a hard time holding it together!

 

Harmon loved it even though it was more Mater-focused and had much more of a plot than the first one. Simon liked it too, even though he didn't see ALL of it. Afterward, I asked them what their favorite parts were. Harmon loved the opening scene with the water, ships, spies, etc. Simon simply liked the racing! They had a great time and so did we! And, of course, we went straight to Toys R Us after the movie to get more "face cars." The boys now have about 10 cars from the new movie and they love them. Or maybe Mom and Dad just love having something to collect (remember those baseball cards)!

31-month update

So, Simon is just over 2 1/2 but you would think he was just over 5 1/2. He wants to do everything his big brother does, it doesn't matter what it is. Rare is it that he'll let me rock him to sleep anymore. If he's still plenty awake, he'll talk your ear off for 20 minutes or so until he settles down. He loves to tell stories and just tell you about "his day." If he's tired, he'll just crawl up in his bed and start playing with his ears. Speaking of his ears, he's always played with them but, lately, it's been excessive so we're getting those things checked out, just in case. Unlike Harmon, he's not one to get out of bed once he's in and he usually doesn't request that someone to stay with him until he settles down or falls asleep. As I've said before, he's our independent one.

 

Lately, we've been transitioning him out of his high chair. It's a challenge but a necessary one. Sometimes he's very good; other times, he's crazy. I assume it will get better as it has with Harmon. On a few occassions, we've tried letting them eat a meal together but that usually ends in chaos. We may wait a bit longer on that. And, speaking of eating, he eats like a horse. Most of the time, he is bottomless. What are we in for?!?!

 

Now that he's bigger, he doesn't put up with his brother's crap as much as he used to. More often that not, Harmon ends up being the first one crying after one of their little "wrestling matches." The look in Simon's eyes when they are scrapping is classic! I have to try to catch it on video. He is pissed off and determined all at once. I can see him having that same look later in life. I wouldn't mess with Simon, as he gets older, that is for sure. 

 

He has a soft side, though. He still loves to give everyone kisses and hugs and, if there is a dog in the vicinity, he has to pet it! As I always tell Kevin, there is not a lot of in-between with Simon: he's on or off. He knows no boundaries and definitely no volume. He can be extreme at times and I imagine that's why he's so damn cute - makes it easier to handle him!

T-ball

When I was pregnant with Harmon, we didn't want to find out what we were having. We figured it was life's last big surprise and we wanted to be surprised. Although we didn't know, we THOUGHT it was a girl, for sure. She was to be named Maizey Bryn Bergquist. I think I wanted a girl because, having two younger sisters, it was just what I was comfortable with. I honestly think Kevin didn't really care one way or another.

So, when Harmon was born and the doctor said "you have a baby boy," we quite honestly felt a little guilty and a little sad. Those feelings only lasted seconds, though, and then they gave Harmon to Kevin and Kevin brought him to see me. It was at that moment that I realized all the awesome things having a boy would bring! One of those things was baseball and you can't get to baseball without t-ball first. It's like crawling and walking before running.

Not that I ever wanted to hurry him in growing up (it goes fast enough) but I have been excited for t-ball since I first saw this perfect little face. The earliest he could start, in the Ann Arbor area, was the summer before kindergarten so he FINALLY had his first practice on June 1. It started off well, too. He was very excited to get out there and he got his team t-shirt - he's rocking the #2 (like Jeter). We've done a lot with him at home so I think this made it easier for him. He likes the hitting part so much more than the throwing and fielding part (he does live in an AL city, thus the DH rule) but we're working on it. I think the most important thing, though, is that after each practice and game, he's made it a point to thank me for signing him up for t-ball. This is something he's never done before and something I hope he's doing because he's having a great time. Having fun is half the battle and, if he keeps having fun, I'll have a good time seeing where this goes.

Blisters and bloody noses

So, this spring has been a little rough on Simon. He doesn't complain about any of it but it happens nonetheless. Two different pairs of shoes have given him some nasty blisters - blisters that can only be soothed with Neosporin and Scooby Doo band aids. He's also had a few bloody noses as well. One came from Harmon (fighting brothers, ugh) but the others came from just bumping his nose while he's playing. I'm hoping, as summer enters the scene, that he'll have fewer blisters and bloody noses.

Tooth #3

Harmon lost tooth #3 Tuesday, June 14. Kevin called me at work to tell me about it and he mentioned that I've not been around for ANY of the tooth losses. I'm sad. Anyway, I wasn't surprised. His bottom front adult teeth are almost all the way in and this latest tooth to bolt his gums was right next to his front, bottom left. When he had kindergarten orientation back in May, the teacher asked all the kids if they had lost any teeth yet. Harmon was the only one to raise his hand. I'm guessing he'll have at least one more (next to his front, bottom right) for the tooth fairy before school starts in September.

At the ballpark

Back when Tigers tickets went on sale, we picked one Sunday (kids' day) each month and bought $5 tickets. We're never in our seats long so we figured why spend more, right? And, this is the last year Simon is free so it's a great deal!

Anyway, our first game was Sunday, May 29 and the boys had a great time (despite the fact that the Tigers lost to the Red Sox). They rode the carousel (Simon's first time) and ate way too much food. Because the game the previous night was postponed due to rain, Sunday turned into a day/night doubleheader and the kids run the bases event after the day game - our game - was cancelled. The boys were sad about this so we tried to make it up with a ride in the ferris wheel but ... yeah ... the wait was HOURS long. Harmon also expressed an interest in getting his face painted (as a Tiger) - something I NEVER thought he would go for - but by the time we got to the face painting booth, they were closed. All in all, we kind of struck out on the day or, at the most, went 1 for 4 (a good day for Brandon Inge). I'm hoping we can do a little better at our next game on Sunday, June 26.

The best part of waking up ...

On Mondays and Thursdays, that days the boys go to school, Kevin will peel Simon off his sheet and bring him to me in our bed. He'll then wake Harmon and have him stumble into our bed, usually with his pillow pet in tow. Having those five morning minutes with my groggy boys is the highlight of my day by far. They are half asleep and all soft and snuggly. It's very sweet to just watch them wake up for another day of being 5 and 2. Simon will usually perk up first and then Kevin will get him on the potty. Harmon takes a little longer so we'll stay back and grab a few more snuggles. I know stuff like this won't last forever so I try to enjoy it as much as I can!

Progressing on the potty

Over a year ago, I was sitting in a work meeting when my Mom texted me a picture of Simon on the potty. I remember being kind of sad because he wasn't even 1 1/2 yet ... so we decided not to push things. As spring and summer came and went, we would try to get him to sit on the potty a couple of times per week. As his 2nd birthday approached, we upped the frequency and tried to get him to sit on the potty at least once each day. This went very well and he did a great job. We took the potty to Kevin's parents' house at Christmas and totally expected him to regress but he didn't. He continued to "get it!" Around March, he started asking if he could use the big boy potty and we decided maybe after our Easter trip back to Kevin's parents' house. He did great on the road once again and, when we returned, he moved to the big boy potty full time.

It's been about a month now and I can't remember the last time I changed a poopy diaper. He's still working on peeing but he's doing so very well. Because of this great progress, we're slowly transitioning him to pull-ups. Actually, his teachers asked us if he was ready for UNDERWEAR because he does so well at school. I was very proud of him but I also wanted to cry a little. He's still too young for underwear. We'll continue to work on the peeing by rewarding him with stickers (which he loves) and soon we'll do away with diapers and move solely to pull-ups. If he follows his brother's progress, I'm seeing underwear as stocking stuffers!

"I can do it by my own self!"

Simon is a fiercely independent child. Attempting to help him with anything, big or small, almost always ends with this:

"I can do it by my own self!"

For a while now, he's been climbing into his high chair and he's quickly learned how to get on and off the potty without injuring himself. If you do the injustice of helping him with something, like getting him into his car booster seat, he will have a fit until you back away and let HIM do it. If you somehow manage to get him in the booster seat, he'll climb out and then climb back in - it HAS to be on his terms.

Harmon was never like this so this is new to us. Recently, we saw a note in our church newsletter for a seminar about dealing with your strong-willed child. We mentioned it to each other, looked at him and thought, hmmm, I wonder if we could learn anything from that!

I'm sure this trait will serve him very well later in life but, at this point, it can be tough on us. While he thinks he's 5 like his big brother, he's only 2 and we would like to enjoy him being 2 and, maybe, you know, needing us A LITTLE BIT!

Eggs-cellent

When Harmon was just over a year old, he had a reaction to eggs. He had eaten some scrambled eggs and then threw up a little and started itching his eyes like crazy. Since that time, we've steered away from giving him straight eggs (he CAN have eggs baked into things like cookies, cake, etc.). After the great cashew disaster in the summer of 2009, we went to the allergist to have him tested and he showed an allergy to tree nuts, eggs and fish. The allergist explained that he would always be allergic to tree nuts, might grow out of the fish allergy and most likely would grow out of the egg allergy.

So, a few weeks ago, we decided to test her theory. On a yucky Sunday morning, we got up and made a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, juice, etc. We were a little nervous about it but decided to go for it and give Harmon some scrambled eggs. He was skeptical as well - he's very in tune with his allergies - but he ate the eggs ... and he was just FINE! He was excited and we were excited! Since then, he's had eggs a few more times without any reaction. I think we can safely say that he's no longer allergic to the incredible edible egg!

2.5

Simon, you’re 2 ½ years old today. To celebrate, your brother drew you a picture of a birthday cake. He can be so sweet SOMETIMES. Other times, though, he gives it to you pretty good but you don’t seem to care. You’re even starting to give it back to him a bit.

The other night, while Daddy and I were making dinner, we heard grunting coming from the living room. Daddy took a peak at you and Harmon and then said to me, “they’re just Greco-Roman wrestling!” This is pretty common these days. You two like to wrestle a lot and, most of the time, Harmon is the first one crying. You’re a pretty tough little guy. You have a huge blister on the top of your foot right now and you never told me or Daddy about it. You fell the other day at the park and didn’t cry a bit even though you were bleeding. You just dusted your hands off and got back up. When I took you to the car to clean up the cut and put some medicine on it, you said “look, Mommy, blood” in the most matter-of-fact way possible. When we were done with the medicine, you were right back at it.

So, you’re tough but you’re also stubborn. SO stubborn … and so independent. You want to do everything by yourself, no matter what the task, and you get so mad if we don’t at least let you try.

Right now, as an eater, you are challenging. If you’re hungry, food is gone fast but, if you’re not, you won’t budge. You would honestly sit in your chair for five hours to prove a point that you don’t want to eat what we’re serving. Fortunately, you’re growing big and strong so, much of the time, you can get away with maybe not finishing everything on your plate.

You talk a ton, my God. Paragraphs just flow from your mouth. And almost everything - barring Ls - is pronounced perfectly. You love cars and you love books and you love to go to the park. You’re a simple kid, just like your brother. Sometimes, we’ll catch you lining up your cars and we flash back to Harmon doing that at the same age.

You’re doing great at school, even though you’ve been to the principal’s office a couple of times. It’s not for anything extreme, just maybe not listening quite so well during circle time, but it's a visit nonetheless. Listening can be hard for you and the fact that your brother has trouble with the same thing only compounds the situation.

Your potty skills are epic – you’re doing fantastic! I see underwear coming in the fall!

Right now, you’re really hit or miss with letting me or Daddy rock you to sleep. Sometimes, you just like to crawl in your bed and fall asleep with us in the rocking chair nearby. Other nights, though, you’ll let us hold you until you fall asleep – those are the best nights.

You don’t like to be alone and you can be quite needy at times. If we’re there, you want our full attention but the minute your brother appears, all eyes are on him. You love him so much and the look in your eyes when you look at your brother makes my heart skip a beat. Sometimes you two will be talking or singing and Daddy and I will try to figure out what you’re doing but we can’t. You two have your own little world and a bond that we hope is unbreakable.

At 2 1/2, you are an amazing child and we are so fortunate to have you and have you happy, healthy and strong. It’s weird to think that we worried about loving a second child enough. In some ways, you have even more love because a) you have your brother and b) we’re better parents. In the end, though, we can’t imagine our days without you, even if you STILL scream like a pterodactyl!

Getting ready for kindergarten

On May 10, there was a pre-orientation for kindergarten at St. Francis. We prepped Harmon about it for a whole week and he was so excited. However, upon arrival to the kindergarten classroom, he went all shy on me. I swear he cut off circulation on my left leg, he was holding onto it SO tight! He has two friends in the class so I didn't understand the panic but, then again, I'm not 5 so ...

Anyway, he finally loosened up and the kids stayed with their new teacher-to-be while the parents went to the library for a Powerpoint presentation about some bigger aspects of starting kindergarten. Lots of good information but most of the time was spent on the drop-off and pick-up flow charts, which made my (and later Kevin's) head asplode. Of course, the whole time I was sitting there, I could NOT stop thinking about Mr. Mom - "North to pick up, south to drop off, moron!"

The most in-depth orientation will take place Tuesday, Sept. 6, the day before schools starts. Between now and then, though, there will be plenty of opportunities for us - and Harmon - to get more comfortable with things.

One of those opportunities came this past Friday (May 20) when Kevin took Harmon in for a very general and very quick kindergarten screening. The kids were alone with the teacher so I had to rely on Harmon for intel - this can be shaky at best. According to him, he had to ID parts of the body, do his numbers and letters, talk about reading, and make sure he knows and can spell his first and last name. I'm sure there was more but those are the things HE highlighted. He did well but we do need to work on the last name. He can write it for sure, he just hasn't needed to. He's the only Harmon anywhere in town so he just puts "Harmon" instead of "Harmon Bergquist" on everything. Kevin said he did pretty well - fortunately not a repeat performance of the orientation episode. I'm sure, by Sept. 7, we'll all be comfortable!