Christmas 2010

Most years, Kevin and I take a lot of vacation time before Christmas to do fun things with the boys. We then join my family on the evenings of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and spend Dec. 26-30 with Kevin's family. This year, though, we had to switch it up as Kevin and I went to Florida for the Gator Bowl to celebrate our 10-year anniversary. We were in Peoria Dec. 19-23 and the boys got to open all their Bergquist family presents WAY earlier than usual. I'm hoping they won't get used to this! Aside from the presents, they had a great time in Peoria hanging out with their grandparents, aunts, cousins and uncle! More presents came from the Saling family on Christmas Eve and then we had our own time together - just the four of us - most of Christmas day. Since both boys have their birthdays in November, it's SO hard to come up with Christmas gifts for them but I think we did OK. Books are always a hit and they got plenty. They also got several ramps for their cars and the always unpopular CLOTHES. As with all kids, they had a great Christmas break!

There were two very melancholy things we had to deal with over this time, though. First, Will, our Elf on the Shelf, had to return to the North Pole. We all were VERY sad to see him go. And, on Dec. 26 when the Christmas music disappeared from all the local radio stations, we all were very sad. The boys love Christmas music and would listen to it all year long if they could. The thing I'll miss MOST about the boys and their Christmas music fascination this year is their mistaken lyrics from the Grinch song. Instead of a "dump heap," they think it says a "donkey" so they were often running around saying "you're a donkey, Mr. Grinch."

Ah, Christmas, you come and go SO fast!

Babo

Since Simon first learned to speak, he has referred to Harmon as "Babo" - short for "big brother." He can say Harmon and he says it very well but he much prefers to call his big brother "Babo." It's cute to hear this but we're starting to wonder if Harmon will forever be known as Babo Bergquist, much like Dabo Swinney, the head football coach at Clemson University. I always thought he had an odd name and then good ol' Wikipedia answered all my questions:

"Swinney's nickname was given to him as an infant by his parents when his then-15-month-old brother would try to enunciate "that boy" when referring to Swinney."

I'm sure Simon will start saying Harmon on a consistent basis sometime soon. If not, at least there's some alliteration in Babo Bergquist ...

Working the system

Simon learned very early on that kisses and hugs will get him EVERYWHERE.

And, now that he's two, he's really working the system. He knows that a big squeezy hug (both arms squeezed tight around our necks with a squeezy noise added for good measure) and a kiss (his version is a kiss on each cheek - are we French?!?!) will get him anything he wants. Simon has never been a big snuggler so we can't resist that affection when we get it. We're like putty in his hands.

Big boy bed

Simon climbed out of his crib back in September and, since then, we've been trying to find a convenient time to convert his crib to a toddler bed. We targeted Thanksgiving weekend but just couldn't do it. We waited until Harmon was 2 and a couple of weeks so we wanted to do the same for Simon. So, on Friday, Dec. 10, we did the conversion ... and he handled it like a champ. We've read books and then either rocked him or he'll request to curl up in his bed. We'll usually stay with him a few minutes until he settles down and then he's out. We decided this might be a better approach than just leaving the room like we did with Harmon. That was a disaster that yielded Harmon getting out of his bed 1,000 times each night for a week or so. So far, he's done great and even slept well on his mini aerobed at Grandma and Grandpa's house for a few nights over Christmas vacation. We're so glad he's doing so well but are so sad he's now in a big boy bed.

25 months

Simon, you turned 25 months old on Christmas day so we got you lots of gifts to celebrate! You were very excited to see them Christmas morning even though I think most of your excitement is because of your brother's excitement! I hope you enjoy turning 25 months old on the 25th of the month!

Sports

Soccer and swimming have been Harmon's sports until this past fall when he gave flag football (via the Ann Arbor YMCA) a try. For seven weeks (Sept. 14 through Oct. 26), he and 20 or so other 4 and 5 year olds tried to grasp the concept of football. Most of the time, I was able to catch the second half of practice but during the first half, Kevin would keep me posted via hilarious text messages - some examples:

"Your boy is going all Je'Ron Stokes. He is #6."

"Harmon takes and Obi angle to the ball and loses contain."

"Now they are on offense and he just went all Vincent Smith (tackled after no gain)."

He liked flag football but wasn't really in love with it. I think maybe next fall, it will come a little easier to him.

After football, we signed him up for basketball at the YMCA and he was totally into it. He asked for, and received from Aunt Erin, a basketball for his birthday. And, in addition to his weekly practice/scrimmage - which is fun, hilarious and terrible all at the same time - he really wants to spend some extra time in the gym. His last class was Dec. 14 and now we'll take a break for the holidays. The new year will bring a new swimming class and, finally, tee ball in the spring. Harmon has even asked if he can take golf lessons so we'll explore that too. The more sports, the better, except for hockey - sorry, little buddy!

Simon Says

Simon's language is amazing. We thought Harmon was a wordsmith at that age but Simon has really benefitted from having all three of us talking to him nonstop. He has certain words or phrases that he loves and he's forming full sentences by the second. Here are some language highlights from the last few months:

Whatbookawant - what Simon says when he's reviewing his library for something good to read when going potty.

Freight Train - one of the books that he typically chooses. He loves tunnels so he digs the page where the train goes through the tunnel. There also is a page where the train goes over a trestle. I'm a little concerned that Simon says "trestle" so well, especially when you think about it this way - Coach Tressel.

Michigan Wolverines - another book he likes. Simon has taken to the Michigan stuff quicker than Harmon ever did (despite his name being Harmon). He says "Michigan" when he sees the block M on our t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. and he yells out "Go Blue" everytime we drive by the stadium. So, it's no surprise he loves this book about the Wolverines beating those Buckeyes. I wish real life imitated this particular art more!


On the occassion that we find ourselves listening to 97.1 (a rarity, these days), Simon would yell out "97.1, the ticket!"

While Harmon has taught his little brother many good things, there is one particular word that Harmon passed on to him that just thrills us (note the sarcasm) - buttcrack. I don't know WHY that word is the word he picked up on and I don't know WHY it's so fun to say but he can't get enough. In the beginning, it was crazy. No matter what we did, he would NOT stop saying it. It's gotten better lately, though, and now he mixes it in at odd times. He'll say "butt" and then pause a while and finish with "crack." Or, he make it into a song. I guess there ARE worse words but still - it's not fun to have him screaming that at school OR at Target.

I wanna' go back home - this is Simon's default phrase. No matter where we are or what's going on, he'll pull out "I wanna' go back home" if he's uncomfortable, bored, tired or getting reprimanded for something. The funniest thing is when he says it when we're already AT HOME.

Simon's stats at 2

OK, because the only thing anyone asks me about are the stats, here they are for both boys at age two:

 

Harmon - 34 pounds and 35 1/4 inches tall

Simon - 31 1/2 pounds and 37 1/2 inches tall

 

Simon still has not made up the two pounds Harmon had on him at birth (in his defense, he was three weeks early). But, he is taller and crazier too. He's so much more active and, therefore, never went through the chubby stage (although Harmon was adorable through said chubby stage).

Official yearly photos

My sister, Stacey, was kind enough to attempt to herd the boys for their yearly photos. We chose the eastern part of the Diag for this and, with the exception of Simon being damn near impossible to deal with, I think they turned out nice. Here is the 2010 official photo of them together by their favorite huge tree near the U-M School of Natural Resources (SNRE):

Here is Simon (on the bench just outside of the SNRE):

Here is Harmon (near that same tree):

I also love this photo of Harmon (Harmon is awesome in black and white), taken in one of the arches near West Hall, the Dennison Building and SNRE:

Many thanks to Stacey - I know from experience that it's not easy to chase a five-year-old and a two-year-old around the Diag!

The man

When Harmon was younger, he was afraid of the generic man voice on our answering machine. Over time, we began referring to this voice as the voice of "the man." "The man" was a mythical, scary man that we would use to keep Harmon in line sometimes. So, imagine the look on Harmon's face when he saw this:

My sister, Stacey, had his birthday presents delivered to my parents' house so she wouldn't have to haul them with her from Chicago. Evidently, my Dad was the one to sign for this delivery from UPS as he's the only "man" at that house. When Harmon read that "the man" was in receipt of his birthday presents, he was more than a little concerned.

FYI - "the man" also works for Simon!

Let's Party

As will be the case for many years to come, we had the boys' birthday party in between their birthdays of Nov. 12 and 25. The party was Nov. 13 so Harmon had a to wait a day for his presents and Simon got his 12 days early. Bonus, Simon!

Anyway, Kevin's parents; my parents; my sister, Erin; my sister, Stacey; Stacey's husband, Marc; and their amazing dachschund, Murdach, were in attendance. Everyone arrived as Michigan was trying to fend off Purdue on something that resembled a football field and then Stacey, Mom and I took the boys to campus to attempt to get their yearly photos taken. Stacey was the photographer and Mom and I wrangled. One kid - SIMON - required a lot more wrangling than the other (thanks, Harmon, for being so awesome out there). Despite Simon's inability to a) listen or b) sit still for more than two seconds, I think we got some good ones. While we were handling photos, Kevin and the rest of the family decorated and got everything ready back home. Since both boys LOVE Yo Gabba Gabba, that was the theme and they loved it!

My Mom made an awesome roast and Kevin's Mom provided us with way too many appetizers and, for cake, we got awesome Yo Gabba Gabba cupcakes from the Ann Arbor Cupcake Station. And the boys needed that sugar because it took all of their energy to open the 1,857,563 presents that everyone got for them.

All in all, it was a fun day and besides the birthday boys - Murdach was the life of the party!

5

Harmon is five. Being five, he will read ANYTHING - a book, a cereal box, the side of the cup of my large Diet Coke from McDonald's. If there are words, he wants to read them.

He's also independent. He likes to do things himself and he's not shy to tell you.

He runs hot and cold with his baby brother but he loves him. He may provoke him, he may hit him but, in the end, he shares almost everything with Simon and has genuine concern for him - it's so nice to see.

He still likes to cuddle, especially when he wakes up in the morning or wakes up from a nap (and, yes, he still naps for at least an hour almost every day). Those cuddles are awesome and immediately take you back to when he was five days, five weeks, five months old.

He argues and has to have the last word. He is persistent, in the most passive-aggressive of ways. He needs to be acknowledged at all times and desperately seeks your approval. He's not a fan of being alone.

He has a sense of humor and is learning the finer points of sarcasm. He can be teased - and is - and is always so easy to forgive.

He is a beanpole. It looks like we never feed him but, aside from many a vegetable, he'll eat almost anything. And speaking of eating, when he tries something new and he likes it, he makes the cutest little "mmm" sound!

When he is with just one of us, he's an angel. When there are two or more adults on the scene, the fight for attention commences.

He loves my sister's dog and I can see in his eyes that he wants one of his own - in due time, little man.

He loves his school and has jumped right into to any activity we've signed him up for. I think it's mostly because he loves to be with other kids - he makes friends so easily.

He's an amazing little man and when I look at this face, his huge brown eyes take me back to when he was just a baby. I suppose that will happen almost every time I look at him - whether he's 5, 15 or 25.

Statistical note - measurements for 5, for record-keeping purposes: 47 1/2 pounds and 45 1/2 inches. He definitely doesn't LOOK like he's 5!

Harmon's day

Each year, we try to do something special, one on one, with the boys for their birthdays. This year, Kevin's parents watched Simon while we took Harmon to dinner at Pizza House and then to Yost Ice Arena for his first hockey game. Despite the terrible effort on the ice - we lost 3-1 to Notre Dame - Harmon had a great time! He had his usual popcorn and, surprisingly, asked a lot of questions about what was happening on the ice. At one point, he asked if he could play hockey one day - I did my best to ignore this request! We got home around 10:30 p.m. and Harmon was pretty excited to be able to stay up so late like a big boy. Over the next few days, he told everyone about his special day so we'll take that to mean he enjoyed himself!

Summer of READ

This past summer, Harmon began reading. Like with most kids, it was just a word or two at first, simple words. It was so cute to see the look of concentration on his face as he worked SO HARD to put those letters and sounds together.

We employed the BOB Books for help - these things are awesome, by the way - and Dr. Seuss helped too. He also took an interest in reading Simon's books to Simon - I assume because those were easy for him to get through. As the weeks and months went on, he began to tackle bigger and longer books and, quite honestly, the process has been amazing! Most of the time, he wants to try to read the book first and, if he's having trouble, he'll ask us to take over. The best part, though, is the look on his face when he's finished reading a book. Oh, the joy in his eyes when he proclaims "I read the whole book myself!" There haven't been too many moments that cool over the past five years!

I guess reading at least four books before bed (and God only knows how many more throughout the day) since he was just a few months old has really paid off - and it will keep paying off! That goes for Simon too!

Halloween with the Bergquist boys

Halloween is a pretty big deal for us. We start decorating the MINUTE fall arrives, with the highlight being the pumpkin lights in our front yard - the lights the boys love to go see every time to we arrive home.

When the boys aren't visting or talking about the pumpking lights, it's all about their costumes. This year, they went as Tom and Jerry. Yes, it's kind of old school but Harmon started digging on Tom and Jerry one weekend when he was at my parents' house. My Dad had a DVD of old episodes and Harmon ate it up! And the idea was born. Because they ARE rather old school, I wasn't sure if I could find costumes but wbshop.com saved me from having to make them. Or, let's be real here, saved me from finding something else. You see, I lack the skill and the patience (and the time) to MAKE a costume. I do feel bad about it, though, as MY MOM used to make all of our costumes. Ah, guilt.

ANYWAY ... on Halloween, once Harmon transformed into Tom, Simon couldn't wait to become Jerry. And the minute they had their costumes on, they were ready to go. Harmon, who is a bit on the shy side, did great this year. He showed no signs of shyness - amazing what candy can do. And, Simon, never a shy one, busted onto the scene for his first walking trick or treat session. He kept up with his big brother most of the night and they both brought in a nice haul of candy (for Mom and Dad).

To be honest, I did get misty-eyed seeing them standing at the door together saying trick or treat (and Simon doing so in the cutest little voice) and then thanking each person for the candy. We got lots of compliments not only on their costumes but also on their politenss, which, of course, makes you feel good. Here's to many Halloweens down the road with both of them happily pounding the streets for treats!

Addendum I: On the Friday before Halloween, Kevin - being the completely awesome Dad that he is - took the morning off so he could take Harmon to meet up with his classmates for story time at the Ann Arbor District Library and trick or treating in downtown Ann Arbor. So as not to ruin his Tom costume, he dusted off the old hedgehog from a couple of years ago. I think the best part of the day was the BUS RIDE they took to get there - Harmon is still talking about. All in all, he had an awesome day and Kevin is the best for making the time to take him.

Addendum II: Harmon has requested that he and Simon go as Snoopy and Woodstock next year. We'll see if that sticks! It would be so cute and I'm totally in favor of it but Harmon has been known to change his mind before. After Halloween 2009, he wanted to be a mummy and then a vampire and he ended up as Tom so ... I don't know what's going to happen!

Wolverine

Simon has never really liked stuffed animals but, a few weeks ago, we bought him a small stuffed wolverine from M-Den and he immediately bonded with this little guy. Now, it's his favorite, his baby, his "wolverine!" He says "wolverine" so clearly and, each night when we tuck him in, he grabs him and pulls him close for a tight snuggle. In addition to this wolverine love, he also says "Michigan" very clearly whenever he sees and block M and especially when we drive by the stadium (or anywhere near the U-M athletic campus). He sings "The Victors" as best he can - the tune is right, the words still need some work - and he says his fair share of "Go Blue!" He's very in-tune, even moreso than Harmon was, with the Michigan world he's living in and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Yo Gabba Gabba

The boys love Yo Gabba Gabba and, to be completely honest, we do too. So, back in the summer when we saw that Yo Gabba Gabba Live was coming to Detroit, we had to get tickets. We bought the tickets months ago and, somehow, managed to keep the whole thing a secret until we arrived at the Fox Theater last Friday afternoon. As we crossed Woodward headed toward the front door, Harmon noticed the marquee and finally realized what the “big surprise” was that we were talking about all morning.

Once we got inside, both boys were so excited for the show to start and, once it did, Harmon did not take a break from singing and dancing. Simon, on the other hand, had his mind totally BLOWN! He just stood there, staring at the stage, mouth wide open, for 5-10 minutes. When I started talking to him about exactly WHO was on stage, he got more into it. I think he just couldn’t comprehend how Muno, Tootie, Foofa, Plex and Brobee are usually on his TV at home and now they were on the live on stage right in front of him!

The show lasted just over an hour and we all had a great time! At one point during all his singing and dancing, Harmon grabbed me, gave me a big hug and thanked me for bringing him to the show. It was then that Kevin and I got a little teary-eyed. And speaking of teary-eyed, I think we all were a little sad when it was over but the boys scored matching and very cool concert t-shirts and a great poster that they would like framed and hung in their train room ASAP!

Harmon already has asked to go back but there’s not another stop in Detroit (or anywhere near Detroit) so we’re hoping the Yo Gabba Gabba-themed birthday party we’re planning for both boys in mid-November will be good enough. If it’s not, I’m sure they’ll score some Yo Gabba Gabba gifts too!

Dance Party

Both the boys have always loved to dance and, once they get going, the feed off each other. Sometimes, after reading but before bed, they hear a song they like on the radio and they have to get down and have a "dance party." Unfortunately, the songs they love to dance to most are a little ... um ... suspect. Beyonce's "Single Ladies" is a favorite as is Katy Perry's "California Gurls." They also will groove to some Lady Gaga. To balance these "music choices," we listen to plenty of Springsteen and Motown ... just so you know!

Progress on the potty

Simon first peed on the potty on Wednesday, April 14. I was in a forever-long meeting about our building dedication when my Mom broke up the monotony of it by sending me a photo of Simon on the potty. It was cute and sweet and sad all at the same time! He followed up the peeing with some pooping on Saturday, May 29. He's been going, on and off, all through the summer but once September it, we got more serious. He now sits on the potty every morning and usually goes especially if you read him a few books! And, now that it's October, we're trying to increase his time on the potty to a few times a day. Harmon was relatively easy to potty train so we hope and pray Simon is the same way.

September ...

Even though we decided to wait until next year to start Harmon in kindergarten, September was a emotional and stressful month for us. Kevin and I had a hell of a time at work - way too many events and projects due. Harmon, despite staying at Annie's, had to adjust to a bunch of new friends at school, not to mention being the oldest kid in class for the first time. Simon dropped the binky but added the potty - he's changing so much every second of every day. Despite the stress of the month, it flew by ... like they all do. On to October ...