Academy Conference

 March 10-12, I went with Monique and Phyllis to the Education for Careers (Academy) conference in Sacramento.  Both ladies are so much fun to be with, so although we "worked" and had a few really boring sessions, we still had a good time together.  Above is us in front of the Historical Governor's Mansion--we walked by it.

 After the conference, before our flight, we toured the Capital Building.  Our tour guide was fantastic and took us directly into the Senate chambers and pointed out the gargoyle in the ceiling (I've toured this building at least four times and that one was totally new to me).

Sharon

This is Sharon.  She was in my ninth grade reading intervention class four years ago (my first year at AHS).  Our year together was great for Sharon, she joined the AVID program and started getting good grades. Fast forward to this fall, as a senior Sharon has decided that she wants to join the Army but was concerned that she wouldn't be successful.  She main the hard decision to apply (and was accepted) for the Sunburst Youth Academy.  This is a five month residential program designed for at-risk students.  She asked me to be her mentor.  Fast forward another few months and Sharon has been at SYA for nine weeks.  Last Sunday, I went to the "mentor training" and then had a hour time with Sharon.  I'm proud of her hard work and look forward to our mentor relationship.

Home Depot Kids Workshop

 Daddy has been waiting eagerly to be able to take Andrew to Home Depot's Kids Workshop series.  They've made many trips to the store together, but last weekend was a special one. 

Together they made a car!

Mariah turns TWO!

 Last Saturday, Andrew and I went to Mariah's birthday party.  Mariah and Andrew are best friends from school.  I know I've mentioned her here a few times, but their friendship is adorable and so "true" that it needs it's own post.

 Mariah and Andrew are one month apart (she is clearly older than him), but started at The Growing Place about the same time in August 2011.  They have been together for the past year and a half at school and over that time it has become undeniable that they are best friend.  In the infant room, they used to crawl to each other and babble.  Mariah learned to say Andrew's name quickly and repeating it over and over again.  When they transferred into room two, Mariah went first and clearly missed Andrew.  Andrew would see her from across the parking lot and call to her and they'd hug through the metal fence.  When he finally was with her again, their teachers report many days of chasing each other around, hand holding, extra hugs, and general "friendship" activities.  When I come to pick him up, he says goodbye to each of his teachers with hugs and kisses and always looks for Mariah to extend it to her too.  It's pretty much the most adorable thing on the planet.

 

At her birthday party, they enjoyed playing together in the jumper.

 A few of the kids teachers came to the party as well.  Above is Andrew with Miss Fran.

 The bubble machine was a hit.

 Happy Birthday Mariah!

Mariah's parents (Tianna and Seth) totally get this friendship thing too!

23 Months Old

We're one month away from two and although most of my fellow April mommies can't believe it, I'm ready for him to be two officially.  We have a little boy on our hands, no more baby.  It's a lot easier to explain his behavior some times when you say he's two.  On that note, these "terrible two" moments are intense and aggravating.  Aunt Melissa witnessed a full meltdown after a fifteen minute bedtime extension (a HUGE no-no these days) and she was pretty shocked.

Here's our last update of year two!

New Developmental Milestones this Month: Here are the new developmental things that he started doing this month:

• Physical: Andrew now runs proficiently without falling, he can jump off the ground with both feet, kicks balls correctly (not running into ball, but actually lifting the leg), throws far and high overhand, pushes and pulls huge/heavy objects all around.   
• Teeth: No new teeth in the past two months.
• Cognitive/Language: points and identifies over 50 things in books (mostly animals and household objects), identifies 23 body parts (his new ones are forehead, elbow, knee), knows what he wants and tells us, uses words like "me" and "my" correctly ('my mommy' and 'me eat'), calls himself by name often ("me And-doo"), and his language has continued to expand. 
• Vocabulary: He copies Daddy's words all the time (not Mom's for whatever reason), and has started coming up with his own words.  He'll basically repeat anything that Dad asks him to say so we've heard a lot of words for the first time.  He knows that things are up/down and tells us when something is "up" and he wants it "down."  He hears the train and tells us "choo choo is down."
• Gabba-gabba = TV
• Baba = Popsicle
• Juice = all liquid
• Apple = all round fruit
• Potty training: He still goes pee and poo on the toilet at school.  At home, it's hit and miss. 
• Psychosocial:the life of an almost two year old is hard--momma doesn't give him what he wants and when he wants it, so temper tantrums are normal.  So is time-out for hitting and biting mommy.  Aggression is ever present at home and school. He initiates play now and requests us to sit down by patting the ground next to him.  His kitchen is actually getting used as a kitchen now--he puts the cookies into the over and tells us "hot" or eats the pizza slices or feeds me pizza.  He has also really enjoyed choosing his own snacks from his "snack" drawer--he goes into the kitchen, pulls the drawer open and digs around until he finds exactly what he wants and brings it to us.  We've learned what he'll pick every time (fruit snacks and fruit cups) and that we can't put them into the drawer.

Physical Growth this Month/Doctors:  we've gone twice in the past two months for an ear infection and then croup. In November (19 Months) he was 26 lbs, 6 oz so he's gained a half a pound in four months.

• February 16 (ear infection/cold): 26 lbs, 12 oz
• March 5 (croup): 27 lbs, 1.8 oz

Sleeping: Bedtime has become a HUGE area of problem at this house.  If we get it right, it's easy.  Right = 7 pm, wind down time in his bedroom, playing on the big bed, reading books, and singing songs to be in bed by 7:15.  He talks to himself for awhile and is asleep calmly by 7:30.  If we're late, or don't wind down enough, we can have angry screaming for 20-30 minutes.  Regardless of what time he goes to bed, he has been waking up earlier than before--anytime between 5:30-6:15ish.

Eating: Eating is hit-or-miss these days at home.  Some nights I'm thankfully that he eats two balanced meals and two snacks at school because he won't eat anything at home for dinner.  The fail safe foods that he'll eat pretty much no matter what are pizza and fruit (of any kind).

Diapers: Still in size 4s and I've lost count! Probably close to 1600 size 4s used. He's wearing the Huggies Slip On Diapers at school because they wanted him to be in pull-ups to make potty training easier.  He likes those ones better, but mommy doesn't because they don't hold urine as well.

Clothing: Still a size 6W shoe. We are in 12-18 months clothes for shirts and pants, but I'm happy to announce that we can wear non-adjustable waist 18 month pants if they are stretchy waist band.  Also, the long sleeve shirts are getting a bit too short on his arms, so there may be hope to move up a size.

Favorite Toys: We've had really nice weather (other than this week), so Andrew has done a lot of playing outside.  He loves to play soccer on the front grass with Daddy, ride in his truck, and just overall explore the backyard.  In the house he plays with his kitchen, little balls, and books the most.  He loves emptying the organizational buckets onto the ground--even if he doesn't want to play with the stuff on the inside.

Child Dedication

On Sunday, February 24 our church, Magnolia Ave Baptist Church, had a parent-child dedication service for parents to publicly promise to raise their children to know and love Jesus.  At the same time, the church promises to be a part of his spiritual life.  My dad also prayed for us as part of the service as the first pastor of our family. 

Parent Commitment

We commit ourselves before God and our church that we will teach Andrew the ways of the Lord.  We will be intentional to not provoke him to resentment towards God, but we will take Andrew by the hand and lead him in the way of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

 

Realizing that parenting is a divine calling, requiring wisdom and strength, we will commit ourselves to placing a priority upon God's Word for our spiritual growth and to teaching Andrew, as "we are in our home or walking down the street; from the time we get up to when we fall into bed at night." Deuteronomy 6:6-7

 

We will lead Andrew to grow as Jesus did "in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men." Luke 2:52

 

Understanding that parenthood at times may be a struggle, we dedicate ourselves and our home under the Lordship of Christ so that Andrew will have ample opportunities to know the difference Jesus Christ makes in a home surrendered to him.  We will commit ourselves to "love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength." Mark 12:30

Father Commitment

Further, I choose this day to publicly pronounce that "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  I commit to lead my family, not as mere followers of religious rules, but in a living relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Joshua 24:15b

 

Church Commitment

We are one body united in Christ.  As Christ has loved each one of us, we will show that love to each other, so that everyone will know we are His Church.

We commit to:

encourage you in truth--Ephesians 4:21

be gentle in our corrections--Ephesians 4:32

life you up in prayer--Ephesians 3:14-21

challenge you to God's best--1 Corinthians 13:7

make our debts be one of love to each other--Romans 13:8

Wordless Wednesday: Dog? Child?

 

Disneyland with the kids

On Monday, February 18 we went with the Class of 2014 to Disneyland to hear the Grad Night presentation for next year.  They provided free park-hoppers, parking, and lunch vouchers for us and Melissa came to play with Andrew while I was at the meeting.

 After the meeting, the kids and Melissa went on Tower of Terror while Andrew, Ivette, and I went to Bugs' Land and rode the Ladybugs.  We've gone of this every time we've gone to California Adventure, but this was the first time Andrew has literally laughed the entire ride.

 He fell asleep and slept through the next two hours, while we talked around and stood in line for an hour for Toy Story.  Andrew woke up at the perfect time to ride Toy Story!

 Sage, Jillian, and Becca quickly became Andrew's best friends as they played peek-a-boo and ticked him.

 Andrew didn't exactly tell us that he loved the ride, but he didn't cry and played his fair share of ride.  The glasses stayed on whole time too.  He signed for "more" when the ride was over, so I'm thinking it was a hit.

 We walked through Cars Land, but didn't ride any rides. 

Andrew was enamoured by Lighting McQueen and wanted to just stand there and watch him.

 After lunch we headed into Disneyland and watched the parade. 

 It was a hit.  He jumped up and down, danced to the music, and pointed at the characters as "mouse" (micky) and "duck" (donald duck) came along.  He loved the music and bright colors.

Pointing all over the place at all the coolness going on.

 

We walked around a while more in the craziness that was a VERY busy Disneyland day and headed home about 5.  Thankfully it was a holiday and traffic was very light.  We tried to tempt Andrew with chicken nuggets, but he wouldn't have anything to do with it and fell asleep before we got home at 6:30 and stayed asleep all night!

Grandma's Birthday

On Sunday, February 17 we met Grandma and Grandpa in Brea to celebrate Grandma's birthday.  We started at Claim Jumper for a light lunch, shopped at a few stores, and then headed to downtown Brea for dessert at The Melting Pot. 

 Although everyone (including the waitress and she said it outloud three times!) was concerned about how Andrew was going to behave with the hot burner, he was exceptionally well behaved.  He did manage to consume four bowls full of strawberries.

Valentine's Day Recap

 On Valentine's Day, Andrew woke up to his "love bug" presents.  His love bug wouldn't quite fit everything so he needed some extra room to hold the bath crayons, bunny rag, rubber ducky, and shark plate.  His bug held some fruit snacks, pretzels, and one piece of chocolate.

 At school, Andrew had a Valentine's Party including valentine's from his classmates, snacks, and heart crafts for mommy.  When I picked him up, I helped him deliver Hersey Roses to his teachers with a card.  He loved walking to each teacher and pushing the half dozen into their hands.  Each one got a hug and kiss.

 

When we arrived home, there was a special package from Grandma T.  Andrew wasted no time ripping into it.

 Inside the box was a police car (a fancy metal one with doors that open) like his SUV that he got for Christmas.  He was instantly into driving it all over the porch.

 Can you see that look of pure excitement?

We finished the night with a family date to Chipolte and an early bedtime!