Hooters

The Halloween candy from the zoo was stored in an upper cabinet.  Cora was in the mood for candy and pushed the chair across the kitchen so she could climb up and find something sweet.



Nyla made a Mickey and Minnie Mouse for Cora.  I don't think Cora appreciated it that much.  I don't know where they are now.  Nyla made me a necklace out of yarn and later made another one with a large drawing of her attached.  I haven't worn the bigger one yet because I am worried that Cora will ruin it but I did wear the simple one.

The kids went to G-'s birthday party on Saturday and had a great time.  Nyla was really excited to play with A- and Bohdin was excited to play with G-.  It was an owl themed party and we came home with owl magnets and an owl attached to a mini clothes pin.  Nyla was getting ready for bed so she only had underwear on.  She clipped an owl to each hip and came into the bedroom shaking her hips and asking if I liked her hooters.  I don't know what we'll do with a teenage Nyla.

Mickey Pusher

One of the reasons Cora likes Mickey and Minnie so much is that Nyla is really pushing it onto her.  It seems like the moment Cora wakes up, Nyla asks her if she wants Mickey.  We have two Mickey toys, a small stuffed one and a Lego Duplo one.  Nyla asks Cora if she wants to wear her Minnie shirt.  Sometimes if Cora doesn't want any of these things Nyla gets mad and yells at her that she is not getting her a Christmas present.  I'm having trouble convincing Nyla that it is not a nice thing to do.

When we were in the science center in Orlando there was an area with paper and tape.  There were instructions on how to build something that would fly in the wind area.  Nyla couldn't read the instructions so she designed her own.  I was surprised at how well it flew.  I told her she was an engineer and ever since then she has been making all sorts of things.  Some of it is just art like a paper doll with clothes and some of it meant to be useful like the house she made for D's cat last week.  She thought it turned out too small so we just threw it away.  Yesterday she made herself a paper basket.  We go through a lot of tape in this house so I was glad to be able to find a six pack at the dollar store. 


The schools in Kansas are supposed to be excellent and after talking to somebody out there with a second grader I want to put Bohdin in school as well once we move.  Supposedly the elementary schools are among the best in the country.  If Bohdin is ever going to attend school this is the one.  It has a few things going for it.  The school has great teachers, lots of money, and great students.  Almost the entire school is made up of kids with parents going to school on post.  None are poor or have uneducated parents.  These things can make a difference.  The other thing I like is that there are lots of new kids.  Most kids are only there for 10 months.  The school is used to a huge turnover.  Bohdin shouldn't be the only new kid at the time.  Every single kid will know what it is like to be the new kid in school and most have been there just a few months.  It seems like it would be easier for Bohdin to make friends in that situation.  My concerns are that he doesn't like the noise of a lot of people at once.  He can't concentrate with lots of people talking.  In Lego League on Wednesday all of the kids were trying brainstorm and he kept trying to get everyone to talk one at a time.  Eventually he walked away.  That was only five other kids.  My other concern with Bohdin is he crumbles under time pressure.  I can see him failing a spelling test because he will be so focused on time that he will be unable to move at all.  I tested him out at home with a spelling test and it ended in tears.  I'm hoping the teachers will work with him and if it doesn't work out that's fine.  I don't anticipate that Bohdin will be behind academically.  They are starting to learn cursive which Bohdin hasn't yet.  I thought about starting him and seeing how much we can do in the next few weeks.  Bohdin might also feel overwhelmed if he went in and had to catch up. 

I'm not concerned about Nyla at all.  I think she will thrive in school.  She has a completely different personality than Bohdin and it is the kind that works well in public school.  If the kids have learned something that she hasn't she will just learn it.  I expect that she will be one of the most popular kids in the class by the end of the year and doing somewhere between fine to great academically.  Nyla isn't reading yet but she's progressing well.  She's getting better at putting sounds together into words but still needs more time to mature or more practice.  I'm not certain which.




Nyla and Cora laying together watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Cora finally watches tv and now that she likes it she wants to watch it all of the time.  She would watch all day if we let her.  In the picture Cora is wearing Nyla's underwear.  Many times Cora will wear only Nyla's clothes.  She won't wear her own underwear at all.  It must come from Nyla's drawer.  Yesterday she wore Nyla's pants and popped in them.  Cora likes to wear underwear but she won't sit on the potty even when she knows she needs to go.  There are times that Nyla can successfully take her but even Nyla isn't 100% effective at convincing her.  I don't know what Cora will do with herself when Nyla is gone.  She's going to miss her tremendously.   

Cousins

The Saturday before Halloween Curious George was at the Science Museum.  Nyla doesn't like to pass up a chance to meet a character so we went.  Cora really likes Curious George as well but she wasn't going to sit next to him.  One of the employees did manage to coax her into touching his hand quickly.  As far as character greetings go this one was really lame.  Whoever was inside was hardly moving much less interacting with the kids. 



After saying goodbye to Curious George the kids played a bit.  Bohdin didn't want to do the little kid area so I let him go off by himself.  I wasn't sure how well it would work but it turned out fine.  He stayed in the area he was instructed to.  Nyla and Cora had fun playing on the plane together and went down the slide side by side.  There were a large number of sick kids in the general vicinity.  I predicted one of the kids would be sick for Halloween and I was right.  Cora developed a cold helped along by running around outside in inappropriate clothing.  She hates any sort of outerwear and getting her to wear even a long sleeve shirt can be iffy.


The cousins arrived Tuesday evening.  It's been almost two years since we've seen them so it was really wonderful to have them here.  It took Nyla a little while to warm up.  She didn't remember her cousins at all but within a few hours she was cuddled up on the couch with one of them watching a movie. 

Wednesday was Lego League day and we couldn't really miss it.  It was at M-'s house.  The kids were playing and Nyla found an old Mickey Mouse costume.  The mom explained that it was the only costume she had saved from when they were little.  Cora wanted to put it on and it fit perfectly.  She offered to loan it to her but I declined because I didn't want to ruin a costume that she cherished.  I had an extremely difficult time getting Cora out of  it.  She cried and didn't stop crying. It was a struggle to get her into the car seat.  I drove off and she was still crying.  I pulled over to call the Disney store about buying one but they had already sold the last one.  I turned around so I could borrow the costume. 


We met the cousins at the Science Museum for a little while.  We couldn't stay long because Cora would need a nap if she wanted to go trick or treating especially since she wasn't feeling well.  The plan that night was to meet up with G-'s family just like in previous years.  We went to their neighborhood but didn't bump into them.  I'm glad because Bohdin and Nyla were able to be with their cousins without interference.  They had so much fun.  Nyla couldn't find her Tangled dress which I later found in my closet so she decided to go as Santa girl. 


The cousins had to leave late Thursday morning.  We were sad to see them go.  I hope it's not two years before we see them again.

I love Minnie

I had a request for the kids' Christmas list and after many hours spent searching Nyla narrowed down her choice to the one she absolutely loved.  She found a Tangled doll and wanted it bad.  She wanted it so much that she did jobs around the house for money.  Washing windows and scrubbing floors made hardly a dent in the amount she needed.  While her desire to work abated her desire for the doll did not. 

On Sunday we went to Costco and Cora had a peek of Minnie near the front of the store.  She was nuts.  I thought she was just tired but Nyla eventually convinced me to go the toy section.  It turns out that Cora had just wanted a better look at the Minnie thing she had briefly seen.  After looking at that she discovered the giant 48" plush Minne and Mickey.  She was in love and told me repeatedly "I love Minnie".  I wasn't sure we would make it out of the store without a huge fuss about not getting Minnie.  Nyla offered to buy it for her with the money she had saving up for her beloved Tangled doll.  That giant Minnie actually costs more than Nyla's doll but Nyla is determined to get her that Minnie.  I was touched by Nyla's generosity.  We made it out of the store without a Minnie and I think I convinced them both that something smaller would be better.  I hope I did.  Just to be safe I should go to Costco by myself until Christmas. 

Gymnastics

Nyla has been putting Cora in the doll stroller and pushing her around for the past several days. 



Bohdin reading to Nyla and Cora.  It's not something he does very often. In the picture Cora is wearing a Minnie pajama shirt that I found at the consignment store.  It is her new favorite shirt.  She wore it several days in a row this week, only taking it off for a bath.  After the bath she would put it back on.


October must be bubble bath month because I have a bubble bath picture from a previous October also.  This year Cora has joined a few times but she doesn't love it.  The bathtub is deep and when she sits in so many bubbles they go in her mouth.  Cora likes taking baths with Nyla in the little bathtub.  Earlier tonight they were playing duckies in there and Nyla was brushing Cora's hair with a toothbrush. 





I took Bohdin to gymnastics on Monday.  I wasn't sure how he would react because he was having a bad day.  The first thing he asked when he came out was when he could do it again.  He loved it.  Nyla's class is directly afterward.  I spent a lot of time trying to keep Cora out of there.  She wanted to be with Bohdin during his class and Nyla during her class.  Since they love it so much we'll keep doing it up until we move. 

We've had some warm days in the low 80s this week and I told the kids to go outside and enjoy it.  On Tuesday they played in the sprinkler.  They came up with a game that had them hugging Bohdin before each round and then touching the sprinkler with more water coming out each round.










Bohdin's bread this week was potato rosemary.


Nyla likes to go outside and watch the girls across the street get off the bus with the hope that they will invite her over.  Her plan has been working and she has played with them a lot the past two weeks.  Everything seems to be going okay.  On Wednesday Nyla took out her backpack and blanket to wait under her favorite tree which is actually in the neighbor's yard.



Wednesday we had Lego League at our house.  Because the weather was so nice we had it outside around the fire.  Afterward they roasted marshmallows.  Nyla had fun playing with S-.  They get on well despite the 4.5 year age difference.  S- wants Nyla's new address so she can write to her after our move.  Bohdin spent a long time talking with P- about Star Wars Clone Wars.  They both enjoy Star Wars.

Right now Nyla is playing fetch with Cora.  She just told her "You're not a girl.  You're a dog."  She's instructing her to pant, crawl around, and place the ball at her feet.  When Cora brings the object back in her mouth Nyla calls Cora "a good girl" in the same voice one would use with a dog.  Now Cora is barking.  Kids come up with crazy games.

Interview with Bohdin

1. What is something mommy/daddy always says to you?

mommy -  Do you know that I love you?
daddy -   I don't know

2. What makes mommy/daddy/ Bohdin happy?

mommy - a clean house
 daddy -  playing a lot of computer
 Bohdin - reading

3. What makes mommy/daddy/ Bohdin sad?

mommy -  no Bohdin?
daddy -   I don't know
Bohdin -  hurting myself

4. How does mommy/daddy make you laugh?

mommy - I would think hugging me
 daddy - Tickling me

5. What did mommy/daddy like to do as a child?

mommy - I don't know that
daddy - I don't know that either

6. How old is mommy/daddy?

mommy - 36?
daddy - 48?

7. How tall am I?

mommy - I would think about maybe 4 feet?
daddy -  Four feet six inches?

8. What is mommy's/daddy's/Bohdin's favorite thing to watch on TV?

mommy - News?
daddy - Football
Bohdin - Star Wars The Clone Wars

9. What does mommy/daddy do when you're not around?

mommy - Clean?
daddy - Play computer

10. If mommy/daddy become famous, what will it be for?

mommy - For being the best mommy in the world?
daddy- Playing a lot of computer

11. What is mommy/daddy/Bohdin really good at?

mommy - Cleaning
 daddy - Playing computer
Bohdin - Reading and having ideas

12. What is mommy/daddy/Bohdin not very good at?

mommy -Flying
daddy-  Knowing when to get off the computer
Bohdin - He couldn't think of anything

13. What does mommy/daddy do for a job?

mommy - Take care of us
 daddy - Work in the Army

14. What is mommy's/daddy's/Bohdin's favorite food?

mommy - Apple?
 daddy -  Chocolate nut bars?
Bohdin - I would say broccoli

15. What makes you proud of mommy/daddy?

mommy - I have no idea
daddy - I have no idea

16. If mommy/daddy were a cartoon character, who would I be?

mommy - I don't know
daddy - I have no idea


17. What do we do together?

mommy - Clean
daddy -   I don't know

18. How are we the same?

mommy - We both have brown hair
daddy - We're both boys


19. How are we different?

mommy - You have greenish eyes and I have blue ones
daddy - Daddy's hair is short and mine isn't very short

20. How do you know mommy/daddy loves you?

mommy - You tell me that every single time
daddy - I don't know

21. What do I like most about daddy/mommy?

mommy - The hugs you give me
daddy - I don't know

22. Where is mommy's/daddy's favorite place to go?

mommy - the library?
daddy - I do not know
Bohdin -I don't think I have a favorite place to go

Here is last year's answers:  http://buddyhelen.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

Missing Time

I don't have as much time on the computer as I used to.  In the past I did the blog posts while Cora took her nap.  Today during her nap I was shopping with Nyla.  Yesterday I was doing Bohdin's schoolwork during her nap.  The day before she didn't take one.  The list goes on.

As Cora is getting older she is playing more with Nyla.  The other day they dressed up as princesses and Nyla was combing Cora's hair.  They've been doing all sorts of things together including and not one comes to mind right now.  Cora has finally shown interest in tv which has been amazing.  Buddy takes advantage of it a lot.






I took Nyla to gymnastics class on Monday.  We know another family that goes there and I thought Nyla might like it.  Buddy has been home all week so I only had to take Nyla.  She really enjoyed it and I'm going to put Bohdin in gymnastics as well.  G- is in the class and I think they might enjoy doing it together for at least a few weeks.

Wednesday was Lego League and the kids had a lot of fun as usual.  There wasn't much work done on the project because they are mostly done with the build.  Instead they played all sorts of games including a game where they pretended they were orphans and had to escape   They made is as far as the backyard before it was time to go.  It's nice that all of the kids get along and can play together so well.



On Tuesday Bohdin made pizza dough as his baking project.  Nyla wondered what would happen if flour was mixed with water.  I handed her some flour and water and told her to find out.  She played around with it outside while I put Cora down for a nap.  She came upstairs and wanted to make it into bread.  I told her to add salt and yeast.  She added some and put it on the counter to rise.  It rose a bit and after dinner I threw it in the oven.  It wasn't the best bread but it was edible.  We took it outside and ate it around the fire.



Nyla has been really determined to learn how to read and demands to do several reading lessons per day.  She's working on letter sounds right now but has learned enough that she could move on to reading simple words.  She's having difficulty moving from sounding out the letters to saying the sounds fast enough to make it sound like a word.  She is a stubborn little thing and while she was discouraged today I know she's not going to give up.  I expect that she'll be demanding to do more schoolwork tomorrow.

Today I took Nyla with me to Costco.  Somehow it ended up a trip to get Nyla new shoes.  She loves shopping and has way more stamina than I do.  We didn't find the right pair of shoes yet but we did find Tangled underwear and a new winter coat.  I wouldn't be surprised if she asks to go shopping again tomorrow.