Happy Birthday Robot

robot, originally uploaded by skweerell.

Ro insisted that Daddy needed a toy robot for his birthday. I convinced him to make Daddy a robot picture instead - because I happen to know that Daddy has more robot toys than you can imagine. (I think we have two boxes of robot models in the basement.) Anyhow, Ro made a nice big Robot daddy and a little Roen Robot and then decided he needed to make me and Simone as well. We're very small robots. The thing that really impressed me with Ro's robot is that he planned for it to have movable arms and he cut the paper only part way so that you can lift the robots arms and yet they're still attaced to the body. I was surprised he thought that and could execute it as well.

The valentine mouse

The valentine mouse, originally uploaded by skweerell.

Happy Valentines Day! These are the mice with valentine cheese hearts that I made for Ro and Sim since they both have mice fixations. They both seemed quite pleased with them especially Ro. We also made strawberry heart shaped pancakes for breakfast and little heart cookies this afternoon and we ate lots of pink jelly beans.

We spent the weekend working on valentines for Ro's school valentine party. They were simple painted hearts glued onto larger sheets of paper and then we did glue and glitter decoration on them. No big deal - but so much fun and both kids loved making them. Anyhow, Ro gets home from school and jumps off the bus and says, "No one made me a valentine!" I was horrified -- thinking no one gave him one but that didn't sound right as the teachers had sent home notes saying send a dozen valentines to school tomorrow. !!!Don't Forget!!! However, Ro was right. No one MADE him a valentine. He got plenty of little valentines but he was the only one in class with homemade valentines. He didn't seem particularly troubled by the idea but he noticed the difference. His teacher sent me a note saying he was very proud of them, which made me happy. I was a bit disappointed though as I was expecting a 50/50 made vs. storebought. Are people really too busy to cut out a few paper hearts with their children?

snow ice cream

It's been an unusually warm winter but we finally got some snow. So, we've been making snow ice cream. I just mix up milk, honey and cinnamon and stir it up with a few cups of fresh snow. The kids LOVE it.

Ro's first book at age 4 1/2

x waits for tea, originally uploaded by skweerell.

The X walks at night.
He sees a mud puddle and jumps over it.

He sees clouds on his way to the castle
in the kingdom of X.

He sees snow and walks through it at night.

He walks through rain and more rain.

He gets to the castle of X and meets King X.
It's sunny outside.

The King of X goes in to get some tea.
X waits.

(the end)
(The book - as dictated to Mommy.)

The picture shown is of X waiting outside the castle while the King of X goes in to get tea.

The story has sort of an abstract but zen feel to it that makes me chuckle every time I read it. An arduous trip and then he waits for tea.

a little loony over four

Ro loves the number 4 because he's four years old. He loves being four so much that he often confuses four with his name and takes any and all references to the number four as having as a specific meaning to him as if someone were calling him by name or something. He points out the number four everywhere even in abstract shapes like tar patterns on asphalt, cracks and sticks.

He likes to have four toys such as four cars hooked up to train engine or four cars, etc. He also likes to eat four of something. If I offer him little cookies for dessert, he'll only take four even if more are on offer.

He's been eating like crap all week and driving me absolutely spare. Today, he told me he wasn't eating because he didn't want to be five. He wanted to stay four. I told him that he was going to eventually turn five whether he ate or not. It's a frustrating situation. I'm trying to focus on telling him that food will give him energy rather than that food will make him grow big and strong. It seems to be helping a bit. I remember wishing I could stay small too -- or shrink. He's often told me that he wants to grow smaller rather than bigger. I think it's partially his fascination with Ralph a la The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary.

monsters

Simone is totally obsessed with the game, Go Away Monster! Tonight, she cried in bed for about half an hour because we never had time to play the game today and she didn't realize it until bedtime. We play it every day -- sometimes twice a day ever since she got it as a Christmas present.

When I get her up in the morning, she typically says, "All done Night-night!" Now, she says "Monsters Gone! Oh no! Monsters gone!" I worry that she thinks she sleeps in a roomful of monsters. She seems ok with it though.

Her favorite books:
1. In the Night Kitchen - Maurice Sendak (my childhood favorite)
2. Good Night Moon - Margaret Wise Brown (She likes to find the mice on each page.)
3. Good Night Gorilla - Peggy Rathbun (She likes finding the mouse and the balloon on each page.)
4. The Runaway Beard - David Schiller (probably only good if dad sports a beard or other facial hair)
5. Go Dog Go - P.D. Eastman ( you really can't go wrong with P.D. Eastman books)
6. The Snowy Day by Ezra Keats and Snow by P.D. Eastman

ice cream in bed

ice cream in bed, originally uploaded by skweerell.

When Ro got home today, he was carrying a half eaten ice cream cone which he was saving for Simone. I told him that Simone was napping as I had just put her down. I was hoping he'd leave her alone but before I could catch him, he dashed off to her room and said, "Look Simone, I brought you ice cream! I loves you, Simone. I'm going to get in with you!" Then, he scrambled into her crib with her and they shared the ice cream cone. Ro showed her how to eat the cone and they dug most of the ice cream out of the cone with their fingers. The sheets were a mess but I didn't care. I never bother them if they're having some sort of positive exchange even if it disrupts naptime. I think it's sweet that thinks of his sister. She does the same thing. If I give her candy, she immediately requests a piece for Roen too.