Zora (middle name "danger")

T-R-O-U-B-L-E... or Zora, either will do.

Lately we can't leave the small one alone for 1 minute....er, make that 30 seconds.
Here is why.
She is climbing & getting into everything!
And now for the description of pix I left out...
Zora standing on... the stool, Langston's CD player, the coffee table, inside the dishwasher, & finally on the back of the sofa (yikes! hardwood floors). She has yet to have a hard fall, so I guess that's why she continues to "test the waters" so to speak.
Also, at L's hair cut last week, I kept her on my hip, but she wiggled & flailed like crazy to get down. Well, at some point I was finding those "long leftover hairs" on L. & asking the stylist to clip them, when Z. started screaming like crazy. I held her out in front of me & checked her over. I couldn't find any marks, so I looked around where she had been (on my hip) & there were 3 hot curling irons! I was pretty sure she had grabbed one, so I rushed her to the bathroom & ran cold water over her hand & arm (the one that would've touched the hot). For two days I didn't notice anything, but then a huge blister formed on her pinky finger. I felt awful, but I was holding her when it happened!
I think this one might be my dare devil. She sure loves trouble so far! :)

Zora & L just before the "Zora on the back of the sofa" incident. Ah, but she learned that from L.
Above is Zora teaching big brother a thing or two. Poor L. popped open his bottom lip helping me clean up. (his "Brad Pitt" lip, as I have dubbed it bc it's enlarged from being popped open several other times & now has scar tissue)
She (somehow) scooted herself under the little blue table, while still in the toy bin & got stuck.


And now we have a series of pix...

"Hi, mom! Watch this!"


down comes the diaper bag...out comes everything inside. She stopped to read the two books that were in there.
...but it didn't slow her down for long.

And now for "bad example Zora" photos. She loves to get out this one certain drawer in our room, empty all my work-out Ts & sit in the drawer. (What is thrilling about that, Z?)
This day, L. joined in. And I had my friend, Tara and her daughter, Emily, over for the morning. Sweet Emily finally gave in to temptation & joined her pal in "the drawer." :)

mama having a fit

this is why.

when mama teaches an evening class...

Dad manages the kids. :)

Latin Langston

The 'stash is all marker. The dark eyes, hair, & olive skin are Native American, but he looks like he just rolled in from South America, no?

hulk

Take it all off!

Here is the before & after of Langston's new hairs as of yesterday lunch-ish. Not really what I asked for, but it'll grow. And it'll be a lot cooler for the summer. And maybe he won't be called "she" for a while. :) We've raved over it & it's over his ears, so he digs it. (He has a thing with hair being shorter than/cut to fall above his ears. He hates it.) So here is Coolness with his new do.

signing time

How could I forget!? Zora also signs...more, eat, & "milk" for nurse. (Although now she says something like "bubbies" & attacks my chest, too. :) We are working on please & thank you as well as all the others L. enjoyed signing, but for now she's got the "important" ones down (those which involve being fed!). I highly recommend the "Signing Time" series for getting kids interested or helping them learn sign. It's a neat way to communicate & yet another language (ASL) for our small people to learn (pretty easily). Here's a shameless plug for the Coleman clan of Signing Time...
1.the videos are short (20 ish min.), so great for kid's attention span & those of us who only allow so much "screen time"
2.they show "all kids" (races, ages, different abilities) signing & having fun
3.your small one will be able to communicate better when he/she is non-verbal
4.your toddler will be able to sign with others who use ASL
The "story" of how the series began is pretty neat. (Go back to the above link to read it.) Happy Signing!
Here are two examples of the signing songs from the DVDs... Diaper Dance. Catepillar Dreams.

latching on & honesty in parenting

I just spent a few hours with a friend who makes me feel okay with doing the mommy thing the way I do it. Thanks, Christine! I'm glad to spend time with someone who doesn't balk at my boob popping out every little while to feed Zora, or cloth diapers, organic hand sanitizers, the attempt at an organized arts & crafts area, teaching kids more at home than they'll learn at school, or any of the other crazy things I strive for in this sweet & exhausting job called Motherhood. It's not for wimps, as the fridge magnet says. :) Once C. and I talked about how many years we have been "pregnant or nursing" I can't remember hers (after 4 kids & extended nursing!), but it was lots. My record is almost 5 years & counting. I don't plan on weaning anytime soon. (Unless Zora decides to, which I doubt...we still nurse around 6 times in a 24 hour period.)

While we're on the topic of the crazy way I parent...a few nights ago I got both kids out of the tub, dressed Zora & put her down to crawl around while I got dressed. She went right into L.'s room. He still wasn't dressed & when she (apparently, I was in another room, but listening) reached out to grab the strange thing dangling from his front, I heard him say, "No, no, Za-wah. That's my penis. It's pwrivate. You have a va-gina. Vaaa-giiiina. It's for girls. Boys have penis. (Then I walk in to catch this part of the science class) You have two holes! I have one! Two holes! Two holes!" (Yes, if you don't want your 4-year-old to learn about "babies," please don't introduce them to mine.) He knows about the "baby hole" and is willing to give the complete run-down. Ask the right questions & he'll explain all about Santa not existing. (Sorry again, Joanna!) And the Easter Bunny. He's chosen B. as his "Tooth Fairy". And he thinks through things pretty well, so I did answer honestly yesterday when he asked me did I think there was life on other planets...if there isn't, then it's an awful waste of space. (Que X-files theme, please.)
These pix are from Mother's day. We did a hike & picnic. L. got to touch a fish (that some man just caught & threw back), we let the kids play on a small playground, & saw some cute baby geese. It was super! Thanks for letting us borrow the back pack for Z., Dilger-Easterlings!

13 months

Zora at 13 months...

1. eats everything!
2. says "wuff" (or "buff") for the sound a puppy dog makes
3. says "moo" for the sound of a cow
4. says "baby," mama, dada or dad
5. babbles like crazy
6. still doesn't walk, but is fast on the crawl & can cruise around everywhere
7. climbs up stools, tables,...you name it (& gets stuck)
8. loves to be outside
9. has eaten exactly one ladybug (see #s 1 & 8)
10. loves to ride with the windows down (if she doesn't someday own a motorcycle, I'll be shocked) :)
11. knows her facial parts
12. is fascinated by all belly buttons
13. likes to "tickle" stomaches & say something like "tickle"
14. enjoys both reading & eating her books
15. follows Langston everywhere
16. "cleans out" drawers (& pulls them out...sometimes climbs in)
17. something new all the time! :)
    

Tell me what you're feeling...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/15/mother.children.social.skills/index.html

The above link is a really great (and short) article about teaching social skills, understanding & expression of emotion through conversation & everyday life...beginning at age zero! I couldn't agree more. To parent is to do many things, in part to help our children relate to people, pick up on the feelings of others, express their own feelings in a healthy way & develop social skills that will assist them navigate the waters of life. Cheers to the moms & dads who carry on open conversations with toddlers and who give them the words to match what they are feeling. In the words of Dr. Seuss "a person's a person, no matter how small."

farewell, spring soccer

I asked one mom about spring soccer & she corrected me, "We call it 'cold soccer'...and that' s why we don't play it!" Was she right! It was okay these past two weeks, but the beginning of the season was chilly! Of course, L. had fun, though. He did better than he's ever done in his last game. He even broke away & dribbled the ball for a moment. ;) He always looked so cute & tiny out there to me. The league ages for his group are 4-6 & since he turned 4 in Dec., he gets to be one of the youngest players. I think he'll be much more into it in the years to come, but for now, I'm glad we spent our Sat. mornings at the middle school...sitting in the wind & yelling for our long-haired, dancing down the field little person. :)
And now onto dance & swim for the summer!

Zora's (belated) one year exam

24 1/2 lbs. & 31ish inches. puts the girl at 95% in both categories! Way to grow, lady!

junk in da trunk

We usually use Bum Genius cloth diapers (which are slim fitting), but I don't have a lot of those, so we've borrowed some stuffers & wraps from a friend (Thanks, Erin!). I have to double stuff my little heavy wetter (in either cloth diaper) & her bum is big & round enough without the cloth! When we do cloth there is no chance of jeans...only leggings or tights! ;) But I love to see that sweet stuffed bottom! (Falls during the "learning to walk" process shouldn't be so bad with all that padding!)
I snapped a few pix of her new "enlarged" hiney. Too cute & cuddly.

pigtails

Z's newest hair-do.

Zora's 1 year pix

Professional pix of small Z at one year (by David at Shooting Stars) can be found here. I think my fav is the "snarl"...but the "I'll rub my cake on my belly, not put it in my belly!" is pretty good, too. She did NOT cooperate, but the terror only lasted about an hour. Enjoy, grandparents & friends! This will be all for about a year! *remember: proofs, then our last name.