Boo...a Halloween Costume Part 1

A Ghost!  He declared.

A Ghost?!  I grimaced.  

A Ghost! He clarified!  

I could do much better than a ghost you know.  I've been sewing costumes for years!  A Ghost is the stereotypical easiest costume in the whole wide world!  Seriously, are you kidding Patrick Finn?  

Alas, my headstrong little boy meant it.  I should have known.  Last year, he insisted for months that he would be Mickey Mouse...It was another easy one, but classic and fun...and he pulled it off well.  I tried so hard this year to convince him to be Max.  You know, Max from Where the Wild Things Are? That way, Joe, Maura, and I could all be Wild Things!  I could have pulled that off too, you know...but no...a ghost it was...and I was going to make it worth it.

So when we walked around Thompson Street on our Halloween, my little ghost ran ahead.  I watched as people strolled by and oogled over his costume.  It was the coolest ghost they'd ever seen!  Did you make that?! They'd ask me.  

Yes, dear friends, I made that for my favorite little boy.

At the Farm

So many things happening at the farm as we gently shift into Autumn.  

Last week...

We learned about seeds.  

The ground was still wet from rain the night before.

We put the beds in the garden to sleep by growing rye seeds for the winter.

The chickens were wandering.

The pumpkins were picked.

The sky was overcast, but it was humid!

Looking forward to a cooler day at the farm today.  Patrick is excited too!

At the Farm

We've been doing something new these last few weeks, and we are in love!  Each Wednesday, the kids and I head to the farm where Patrick takes a class.  It isn't a class with homework and books and reading...it's a class where we explore the farm, and touch the animals, and care for the animals, and learn about the farm!  It's wonderful!

Last week, they spent time learning all about goats and what they can do for us.  They went out and groomed the goat, spraying him with basil to keep away the flies, and they played in the goat yard, and then we headed inside to make some goat's milk soap!

It was a blast!  The concepts are so simple, yet so valuable in his little brain!  He LOVED it!

yes that's my little heartbreaker holding hands with Miss. Lydia!  

Mama had a benefit from it too - good people!  There I was, surrounded by homeschooling families and holistically minded folks, and it is a beautiful space to be in.  While I'm not sure that's the route we will take, I don't want to let go of this connection with like minded people!

Four

When I woke up this morning, I heard his voice downstairs already.  How does he even have the self control to not open those presents, I thought.  He'd asked for it for months.  It was the only thing he wanted - The Green Christmas Train.

You see, Patrick turned four today.  Four.  I can hardly believe it myself!  Three was pretty rough for us.  As a family, three was rough, so I can't imagine how he trudged through, but he did! And here we are, on the other side of Four!  Oh, I suppose that sometimes, I'll see three come out to say hi.  After all, as Sandra Cisneros said in Eleven, our age is inside of us, like the rings of a tree.  Yeah, I'm sure he'll still whine a bit, like when he was three, and I'm sure he'll want me to hold him too, like when he was a baby!! And that's OK, because Four is here.  I'm excited for Four!  

Oh, I wonder what Four will bring.  Will he still love trains as much as always?  Will he actually want to color pictures?  Will he write all of his letters and not just the letters in his name?  Will he learn his phone number?  Will he play with Maura more?  Oh, Four...you are so exciting.  I can't wait to see more of you!  

Happy Birthday to my favorite little boy, Patrick Finn!! 

Little Sewing

He has a love of gadgets that often has me telling people that someday, perhaps, he'll be an engineer. He fiddles with gears and tries to figure out how things work. So it's no surprise that he took an interest in the little sewing machine I had stashed away in my studio space. It was just his size. He played with the pedal and the buttons on it for quite a while before I let him work with me on a small project.



When I asked if he wanted to make a pillow, his face lit up. To be honest, I wasn't even sure if the little machine worked. We gave it a shot anyway. It made it most of the way before it jammed up pretty good on us. It seems like a simple task - a basic pillow - but to the boy, it meant the world. I was sharing a love of mine with him. That meant the world to me!



We sat together and we sewed this little pillow. We finished it up on my real machine upstairs. He helped me stuff it and pin it closed. This was his project - his first sewing project. Can you tell how proud he is?

Beta the Betta

Patrick has been having a difficult time lately. I'm not really sure what it is, but he's just been downright difficult. He doesn't listen, he talks back, and he just doesn't seem happy. Sometimes I worry that we've scarred the little dude with the addition of Maura and all of her baggage, but other times, I look at him and wonder what's really going on.

We expect him to act up when she has breakthrough seizures. It's normal. So this most recent attitude shift that came weeks after her last breakthrough, has rather thrown us for a loop. There really is no explanation for it besides the fact that he's three...

So today, we were out and about. There we stood in Petsmart with my friend Marla. The Betta Fish were so pretty. I know how low maintenance they are. Marla decided she would get one for Leo...how could I resist? This was a fish for just Patrick. He could pick whatever one he wanted. He could feed it, name it, watch it. It was going to be his fish....his very own first pet.

We left with the little Betta of his choosing. He's calling it Beta...can't think of a better name for it! That's fine. He adores it. He wants to move it's little tank wherever he is, which we have to limit. But he's been in better spirits.

I drove home wondering what had I done. What happens if this little guy kicks the bucket? Then what? Will I try to do the same thing my mom did? Swap in a replacement? (Yes, she really did...a finch at that!) or just let it run its course? We'll see...but in the meantime, Patrick has a new friend named Beta.

Choo Choo Soul

"It's like he remembers something...it's in his soul!"



That's what the woman said to me while we visited Bordentown's Railroad Days this past weekend. That boy of mine has that love of trains and all. It's the beginning of a great season for him. There is something about the holidays and trains and he's every bit looking forward to it.



It doesn't matter what kind of train, as long as it runs on tracks, he's in love. Things were no different at the two train displays this past weekend. Patrick stood alongside of it, excited to see every last detail of the locomotives. He watched with a glow in his eye each time the train passed by his section of the track.



Watching him was more amazing to me. This isn't just a fad. He made me a believer this weekend. He's our little train man.

Board Games

I know, I shouldn't rush it. These are the days I've been waiting for! Patrick has a new favorite hobby: board games!



He's really only learning them now. He received several games for his birthday, and then our friend Debbie gave us a few more that were perfect for him! We've spent hours lately just sitting at our dining room table playing games with him!




He's so engaged in them. And of course, he likes to win. I'm trying to go easy on him and so is Joe, so that he learns how to play fairly and by the rules, which he doesn't always get. We've changed some of the rules to make it easier for him to understand in some of them, but he gets it!

Mowing the Lawn in a Pink Diaper

He's a helpful little boy. Often, we catch him saying, "No! Patrick do!" because of course, at 2 years, 10 months, he's more than capable of being, you know, independent, like ALL two year olds! He wants to help, even if the lawnmower really is bigger than he is.



He wants to help, even in the only pink diaper we own, which just so happens to be the most favorite diaper of this little boy. Oh yes, it is! Perhaps we need to own more pink diapers, for Maura of course! He's a helpful little boy, that Patrick Finn!

Right Now

I thought I'd share in the right now that Amanda has been posting on Mondays as a new mama as well. Especially since right now, we are home and no longer at CHOP.

Right now I am

* marveling at my newborn daughter (who says we've lost 6 weeks? I'm in denial, she's still new!)

* working a bit on nursing...we'll get there, past every obstacle we've encountered...and I think Maura's gotten the message!

* enjoying home...enjoying normal.

* cuddling in bed with my entire family past the time I'd be on the road.

* thinking of all the other babies we've left behind beeping in the NICU.

I hope your right now is as sweet as mine! Hope you all had a good weekend!

Day 13 at CHOP and How Patrick is doing

Explaining to your toddler that your baby can't come home just yet is really difficult. Patrick has always been a very easy going guy. We really didn't know WHAT to expect when Maura came. Of course, things were magnified when I disappeared fly by night with the bleeding and my placenta previa. Thankfully we made it possible for him to wake up to Daddy being home, but that week sent him into quite a spiral that we've got some recovering to do.



How do you tell this little person that you are sending him to a babysitter every day - even a bit later than usual - while you go and sit at the bedside of a newborn in the NICU? You can't explain it. The baby that was in your belly is not here...and there really is no explanation.

So when he begins to act up, he really doesn't have to explain himself either! We've had some spitting going on, yelling, cutting us off, and general "beastedness". He even pooped in the tub last night!



So we are trying to give him as much time as humanly possible. Trying to make him feel like he's a part of everything. We've been trying to be with him, take him to the park, and do special things with just him. We even got him new fish!

The day that Maura comes home might be the best thing for him..let's hope we can see that day sometime soon!

Popcorn

Patrick has recently discovered a new love.

I think it was Joe who first made him popcorn, but none the less, it doesn't matter who he's with, getting into the kitchen to make it bring a lot of joy to him - and to us too! He gets so excited waiting for it and watching the old air popper heat the kernels and pop them!


Patrick has an amazing amount of patience for a two year old, especially when he loves something so much! He even gets to help with this one!

That Boy of Mine!

He does love his trains..so much that he'll wait patiently at the station, declaring "choo choo!" at every chance he gets.



He stares at the tracks, waiting...



hoping...



that his train will come soon...



He would play trains all day long if I let him...



so why not go on a few real ones as well?

Little Songwriters

I can see them now...


20 years from today...

Sitting at the piano, oldest and dearest of friends...



Working out a melody, making sense of all the good tunes their parents have instilled in them...



"I'm in a band!" They'll tell their friends..



Perhaps they may even play out...



Look at them now..so innocent..with so much friendship ahead of them...

Choo! Choo!

Having a little boy comes with all things boy. It's not that I haven't exposed him to other things. He's got a kitchen and a baby stroller, but he seems to flock to the trucks and trains! So of course, we've capitalized on what he loves! He often hears the train nearby from the light rail and wants to go see it, so we walk down the street and make a big deal of the train...so much, that if we are even on a bike, he still points and wants to wait for it! So you can imagine getting to ride on a train, albeit a small one, was quite a thrill for him!



Over the weekend, we headed to the WXPN Xponential Music Festival. In conjunction, they had the Camden Children's Garden open to us, where we played for a bit in the water before heading over to the train. Boy did his eyes light up! I don't think he knew what hit him! The train! Right there! And oh wait? I'm going to RIDE IT?! He was in shock, I'm sure!



It was so worth the cost of the ride, that we paid for it twice...and had to pull a crying boy off the train when all was said and done! I'm thinking, perhaps, finding a real big train in Colorado will certainly be in order! Patrick would love it!

I thought I was winning!

Three nights ago, Patrick slept through the night. He did the same the following night. Of course, I didn't get excited after the first, but after the second, I thought, perhaps, it was a ray of hope. Could it be? Could he possibly be sleeping through the night again? Any mama will tell you, after 17 months of not sleeping through the night (with a brief hiatus in July/August/September, for two whole months), it really is high time he starts. Unfortunately, I wasn't as lucky last night. 1:30 came with wreckless abandon. That familiar cry over the baby monitor filled my room and I found myself right back where I've been spending half my nights for the last two months - on the futon snuggled up next to a fuzzy blonde head and a warm squiggly body. Perhaps tonight will be better.

September 17th? Already?

I swear, the last time I looked, it was like July! September took off with a whirlwind and Autumn is sneaking up on me! I don't know how this quite happened either! School has been going well. I had a much easier time sending Patrick back to daycare knowing that I was comfortable with our babysitter. He had no problems adjusting. Imagine all the new toys and other kids to play with! He loves it!

We've been trying to balance our time and still get outside walks in. Before long, the winter will set in and walks will be scarce. I'm kind of hoping he'll be walking soon. Afterall, Halloween is just around the corner, and he'd really love it if he could walk! I'd also like to take him to the playground and do more than swing or slide before the weather sets in!

Anyway, off to finish getting ready for my next class. I promise new pictures soon!

The Zoo!

What small child doesn't love animals? Yesterday, we picked up Uncle Mike and headed off to the zoo.



I was so excited to finally take Patrick with us. Every year, we take our team at school to the zoo, so I had become a seasoned veteran. The summer proved to be different. Many of them were lazy and sleeping.



Every chance we got, we showed Patrick the active animals. He seemed to be enamored by what he did see! He also got to ride the carousel! It took him a minute to figure it all out, but once he did, he was a total pro!



Of course, Joe was there to help us "Monkey" around as well!



Perhaps we'll pick a cooler day to head back in August some time!