Long over due update

Wow...it is February 6th. Where did January go? Things are very good. Feel totally adjusted back in France. I must do a better job of recalling all the things I love about this area when I experience total homesickness upon returning here each time! Just got over the bout with the flu with the little ones, and Robert and I were fortunate to escape it this time round. Lately, I've been the first one up in the morning, we've been going to bed early, which I love, but as a result, I'm awake before 6, which I also love, as I treasure an hour of silence in the morning before the noise and chaos of the day begins!

Ryan will be 18 months on the 18th and Andrew is just past 4 years old. We've witnessed major changes in both of them lately. Where Ryan was once a total cling-on to me, would not want out of my arms in a baby group, or anywhere, he is now Mr. Independent. He wants to eat all by himself and usually refuses the spoon if I offer it to him. Of course, he makes a TOTAL mess, particularly at breakfast time with his morning cereal and yogourt, or something like spaghetti at dinnertime. Will try to get some pics added on here soon. He wants to walk by himself wherever we go, and usually refuses to hold my hand, which is often a battle, especially in the parking lot when we go to drop Andrew off or pick him up from school. When we're in safe territory and I leave him to follow me/us, he generally heads off in the other direction! He loves babygroups. He loves music. As soon as the music begins, he starts clapping and dancing. He is enamored with Daddy, but when he cries in his crib, which is seldom, he insists on Ma-Ma and won't settle until I come to his rescue for a quick cuddle before putting him back down to sleep. I will just hold him for a couple minutes in the chair, put his soocy in and sing the Mockingbird song. When Andrew and I put him down together at night, we sing Rock-A-Bye baby, followed by the Mommy song and he settles peacefully into his dreams. (Andrew loves doing this) Tantrums have begun. Flat on his back screaming if he doesn't get his way, particularly if it's a toy that Andrew has. If Ryan had it first, I insist on Andrew giving it back. But if it is a toy that Andrew began playing with, it's not fair to pull it away from him just to appease Ryan. I think I am going to start buying two of certain toys. Of course they both need to learn and continue to share, but there are times when I know it will be easier to just have one for each! He is a stubborn little monkey. But usually, not always, the tantrums are short-lived. As I did with Andrew, I respond to his tantrums by explaining to him that I understand he is mad because he cannot have whatever it is he wants, like a toy, or to stand on the couch, or whatever. I think it helps. That's what the books say anyway! One thing I love with Ryan at this age, unlike Andrew at the same age, is that whenever he awakens, from a nap or from a night sleep, he does not cry. He talks and sings and plays in his crib happily, until Robert or I go in to get him. This can even last up to an hour after he wakes up! When we finally go in, a smile lights up his face, I pick him up for a snuggle (quick one, he's by then, usually keen to get out and pointing at the door but sometimes he will point at a toy on the floor and just wants to play with that in his crib for many many more minutes) anyway, I just love the way he feels, so soft and warm, the way he smells, and looks, every time he wakes up. Heaven. Ryan's hair is getting long, but when he comes out of the bath (which he LOVES), it all curls up and I adore the curls and am not ready to chop them off as it near broke my heart the day I chopped off Andrew's curls and they did not grow back. So, aside from a chop to his bangs, he has yet to have his hair cut. (and he looks pretty funny, since I didn't exactly cut the bangs even, and ended up cutting way more than intended...and was rather unfairly reprimanded by Daddy for doing this, as I've said, he is more than welcome to do it himself!!!) Anyway, apparently as a result of the current do, he looks like a girl. Everywhere we go, I hear, "Bonjour Mademoiselle" or (in french) "she is sooo cute" or "she looks like her brother". We were at the pool the other day, and these two elderly ladies were talking to Ryan and telling me how cute she is and I didn't say anything, but when I pulled off his pants to put on his swim diaper, they were both shocked!!! And the latest, yesterday we went to McDonald's and while ordering, I was holding Ryan in my arms and ordered one Happy Meal (for Andrew) and when Andrew opened it up, we discovered it was the girl toy inside and not a boy toy! I must say, I do remember this happening with Andrew at this age, when his hair was longer and those curls were just to die for! Which brings me to another point: Andrew and Ryan are looking more and more alike it's scary. There are days when I look at Ryan and feel like I am having a total deja vu of Andrew at the same age. Some people say Andrew looks like Robert and Ryan looks like me, there are a few that say the reverse but for the most part, the consensus including my own is that they both look exactly the same and like Robert! Even though Ryan is my second child, and therefore I've already witnessed the tiny little things that feel like major milestones that amazed me constantly, I am still in awe of Ryan's daily achievements. Like yesterday, when he went to the Kleenex box, pulled only one Kleenex out (usually it's the whole box), and wiped his own runny nose! And when I tell him that it's time to go get Andrew from school, he goes to the front hallway and attempts to put on his shoes (and he sometimes puts on mine)! Or when he sees Andrew and I brushing our teeth, he joins in, by pulling up his stool, grabbing his toothbrush and immitates us to the tee. I must say, I really love this stage with Ryan. The boys play together often. Andrew remains pretty much obsessed and adoring of his little brother and is almost always on top of him or pulling him in his direction, which often frustrates Ryan to no end, and he practically constantly screams, but then seconds later it seems, Ryan is laughing hysterically. They make me laugh all the time. The other day they were playing on the kitchen floor while I was preparing dinner and Ryan was sitting on top of Andrew who was lying on his back. Ryan was jumping up and down on his bum, on Andrew's stomach and Andrew, giggling away, kept saying, "Ry-Ry, I'm NOT a jungle gym"!!!! As I was in the kitchen starting to clear dishes last night and they were finishing dinner, I heard nothing but laughter coming from the dining table. When I walked into the living room, I discovered both with their plates on their heads, ketchup oozing down their just-washed hair and the remnants of their fish fingers and french fries all over the floor! Andrew has really matured over the last couple months. He can now sit for an extended period of time with his markers and focuses intently on the picture he is colouring, which is almost always for me. All of a sudden he has sparked a bit of an interest in letters and writes his name on all of his works. When I pick him up from school, the very first thing he does is empty his backpack all over the school floor in search of the colouring he has done for me that day. So sweet! At bedtime now, in lieu of a story, he wants to play Postman Pat and will even request to be put down to bed so that he can get to the game. It is a memory game of cards, each player has to find pairs by flipping over the cards and remembering what is behind the ones once flipped over. He is pretty amazing at this game and is capable of winning without us allowing him to win (he hasn't quite learned how to NOT be a sore loser!). And then he loves to count how many cards he has and waits to see how many cards Robert or I have, to determine who is the winner. He asks questions ALL DAY LONG. Why something is the way it is. What does this mean? What is the translation for an english word in french or vice versa. One day I want to document all his questions in a day. They always begin with, "MOMMMMMY, why is...." and when he is at school, sometimes I think I'm going mental cuz I still hear a little voice saying, "MOMMMMY"!!!! He rarely cooperates when it's time to leave the house. Doesn't seem to matter if we're going to school, the beach, the park, whatever, he says he wants to stay home, and in his pajamas (and the second we walk back in the door, he heads to his room to put on his jammies, doesn't matter what time of day it is). My response when he refuses to get ready to leave is that the police will take me away, or him away, if I am caught leaving my little boy home alone so he must come along. This usually works as he is still pretty easy to rationalize with. He eats his veggies and drinks his milk because he knows this will make him grow big and strong. He brushes his teeth because he knows that if he doesn't, he'll get holes in his teeth, and usually after he has a sweet, I will soon hear the tap running in the bathroom and I know he is "brushing the sugar off"! He has taken a huge interest in building forts out of blankets and cushions but gets severely annoyed when Ryan approaches and immediately breaks down his fort and asks, "Mommy, can you please put Ryan away?" He also loves to play Hide and Seek in the house...it's hillarious as he usually picks the same hiding spots and starts making noises or announces his whereabouts when we enter the room he's in. Ryan likes to join in this game, he usually hides with me, and when Andrew comes to find us, he's giggling away!