Head Over Heels...Literally

There's a certain segment of the two-year old demographic in Whatcom County that is back into tumbling action.  In this case, Sydney, Maggie, and Kate are all enrolled in the Spring session of tumbling class at the Y.  What does this mean for the energy-abundant two year olds?....well, of course running, jumping, tumbling, and screaming with fun.  What does this mean for their mommies and daddies?...that's right, chasing, corralling, persuading, and at times, crying while begging for cooperation.

I make fun of it, but all in all, it's a great time that the little ladies enjoy.  Who wouldn't enjoy jumping on a trampoline and doing somersaults down squishy mats?  It is great fun to see them burning off the energy, all while hoping enough energy was released to eventually result in an afternoon nap.  And while achieving a nap might seem like a small benefit, after tumbling class a nap is actually much needed and well-deserved by the parents.  So, when we are lucky enough to achieve such a gift, we make use of it by participating in the same napping activities.  When we are less fortunate, we struggle through the day with growing bags under our eyes that are a badge of our dedication and love for our children.

 

The Throne and More

Sydney has definitely made progress on the potty-training front.  Last weekend we were able to spend most of our time at home.  That gave her a chance to be without a diaper.  Overall, she did pretty good and only had a couple of setbacks, but we asked her on a frequent schedule if she had to go to the bathroom.  On one occasion, she said, "uh oh, I spilled."  Which, I guess if you are spilling your bladder then technically it is accurate.  But, in general, she did really well.  Since she hadn't been as excited about using the throne at home, we had to resort to a little bit of the old and time-tested method of bribery.  This at least peaked her interest in trying, which was all we were striving toward.  Hopefully this will start the natural trend of wanting to go and she'll make it her normal habit.  Having said that, I won't be holding my breathe quite yet.

In other news, Sydney has been obsessively playing with a cardboard box in our living room.  Sure, what kid doesn't like a cardboard box?  But there's only so many times you can put her in, take her out, put her back in, take her back out....before you become fatigued.  I think the excitement with it is wearing off, but I'm sure she'll have a new fixation to take it's place.

As far as counting and ABC's, she's doing great on both fronts.  She will occasionally skip a few numbers, but that just means we don't let her leave the tip when we eat out.  And as for her letters, she has got the ABC song down pretty well.  We're just waiting for the remix version to come out, along with the club mix.  All in all, everyone is doing well and Sydney is just loving life!

As for the pictures, I thought it would just be fun to include a few of the older pictures...since now she is becoming such a young lady.

Grandma Gloria went to Oregon to visit Uncle Nathan and the cousins, so we hope she travels safe and has a lot of fun with them!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

What Goes Down...

...must come up.  Is that how the saying goes???  Well, perhaps it's the other way around...unless of course, you are underwater.  We recently got some pictures that the instructor from swim class had taken.  She had a waterproof camera, so she was able to get some fun pictures.

Honestly, I think Sydney did very well in the class, overall.  She not only got the basics down, but she took first in "who can hold their breathe underwater the longest" competition.  She also placed runner up in the cannonball competition, and took a respectable third in the 10 meter platform dive.  All in all, she loves swim class and I'm sure she'll be in another one in the near future.  I think the next series offers some deep water equipment testing and how to avoid the bends.

In other news, Sydney will get to spend some time with her BFF Maggie today.  She is pretty excited to see her and play with her at the park.  It looks like there is a big bright object in the sky (I'm not sure what it's called but someone said it was the sun), so that should make for an enjoyable time.

Recently, Sydney also helped to celebrate her Great Grandma's 80th Birthday.  Happy Birthday Grandma!!!  She's still such a young'n...we can only hope our genes (and jeans) serve us as well. 

   

 

  

Have a great weekend everyone!

Nightwalker....

It's been a few weeks since our last post.  Apparently, life has found a way of happening even without blog entries...who would have figured :)

But, in a recent development, Sydney has taken to is 'nightwalking.'  It's not sleepwalking, because she is certainly awake for it.  In fact, sometimes it is very strategic in nature...her sneak attack is very stealth.  We can be downstairs watching TV, and without any hint or knowledge, we feel an urge to look up...and sure enough, a little girl with bright blond her is crouched down, watching us, all while knowing she should be in bed.  In fact, even now as I type, I hear the twisting of the doorknob from her bedroom door...actually, very literally.  Last night, as I peered up the stairs into the darkened hallway from down below, and I could see a very faint object.  I assumed it was a little two year old girl, but my aging eyes weren't sure what the outline was.  Sure enough, Sydney was up in the darkness peering back at me wondering what magical things might be happening downstairs at night.  Of course, the easy answer is 'not much', but her curiosity is too strong.  Funny thing is, as I approach the stairs she runs into her room and dives back into bed.  I'm sure it's part game, part curiosity, and part natural predatory instinct to stalk prey...ha ha!  But, we're hoping she grows out of this and just sleeps once we put her to bed!

In other news, Sydney is very clear about what she likes.  Right now, Tinkerbell seems to top that list at the moment.  When I pick her up from daycare, I put her in her car seat, we leave the parking lot, and then I hear, "Tinkerbell Dada."  And if I say 'maybe,' she asks at least a few more times.  If I don't provide the response that she likes, she asks in an exponentially adorable way that eventually makes me cave in.  Funny thing is, when we're on our way home I also hear, "check the mail, Dada."  She actually reminds me to check the mail, which I find pretty entertaining.

Sydney also continues to amaze us with her new found knowledge of...well, everything.  Her awareness, her communication, her humor, and all of her expressions just grow at such a rapid rate.  While we enjoy seeing her grow and learn, it's always tough see how fast it is happening.  But, I guess you have to try to enjoy the process while it unfolds. 

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Residual Glow

It’s been a few weeks since our trip to California. While we were there basking in mid-eighties heat, we thought that glow would last us until summer. After all, the snow would be done for the year at home…right? Well, unfortunately that was not the case. And while the nice weather was thoroughly enjoyed while in it, the realities of snow and colder weather upon arriving home worked hard to dash the remaining embers of sunnier times.  Although the recent snow has taken it's toll, we cling to those last little fragments of vitamin D we absorbed while there.

Beyond the residual physical affects from the trip, there are still some residual social affects as well.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but Sydney has become a real big fan of Pirates of the Caribbean. The particular ride I was nervous to take her on has become one of her favorites. So, every morning has the sounds of “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for me.” She loves the song, and sings it regularly.  I wouldn't say it borders on obsessive...no, actually, I will say it borders on obsessive, ha ha!  Actually, it's not too bad, especially coming from a two-year old.

In other news, Sydney continues to surprise us with her mental developments.  While sitting at a stoplight the other day, Sydney said "we go that way" as she pointed in the correct direction we were going to head.  The next day, at a different stoplight, she replied "we go left."  Sure enough, she was right...or 'correct,' I should say.  She has an amazing sense of direction.

We did have sad news in February. Sydney’s Ya Ya passed away.  We attended her celebration of life last Sunday.  Sydney loved her Ya Ya, and she was a large part of so many people's lives.  She will always be remembered and loved.  There is so much that could be said, but words likely would not do it justice.  I have included a few pictures.

On the celebration front, Sydney's Nana from Montana celebrates her birthday this weekend.  She turns a young 42!!! :)  Happy Birthday Mom!

Disneyland Part II



So, there are many hazards of being a father to a two-year old girl. Sometimes, love means overcoming formidable obstacles, natural fears, and at times gag reflexes. Prior to the trip, I had made it clear that I did not want to participate in certain activities, and that we would have to draw straws to determine who would take Sydney on the ride, “It’s a Small World.” Well, despite my better judgment and own personal health, I went on the ride with Sydney, Karen, and the grandmas. I simply did not want to miss Sydney’s very first ride.  The haunting song still terrorizes my waking dreams to this moment. Okay, perhaps that’s a little dramatic, but I just hope she appreciates the sacrifice I, and others, have made on her behalf.



Into the depths...and some never
return from the Small World ride.



For life in the parks, one would think it would be essential to have a stroller. Well, the first day we pushed a mostly empty stroller. The cries of “up Mommy” were a common theme. Daddy was willing, but Karen was the typical target. In fact, I think she carried the 28 pound human enough that her biceps started to take on the form of a gorilla or a member of the greater chimpanzee family (without the hair though).

While on the trip, Sydney also surprised us by ordering her own meal one night while we were out to dinner.  This was the first time we had witnessed such an act.  The waitress approached the table and asked everyone what they wanted, and she made it very clear that she wanted Mac n' Cheese.

The rides were great fun, but Sydney was also thoroughly entertained by the elevator at the hotel.  She just had to be the one responsible for pushing the buttons.  She also felt the need to jump constantly while in the elevator.

Karen also found this trip to be a great opportunity to try out some different fashion styles.  She looks 'okay' with a Jamaican look, but for some reason she just seemed to pull off the Dopey look better...haha!

Grandma and Nana also made the trip great.  Not only did it add a whole new level of fun and excitement, but they also took some great pictures that we'll have forever.

All in all, a great trip.  We wondered what the trip would be like with a 2 year old.  Would she be old enough to enjoy it???  That was answered with an emphatic yes.  She's still contemplating which is her favorite character, but that'll be something she can take her time with.

Disneyland Part I

Sydney Fuller…a world traveler in her own right at the ripe age of two…made her first trip to Disneyland look like…well, child’s play! So how did the trip go??? Well, we had “faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust.” Okay, as a guy in his early 30’s I should not know the common saying of Tinkerbell and her posse. But, the fact of the matter is that we have a two-year old that loves the little green one, so there are many things that can’t be helped but learned, simply due to the nature of the environment.

Prior to departing on our trip to the Sunshine state, we were able to get Sydney to say “Disneyland or bust.” It’s always amazing how clear she can say things. But we had truly reached the point of no return. As parents, we did the prep work we thought vital for the trip. She could name most of the main characters, and she had the right amount of excitement buildup.

On the first day of her official Disney outing, she got to meet Tinkerbell as part of her first act. She played it cool, slowly strolling over to her and giving her a hug. We weren’t sure how she’d react to the size of the characters, especially since they are much bigger in person than they are on the TV, but she approached the situation as to say, “we pixies gotta stick together.”

Sydney also had a great time meeting Mickey Mouse. She was happy to point in him out, and then get a couple of memorable pictures with the iconic figure. We could see that she was having a good time, but we knew she was already becoming a Disneyland veteran. On the morning of day two we asked if she was looking forward to Disneyland, and she balled her fists tight and shook them while cheering and saying “yeah!!!”

During her time at Disney she learned about many of the parks essential features…the Fastpass, that magical taste of churros, and early morning admission. We noticed pretty quickly that she had a taste for the more thrilling rides. After her participation in Pirates of the Caribbean and a few faster rides, she appeared a little bored on the ‘toddler’ rides.

While her days were filled with fun activities, one of the best things she liked about the trip was spending time with the grandmas….including her Grandma (Gloria) and her Nana from Montana (Donna). They both made the trip extremely fun, and Sydney loved sharing such great memories of her first Disney trip with them. And there were even some occasions when it looked like they were little kids again, too :)

Beyond her time in CA, she also handled the travel portions of the trip like a pro. Security at the airport was not a problem for her. Fortunately, TSA is not into ‘toddler profiling.’ If the were, I know we’d be in trouble since Sydney really appears to be a shady character.

All in all…a great trip that provided some fun, a break from work (and daycare for others), and some needed vitamin D. And of course we have so many pictures that we’ll have to make this blog a two-part entry. So what’s next??? Well, let’s just say that Sydney is now counting down the days until her first trip to Disneyworld!!!