Thanksgiving weekend 2009

Happy Thanksgiving! from Michelle Marie on Vimeo.

More photos on Flickr here.

Swim class chronicles

Dylan in happier times at our local pool

I don't think I've mentioned Dylan's bust of a swim class. This summer he seemed to love getting in the water so much that we decided we'd sign him up for swim class in the fall. We started class the Saturday we got back from the U.S. in September. Things did not get off to a good start. Dylan was the youngest one in the class, which meant he also was the least interested in following directions (could have been an age thing or maybe it's just his personality, but in any situation where one has to follow directions and can't just be "free," he rebels). Where I come from, the people who teach swimming are usually young (like even high-school age) whereas this teacher was in her 60s. No problem there in theory. I love nonnas. But I think Dylan would have responded better to someone young and dynamic. This woman was all about "throw them in the deep end and let them fend for themselves." Dylan did not respond to that at all and soon swim class became a nightmare. When we'd merely mention that we had to go to swim class on Saturday, he'd start saying "home, mommy, pizza." He usually went with Cristiano, and I told him that when he came home, I'd have pizza for lunch. He'd start crying as soon as he got to the pool and continue saying "mommy" and "pizza" the whole time. Let's not even talk about the mandatory swim cap. Finally I decided to go instead of Cristiano to see if maybe he'd do better with me. The teacher started off by having us do an exercise where we "abandoned" the kids in the middle of the pool and made them paddle a few strokes to us. We couldn't reach our arms out to them or anything but had to stand impassively in the water and make them swim to us. ALL of the kids were hysterical, the respective moms and dads in the water highly uncomfortable and this teacher was barking orders at a bunch of two-year-olds like they were in the military. I decided not to take him back there, but in five classes, the damage was done. Now Dylan hates water and the pool. I hope he gets over it quickly.

Go Bucks!

Dylan didn't want his picture taken, kept throwing the Brutus Buckeye doll and wouldn't take his thumb out of his mouth. But he was feeling the OSU love all the same. This post's for Uncle Rob!

I need a room like this in my house

Well, I did a while ago. I don't think this will be the height of entertainment for Dylan for much longer. At least play group gives us something to do on otherwise cold and rainy Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Dylan in gym room from Michelle Marie on Vimeo.

More gym room from Michelle Marie on Vimeo.

Dylan used to dislike the baby dolls. Now he likes putting them to bed and giving them bottles.

We have graduated from crayons to colored pencils, but he's still not big on coloring or arts and crafts.

Life as a WAHM

I've been doing the Working At Home Mamma thing with a lot of work to do but not much of it getting done - at least during normal work hours. Since Dylan is up at 7 a.m. and goes full throttle until 10 p.m. (we get him in bed by 9 p.m. but it takes about 100 bedtime stories and the "putting to bed" of every toy and ball and car he owns before he will consider sleep), I have had little time to update the old blog or do much of anything else. In any case, I've been babysitter-less quite frequently lately, so Dylan has been at home "helping" me with household things, such as making the bed and doing the laundry. He loves typing on my computer and has learned where pretty much all of the letters are. In this particular video, he chokes a bit when it is time to perform and type the "D for Dylan," but rest assured, he knows his letters and points them out wherever he sees them - from license plates to signs to the most unlikely places. Whenever he sees a letter, he runs to get a closer look and tell me "Mommy, A for Arno!" (Arnaldo is his nonno) or "B for boy!" He's also gotten into the "What is that?" stage and points to everything. I never realized how many things I do not know the word for - and in my own language! I have to improvise like "That's a fork lift thingie with some kind of water spout function..." We got him on the waiting list for a state-run preschool for next semester. They will let me know at the end of January if any places open up. I know he will be two by then and it would only be part-time, but it's still a bit daunting...

Dylan at the computer from Michelle Marie on Vimeo.

P.S. In the video he is saying in Italian "I want to see!" and grabbing for the camera. His Italian has far surpassed his English and he speaks in whole sentences while in English he still speaks in words and phrases.

Hanging around the house

We've all been passing some annoying head cold/tonsillitis around for the last three weeks, so we've been spending a lot of time sniffling around the house. And not sleeping. Dylan has decided he doesn't like sleeping in his "big boy" bed and has been waking up hourly. It's been a tiring week.

I got my hands on a (small and overpriced) whole pumpkin, carved it up and put it on the balcony

Dylan putting the last piece in the U.S.A. map puzzle I bought him at FAO Schwartz two summers ago. His favorite state/piece? Michigan - it has a car on it! Shh, don't tell Uncle Rob, the crazed OSU fan.