a big little while..

Pepe and I went for a walk this afternoon. It took us 1:17 minutes to walk down the street to the video store and pick a video, then pizza store and have pizza and icecream, use the crosswalk twice and walk back home. Pepe got really bored with walking home. He asked to go to the playground. t"Perhaps for a little while" I said, to which Pepe replied :" A big little while"!

afraid to be ..bitten

by the animals in his new book..

Papi and MJ came over for for dinner and a movie last night. They brought books to Pepe, as they always do - 2 construction and one alphabet with flaps that cover various animals corresponding to the letters. Which one did Pepe like the most? Not the construction books, can you believe it? He loved the alphabet book! The funny part was that when he flipped the flaps for some animals like the bear, the wolf and the alligator, he got really scared, "He is going to bite me, that's not nice", which prompted a game aimed at achieving habituation. He is definitely into biting these days - talks a lot about teeth, and biting, and alligators, and makes up biting games as well. Hopefully all of these will mean less actual biting of anything but food!!! Will see

what's up

Not much, really. Everyone is getting adjusted to the new schedules. Every morning Pepe announces that he does not want to go to school, but ends up having a blast once he is there. Chris drops him off and I pick him up - I think Chris has the tough job, as when I pick Pepe up, he rarely wants to go home.

Fridays we go for pizza and ice cream. Last Friday it was super busy in the pizza place and one of Pepe's friends came in, Charlie, with his dad. It was so great to see Pepe reacting to his friend. He has the same mannerism as Chris, a bit nervous but very happy and social. He and Charlie ran around a bit until Charlie's dad picked up his order and Charlie went home.

We also joined the YMCA, which is nice because Chris and I get to swim and Pepe loves the playroom where babysitting is free. Yeah!

Fall is here and the weather has been hard to take - lots and lots of rain. I have a few races planned for October and November. Maybe a get away for Chris and I on Columbus long weekend. We will stay around for Thanksgiving, we decided, and just enjoy the few days off. We'll have a large party for Chris and Charlie, who were born a day apart and have been friends since middle school. We'll have to do some cleaning and organizing, switching clothes, donating some of Pepe's clothes replacing them. Mostly, I'll have to say good bye to summer and embrace the Fall, and get the boys out for apple picking, hiking in the Fells and Halloween (Pepe will be an alligator).

All is well on 8 Elmore Street!

not sure how to help pepe with

his biting. but we have to. this afternoon he bit helli and pilar, twice each, with no reason. after first bite he said "sorry". after teh second i took him in and we talked about how he won't have friends if he keeps this up, and we made a card for pilar. i thought that maybe he wanted attention bc i was talking to kate and not interacting with him. so i started playing with him. but he bit again and again. i took him inside and told him he can;t go outside any more. he started trying to bite me, and also screaming, running around. he knocked the bowl of mac and cheese. finally he calmed down and ate his food. chris came home and took over. was taking him to the movie store a reward. who knows. gotta check in with some of my child psych friends, and/or mom friends. perhaps i should just remove him from the situation at first bite, and just ignore him, and he will eventually outgrow this. lets hope.

poop in the guitar

Yes, you did read it correctly...

I checked in with the boys from work this am. Chris put Pepe on the phone. He announced that "I pooped, in the guitar, it is yuckyyyyyyyyyyyyy, it smells". I thought I did not understand correctly. But I did. Chris explained that he was cleaning the kitchen and Pepe was playing on the porch, and when he went to check on Pepe, he found the guitar filled and smeared with poop. So, how did Chris deal with the situation? When I got home I found the guitar in the front garden, and Pepe rather smelly - Chris did watch his hands but thought that there was chocolate on his shirt..hmmm! So this evening Pepe and I washed and disinfected the guitar. Pepe was thrilled to announced to everyone that "there was poop in the guitar, yuck"!

is he lying

AM: How is the new school
P: I don't like school. I like to stay home and spend time with mommy and daddy.
AM: I know you like to play with mommy and daddy, but school is fun, too.
P: No (pout).
AM: Why?
P: Because I cry cause I miss mommy and daddy (disclaimer -not what I hear from the teachers....)
AM: But don't you like the teachers?
P: No, I don't like them (smiles and starts laughing and gives me a behind the eye look)
Hmmm

our weekend

I got home Saturday night from Chicago. I called Chris when I landed - good thing bc he was asleep on the couch, guess being in charge of The Pepe for almost an entire week is tiring (particularly if every afternoon when you pick Pepe up from school you take him to McDonalds and toy stores and put him down after 9pm...but I digress).

Sunday am I ran the Maine 1/2 marathon for women, gorgeous weather, great company, first time I did not run a race for time, and actually did pretty good, enjoyed the race and did not feel banged up and sore thereafter. We went to Margaret's after the race to pick Pepe up, and had a yummy healthy lunch nr.2, after yummy greasy lunch nr 1 of pizza post race. Pepe was happy to see me, gave me a big kiss and hug - very different from his "I am mad at you, leave me alone" behavior when I returned from my last trip. I gave him a new toy, and he was ecstatic. He was very shy around Kim, my friend from work who did her first 1/2 with me, but opened up and kept asking about her after we dropped her off at the train station. Once again Margaret was awesome, making the nice meal, and we all felt "spoiled", as Kim put it. Pepe had a short nap in the car, not long enough to hold him for the day, as he was a major cranckster in the afternoon. But it did not matter to me, really. I missed him so much and had loads of patience for him. I kept wanting to kiss and hug him all day yesterday, to make up for the lost time, and he obliged, which i truly unusual, as he normally likes to cuddle on his own terms...

pepe misses his mommy...

or so i hear from chris, who is alone with pepe these 5 days i am in chicago... i miss pepe as well, and i know he will be mad and not pay attention to me for a couple of hours when i get back, to "punish" me for being away...

what's been happening

I am in Chicago working on some jitters - 4 h workshop later today - so time to update. All is well. Pepe continues to blossom. Chris and I are back to our schedule, bye bye nice relaxed summer...

Pepe is doing well at his new school. However, mornings are again tough as Pepe prefers to be at home. I am not concerned about this because once he is at school he does v well, and the school is truly great. Everytime I go there kids are all involved into an activity and happy, v different than his old school...I also think Pepe has such a good time at home, with all his toys and special attention and fun activities, that school just can't compete. I keep telling Chris that he is too good of a dad:)

Speaking of attention...Pepe is biting at school. And at home. This started (I think) because of his buddy Ali (see Ali the Alligator post), and also bc we picked up a cool alligator head toy from a yard sale - you press in his teeth and ultimately your hand gets caught in the alligator's mouth. And how did I find out about the biting? Last week when I picked Pepe up from school, one of the kids came to me and said: "Pepe bit my friend". Then the teachers talked to me about it and how it's developmentally appropriate and they are working with Pepe on this. They believe that Pepe does this bc he is the youngest in the class..I think it's attention. He continues to think biting is v funny. I was thinking of doing one of those reward for good behaviors (e.g. no biting) star system, but after reading yesterday's NYtimes Well section (awesome!) I decided to just ignore Pepe when he does this at home, and stop playing with him when he bites. I trust the teachers will come up with a good system as well. V different attitude than Pepe's last school, much more laid back...

Bedtimes are a bit of a challenge again - Pepe wants to be awake and he really is not tired at 8pm. Might be time to push his bedtime, but I confess I cherish the time after 8:30, with a quiet house, even on nights when I have to do work...

Music class still not a favorite. Pepe should practice and that is not happening. I think it was a mistake to pick the class time when I have my running group. I think it would have been better for both Chris and I to go to class and then try to practice with Pepe...Oh well.

OOPS!

In the car, driving, stuck in traffic.
P: (from the back seat, with angry voice): "Hrrr, GO, GO, GO, JESUS CHRIS GOOOOOO".

(P.S. I am sure he got this for Chris, not from me, oh, nooo)

the best birthday present

was Pepe singing "Happy Bday "to me, voice and guitar, and the boys helping me blow out the candles!!!!

when your 3 y old start talking like you...

AM: Pepe, lets pick up the toys together.
P: Well, I get my backhoe, and you get the rest.
AM: Can you help me?
P: No, you can do it. It's good exercise!

**
P: Don't be sad, sometimes things happen and....

how many lollipops..

have I removed from Pepe's hair thus far? 3.

This am Pepe comes to the bedroom wakes me up and says: "Mommy, I have a lollipop in my hair". He turns his head and a tiny lollipop is indeed stuck in Pepe's hair. "I want to see the circle, mommy", Pepe keeps saying, but of course he is not ready to sit still so that I can take the lollipop out. Eventually we put detangler in and I cut a large chunk of Pepe's hair - good think his hair is always on the long side...

The morale: Parents, make sure there are no lollipops in your son's bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

weekend in september

We've had a load of rain this weekend, but we coped well, by keeping busy. Friday night we did the usual - games with Charlie & Sonia, post lasagna (thanks Chris) and brownies and icecream. Pepe was super energetic and went to bed at 10pm. Saturday we all got up at 6am, as I got a call from a friend to cancel our morning run bc of the rain. We had my boot camp barbecue in the afternoon and Pepe got to play around (in the rain). Sunday we went raspberry picking - Pepe was not into it as he really wanted strawberries, but got into is after Chris started carrying him and throwing him all over and around. We had dinner with the neighbours and the kids played nicely - the 3 of them are so grown up.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that Pepe started piano on Saturday. V basic class and no actual music yet, which is probably why Pepe was not into it - oh, and also bc the class was close to one of Pepe's favorite places, "Henry Bear's Park"!

Likes and dislikes

Some likes
Tugging trains
Crosswalks, including making crosswalks - brown tape pieces on the floor, buildings made of blocks at the "intersection", and "lights" made of blocks with pieces of paper on which we color or make a "hand" or a person "walking".
Toy stores - he could spend an entire day there playing - no need to buy any toys...
Books, including catalogues
Playing guitar and compozing - last night I was told to go away and he brought the big guitar into his room, closed the door and started playing...a pick into the teenage years...
Talking to ALi the aligator about his day.

Some Dislikes
Rain - "I don't like the water comning out from the sky on me, it has to stop".
Being stopped in traffic - "It has to go. Go, go.."
Loud noises, like the fire alarm - "No, Stop".
Going to be - "I don't want to go to bed. I am not tired. It's not nap time. It's sunny out today".
Being transitions into another activity - "I am still using this. I am still playing".

preschooler talk

I had this cold for a few days. This morning was really bad. Pepe and Chris brought me to the train station in the am. I kissed Pepe good bye, and he said : "It's OK, mom, you'll feel better soon"...

*

I picked Pepe from daycare today and we drove on Mass Ave to get home. I stopped to take a L on Appleton, and this woman just could not make up her mind about taking a L from Appleton onto Mass Ave. I ended up going around her and raised my voice and commented a bit about her driving. Pepe said: "Mom, it happens sometimes, there are cars that can't drive, so you have to wait"...

Ali the aligator

Tuesday am Pepe accompanied Chris to Ikea, as Chris needed to buy a few things for his classroom. They returned with Ali, a 7-8 feet alligator. Both Pepe and Ali were black-dirty, as Pepe draged Ali all over the floors of Ikea, and then hugged Ali...

I have never thought that Pepe would ever be interested in stuffed animals. I mean, he got tons of them as a baby and did not pay any attention to them. I actually told Chris to tell Papi to stop bringing the stuffies to Pepe as they all ended up in the basement or goodwill. But now, it's all about Ali. Ali sleeps with Pepe. Ali has a blankie. I have to cover Ali and Pepe when in the crib. Ali gets to eat whatever Pepe eats. Pepe talks to Ali. It is truly cute...

first day as a preschooler

Pepe started his new school today. He is no longer a toddler, but a Preschooler I. He was very excited about his new school and the drop off was easy. Chris got a call from one of the teachers who said that Pepe was having lots of fun, playing and talking up a storm. We heard that Pepe went up to one of the teachers and said: "Hi, you work with my daddy!". Chris told me that indeed he had told Pepe that that particular teacher is working with him, but it was a long time ago.

So the boy is adjusting well. Or this is the honeymoon, the excitement of having new toys to play with. Will see. So far so good:)

what's been happening

We had a rather eventful weekend. We visited Charlie and Sonia in their new house, and Pepe took over their CD player putting "Life would be a dream" on replay, and calling their living room "the playroom", and did lots of swimming and walking at Walden. On Sunday we drove to NH and I did the craziest things of my entire life (I think), ran the Wapack race, and 18 miler over 4 mountains each way, with a total climb of over 3700 feet one way, which I completed in 4:15, as the 5th woman overall (out of 13, in a male dominated race). Pepe and Chris had a nice time at a nearby playground, and hiking in the woods. At the half way point Chris and Pepe waited for me with a peanut butter sandwich and Pepe looked at me surprised and said: "Are you running again, why?", as if he was reading my mind. Overall Pepe had a blast. The race volunteers kept filling up his cup with M&Ms, and his face got more colorful as the hours went by. next, we drove to Grandma's, who took over as I was completely useless the rest of the day. On Monday Grandma Pepe and I went on a boat ride and Pepe was mesmerized. He was in a trance the entire hour and a half, taking everything in, running from one side of the boat to the other, looking for boats and cranes and lighthouses. The highlight was seeing daddy wave at us from a bridge, during his run. Pepe was a bit confused but finally things clicked for him and he waved to daddy. We returned home Monday night and I got to witness the duet Pepe (guitar)-Chris (drums), composing and singing together the lighthouse song. Too bad our video camera is still not working.
Now back to reality. Both Pepe and I have colds, and Pepe starts his new school tomorrow!

P.S. I am writing about my races for you, Pepe, to remember your mommy as being young and tough!