Stuff Going Around

There are a few nasty viruses going around and it was our turn to deal with them. Louis came down with a stomach bug and has been out of sorts for most of the day. He still had time to smile though. Always does.

Science Is Fun!

We met up with my high school BFF Jasmine today and her son Ethan at the New York Hall of Science. They have a great play area set up for toddlers and young children. Leah and Louis had a great time playing in it. It was nice to see all of the fun exhibits I remember from my trips to the Hall of Science as a kid. Ethan and Louis played well together and I love getting the boys together (and of course seeing my friend).

First Winter Snow

This Winter has been quite mild and we haven't had much in the way of snow. We finally had a small snowstorm and the kids couldn't wait to go outside to play in it.

Louis was great about getting layered and bundled up though he wasn't too keen on it.

Big Sis lends a hand...

Sensory Play - Water Beads

I'm always on the look out for new things to do with Louis while at home. A few friends have been sharing photos of their little ones playing with floral water beads. I finally got around to picking some up at Michaels for Louis to play with. This batch was a mix of clear and purple ones. It was about a tablespoon of beads plus a few liters of water. The beads sat in the water for about 8 hours overnight and were great for playing for many more hours than that.

25 Month Milestones

Every day brings us more joy when it comes to Louis. Still throws me off when he comes to me with full on sentences using words I had no idea he knew in the first place. He's sweet and compassionate. He's developed a good sense of humor and will often tell you the opposite of what you expect or purposefully say something incorrectly to make you think he doesn't know what's up and then he corrects it and laughs.

Wherever he goes, Gabriel isn't far behind. The two play beautifully side by side and Louis is great about sharing his things. He is also careful about what he leaves out so Gabriel can't get into it. Louis will also play peek a boo and patty cake with him.

I've been trying to provide Louis with various activities during the week and so far all of them have been a hit. He loves painting and most craft related activities.

I'll list the milestones as I do every month but after 2 years I feel like it's more of a catch all as kids end up typically doing everything by age 3.

25 Month Milestones

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Stacks six blocks
Walks with smooth heel-to-toe motion
Dresses down on his own - Louis loves to dress himself. He picks out his own clothing and with a little bit of help can get his shirts, socks and pants on...oh and his baby legs that he now wears as arm warmers and his growing collection of hats.
Know the names of many body parts and can say them  - He's know his body parts for a while now so we've moved onto bones and body parts in Spanish & ASL.



Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Uses pronouns (e.g., I, me, you) - He has started to use them more over the past two weeks or so. He still hasn't gotten the gender pronouns down yet.
Washes and dries own hands 
Brushes teeth with help
Dresses up on his own 
Throws a ball overhand
Speech is understandable most of the time - This is debatable. I would say his speech is understandable most of the time but I also spend all day with him so it's easier for me than others.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Speech is understandable all the time  - Not there yet.
Draws a vertical line - If he feels like it he can.




 

Wee Pancake Muffins on a Stick

My friend Veronica-formerly of Crunchy VT Mommy and now of VeronicaArmstrong.com shared this recipe from Weelicious.com for Pancake Sausage Muffins on a Stick. There is truth in advertisement and in peer referrals, especially via social media. This is proof of that.

I knew Louis would love these and seeing that they were so easy to make I got to it right away. We had them with some blackberries and some maple syrup. I made some with bananas instead of sausage and those were delicious as well.