On the Road with Harry and Max

Some of you may know that I am writing the Explorer's Guide Illinois, coming to your local bookstore in Spring 2011. My deadline is Sept. 1 so we are deep into the research, travel and writing. With my talented navigator Rob, we recently explored Southern Illinois and Springfield and found many excellent places to visit. The boys were good sports overall, though both reached points where they refused to get buckled back into their carseats. We understood.
You'll see some of our trip in the book but here are some funny shots:

The city boy goes country.


Harry's pose cracks me up.

And this one too. Totally all him. In front of the state capitol. "Should we talk about Abraham Lincoln, Mommy?" he asked before going to bed one night.

Next up: Galena. We'll keep you posted.

Max likes cake!

Our baby Max turned 1!

I love the changing emotions in this set of photos:

"I'm not really sure. I don't think I like this birthday thing."

"What am I supposed to do with this?"


"Let's check it out."

"Mmmmmm......Let's lick all the frosting off."

"Oh, would you like a taste?"

Glee! (He likes cake! His brother cries when we give him birthday cake: "No like cake!")

Such a sweet smile, in multiple ways.

Present time. What am I supposed to do with this -- let's try eating it? (His hair is wet from the post-cake cleanup.)

This is a perfect picture to capture this stage of our lives. It's Max's present and he wants it. But Harry has to have whatever Max has immediately. Cue Mom the referee.

"It's Complicated"

This is Harry's favorite phrase as of late: "It's complicated."

Hi, you're 3 years old. What's complicated?

Oh, so much. Today he woke up crying. I went to comfort him, he asked me to leave and close the door "so I can go back to sleep." OK, I did as requested, and he cried as if I had abandoned him for good. I went back in and he said: "I'm crying, Mommy." Yeah, I got that. He did this with a couple other situations, like going to the store (He wanted to go to the store, then cried when I tried to put his coat on, then cried when I started to leave without him because he wouldn't put his coat on. Ugh.)

I give you that. It IS complicated.

I chalk up his new vocabulary to "Arthur." We rotate in the "programs" (his word) that he watches in the morning, and Arthur is a new favorite. It's all about relationships, acceptance and social interaction. (One recent cartoon was about a kid in the class who has Asperger's Syndrome, one was about not getting invited to a birthday party.) Anyway, he loves it and has a list of new phrases that he pulls out. In addition to "It's complicated" there's "Mommy, you're impossible!"

Harry's First At Bat

Seriously, this bat is inefficient. I can just hit it with my hand. And why run TO the base? -- I can run much farther than that!

Harry has started T-ball!

First Day of Pre-Preschool

Harry started a park district preschool program today. He'll go twice a week for 2.5 hours. We went to visit on Tuesday and he was very suspicious and didn't want to go inside -- until he saw the other kids. On Thursday, we packed up his Elmo backpack with his lunch and new water bottle and headed over. "Should we go to my preschool?" he said.
Still, when we got inside, he clung to my legs as the other kids came up to him. I was trying to encourage him to introduce himself -- ("Say 'My name is Harry'") -- when I had to stop speaking because I was suddenly choked up. Every other activity or place we've gone, one of us, or another family member or trusted adult, has been with him. But today he was going to be on his own and he'd have to navigate this all without us there.
Some other boys started playing cars on the rug, and he came out of his shell and joined them. I stuck around outside the door for about 15 minutes to make sure he didn't freak out, then....LEFT. Yikes. Weird feeling. Cried a little bit in the car, but my Mom was there, and she was teary eyed too, so I blame her :)
When I came back to pick him up, the class was finishing a bathroom break, and all the kids were lined up outside the restroom. He was obviously stressed out about this. We've had some successes with the potty, but a public bathroom? We're not there yet. He was grateful I appeared to save him from the public potty. After class, Miss Lisa said he did fine for his first time. He asked where Mommy was three times, but no tears.
He's talked about nothing but preschool since we got home, although he's been very, very huggy and affectionate with us. I think a little freaked out by going out on his own for the first time. But all in all, we're proud of our brave little guy.

Sledding...(we're a little behind...)

Harry and Daddy went sledding a few weeks ago (before the snow melted.)

Whoa!

He belongs on the set of "A Christmas Story."

"I can't put my arms down!!!!"

Wheee! (thanks sam and alice for the use of the sled!)

Happy Birthday Harry!

Sigh.
Three years old! He's such a little boy these days. He's stubborn, but very sweet, serious but very silly. A couple weeks ago, he started asking "Is my birthday coming up?" He was definitely into birthday celebrations this year -- but still, rejected my birthday cake. "No like it, Mommy!"

Birthday Part I: The playdate party

When Frank & Nicki came over that day, Harry tackled them in the doorway and opened the gift they brought -- his first of the day. Cranky the Crane! Sam arrived for the playdate party and they both laid on the floor entranced by this new Thomas set. For a 2 and 3 year old, I think they actually played pretty well with it, with only occasional wrestling matches over Thomas and Rusty.

Max breaks out his best bunny face to try to impress his girlfriend, Little Lady June (Georgia's baby sister, for those of you who've not yet seen her on our blog.)

The games begin. Instead of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," we did "Pin the Wheel on Lightning McQueen." Sam takes a shot. Sofia studies his technique so she can figure out how to win the game.

Georgia looked at me like I was crazy when I tried to put the blindfold on, because obviously, the game is much easier if you can see the Lightning McQueen! Here, she takes her turn.

Harry peeks.

Good thing he's spent months of his life studying Lightning McQueen, because he knew just where the wheel went. (He was probably peeking. I couldn't tell.)

Sofia's turn. She was a big fan of the game. Yay! Somebody liked my game!

Ring Around the Rosies! This was a crowd pleaser, until I provided the background that the song was written about children falling ill during the plague. Hmmm, maybe not the best fun fact to share at the kids birthday party.

"I want to play too!" says Mr. Max, who even made sound effects for the trains in his attempt to join the older boys.

Opening his presents from Gramy. He got really into it, and excitedly ripped open this envelope then exclaimed: "A CARD!"

Part II of the birthday: Pizza, cake and presents with the family. Here he opens the replica L trains that Mom and Dad got him. He obviously pays close attention when we ride the CTA trains because we overheard him saying: "Doors open on the left at Kimball." Aww, my little city boy.

"Everyone is singing to me!"

Birthday Boys. Uncle Joe's birthday is the day before Harry's so we sang to him too.

Check out Uncle Joe's smooth moves. He provides some secret help, after Harry fails in several attempts to blow out the candle himself.

Sigh. Three years old!