schmits.org

Welcome to schmits.org: , , , and virtual front porch. This web site is just that; a place to visit for family, friends, and anyone, who are too far away, to stop by in person. Pull up a chair and stay a while....

It Broke

The day that I was fearing is finally upon us. Daddy's Blanket broke. It is now two blankets. The wear and tear of all the pulling of fuzzies has taken its toll.

Fortunately, my reaction to Dylan's proclamation that "It broke!" was a calm, simple, "Now you have two." He accepted that, and is cuddling with two Daddy's Blankets at bedtime tonight.

Now, Daddy's Blanket can be in two places at once.

First Sentence

IAMGtoohth
Prk

"Mommy, what does that say?"

"It says, 'I am going to the park.' Did you write that, Dylan?"

"Yes."

"Who helped you write it?"

"No one. I wrote that in my journal this morning. I sounded it out."

It wasn't until after Andrea brought me a piece of paper and was waiting for a big hug that I realized how excited my response was to Dylan. I gave him a big hug, and was beaming from ear to ear.

I'm almost certain that he did in fact write it this morning. It was accompanied by a picture of a stick figure that was standing in grass with what might be a bench nearby. There is a blue line for the sky and both yellow and black suns. Perhaps I'll get around to scanning this page to share. The picture and writing were done with markers that we have at home, in his journal from school from last week. There was one blank page at the back, because they did not have school on Monday the 13th.

I think that I was about as excited with this as I was with his first steps. A proud moment as my little boy grows up.

Pictures - Camping and Cousins

Now available are two new sets of pictures: camping over the summer and a visit from cousins last month.

Unless I am overly ambitious, these are the last pictures you can expect for a while. The next commitment I have is for Fourth Quarter pictures. However, I may make a separate album out of events over the next several months if the number of pictures warrants it.

Two and a Half

Andrea is nearly two and a half. Yesterday, she had her two-and-a-half-year-old well-check at the pediatrician's office. She also had her flu shot. And Dylan received his flu shot.

Of the three measurements that are taken, the one that I believe the most is the weight. This time, Andrea weighed 29 lbs and 4 oz, which places her just above the 50th percentiles for girls her age. Her head measured at 20", which is above the 95th percentile. The measurement that I have a hard time believing this time is Andrea's height. Measured lying down, by drawing lines on the paper at her head and heels, Andrea is supposedly 38 1/2". If that is the case, then she is above the 95th percentile for height. When you look at her growth curves, there is an obvious error in height measurement somewhere. For this check-up, I could believe 38", which would be between the 90th and 95th percentile. I could also believe 37 1/2", which is just below the 90th. I could also believe 36 1/2" if last times measurements were accurate. Looking back at Andrea's numbers from her 2-year check-up, I now believe the measurement of 34 1/4" was on the low side. It seemed strange that she had dropped from just above the 90th percentile to just above the 50th in only six months. It now seems strange that she grew only an inch between 18 months and 24 months, and a full 4 1/4 inches in the six months since.

But, enough hypothesizing about the measurements taken at the doctor's office. The important summary is that Andrea is growing. And, Andrea is healthy.

Andrea did not utter a peep when she was given her flu shot. Total silence. Dylan on the other hand, made quite a bit of noise. However, the noise was probably louder before his shot than after.

Yesterday, I also noticed Andrea's lower left 2-year molar barely peeking through the gums. For those who are counting, this is tooth number seventeen.

Officially, we have five more days until two-and-a-half. But, I've already started referring to Andrea as being there.

Third Quarter 2008 Photos

New pictures are now available! The third quarter just ended this week, and SURPRISE! that brings pictures immediately your way. Also newly added are pictures from our opening weekend trip to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Still awaiting editing are pictures from our camping trip in August and pictures from last weekend's visit from the cousins, Uncle Tom, and Grandma.

Dylan the Scientist

Today, Dylan approach and informed me that his bouncy ball looses energy when he drops it. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying not to sound too surprised that he is commenting on the energy of his bouncy ball. "Like this," he replied and dropped his bouncy ball onto the carpet where it barely rebounded and stopped. "Does the energy it keeps change if you drop it on different floors?" I probed. "I don't know," he answered, as he walked into Andrea's room and dropped it on the wooden floor. "Yes, it keeps more energy," he concluded. He then walked into the bathroom and dropped it on the tiled floor. "It keeps more energy here, too." He then proceeded to roll the bouncy ball along the carpet. It continued for a while and then stopped. "But see Daddy, when I roll it, it keeps more of its energy longer." I was stunned with his intrinsic understanding of the scientific method and inquiry. I decided just to say, "that's very interesting!" and wait to discuss gravitational potential energy, elastic potential energy, and kinetic energy along with elastic and inelastic collisions until he is five.

No Crib Night

Tonight, I was at dinner with my work team, and Geoff was alone to get the kids to bed. He managed to get the kids from school, feed them dinner, give them a bath, and get them to sleep on the futon in Andrea's room. Yes, Andrea and Dylan on the futon! No crib for Andrea tonight. Maybe I should figure out a way to have work dinners more often...

... or perhaps I'll hold off on that decision until I see how well the night goes.

Thirty Four

Well just today I had my birthday -- I made it thirty-four
Mere mortal, not immortal, not star-crossed anymore
I've got this problem with my aging I no longer can ignore
A tame and toothless tabby can't produce a lion's roar

BP Helios

Tonight, we drove past a BP station out Andrea's window. On our daily drive, the BP station is out Dylan's window. We don't drive the same way home as we do to school, so Andrea doesn't usually get to see it. Tonight, we were headed to my soccer game. As we waited for the light to turn green, Andrea points at the BP Helios (that funny looking green, yellow, and white flower-like object) and says in her two-year old voice, "That's like your shirt, Mommy"

She followed up with "I want to touch it." You see, when the Helios is embroidered on a shirt it acts somewhat like a button that can be pressed. Both Dylan and Andrea enjoy pushing in the Helios. Probably not what BP is really after with their marketing, but still good that Andrea recognized it.

When we passed another BP station, Dylan indicated that we had already gone past it. My attempts to explain that there are multiple BP stations fell on deaf ears. When I asked Dylan if he thought I was driving in circles, Andrea replied, "No, you're driving in parking lots." It was a long ride, in a bit of stop-and-go traffic. Perhaps she was commenting on that.

Timed Light Dimming

My current wish list includes a way to slowly dim the lights in Andrea's bedroom at bedtime. With our current sleeping and reading arrangement, we need to have the bright light on during reading. Andrea is almost guaranteed to get upset when we turn off the light. There is a second light on that isn't so bright, along with a nightlight, but she is still unhappy when any light is turned off.

A bit of research this evening led me to one solution. It's a good thing that Geoff has some skill with a soldering iron, otherwise this would not even be an option to consider. I wasn't able to find a nice commercial solution that wasn't "build-it-yourself," but if anyone knows of one, let us know. Otherwise, Geoff has a fun afternoon project to add to his list!

This project actually appeals to the Electrical Engineer inside of me. No, that wasn't my degree, but doesn't everyone have a secret desire to be an Electrical Engineer?!?