Sugary Sweet

Finn (age 2.5), as I was giving him a kiss goodnight last night, said "mommy, you do so much.  you dress me and help me.  you my cute little mommy."  He also went on to say:  "I am thankful for my family."  This just brought tears to my eyes. 

Patrick is on day 2 in a room of his own.  We had all 3 boys sharing a bedroom (at their request) and the sleeping was getting so interrupted that we decided to split them up.  The natural thinking was that Calan would have his own room again, but he prefers to be with his brothers.  So, Patrick volunteered happily.  I was a little nervous to split he and Finn up, since they've always shared a room.  But, Patrick is as happy as a clam in his own room.  He feels so grown up and it's so cute.  And he's so proud of himself.  I am so proud of him.  AND everyone is sleeping through the night.  YAY!

LOVE these boys to pieces!

Quotables

I had to write these down, as I don't ever want to forget how cute the boys are at their current ages:  Calan, 4 and Finn and Patrick, 2.5.

Recent quotes:

"I want to go to little tiny 'nastics" said Finn when we were getting Calan ready for his gymnastics class.  Or as Calan says, "big boy gymnastics".

Calan received a Target giftcard for his birthday and we went to spend it on Thursday.  The toys he chose were 2 baby toys for aunt Abbe's baby and all he wanted for himself was a pair of ninja turtle socks.  So darn sweet!

Finn is being potty trained and wearing underwear these days (and doing just great!).  When I asked Patrick if he wanted to be next and get some big boy underwear, his response was flatly "No."  Stubborn little thing!

Patrick is beyond clever and articulate.  Just this morning (Monday), as we were driving to preschool, while stopped at a red light and upon seeing the cars in the right lane turning right, Patrick noted:  "you can go, mommy.  The cars are moving."  He's 2.5 years old.  I had to explain about turning right on red to a 2 year old.  Wow.

Finn's favorite thing to say is:  "I'm mommy's angel."  And " I was in mommy's tummy"  Can we say mama's boy anyone?  The youngest (even by a mere 2 minutes) sure does know how to steal his mama's heart!

Update on the Boys

We have all been very busy lately and are excited for summer when things will (hopefully?) slow down a little!  In April we sold our first family home at 1818 Lexington Street in Petaluma and moved to our rental at 913 Hogwarts Street, approximately 1/2 a mile away!  It made for a somewhat easy move, but also feels odd to have moved basically just down the road.  We got unpacked quickly and the boys are still sharing one room, per their request, even though we have enough bedrooms for Calan to have his own.  We are excited about what the future holds and figuring out our next move for our forever home.  The boys have been doing well and seem to have adjusted quickly from our move which was 1 month ago.  Updates on what they've been up to are below:

*Finn:  This boy is ALL boy.  His favorite thing to do is pretend to be "wrestle guy".  At 2 years, almost 3 months, he has a very active imagination.  He loves to dress like a wrestle guy (sporty shorts and a sleeveless top if the weather allows) and gets down low to move around like a wrestler.  I have NO idea where he even got this from, as he has never watched wrestling!  His vocabulary and personality have fully blossomed in the past 6 months and he talks nonstop, narrating everything, for example:  "me screaming!" "me laughing" "me wrestle guy".  His sentences are now 8 - 9 words long and he is our most active boy.   He follows after his mom with his "can't sit still" MO.  He is just so happy now that he's no longer a baby.  Remember, he hated being a baby and was so frustrated until he could walk (run) and talk.  Now that we fully understand him, he's just happy as a lark most of the time.

*Calan:  How can my first son be almost 4?!  I am fully realizing what people refer to when they say the time really flies.  I just want to pause time and have Calan stay 3.  He is still the sweet, sweet soul he always was.  He loves his family more than anything and you can really tell when he's happy when he sings his little made up song "I got my familllllyyyyyy!".  So darn sweet!  He has gotten really good at riding his bike and recently got a new "big boy" bike that has Lightening McQueen on it!  His class at preschool recently had a bike day and it was so cute to see all of the 3 year olds riding around.  He had the largest bike of all of the kids and rode his the best.  I was so proud to hear that, especially since 1 year ago he was dealing with some balance issues and getting OT.  Calan starts swimming lessons on 6/4 and he is counting the days.  He has really blossomed with his drawing skills too.  One thing about Calan, that I don't see a lot of in other kids, is his ear for music.  He can recognize songs and beats very well.  He can memorize the words to songs quickly.  Grandma and Grandpa have a piano and he's shown interest in that, so maybe we'll see if he wants to learn to play soon!  He will also start gymnastics again this summer.  So happy he's really blossomed with his motor skills.

*Patrick:  Our little ham is still as hammy as ever!  He loves people, the camera and attention!  We always thought he was the leader of the pack, but he really likes to see what brothers do and then join in.  Smart and clever as a whip, this one is.  He can figure out how to get what he wants very easily.  Patrick is a sweet boy and still has his spice.  He is fearless and this was seen in full force when we took all 3 to the club pool a couple of weeks ago.  Without hesitation, Patrick jumped in (to Daddy) with full force!  Swimming lessons, anyone?  This boy really has a zest for life :)  He tests us daily but he is truly a sweet soul.  Just too smart sometimes!  It's so funny how his and Finn's personalities are totally different as well.  Many people ask if Patrick and Calan are twins vs. he and Finn.  I have to assume that one day soon they'll all be the same size and I'll just have to say yes when asked if they're triplets :)   Patrick's vocabulary has been strong from the start, but his questions and sentences/paragraphs are so thoughtfully spoken that it's truly amazing he's only 2!  A fashionisto from the start, he still loves to pick out his own clothes and mostly likes "plaid" :)

That's the update for now....back to the grind!

Double - no make that TRIPLE - Trouble

The boys have been keeping me (us) on our toes these days. I'm happy to have such active boys, but man, when 8 pm comes and I finally sit down, I just basically fall asleep immediately! Many changes have been upon us lately and I have listed them below since I don't keep up with the blog quite often enough....just want to make sure to remember all of this! July 30, 2012 - all 3 boys start preschool at Children's Corner in Petaluma. Calan is in a class with about 8 kids total and Patrick and Finn are 2 doors down in a class with 4 kids total (all boys!). They love "school" and to be honest, the hardest part of the day is picking them up and getting them all in the van! Ms. Nicole is Calan's teacher and she is probably 26 years old. Her youth and enthusiasm bring a great spirit to the classroom...this girl even likes teaching about bugs. Better her than me! Patrick and Finn's teacher is Ms. Tracy and they love her. They also love "Owie" as Finn calls his BFF at school (other than Patrick). I was nervous at first that Finn would have a hard time adjusting, as he is more sensitive to change than Patrick and Calan, but he did great. It certainly helps that he has Patrick in the class, but even on a day when Patrick was sick and Finn went alone, he did great! We love the school and are so happy we found them. September 2012 - we combined all 3 boys in one bedroom (Patrick and Finn's room). The reason for doing this was twofold - 1) we needed the space to setup a home office for Neils' new job/my job AND a guest bedroom was a bonus for the shared office/guest room. 2) Calan had been waking up at night and asking for his brothers (or us) on occasion. Once we moved him into a their room (which we framed as his idea) - the robot room (Calan's choice with enthusiastic yays from P and F), he has done great and does not wake up or come into our room at night. November 10, 2012 - Finn can get out of his crib. OH BOY! At 5:45 am on this day, Neils heard something and went into the boys room to fine 1) Finn walking around the room 2) Calan in Patrick's crib with him and 3) a huge mess of books/papers on the floor. Craziness. We are still trying to navigate what to do with this newfound skill of Finn's. The main problem is not him getting out, but that they're all waking up too darn early. Before, we could count on at least having them sleep until 6:15 or 6:30, but now 5:00 am is a common wake up time. I workout at 5:30 am, so that has been a wrench in the program...Lord, help us through this phase. :) Well, that's the latest and here's where the boys are at these days: Patrick - 20 months - talks in sentences, ex: "my feet are hot", "i'm messy", "clean it up" or his favorite "no, mommy" :) This boy is as clever (and mischevious) as they come. We love his sweet nature though, even though he has a side of salt/edginess to him! He truly loves to entertain and puts on a little "show" for his brothers....Calan is his biggest fan and will just roll around laughing at Patrick's antics. He also loves to eat...and he is our least picky/best eater! Calan - 3 years, 3 months - sweet as ever with a side of 3 year old sass. He has discovered talking back. I'm guessing we were just lucky that it didn't take hold before now. Smart as a whip and the favorite of all down at his preschool. Truly a sweet, sweet soul. Still a master puzzler and now dresses himself and potty's standing up (potty trained for 10 months, but now he stands). He is curious about everything and can remember the street names of our house and our surrounding cross streets, other streets around town that we travel frequently, Gaga's street, Conor's street. He is too smart. :) Finn - 20 months - talking much more now and will say/repeat (try to say/repeat) everything. This boy is so balanced and smart. The way he climbs out of his crib (he showed me how he did it when I asked him) is the most balanced thing I've seen! He is so much happier now that he can communicate with us more clearly. He is also so very sweet and kind. He is a gentle boy and very independent. But if he's away from his "bra-bra's" for too long, he will ask for them nonstop. Finn is the mama's boy. He also loves all stuffed animals and he is a bit of a hoarder - carrying around rocks, food, sticks, crayons, etc. until his hands/arms are full. These boys wear me out, but I love to the moon and back a million times over. They are my world and I can't imagine anything than being a mom of these 3.

Boys, boys, boys

I really don't have time to update this blog, which is clear to everyone who (tries to) read it! :) I just wanted to put a quick update of our boys and their current selves.

Calan - 31 months old
Really is the sweetest big brother I've ever seen. Truly loves his brothers and shares with them willingly (most of the time). A wiz at puzzles (even the 50 pc ones) and anything he can "solve". A bookworm at heart. We have come across some delays in his gross motor skills (running, jumping, etc.), so this is being addressed. Very inquisitive and loving sums up my sweet baby (he's still my baby) Calan!

Finn - 1 year
A true mama's boy at heart. He is the strongest little guy (or not so little guy) i've ever seen, but still loves to be held. He says mama, dada and gaga (my mom) and tries to say other words occasionally, but he really prefers to point and grunt! :) Our most physical boy, he is the true definition of boy - loves to climb and go go go. He is our earliest walker at 12 months. Looks like mama and has my temper too (eek!), but as quick as he is to anger, like me, he is quick to move on. A sweet, sweet soul that just wants to be anything BUT a baby!

Patrick - 1 year
Now, this is our baby model. Sweet as sugar, but he does bite (literally)! That said, Patrick is probably the easiest baby of all 3 because he really just enjoys being alive! A sweet boy with beautiful eyes and an easy laugh. He really loves people and being in the middle of it all. He also LOVES to eat (even though he is the smallest) and loves to feed others too. Our little actor, you may see him in the movies one day!

Calan, Finn and Patrick

I got this idea from Laura, so thank you! Just want to make notes of our little guys personalities at their current ages.

Calan - 2 years, 2 monthsStill a sweet, sweet brother to F & P. LOVES other kids and loves going to the park to play with Conor or Max and Sam (2 year old twin boys we see regularly at the park). Smart as a whip. Talks like a 3-4 year old. He can remember anyone's name...even if he's met them just once months ago. Still strong minded. And still likes to cry/scream if things aren't going his way. I told him about 2 weeks ago if he wanted to start using the potty then he'd get a treat if he goes "pee pee" or "poo poo" in the potty. When I was changing his diaper 2 nights ago, he said "i want to use the potty" so I obliged and happily put him on it. He hopped off immediately and said "i want a treat". Good Lord! He is a ham indeed! Sometimes he'll even say "i'm funny". Calan is a delight (most of the time) and really enjoys being social. He has been going through a "mama" phase and has been clingy to me more.

Patrick - almost 8 months
This boy is a talker. He already says Da-da...to Neils. He also says Ga-ga (for my mom). What's the deal with Mama?? He is a sweet, sweet, cuddly boy and just loves to be held. He also loves to be looked in the eye. He doesn't like being left alone for any length of time (i.e. to leave the room and change Finn or Calan's diaper). But as soon as you return, he's fine. He sleeps for 12 hours a night and has 2-3 naps a day. Patrick is so very sweet, but also dramatic. He'll let you know when he's mad! He loves his brothers and just smiles and smiles when Calan pays him attention.

Finn - almost 8 months
This boy is a MOVER and SHAKER. He is crawling (army style) very quickly all over the house. He rolls, crawls, catapults himself wherever he needs to go. We call him our puppy, because he loves to find a shoe or sock to chew on...OY! Finn is for sure the wild man of the group and God help me that he doesn't send me to an early grave with all his antics. At only 7 months old, he is so very strong and doing so many physical things that Calan didn't do until later. Putting him down for a nap is like a wrestling match. Good thing he's able to fall asleep on his own pretty well if left in his crib when he's tired. He does sleep for 11 hours at night and takes naps (usually short naps). He is a sweet boy who loves to smile and laugh. Finny laughs with his whole body and it's the cutest thing ever!

A day in the life.....

Here's what a "typical" day is like at the Goodwin home in August 2011 - Patrick and Finn are now 5 months and Calan turns 2 next week!

6:00 (or sometimes earlier) - Finn or Patrick usually wake up - sometimes at the same time. Calan will wake up around 6 or 6:30 am as well. I get all 3 boys downstairs (or put Calan with Daddy in bed to watch a show on Sprout). Feed Finn and Patrick their bottles (8 oz) and give Calan his sippy with milk. If he's downstairs with us he watches a show while I feed them.

7:00 or 7:30 - breakfast for Mama and Calan. Usually oatmeal and egg whites for us both! He sometimes requests a muffin, so I'll give him a Vitatop, which is basically just a 100 calorie muffin top, instead of oatmeal. He gets applesauce too sometimes. Patrick and Finn sit in their seats at the table and drool over our food. Today, I fed them some rice cereal, since they had eaten at about 5:30 am and they were acting hungry again.

7:30 - Niki (our nanny) arrives and Daddy leaves for work. He usually doesn't get up until 7:15, which is fine b/c mornings are not his thing and we like to be cheery in the AM :) I go upstairs to start my work day around 8.

8 - 9 Usually P or F go for a nap about now...maybe at the same time but not always. If it's Tuesday or Thursday, Calan goes to Heart and Hands play based pre-school. If it's Monday or Wednesday, we have a helper come for Niki. This summer it has been Nathalie, our 13 year old neighbor. Niki's sister, Shelby, who is expecting a baby in December will help us when Nathalie goes back to school in 2 weeks.

The remainder of the morning is spent playing outside with Calan or taking a walk to the park. Usually with the double stroller and Niki will wear P or F in the carrier. The boys eat 8 oz every 3 hours and have rice cereal in the morning and at dinner...but they don't really eat that much of it yet...still trying to get the hang of eating! Finn sooo wants to be big and eat regular food, but the poor guy just gets frustrated that it's not going down fast enough!

11:30 - noon - lunch for Calan and then his nap. He is still in his crib, so if I'm working from home (Monday or Friday usually), then I'll take him up to his room and read him a story and lay him down w/his monkey. He uses a pacifier ONLY at naps and bedtime, and it's been that way since he was 1. He doesn't associate it with the day time, so I don't know if we'll take that away soon. If I'm not here, Niki or Nathalie put him down. He sleeps about 2.5 hours these days!

P and F have been napping in short spurts lately...about 4 45 minute naps/day....wish they'd combine 2 of them for a 1.5 hour nap each time! They are rocked to sleep. They are no longer swaddled (F-never really liked it, so we quit at around 3 months, P-really liked it and we quit around 4.5 months).

3:30 - 4 If I'm out of the house seeing clients, I usually get back around this time and if Calan's at school I pick him up between 3:30 and 4. I let Niki go around 4. I really enjoy my time w/all 3, but it's WORK trying to get them all pacified enough so I can make dinner/do stuff around the house. We sometimes go on a walk around this time.

5:00 - 7:00 The witching hour. This is when all 3 have needs that must be fulfilled at the same time! So we have to have 2 people here at the WH! We feed all 3 (and us) around 5:30 or 6. Then we bathe P & F every other night, Calan every night b/c he gets DIRTY with all the playing he does. If it's bath night for all 3, we go upstairs around 6:30 to start the process of bathing them. If it's just Calan, we usually wait until after P & F go to bed (around 6:30 or 7) and then bathe him in our tub.

7:00 - 7:30 Calan gets bathed and then we watch Kipper (a short, british cartoon) for about 10 minutes. He tells us when he's tired by getting off our bed and walking to his room. :) To put the little guys to bed, we hold them while we watch Calan's show until they look tired and then we take one of them to rock them for about 2 or 3 minutes (on a good day) to put them down. Then we do the same thing with the other one. Calan picks out a story in his room and I sing him a song and put him in his bed. He usually talks himself to sleep or plays around for a few minutes and then nods off by 7:45 ish.

Then, after they're all in bed, I finish up the chores and FINALLY sit for a minute, before I go to bed around 9! All that work makes me tired! :)