Asia's first professional haircut

We decided to go as a family to get our hair cut. Great Clips was supposed to be open at 9 AM. We wanted to get there as soon as it opened so there would be less of a wait. Turned out that they didn't open right away because the hairdresser didn't even leave her hours til 9 AM from the suburbs, according to the receptionist. So we went down the street to Fantastic Sam's. John got his haircut first so the kids could watch. The hairdresser was so slow! Then another hairdresser came in and she said she was the one who did kids more often. So I had her cut Asia's hair. The hairdresser was pretty fast, but the cold water from the spray bottle to wet Asia's hair down got Asia crying. She stopped for a little bit when I gave her M&M's. But then she got sprayed again so that her bangs could be cut, and she cried for the rest of the haircut. As soon as it was done, she was fine so I could get my hair cut. She would run up to me and say, "Mommy getting a haircut?" Very cute. Unfortunately, the woman who cut Zach and John's hair did a pretty bad job. They'll probably have to get a hair cut somewhere else next month.

Hotels

What is it with hotels? The kids really enjoy them. They go crazy when we're in a hotel. Extra happy. Extra hyper. Maybe because they usually have all of our attention the whole time. It's a smaller space, so they always see us. Plus hotels have cable - Nickleodeon, especially. Disney Channel. Etc. We don't have cable at home. Then we often get hotels with indoor pools. Zach and Asia love swimming. I like it because I don't have to clean and we eat out a lot. But if I forget to pack stuff to drink, I end up getting pretty dehydrated. I usually try to book a hotel with a fridge in it. We've stayed in this Amerisuites in Hoffman Estates twice already. It's becoming a favorite. Free wireless or wired internet access. Cable. Fridge/microwave/sink in a small kitchen-like area with dishes and glass mugs. Then a separate area with couch (sleeper sofa) and desk. Then another area with two double beds. Very nice. And continental hot breakfast - free. This room has a problem with the tub, though. It won't plug, so the kids have to take a bath with the water constantly running. Something they do usually anyway, only I usually just let it run as a trickle and fill up slowly because Asia likes to play with running water.
I've been wondering if that has been making Asia sick. She likes to drink the bath water. She'll let the running water go into a cup and drink from the cup. At first, I thought that was ok since it's water from the tap, but sometimes i didn't wash the cup, just let it sit in the bathtub for too long. Other times, she'd drink from the bath water in the tub. So now, no more cups in the bathtub.

Today was Asia's first day without a bottle! Yeah! And we're starting to potty train her too. She likes to sit on the potty because she sees Zach do it. No success yet, but at least she likes it. And she knows what it's for.
When it comes to the bottle, or "ba ba", she asks for it, but doesn't care if she doesn't really get a bottle. She'll get a sippy cup and she'll be fine. Good girl. I thought it would be harder. She even played with an actual bottle today because there was one in the dishwasher when I was emptying it. She just played with it. She didn't insist on drinking from it. Wow, either really short term memory or she's just not that picky.
Today, we got Zach's first report card. Yes, a report card in preschool! Everything on it was pretty accurate. It was just a list of preschool skills and an answer saying sometimes, yes, no, or not yet. So when it comes to holding a pencil correctly or using scissors, the answer is not yet. It's tough getting him to hold a pencil or scissors correctly because he's left-handed. Both John and I am right-handed, so how do we teach him? Then most of the other things were all sometimes. Sometimes he listens to instructions, sometimes he plays independently, sometimes he plays with other kids. The only things that were a yes were that he expresses his feelings and talks well. That's my Zachy.

Halloween - Bob & Wendy, Candy, and Nightmares

Yesterday was Asia's first trick-or-treating event. We went out to Streamwood since John had to meet with his family concerning his mother's health since her cancer has returned. John's nephew, Justin, and his friend, Katie (not sure if we can say girlfriend or not), wanted to take Zach trick or treating. They wanted to surprise him by coming in Bob the Builder and Wendy costumes. So we had them meet us in Streamwood, which is where Justin is from. They made these huge Bob and Wendy paper mache heads. They were amazing! Very like the cartoon characters. They borrowed a video cover for reference. Zach was ecstatic when he saw them. Asia was terrified. Then for some reason, Zach was a little scared too. Then when both kids would see Justin and Katie's face when they lifted the mask, they'd laugh out loud. Then they'd get scared again. Zach figured it out pretty fast. Asia didn't get it til halfway through trick-or-treating that these huge Bob and Wendy creatures were really Justin and Katie. Even towards the end of trick or treating, she wouldn't let Justin touch her unless he had his Bob mask off. But with Katie, she called her "Nenny" (Wendy) and wanted to hold her hand while Katie had the Wendy head on.
The neighbors were very impressed by Bob and Wendy. :) Kids from across the street would yell, "Hi Bob! Hi Wendy!" Others would forget who Wendy was and ask for the name of Bob's wife, sister, girlfriend. Zach was also dressed as Bob the Builder, a costume I bought at the local grocery store. Poor guy got really cold though. I had him wearing pants and 2 shirts underneath the Bob costume, but when the sun went down, he started getting cold. His cousin Lizzy also went and borrowed her Aunt Shirley's sweater and coat. Lizzy got hot and had me carry her coat, but Zach wouldn't wear it. So we had Zach warm up by running to each house. He got pretty tired of the trick-or-treating. Justin would say, "But don't you want to get more candy?" And Zach would shake his head, no. I wouldn't let him eat the candy anyway until we got home. Asia was loving the going to each door and getting candy. She would grab the candy and say thank you to each person. I had her in a store-bought tiger costume. I drew whiskers on her face with washable magic marker. She wouldn't put the ears on though.
So when we got home for the night, Asia went to sleep right away. She was tired. But she woke up a few hours later, screaming. John was upstairs already and got her to console her. It took her awhile to go back to sleep. He said she kept touching his face and saying Bob, checking to see if it was still her daddy.

Separation anxiety - when does it get easier?

So it took Zach about 2 weeks before he became comfortable to go to preschool. It didn't matter that he had 4 friends already there from daycare - Hailin, Helena, Ryan, and Zuri. He would still lie on the floor and scream "Mommy!" when I left. Now, he says, "I like to go to preschool now, Mommy." Such a good boy. I wonder what he eats though. Sometimes, he'll come home and his lunch is still in his lunchbox (Cookie monster plastic bag). I decided to be a little adventurous one day and packed him a small yogurt in his lunch, included with an ice pack. The yogurt returned. He said he likes yogurt but didn't want to eat it at that time. I usually pack him 1/2 PBJ sandwich, some crackers or cookies for snack, juicebox for snack, and pretzels or something. The boy doesn't eat much at home either.
Asia still cries when we drop her off at daycare or even when the babysitter comes here. It's sorta sad. When she sees her cousin Justin now, she cries. Even if we're not at home, she'll cry when she sees him. He probably regrets saying he'd babysit her now that he gets that reaction. But with all her babysitters, she only cries now for maybe 5 minutes and then stops. I just wonder when that will end. I hate having her cry and the babysitters don't like it either even though they're used to it now. It's not like I don't spend lots of time with my kids. And it's not like they're sheltered. Yet they still cried when separated from me.

Preschool For Zachy

What a day! I just want to cry. Today was Zach's first day at a new Montessori preschool. It was only 1/2 day and not all the kids so that new kids could learn the ropes. There were three teachers there (2 are teacher aides). Zach would not let me go. He started to warm up to the teachers and the program. He's not used to this Montessori method where everything seems to be so independant and individual. You pick your own activity and play with it yourself, with some help from the teacher if she feels you need it. You don't touch any one else's activities or play with them. They do have some group activities - play outside, learn the calendar, sing songs. Zach really seemed to like the individual activities though, the puzzles, sorting things, playing with water (washing dishes, washing a baby doll). They played outside for awhile, then before going back to the classroom, went to the bathroom to wash hands. I took that opportunity to sneak out and see how Zach reacted. He went into the classroom and sat down with the rest of the kids. Then he realized I was gone and I heard him start to cry and ask for me. Then the really freaky part happened. The teacher put on a tape of a Sesame Street story. It was really loud. Ernie was on a safari and was being chased by a tiger. In the end, it was just a tiger chasing Ernie to give him his telescope that he had dropped. I heard Zach screaming and screaming. I peeked my head in and there was Zach in the middle of the floor on the ground, his hands clamped over his ears, screaming. The teacher and kids were doing these motions and marching along with the Bert & Ernie story. No one was with Zach trying to console him. I was so upset for Zach. I went in and it took quite a while to get Zach to take his hands off his ears. He was petrified. Eventually I convinced him to join the group again, with me sitting next to him. This was when they were talking about the days of the week. I explained to the teacher later that he is terrified of voices where he can't see who's talking. If we have our DVD player on and the TV is turned off or the DVD is over, Zach freaks out because the sound is still going or there might be loud white noise and he can't figure out where it's coming from. I really don't know what to do about this problem. For now, the teacher at the preschool said that if they do this activity again or watch any videos, Zach can wait outside. This is really going to be tough on me. I know that Zach has to grow up. He's usually younger then the other kids in the class because Zach was born in November. I don't want to baby him, but I also don't want him to suffer. It's so tough.

Not our little baby sister anymore

Asia is growing. A few people who hadn't seen her in a few weeks didn't even recognize her. She's walking, talking. Her hair is getting longer and curly. A lot has happened in the past month. For a few days, she discovered biting. I felt so bad for Zach. She bit him something like three times in one day. And left marks. She didn't bite me. It was such a surprise to see her biting her big brother. And it wasn't a happy chomp. It usually happened when the two were fighting over something. Then you'd see Asia's teeth go for whatever was nearby. She got Zach in the chest and in the legs. But luckily, that only lasted a few days. I think she got the message that biting wasn't a good thing.
Asia also can't figure out if she wants to sleep in her crib or in a regular bed. A little over a month ago, she'd cry bloody murder and throw up if you put her in her crib. I think she associated it with this one day where I had to wake her up from a nap to go to the doctor for a checkup. She got 2 shots that day and had her finger poked for an anemia/blood count test. After that, no crib. I put her in a regular bed with a safety railing. But lately, she would wake up whenever she rolled into the wall or the safety railing. And a few times, she actually fell out because the railing doesn't reach the entire length of the bed. So I put her in a crib a few times and she would fall asleep.

A fun parade and lots of candy

This Saturday, I took the kids to a parade in Streamwood, Il with their Aunt Mary. I wasn't expecting it to be so fun! It was all geared towards kids. The parade was full of different kid dance groups from the area, cheerleaders, a bagpipe marching band, clowns, fire engines, politicians, old cars. There were some mini go karts dressed up as magic carpets or old corvettes, all driven by old men, most who looked like they were having fun. I was amazed at how short the skirts were on all the dance troop/cheerleaders. The fun part was that the different parade groups would throw out candy to the audience. Mary knew that they would do that, so she brought along two paper bags to collect the candy. A family next to us had a big plastic bucket for their candy. At first, when candy was thrown, Zach just looked at it, kinda of confused and a little frightened, especially since his Aunt Mary was telling him to run into the street to get the candy. He knew he wasn't supposed to go into the street. So the little guy would just sit there on the curb holding his empty paper bag. Mary would run out there to get the candy. A lot of the adults in the parade would throw the candy pretty much at your feet. Some were even walking along the edge of the road and hand you the candy or drop it into your bag. One group of people from Fiesta Market were throwing out handfuls or bucketfuls of candy. Asia started throwing the candy back at the people in the parade. She thought it was some kind of game. Burger King gave out coupons, candy, and those paper golden crowns. Zach was king for a day.

Family Vacation for Four

We took our first real family vacation this past week at the Wisconsin Dells. It's not a place John would have picked out, but it's only 3 1/2 hours away and has tons of things for the kids. When we were driving up to check into the Riviera Suites Motel, we were having second thoughts because the motel looked so seedy. Cheap blue painted doors, small pool right in the front in the middle of the parking lot, an actual key to get into the room instead of keycard. Just one lock too, no double-lock. I had forgotten the difference between motel and hotel, but not the price (motels in the area going for around 89/night while hotels were around 200/night since it was in season). Luckily when we got into the room, we were pleasantly surprised. The room was actually quite nice. Two queen beds and a 2 person jacuzzi in the room, along with fireplace, microwave, and fridge. It was very tastefully decorated. And turns out that the kids loved the outdoor pool. It was the perfect size - not too big where we couldn't keep an eye on the kids. One side of the pool was around 1 foot so that Asia could stand up in it. The other end was around 3 feet so that Zach could stand up in it on his tiptoes. There was a small water slide into the deeper end. Both kids liked it! During the first day though, some kid had a BM in the pool. We were swimming in the pool, then one of the guests had their kids get out and told me that something was at the bottom of the pool. Then he pointed at it because I didn't understand what he was saying. There was something light brown at the bottom of the pool. I told John but we didn't immediately exit because we thought that it should float if it really were feces. Anyway, I brought Asia back to the hotel for a bath just in case. John and Zach followed soon after because a motel employee (alerted by a guest) confirmed that there was indeed a reason to clear out the pool.
We took lots of walks along the main road. At the Dells, you never have to leave this main road because everything is on it - all the theme parks, restaurants, and hotels. That's how you know it's a tourist attraction. But it's convenient if you're there for the kids. We took the kids to a little kids' park - something really for young kids. It was a storybook garden. You walk along the path and see wooden cut-outs of storybook characters. There was a little house with a stuffed mannequin that was supposed to be the grandmother who gets eaten in Little Red Riding Hood. Kinda freaky. If you walk in, it sets off a motion detector that tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood, only I was too short to set it off and the kids didn't set it off either. Only John's entrance set the speakers in action. There were also the 3 Bears, the little ol lady who lived in a shoe, etc. The best part of it was the train. It rode maybe every hour or 1/2 hour and you could just keep riding on it. Zach went on it twice. It takes you all along the garden. There's also a playground and a carousel! That's what Asia liked. She just wanted to keep sitting on the horses and go round and round. Sometimes, she was the only one on the carousel. We also bought some birdfood for 6 dollars and fed the ducks and geese at the park. The birds were just roaming around. Some of the geese were a little scary because they'd chase after you. I saw many kids running away from them crying. There were also some fun mirrors that distort your image. And there were animals. I guess that was a new edition. There were some giraffes, monkeys, tigers, etc. And a pretty lame animal show. It didn't keep the kids' attention because what they talked about was more for older kids. One part of the show, they brought out a canvas bag. A little girl had to put her hand in it and try to identify what it was. Her response was, "Is it a lemur?" That wowed the zoologist because he wasn't expecting that kind of guess. But it was a baby kangaroo. What the girl had touched was the kangaroo's foot. When kangaroo's sleep in their mom's pouches, they lie upside down. So I guess I learned something. Asia started to get antsy, so John took her out of the show and went on a train ride. I made Zach sit with me and watch it. He was interested, but got really thirsty and I didn't have anything with me at the time. Basically the place was fun for the kids, but as an adult, you see how rundown the place is for the money you're spending. The place needed to be cleaned - dust, cobwebs - and it really looked like it was falling apart.
So all in all it was a lot of fun. The kids got to watch Nickelodeon on cable at the hotel, and swim a lot. They got to play with animals, ride trains, eat good food, take walks, and spend lots of fun time with their parents.

I want the Bob

Asia's vocabulary is increasing by leaps and bounds.  Her first true sentence was "I want the Bob."  As in, I want Bob the Builder.  She loves Bob the Builder. Gee, can you guess that she has an older brother who's also crazy about Bob the Builder.  Asia knows all the characters, Muck, Scoo, Dizzy, Nenny, Lofty, Meaow (for Pilchard), Scufty, Spud., Ots (for Mrs. Potts), Eval (Mrs. Percival). Not sure she can say Travis.  Today, she came up to me and said, "Wet." She kept lifting up her leg and saying, "Wet."  I didn't she knew the word wet so I kinda ignored her.  But then I realized that her pants leg was wet because her juice cup leaked on her.  Wow!   Another thing she says that is really cute is: "mon."  She'll take your hand and pull you and say, "Mon."  Meaning, "Come on."  She draws it out to if you're resistant in getting off the nice couch to follow her, "Moooonnnn."

So Asia doesn't like her crib now. She hasn't slept in it willfully ever since her last doctor's appointment.  I've put her in it after she falls asleep on the bed in her room. Or if she falls asleep in my arms.  If you put her in her crib while she's awake, she'll scream and cry til she throws up. She used to have such a great sleeping habit. Give her a bottle and put her in her crib at around 8 PM. She'd finish her bottle, roll around, maybe play a bit, but she'd fall asleep on her own. I wouldn't have to be in her room or anything. Then on the day of her last doctor's appointment, I had to wake her from her nap to go to the clinic. She didn't really know where we were going and was just happy to be with me instead of her babysitter. Then at the doctor's appointment, she got a shot in each leg and also had blood drawn from her finger. She was truly miserable. She actually started crying as soon as the nurse came in and tried to weigh her.  So  she didn't get weighed or much of anything at that doctor's appointment. And ever since then, no sleeping in the crib if she could help it. Maybe it's coincidence.. or maybe not.

7 Years And Counting....

This week was our 7th wedding anniversary. I can almost NOT be able to imagine life without my two kids. Almost, I say, because there are moments when I'm really tired or wish I could go out and have some fun - and then I remember that yes, there was a time when I could just get in the car and drive somewhere without worrying about who would be watching the kids. Or times when John and I could go see a movie or go to some neat festival or long car trip. Travelling and vacations have been especially hit hard. Where can we go that's close by and not inconvenient? Asia doesn't like long drives, or any drive longer than 15 minutes. She also doesn't like to fly. If we could walk there, maybe she'd like it. She just doesn't like being constrained to one little area, one car seat, one airplane seat. Zach's at a great age where he's so flexible. He can travel long distance, help carry things, he barely eats anything. The only thing is to remember to take him to the bathroom or put him in a pull-up. But beware if he gets bored. Then you have a little kid bouncing off the walls, the floors, the lamp posts.
Then again... I wouldn't want my life without my kids. It's that catch-22 thing. :)

Carpet - the new toy

Who would of thunk (can I say that without bringing back a whiff of 80's nostalgia?) that buying an area rug for the living room combined with a large tent in the shape of Thomas the Tank Engine would have brought on hours of entertainment?
Evenings these days consist of John and I just sitting on the couch in the living room, maybe reading the paper, but usually watching the show in front of us. The stars - Zach and Asia, the stage - the new carpet, the props - the tent or other toys. The kids just love to be on that carpet.
When the carpet was first delivered, just unrolling it out of its plastic wrapper was an event. Zach, of course, had to help John cut the plastic, while I tried not to look and imagine what could happen if Zach decided to jump around at the wrong second while one of my good kitchen knives was in use for something not related to cooking. Then once the carpet was out of the wrapper and unrolled, oh the fun the kids had with the cardboard tube that was hiding inside that carpet roll. John cut the tube in two (again another non-cooking use for a new kitchen knife), then we had swords, telescopes, phones. The sword play didn't work too well since Zach would swing the cardboard tube really hard as if he were swinging at a baseball. Telescopes didn't last that long either. Asia doesn't get the concept yet. I don't think Zach even gets the concept of closing one eye so that you can focus with the other. Also, sometimes I'd hold my eye up to the tube only to be looking into the little mouth of one of the kids. But playing phone, that was fun. Whispering in one end, while the receiver giggled on the other. Occasionally both ends would be whispering at the same time or trying to listen at the same time.
Now to actually playing on the carpet. One fun game is just falling down. Asia often initiates it by pushing Zach down. Actually, she pushes. He falls down on his own will because he knows it will make her laugh. Once Zach falls down, Asia will also sit down on the carpet. Zach will stand up, Asia will get up and push him down. This can go on for a very long time. Another variation - push Zach down, laugh, push Zach down, laugh, push Zach down, laugh. Get it? Occasionally, Zach will push Asia down but forget that she's a little smaller. She'll end up crying and that's the end of that round.
Another fun game will include the Thomas tent. The kids go into the tent and peek out of the various windows. Sometimes Zach decides Thomas needs to start moving, so he'll be standing up and walking Thomas around while poor Asia, who thought she was going to just sit inside Thomas and play, now finds herself being dragged along for the ride until she is no longer inside Thomas.
Asia has some rendition of hide-and-seek or peekaboo where she moves to the corner of the tent and starts chanting, like she's counting. Then when she's done "counting," she pops her head to the tent window and says something like, "There she is!" Very cute.
Then there's the let's smoosh Thomas game. The Thomas tent can be twisted up so it fits in a little bag, so it's very smooshable. The kids like to fall on it or push it to the ground. Sometimes, Thomas pops back into shape, other times he stays crushed. Another version is smooshing Thomas from inside the tent. Basically, standig up inside the tent and pushing on the wall til you and the tent fall over. Usually the tent is near the couch so you never really fall all the way over. I just wince sometimes when the tent is near the coffee table. Ahh.. the joys and paranoia of being a mom.

From Zach and Asia's favorite aunt

This is a note from the favorite aunt out in San Antonio, Texas. I have the pleasure of being the one who introduced Zach to eating globs of peanut butter straight from a spoon. Yummy. You should know that peanut butter has lots of protein and fat, which growing little people need. I think that Zach is a constitution of peanut butter crackers, milk, and bits and pieces of random types of food that everyone is trying to trick him into eating, using psychological techniques and pretending they are airplanes. Well, one of these days The Human Peanut Butter Boy will wake up and discover something like ribeye steak or a really good carne guisada gordita on homemade corn tortillas and watch out world!

The official beginning

Whoah.... Zach and Asia's life is now being officially documented. Though this is free, so is it official? Most of Zach's first year of life was written down on a baby calendar. You know, the kind you get as a baby shower gift for your firstborn. The second child, Asia, didn't get a baby shower. Some childless friends of mine asked about that. Why it's the norm. My usual answer is, because during the first baby shower, you get most of your big purchases that can also be used by the second child - crib, baby bathtub, swing, stuff like that.
(I'm writing this right now from a hotel in Hoffman Estates. Zach is watching Mr. Rogers, a show I never really liked when I was a kid. But it has Zach happy and dancing.)
Anyway, another part of my answer to the baby shower question is that, imagine if a mom had seven kids - that's 7 baby showers. I think eventually the mom's friends are going to be like, "ANOTHER baby shower?"
So I decided to document most of Asia's firsts on a blog. See original blog. It's got some cute pictures, but it's not really a blog that you post to. Thus the need for a real blog web site. Tada!
A little bit about two of my joys in life.. my kids. Joys, despairs, anxieties. If you're not someone who's very emotional at first, have some kids. You get emotions, emotion swings, hormonal surges.. all that from conception til... eternity. :)
So first you have Zachary Taflin Neill. 3 1/2 yrs old. Born 11/26/2000. Spaz, non-stop talking. That's my boy. Eats mostly peanut butter sandwiches - no crust. Eats most meat if you tell him it's chicken. Drinks like crazy - milk, juice, chocolate (Pediasure). He could go through the day just drinking and not eating if his silly parents would only leave him alone and stop trying to get him to eat other things ("Hey Zach, want to try some fish? Like Nemo.. oh.. umm.. it's chicken, really it is!" or something like this, "Look, Zach! Little white trees! Wouldn't you like to try some little white trees?" The answer being, "No, you can have them, Mom.")
K. Now Asia Bria Neill. 17 months. Born 1/18/2002. Yes, one boy and one girl. Perfect. And I try not to do favorites, but it's tough. John (dad,husband,trashguy,diaper champ emptier) loves to take Zach to baseball games (White Sox! White Sox!), the zoo, parks, swimming. It's hard to do too much right now with a 17month old little girl. So I stay at home with her when I'm off work. Asia loves books, stuffed animals. She loves playing with her brother, til he gets too rough and makes her cry.

Okay. enough for today. Zach's jumping on my chair and wants to see Bob the Builder on the computer. Nickjr.com is awesome! Along with noggin.com. Interactive games, stories, coloring pages. He's just bonked me on the head with his chin. So his patience has reached his limit and my head can only take so much pounding, literally.