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.