Classes, Classes, Classes

Currently Bethany is in a performance class Call Act It Out where a story is read and the student are assigned parts to play. Mommy goes with Bethany. I take Andrew to a continuation of the tumbling class that they took together earlier. That had older kids and the parents had to wait outside the room. This one has younger kids and parents participate. He likes that. “Are we going to play together?” “Yes” Yeah! At first in the earlier class he cried when we left.

Scooters and Cycles

We just graduated both kids to two wheel scooters. Andrew had been using an especially stable three wheel type and Bethany a normal three wheel type. The new ones are faster and require a higher level of control and sense of balance. So we are seeing some spectacular crashes now.

Meanwhile Bethany is still somewhat tentative on her bicycle (with training wheels), though she has mastered the braking. Andrew is still a daredevil on his large tricycle. He does race car maneuvers, such as getting up tight behind Bethany and then swerving around and zooming in front.

We’re still waiting for him to show some more interest in riding a bicycle before we make the shift.

Lullabies and Music Appreciation

Still playing the lullabies at bedtime and naptime. We have just over a hundred on the Ipod that we begin playing in order when they go to bed. We started for the soothing, comforting effect, and then also to mask other noises that might keep them alert rather than falling asleep. Also, we hope it develops an appreciation of classical music.

At dinner every night we play the music channel on cable television; trying to mix it up with all genres: rock to gospel, show tunes to reggae, bluegrass to big band.

All Creatures

Bethany loves animals, of all sorts. Andrew shares her interest, but Bethany has more of a passion. She is excited to pet most dogs that she meets, spends a long time in the petting zoos that we visit and of course we all enjoy our trips to the zoo (even though the ducks and turtles are the kid’s main focus).

They both have had rides on ponies and big horses at various fairs and events.

She shows affection for Angie, Lily and Sarah.

Bethany’s got it into her head that Daddy likes cats and Mommy likes dogs, which does reflect our preferences, but she takes it a little black and white. I like dogs too, and mommy likes cats too.

Then she’ll say something such as “Boys like cats, girls like dogs, but some boys like dogs.”

Fly to Bed

They want to fly to bed each night.

There are many, varying steps in the bedtime routine. The most popular right now is flying.

An "uppy" ride to bed has evolved into flight. “Will you please fly me to bed?”























We pick them up, hold them flat from the waist. They stretch their arms out wide and we walk quickly (sometimes run) in and out of rooms to finally land them (sometimes crash land) in their beds. I’m a little bit of a daredevil, so I throw in some tight turns, near misses and acrobats.

They love it!

Motorcycles and Tattoos, Oh My!

Andrew developed an early interest in motorcycles. Also cars, trucks, trains, planes, boats–but especially motorcycles.

Part of the bedtime routine is to ask them, What are you going to dream about? For Andrew it might go like this: Uhhhhhh. How about motorcycles?! Yeah!! Motorcycles!

He has a motorcycle nite light that must be on at bedtime.

An interest in motorcycles is one of those things that are fun to play along with now, but hope that he doesn’t really want to own or ride them someday. Not that there is anything wrong with motorcycles. It’s just not the added risk that we ideally wish for our child.

Same for tattoos. We do the washable transfer tattoos on both kids. They love it! Just hope they don’t want real ones some day. Not that there is anything wrong…

Shiver Me Timbers

Finished our last speech evaluation for Andrew. They say he is speaking at or above his age level, with an excellent vocabulary.

My concern has always been his understandability; I say he sounds like a pirate–arr.

Just don’t want him held back in social development for lack of clear speech. We hope the experts are right!

Still need to find some good speech exercises we can do at home.

Merriment and Craziness

Andrew has a genuine merriment.

We were at the story time at the library doing a group hand movement activity that Andrew found particularly amusing and he let loose with a joyful laugh that caused others in the room to turn and smile, and the librarian to stop and smile.

On the flip side, he can easily be crushed in an instant, and reduced to red-faced bawling, at the least disappointment. The art of distraction is a critical remedy and usually works well.

Bethany is often what I would describe as keyed up. The bouncing off the walls that some describe from a sugar high, seems to come naturally to her. If we could harness that tremendous energy, we could probably take our house off the grid…and live a much less stressful life to boot.

When you couple her trait with a broad curiosity, a dogged determination and “the attitude” (one of the gifts from daycare socializing)…then Welcome To Bethany World!










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I often say that the same personality/behavior that drives us crazy, will likely be a great asset to her, throughout her life. So even though the tendency is for us to clamp down on that conduct, tempering and channeling is instead the “goal”.

Family Day

Our Team has been together over two years now. Family Day was March 19th. We did most of the celebrating the next day, when both Gayle and I were off work, so we kept the kids out of school for a day of amusement.
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The main activity was to go to the Phoenix Children’s Museum. It is a very stimulating place for kids, and adults. There is so much to do. They call it hands-on, interactive fun, integrated with proven educational principles.

Great entertainment!