What we learned this summer

I haven't posted an update since Cam's birthday!  He's a month away from being 2 1/2!

The boys and I learned a lot this summer.  Some things got easier in our lives, and some harder.  It was a LONG summer and I'm glad that school has started.  I was beginning to lose my mind.  I love spending time with the boys, but they are exhausting.  And  Cam isn't good out in public.  And Kaden isn't good at home.  So... it was a long summer.

So here's what we learned this long, long summer:

 

KADEN



Kaden looks like Nic.  He really does!  I always hear people saying that, but I didn't see it till this summer.  He looks just like him, and acts just like me.  I think I have a personality that you kind of have to grow to appreciate.  I am shy and awkward, but I can be funny.  So is Kaden.  I feel bad for him sometimes because I remember being young and feeling like I needed to hide when people said hi to me.  I remember feeling exactly like how he acts, and I feel bad because I think it must be much more fun not to be nervous and anxious and to just be able to have fun.  He will always be the kid who takes awhile to warm up.  But I'm going to try to convince him that it's more fun to just go play.

Kaden learned to swim! When the summer first started, I thought there was no way he would even leave the steps. During camp he swam every day and somehow gained enough confidence to stick his face in and "swim" a foot or two. It was amazing to watch the progress he made in 2 months!

 (Not the best video but I can't find the one I wanted.  He did swim from the jump rock all the way to the other end of the swimming pool... without looking like he might drown)

 

Kaden has also given up his nap this summer.  I am still putting him upstairs with the hope that he will nap, because by nap time, he acts like he needs a nap!  He falls asleep maybe 2 days a week.  By 7:00 p.m. he is DONE.  It's hard to do an earlier bed time since we have gotten used to eating dinner a little later, but we have been trying to be better about putting them down earlier on days that they don't nap.



Kaden has become a whiny mess.  I'm not sure if it's the lack of sleep or what, but starting this summer, Kaden became a really difficult child.  I would never say he's an easy child, but in comparison to his brother, Kaden was much more laid back and easy going.  But this summer... It's been rough.  I thought that maybe he was bored during camp this summer.  He seemed to have an infinite amount of energy, even after playing at camp all morning.  I thought that once pre-k started, he would get better.  Well, pre-k has started.... And I suppose maybe he is slightly better.  But the whining and crying I can't take!  He acts younger than Cam a lot of days.  I've had the thought that maybe he needs additional structured activities like t-ball, golf lessons (I'm not going to say the dreaded s-word), piano lessons... anything that will involve him getting focused.  It's so tough with him because of how slow he is to new things.  Will it be a gigantic waste of time and money?  Maybe, but I' m getting to the point where it's worth a shot.

 

CAM

 

Cam is a different child than he was at the beginning of the summer.  He is happier and more fun to be around.  I feel like this developed when he started speaking!  At the beginning of the summer, Cam was basically saying one word sentences.  He had the ability to put more than one word together, and he did occasionally.  For the most part, Cam's thoughts and questions were spoken one word at a time.  Now I literally just giggle whenever he talks.  There's nothing he can't say and he talks quite a bit.  He tattles on Kaden.  He sings entire songs.  He asks questions like, "What's Daddy doing up there," as he points to the attic . He tells it like it is: "no touching me," "Kaden pushed me, fall down," "I want to go there, too." 

 

Cam's eating!  He still is picky and he still has things he won't even try, but for the most part, Cam has a decent breakfast, snack, lunch and occasionally dinner.  Whoohoo!  It's amazing how much that causes stress on a mommy.  In fact, Cam's been at school for 3 weeks now and always has "I ate well" checked on his daily note. 

 

Cam is potty trained! I never thought this would happen because 1) Cam was showing no signs of wanting to go on the potty; 2) Is the most stubborn kid I'd ever met, and 3) I have the patience of a 2 year old right now. But July came around and Nic and I realized that if we were going to potty train him, it had to be a certain weekend in July where we'd be home for several days and he had a few weeks off camp before going back. So we tried a 3 day potty training method and failed... but we didn't give up. On day 9 I would say, he was 90% potty trained (and day 9 was also the beginning of my issues with insanity). He wouldn't tell us if he needed to go but was willing to let us take him to the potty several times a day. He would whimper a little when he needed to poop and we learned quickly that was his sign. Today, he tells us that he needs to go and hasn't had an accident in a long time (except one but he was in a new situation with a new daycare girl who didn't even realize that he had gone). So yay for Cam! I'm proud of him. And when he has to poop he always tells us it's going to be a big one, which I find hysterical. 

 

Both boys are doing great with school this year.  Kaden has learned so much and it's only been 3 weeks.  I'm amazed.  Cam walks right in, finds is cubby, hangs his backpack up and he's off. 

 

The boys are going to become roommates next month as we are planning to get bunk beds!  I'm a bit nervous about the transition, especially for Cam since he's still in a crib.  But they love staying together in Kaden's room and I think this will help make their relationship really strong!  Kaden is excited about sleeping on the top bunk, but I'm not sure Cam knows what's coming.  I just hope they can learn to calm each other down if one gets upset during the night and then go back to sleep on their own!  Both boys have been waking up quite a bit during the night lately (with bad dreams, I think). 

 

8 more weeks till baby #3!  I'm getting anxious about whether it's another boy or a girl.  I just want to buy stuff!!  So far all I've been able to get is a carrier cover and 2 boxes of diapers.  But I think I'll try to take it a day at a time and see what happens :)