He takes after his mother ...

Ha! Brendan has been showing off his artistic talents quite a bit lately. Here are two pictures that he drew around Christmas of Optimus Prime, the good Transformer.

Minus what?

It's freaking cold.

I'm sitting at my kitchen table working (another complaint altogether) and my feet feel like I've been walking outside in the snow for a half-hour. Yes, I'm wearing socks and the heat is on.

Our high today was 31, and that was at midnight. By 4 p.m., it was 4 degrees. With the windchill, it's something like -20. I wouldn't know what that feels like, because I haven't left the house. But I'll find out in the morning.

Have I mentioned I hate Michigan winters?

Pancakes and magical friends

Saturday morning, we dragged ourselves out into the cold for our morning breakfast, though we had a special treat lined up. We attended the Once upon a Pancake Breakfast at the Summit on the Park, Canton's recreational center. It was part of their Big Chill winter celebration. (Please! Celebrate winter?!?)


I was certain we had paid too much for an all-you-can-eat breakfast, in which the kids would barely eat anything. And I was wrong.


We settled in with plates filled with pancakes and syrup, with a side of fruit. (Of course, you could pile on any number of fun, sugary toppings for the pancakes, but our kids didn't.) Midway through breakfast, the magic began. Spider-Man, Shrek and Belle walked into the banquet room, much to the delight of our two sons. Spider-Man immediately began showing off his moves. Brendan didn't know what to think at first!

Later, Elmo and Pablo (of the Backyardigans) joined the crowd. The storybook characters made their way from table to table. They didn't quickly say "hi" and move on. They spent time talking to each child, sometimes playing games as well. Ryan was initially shy, but after meeting his favorite, Pablo, he warmed up to everyone. So much so that he followed them around everywhere. And took them by the hand. And sat in their laps. Let's just say Ryan wouldn't have noticed if Ken and I had left the room!

After mingling for a few minutes, the characters gathered the 20 or so children around for a variety of games and dancing. They were wonderful with the children, and everyone had so much fun. I'm not sure I've seen such a well-behaved group of children!


Of course, we made the classic parent mistake and stayed a bit too long, which meant Ryan cried as we left. He kept wimpering and saying, "I want Pablo." Maybe again next year.

Ryan at 2 1/2 years old

On Saturday, Ryan turned 2 1/2 years old. This officially marks the moment when his communication skills become remarkedly improved, yet his tantrum skills are also refined. Hmmm ...

• Ryan still naps once a day, anywhere from an hour to three. Though his naps are clearly becoming problematic at bedtime, as he sits in bed "playing" for at least an hour. Thankfully, Brendan has learned to ignore this and happily snoozes even with the noise.
• Ryan loves playing with his Cars cars. Loves them. He spends most of his days doing so. He makes them talk and "vroom" noises.
• He's just started picking up on more letter recognition. He points out every, and I mean EVERY, R and M within sight. "R for Ryan! M for Mommy!" Though we did this often with Brendan, I didn't realize how much names can play in letter recognition. But Brendan's kindergarten teacher makes this a foundation for learning how to read.
• On Ryan's good days, he communicates like a 3-year-old. He tells you what he wants, and is agreeable even if you say "no" or offer an alternative. Not sure what he wants? He gladly shows you!
• On his bad days, well, let's say there's a lot more crying and laying on the floor. Not fun.
• ENERGY! He has an unlimited amount.
• Ryan shows no fear in the swimming pool, which makes me think he'll be just like his Daddy (who was jumping off the diving board at age 2). His latest? He proudly wears his new goggles and dives for toys under water.
• Ryan seems to be very coordinated.
• He can count! He counts from 1-10 with ease, and also can count in Spanish. (Thank you, Dora.) Note: My sister used to say that Ryan was going to be born counting to3 because that's all he ever heard me say to Brendan during my pregnancy.)
• Ryan is crazy about his little sister. He loves on her constantly. Now he brings her toys and tries to play with her more. But he also flexes his muscle as the older sibling and tells her when she's stepped over the line.
• Ryan's already working on his daddy skills. He carries his stuffed animals around lovingly and often says "Shh" when he's put them to sleep.
• Finally, he's rediscovered a love for toddler food as Kelsey tries many of the Gerber Graduate snacks. Hey, at least they are healthy.

The Kite Runner

This month, our book club is reading The Kite Runner. We've talked about reading this one for nearly a year, but we avoided it. One of our member's husbands was possibly headed to Afghanistan for his job, and we had heard this was not an uplifting story.

Now I wish we hadn't waited so long. This book was a true page-turner. The first half was interesting, but when I reached the second half, I couldn't put down the book. The author writes so beautifully, and even his depressing tales are written with grace. I don't know how much of this story is based on fact, but I doubt it's a stretch of the imagination. The tales from the Middle East are often unreal, and this book portrays the same.

So whether you have a love for the written word or you're interested in learning more about Afghanistan, I'd highly recommend this book.