Category Archives: Samuel

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a quiet event in the Ishida house. Most years it has been only the two of us (and then three, and now four). Kei I used to go out for Thanksgiving dinner and then we had children and… well… let’s just say that it’s more relaxing to stay at home.

And I buy a takeout turkey dinner.

What? I’m not ashamed. It’s easier and it tastes just as good and I get the chance to spend the holiday with my family rather than in the kitchen. And besides, I’m Australian. Thanksgiving is my adopted holiday so I am free to create new traditions.

And I did make the brussel sprouts (the key is LOTS of bacon).

In the midst of a string of unusually sunny Portland days, Thanksgiving was still grey and miserable. We tried to keep the boys occupied with indoor football.

Excuse the blurry images – it was a dark Portland day and I am not a big fan of the flash.

And I’ll let you in on a secret… the photos are in black and white in the hope that it will hide the colours of our messy house.

Then it was time for lunch and the discovery that Samuel REALLY likes corn.

Hey, how did a photo of me get in there? That almost never happens.

After lunch I tried (unsuccessfully) to get a picture of the boys together. Here are the results.

So, yep, an uneventful Thanksgiving. Just the way I like it.

Happy Halfway to Two Birthday

My baby just turned 18 months old. On the one hand I wonder how we got here so quickly. On the other, it feels like he should still be my baby, not this chatty, active (nearly running) toddler.

I took him to his 18 month appointment today – 20% weight (23.5 pounds) and 70% height, saying way more words than is normal at his age (especially for boys), excelling with his use of utensils (the kid was born to eat) and basically happy and healthy.

There were shots involved in today’s visit, so he wasn’t happy for long. Funny how the doctor leaves the room right when the “fun” starts and leaves mummy and the nurse to pick up the pieces. Nothing a cookie (or “cacka!”) couldn’t fix.

Things I love about Samuel at 18 months:

  • That he hits you (not good) but then switches to softly stroking your cheek when you tell him gentle
  • The way he greets me on same days when I walk in the door with a bear hug around the leg
  • The way he says “night night” and happily goes up to bed when he knows it’s time
  • That he falls asleep almost immediately with just a little wave goodbye
  • And then stays asleep for 12 hours straight (most nights)
  • That he is finally saying Thomas’ name after months of “Evan” and “George” and “Jenna” and basically any name EXCEPT Thomas.
  • They way he eats with a spoon and makes less of a mess than his four year old brother
  • That he is easy to understand, even when not using his words.
  • That he LOVES to say Bye and ‘ello! accompanied by hand gestures – and to ANYONE. It is so fun to walk down the street with this kid.
  • His favourite words: No, No and No. ‘At (Hat), Jaquet (Jacket), Shoosh (Shoes), Yah (Yes), Daddy (ok, he sometimes says Mummy), ‘appy (happy), Cheeeese!, Cacka (Cracker)

I am a little sad that he is growing up, but happy about the little person he is becoming – even the inner Drama Queen. I gather the kids needs to do something to get a little attention around here.

 

Last Days of Autumn

My latest photo challenge entry for the I ♥ Faces photo blog.

This week’s challenge is Autumn Beauty.

The leaves are now gone by the way. Instead of the beautiful yellow leaves on the silver birch, we have bare black branches but at least the streets are clean. The street sweeper came by at 7am a few days ago and I was the lucky one who ran out to move the car in the nick of time. It’s the little things that make my life so exciting.

OK sarcasm aside, my baby is adorable – and not much of a baby any more. He will be 18 months old this week. I’m not quite sure how that happened…

Halloween Part 2: The Child-Friendly Version

Halloween was on a Saturday this year which means we had time to catch up with a bunch of families from the neighborhood before the big candy trek.

I took the opportunity to wear the costume I had planned to wear the night before – complete with makeup.

But it was the tights that were the perfect finishing touch.

Oh, and these shoes that I don’t think I can ever wear again now that they are firmly planted as witch shoes in my brain.

But of course the evening is all about the kids. It wasn’t until we were walking down the street together that I realized how “dark” we were – a witch, a spider and Darth Vader. Talk about getting in the true spirit of Halloween.

I have to mention here that I did not grow up with Halloween. Dressing in a costume and walking down a very public street – even on Halloween – makes me feel very uncomfortable. It’s something I’m working on.

One of our neighbors had the inspired idea to fill the kids up on pizza and fruit before we hit the candy, so we had an hour or so to enjoy some time with friends before the candy walk began.

Samuel was completely unfazed by the creepy decor.

(that’s his finger pushing the button to make the skeletal hand come out).

But soon it was time to start knocking on some doors. This was the first year that the 4 year olds really understood the concept of free candy just for saying “trick-or-treat”. Let’s just say that there was no holding them back.

We made quite the colorful procession…. well except for my dark, disturbed children…

While walking around we were able to enjoy some of the neighborhood decor.

Fabulous pumpkins that left my cat-carving in the dust.

Plenty of temporary graveyards

And weird scary faces peering out from windows. It’s a wonder the kids didn’t have nightmares.

But at the end of the day it was all about knocking on doors and being cute. They give you more candy if you’re cute and we had PLENTY of cute to go around.

If you look closely, you can see my cat carved pumpkin on the porch.

The candy is now gone – thanks to some help from Mum and Dad. The costumes are in the dress up box. The pumpkins are just a mouldy, mushed up memory. Until next year…

P.S. Expect to see that witch again. I don’t think I got enough leverage from that costume.

Into The Darkness

OK, that title sounds so depressing but I actually mean it literally. Daylight Saving ended last weekend which means that, here in the Pacific Northwest, darkness arrives early. So early in fact that it is already almost dark when I pick Thomas up from school. I have lived here for about 6 winters now and I will never get used to it.

This first week after the end of daylight saving has been particularly difficult. 5:00 feels like 6:00 because…well…it is. And by the time we get home it feels like time for bed. Add to that a busy work schedule and it leaves little time to focus on anything else except the busyness and the darkness. And it’s only just November…

A couple of short weeks ago, though, we were enjoying the beautiful colours of autumn, including a trip to the pumpkin patch.

A fun day filled with Hot Chocolate, farm animals and, of course, pumpkins. It proved a little too much for some…

Now I am looking ahead to Christmas. I know it’s crazy, but my 2008 photo book recently arrived and the photos from December last year have me longing for coloured lights and hot chocolate and family adventures. This year I have big plans and of course they will include lots of photos.

In the meantime, any advice on gifts for an 18 month old who has everything and a four year old who WANTS everything, are welcome.

And…More Balloons

My latest photo challenge entry for the I ♥ Faces photo blog.

This week’s challenge is balloons and..well…you know how I feel about balloons. I had no shortage of pics to choose from thanks to a recent birthday party. Samuel shares my obsession with balloons. These kept him occupied for a full 30 minutes.

Just like his mother

My grandmother was a big believer in astrology. She spent hours drawing up charts and reports and I know a lot of people thought it was crazy – and I was one of them. But still, every now and then, I use astrology to explain away some of the character traits of those I love. For example, my parents were both Virgos and I blame that on the fact that my mother couldn’t deal with my messy adolescent bedroom. It was the stars.

Then I found out I was pregnant with my first child and that it was most likely that he was going to be a Virgo. I was a little frightened. Being the child of two Virgos can have a lasting effect. There are definitely traits about Thomas that are Virgo-esque. He’s a little obsessive (the colour yellow, Star Wars, certain clothes and underwear and, right now, the Beatles), but I am yet to see the obsession with cleanliness. How much of it is regular toddler behaviour and how much can be attributed to the phase of the moon?

When I first realized that Samuel was going to be a Taurus, I was proud. You see, I am a Taurus and I think there are many great aspects to the Taurean nature – loyalty, strength and reliability are just a few. I was even proud of my own stubborn nature because it meant that I stood up for my principles. What’s not to like?

But every positive trait has a corresponding negative. This weekend Samuel showed us his stubborn side.

Yes, my child that eats just about everything decided that he would limit his intake to a few select foods. And he learned the word “no”. At first it was cute – the way he said it in his little tiny sticcato voice – but it has become irritating. The worst part is that he doesn’t seem to know the word “yes” so he uses NO for everything – even things he actually wants. And Samuel KNOWS what he wants.

Enter the stubbornness that is destined to follow him into adolescence.

Don’t get me wrong, most children are stubborn at some point in their lives, in fact I think it’s a right of passage for all toddlers. It just feels like Samuel is starting early. I thought our honeymoon period of having him follow directions and do what we want was going to last more than a couple of months.

Who knows whether it’s the second child syndrome (this child wants to be heard) or the fact that he was brought into this world in the month of the Bull. One thing is certain, though, this is definitely MY child.

I guess you could call it payback. And, Mum, don’t think I can’t see you nodding your head on the other side of the world.

Photo Challenge: Excited

Posting my very first photo challenge for the I ♥ Faces photo blog.

I have been looking for some inspiration lately, and this is one of the places where I find it.

Here is my entry – a child who gains a whole lot of excitement from a meal of Soba noodles. Fun to watch – not so much fun to clean up.

More inspiration coming in the results of a couple of fun recent photo shoots. Nothing gets me more inspired than a photo shoot.

Nicole