Ethan running about

Our Halloween pumpkins!

Greenlands Farm

It has been quite cold and rainy of late but we wanted to do something over the weekend and decided to go to Greenlands farm. They had an indoor playground area which Ethan really enjoyed and got all sweaty. Then after an hr and half, the sun came out so we went to see the animals.

Baking oatmeal raisin cookies

Step 1: Crack egg and put it in with butter. He cracked it in all by himself and no eggshells!

2. Stir and add cookie mix. Stir.

3. Showing you his mixture.

4. More mixing.

5. All well mixed.

6. Putting spoonfuls on cookie sheet

7. Job well done!

8 ."Here you go mom!"

9. Putting the trays in the oven.

10. Cookies all done!

11. "Mom, I have one?? " "Yes Ethan, you can have one." "Thank you mom." "You're welcome"

Late Halloween Pics

One of Ethan's favorite shows is Lazytown. If you haven't heard of it, it's pretty fantastic as it promotes kids being active and eating fruit and vegetables which are called sports candy on the show. http://www.lazytown.com/ So of course Ethan wanted to be Sportacus. Very cool!

The many faces of Ethan

Darn he sure is a cutie!

Too Much is Happening!!!

Goodness, I really need to keep track of everything Ethan is doing but it's so fast it's hard to keep up. This week is half term. The kids get a week off after every 6 weeks of school or so. Monday, we went to Toddle in and sang songs and did crafts then walked home with him 1.4 miles with him wrapped on my back. Tuesday we went to Wray Methodist to do crafts, singing and playing , yesterday we went to Settle playbarn and he worked up quite a sweat. Ate his whole plate of Sausage, beans and potato smiles and drank half a pitcher of blackcurrant juice drink. Then we went to Austick playground and did a short hike again with him wrapped on my back. My muscles ache but I feel energised. Today is a bit of a slow day. LOL. His speaking skills have just gone through the roof here are just a few off the top of my head. Ethan speak: - me: "How your dinner?" Ethan: "It's delicious mom!" -Ask him his opinion to anything and he'll tilt his head to one side and say "Weeeeeellll... yes/no and then go to explain." He will also say "Mayyyyybeeeee" to a suggestion or opinion to something. It cracks Adam and I up! - Periodically, he will come up to me and look at me with really sad eyes and say "Mom, i'm reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllyy hungry, mom" As if he's starving but he isn't. He just wants crisps or snacks) - Whenever out, he has exclaimed he is very hungry and then when asked what he'd like to eat, he will choose a restaurant and point to it and say "Over there." - He likes reading the menu and ordering his favorite foods which are usually, "Cheese on toast", Beans and Sausages" etc. He's starting to tell me stories like this morning " Once there was pig who went wee wee wee all the way home." He'll explain things to us as in "Cows moo, dad. The sheeps are walking. (Often this sounds like working) He has also been defending himself against playmates. Which is both good and bad. He no longer is a sweet boy who stands aside and lets other kids snatch away his toys. He will hold on to it and scream at the offender. May sometimes hit and often will say "Go away!!!" or "It's mine!!!" "Noo!!!". He's thrown an apple slice at his preschool friend and he has made his girlfriend, Erin cry by trying to have his way. Ex. Erin was wanting to open the doors on a playhouse and Ethan wanted them shut so everytime she tried opening it, he would forcefully hold it shut. While being assertive is a learning process he still needs to know what is right and wrong and I find myself grabbing him alot and trying to make him apologize. Often if its been instigated by someone else and he lashed back, he won't apologize as he probably feels that he wasn't in the wrong in the first place. He will readily apologize and hug if he started it. He's been on the time out high chair twice for throwing,- we put put him in, put him in our entrance hallway,close the door so neither we nor he can see each other and let him cry for 5 minutes until he calms down. So far , it seems to be working... I'm going to try to get more videos of him talking as the things that come out of his mouth are pretty impressive.. well atleast to me. I'm still uploading a bunch of photos so thanks for the patience! He's just come back from the river with dad and i've just yawned and he's said "Mom? Are you very tired?" Me: "Yes, I am." Give you big hug mom, make you feel better." (Hug) Aww thanks Ethan!

Playing and Painting

This was way back in October. So for the late pics.

Ethan has started preschool and is loving it

Ethan started preschool earlier this month and is absolutely loving it. (He goes Tues, Wed and Fri from 9am-1pm.) The last two days, i've even said goodbye and NO TEARS!!!! When I go pick him up he's full of news and eager to share what he's done that day.

He's learned at school to say: "What is that/this?"

and so much more that I can't remember.

Another great event was yesterday afternoon. We have gone back to nappies as he clearly wasn't ready just letting everything go in his training pants but yesterday after some bare bum time around the house, he announced that he needed to pee, walked up the flight of stairs- atleast 10 steps and we put his seat on the toilet and he went pee! Breakthrough! Huge Diego sticker on the inside of our toilet seat as reward. Extremely proud of him!!!

Other Ethan speak:

"Mommy stop working!!!" (When i'm on my laptop.)

"Just one more mommy."(Read one more book..usually after i've finished reading the 3rd and supposedly last one.)

He will request books like "Fidishty fish (Fidgety Fish) and Dentist one (Andrew's Loose Tooth)

My all time favorite is

"Big hug" and he throws his arm around you and squeezes.

Important Events

Ethan has woken up on several occasions and the first words out of his mouth are "Erin my friend mommy, Erin my friend".Well we went over to visit Helen, Arthur and Erin and their new arrival Neve born a week ago to drop off a baby gift and Erin and Ethan played happily and had their own conversations. Then before we left, I asked Ethan to give Erin and hug and a kiss and he did both twice!!! Kissed her on the lips! Woo hoo. It was incredibly cute and of course no camera but hey, a photo would have ruined the moment anyway. He announces "Erin, my friend mommy." at least once during the day. Very sweet.

Erin and Neve

Ethan's sunflowers that he's planted in May have all grown to a spectactular height of over 180cm and are sooo lovely.

Ethan speak has evolved into complete sentences and entire conversations so the list is waaaaay to long to repeat but I will post highlights when and if I remember.

Yesterday he went to Mama and Papazee's with daddy for some anniversary blackforest cake and supper while I was recuperating from a cold at home. Upon his arrival back home, I asked him what ate,he did and saw.

"I had cake!"

"Oh did you,?"

"YEAH!

"I saw BATS!!"

"Wow and did you see Mama zee?"

"YEAH!"

"And Papazee?"

"YEAH"

"And Bruno?"(Their dog)

"Shut up!"

"Ah.. what did you say?"

"Shut up, Bruno!"

"Did you say shut up?"

"Shut up Bruno, papazee, say"

"Oh" (Laughing silently)

Ethan answers the phone on a regular basis and will tilt his head to the side and say "Hello?"

Then when the other person on the phone asks "Who is speaking?" Ethan will reply, "My name Ethan. My name Zahler. " He will then answer questions with a yes or no and will reply to simple questions usually. He is quite the phone hog and it's a lesson for Adam and I in patience until he is willing to end the conversation with the other person. We do try to ask for the phone, but he turns his back to us and walks away in the opposite direction. LOL.

September Already!

Ethan has started preschool and he goes from 9am to 1pm and has a packed lunch. He really enjoys it and comes home very happy and cheerful. I've taken on the role of fundraiser for his preschool and am already very busy making arrangements for a coffee morning and bag 2 school event. Here are some photos recently taken. Ethan's sunflowers have finally come out. The other two as well but waiting until all three are in their glory before we take a pic.

Sept 3rd was the Kirkby Lonsdale September Fair which was a great time.

Ethan's balloon dog.

Faeries on stilts- sprinkling glitter onto his head and passing out lollipops

Ethan telling daddy he wants to go on the rides.

Ethan and Mama Zee fishing!

It's a plane..it's a train... no its Super Bath man Ethan!!!!

"Look Mommy... dinosaur book" - We love the frog slippers A-ma got him!