Wild beasts

Trix and I had another movie date with our neighbors today, and we sandwiched it between kindergarten visits. I took my neighbor and her son with me to drop off Vinny so they could see our place, and then in the afternoon we went to visit another kindergarten nearer to Andi's work. This hunting for kindergartens is a major pain. You have to register when you are still pregnant, and even so they have to fill some kind of age and sex quota and no matter what you do, you very likely may not end up with a spot at the end of the day. I really like the teachers and method where we are now, but the location stinks for us. We also liked the one we visited today, so we will try to register for this one and see if we get a spot.

But the more important part of our day involved the Baby Kino (movie theater) where we saw the Beasts of the Southern Wild. I was completely expecting a fairy tale from the two seconds I took to look at a poster advertising the movie. As it turns out it is a story about an impoverished motherless four year old girl, living with her alcoholic father in the Louisiana swampland and surrounded by the realities of live and death and suffering. Super uplifting.

And here is little Trix today, wanting to walk. ?Big time.

Littles

My littles are basically eating the same things these days. Trix has decided that she doesn't like puree food and that whatever Vinny eats is much more interesting. So here she is eating apples and cucumbers, just like Vin. Mind you, she only has about 23% of her two bottom teeth, and nothing else to work with. But she manages.

Sharing a snack.

Looking at this picture I can really see Vin's luscious mullet flowing in the breeze. It took so long to get here, I just don't have the heart to cut it yet. But I think the time is getting near.

Today was a good day. Vin hopped into our bed at about 5:30 this morning, Elsie was already there, so it wasn't long before we all grunted our way out of the bed to start our day. Vin and I headed to the bathroom to continue his face washing/teeth brushing/hair brushing routine. We three headed to kindergarten early and I dropped the boy off by 7:30. Grocery shopping, house cleaning, lunch at the UN, Vin picking up, more house cleaning, picture drawing, piano playing, song singing, bread making, dinner eating, bath taking, book reading and here we are.

Vin even earned a lollypop for being extra nice to his sister today (i.e. kicking her in the stomach and back instead of directly in the face). Baby steps.

Things are going great in the sleep training department. Vin gets out of bed from 0-3 times before settling down for an entire night's sleep. And, great news for me, after 4 days in bed with a 104 degree fever, I was able to rest enough for my back to repair itself and now I feel amazing. I guess all I needed was some rest, and I don't mind at all that it took a debilitating fever for me to get it.

Pools and Parks

This weekend was a cold one, so we stuck around the house most of the time. We did, however, manage to head to the local pool first thing in the morning on Saturday, and then we also made it to the park for some serious swinging and frolicking on Sunday. But the rest of the time was spent in the usual, mundane, family way. 

In the very narrow window between naps and preparing food, or cleaning up, we thought we could quickly finish our spot light job in the cellar. As fate would have it, Andraz broke our last skinny metal drill bit upon drilling the third hole, and we had to abandon the project entirely. Sigh. This job will never get done.

Kitchen: Still not finished
Tiles: Still not finished
Upstairs lights: not finished
Stairs: not finished
Cellar lights: not finished

I am impatient with having to have so much patience.

Trix helping with the dishes.

Cute little hippy boy.

Brotherly love.

Enjoying the park on a cold Sunday.

Some more videos from our lives

Vinny and Elsie Eat Cheerios from a Bowl from Andraz Zuccato on Vimeo.


Vinny and Elsie Eating Cheerios from Andraz Zuccato on Vimeo.

Vinny and Elsie Play and Chat on the Floor from Andraz Zuccato on Vimeo.

Vinny Plays Alphabet Song on Piano from Andraz Zuccato on Vimeo.

After a long while - a video from our lives

Elsie's Early Attempts at Crawling from Andraz Zuccato on Vimeo.

It's back

Got a call today from the kindergarten to pick up the boy early due to the return of the fever. So I left Elsie with our cleaner and jumped in the car and picked him up...got back and Zita told me that Elsie now has a fever. So both kids are hanging onto the sickness, poor beans.

I would feel sorrier for Vinny if he weren't acting like a total jerk. I am not sure what it is, but he is absolutely stretching my last nerve past the breaking point. I have never felt so frustrated, angry, miserable in my life.

Trix and her broccoli and carrots.

Mmmm, delicious.

Cute.

Ah, that's better.

Vin, dancing in Elsie's new skirt.

Little Ms. Vinny.

A rough weekend

Sick is hard. Sick with two sick kids is ridiculous. Andi helped as much as he could over the weekend, but both kids want mommy. All the time. And there is only so much he can do. Vinny has been particularly difficult, hitting, kicking, throwing, he doesn't like me to feed or hold Elsie too much, but Elsie also has a fever and will not be satisfied with anything other than being held and rocked against my chest. I have not stepped foot outside the house for four days. I am either nursing or rocking the girl while the boy is jumping onto my stomach and off of my legs and pulling on me or hitting me on the face or hitting Elsie in the back of the head. It is awful.

Vinny has slept in the bed with me the past two nights, and Andi has slept with Elsie. But tonight Vinny is back in his own bed and Elsie has returned to her crib and we even lowered the crib a notch, sadly signifying her way out of babyhood.

I am not sure what to do with Vinny. I love him to pieces, but we are getting on each others nerves. He is testing me to a huge degree and I do not always react well.

Please dear God, let me be learning some patience from all of this.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda

It seems that we have either been doing things that are not photo worthy, or I am getting lazy. I do not have photos for you again today. It has been a strange week. Busy with meet-ups and pick-ups and such.

I met with a 19 year old son of my father's friend today, just about 2.5 months after we originally decided to meet up. Our dads thought it would be good for us to make contact and his dad wanted him to have an 'emergency' family here to watch out for him. I was more than happy to do it, but it seemed hard to schedule a meet up what with the newborn and the new house.

Then the week after he contacted me was the week that Vinny contracted foot and mouth disease, then Andi got it and then it was just another sickness after another and then holidays and then all of a sudden almost three months had passed. He is a very nice guy, very smart and very motivated...and sadly just lost his mother. About 2.5 months ago.

I feel horrible. I should have been there for him, and if I had known what he was going through, I would have absolutely carved out the time for him...but it is what it is. I failed him and his family and I feel horrible and that is just the way it is going to be.

Babies and movies

Elsie and I had a lovely morning of leisure today. We headed into the city with our neighbor to make the 11am movie at the Baby Kino (Baby friendly movie theater). It is just a normal theater, but what makes it baby friendly is that everyone there has a baby, so no one minds some whining or crying, many moms are standing in the aisles swinging a fussy baby, the movie is played a bit quieter and there are changing stations just outside the theater...oh, and free cake!

We saw, 'Der Fall Wilhelm Reich', an interesting story about an Austrian psychotherapist that kinda did his own thing and was one of the early hippies in the way he thought about 'holistic' treatments. In the end it was a very sad story. But chatting with my neighbor was great and we have made a date to do it again in a couple of weeks. She has a 5 month old son, so we have a lot to talk about.

We had to run home quickly after the movie to go pick up Vinny. Then a little play time, dinner, bath, books and bed and I am already concentrating fully on what needs to get done tomorrow.

Sorry no photos today, we didn't get photos of the movie :)

God, grant me strength

I have been trying to write this blog post for about 40 minutes now. Apparently we have had a step back in our sleep training. Vinny has been out of bed about 20 times again tonight. Last night he woke up screaming twice and Andi had to finally go and sleep with him in his bed. It is a nightmare and we are so tired. I can't think of what has happened to cause this backslide. I have made extra efforts to spend time with just him lately and to make special memories with him...but this doesn't seem to be helping.

Elsie is doing good. She is eating more solid foods than pureed foods. She likes cheerios and crackers and such more than the sloppy stuff. She is crawling a lot and is trying to stand. She will pull herself up on anything and has sustained a few blows to the head due to her weak legs, but her strong determination.

Vin is singing the full alphabet song, sings many other songs, will clean up his toys when asked, will bring things into the house from the car when asked, will hug and kiss his sister when asked, will dance for his sister when asked. 

Andi is taking Vin to kindergarten all week this week, to see if this helps Trix and me to have a bit more time together during the day before we have to pick him up. Today we headed to a baby friendly coffee shop in the city center and met some new friends. A nice Israeli woman and her daughter.

P.s. A bit more bad news: my neighbors returned from Lebanon, and the Austrian government did not let them bring their sisters here to keep them safe during the war in Syria.

Trix playing on the floor of the cafe Das Kinderzimmer.

Vin not enjoying sharing his train set with his sister.

Our weekend

Another Sunday night and the weekend has flown by us once again. However, this time we actually have a little something to show for it. Andi mounted all our living room lights! After 7 months living in our house, we finally have real lights. Wow. And then today we cut dry wall and are slowly mounting it in the cellar to finish the spot lights.

We even got away on Saturday night for a little date night. Deciding against a traditional dinner out, we opted for taking a trip to a swimming pool/spa in the city. We frolliced in the little fake river, splashed in the wave pool, rode the wild innertube slide named, "The Master Blaster" and let the bubbles jostle all our sore muscles in the whirlpool. The highlights of the evening were (1) the 14 year old couple making out in the whirlpool, while we were sitting about 1.5 feet away...and (2) the large Japanese man in the locker room who was proudly sporting only his loose-in-the-crotch long john pants. Good times.

Today we made it out to the local ski slopes for some sledding. We don't own a sled, so we took a black garbage bag (my idea) and a tarp (Andi's idea) to act as our sleds. In a girls against boys race...the girls on the garbage bag won by a landslide! Those bags are slippery!

Trix, making snow angels.

Out on the slopes.

Vin, catching a ride on the kiddy slope 'people mover.'

Weeee!

Trix joined us for a run down the slope.

Digging ourselves out

We are now the proud owners of a snow shovel. I feel so grown up.

I had to make a decision this morning whether or not Vin was going to go to kindergarten. There are hip-high mounds of snow in our yard and knee high mounds of snow on the road to get out of our house and onto the main road. I finally decided yes, and Andi got out the shovel and started to dig us out. I had to dig again before driving to pick him up and had to dig myself out of a parking space at the kindergarten. Thankfully, it is now the weekend and we don't have to go anywhere.

So, if you are interested, here is another break-down of my day.
-Get up, get the kids packed into snow gear, dig out the car and drive Vin to kindergarten
-Buy a snow shovel on the way back home
-Start to shovel more snow and realize that the mid-range shovel I bought is crap
-Go inside, answer some emails, make lunch, play with Trix
-Pack up Trix and myself into snow gear and dig the car out
-Go to the store to exchange the mid-range crap shovel for a cheaper, much sturdier one.
-Pick up Vin from kindergarten and head to the grocery store
-Come home, shovel off the front road one more time, put away groceries, make dinner, feed kids, bathe kids, bottle kids, bed kids
-Say hi to husband

My back is making me nauseous, it hurts so much. Therefore, I will be ending this post and sinking into a hot tub.

Picking Vin up, he was still eating his afternoon snack: bread with jam.
He had three helpings.

Well, looky here. It seems that Vin and 'The Biter' AKA Soojin are best friends.
The teacher told me he and she play together the most. They eat together
 and even nap side by side. She is one year younger and likes to bite...oh boy, Vin.
 

Vin enjoying the car shopping cart

Good Mom, bad back

4am: Trix wakes to eat
5am: Vin wakes up and needs to be encouraged back to bed
6am: Vin, Andi and Trix are awake and downstairs waiting for me to get my act together and join them
7am: Andi delivers coffee to the bedroom and tells me about the non-stop snow that has fallen all night (and continued to fall all day, about 12 inches of it)
8am: Andi shovels snow, I pack up for a Vinny-Mommy day outing
9am: Trixie's babysitter arrives
9:30am: Snow boots on, snow suits on, hats on, gloves on...leave the house
9:32am: Vin kicks every snow bank in the vicinity
9:33am: Vin falls face first into the snow...cries
9:45am: We arrive at our destination, but get distracted by the enormous fish tank in the entryway
9:55am: make it to the front doors!!
 10am -1pm: play in large ball pits, bounce on trampolines, drive electric cars, go down slides, crawl up and down large padded structures, play basketball, play soccer, eat lunch, bounce on trampolines again, play chase...and then finally get a squiggling, exhausted, shrieking 2 year old into a snow suit, snow boots, hat and gloves and carry him home.
1pm: relieve the babysitter who tells me that Trix slept from 9:30 until 11:30 and then from 12:30 until now. Of course she did.
1:15pm: Vinny takes a nap and Trix is wide awake, i.e. no nap for me. Play with Trix.
2:45pm: Vinny wakes up...grumpy. I suggest we make a snowman, he agrees. So on go the snow boots, snow suit, hat and gloves. On goes Trixie's snowsuit and she gets strapped to my chest, on go my coat, hat, gloves and boots. I begin to shovel snow while hoping Vin will play, he wants my shovel but can't operate it. This makes him angry, therefore Vin screams for a half and hour as I shovel the snow with a baby strapped to my chest. Passers by look at me with disapproval.
3:30pm: I give up, sit the kids in front of the laptop and turn on a movie (Shrek)
4pm: Cook dinner
5pm: Feed 2 year old, feed 7 month old, feed self
6pm: bathe 2 year old, bathe 7 month old. Apply skin creams, put on fresh diapers and pajamas, brush 2 year old's teeth, administer nightly medications, make bottles, bottle feed 7 month old, read to both, say goodnight and then, daddy arrives home.

Needless to say, my back is a bit sore. Trampolines, snow shoveling, slides, carrying babies, not so great for the back. But we had a great time...during those brief moments when neither child was screaming.

Oh, no you don't, Trix.

Bouncing baby boy in action.

  

He likes to drive the black 'sports car' the best.

Vin and Trix enthralled by that green ogre.

A day with no photos

I have no pictures for you today, because I left my camera plugged into the computer where it could do nothing but sit and wish it were along with me on my adventures.

Trix and I visited a baby club meeting at a great cafe over looking the city. Vin had another great day painting and playing cars and eating vegetable lasagne in kindergarten. We came home with little energy so all three of us sat on the living room rug, next to a nice warm fire and watched Shrek on the laptop. Vin is very lovey and likes to cuddle or jump onto or hang off of me at all times. Elsie seems content to crawl around and shove all manner of things into her mouth. From time to time she looks up to laugh at something her brother is doing.

It is late, I am tired and I will leave you now. I promise to try to attempt to aim to remember my camera tomorrow.

Tea for two

Vin jotted off to kindergarten and Trix and I had some nice cuddle time. She is just so damn beautiful. Such a sweet smile. And she entertained me with her great arm flapping action she pulls out when she sees someone she loves or something that amuses her.

We had a little tea party.

Trix had a bit too much 'tea'

We snuggled.

We had a long conversation:
"Ba baaa ba ba"
"Ba ba ba ba baa"

I quilted one of our down comforters that was previously just a huge bag of bird feathers that would clump up in one corner. While I quilted, she crawled around and explored everything within reach.

A coupon book that needs a good look through

Then I picked up the boy from school and returned home where we all played together so well that Vin earned a lollypop for not biting, kicking, climbing on top of, or otherwise abusing Trix. They even spent a few minutes together and it didn't end in tears. Trix was in her swing and Vin pulled the piano bench over to her, climbed on top and they two had a little conversation. It was something about 'oblaki' (clouds) and Trix was laughing up a storm. They really can make each other laugh, it is heart-meltingly sweet.

Snowy

Oh Trix, that goes on the other end sweety...

We woke up to a white wonderland here, and it continued to snow all day. I think we even have snow scheduled for the next 4 days. I suppose it is time for us to go out and buy a snow shovel.

Vinny returned to kindergarten today, but on the drive home from his school the traffic was so bad that I had to pull over and kill time at the local mall. After returning home, chatting with the neighbor, catching up with some emails and playing a little with Trix, it was time for me to turn right back around and go get him.

He has such a great life. He got to school, ate breakfast, played outside in the snow with his friends, ate chicken soup and topfenstrudel with vanilla sauce, took a 2 hour nap and then as he was waking up, his mom was there to take him home. Must be nice.

At home, Vin threw snowballs at me while I chopped wood and Trixie slept. We played piano, drew pictures, read books and then Andi came home. It was another fly by day.

The big news is that Trixie got her two bottom teeth! They actually popped out today. 

Eating Cheerios (off the floor)

 

Look, she likes them!

Lazy dazy

Its ok, boys. We'll get through this.

It was below freezing and the family didn't even step foot outside our door today. Andi was kind enough to take the kids as they each woke up (Vin at 6am, Elsie at about 7:30) and let me sleep until almost 9. What a treat!

We all just kinda futzed around and played games, read books, I cooked a chicken pot pie from scratch, the kids napped at separate times and then all of a sudden it was dinner, bath, books and bedtime. Days like this can just get away from us, but they are so lovely and it is nice to have time with us all together just hanging out. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, just enjoying each other.

A little look back at Christmas time:

Cheesy Santa

Christmas tree decorating

Our lovely tree

Vin at the baby club Christmas party

Trix at the baby club Christmas party

A Saturday photo montage

It was a lovely Saturday around here. I had a nice long walk in the morning while Andi took the two little ones out to the park. We all met at home for a quick lunch and naps, I went to the hardware store for paint, wood, sandpaper, etc. Andi cleaned the house and then the babysitter came over and Andi and I had a lovely date night and a five course meal at a Chinese restaurant.

The babysitter had both babies asleep by 8pm and all is well. We love our babysitter.

Princess Trixie

Trix-a-licious

Melt your heart, Trixie-May.

My lovely

Having fun there, buddy?

We are cooooold!

Vin's favorite park activity.

Back in our warm home for some work on the iPad.

Scooting past another week

Trixie got her first injections today and handled it quite well. Little man got a scooter and helmet.

Kids went to bed rather well, but now I have to go nurse one back to sleep...until tomorrow!

A Vin and Mom day

Vin ditched school today.  I got a babysitter for Elsie, and we ran away together to the aquarium. We saw fish, lizards, spiders, snakes, crabs, sharks, turtles, birds, a crocodile and some very small form of monkeys.

It was great to have some one on one time with the little guy. I have been feeling a bit guilty sending him off to kindergarten all morning and then having him share me with Elsie all evening. We needed some bonding. Elsie gets me all to herself every morning, so this needed to happen.

I think he had fun. He was very impressed with Nemo and Dori, all the snakes, the BIIIG turtles and the birds. He insisted that I hold him the entire time. On the train home he fell asleep in my arms. Sigh. It reminded me of the first year of his life when it was just us all the time.

At home Vin continued his nap in the stroller in the front hallway, Elsie fell asleep on the carpet in front of the fireplace and I fell asleep on couch, so technically we all had a nice nap together. After nap time, Vin and Trix played on the floor together sweetly which reaffirmed my confidence in our family status, in that one baby is sure nice, but two is even nicer :)

During bath time tonight Vin told me great stories of Barracuda and snakes and turtles. It was Andi's turn to put him to sleep, and his first time using the new method. Vin only got out of bed 4 times. Nice!

On the way to the aquarium

 

Playtime with Elsie