Inverse Relationship

It's a fact people.  The bigger the kids get, the smaller and more expensive their toys get.  Check out these Squinkies and Lego people. RIDICULOUS!!  And if we lose just one, it's an all out freak out sesh.  I started a new thing though, because ain't no way I am gonna spend 10 bucks on 12 of those tiny little squinkies the size of my thumb nail.  Evan earns money when he tries a new food or gets all his badges on his chore chart for the week.  Now some people might say that's bribing your child to eat. I call it rewarding for branching out of the chicken nugget zone we have been in for 3 years now.  And then it gives him the opportunity to learn about money, the value of the dollar, and how to count it out to make a dollar.  And I am hoping he will have more respect for his toys and take care of them better????  Hoping is the key word there.  Anyway, it's worth a try.  In the last few days alone he has tried eggs, he licked bacon (that one didn't count), pineapple, blue berries, strawberries and a yogurt smoothie.  Hey, the only fruit he eats is typically are apples, bananas, cantaloupe and peaches... so I was thrilled. Of course his gag reflex was in full effect and the only thing he admitted to liking was eggs.  But it's a baby step!!!!  A tiny, minuscule, squinkie size baby step, but a step in the right direction nonetheless!!!!

This Sums it Up!

This picture pretty much sums up how we Starstrom's spend our days.  Dogs in your face, toys everywhere, kids competing for toys, snot dripping out of noses, house a mess.  It's a blur a times, and usually chaotic.  But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Attention Spans

I have said it before and I will say it again.  I love that Drew can just play with one little car for 15 minutes at a time, which in kid land is like 8 hours.  Evan to this day will enter a room, dump out 4 baskets of toys and then leave the room only to decide read a book instead.  It's refreshing to say the least.  Now, this doesn't mean Drew can't destroy a room in 2 seconds flat, cause, let's be real, he totally can.  But other times he can be seen playing quietly with a car or truck, and it's pretty darn cute.

It's ALL about Batman

We are officially Batman Obsessed. But if you talk to Evan, don't ask much about Batman. Ask more about Robots and Astronauts. Cause that's what he liked last week and that's the theme I am planning for his birthday party in September. That's where planning ahead does not work to my advantage. Already spent a pretty penny on anything and everything space oriented... so we must change Evan's mind that an astronaut party is the bees knees... and batman is so yesterday. Please?

Vivid Imagination

Evan loves to pretend, especially that he is a bus driver. He lines up his chairs, right in front of my kitchen island and plays "school bus". I love that he is pretending. I love that he puts his toys in the chairs behind him, and they are his "passengers". It would be nice if he did this some where else besides right in the middle of the kitchen when I am preparing dinner. But it's OK. I am just glad he doesn't ask me to be a passenger. I am sure that's coming though. I am sure my days of being just an onlooker are numbered. This boy is not an independent player. If he plays astronauts, I am an alien. If he plays superman, I am spider man. If he is Buzz Light year, I am Woody. You get the picture. It's lovely, it really is. I will look onto this time with such fondness when he grows up and won't give me the time of day. But sometimes, it would be nice to be able to pee by myself, without my number one sidekick/playmate by my side!!! Right now, his imagination is so vivid that he imagines scary things as well. He can't be by himself for one second because there are monsters, fire-breathing dragons, lions, dinosaurs...trying to get him. He often times has to be held/carried and he jumps from the couch, to the ottoman to the other couch because the lions are nipping at his toes?! I wouldn't want to walk around either if there were lions biting me, can't say I blame the guy.

Another update on my 2 year old (2 years and 5/6th's to be exact... per Evan... no he isn't brilliant, we told him that's how old he was when he asked and now that's what he tells people... he's smart, but not that smart, even I had to take a minute and think about that fraction).... he gained 3 lbs in the last month and now weighs over 30 lbs for the first time EVER!!! That's fully clothed with a diaper and shoes on, but hey, I will take it!!! Thank Goodness for heavy cream, cause that's what the boy now gets in his milk. Half cream, half milk (which now all the sudden I am wondering why I don't just buy Half N Half). He may have coronary artery disease by age 10. But he weighs 30 lbs. Gotta take the bad with the good, is what I always say?

Why Buy Toys

Why buy toys when blankets are so much fun? Here is Evan with a simple red blanket. Simple to us, but he told me it's his helmet, laser and his tail. Not sure what type of person or thing wears a helmet, carries a laser and also has a tail... but that's what makes it so much fun!!!

Daycare?

As if it wasn't enough to take care of two little busy boys under the age of 3, but now I am running a regular daycare center out of my house! Woody and Charlie the bear are my new non-paying clients. Evan begs me every day to make them a bottle and give them a snack. Woody and Charlie take turns swinging in the swing, sitting in the high chair and jumping in the jumperoo. I think I will send a bill to Disney Pixar and Gund and see what I can get.

Big Boy Toys

Last week, I watched Evan in his play room. He looked bummed out. We play so much at his older friends houses and they have such big boy toys. He has a few "big boy" train sets and a "big boy" firehouse and kitchen set, and few other big boy toys, but wow what a difference 6 or 9 months makes since his birthday and Christmas last year. With Evan, he doesn't outgrow clothes or shoes (sadly)... but it seems as though he has outgrown some of his toys. Back at Christmas, he really wasn't truly playing with his toys. He would hold them for a minute or two and lose interest and go on to something else. Now he pretends, and he makes the little guys talk to each other. He has entire scenarios going on with his toys, and he can play with one toy for an hour or so at a time. As I was saying, he looked around his room and literally looked disinterested in his toys. We even had a play date a few weeks ago, and one of the "big" girls asked me where were all the big kid toys? I felt so bad!!! So we got him a big boy toy this weekend. I know what you are thinking. Aren't you sending the wrong message since he didn't eat his fruits and veggies last week, and didn't earn a single stamp on his eating chart? Well, I have decided that he is too young for that. Plus, we still have that particular (and highly coveted toy) up high for him to strive for. No toy can take the place of it (buzz light year laser arm band-type things). But we did get him a really cool Imaginext Fisher Price Spaceship and a matching Space Station. For those of you that remember the 80's, it's like the modern day Adventure People. It is totally right up his alley. He is in HEAVEN!!! He plays with his little astronauts and aliens from sun up to sun down. Best purchase in a LONG time.