Nap Adjustments

We're back! We have been places and done things since we last updated but I have a terrible habit of forgetting to take my camera. We went to the zoo with friends on Friday morning and it was a lot of fun. The animals were very active. The zebras and bears were playing like I've never seen them before and the tiger was moving around. He/she is usually dormant when we visit. Mitchell and Caleb were having a great time. As usual the train ride was the highlight of Mitchell's day. He was more content to watch the train chugging than he was watching any of the other animals. We'll have to go again soon (with the camera) before it gets too hot.

Our main obstacle of late is attempting to switch Caleb from 2 naps to 1 nap per day. Beforehand I would put him down in the morning and he would take a great nap but when I would put him down in the afternoon he would stay awake in his crib for over an hour before falling asleep. It felt as though he was in his crib (awake or asleep) all day. So we're venturing into the 1 nap arena. He is struggling. I took this picture yesterday during lunch. He could barely keep his eyes open while he was eating. In an effort to keep his eyes open he would arch his eyebrows as high as he could but his eyes never opened more than what you see.

Yesterday we went to the library. We were looking at books and we found one about a boy who was deciding what he wants to wear for Halloween. I'm thinking that is what spurred on Mitchell's desire to wear costumes today. I told him that he could play in our costume box after I finished cleaning. I don't know how many times he asked if I was finished cleaning yet. When I was FINALLY done we pulled it out and he tried on all the costumes. I made this dragon/dinosaur costume in 2006. At that time we practically forced him to wear just the main body suit. There was no way he would even touch the gloves or the hat. The top picture is of him 2 years ago after we got it on him. (He DID wear it willingly for Halloween but still wouldn't have anything to do with the gloves or hat.) The bottom picture is of him today. It was his first time wearing the additional pieces so I got a picture of the complete costume for the first time. Better late than never.

One last anecdote: Yesterday morning I was repulsed by the amount of hair on my legs so I decided I would take time to shave (including my knees and armpits) at any cost. So I trapped Caleb on our main floor by blocking both sets of stairs. I put him in a midst of toys and sent Mitchell outside to play. Caleb started crying right away as I walked up the stairs but I was undaunted. I set to work in the shower and did what I set out to do, but by the time I was finished both kids were screaming and I was feeling pretty anxious. Instead of taking time to dry off completely I bolted out of the bathroom dripping wet wrapped in a towel. I came downstairs to find Caleb screaming with snot covering his face and Mitchell screaming with his fingers caught in a drawer. I felt terrible. I immediately picked up Mitchell to comfort him. As he was screaming in my arms Caleb had crawled over (still screaming) and was trying to get me to hold him. In reaching up for me he had felt my newly soft, smooth and wet legs and was rubbing them over and over again. Maya also came over and claimed my other leg by licking it over and over again. Ahhhhhhhh motherhood!