Boys having fun at Whitney's house

I've written before about a mommy play group that I've become part of for ex-pat English Speakers in Chile.  Tuesdays are usually the day some of them get together, and every week its a different mix of moms and kids, a different location, and we always have a good time hanging out.  

This week it was at our friend Whitney's house, who lives two floors down from us.  Her son Patricio (P, they call him) just turned two, and also goes to Pipo, the preschool where Caleb is going.  The other little boy is Cole, and he will be two in July, so all four boys are within a year of each other more or less.   

They had a great time taking out ever toy that P owns, all in his small room, all at the same time!  Caleb had fun playing with the Lego Duplo blocks, the big plastic dinosaurs, and the big red tow truck that you can see in the foreground of the picture below.  Landon liked all the toys, but he was mostly interested in eating all of the oatmeal raisin cookies that Whitney had made. :)

Video of the boys playing, below or click here:

Vaaaamos a Jardinnnnnnnn!

Caleb sang this song for a good ten minutes straight after coming home from school today...  I loved hearing him sing in Spanish, though I wasn't so excited about the fact that it was at the top of his lungs while his brother was sleeping!  

After three or four minutes, he moved his 'instruments' onto the floor and started saying "vamos a Chile...", then back to jardin.  Vamos a jardin means "we're going to jardin" or "let's go to jardin."

He has been very into drumming these past week.  Yesterday we were playing with glowsticks in the closet and the first thing he did with them was drum, and now today drumming with pencils.

At the end of it, he said "I'm tired from doing this alot."

Video below or click here.

Our Weekend

This weekend was a pretty low-key one just doing things as a family, nothing too big or exciting.  Saturday morning we took advantage of still having a rental car from the previous day and did some early morning (well, 9:30am, but by Chilean standards, that's early for shopping on the weekend) grocery shopping.  Caleb got to go with daddy to return the car and take the metro back, which for him is always a treat.

In the afternoon we went for a walk to Costanera Center, a new shopping mall at the base of the big tower that you can see in the panoramic pictures from our balcony.

I wanted to get a few kids books to take home with us, and there is also an ice cream shop that we had heard about that we came to try, Emporio La Rosa.  They have some interesting flavors, such as Rose, Chocolate Pepperoncini,  Lemon Mint Basil,  Strawberry Black Pepper, Orange ginger.

I ordered a scoop of Rose and a scoop of the Chocolate Pepperoncini.  Turns out the Pepperoncini flavor wasn't noticeable at all, but the Rose ice cream was very good - a nice, subtle rose flavor - not like when you think of overpowering rose scented perfumes and products.  It tasted to me just like a rose smells.    Jimmy had the same Chocolate Pepperoncini too, and the Lemon Mint Basil.  He and I both liked that one a lot - very refreshing.  Seemed like it would be good for a palate cleanser after a meal.  Yummy.  Caleb said he wanted the "orange one", which was Chirimoya, and he was quite happy.  Landon was sound asleep in the stroller after having been woken up early from his nap by a tantruming brother.  :(

Landon is starting to take interest in books and will sit for short amounts of time to look at them with us.

Caleb is very excited to be learning how to hold up "two" with his fingers.   He has been practicing it quite a bit lately.

The way he likes to ride the swings these days.

Since today was St. Patrick's Day we headed to an Irish Pub to enjoy a Guinness.  Turns out the self-promoted "Only real Irish Pub in Chile" doesn't even serve Guinness.  Oh well.  We had fun hanging out on the terrace and running around with the kids.  Caleb liked this guy in the costume.  Landon wasn't sure what to think of him...

He liked petting the long beard...

...and trying to move his feet around like the character did.

Pizza on the way home (our go-to take-out option here when we are too tired to cook), and THANK THE LORD we had a good bedtime with Caleb! 

Days 4 and 5 at Pipo

I thought I had posted this entry already, but somehow it didn't, and it also only saved half of what I had written.  Bummer.  Well, here is what I can remember of what I wanted to write.  Will have to add the rest later if I think of the rest...

Day 4:
According to tia Andrea, today was a much better day for Caleb.  He was a little upset when I dropped him off, but he wasn't crying.  They had a day full of story telling and singing, and Caleb told me that he learned some new songs.  He said there was a pato story (duck) that they read, and that the duck was looking for his mommy.  Then at dinner tonight he starting moving his hands around and saying manitos da vueltas (little hands turn round and round) as he was trying to move his hands in circles, and he said this is what we did at Pipo today.

Everything he tells me about I'm anxious to check it out with the teacher the next day to see how much he is comprehending!

Day 5:
Good!  He seems to be feeling more comfortable each day.  Though we're feeling ready to come home and back to things familiar, its too bad he won't be able to continue in the Spanish immersion nursery school environment.  Maybe some day Lodi will have more Spanish language schooling and extra-curriculur options...  Hmmm....

Landon at 16 months

Its so crazy to think that this is the age Caleb was when Landon was born!  They're so little...  Here are a few of them both at 16 months, just to compare...

Caleb

Landon

Landon

Caleb

Landon

Caleb

It is amazing how fast a 1-year-old can be once they learn to run.  Doesn't make a difference that they are a third of your height - they are fast!  Landon's favorite is to take off running down the hallways of our building the second anyone opens the front door.  He looks back to see who is coming after him, laughs and keeps running as fast as he can to the other end.  Big buildings = fun long hallways for running.  Click here for video.

He still only has 6 teeth...

LOVES LOVES LOVES bananas, just like Caleb did at this age!  Calling them na-na-nas, or dah-nahs

Caleb

Landon

It is getting better every day watching he and Caleb really play together now, though I'm noticing Landon mimicing more (bad) things that Caleb does, too, such as throwing toys or swinging his arm and hitting when he is excited.  Oh, the fun...!

Landon instigating...

Landon loves playing with this camera and runs around saying "Sheeeeese!"

Elvis???

Video of Landon playing Playdoh for the first time.  He tried to put a few bits in his mouth, but I think he realized pretty quickly it doesn't taste so good.  Click here or see below.

Learning to throw a ball.  Sometimes it goes forwards, sometimes backwards...

Some of Landon's new or revised words:

"Me-me" has become 'mommy' very clearly now.  Daddy, too, instead of da-da.

3/7/13:  While saying bye to Jimmy on Skype today, Landon said "La U"! (love you), and waved goodbye.  That's his first two word combo!

3/8/13:  "dacker" for cracker.

3/9/13:  We saw a little puppy at the park and were petting it and I said "Landon its a puppy!", and he immediately said "pu-ppy!", clear as could be. 

3/13/13:  Bye-bye!!  He is loving saying this one!  He will go stand by the front door and wave and say it, or today he was playing on a toy phone and saying "bye-bye!"

3/14/13: "Dump" while playing with the dump truck

Coordination is advancing....Click here or below to see video of Landon's fast feet.  I think this will be one of my favorite things later looking back.  :-)

Days 2 and 3 at Pipo

Day 2: We had a really bad bedtime Monday night, which made for very poor sleep for all of us that night, so yesterday at school was harder for Caleb.  He was much more clingy when I dropped him off, which I expected, and I gave the teacher a heads up that he hadn't slept well, but he still managed to  make it the whole time and was in a good mood again when I picked him up.  The tia said that she could tell he hadn't been in a very good mood or enjoying himself much, which I also expected.

When I asked him what they did at school, he said they played inside and outside again, and that they painted again, too.  I asked him "Con que colores pintaste?", and he answered "AmaLillo (amaRillo - yellow.  he says it like a Chinese person, swaping some of his r's for l's :)).  I asked in Spanish what other colors he painted with and he answered me "No más (no more)."

At bedtime he mentioned something about a girl named Sofie.  I asked him who Sofie was, and he said a little girl at his school.  He told me they were playing together yesterday.  I was excited to know that he learned someone's name without my help and had enough fun with her to tell me about it.

Hopefully now tonight he (and we) sleep better and get a better start tomorrow...


Day 3:  Last night Caleb went to bed pretty well for us (thank the Lord!) and when I left his room I was less stressed out too, which was a great feeling.  He slept super well and didn't get up until 7:40, which is about a half hour later than he has been waking up here.  At drop-off he was clingy for a minute, but I was later told he was fine after a few minutes, as he often is when he gets upset when I leave him.   I also asked tia Andrea if there was a little girl named Sofie in the class, and she pointed out a little blonde girl to me (proof that Caleb knew what he was talking about and got her name right :)).

When I returned to pick him up today, tia Andrea told me he had been in a much better mood today, and that he was talking to her and telling her all sorts of things in English.  Its English not Spanish, but at least he was feeling noticeably more comfortable with his environment and his teacher, and maybe within a few days he will start using some of his Spanish words and expressions with her.  Instead of running right to me and wanting to be held and leave he wanted me to come in and play with him, but the teacher suggested we leave right away so he leaves wanting more and looking forward to it for tomorrow.  The tias at Pipo have been very helpful guiding me and other parents whose kids are trying to adjust to preschool, as many are in the same boat as us right now beginning the school year with tears, so we are grateful for them and their recommendations!

Today they got to paint again, but this time with blue.  I'm seeing a pattern that seems they will get to paint all week.  Not sure why its only one color each time, perhaps for a color theme each day related to other things they are doing - I will have to ask about that tomorrow.  I do know that they are doing 'testing' all week to see what the kids do and don't know in order to help structure the rest of their lessons this year - colors, numbers, shapes, parts of the body, up/down, inside/outside, stop/go, and many other things that she told me and I can't remember now.  I'm hoping they give us individual reports at some point.  It would be interesting to see, especially since Caleb's vocabulary in Spanish is much smaller than the other Chilean kids'.  Later today Caleb started moving his arms in circles (either like a swimming motion or like pedaling with his hands motion, not sure which he intended...) and said "we did this at school today."  I like hearing the little things that they did as they gradually come back to mind for him. :)

Casting

On Saturday we did something interesting, probably a once-in-our-life thing... we went to a casting for a T.V. commercial!

There is a girl named Zuzu, about our age, who lives in our building.  She is Chilean, but lived twelve years in London so she speaks great English, and she is trying to get her own casting company going.  She has a friend who is making an American TV commercial and they are looking for a lot of people to be in it, all different ages, sizes, and talents.  We were among some of the people she invited to come to the casting.

Saturday morning we spent about an hour and a half hanging out waiting for our turn.  We had to fill out a form about each of us, including such questions as "Do you have a fear of dogs?, Do you know how to ride horses bareback?, Do you have any special talents, and Do you know how to drive a motorhome?"  Not sure if some of these have to do with scenes they need in the ad maybe...

Lots of people waiting for their casting turn.  
(Zuzu is the one in the pink and green) 

An American family we met who teaches at the American/Canadian school here, NIDO 

Look how cute daddy dressed Caleb :)

This family brought sidewalk chalk to entertain their kids.  Landon has never played with chalk before, and of course, it went in the mouth first.  Great idea for entertaining them for a while, bad one for keeping them clean!

Caleb and Landon also kept busy "doing construction" with the "hammers", and Caleb told us.  Again, good entertainment, bad for keeping clean.  Oh well.

When we were up they had Jimmy, me, and the boys all sit together, introduce ourselves to the video camera, and just talk about who we are and what we like to do as a family.  Then they took video of each of us individually, front view, side view, turn in a circle, and show your hand... show my hands??  I guess maybe they need some hand shots, too...  She asked if I like to swim, I said yes, she asked if I can dive from, say, three meters... I said sure!  I think I could do it without freaking out... :)  Again, seemingly random question though.

Anyway, who knows whether we (or any one of us individually) will get chosen, but it would sure be cool if we do!  Either way it was a fun and different way to spend our Saturday morning.

Push-ups with daddy

Caleb doing push-ups with daddy... 

(click here or below for video)

Day 1 at Pipo - Success!

Today was Caleb's first real school day at Chilean preschool, Jardin Infantil Pipo.  You may remember back in January he went for a few days for some summer workshops, and we called it his first day of school, but now the schools are all in session in Chile and this is actually the start of their normal, more structured, school schedules.  Though he is now more adjusted to being here, and his nap time has been pushed back later compared to January, we were fairly nervous about how it would be for him starting out because he doesn't know anyone really (except the director and a few of the teachers) and everything is in Spanish.

This morning before school...  The boys had taken this suitcase out to play with yesterday and Landon thought it would be a good place to sit and drink his bottle!

We have been building today up all weekend, talking about it, about what they might do there, and we got Caleb a new little water bottle and lunch box to take his snacks in, too (they call the snack la colación)

Caleb knew that today we would be dropping him off there, and he seemed fine with it.  This morning he was a bit shy when we first arrived, wanted me to hold him, and didn't want to take off his sunglasses right away or pose for a picture, but as soon as we were inside tia Andrea (one of his two teachers) came over to him, gave him a kiss (the typical greeting here, one kiss on the right cheek - it would never fly at schools in the U.S., but I think it is really nice that the tias are so affectionate with the kids here, especially since many kids start jardin so young here), and immediately took him over to find something to play with.  It made for a quick exit for mommy, which was good for him, too.

All morning long I was staying close to my phone in case they called with him upset, but all the while hoping it wouldn't ring.  I was so excited as noon approached and we hadn't heard a thing.  Caleb made it the whole morning, and on top of it, was happy and chatty when we picked him up instead of tired and clingy.

On the walk home he told us that he had played "2 times" (trying to say 'both' inside and outside), and that they painted (which he has been into lately with his watercolors).  It was such a huge relief to see how excited he was about his morning!  Thanks for all your prayers, and we hope that with each day it only continues to be even more enjoyable for him!

Having fun with some home-made entertainment

In my preparations for the long flight down here, I was looking for all sorts of ideas online of activities for toddlers that might help entertain Caleb and Landon.  We didn't use as many on the flight as I thought we might, but they have ended up being fun to have to play with while we are here, too.
Here are a few we have been playing with recently...

Spanish body parts dominoes (matching)

Caleb made me smile when he was able to tell me the Spanish words for hair, nose, mouth and eyes without a second thought about the answers.  We hadn't used any of those words in a while. 

Practicing counting with stickers

Click here or below for video of Caleb playing with felt shapes:

Click here or below for video of Caleb with the magnets.  This one was planned to be used with a metal cookie sheet while traveling, but since we're here now the fridge gives them a lot more room to spread them out.

Exercise ABCs - motions and activities to go with each letter of the alphabet.  We have a lot of fun and many laughs playing with these! 

I have been saving t.p. and paper towel rolls lately trying to come up with a creative way to use them for the boys... Thought of making tunnels to drive some of their cars through.  I used Caleb's watercolors to paint them, but with little precision because I knew they will probably only last a few days, if that!

When I told Caleb I had painted these for them, he wanted to do some painting himself.

And the one that I was most excited about and quite proud of, partly because it took me a while, but also because I think they turned out cute, are the felt Nemo, Dory, Crush, and friends that I made for him.  I saw a lot of felt scene ideas online as a good quiet play activity for kids.  Around the beginning of the year Caleb was really into watching Finding Nemo so when I saw other normal felt fish ideas online, I thought maybe I could try making some of the characters from Nemo.  I found some pictures to copy in Google images, then went at it.  This video is 10 minutes long of him playing with them, so just skim through and watch as much or as little as you like!  :)

Click here or on the image below to see video of the felt Nemo & Dory fish: