The Latest on the Lowes

We started this blog to share the transformation of our 1926 fixer...but with time and the addition of kids it has become my way of documenting two childhoods...the triumphs, moments of hilarity, lessons learned and everything in between.

Monday, April 01, 2013

Hints of spring and a sunny Easter



Oh, Seattle, how you love to tease us in March - throwing out a beautiful sunny carrot, only to yank it right back and toss us into more springtime gloom.  At least this time around the sun hit in time for Easter, giving us an all-too-rare chance to actually have our egg hunts outside (Really! You CAN do this activity outside! With sunshine! No parkas or rain boots required!). 
 
Spring has also sprung at the Lowe house.  For Matteo is has come in the form of language.  While he's been a constant source of babbling adorableness, he hasn't been forthcoming with actual words.  That all changed this month when in one day he said "Lily" in the morning and asked to see the "babies" at school and for "cackers" at pick up.  The babies one slayed me - he's barely bigger than the babies in the infant room in his school, yet he loves to climb up on the stool by their window, point and say "babies!!!!" with heartfelt enthusiasm.  He's also figured out how to get off our bed safely (same as Lily, the backwards tummy slide) and now prefers to eat at the table kneeling on a big chair rather that in his booster seat.  While he is still a baby in my eyes, I'm realizing more and more that he is truly a wee man and a full-fledged toddler.  His time in the Becco carrier at Disneyland was the last - he now wants the stroller or, better yet, to be on the ground, exploring everything he can get his wee hands on.  And of course he's entered the other right of passage of all younger siblings - wanting to be just like his big sister Lily.  He loves wearing her shoes around the house (he actually did try ours first but found them WAY too large - Lily's he can cruise around in and, frankly, hers are way more fun), does the same hand-out thing when play-talking on phones that she did at his age, and wants to touch/claim absolutely anything and everything she is playing with.  "MATTEO - NOOOOOOO!" is a very common refrain.  Oh - and he got his first haircut (no more Hasidic ear curls)...but still refuses to give up bottles at home (sigh).
 

 
Sadly not all of his springtime adventures have been good ones.  He also learned how to climb out of his crib, which Chris discovered after hearing a loud "thump!" during naptime followed by traumatized crying.  He found our boy doing the Saving-Private-Ryan-traumatized-crawl-up-the-beach in the middle of his room.  He seemed no worse for wear, but we certainly can't say the same.  Next up will be a trip to buy a big boy bed!  In further sad spring news, he was again attacked by whatever Norovirus/vaccine resistant flu is going around.  It's been a terrible season of bad illnesses and this one packed such a wallop we ended up having to take him to Children's to get rehydrated.  Which meant an IV.  Which meant Chris having to pin him in his lap for the set up followed by strong-arming him in his lap so he wouldn't pull it out, until he finally fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.  The nurse who did the set up was amazingly fast (I later found out he was a student) and he along with the doctor and nursing staff all commented that Matteo has one of the strongest wills they'd ever seen.  In this instance I don't think it served him well.  By the next day he was significantly improved and for that I cannot give thanks enough.

Happily, spring has been kinder to Lily.  She is as funny and full of life and a big a character as ever.  I know I say this every age, but I really think that 6 is my favorite.  She still believes in all things magical (fairies, Santa, leprechauns, etc) but can also do everything - she goes to brunch with me and my girlfriends, she is up for any adventure from indoor rock climbing and skydiving to roller skating and pedicures.  She is constantly demonstrating her learning and sharing her world views, she is curious, so full of energy and passion for art, dance, anything athletic, her friendships, animals and high heels.  Easter was the perfect embodiment of this.  It was the best weekend for her - egg hunt at our neighbor's house with all her friends from the street followed by another egg hunt at our house in the morning and a final one at church later in the morning.  For the one at church Lily opted to wear her fancy dress and a pair of Pumas.  For a girl who LOVES dress up, I was rather surprised by her choice of footwear.  When I asked her why she chose them, she responded "because I want to get a lot of Easter eggs."  Yep, that sums up our girl.
 
Of course that isn't the ONLY funny thing she (or her brother) said this month....
 
- Lily, upon finishing her milk, waived the cup in front of Chris to take it away.  Chris: "I'm not your servant."  Lily: "Yes you are, you call me your princess."  (Clever girl kinda has a point)
 
- "Teeth - teeth - teeeeeeth!"  - Matteo really likes having his teeth brushed
 
- Lily, after serenading herself while doing cartwheels in the front yard: "AND THE CROWD GOES CRAZY....YAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
- "Paco/Mama/Dada...where are you?" - Matteo, in sing-song, cue heartstrings
 
- Me: "Lily, great job with your homework!" Lily: "I'm the queen of smarty pants world!"
 
- Lily:   Me: "That was disgusting"  Lily: "It wasn't disgusting, it was traditional!"
 
- Me:    Lily: "No tooting!"
 
- Matteo:   Me: "I think your brother is having a gender identity crisis" Lily: "With Barbie!"
 
Ups and downs this month, but we ended on sunshine, good health and lots of laughs.  Really, what more could we hope for?