Oh hey...It's June.

Yeah, June. huh?

As you can probably tell from my lack of blogs that life has pretty much taken over and much to my chagrin blogging and taking photos has waned. I think about my blog a lot these days. The feeling of an overhaul looms in my mind every time I look at my blog. It doesn't help that we are doing some major demenagement chez nous right now. The apt is in utter shambles but soon it will be a much better living space just in time for my personal organizer to come and help teach me how to keep my apt organized. 

So, I got a new camera today. I know. I know... I have a perfectly good camera. My D200. I intend to keep using it, can't part with it. Love it too much but I don't love how heavy it is. And now that I carry 3 year old treasures in my purse along with 6 months old diapers and baby things there's unfortunately no room for my heavy DSLR. Looking at my photo stream on Flickr it's littered with photos from my iPhone. Fun, yes. Good to print and make memories out of? No. So, I bought myself an Olympus Pen E-P2. It's a perfect compromise between a DSLR and a point and shoot camera. I couldn't bring myself to purchase a point and shoot. They were just TOO small for my hands. I like the feeling of looking through a viewfinder and holding my palm under the lens of the camera. I scoured Flickr for a solution and that when I found the group dedicated to the Pen I had found the solution. It arrived today and I have already shot a few photos. My models were very obliging today.

Here's Alixe sitting in Max's Stokke chair for the first time:

Hits me like a ton of bricks at how big she looks here. 6 months old. Her head is ginormous! She just started sitting up last week. The bumbo is obsolete now so we needed to find another solution for her. I casually asked Max yesterday what he thought about Alixe sitting in his chair like he did when he was a baby. He said she could have his chair! And today while I was preparing dinner for Alixe he told me that the green chair is Alixe's char now.  Sweet boy. Now I'm in search of a cool chair for Max. Something fun and colorful and not a Stokke. Any suggestions are welcome! 

So, the sweet boy... not so sweet lately. It pains me to write this because he's always been such a sweet, compassionate boy but lately he's been testing his boundaries. It's been now twice in one week he's spat on or towards his assistants at the creche. And today he also stuck out his tongue when the assistant asked him to calm down at lunch. I am simply surprised at all this spitting and sticking out of tongues. I, personally, have never seen Max do this to anyone, child or adult. And even playing he's never stuck out his tongue at me or his father. The only place I can think he learned this is at the creche seeing another child do it. Remember the biting incident when he first started at the creche, Max bit a child because he was being bit by everyone else! I chalk this up to him testing his limits to see what happens. He's very cause and effect these days. He will tell me things like I scare the pigeons and they fly away! Or I push the button and the light turns red so I can cross the street. I assume this is normal three year old behavior but it makes me sad after he goes to bed because I am being hard on him by punishing him by taking away his movie rights, game rights, dinosaur rights and balloon rights. I see how sad he is but I hope he will understand that he can't go around spitting on people. We're getting Mamoo (Julien's mother) in on the loop this weekend. He's supposed to go visit her and at her house will have the same limitations as home. I hope that by Sunday he will have retained this lesson and we won't have any spitting incidents next week. Typing that makes me feel so bad... 

So, a bit of an update. Don't be surprised if things change a bit here. I'd like to do more with my photos and baking recipes (just perfected my vanilla scone tonight) and recipes I am trying out like rhubarb syrup to make my own rhubarb soda!  Also, I have had to put a bit of lock down on how people comment on my blog because I was getting bombarded by spam. So, if the logging in and using a secret code word turns you off from commenting I completely understand. :)

Aaaaaand like clockwork... it's almost midnight and Alixe is waking up for her midnight drink of milk that's my cue to click publish! Good night!

Comments

[Jennifer]

I am so glad you posted again! I know how life can get the best of you but I have been checking in from time to time.

As for Max's new chair, we started using an old stool we inherited when we moved into this house. It was a low old-fashioned stool that is EXACTLY the right height for him at the kitchen table and he loves it.

[Mary Anne]

Ahh, 3...
It's a fun age isn't it...yep...my sweet little girl has some of the same kind of issues...except it is more hitting and screaming mimi fits.

4 is a wonderful age... :)
Mary Anne

[The Bold Soul]

From what I've heard of three year olds, they can be more difficult than when they're 2... so much for "terrible 2's", right? I suspect you're right, he's just testing his limits. And yours. You have to be the parent and set the boundaries, give consequences for unacceptable behavior, etc. I am sure it's unpleasant but it's for his own future good. I don't like it when my step-son acts out or when he gets mad when he doesn't get his way, but if we didn't set boundaries, he'd grow up to be intolerable and not too pleasant to be around. And he's really a good kid most of the time.

[zemirah]

I wonder if Max is tired? Maybe Alixe's night waking is disturbing his sleep too? I only mention it because in the photo you posted he looks quite exhausted (which could just as easily be from a long tantrum; of course I don't know!) Just wondering if his 'bad' behaviour is a way of lashing out because he's not getting his usual sleep at night.. I remember you said he was a great sleeper, so he might be suffering from not getting his undisturbed sleep?

In any case, they're both beautiful and I'm sure you're doing a great job :)

[jadie]

good to see you back on your blog! you've been severely tested these past six months, well, more like 14, huh?! the photos are splendid, and just having the moment to STEP BACK invaluable.

[Susie]

wow, your daughter is beautiful. I have followed your blog for a long time, but hadn't been reading for a while. Congrats!!!

[Krystie]

Mary Anne you are so right, it sounds to me like age-related behavior. It may also be related to stress as his sister grows older and requires so much attention from mom.

It's good to reinforce that it's wrong and why, but the consequences at that age need to be quite simple and related to the behavior. Pointing out the consequences (for example, if you do this, children won't want to play with you), how it makes the other child feel, and how it would make Max feel will work. Especially if coupled with giving Max an alternative behavior to do before he feels angry enough to act out (like stating how he feels rather than letting feelings build, moving to a different area, talking to an adult about the conflict). If necessary, have him sit next to a caregiver or Mama briefly until he shows he can be calm and understands that the behavior is not allowed. Bear in mind that age- and/or stress-related misbehavior often disappears on its own, so no need to think this is a personality trait, or to over punish or label a child who does these things.