6th Birthday

I had been preparing Marcelo from the time his 5th birthday party was over through the past year for the fact that I wasn't going to do big birthday parties every year and that #5 was his big party and the next probably wouldn't be until eight.  We were so busy on the day of his actual birthday that I had to move it to Saturday anyway and I relented with his requested Chima Lego party.

He had a ton of fun and really enjoyed helping set everything up; something I usually keep as a surprise.  He even made Chima door hangers for all his guests and made them sit in a circle to past hem out. 

Marcelo learns to ride a bike!

After practicing for a short period of time on his pedal-less bike. Marcelo got up and going on this bigger one with pedals right off the bat, on the first try!  Wow, this was much easier than all the training sessions we did with Sofia.  I wish Ray had listened to me about taking the pedals off the bike with her.

Swim Class '13

Second year of summer swim classes with Swim Kids, this time at a residence in Lehi not far from our house.  You really love the classes and you're starting to learn the pillow rest technique, the dolphin kick, and diving.

First dance competition

At Releve in Ogden, Marcelo's first dance competition with his dance company, the Rubies.

They competed two dances.

The second one had some technical difficulties.

They got a trophey for the first one, Shake Your Tail Feather, which Marcelo was pretty much counting on.

Reading

A book Marcelo decided to attempt on his own.

School work

Marcelo's first official homeschool assignment.  Drawing.  A selft portrait. A+

I knew he would love this assignment involving scizzors.  It's a creative logic exercise and aside from not being able to read the labels yet, he did awesome.

Day Camp #1 Bugs

Last summer, Marcelo had a hard time when we would drop Sofia off at day camp at Thanksgiving Point. There was even a day, when he had finally had it and put his foot down refusing to leave. There was an altercation in the parking lot, someone got kicked in the jaw, a silent ride home, and a question for me when we got home, "Mommy, what are you going to do with me?"

This year, he's finally old enough (or close enough to being old enough) to go to his own day camp. I was very excited about being able to offer this to him until he started getting uncharacteristically clingy at dance class drop offs. I wasn't sure how it would go. He wanted me to stay at his side the whole time but I told him that just wasn't possible. I would stay until they were ready to head off to their camp destination. He was still very excited to go. He just wanted the mommy security blanket there too.

The day came and he cautiously joined the group of kids with big sister, Sofia, at his side. He looked back to analyze my location every 30 seconds or so. But the enjoyment of playing games with the kids while they waited for everyone to arrive was enough to overcome the separation anxiety. When it was time to get going, he just went right along with everyone else. I followed him down to the wagon and he just acted like a perfectly well-adjusted human being.

He had a great time. He wasn't poisoned with foods he's allergic to. He came home with an art piece and some meal worms which along with grasshoppers bother me more than spiders, snakes, and piranhas put together. But we allowed them to live on the kitchen counter, of all places, for several days.

3rd Birthday

After weeks of many, many questions: "Mommy, when is my birthday?", "Mommy, is my birthday today?", "Mommy is so-and-so coming to my birthday?", "Mommy, am I gonna have cake at my birthday?", "Mommy, can we have my birthday at Chuckie Cheese?"  --"No", the day finally arrived.

I couldn't find my cupcake book, so I had to roll up my sleeves to churn out a proper cake; a little out of practice as I haven't made one in over a year.  It was an homage to "Super Why", one of Marcelo's favorite educational PBS shows (I love DVR).  I also attempted some sugar cookies, an unknown treat at our house.  I made "special" allergy cookies for Marcelo with the yellow icing which he absolutely loved.

Marcelo entertains the ladies.  He's a natural.

The kids kept themselves entertained with the handed-down but new-to-us plasma cars and other wheeled, motorized and non-motorized vehicles.  The older kids also kept busy playing soccer and everyone enjoyed themselves in the back yard.

(This is mostly a picture of my cute wrapping paper)

This is mostly a picture of my great bargain find of Morgan & Milo shoes at the nursery (like plant nursery) for $5.00!  Yeah.

Although, Marcelo started showing subtle signs of wear during the overwhelming present opening.  He was truly interested in each present he received.  The karaoke machine from Tia Marcela was quite the hit.

The obligatory pose with the parents. Trust me, you'll appreciate this somehow when you're older.  I'm pretty sure you will.  I think.

Your party invitations were in the theme of a library book, using a page from one of your favorite books, The Octonauts, as that is what Super Why is all about. Inside I put a little blurb about your goings-on this past year and an old school library card pocket with a removable card with your name and party details.

-- oo --

I can't remember who all the presents where from as someone was doing a terrible job of keeping track of this but here are some of the things you received:
Levis, Gymboree space & rockets undees - mommy
Two board puzzles, foam bath letters, sidewalk chalk - mommy
Two board books "Who Am I" and "What Do I Eat" - mommy
Extended pieces to Ikea train set - mommy
ABC Book and $50 Visa - Abuelos
Karaoke machine - Tia Marcela
Set of Nursery Rhyme books - []
Tool Set, set of Disney coloring media and US Bond - [Omi and Grandpa]
Toy Story Dinosaur - Aunt Sandi
Lego Duplo Set - Rick, Cheryl, Matt, Jason
Wood magnetic alphabet letters, wood learning clock with shapes - Finleys
Kids Telescope - Tio Pedro
??? - Autumn


Hopefully I'll figure out the rest and fill in.

Kangaroo Zoo

I should have entitled this entry: "Too Scared to Jump. Too Much in Love Not To."

For the first two hours a Kangaroo Zoo, I followed Marcelo around trying to provide moral support so that he could feel safe and go inside the jumpy things or the slide-y things. He was so excited to be there with the rest of the big kids, Becky's kids. He would run right along side all of them until the entrance to one of the bouncy things and jump in. Then, he would retreat and mope. He just could not get up the nerve to do it.

Becky, with her more kid friendly persona, got him to go up one of the small slides and come down. When he saw himself emerging from the mouth of the shark, evidenced by the giant pointy teeth hanging down, he freaked out. Maybe a pre-briefing session about the bouncy place would have been a good idea.

So after a couple of hours at this place, I was ready to go. A little disappointed Marcelo wasn't able to partake of as much fun as he could have had he not spent all his time running from one bouncy house to another and waiting outside. Suddenly, I look over to take inventory of the kids and I see THIS! (Yes, it's blurry. I could hardly get my camera ready on time).

He is going up the BIGGEST slide on the premises with his beloved Lydia. Lydia is Marcelo's ever-patient, sweet loving little muse. He would, clearly, follow her to the ends of the earth, walk across burning lava, submit himself to poisonous scorpion bites, ... well you get it.

Unfortunately, something happens at the top and he ends up plummeting down the slide like a sack of potatoes with the evil sorceress, I mean, Sofia directly above him with her metal, piercing sword-legs pointed at his spleen. Oh, the poor child. I cringe with anguish as I witness the calamity occurring before me but there is nothing I can do except continue to document the calamity in photographs. I have flashes of how he will be traumatized for life fearing anything to do with inflated structures, slides, and dragons.

As they disappear from sight, I run to asses the wreckage at the bottom and prepare myself for the bloody and mangled scene.

OMG.
Where is Sofia?
Where is the blood?
... and the body parts?
Wait, I still can't see his face.
I'm not sure I'm prepared for this.

I am shocked to see this looking back at me, literally, the biggest smile I have ever seen in my life. It's so big, his lips are getting sucked into his mouth. It's kind of scary looking.

But I was SO happy to see he had conquered his fear, (wasn't hurt), and had the biggest rush of his short life. All to be with his beloved Lydia.

The End

Words, more

47. juice
48. food
49. hot dog
50. butt
51. Dudi
52. play
53. Carola
54. do it!
55. I do it
56. cool
57. mine!
58. up above ... the sky (from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

More more words

36. apple
37. tree
38. animaux (animals)
39. I don't know
40. socky
41. don't! (this one is used frequently through out the day
42. keys
43. stop
44. good job
45. watch, watch, watch, watch, watch, ..... (as he jumps and throws one foot out)
46. Abuela

More words!

24. ope (open) he's actually been saying this one for a while now
25. down
26. go
27. diaper
28. dirty
29. doggy
30. step
31. hammer
32. ee (ear)
33. mote (remote)
34. eat
35. excuse me (This is often used for farting. Seeing as Sofia farts quite often, he actually said "excuse me" one day after she passed gas)

Just a few months ago, he refused to even say my name and now suddenly, he's a verbal genius!

18 months, yes that's 1.5 years

Proudly holding a cracked piece of cement from our patio like a freshly discovered gem. [Side note -squats must be so much easier when your legs are only twelve inches high]

Over the past three months, you have been running around like a, well like a little speed walker. Your legs run and your arms fly back and forth but straight by your sides. It's pretty cute and fairly amusing. You have also been learning by watching. You like to try to jump on two feet and even try to jump off of things that are a mere two inches or so off the ground. Apparently this is a monumental feat for a toddler your age, because you usually can't really do it. But you love to run, "jump" and act all excited and goofy. Thanks Sofia for your contribution.

I'm also very happy to report that for all intents and purposes, you now speak. Your repertoire of words is not extensive by any means but it is at least meaningful. You can say:

up! or upah --I consider this your first word
oh oh
bah! (ball)
mom!
dad!
no
uh uh
bye bye
poop
all done
-- more words by 18 months --
caca
baba (bottle)
Hi!
juice
shoe
this
cup
cracky (cracker)
boon (balloon)
jump
belly butt (belly button)
wee!! (when swinging or riding ont he rocking horse)
wee wee (for, well you know)

You also repeat many words but you're not yet saying them on your own. Usually you tend to repeat the first sound of a word. The other day, I realized the loud bird squeal I was hearing was you trying to call for your little friend Ethan, "Eeeeeh! Eeeeeeeeeh!" You don't yet say Sofia's name or any other sound to represent her which surprises me. Sofia's first word was "Dudu" for our dog "Dudi" and I figured yours would be "-fia". Sometimes, you point at things and start saying something about them to me, but it's sounds like a deaf person trying to speak German so I can only try to imagine what the excited thoughts are about in your head.

You have also learned to point at some basic body parts: nose, mouth, hair, and belly button which is your favorite of course. And you recently learned ears which you like to point out by pulling on other people. You know that your socks and shoes go on your feet and you still enjoy taking them off as soon as I put you in your car seat and chucking them randomly in the car so that it takes me a long time to locate them every time we go to the store or somewhere where we have to get out. I can't leave out that you've discovered another infamous appendage but I'm comforted for now that you still think your belly button is way cooler. I know that will change later but I try to block those thoughts from my mind.

Apparently, riding backward -much more exciting than riding forwards

Recently, you have learned to put things away like blocks and shoes that go in the closet, but you do it only for the initial praise. And although you have finally stopped throwing things off your high chair, you still make a ginormous mess every time you eat. I'm lucky if I don't have to change your whole outfit. You can also go up and down the stairs. You even managed to do a summersault out the window in the plastic playset a couple of times. One thing I don't think I've mentioned before is how much you love to dance. Or maybe I have, I don't know. But often, when we first get in the car to set out about our daily errands and the radio first comes on, if it's something with a good beat, you start shaking it in your car seat. It's pretty darn cute. If you hear something good on TV you'll do it too.

Another neat thing is your recognition of people close to you. When your cousin comes over which is about once a week, and you see her come through the front door, you get all excited and start doing a little celebration dance.

"Would you like me to comb your hair with this here branch, good sir?

I was about to report on your last Well Baby check up and how much you haven't grown and I discovered something somewhat comical --this whole time I was thinking you were already 18 months and you're not! For some reason, the pediatrician's office scheduled your appointment a bit early, so you won't really be 18 months until March 18th, but close enough.

You were fairly good at the appointment until the nurse came in to measure you. As soon as she approached you with the tape measure you started crying and didn't want to cooperate. When Dr. Arnold came in and examined you, however, you didn't complain at all. You were only scheduled for one shot this time, so I dressed you fully minus the pants and gave you a sucker right away. Again, as soon as the nurses had me lay you down, you started crying. Apparently, you still remembered your last visit and the shots and you know it was the nurses that did this horribleness to you and not the doctor. Although you cried gratuitously for just a minute, you were much more interested in the sucker this time which I'm thankful you relinquished to me before getting in the car.

On another note, they thought you shrunk since your last appointment at which they measured you at 31" long; this time they measured you at 30". Dr Arnold saw the obvious discrepancy and re-measured you at 31" which put you back on the >25th percentile curve you've been on for the past few months. Clearly, you were not 31" at 15 months. Other than this, the visit was uneventful as I no longer feel the need to bring up any concerns about your non-growing or speaking. So now, we're good to go until September.

"I wish it was Spring already"

What else, let's see -favorite activities: jumping, jumping and more jumping. You love jumping, yes I realize I already mentioned it but the jumping is just ridiculous, like all the time. And the accompanying, I'm so cool, look on your face is great too. I've taken you and Sofia to the McDonalds play land a couple of times recently and the last time, you played on your own the whole time only stopping to see me for grazings of food. Spring is just around the corner and I can't wait to see you really enjoy playing outside now that you can walk and hopefully climb (with assistance). We're biting the bullet (a big one at that) and getting a full size play set this year so hopefully you'll learn to climb the steps and go down the slide by yourself. If our play set research is any indication, I know you'll love it. Just one try on an infant swing and you couldn't stop yelling "eeeeee" (instead of weeeee).

--
How much you haven't grown:
Length: 31" >25th percentile
Weight: 20 lbs. 6oz. >3rd percentile (~0)
Head Circ.: 47.5cm >25th percentile

Independent

I tried handing you a million and one things to capture your attention so you wouldn't crawl away from me while I was trying to take these pictures. That trick has obviously run it's course and is now highly ineffective. You managed to find the rock you're holding in your right hand all by yourself though, which allowed me this quick shot. The next morning, I found the rock in your crib.

Now that you can walk, oh yeah, did I mention you can walk now. Yes, yes, you started walking about two weeks after your first birthday. First, two steps, then within a few days, five steps in a row, and within two weeks you were walking all over the place. We even video taped your first few steps which is not something we do often. I have to charge up the video camera every time it occurs to me to capture something on video. It's like the dark ages. [Must remember to upload short video].

But anyway, you can walk and you are now Mr. Independent. Unfortunately this important milestone has brought along some nasty new personality developments: screaming, throwing yourself backwards in defiant demonstrations, crying, and more screaming. It's as though along with the ability to walk you were given some kind of revelation that you can and should demand whatever your whim desires. You have in fact, also figured out all the food possibilities in your menu and you are no longer delighted to try new the same foods and instead demand (soy, milk, and nut-free) crackers, which I should mention are not easy to find and damn expensive. I tested your resolve and you went on a three meal strike on veggies, fruits, and other delicious, sugarless, soy-less, milk-less, butter-less, foods until you got your damn crackers.

The other day at Costco, you showed some of your darker colors as you whined through the whole store. When I went to put Sofia back into the child seat next to you in the cart, you were outraged and screamed bloody murder followed by a violent and enraged shove of her shoulder. I was rather shocked. After all, I thought you were the sweet one. I usually have to reprimand Sofia when I hear you screaming and this time I kind of stood there like I didn't know what to do. When we went to leave, it took me several minutes to strap you into the car seat (oh yeah, you graduated to the big boy front facing car seat -I think you weigh enough, at least your head probably does). You were determined to not go in there using the backward back bend maneuver and I was afraid if I forced you in there, I would have child protective services called on me. But alas, I finally had to show you who was boss and strap you down. Maybe it was the food strike. I don't know. Luckily we haven't had any repeat incidents but I stopped going to the store for a while because of that.

You still don't say any real, comprehensible, or meaningful words. Not even "Mama". What's up with that? You do make a lot of noises and repetitive sounds. In fact sometimes you say "a mama ma ma ma ..." which I've decided means that you want something but not necessarily or even usually me. Sometimes it's just, "mimi mi mi ...", which I had to convince Sofia that you are not calling Ms. Mimi, her preschool director. I guess you're not going to be as good a talker as Sofia was but you certainly walk much better than her and you are such a "pretty boy". Ladies always stop me when I'm out shopping with you while Sofia is at preschool and comment on what a "pretty boy" you are and how much you look like me. I don't know why they say that since there's no other point of reference, although it is of course very true. I take it as a compliment of course but hopefully they stop saying that as you get older.