Another Ethan first: He helped build a snowman.

Our first big snow of the season packed very nicely, a perfect opportunity to build a snowman. Ethan caught on quickly to rolling a snowball, although it wasn’t long before the balls were too big for him to roll. After all, he’s not much taller than the big ball at the base of the snowman (which was all that remained for the picture after the big storm).

Another Ethan first: He danced on his toes.

Another Ethan first: He shook off his yogurt drips.

As Ethan was enjoying his yogurt, he noticed some dripping from the spoon. He shook the spoon until the drip came free and landed cleanly back in the container. This surprised us, since Ethan gleefully makes a mess with other foods.

Another Ethan first: He climbed onto our bed.

Ethan loves flopping around on our bed, but since it sits up fairly high, he’s needed our help to get on it. He did learn a while ago to lower himself to the point where he could safely plop down to the floor. Today, using the wood rail as a step stool and with a good grip on the bed spread, and pulled himself up to where he could play around.

Creative Ways to Eat Veggies

Ethan always had a reputation of  loving his veggies.  But now that he is older and wiser, he is realizing that those green beans, peas, and carrots just can’t compete with all the other yummy foods available (he loves avocado, but that doesn’t count as a veggie, technically). Mommy has had to get creative in order to get her little boy to eat a healthy diet. Here are some techniques that have met Ethan’s approval:

1. Place the 1 cm long green bean piece upright on the table and make a sucking sound (like the dentist tool). Ethan will then put his head down, suck the green bean right up, and giggle.
2. Cut the green bean up in 1 cm pieces and stick one on a prong of the fork.  Make the fork “walk” towards Ethan and say “mmmm… one green bean fork”.   Ethan will then grab the fork, make it walk, and then gleefully put it in his mouth and eat off the green bean.  After many successful attempts, then try “two green bean fork”.
3. Swoosh a green bean piece in some wild berry balsamic vinegar.  Delicious!
4. Put a pea on a spoon and add rolled oats with it.  Ethan loves rolled oats!  Add some yogurt in the mix for extra flavor.
5. Put a raison or better yet, a tiny piece of banana on the prong of the fork along with the green bean. Yummy!
6. Green beans on a fork with a piece of cheese, of course. ;-)

Written by Beth

Another Ethan first: He volunteered to put away Daddy’s shoes.

Whether it was slovenly of me to leave my shoes in the dinette, even though I would be going back outside a couple hours later, is a matter of opinion. Either way, Ethan clearly knew where the shoes really belonged. While I was cleaning the kitchen after dinner, I turned around to see Ethan, entirely on his own initiative, carrying my shoes and putting them in the closet.

My Little Buoy’s First Hair Cut

That cute little curl at the knap of the neck.  How long do I let it get before it is time to cut?  Daddy kept saying that it was getting too long. “But once it’s cut, it’s cut, and then he officially becomes a little boy.  Hmmmm…. maybe it’s not too long… yet.   Maybe just another week.  Okay, let’s wait until he’s 18 months.  Well, now that he’s 18 months, it really isn’t that bad.  It has hardly grown since two weeks before when we were considering.  It’s really not time.  His hair is thin, and that extra curl adds a little more volume at the bottom.   And, if we cut it, it might not be long enough of a piece to save.  We need a nice piece for the baby book. ”  When he turned 18 months, I looked long and hard at his curl and decided I just wasn’t ready yet.  But, a week later, as I was looking at him from the back, that curl was definitely starting to uncurl because it was getting longer and heavier.  It was time.  I put him in the high chair, gave him some kitchen utensils that I normally don’t let him play, and cut that little curl.  No tears from Mommy!  Whew.   Okay, that wasn’t so bad, and I have the little curl that I plan to keep forever.  But, now his hair is not quite even.  Okay, cut a little more.  Oh-oh, is that too short?  Just straighten it out.  Okay, there.  Good.  Ethan’s first hair cut.

As the day went on, I felt bad that I had maybe cut his hair too short, but I figured it would grow back  fast.  The most disappointing thing was that after all that trauma for Mommy, it took Daddy about two days to notice.

Written by Beth