Smile take a picture

Who knows why, but Zaky has decided a little plastic stove top for a doll is his camera. He holds it up and yells "SMILE, take a picture, CHEESE!!!." He may be taking after his grandmother. Fortunately his camera takes no batteries, unfortunately his little model never sits still.

Finally some teeth

Well better late then never. One year and one month old his pearly whites made their appearance. 3 at one time, and now one month later 2 more on their way out. He was a cranky monkey for a week or so, but with fruit to show for it. He also got his first big boy hair cut. The same barber Zaky and Bill go to. I brought a bag of chips just to assure he would sit still. Zaky went first, climbed up into the chair, and sat as still as a board. Then Jonas, he also did very well, something about the buzzing of the razor must shock them like deers on a highway. Such sharp men I have!

Baby it's cold outside

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Well it is actually only in the 60's, but low 50's at night. BUT we live on the top floor apartment of a cement building. It feels soo cold. My tolerance is also affected in that for the first time in 3 years I am not pregnant or post postpartum. The boys have taken to their footy PJ's which are just to cute. So into the sleep sacks they go, high ho high ho...

Daddy time

Bill stayed home with us for 3 days after my nose surgery. Since then his new fun thing to do with the boys is watching bulldozers on You Tube. Our internet has gotten faster over the last month so we are now able to stream and see things on You Tube. This You Tube watching, bulldozer spotting in the car, mixed with Bob The Builder "skyscrapers" has made Zaky a completely bulldozer obsessed little man. I am looking forward to going to Texas where we can switch over to trains for a little while.

Helping

Helping Mama is one of his most favorite things to do for 2-3 minutes at a time.

Update

Well where have I been? More importantly where have your pictures of the boys been. Last week I had surgery to repair a deviated septum. The goal is come winter I can breath. Following the surgery I spent the night in the hospital (it was the same cost if I stayed or not). It was my first night away from Jonas, and only my second from Zaky, and Bill's first by himself with the boys. All survived, but barely, or should I say Zaky was a little bear. He has said all week "Mama I miss you when you were at hos-pit-al" "I couldn't see you". To sweet but many temper tantrums the following week. I felt flu'ish most of last week, but no pain. And following my appointment today, I can breath! Zaky is still crying a bit before school, but considerably less, and is very happy when we pick him up, not crying and asking where we went. So to update you all, pictures will be following shortly.

Little Helpers Helping Again

We can't pull out the ladder without one or both of the boys itching to climb up. In the last pic Zaky is explaining how the light bulb goes around and around.

Cedars

Taking a break to eat cereal and drink juice box.

Zaky climbed up the rock himself and asked for a picture.


Our family went on an outing last Saturday to the cedars. There are two groves about 1 1/2 hour from us. We always stop at the same breakfast stand along the way. There is a nice hike between the two groves. The path is mostly loose rock, and Zaky walked 90% or more of the way. His dad was tremendously impressed. Jonas thankfully is still very content in the backpack. This hike without kids took 2 hours, pregant 2 1/2- 3. And with little boys a little over 4 hours. The weather was great. The tree trunks the boys climbed are around 1,200 years old. One grove has a few cedars dating back to Christ 2,000 + years. The smell is amazing!

Sleeper or player

As I have said before I would rather not know what Zaky is doing in his room after I have put him to bed. But it is fun to check on him and see the evidence of what ever he was up to. It is crazy what must be going through his mind. The pillows are usually surrounding him. And this particular night he had cream in his hair and Burger King crown on, who knows?

School

Zaky has had his first day of school. Day care really. Hadonie, rowda they call it here. We have decided to put him in the French Catholic school 2-3 mornings a week, mainly for social time (it is better then sitting on the couch for 2 hours while I do chores on a Monday morning). All the kids on the block are gone, so this gives him supervised play time during the week. The teachers were very impressed by his understanding of Arabic. The head nun speaks French to the kids but the rest is all in Arabic. He refers to her as Madam. The beginning was ruff, he cried the first couple of hours, staring out the window waiting for me to come back. The next day Bill took him and he didn't look back, but took off running for the play room. Yesterday though, he started crying as I dressed him saying "today's Saturday, no school" "School closed Mama, school closed". He cried for a bit, but once there was fine. Today was the same; "Mama no school today, school closed, stay with Jonas". But the teachers tell me he was fine a few minutes after I left. The teachers are calm and kind. My little boy is not so little any more.

Barney

Zaky: "Mama I want watch Barney"
Me: "Let me see if it is on"
Zaky: "It's on, mama, it's on"
Me: "Look Zaky it's not on"
Zaky: "Yes, it's on mama"
Me: "Look Zaky it's not on"
Zaky: "This a commercial, Barney on!!!!!"

Potty's Log: The New Frontier

Since our last entry Zaky has grown leaps and bounds in the area of self pottying. His most recient achievement is underwear. He can now pull his underwear and pants down by himself. He has been commando since late July. Our next challenge: containing the liberties he takes in his public urinating. Or should I say: containing the locations of his public urinating. Some growth is expected as he learns this new skill of independence. Some areas that needed guidance: the middle of the drive way where all the kids play (I caught him before anything happened), the playground (he was smart enough to go outside the sand, but just barely missed the other little kid's shoes), and just yesterday,into a drainage ditch next to the main road leading through town. So this is the new frontier of mixed embarrassment and pride in my son's accomplishments.

I have just been discovered: "mommy working on the pooter"?

A B C D

I have to spell important words like beach and bike around little man so as not to upset the natural disorder of my life. This morning we were making plans for the weekend over the phone. Every time we spelled b.e.a.c.h. Zaky was sitting on the floor and looked up at me and said "Take Zaky to the A.B.C.D?" "Mama going to the J.K.F?" I think we have a few more years to use this handy tool of covert talking, but it seems maybe not as many years as my parents had.

These shots he "take all by myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sleepers

These shots were taken on the same night at the same time. Bill will suffer insomnia on occasion, not able to fall asleep, or falls asleep then wakes with the inability to fall back to sleep. But one sure thing to make him fall asleep (EVERY TIME) put some pillows on the floor and an episode of 'Castle'. Zaky, who knows what that boy does to fall asleep, I would rather not know. All I know is he goes to bed around 8/ 8:30, and doesn't come out except for the occasional potty/ juice/ I found my sun glasses/ Jonas needs his clothes, excuse. But we find him in the weirdest places, and with all sorts of things in his bed.

Happy Birthday Jonas

(Bill is watching the Eagle /Atlanta football game, so I have the computer and a free evening, below are several new updates)

Our little man is 1!!!!!! He is our little raccoon we call him (he loves digging in the trash and toilet) one day we caught him standing in the toilet, but could not get to the camera in time). He is WALKING, pointing, saying mama, baba (not specifically to us Yet), darting point when he wants something, stacks blocks, tackles, trows balls, holds a bat, holds his own in the bath tub, takes a lick'n a keeps on tick'n, eats everything without any teeth. He is such a sweaty with his smiles and energy. We love you Yo!

Daddy's little "not"so helpers

Fixing the refrigerator took a bit longer, but the bonding was worth it.

Attention all shoppers

All aunts and grandmothers reading this blog. Little man could use a baseball mitt for Christmas. He is resourceful and using Jonas' peek-a-boo kitty book as a mitt. This is fine for now, but could result in some teasing in the future. And given the current economical crisis, our current Plan B for retirement is a future Philly pitcher.