Ivo at School

So Ivo doesn't like the idea of going to school but, thankfully, he seems to like actually being at school. He gives positive, though sketchy, reports and his communication book, written by the teacher, says he "coordinates" with classmates and with teachers, that he eats snack and his mood is "happily attend."

Yesterday, he really didn't want to go. It was only his 3rd day and the first that we hadn't gone somewhere else first...but he was in an excellent mood when Ryan picked him up. He was all-around happy. Happy to have been there and happy to see Papa.

Last night in bed I asked Ivo about the teacher having changed his pants. Ivo said "yea, that teacher like me so much - that teacher love me." That's all I need to know. I was curious about the why (my guess is cuz they were too big) and how Ivo handled it. From how Ivo characterizes the situation, I'm gonna assume all's well.

More Dora and Boots: Dora is Boots' best friend. Who is Doras' best friend? Boots. Who is Ivo's bf? (pause) Papa. Who is Papa's bf? Ivo. Who is Mama's bf? Burl. Aside from the initial pause, these questions were no-brainers for Ivo.

I think some part of Ivo's not sharing info about school is due to language (school is totally Chinese and Taiwanese). He answers questions with yes and no but without elaboration (excepting the pants episode). Ivo tried to tell me something about school but I couldn't understand and asked him to say again. I think it made him self conscious and he realized he didn't know the word... Something like that. Ivo will use words, having only ever heard them once regardless of never having practiced pronouncing them. Usually when I don't understand, he'll repeat and if still unintelligible, he'll try other words to explain. I think when he tried tried to repeat, he couldn't access that word again and it threw him.

Burl loves to have light finger walking tickles, laughing, talking (still)and looking at himself doing all of these thing in the mirror.

Ivo loves shadows.

Today we went to the park to work on Ivo's bike-pedaling.

Getting Ready for School on Friday

I casually mentioned something about LATER when we go to school, Ivo said, I no will go a school. No. I stay home - talk a you.

Which reminds me how "a" is the catch-all preposition: talk a you, reach a sky...

While eating his peanut-butter bagel Ivo said, "I so fast! Like Clark Kent fast." Ivo's been saying a lot of maybes lately. "Maybe he Buzz Lightyear." "Maybe it a plane." "Maybe a monster." "Maybe it a ambulance.'

Today I'm wearing a skirt and Ivo said, "Ah! You wearing girl clothes!" I said yep, I'm wearing a skirt. He looked at his Surf's Up Rooster which has a coconut shell bikini and said, "He wearing boobies."

Yesterday at Carre Four - we went to play and shop - Ivo bought a Boots doll. Boots is a monkey and Dora the Explorer's best friend. This Boots doll was something I was gonna try to lose by the time we hit the check out counter. But it was IMPOSSIBLE. Ivo carried it the whole time. Usually he'll ask me to hold something or just put it in the cart by himself. Anyway, Ivo really LOVES this Boots doll and has watched Dora a couple times since we got home yesterday. Which reminds me to say that Ivo will be Boots, Benny, Swiper - any of the male characters - but will never be Dora, even though he loves her. Ivo assigns me Dora. I can be boys - sometimes concessions are made; "You girl Buzz Lightyear." But Ivo will never assign or accept himself as a girl charachter or a boy-girl charachter.

Also Ivo sings all the Dora songs.

I just told Ivo that we're gonna go in ten minutes. He said, "Where we going?" I told him school and he got sad, flirted with crying. He said, "I want go Toy Store(y)... Poor guy. "I want see Papa..."

Ivo n Burl at the Art Museum 5 Sept

These pics are from Wednesday morning before the boys went to school.

Art 'zeum

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*bucks with Karin

The Ivo Genius

Yesterday morning, while getting ready for the day, as he often does, Ivo asked What we doing today? I told him we're going to the art museum, then *bucks, then school. Ivo said, Nope. No. My school closed. My school is closed today. Pause. You school closed too. Ryan asked if his school was closed as well. Ivo thought for a second and said Yeah, you school closed. We all together. We all family.

Pics That Got Away

See, I have/take too/sooo many pics - some get away from me.

These gorgeous ones are from 26 Aug - Burl's first day of toothdom!

Ivo and Burl visit D-man's New House and...

Wow! What a cool place! Heather and Ciro found an apartment very close to where I teach, and just the other side of Wen Xin from where the boys (sniff) go to school. It's great... It's got 2 floors, extra beds, a punching bag and it's green! Yay!

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Sho came over for lunch yesterday for a long overdue visit. Also she wrote notes to both Burl and Ivo's teachers for me. Yay!!!!

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Today we head to Starbucks to see Mary and Karin and then the

boys go to their school and I to mine. These pics are from 22 Aug - this *bucks is 2 blocks from Ivo and Burl's school taken on the day I first went to check out the nursery school. Burl was a few days away from his first teeth and being able to sit up by himself!

Burl this Morning

Burl woke up EARLY. We came downstairs to play.



Burl has started to jump or rock on his bum. Sometimes he gets so much momentum going he propels himself forward! He does it when he's super happy or excited, like when he sees Ivo.

Burl says bababa and dadada and mamama.

Dos Girls like Burl

Yesterday morning Ivo, Burl and I went to the breakfast shop. We are so happy there's one we like in the neighborhood. It had been awhile!

Ivo and I always get the same thing: cheese dan bing (similar to a crepe rolled up with an egg), shu bing (hashbrown) and ro bo gao (turnip cake). Ivo decided to use chopsticks all by himself and he did an amazing job! In the past, I've used one chopstick as a skewer for him to feed himself - but his way was awesome. Once he got the food between the chopsticks - using his free hand - he was often able to bring it to his mouth jolding it in the chopsticks w/o his other hand. No pics of that - I'm slow.

1st Day of School

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Good Day. Happy Sad Day. Like a Belle & Sebastian song...

So just roughly - cuz all we've got is rough; Ivo's playing his hand close to his vest - Burl's slightly more forthcoming.

Burl cried a lot. When Ryan picked them up, he was doing that tear-free baby breath-catching-breathing that bespeaks hours of cry. Boo hoo. But Burl recovered quickly at home - and except for being TIRED, he was his regular self.

Ivo. When Ryan picked them up, Ivo ran over. Someone asked him who that is and Ivo said "Baba. Bao bao Baba!" When Ryan got there, Ivo was sitting with some kids and a teacher. Ryan asked Ivo if he'd had fun and Ivo said yes. Ryan asked him if he wanted to go again and Ivo said NOPE.

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The boys and I are in bed watching Curious George. Ivo just said, "AGH!" startling Burl. I asked him what's the matter and he said "My teeth hurt." medicine? "NO!"



This morning when we were getting ready to go, I opened the fridge to get the milk I'd pumped and a bottle of Worcestershire Sauce crashed and broke. While cleaning up the mess, I contaminated one bottle of milk. So I had to send formula in case Burl needed more. While I was cleaning, Ivo kept asking me what I was doing and after a few times, I asked him What he was talking about - I'm cleaning up the broken glass. Ivo then started asking me, "What are you talking about?" He also says "What you meeean?"
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OMG! Ivo just said, "George is going away. It Ted fault!" Wow! Ryan and I just told him how Ted was frustrated and wishes he hadn't yelled at George and that he loves George and is going to go get/save him. Ivo says, "It all Ted fault. It just a mistake."

"George is going on the rocket soon.

Ivo n Burl Playing After Lunch

Tomorrow is Ivo and Burl's first day of nursery school. Their friend D-man's going too. We are talking it up super excitedly - but I'm not 100% excited. I don't want to leave Burl. I know I have to. I know I will. I know the time will go fast. Cuz while I think school is good for Ivo - I think, at best, it's just ok for Burl. I also think in a month we'll all be adjusted and happy.

Until 4:30 this afternoon, I was thinking I'd take both boys for 2:00 - I don't have class til 4:30. I figure Ivo could join his class as they wake up from nap - Aiyi told me I can't be in there with him cuz it would unhinge the other kids. So, ok, he may not initially like it, but he talks about wanting to go to school everyday and he loves kids. This plus what I've seen in kindys, he'll probably be fine w/in 30 minutes. So I thought I'd take Burl down the street to starbucks and keep him til the last minute, say 4, but my boss asked me to sub the 2:00 class; so now Ihave to leave both my babies no later than 1:30!!!!

It'll be ok.

This video is Ivo and Burl playing yesterday after lunch.

Burl 1st Foods

Ivo says of Burl, "He just only a baby. He come outta de egg." Ivo is really energetic right now. We all took nice Sunday afternoon naps. Still have head-y colds but pretty mild.
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Neither Ryan nor I can believe Burl's reaction to food. He's pretty funny but really unexpected. He gags, shudders, turns away, turns red and even makes like he's gonna poop - to avoid having applesauce or rice cereal enter his mouth. I've used spoons and my fingers. I've given him spoons spiked with food. He likes playing with the spoon and sitting in the highchair but aside from excessive and unnecesary chewing of the little bit that makes it into his mouth, Burl's bodily against it! It's odd because he puts everything else in his mouth... Maybe the food is too soft...

Also, Ivo loves his booster chair. Yay! That transition wet smoothly!
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These videos go together nicely, in order... The light's no good but the sound is cute!



and this one...

Ivo n Burl Sleeping

The charmingest no-nap guy and his little brother are asleep; these pics are from right now. Ivo didn't succumb til 9:30; Burl about an hour earlier. And those are not the feet of the Wicked Witch of the North, South, East or West - they belong to, quoting Ivo, "Da da da daaaa, SuperMan!"

And speaking of da da da daaaa, Burl tried his first food today! He had applesauce at lunch - hated it! - pics/video posted tomorrow (they're on the downstairs computer). He tried this organic rice cereal, which he, maybe, hated a little less. But sweet Burl was just soooooo excited and happy to be sitting in the high chair and involved with food during our mealtimes. Prior to today, Burl spent our meals on someone's lap, nursing, grabbing for stuff - too focused on the table-goings-on to be distracted by silly toys. Today, even though he didn't like the food, he loved the spoons and smearing rice all over! Yay Burl! And Yay Ivo! for moving into a big/little (depending on his mood) -boy booster chair! Whoo hoo!

Also, there seems to be a third bottom tooth coming in...