One last birthday party (and a few other notes)!

There are times I am amazed CPS doesn't haul my kid away.....Tom and I went out to dinner Friday (which is sort of our start to the weekend anymore) and by the middle of our meal, Xavier was watching Netflix on my phone, and eating bites of the pizza I ordered him when I would motion them towards his mouth.  It was a really relaxing dinner, but if I were to have seen a family across the dining room doing the same thing, I would have been aghast!  

It's something that Tom and I talked about a little more this evening - all in all I am very happy with how we have been raising Xavier.  His screen time is genuinely very limited (especially compared to the average...88% of 2 year olds watch television EVERYDAY...and 2/3's of infants and toddlers watch an average of 2 hours PER DAY) as he might get a max of 2 hours of screen time (including cell phone stimulation) a week.  Fruits and veggie wise, he does fairly good about getting his minimum in (5 servings of fruits/vegetables a day)...and he's fairly good about eating a wide variety of food (although, I wish he was a LITTLE more partial to vegetables).  Anyway, I think we're doing a good job...we could be doing better at some things, but there's also the mental health of parents involved too!  :p

Anyway, Saturday was Xavier's last birthday party.  We had a few friends over, ordered some falafel, gyro meat, baba ganouj, and had some pitas for the dinner...all things Xavier is a big fan of too (at least I feel he has broad tastes, even if he sometimes avoids the color green like the plague...although, on another side note, the kid ate edamame the other day and LOVED them?!).  The parents all got to hang out and relax and enjoy watching our kids play in the back yard...it was very relaxed, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  Initially, I was a little concerned because I felt that it just "wasn't right" to not have cupcakes, or treat bags, or a big major kid-party to-do...but really, I think it worked out for the better.  We set up our tug boat full of water, pulled out Xave's big plastic slide, and had our sand and water table set up as well, and the kids seemed completely content.  There was no need for spending $100's on bounce house rentals or doing a major theme party at all...just some catered food to make my life easier, and a bunch of toys so the kids could play!  What could be easier and more fun?!  I know Tom and I enjoyed it immensely (as did Xavier) and I hope our guests did as well.

Today (Sunday) we went to Mass...and it was a completely different story than last week.  Xavier was the best behaved I have seen him in Mass for many months...sitting quietly or watching without any major outbursts or trying to run off...even with me reading and sitting apart from him.  Tom said that he did get a little antsy around the Homily, but all he had to do was remind him of last week when he was bad and he settled back down.  It makes me feel that much more confident that we made the right decision last week to be firm, and explain and show to him that there were consequences for bad behavior...all without any resorting to corporal punishment (which my husband and I are very against when it comes to our children).  Xavier has responded very positively with basic reasoning (you were bad, you made mama sad, now you need to say you're sorry, etc...) and I think his high empathy levels help with that a lot.

Before going to Mass, Tom showed Xave our local wildlife across the street.
There are always deer in our neighborhood! Xavier loves it!!

During his nap we put together Joseph's new crib (the old one had been recalled due to the drop side, and from us moving so many times the hardware was getting kinda wobbly as well).  At first, I was really against having a white crib, but now that it's together and in the room, I rather like it! 

When Xave woke up from his nap and saw it he exclaimed "Baby?! Bed?!!" and was very very excited.  We put his baby doll in it for her to sleep in it, as perhaps this might curb him away from wanting to sleep with Joseph when he makes his arrival?  Xave has slept with "baby" for...6 months or longer now and it's been his #1 night time companion....tonight he asked for her, and Tom told him that she was sleeping in the crib, and he seemed satisfied.

This evening, we took the Strider bike out.  Xave has played with it a little every other day or so in the house, but he didn't really take to it until today.  He walked a good 2.5 blocks with it, and did really well!  He had a couple spills, but got back up, dusted off his hands, and got right back on with zero tears.  :)  When we came home, he had a small snack of Farmer's Market strawberries and a glass of water.  

...I love this kid!!!

...SO EXCITED TO HAVE ANOTHER!! :D