The Heffron Family: Summer Fun!

We're having a fun summer so far! Things were a bit rocky at first, I'll admit. I think I was having a bit of a hard time adjusting to being home full time and getting my mind away from work and into vacation mode! Also, we started potty training (which was pretty miserable at first for everyone involved) and Mitch entered an extremely whiny/cranky phase all at the same time. Things are definitely looking up though! Finn is doing GREAT with the potty! I'm so proud of him! He usually only has one accident a day, but has had strings of consecutive days with no accidents! Hooray! Mitch is still having a rough time some days (not sure why - teeth? Frustrated that he can't say what he wants? Frustrated that he can't walk?), but with Finn getting more independent with the potty, I feel like I can be more patient with Mitch's little tantrums. He has quite the little temper - banging his head on the floor or furniture when he's not allowed to do something, screaming fits, etc. But still somehow manages to be the cutest little one-year-old I know. :) He's really startled by loud noises lately and it came on very suddenly. For the past couple of weeks though, he is scared to death of noises that he's heard a million times, and it doesn't even need to be very loud to make him upset (e.g. the garbage truck coming way down the street, airplanes, etc.). He learned the sign for airplane, and when he first started getting scared of airplanes, I would reassure him by telling him it was just an airplane and I would show him the sign. Now, whenever he hears a noise that scares him, he signs "airplane" as though he's trying to reassure himself that this is what the noise is. I feel so bad for him - when I pick him up when he's scared of a noise, I can feel his little heart pounding away. The other night, Finn and Mitch were playing on the deck and I was in the kitchen watching them out the window. A lawnmower went on and Mitch started crying and I heard Finn say, "It's okay! It's just a lawnmower Mitch! Don't be scared of a lawnmower!" It's so funny how he's listening to everything I say.

As I said, Finn is doing well with potty training. Sometimes I set the timer on our microwave to remind him to try to go. Occasionally, he will say he has to go just before the timer goes off. A few minutes later (after he's already gone), when the timer sounds he will say, "I ALREADY GOED TIMER!" like he's really ticked off that the timer would tell him to go when he's already done it himself! Last night at dinner, I told him that we were having two things for dinner that start with the letter P. "Pizza starts with P and Peaches start with P," I said. He said, "Oh yeah! Like owl starts with dog!" So, I guess it's too early to start with letter sounds. :) The other day, I took him on a bike ride on his tricycle to see the fire trucks at city hall up the street. On the way back, going down the steep hill at the top of our street, he decided to try a new trick - I think because the pedals were going too fast for his feet. He lifted his feet up and kicked them out to the sides of his bike, just holding onto the handle bars and SPED down the hill super fast. I was way behind him, pushing Mitch in the stroller and it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Unfortunately, it ended in an injury (surprise:) - he lost control and bumped into the grass, banging his mouth on the handle bars. Nothing too serious - just a little fat lip. He's participating in my play groups on Friday mornings and is doing really well with it! I thought we were going to have some trouble since he's at his own house and since it's his mom running the whole thing. I was expecting him to be a bit of a ring-leader for trouble, but he's been doing great and LOVING it! He loves having the other kids here and seems to really like the activities too. Plus, he has the perk of having the leftover activities here to play with for the rest of the week too! Well, I hear two little guys waking up - we're off to the zoo I think! :)