What a weekend!

I take back what I said in the last post about Ethan not sleeping past 7:00 am. Saturday and Sunday we all slept until 8:15 and it was GREAT!! Most days during the week I am up at 5:15. What a shocker to wake up to the sun shining!

Ethan's 4th of July shirt. I know it's not traditional, but I couldn't help myself!

Saturday we spent the morning around the house. Gram and Mr. Tom came over and we spent the afternoon at the pool and then joined some of our neighbors for fireworks. Thanks to the Faletras and Stokeses for inviting us to join you!

Ethan and Mommy

Yummy cupcake goodness...and another shot of the great t-shirt!

Gram and Mr. Tom

Marc and I

Ethan and Jonathon Faletra

Ethan on the trike and Marc on the clown bike

I wasn't sure how Ethan would handle the fireworks, but as you can see by the look on his face, he LOVED them!!!

A tad but unsure at first...

Squeals of joy over the fireworks

Like father, like son

What an exhausting day!

Sunday morning was pretty lazy. The weather was overcast and rainy and I was hoping it wouldn't interfere with the Bermans coming over. Ethan was excited for Hailey to come swimming with him. Luckily, the rain held off and we got to go for a dip. Hailey is just getting the hang of the floaties and was doing such a great job of swimming by herself! After the pool we came back to the house for dinner and then the kiddos went to sleep. Ethan let Hailey sleep in his bed and he slept in ours for a while.

If you listen really closely you can hear them saying "Come on Mommy!"

Ethan and Hailey helping Hilary pull the wagon o' stuff.

Caught snackin

Ethan showing Hailey the fine art of jumping off the stairs

Hailey and I makin faces at each other

They are so cute!

Marc reading Hailey and Ethan a story before bed time

TGIF and Happy 4th!

Here I sit at work while my boys are at home. Boo. They are spending the day at the pool and going to Chick-a-lay (as Ethan calls it) for lunch. I love how excited he gets about going to Chick-fil-a. His little face light up and he gasps in excitement!! And the funny thing is that now I find myself saying it the way he does.

So they just called me. Ethan told me that he stayed in Daddy's bed until 8:15 and that they were going to mow the lawn. Exciting!!! I love hearing him tell Daddy that he wants to talk to Mommy...my not so little face lights up :)


Last night we went to the pool and there were a ton of people there. We live in a great neighborhood with wonderful neighbors! Ethan has fallen in love with an older woman...Alex is 14 and she is the resident babysitter. The moment she walked through the gate he was following her around the pool. But much to his disliking, she had another little boy with her that she was playing with. It was extremely evident that Ethan was not a happy camper. His finger went into his mouth and he started the great pout of 2009. He would barely even hug her when we left.





As much as I hate to see him upset it was pretty cool to watch him experience a new emotion. His first encounter with jealousy! Alex promised to give him her full attention at the pool today.

Let the summer begin!

He was supposed to helping give Sabo a bath



I love this picture of my boys




Congrats to Marc's soccer team on winning the championship!!

The summer started out on a better note than we ended last summer at the pool. Ethan spent last summer on the steps of the pool and wouldn't budge! Part of me thinks it was his fear of the unknown and the other part thought he was just being stubborn (wonder where he gets that from). The weekend my Dad, Marc, and Rich built the deck - picture below - I took Ethan to the pool for the first shoot at the water.

I'll post a completed deck picture soon. It's awesome!!


Grassy dirty stinky little boy feet

I was pretty apprehensive. I didn't want to feed his fear or intentionally frighten him, but Marc and I both LOVE the pool and want the same for Ethan. Much to my surprise, he was OK. And by OK I mean he would come off the stairs but would not release the death grip both his arms and legs had on my body.

A few weeks of the same pass. If we tried to push him away from us, he would totally freak out and inevitably end up with a mouth full of lovely chlorinated water. I bought him the coolest Speedo water wings - didn't matter. His friends were all jumping in and swimming on their own - didn't matter. We tried bribery - didn't work. UGH!!

Finally we went to the pool on a day when just a few people were there. This was it...our chance to let him scream without protests from others. And we (read Marc) totally seized the opportunity. Marc put Ethan in the water and let him go. About 10 minutes later, the screaming was over and Ethan was paddling along like he had been doing this for years. Amazing the light switch that is a child's mind.

Fast forward one week and he is full on jumping in on his own. "Don't help me Mommy. I do it myself." Now we all can sit back and enjoy the company of friends at the pool without the screams of this 2.5 year old! Ah, sweet relief!


Notice the infamous leg kick. It never fails. EVERY time he jumps in he kicks his leg back.

From the mouth...

I swear Ethan is the funniest kid I know, and I'm not trying to be biased. He really does say some of the funniest stuff. Here's the conversation that ensued at the dinner table last night after Marc gave Ethan his monkey-shaped vitamin...

Amanda: "Ethan, what does a monkey say?"
Ethan: "OO-AA"
Marc: "What does a monkey eat?"
Ethan: "BANANAS!"
Marc: "Do you eat bananas?"
Ethan: "Yes, I do. YUMMY!!"
Marc: "So, if a monkey eats bananas and you eat bananas, what does that make you?"
Ethan: (thinks for a second) "Full"

As most of you know, Marc shaved his head a few months ago. When Ethan asked him where his hair was, Marc said "I don't know!" So Ethan thinks it's lost. Well, a few weeks ago we are walking up the stairs and Ethan sees a clump of Sabo hair on the landing. He yells to Marc "DADDY! I found your hair!!" Fits of giggles ensue.

March 2009

At the beginning of March, we took a day trip up to Dahlonega (where Marc and I went to college...and more importantly, where we first met!) Marc participated in the North Georgia alumni soccer game and then we strolled around the square and got some sweet treats.

Ethan and I waiting for the game to start

Hard to believe, but this was Ethan's very first ice cream cone! We've tried to give him ice cream in the past, and he didn't want any part of it. Now he loves it! He'll take a bite and act like his shivering and say "Mommy, it's really cold!"

Our nephew Hunter came and spent a weekend with us. Ethan is one of Hunter's biggest fans. They always have such a great time together and Hunter is awesome with Ethan! Here they are playing the Wii. Ethan wanted to do everything Hunter did.

Part of our daily routine is to go play with our friends when we get home after school. When we drive into the neighborhood, Ethan will say "Mommy we need to see if my friends are outside playing." If they are, we grab a snack and juice to share and out we go.

Emerson, Colby, and Ethan sitting on the curb

I made them move closer together and Ethan wasn't thrilled

One weekend we spent the day at Nana and Papa's house. I don't remember why we were there, but whatever we did wore Ethan out! We were hanging out in the living room and he just plopped down on the floor and fell asleep with his car in his hand.

Interview With a Toddler

I recently had the chance to sit down and interview the legendary Ethan Spector. Interesting little guy to say the least. Here's what he had to say...

It's been a while...what have you been up to?

In November I had another set of tubes put in my ears and this time they also took out my adenoids. I wasn't thrilled when I woke up that they still have the IV in my arm. In January I moved up to the Preschool 1 class at my school. It's been a lot of fun and I've made some great friends. Had a great holiday season and got to see a lot of the family. And I've grown! I was 36.5" in November, now I'm up to 37.5". My dad read that you can take a child's height at the age of 2 and double it and that is how tall they will be. If that holds true, I'm looking at 6'!!

What is currently on your TiVo?

I am totally addicted to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, and Tigger & Pooh. Really anything from Playhouse Disney. I just can't get enough of that stuff! Genius!

Is there a particular piece of clothing that you couldn't live without?

Right now it's my White Sox hat and my soccer ball pajamas. I do change my mind on things a lot, but these two have become standards that I don't think anyone should be without.

Stranded on a desert island...what 3 movies do you bring?

The movies of the moment for me are Lion King, Peter Pan, and Shrek.

What are some of your quirky little habits?

I can't stand to leave a room without closing the door. It just goes against everything I know is right! And please, do NOT leave a light on.

You've just gotten home from a hard day at school. What's the first thing you do?

Well, after we get the mail, I love to say "Honey, I'm home!" when I walk in the door. Then I really need a snack. Usually some grapes, cheese, or crackers. If the weather is nice, we'll go out and hang with the neighbors. Or I might stay in and work on my baseball swing on the Wii.

What do you do when you hang out with your buddy Gabe?

We love to play Wii baseball and tool around on our 4-wheelers. You know, just a couple of guys hanging out, drinkin milk...not a care in the world. That's the life!

Do you consider yourself more of a shower or bath kind of guy?

I really couldn't say either way. Just depends on my mood and what else is going on in the house. I do love to swim in the tub, but there are some days when playing ball are just more important so you need the quickness of a shower.

Are there any projects you are currently working on?

I'm trying my hand at using the potty. Forgive me, but it's hit or miss. Some days, I just don't feel like sitting there. Bribes just aren't working right now...I'm just not that into it. When I do sit on the potty, I get to wear these awesome pull-ups with Mater and Lightning McQueen on them so that's cool.

Tell me about your weekend. What did you do?

Friday night we went to school for a Chili-Cookoff/Bingo contest. As usually, we came up short in winning the bingo games, but it was fun. Saturday I partied with my friend Brooke for her birthday. We got these awesome gift bags on our way out. Sweet! Sunday was just a lazy day. The weather was nasty, so we just took it easy around the house. I helped clean up a little.

Anything coming up that you are looking forward to?

My cousin Ayden is coming to visit in a few weeks, so that should be a great time! In April my parents are celebrating their 5 year anniversary and Nanny and Poppy are coming to visit. Then in July some folks are coming into town that I haven't seen in almost year and I am super excited about that.

Do you have a nickname?

The one that has stuck is peanut. My parents tell me that before I was born, I reminded them of a peanut, so there you go. The owner of my school calls me mouse.

What names do you hate to be called?

I hate being referred to as a baby. I am not a baby, I am a big boy.

Are you more of a cat or dog person?

The cat is pretty cool, but she's real moody. I try to be nice, but she usually hisses at me and runs away. The dog is awesome. He lets me do just about anything to him. And it's my job to give him his treat every day. I tell him "Sit. Easy. Good boy." He's my buddy!

What's the one thing that you do that your parents can't stand!

I ask "Why" a LOT now. Sometime I really am curious, and sometimes I do it just to get under their skin! They've come up with some pretty creative answers though. I'm impressed.

Take us through a typical day for you.

I get up around 6:30. Not totally a morning person, but it's not too bad. The parents try to get me to sit on the potty. Usually I say no. Mommy picks out my outfit...sometimes she gives me a choice...and then she helps me brush my teeth. Daddy gets me dressed and buckles me into the car. Then it's off to school. When I get home we play for a while, eat dinner around 6:30, then it's bath time and off to bed around 7:30 to 8:00. I try really hard to get them to let me watch TV, but it usually doesn't work.

Anything else going on that you want your fans to know about?

Not really. Just taking life one day at a time and trying to learn as much as I can. I've got my colors down, now I'm working on numbers. My dad got a new job which is AWESOME!! We are doing good!

If you'd like to submit questions for our next interview, please send them to aspector424@gmail.com :)

August - Busted nose, playdates, and a bath in the sink!

August started with a bang...literally!! The day after my car was involved in an accident (no one hurt!!), Ethan tripped in the back yard and went face first into the fence. Luckily, I was not outside to witness the happening, but I heard the crying and when I came downstairs, Marc was holding a paper towel to Ethan's nose that was covered in blood. Once the bleeding finally stopped and we cleaned him up, there wasn't even a scratch!! His nose did, however, almost double in size over the next 24 hours!

A few days later, we went to the doctor just to have everything checked out. The swelling was still pretty bad and the bruising was even worse! The doc told us that we didn't have to worry about a broken nose because at his age, the nose is still soft. He did recommend that we go for a CT scan to check for a possible deviated septum. I wasn't sure what to expect and was a little nervous.

We headed across the street to the imaging center and waited our turn. When Ethan's name was called, we walked back into a huge room with a table and the scanner. Thank goodness it wasn't a closed in tube type scanner. This one was a big circle about 6" wide. Ethan wasn't as pleased as I was. Asking him to stay still for any amount of time is like torture. The nurse told me that I could lay with him and that seemed to help. After a few passes through the machine, we were done!

A few hours later, the doctor called and told us that everything checked out fine with his nose, but he did have a sinus infection and he wanted us to follow up with the ENT. Marc took him for that appointment and Ethan got to take a hearing test. I was told it was a little spooky and Ethan seemed a bit uneasy. We learned that both tubes were completely out and there was more fluid in his ears. If the fluid is still there when we go back in October, we will discuss inserting tubes again.

Ethan's new toy for being such a trooper at the doctor's

Ethan had two play dates this month. Gabe and the Parkers came over and of course they had a great time. Then we went to a neighbor's house for a cook-in and Ethan got to play with Joey.

We spent the day at Nana & Papa's house and Gram came over, too. Ethan had fun helping Papa feed the fish, playing with Gram, and chowing down on spaghetti. After dinner, Nana gave Ethan a quick bath in the kitchen sink.

We have started potty training again. Ethan wears pull-up diapers at home and loves to pick which one he will wear...there are race cars and baseball! While Ethan sits on the toilet, we read "Click Clack Moo." No luck just yet, but we're trying!! In other news, we've converted the crib into a toddler bed and his pacifiers are no more!!! I have to admit that taking away the paci was so much easier than we thought it would be.