elevator woes

I know I've posted about this before, but it is such a huge part of our daily life, that I feel like it definitely needs mention...

So, the elevator in our building is being replaced and will be out of order for about 6 weeks. It's extremely old and usually breaks down every few weeks, so this is a very good thing. And it's really not a huge inconvenience now that Noah can walk up and down the stairs on his own and we only live on the 2nd floor (not to mention that there are 3 sets of stairs that lead up to our building anyway!) But for those city moms out there, you know that you treat your stroller like a car and it can get quickly loaded up in a morning of running errands and it's just as heavy to carry up the stairs as when your child is actually sitting in it. Anyway, this is beside the point. Yes it's annoying to me, but we'll be out of town for most of the construction time and I'll be happy to have a brand new shiny elevator when we get back.

The other side of the story is how this is creating some SERIOUS anxiety in my 2-year old. I mean we're talking life-altering stress! All I hear about every day, all day, is how the "ell-i-gat-or is not workin'". So I am constantly reassuring him that the "workers are fixing it". But he demands his comfort friends "bear-sheep-blanket" and stands by the door listening to the drilling, hammering, etc. and tells himself, "it's ok... you don't have to be scawed!" Sad, right? Then it's TOTAL drama trying to get out the door. If I open it, he starts screaming and crying about the elevator even if the workers aren't even there. (I will admit, however, there is a creepy light that shines out the bottom of the elevator door while they're fixing it...) And I try to reassure him that it's ok, we'll just take the stairs. When I finally get him down the stairs (which usually requires me carrying him and the stroller even though he can walk perfectly fine) he tells everyone that he sees coming in the building that the "ell-i-gat-or is not workin'" and that they'll have to "take the stairs."

It's so crazy how their little minds work!

Belmar beach

On Saturday we took advantage of one of Jon's few-and-far-between-weekends-off, rented a car and headed to our favorite little NJ beach. It's just a small beach town on the northern most point of the Jersey shore. The weather couldn't have been more perfect and the most exciting part about it for Noah was the fact that there were playgrounds on the beach about every block (also the most exciting part of it for us too!)

Noah loved playing in the sand and was completely entertained playing under the umbrella for a long time (it's a good thing too, because I was being seriously neurotic about keeping him on a regular sunscreen application schedule.) He got kinda freaked out by the waves in the water after one got uncomfortably close to him, so we spent most of the time chillin' on the blanket and taking turns watching him on the playground. We stopped for some ice cream on the way out and called it a day... a really good day.

staying cool in the shade

**overcoming his fear of slides!

practicing his rock climbing skills

**on another note, I think he's finally overcome his fear of slides that he's had for the past 6 months... I'm pretty sure I traumatized him awhile back but that's all for another post!

little helper

Noah has become quite the little helper lately and I must say it's been really nice. Sometimes it's just SO much easier to do things myself than to patiently teach him how to be helpful. But lately I've found that just by giving him "small" little jobs that are still meaningful, he gets a huge thrill out of it and takes a lot of pride in his "work."

here are a few of his weekly chores:

setting the table for breakfast

setting out the chairs for our daily lunch-time "picnic"

helping with the dishes after dinner

unloading the groceries

pushing the laundry cart down the stairs

(just kidding, mom!)

changing the laundry

I'm seriously considering a chore chart... anyone had any success with something like that at this age? Why not train 'em young, right?

next job to assign: scrubbing the toilet!