Big Boy Feelin Better

The top two pictures is C trying to feed himself with a spoon (he needs help getting the food on the spoon, but he can get it in his mouth). The second photo is C playing "race car" in a storage box. Last night we went to a pot luck dinner at his school. Mike the Music Man was there playing the guitar. As soon as we got there, C "volunteered" to sit on his lap during a song. He had his Santa look on his face...very serious and a little dazed. We were surprised that he wasn't into the live music. As we've mentioned recently, C is obsessed with our radio at home. Well, he spotted a radio in the back of the pot luck room. So while the music man was playing, C reached up for the radio and make his "please turn it on" noises. His old teachers thought it was so cute that they turned it on. We tried to explain to C that the music man was PLAYING music like a radio, but that was a no go. The music man did become a hit when he took out a huge teddy bear. C ran up and hugged it three times, and turned around will such an excited look on his face. He must have had a good time, because he lost his mind in the hallway when we put on his coat to leave!

Today he and I went Christmas shopping. He was such a trooper that we went out to Friendlys for lunch, where he enjoyed a grilled cheese and apple sauce. We also got a little ball...doesn't he look like a little dodge ball player?

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Winter Wonderland

After a long week stuck at home with an ear infection and pink eye, we were finally able to take C out and do something fun as a family. We went to the BC Winter Wonderland. How surreal to take C for his first visit with Santa at the same dorm where we met 14 years ago! C LOVED the petting farm. He eagerly shouted "doggie" to all of the goats, sheep, and little horses. We had to make two stops there. When we got to the line to visit Santa, we took of his new hat to see possibly the craziest hairdo we have ever seen on C. By the time it was his turn, we were able to flatten his little unicorn/mohawk down. He wasn't upset visiting Santa, he just looked really serious, like he was waiting for Santa to start a meeting. He did manage to pull off the Santa hat from the life size stuffed animal "Baldwin the Eagle." He calmly ate lunch during the music show and stuffed down two cookies before having a minor "I'm exhausted now" meltdown. It was a really really fun day, such a great event for someone C's age. And a great walk down memory lane for us!

Sick, Space, and Songs

We've had two weekends in a row of someone being sick in our house...now it is C with a cold and pink eye. He is a trooper, but it is sad to see him so down when he is such a happy guy normally. Two little random things that he is really into right now: his "space" and the radio.

His "space" is this tiny little corner in our living room. He loves to back up into it. Sometimes he just likes to sit there, other times he will dance. One thing is for sure, he does not like it when anyone else tries to sit there. It is his space! If you ask him where his space is, he will go right over there.

The other is the radio. He discovered a small hand held radio at grandpa's house. We put the "all holiday music" station on over breakfast, and now there is no turning it off. Not only does the radio need to be on, but it needs to be on the floor right next to him.

On the upside of sick weekend...I think that C has finally said "mom". Not too often, but he has said it. His best "m" sound is "more" (for more milk). It comes out more like "mORE" with is mouth like an owl.

Thankful

We had a great Thanksgiving. There wasn't much eating...just lots of bread, raisins and cheese. By the time we all sat down to eat C was just about done so he took a little nap. A surprise present from his great aunt (a "dogGIE" that plays Jingle Bells) was a huge hit. I think the song was in all of our heads! C would do a little dance- slow squats, almost like smooth jazz meets an aerobics class. He loved walking around the house and looking at family pictures. He did eat some traditional food- Aunt Kate's apple and pumpkin pies (with his hands). The next day Aunt Kate joined us at the library. This visit C wanted to spend most of his time in the play kitchen area. (Figures it was fun to open the play cabinets since we had spent the holiday telling him NOT to do that at home!) On the way out of the library we took a couple of work "calls" in the bank. When we got home I was under the weather for a bit, but we all made it through the transition to the big boy toddler room at daycare pretty well. C loves playing with the new toys, spending more time outside, getting to take part in "pizza Thursdays" and slow dancing during nap time. We have so much to be thankful for!

My Aunt Kate, PhD.

I made my first trip to the West Coast to visit my Aunt Kate. She is so smart that now she is a doctor. She is the best kind of doctor, the kind that can't give shots! Now when she writes her name, she has to add 3 more letters, PhD.

I worked really hard to be a good boy on the long plane rides and I did a good job. As soon as I got to California, Aunt Kate gave me a doggie! I wanted to bring it everywhere we went, but my mom and dad wouldn't let me. I gave Aunt Kate a shirt too...I went to the book store and got a UCLA shirt for me, and a UCLA alumni for Aunt Kate. I had such a good time. Aunt Kate helped me use crayons to make a picture of "dots". Then we went to a aquarium and I got to pet fish. One of my favorite things was brunch at the 50's diner. I loved the old music SO much that I couldn't stop dancing. My mom and Aunt Kate laughed so hard because I am such a good dancer. Even the waitress knew it.

I am glad to be home because I am an East Coast little boy, but I am so glad to have made the trip. I can't wait for Aunt Kate to visit me in a couple of weeks.

C

Beware to kids in doggie costumes...

C had a very busy weekend. It began with his first hair cut and ended with him passed out in the car after a 1 year old's Halloween get together. His "hockey hair" is now gone. While he didn't love it, he was also really good throughout the very quick hair cut. The hairdresser wanted to know if he is always so good with new things (relatively, yes). I was fine throughout the haircut until he brought out the tiny electric shaver for around the ears.

Today C was introduced to pumpkin bread, which he loved. Then we went to the park, which was fun until his dad realized that he lost his wedding ring somewhere between the slide and the playscape. M looked and looked and finally we had to take a break and bring C home for lunch. Luckily by the time be got back to the playground, another dad had found it.

Then C and I went to one of the mother's group houses to have the kids play in costumes. We had wanted to find him a doggie costume, but we ended up going with Drew Brees football player. (We were going to do BC football, but only the pants fit...we are a little too into pumpkin bread, after all). I wasn't crazy about putting on my semi-organic eyeliner on his face for the football costume, but M had his heart set on it, and after the whole wedding-ring-fiasco, I figured I could compromise. We got the the house were a monkey and duckie costumed friends played with us. C was a little too obsessed with a buzz light year motorized kids ATV, which he had no fear "driving". Just as we were about to leave because C was exhausted from, his last little friend arrived, in a doggie costume. For anyone that has spent time with C, you know that he loves dogs. REALLY loves dogs. I am not exaggerating when I say that C took off after this kid as fast as I have ever seen him walk. He bounded after his saying "dogGIE dogGIE" and tried to pet his head. This went on a bit, and his friend was a good sport about it, but clearly looking at C like, "um, why are you so excited to see me?"

I told M this when I got home and he said, " I can't tell if that is something that we are supposed to be embarrassed about or not". It is not embarrassing, but now I know to warn any trick or treaters that come to our house: if you are dressed up as a doggie, be prepared for a special, enthusiastic welcome.

Wild Man Has Left West Hartford

I have brought a wild man home from West Hartford. Not that we was a wild man the whole trip, he just had such a good busy time that he is NOW a wild man. He refused to sleep on the 2 hour ride home and decided that the second half of dinner would be a good time to try out his screaming technique. He also decided to ratchet up his separation anxiety towards me so that when M went to take his upstairs for a bath, you would have thought that we told C that I had left to be someone else's mom down the street. But this wild behavior is just because he had such a good visit. He played in the amazing new children's section of the West Hartford Public Library (seriously the nicest one I have ever been to) where he made friends with a 2-year old in a tutu dancing on the little baby runway coming out of the puppet theater (yes, this is how cool the library is for kids). Then we got pumpkins and apples with Grandpa, played fire truck racer with Uncle B, literally ran laps in front of family before passing out last night. This morning was even more fun...muffin breakfast with Grandpa, a trip to Westmoor park where C saw his first cow and horse and lots of other animals, on to Fernridge Park (where C ended up bringing half the sandbox into the car...but oh well, that is what dust busters are for). And then the piece de la resistance...playtime with the real doggie and the life size toy doggie "Sandy" that my mom had made for me when I was very little and obsessed with the musical ANNIE! After being home for only a couple of minutes, Matt said,"it really seems like he is better at walking." I think he is too...because he was non-stop all weekend!