xmas

Xmas brought with it lots of fun and some much needed relaxation. Big guys big present was a train table that two gmom's bought him. Gmom J got him the table and gmom Dino got him tracks and trains. Hubs built the table after big guy went to bed on Xmas eve. When we got up the next morning- big guy saw it, squealed in delight and proceeded to play with the geo trax he got on Xmas eve which were sitting on the table. He was so involved that he played quietly for an hour before he even realized there was other stuff for him to open.

So hubs and I had a really relaxing morning! We opened each others presents and relaxed while big guy played. When big guy finally stepped away from the table for some breakfast, he quickly saw the pile of presents still unwrapped. Big guy got (and may I mention all were bought through amazon points- not a penny spent!) a toy drum, two puzzles, two train books, and a play basket with fake fruits and veggies, as well as, some thomas the train bath toys. He was totally jazzed and thrilled with life.

We spent the rest of the day chilling out and watching big guy play on his train table, he was so ecstatic. And to top the night off, hubs put batteries in big guy's geo trax train so he could use the remote to move the train. The giggles that came out were hysterically funny!!! He would get so upset when the train moved without his permission and rip it off the tracks while laughing. Then put it down once he was sure it wouldn't move again. Only to start the process all over again. A truly awesome xmas and so much better than last year!

xmas eve festivities

Xmas eve was on a saturday this year and started our four day adventure of visiting family and opening presents! WE went over to hubs's brother and sis-in-law's house. When I tell you there were a lot of presents, I mean there wasn't room for everyone in the living room to sit when it came time to open them. Big guy did very well. we got there around eleven and went right into running through the house screaming with joy while the adults fawned over big guy.

Then we sat down for lunch with a minimum of fuss. Following lunch, big guy proceeded to destroy his cousin's playroom, taking every truck, car, star wars figurine out of the lovely order it was in and on to the floor. It was extra funny b/c his cousin is kind of fussy about his toys! Big guy ran with the big kids all afternoon. When they went outside he went and collected rocks. When they played the wii, he slapped and yelled at the tv. When they opened presents, he ripped his to shreds too!

It was an awesome day. probably big guy's best gift was a set of geo-trax, which are plastic trains with train tracks. The trains have a remote that can control them either forward or backward and make fun train noises. Big guy is obsessed with it! And when hubs finally put the batteries in on tuesday to make the train move- big guy freaked, in a good way. Pure giggles while jumping up and down before grabbing the train off the tracks. Definitely a hit, but big guy hadn't seen anything yet!!!

New design

Ok, I'm almost entirely over my tummy issue and I'm ready to tell all about our xmas awesomeness where we had three xmas celebrations and one hanukkah celebration, all in a row. Big guy did awesome! Each day will get it's own post, but we had a great time. and now we are just enjoying our time off. And I will say that one sure way to beat the holiday weight is to get sick and not be able to eat for three days!!!

Oh yeah, and I redid the design of the blog, it was time- something fun and fresh. I think this design looks like a refreshing, fizzy orange drink!!! Enjoy!

Ugh, merry Christmas

Right after I wrote that lovey-dovey post- I got hit with a case of food poisoning and was in severe pain all night. Terrible terrible. But I'm back and now can start telling about big guy's Xmas of awesomeness!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Today was a lovely day. And while I have a long post with pics that are coming to describe this lovely day, I am glad to share this day with my hubs and big guy. Lots of fun, laughter, joy, food, and playing. A truly wonderful day. Merry Christmas!!

the fridge

big guy has figured out how to open the fridge. sometimes he takes things out. sometimes he just hangs.

Longwood Gardens

Big guy picking some berries

Big guy pointing at the trains

big guy playing with some rocks

Pretty lights on the tree

After thanksgiving, while hubs was in the midst of paper writing, big guy and I did a big adventure all by ourselves. It could have gone either way- complete disaster or complete success. I am happy to report that it was a complete success!

Big guy and I went to Longwood Gardens- where there is wide open land, lots of trees, a holiday model train set-up, and holiday lights once the sun starts to descend. WE got there around 2:30, big guy had drifted to sleep for the hour car ride- a definite part of our success. We went sans stroller (another excellent choice) and were supposed to have timed tickets, but I kind of played the "I'm the mom of a toddler and we need to run out some energy" card and they let us in!

We first did some inside time seeing all the Xmas flowers, decorated trees, etc. It was sooo hot and steamy in the conservatory and after chasing big guy for a half hour we bailed on the rest of the "tour." I had sweat marks on my shirt. We went out into the delightfully cool day and headed to the train display, where we promptly stayed for an hour. Oohing, aahing, yelling choo-choo, and trying to climb over the fence and get big guy's hands onto one of those trains. The only meltdown came when we left the area. But it was short lived and I kept my cool.

After that we walked around the grounds and then went to have dinner in the cafe. Big guy did an awesome job waiting in line and we got the turkey dinner special. I brought along some raisins and an apple. Big guy very calmly sat and ate turkey, green beans, raisins, and an apple. and I'm proud to say that every other older kid around us was eating chicken fingers, hot dogs, and mac n cheese. big guy was in good spirits, charming everyone in the cafe when he eventually decided sitting was for losers. We went outside, it was cool, but not cold. We saw the beautiful lights on the trees and caught (very luckily) the last five minutes of the fountain light show- which was totally mind boggling for big guy. And then we left for the car. It was such an awesome afternoon and big guy was totally stimulated and entertained!! yay!!

Xmas party

On Friday we went to our first official Xmas party as a family! Very fun and big guy was on pretty good behavior- until we got yelled at by a security guard!

Big guy and I arrived around 3 and off we went with hubs. We came in and at first big guy had a monkey grip on both of us. He wouldn't let us put him down- but I'm not surprised, it was crowded in there with strangers. I was so hungry that I didn't even schmooze. I went right for some good and ate one handed with big guy latched on for dear life. After shoving some food down my gullet and hubs ate something too, big guy was more comfy and started to run.

He was running all over the room, shoving people out of the way, winding in and out of people's conversations. Very cutely I may add- but people would see us running and ask if he was hubs's son- cute, smile on his face and moving very quickly. It's true- they are very similar.

Then big guy discovered the hallway outside and started sprinting up and down the hallway like a maniac. Running full speed! Pressing the elevator button to make it open, turning the water fountain on. Screaming with joy. He discovered an empty room with chairs and we got yelled at by the security guard. Ok- we will leave the room alone. Ten he started following me and saying big guy wasn't allowed to run like that- its a university! To which I very unnicely said- he's a toddler- he doesn't stop moving and this is a party for crying out loud. Ugh- I was so annoyed I almost found the event organizer. But instead hubs made the executive decision to leave. We came, we ate, we ran for an hour nonstop. Success overall. And we all escaped unscathed!

Oh and there was a chocolate fountain that big guy discovered and apparently we were given nasty looks for double dipping!

mia

I've been MIA recently- but i have a good excuse- NO TIME! Hubs has a class this semester and since he's gone into super paper writing mode for the past six weeks, it's been me and the big guy, all the time, without a break. Most days are fine, but some days he just sobs all the time and I reach my end and want to punch a wall. I restrain, but it's exhausting. Anyway, the class is coming to an end and I had a nice hysterical sobbing yell-fest at hubs after the muppet movie dinner disaster. I'm excited for xmas vacation and spending lots of time with family. And look below, I've posted three new updates on our life :)

baby shower

on saturday, big guy and I went to a sort-of baby shower for my old boss. He actually did really well, but i think might have scared the parents to be. They commented on how much he moves. Um, he never stops moving. The kid moves around his crib when he's asleep. When I was pregnant with him, he never stopped moving. apparently baby still in utero is a mover too!

Big guy ate a great dinner after running around my friend's house for an hour like a crazy person, wanting to knock over every lamp, climb every piece of furniture, and saying hi every five minutes to the dog in the laundry room. Then he actually calmed for a little and watched tv with my friend's older kids- all while trying to torture their chinchilla which he kept trying to rattle the cage and meow at. It was cute except I think the chinchilla is going to need therapy, poor thing.

And we wrapped up the evening by taking a bath in another person's tub- always a thrill and getting into our PJ's for the car ride home. He was so well behaved- as in no horrific meltdowns, just his normal busy self. I hope we didn't scare the parents to be too much!

iPad- I might be obsessed

hubs got an iPad for xmas- but it came early, like the week of thanksgiving. At first I was skeptical, I mean, we already have a laptop and iphones. But i didn't realize that iPad's are made for women. It's completely useful for wasting time on the internet. And there are totally fabulous apps for toddlers.

So far the ones I've convinced hubs to get (some are free, others 99 cents) are:

The Woooo! button- literally a button that you press and it yells, "wooo!" at you -big guy loves it

The Moo Box- pics of animals come up and when you touch it, the animal sounds come out- big guy is definitely a fan and a good way to practice animal noises- his current favorite is the lion where he roars

Bubbles- so cool- you touch anywhere on the screen and bubbles appear in an array of soft pastels and when you pop them they make a very satisfying , "POP" noise.

The Cookie doodler- pull up a recipe to make a cookie- you get to add the ingredients- crack the egg by tapping on it, it makes the noise and pops open, sift the flour by turning a handle, tilt the iPad to pour in the vanilla, you get the idea. Then you get to stir it, roll it out, and use a cookie cutter. Pop it in the oven and decorate with icing, jimmies, and candies. It's addictive- ahem, big guy hasn't realized how fun this one is, but hubs has and has made several thus far!

I think I might be obsessed!

big toddler room

To make a long story short- I've been having issues with big guy's current room at school. I raised a huge fuss about the teacher and big guy has been transitioning early- read: whenever there is room, big guy is in the older toddler room. And we both love it!!!

In the big toddler room, big guy is given more responsibility- he's allowed to open the fridge, grab his cup, take a sip, and put the cup back. He is learning the new routine so well. This month's theme is things that go- big guy's specialty- boats (there is a water table), buses, trains (big guy's obsession), cars, planes, etc. It's awesome. He is eating lunch! He knows to go put grab his coat when it's time to go outside. And that is just after one week in the big toddler room.

The teachers LOVE him! Every time I walk in, they say hello and with no prompting start telling me about his day. How much fun he had, what they learned, how well he ate, how happy he is, how he's such a good boy. love them- and I don't even care that the director probably told them to say that to me. The other day when I left, one of the teacher's looks at me and says, "He's just such a great kid." And I agree- I mean finally he is having the school experience I want him to have.

And I can see the differences at home. He's pretty good at following directions, but when he's in the bigger room, it's reinforced that he needs to follow them, too. HE is ready for the experience to have more responsibility and learn new things- thriving :) Cute example, yesterday big guy emptied his milk cup. He walks to the fridge and puts the cup on the counter. He opens the fridge, takes out the almost full gallon of milk and puts it on the counter. Then he looks at me, like, c'mon woman, fill 'er up! Which I did. Then I asked him to put the milk back, which he did, just grabbed the milk, opened the fridge, and plopped it back in it's place.

And another thing I've noticed- he talks in the big toddler room. On his sheet for home they write down all the words he says in class, shoe, meow, car, choo choo, neigh (for a horse). He was so quiet in the other room. The teachers are so impressed with all he says and he is definitely chatting more at home, too. I'm just so thrilled that in January, he's in the big kid room for sure. Finally, in a good place!

first movie!

big guy went to his first movie on sunday! Unbelievable and he actually did really, really well. We had a 3:15 showing of the Muppet Movie. We met gmom dino and grumpy grampy at the theater. Dino had a huge bucket of popcorn. We walked in and big guy gave her a huge smile and then shoved his hand into the bucket of popcorn like he was catching a cobra-I didn't know he could move that fast. Instantly, the popcorn was a hit!

We took our seats and big guy continued to make himself at home with the popcorn bucket, it was really quite amusing. It's like he's at his first movie but already understands the urge to finish the bucket before the previews are over! He continued to eat throughout the movie and when he had finished, he was so sad that the bucket was empty. He then proceeded to put it on his head.

Besides the popcorn, he did really well, too. He didn't sit for the two hours we were in there, but instead paced in front of all of us. He checked out who was in front of him, the light from the projector room. He clapped and yelled for joy at all the right times. It was a great first experience. The only little issue was he bumped his head on the cup holder and freaked. I went running down the aisle and crushed a fair number of toes (I apologized when the movie ended.) I was going to take him into the lobby to chill, but he got more upset that we were leaving the theater. So, the last twenty minutes, we ran up and down the steps of the movie and watched from there. And when we left he didn't freak out or anything, just said, "bye-bye." to the movie theater. Overall, a success!

Marshmallows

Big guy is obsessed with marshmallows recently. I think he must have started eating them at school, b/c he certainly wasn't eating them with me. We were supermarket shopping and big guy was sitting in one of those cars attached to the front of the cart. We were in the produce section and big guy spotted the marshmallows. He jumped out of the cart and grabbed two bags and put them in my cart. OK!

And he loves to eat them, so cute. He eats them one by one, sometimes out of a bowl, but mostly after he's dumped them on the couch/floor/table. And even funnier is that he knows where they are in the cabinet and will run over and point while making a cute little grunting noise. so cute. the crying fit when I don't automatically pull them down, not so cute.

He's hanging from the rafters

Big guy has been a wild man the past few days. Anytime we have gone out to eat - he will sit for a few minutes, then go all crazy and want to hide under the table or run like a mad man through the restaurant. Hubs and I are back to eating one at a time so the other can run with the wild one. So- we've benched him for a while from eating out.

We had dinner at a neighbor's house on Sunday. She has six cats which were endlessly entertaining. He wouldn't sit still. We had turkey chili which he normally loves- big guy freaked and threw it all over the floor. He screamed every time a cat walked into the room. It was ugly- hubs took him home while we finished eating. Dessert was nice at our house though.

And to top off the wildness- we have a wagon wheel chandelier in our living room (hey- our house is rustic) anyway, big guy loves it and constantly wants to touch it. Hubs occasionally will hold him up to lightly caress it with his hands. I'm upstairs drawing a bath and I hear my name being screamed in a very serious way. I run downstairs and see hubs holding onto big guy who has some kind of monkey grip on the chandelier which is swaying in an unhealthy way. That's right, my child was swinging from the rafters- literally.

I know it is just a stage but it's very tiresome protecting him from the danger he seeks. Hmmm- what can I do right now to endanger my life? Launch myself over the back of the couch onto the hardwood floors with no thought of putting my feet down first? Geez- let the terrible two's begin!

Zippers

Big guy has recently discovered zippers. It's cute. We practice pulling up and then zipping down. The down is clearly easier than the up. Unfortunately he now unzips things that I don't want him to unzip! Like coats, sweaters' people's pants- ok that last one isn't true. But I figure he's one step ahead of the Amish so far- so good!

Our almost first movie

saturday we were going to g-mom Dino's house to pick her up and head over to the Muppet's Movie. Then we were going to grab a quick dinner and head to see the lights show at the local farm (where you get to drive through and see all the lights). Everything was going well until about two turns before her house when big guy starts hurling all over himself. Which is not good, but then he was coughing and choking on it. I did a super dangerous move to the side of the road and ripped him out of the car.

He was fine. His outfit, my outfit, and the car seat were not. After cleaning him off and getting to my mom's, I had to summon hubs to bring some clean clothes and switch my car seat out for his. Big guy ran around like a crazy person for two hours with the dogs (who he loves). He pretty much destroyed the house- he's going through some kind of terror faze. We ate a delicious dinner of white pizza, hubs left, and we headed to the light show. It was awesome! big guy thoroughly enjoyed all the lights- especially the tunnels of lights- we opened the sun roof and all. Following the lights we got some pumpkin ice cream and big guy got some kettle corn. He was in such good spirits. Poor bubba throwing everything up! We are going to try for the first movie next weekend- hopefully, we'll get there without the throw up.

linvilla orchards

Big guy on the hayride

Big guy and hubs starting the train ride

Okay- this is way past due- from before halloween. We went to linvilla orchards to pick some pumpkins, enjoy the nice weather, and participate in some good, old fashioned fall festivities. It was perfect outside- almost too warm for long sleeves. We started our fun by taking a hay ride. Big guy was so serious on the hay ride- it was adorable. So stimulated, he didn't stand up once. He was thrilled to be sitting in hay, outside, driving around looking at all the sights of outside, and right behind a tractor.

Following our tractor ride, we met up with Grandma J and Aunt B. We ate lunch- mmm, lots of fried/unhealthy food. Then we rode the little train (I got a reprieve b/c I rode it last year- it's super nauseating.) We visited the farm animals- chickens, pigs, ducks, goats, and a horse. And then we picked some pumpkins- big guy chose an awesome pumpkin- orange with green splotches. And he loved this pumpkin. Everyday we he saw it he would give it a hug and then kisses- mwah, mwah, mwah. So precious.

acting out the backyardigans

Big guy has several favorite shows. The morning is for sesame street. Then depending on the day Thomas the train, curious George, or dinosaur train is in the background during playing, eating, and getting dressed. Then before bed during cool down time it's usually bubble guppies or the backyardigans. Seems like a lot, but really it's not- I swear!!!

The other day we were watching the backyardigans. There was pizza and Mayan pyramids involved- it's too much to explain. Anyway- in one of the scenes, two characters are falling down a hill- big guy throws himself over and screams, as if acting out the scene- so cute!!!

Playground etiquette

We've been on a lot of new playgrounds recently and I have to say it's a very tricky place to navigate. For one, there are a ton of kids, their weird parents (with their own rules), and then the toys they bring. My general rule of thumb is -don't bring a toy you aren't willing to share. Inevitably kids want to play with other stuff besides the equipment and if you aren't willing to share, it leads to tears and frustration.

Friday we went to a park near where I grew up. It was gigantic! And there were a bunch of kids who brought balls. Fine, but when big guy would go kicking a ball or want to hold it and run, kids would get upset. One kid actually ripped a toy out of luke's hand- I had to intervene. And while I thought about pushing the little kid into the woodchips, I resisted! Instead, we strolled on the walking path.

Anyway, on sunday the weather was still gorgeous, so we went to a local park that I was told is ALWAYS empty- hubs and grandma C said this every time they have gone. So, I brought with us a big blue ball that hubs won at a carnival by smacking a hammer down and making the bell ring at the top. We show up and our neighbors are there- luckily they are super nice and their kids are older so they weren't interested in the ball. Then Grandma C, Uncle I, and Grandpop J show up! Uncle I had a tennis lesson on one of the courts. Then another little boy and his mom show up. Of course this little guy wants our ball. It was going OK in the beginning, but then big guy got a little possessive and I became that mom who brings the toy that won't be shared. I broke my own rule- but only by accident. Anyway, it all worked out, we found a tennis ball for this other little guy to play with. But this playground etiquette is sometimes dangerous to navigate. I figure as long as I don't push anyone, I'll be good :)

Happy Turkey Day

Today was big guy's second turkey day and it was awesome! The day was relaxed- finally we all had a good night's sleep. We played in the morning while I prepared the bird. We ate an early lunch, big guy actually ate with very little fuss- perhaps secure that hubs and I were really staying the whole day. Then big guy and I went up for a little nap and passed out! I woke up and couldn't remember if it was morning or afternoon. Then I went downstairs while hubs snuggled with big guy.

I very casually put in my sweet potatoes, cut up potatoes for mashed, and chatted with Grandma J and Aunt B. Then Grandma C, Grandpop J, and Uncle I came in and the real fun began. Hubs and big guy got up. Big guy was super clingy and tired- giving me great bear hugs for about a half hour. I finished cooking- still unstressed- I think b/c yesterday I heard an interview on NPR about aiming to just have all food room temperature instead of piping hot. TOok some of the pressure off of me.

We sat down and big guy was so excited to have everyone around. He ate turkey and munched on steamed string beans like a champ! After dinner we ran around outside in the crisp fall air. playing ball, stepping on the rotting pumpkins ( I mean why won't those squirrels eat them?), and generally screaming with joy. Following our romp outside- we played wii- the ABBA dance game- so fun! Uncle I was really getting those moves down. And big guy was dancing right along with him. That right foot was stomping up a storm with joy. dessert brought with it an obsession with hershey kisses and baby carrots. All in all a great turkey day!! full of fun, food, and family!

get off my purse

THis was the line I heard for most of my childhood from my mom (gmom Dino). She always had a black purse with a long strap that hung to her waist. And it happened to be just the right height for my sis and I to pull, hang on, grab when we needed her. And she would say, get off my purse. I never really understood why it bothered her so much, until I had a toddler.

Big guy is in some kind of super clingy phase. He will run over and raise his arms while grunting to be picked up. and if I don't pick him up, he'll grab onto my legs and hang on me. If I'm wearing pj bottoms, he will actually pull them down sometimes b/c he's hanging on that hard. When he does that I'll let him pull them all the way down and then step out of them! Then he's all annoyed on the floor with a pile of pants. Probably not nice but it does make me laugh.

He just wants to be on me all the time. And on the one hand, I love all the snuggles- he gives the best hugs. But then sometimes, I'm just like, GET OFF! stop grabbing at me, hanging on me, whining when you aren't on me, just let go! ah, that felt good. I know the time for him to want to hug and love me will be short lived- at least this is what I tell myself to get through the times when I feel like running away and perhaps replacing myself with a giant stuffed monkey. Damn- can't afford a giant stuffed monkey!!!

taking out the trash

big guy has recently become obsessed with the trashcan. He loves throwing things out and so far he's only thrown out trash or recyclables. If there is a paper towel I've just used, I can hand it to him and say, "please throw the paper towel into the trash." And he'll gladly take the paper towel, run to the trashcan, lift it up, put it in, and close the lid. then of course he is very proud of himself! And this morning I heard the lid open, I look over and he is putting the recyclables, which are right next to the trashcan in. very cute. I wonder if throwing things in the toilet is next, which would definitely not be cute!

shutterfly

I use shutterfly for pictures now of the big guy. Mostly b/c when he got his pics taken in Feb for school, if I paid online I got a free photobook for big guy. And then they starting sending me all these freebies- like free shipping and handling on any purchase- boo-ya, I got a free photobook and didn't pay for shipping. Then I got some ridiculous 200 pictures for free and only paid like $5 for shipping on some easter promotion.

Love it! And most recently I got a free 75 prints for sharing with friends, so, the past few days I've been uploading all 1,000 photos since february so I could choose some prints. In looking over the past eight months, I can't believe how much he's grown and changed. I decided to make a photobook every year for big guy to see his life, since I am terrible at ordering prints (except when I get free promotions). And I clearly cannot be counted on to make a photo album or scrapbook. I've yet to finish my scrapbook from my bridal shower- that was in 2008! But I'm doing my best to keep a log of how big guy has grown- through pics and obviously through his blog! but seriously, join shutterfly and get some free prints!

and we're back!

following our accident on thursday, we had a rough couple of days/nights. big guy was essentially miserable which makes for a miserable mamabear. big guy's teeth hurt- he couldn't chew, he was tired, and essentially a crank. But each day brought back a little of my big man to the fun loving boy he is. Saturday we took an epic three hour nap and then went to the zoo in the afternoon. We watched turtles, saw monkeys, went on the little train ride, ran around the treehouse, and ended the trip with the big cats. And big guy ate a great dinner and slept 12 hours!

Sunday we went to NJ to visit Aunt K, Uncle E, and cousin C for the day. We ran around, played with cousin C's trucks and trains, and then melted b/c he was so tired, but of course refused to nap. But we took an hour walk in the chilly air and felt much better. big guy ate a huge dinner and fell to sleep quickly. and although he didn't sleep well at night, he woke up in a very good mood this morning. Chatting happily, eating, and playing. Same goes for tonight- we went for a walk, saw some trains, ate yummy white pizza- and he really ate- a slice of pizza, a fruit/veggie bag, and a bunch of dried strawberries. And he was back to being my happy bubba. And so we're back!!!

and then I unloaded

yesterday when I picked big guy up from school- his face looked weird. And he was covered in blood that apparently his teacher didn't notice. Then I learn that he smashed his face into the concrete sidewalk and no one called me. ok...not good. We were home and he was being such a crank. I moved his nose back and forth- didn't feel like rice krispies, so not broken. Then we went to eat dinner- he freaked. And while we were relaxing after some yogurt he was biting a train track and burst into tears, ah-ha! After checking out the teeth I saw all around his two front teeth his gums were bruised all around them. defintely not good.

Anywho- a trip to the Dr's office later- he's fine, but he really hurt his teeth b/c they slammed into his gums. And there is the possibility he could have damaged his nerves. WTF! I'm pissed. Especially since big guy got up at 2:45 friday morning and wouldn't go back to sleep. hubs and I gave him some tylenol and went to watch the early morning news. Ah, like those beginning days again.

Hubs stayed home with big guy. And I called the daycare to say he wasn't going to be there and then unloaded all of my frustrations on the director. About his teacher, reports I get that say he's tired and sensitive every day, how I need people in there to be more cognizant of him b/c he's injury prone, how I cringe every time I walk into that building to hear how the teacher has nothing nice to say. Clearly not what she thought the call was. She's got some work to do to try to fix the problem. More on that later. Most importantly, I feel better getting it all out, even if his teacher is going to give me and hubs serious stink eye!

clean up

this morning big guy was running around naked before getting dressed from school. He ran over to hubs who was washes some dishes and was reaching for the paper towel roll. Hubs helped him grab a paper towel and then big guy dashed away. Curious, hubs looked around the corner and saw that big guy had peed on the floor and was cleaning it up! I guess kids really do pay attention to everything you do.

Another couple of "cleaning" things big guy does- if you give him a tissue or napkin, he'll wipe his nose and face. And when he gets something on his hands he'll rub them together to get off what's on there- like the move when you are finished with something and are cleaning your hands of it.

so cute!!!! And he's started to like putting things away in their respectful buckets. He'll pretty much put anything away once I start, except for his crayons- he's obsessed with coloring recently. He needs to have the crayon container empty at all times. Big guy's favorite crayon? The jumbo yellow crayon- might explain his sunny disposition!

new school?

so, I've been struggling with big guy's school- more specifically his teacher- who hubs and I call dollface b/c she wears this bizarre makeup, kind of like a barbie. Anyway, I think dollface is an idiot. (my mom pointed out that she only has to be smarter than big guy-haha). And I don't like that every time I go in there she tells me that he was sensitive and crying all day. Oh, and he refuses to eat when he's in there and the past two days, he won't even sit down during meal time.

Something is seriously wrong. I understand that big guy is going to act differently at school- but being sad all day is not how my baby rolls- he is happy, loud, and full of energy- and everyone who has ever met him has said this to me- like somehow other kids aren't like that. And he's a great eater. So, I'm contemplating switching him.

Yesterday was election day so big guy and I had off together. After we voted (big guy pressed the orange VOTE button to cast it- so fun!) we went over to another local school to check it out. within seconds of being in there, I wanted to run. It was in the basement of some church. The director wasn't very nice, in fact it seemed like she didn't like children. And the room he would go into- no windows that can be opened, it was dirty, and it reeked of diapers. OMG, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. Oh well, for now we stay. But we visit another one the day before thanksgiving. Maybe we'll have a better experience.

candy is dandy

Big guy has recently tried some candy due to halloween. He's not much of a sweets guy, but he certainly appeared to be on halloween and the next day. After our walk through the neighborhood, big guy was throwing his candy all over the living room. He picked up a three musketeers and kept putting it in his mouth. I unwrapped it and gave him a taste- thinking he would not be interested. As usual big guy surprised me.

He took a bite said, "mmmmm," and opened his mouth for another bite. I then turned to hubs and arrogantly said- see, now there are three people who like three musketeers- me, big guy, and my dad- grandpop J. Then he proceeded to eat the whole fun size bar. Then the next day with grandma Dino we were snacking on m&m's. big guy started munching and really enjoyed them! I think b/c they were crunchy and fun to pop like grapes! Needless to say, I am no longer offering candy as a snack- clearly too much temptation!

yummy dinner

Tonight for dinner we had Chicken Divan- or at least my sis-in-law/Aunt K's recipe, which might be one of the grossest meals to make but taste the yummiest! I've had a craving for it recently b/c I had been thinking about when big guy was born. I know this might sound bad, but the first few weeks were really hard and awful. Until we got a hold of the whole breast feeding thing and started getting a little bit more sleep- it was essentially a nightmare.

Most of the horror I have blocked b/c it's too painful to think about (people have told me this is necessary to happen so you can have another one!). But I have this really great memory of Aunt K coming over with Uncle E and cousin C and bringing over two huge pans of Chicken Divan served with buttered noodles. It was the light I needed to get me through. I'm pretty sure hubs and I ate it for a week straight for like every meal.

So I got the recipe and made it tonight. mmm, it was just as good as I remember- probably better b/c this time big guy got to chow down-which he did. At the end he was just shoving handfuls of food into his mouth. He wasn't too crazy about the broccoli spears- but I think broccoli is an acquired taste, I"m not too worried- he'll figure out how delicious it is soon enough! It's definitely too fattening to eat every once in a while, but when I need a pick-me-up, it's now on my list!! And as a funny aside- hubs has no memory what-so-ever eating this meal during that first week!

haircut

Big guy desperately needed a haircut. Here is pre-haircut pumpkin fun:

And here is big guy post-haircut helping to scoop out another pumpkin!

Much better!

ooops- sesame place visit

Big bird is really big!

Bert actually got a smile!

Abby Cadaby- our favorite on the tv show- real life, not so much!

Ok, this is really past due!

Over the summer, grandma dino, big guy, and I went to sesame place!! The visit was... eh. I suppose that is the correct sentiment! We started the morning with breakfast with the old school sesame street characters and abby cadabby. Big guy was really unsure of them- they are really big. He didn't do a loud freak out- but the look on his face was pretty much a quiet freak out. And it went down hill from there. He didn't want to play in the water park part, though it was brutally hot outside. He did a full on meltdown while playing in the sand pit. I was ready to call it quits when we decided to eat some lunch on a grassy hill surrounded by flowers. Perhaps it was the nature- but big guy ate a great lunch and he suddenly turned happy!

We headed over to this giant foam pit with more giant foam shapes- big guy ran around like a crazy person and had so much fun. Then we went to where the big slides were and we hung out in the large wading pool underneath them for about two hours. Mmmm, it was delicious. big guy splashed, made eyes at other kids & adults, and essentially had a fantastic time!! And I got to work on my tan (sigh- I was so tan this summer). So, it turned out to be a perfect day. Enjoy the pics!!!

Helping Mommy Cook

Big guy has been a super helper recently. The kitchen is definitely his domain- probably b/c he's so hungry! Our most recent delicacies have been cookies (you know, the kind that are all ready to go except for putting them on the cookie sheet), meat and tomato sauce, pumpkin bread, and lasagna.

Probably the most fun are the cookies. big guy loves standing on a chair right next to me. He takes each cookie and we count as he puts them onto the cookie sheet. The cookies are really cute- shortbread with chocolate kitty cats in the middle. He's pretty much obsessed and actually eats them! And he's not a sweets guy, so I'm guessing he knows that he helped to make them. I guess I'm making the future Mrs. a very happy woman!

Helping to clean

I know, I know- I'm really behind- I have a ton to catch up on- we went on a hayride, carved pumpkins, it was halloween for goodness sakes! But this was too cute to wait until later.

Tonight the cat got out while big guy and I were checking the mailbox. Which of course means she was binging on grass and then subsequently threw it all up later on. I was cleaning up the hot red puke from our beige (of course) carpet using baby wipes. They are the best product in the world. Poop, vomit, dirt, make-up, pretty much anything a baby wipe can clean. Anyway, I finish cleaning the vomit with a couple of wipes- maybe going back to the box to take them out three times. I'm throwing away the wipes when I turn around. I heard a wipe being removed from the box. big guy is wiping the floor with a wipe over the barely visible vomit stain. I walk over and exclaim, "Thank you! You are helping mommy clean!" Big guy then continues to take out two more wipes and continues to wipe the floor. Could he get any cuter?

magnets

since we've been acquiring a fair number of trains recently, big guy has really been working the magnets. each train has a magnet on either side. Big guy likes to link them together and make longer trains. Which in turn annoy him eventually and then he rips them apart. And very cutely, he uses his cool crane toy from ikea (which has a magnetic point to pick up shapes with corresponding magnets) to haul around the trains. very clever in my opinion.

dress up

big guy has started adorably playing dress up. He'll walk over to either my or hubs's crocs and put them on. It takes a couple of tries to get the right angle, but once there on, he starts giggling to himself. Then he picks up the shoes, says, "shoes" and gives them to us to put on as well. Very silly. Are super hero capes next? Hubs's ties? All I know is that it's very enjoyable having him figure this whole putting shoes on thing. B/c play putting on shoes is leading to big guy figuring out how do it with his shoes. He can now if the shoe is upright put his foot in and then all I have to do is put on the velcro straps. woo-hoo!

Putting it all together

Big guy has really been figuring things out lately and it's so interesting to watch. We bought him some wooden railway pieces a few weeks ago. He loves the tracks- running his trains up, down, around. By far his most favorite part is the bridge b/c you can go down a hill or under the tunnel. But what big guy likes most about the tracks is breaking them up and making a mess.

It was a big point of contention b/c he likes to spray them all over the room and put his thumbs in the pieces/get his thumbs stuck. I used to put them away at that point. But then I started making the track into different shapes and while he still likes to break them apart- he now likes to put them together. That's right, big guy has figured out how to piece them together and make his own trackway! Could puzzles be in our future???

new words

big guy has been working on some new words recently- apple, backhoe, and door. today he's been talking non-stop- a lot of his favorite words, but he also said all of his new ones. Apple b/c we've been eating them nonstop the past few weeks. He just loves having a whole apple and munching it all around. Backhoe- which I think he's been working on since the summer. He has a sippy cup with cartoon construction vehicles on it and he's been trying his hardest. Backhoe we finally got this weekend with different inflections- so cute seeing him figure it out. And finally- door, which he's said before but very clearly when we left school today- door! I can't believe that soon he'll just be talking in full sentences- it's mind boggling.

blow me a kiss

big guy is on a kissing streak- what a hussy! He's figured out to put his hand on his mouth and then pull it away while making a smacking sound- essentially blowing a kiss to people. Now, most people we know don't get the kisses- but cars, trains, and strangers sometimes do! And he's discovered that the smacking sound is an essential part of this whole "giving" kisses thing. He'll kiss his trains, his finished artwork, me, and hubs! so adorable- and on the lip kisses are the best, he's just awesome. Tonight when I put him to bed, he kissed me twice and then gave me a big hug. Swoon!

discipline

as we creep closer and closer to the big 2 (!), we venture more and more into the world of discipline. big guy's two biggest issues that are I suppose really my issues are throwing things and spitting. oooh- they burn my bacon!

The throwing thing I think stems from trying to understand that there are some things that are ok to throw and others that are not. Ok to throw include: balls, rocks when outside, stuff in the bathtub. Things big guys likes to throw that aren't ok to throw: trains, books, food, toy cars. The biggest issue is throwing the trains. Mostly because they are hard and it annoys me. Now when he throws trains, he first gets a warning and then the second time the train has a time-out for two minutes- I set the time on the oven timer and I explain that when the timer beeps, big guy can have the train back. He cries for the whole two minutes. Then if it happens again, I can just look at him and he lays on the floor and cries. It's kind of sad. And yet funny, b/c he knows he's made a bad choice.

The other big issue we have is spitting- which big guy thinks it is hilarious! And sometimes it is- truthfully. Mostly, I hate when he's eating and starts spitting his food back out. Which was a big issue this week when he was eating real dinners again but was really frustrating on the spitting side. Especially when it hits me in the face. Not cool. And I realize on one level that he's figuring out all the stuff he can do and looking at his own spit on the table/floor is an interesting development, but we are working on it. truthfully, it has gotten better towards the end of the week. And I'll keep plugging along with my techniques!

the pukies

well, we may have hit our first (and hopefully only) case of the pukies this year. On tuesday night, big guy and I ate at our favorite burrito place. big guy was starving- having eaten nothing during the day at school. surprise, surprise. Anyway, he ate a ton of black beans with cheese. it was awesome. but I was slightly wary that he might have eaten too much.

Later that night, I just had a feeling that I wasn't going to get a good night's sleep. Big guy didn't do a big burp after his cup of milk, so I worried that he might puke. Big guy ended up puking three times. so, I'm not sure if he was stuffed or picked up something from someone. After the third pukie- we went to watch Thomas and the misty island rescue from 1am to 2am, while I spoke to the on call nurse. Then we slept until 5:20ish. Big guy was up and ready to roll.

And the ready to roll part was what had me thinking it wasn't a tummy bug. Last time he was messed up for a couple of days. Big guy was playful, happy, and very thirsty. He was tired- we took a three hour nap in the morning. mmmm, big guy and I definitely needed it. We all took a sick day and ended up going to the babies/toys r us for diapers/wipes/fruit&veggies pouches. And because sick people get presents in our house, we got an awesome thomas the train travel track set- sodor mining company- with a thomas train. And on sale for $30, regularly $50. Boo-ya! Big guy is crazy about the travel tracks and plays with them constantly. So, our sick day started out pretty bad, but it ended up pretty good!

our new eating regimen

Eating has become tricky recently. Big guy is making his way through several weeks of eating awesomely and then deciding not to eat at all. This past week, he wouldn't eat lunch. At dinnertime, he refuses to eat, nay attempt to try some of the yum-yum's I have made. Shepherd's pie, turkey-cheesy mac, even buttered-cheesed whole grain noodles. nada.

Instead, big guy only has wanted to eat yogurt with honey crisp apples, freeze-dried blueberries, raisins, and cheese chunks. at least he's eating healthy! But it can be very tiresome dealing with a grouch who only eats a few things. And then last night happened. My hopes for him eating were low, to say the least. I had made turkey meatballs- which I served with noodles previously mentioned, cheese chunks, and then I ate them with some sliced cheese and bread. Big guy started with cheese chunks, as I figured out if we had yogurt in my head. then he ate a meatball chunk by accident, then another, hmmm. He ended up eating one and a half meatballs, some noodles, a whole cheese stick, an entire pouch of pureed veggies/fruit (the ones that look like capri suns- so good and fun to drink b/c big guy can hold them), another 3/4 pouch of fruits. it was awesome! are we back on track???

carrot sticks and almonds

on monday, big guy and I had the day off together. it was a very relaxing day- eating, playing, walking outside. part of what we tried new were carrot sticks and almonds. I had bought some baby carrots to munch on when I was hungry. I thought big guy might be ready to try them- since he's got those great molars! At first he was tentative, but then the fun crunch won him over. I do think he got tired of all that chewing though.

And at lunch, I was eating my new addiction- trader joe's vanilla yogurt with sliced almond add-ins- and big guy was eating his yogurt. He looked over, checked out my little almond container before I added it. He reached his little fingers in, grabbed a few, and started to crunch. He seemed to enjoy them and grabbed for a few more. And he didn't go into anaphylactic shock- so that was a definite bonus! Now we just have to conquer peanut butter!

happy dance

big guy has this happy dance- when the joy is just too much for him and he must dance with joy. It starts with a squeal of joy. Then he starts hopping up and down. Then the left foot starts stomping with the hop. And then he starts to run around doing all three. And recently he's added a new graceful fall to the ground, roll onto his back, and kick in the air. Now that's joy!

Causing a stir

Saturday night, we went to eat a new mexican-inspired restaurant. While hubs and I enjoyed our delicious meals, big guy happily threw his food on the floor. We thought it was pretty good. Admittedly, the black beans had cilantro in them- blech, tastes like soap and apparently big guy thinks so as well. Big guy was at least enjoying the beautiful weather as we sat outside.

People were walking by, some saying hi or remarking on big guy's cuteness- a normal occurrence. When all of a sudden we hear this high pitched scream, followed by "oh my g-d, that is the most beautiful baaa-beeee! He could be a gerber baby, he's so gorgeous!" hubs and I turn our heads to see the apparently flamboyant man who would yell this in public, only to see a dad with his teenage daughter. Hubs and I said thank you and then did significant eyebrow raises towards each other as the man walked away. It was hysterically funny! That is definitely the best reaction so far!

Pumpkin fest

on saturday we once again went up to Grandma Dino's house, but the hubs joined us this time. We were supposed to go watch some trains at new hope, however, when we got to D's house, there were all these yard sales. And everyone on her block has kids/grandkids, so we went shopping instead! We bought this really cool little car- that we can push big guy around in. He's crazy about it. When he sees it he squeals and runs to sit in it. In fact, since we've brought it home, he refuses to ride in his stroller- only wanting to be seen in the car.

And since we spent time shopping, we decided to go to a local farm for Pumpkin Fest. READ- $12 a pop for some crappy games, bouncy rides, and farm animals. But big guy had a great time running around in the warm sun. He most liked the zone where you could ride big tricycles around a track and looking at the baby goats. They are awfully cute. We were going to go on a hayride to get a pumpkin, but the line was really long. Instead, we ate pumpkin ice cream, kettle corn, and caramel apples. wow, very pig like- oh, and there were pig races, but they seemed uncivilized! At the end we fed a cow- so pretty- and then played with the dogs before heading home. Big guy had so much fun and hubs & I got to eat a lot!! a very nice saturday!

Freeze dried fruit

in my epic quest to battle the inner-toddler who doesn't like to eat anything, I've come to realize that big guy will always eat fruit. He loves it! and I've recently discovered freeze-dried fruit, which has all the yummy and healthy stuff in it, with the added bonus of a yummy crunch. Big guy is a definite fan. His most recent discoveries are bananas and blueberries. The blue berries are fun b/c his fingers, face, and any other surface turn purple. I personally think they are too sweet, but if big guy is willing to munch, then I'm all for it!

salty

The other day we were in the rite aid, I think big guy was sick, so we thought to buy him a little trinket to improve his spirits. After perusing the halloween aisle and the further discounted summer products, I happened upon a little Thomas the train -train named Salty.

big guy is obsessed! whenever he is home, Salty is in his hands. He walks around with him, eats dinner with him, and every night he gets a bath. And right before bed, we pry it from his fingers. And we found out that Salty is Irish and used to work on the Sea. He spends his time telling tales from his travels! Courtesy of Misty Island Rescue. I definitely didn't make it up!

And today when we went to a pumpkin fest- another kid saw big guy holding Salty and yelled out- I want to play with Salty! I guess he's quite well known... in some circles!

jacka**

You ever have those moments when you realize you are a jackass? I had one tonight. Today when I picked up big guy, I was talking to his teacher- turns out we shop at the same supermarkets, live in the same neighborhood, and are both healthy eaters. During this conversation, I tell her how awesome big guy was last night at dinner. He ate two 4 oz yogurts- all by himself with his spoon. very impressive, since yogurt is kind of droopy.

Anyway, I'm all proud and boasting. later tonight, I'm upstairs getting bath time started while the boys are playing trains. I walk into our room and smell something. My first thought is that the cat used our room as a litter box. but no, it's more cheesy. I walk over to big guy's crib and on the floor is a huge pile of puke. Crap! Then I start thinking about last night...

Big guy started crying after I put him down. Then he started to cough. I was on my way up and I thought I heard a pukey sound, but then he was silent right after. Turns out he did puke. Luckily over the edge of his crib. he slept great though- ten hours. And now I"m a jackass b/c obviously 8 oz of yogurt is a bit too much at the end of a cold when the phlegm must come out at some point!

dogs

following saturday's market day fest, we returned to grandma dino's house where we got to hang with grumpy grampy and the dogs! big guy's favorite is Maxy- who is a collie. his previous owner was a family with a small boy, so he's extra good with big guy. Maxy would chase big guy down the fall. Big guy squeals with delight then falls on the floor where he proceeds to get licked and sniffed. Then big guy stands up and chases maxy down the hall. A good time for them both.

big guy essentially ran for the few hours we were there. At one point we were cleaning out some books from my old room and I had them locked in with us. Big guy would run full speed at Maxy, give him a huge bear hug, and then tackle him to the floor. Maxy was so good and would just fall down and lay there until I could pry big guy off of him. And at one point, big guy grabbed Maxy lip and was walking him around the room. what a good doggie! Big guy was so exhausted after we left. Maybe I should think about investing in a dog... nah!

kettle corn

on saturday we went to Market Day where Grandma Dino lives- vendors selling homemade wares, revolutionary war soldiers re-enactors, lots of yummy kettle corn! Delicious! they make it right in front of you and when you get your bag, it's still hot. Big guy is obsessed with kettle corn. Crunchy, sweet, and of course salty- it's his favorite snack. We were walking through the fair a second time and I am holding him in one hand and the kettle corn in the other. He's eating non-stop. One piece at a time in, chew, swallow, repeat. When we put him in the car to head out, he screams in anger that he doesn't get to sit with the bag. so I poured some into a bucket for him. And inevitably, the bucket gets dumped in his lap- hence why I didn't give him the bag. But he was happy as a clam munching away!

first sentence

on friday, hubs and big guy were home together. And contrary to the texts with pics I got throughout the day, I still picture the two of them running around the house with underwear and undershirts yelling incoherently with joy. I'm sure it happens at some point. The day went very well- full throttle fun. And something new happened (do we believe it?)

Big guy has been talking a lot lately. Stringing together all of his favorite words- choo choo, bye bye, car (said with a boston accent), uh-oh! he'll say them in any combination. It's so precious. He's even been talking in his sleep. he'll roll over and say "choo choo." So I've been thinking that this whole saying sentences thing might be starting soon. Hubs texts me that it has happened. The first sentence was: I want to go! And then big guy pointed outside.

and of course this happens under hubs's watch- which means I won't get to hear it for a while. Just like when big guy learned to roll over. geez. Oh well, at least we are starting this complex world of sentencing!

A fish out of water

my favorite book as a child is called "a fish out of water." a story about a boy who buys a fish, feeds it too much, it of course grows out of control, getting bigger and bigger, until he has to call the fish store guy (mr. carp) to make him small again- so good! the fish's name is Otto- so of course any fish I have had has been named Otto. When I was preggo with big guy, grandma Dino bought a new copy, since my original is really old, falling apart, and I took it with me to college.

Hubs started reading it a few weeks ago when we were going to bed. big guy loves it! He thinks it's really funny when the fish starts to get big. and he appropriately says, "uh-oh" when the fish crashes through the bathroom door! And he smiles when the fish is restored to it's normal size. it's so cool to see him love a book I loved as a kid. Now we need to buy the cat in the hat, to see if he likes the hubs's favorite book as much!

First cold of the season

Friday night was not a good night. Big guy and I didn't sleep well- and by that I mean, big guy didn't sleep well, so I didn't sleep. We both woke up on saturday morning with running noses. And we essentially spent the whole weekend asleep or awake & grouchy. Not much fun if you are the hubs- who was on super dad-duty b/c I was so exhausted. We are still getting over it (it's thursday) but are doing much better.

Today is Rosh Hashanah -the Jewish New Year. A new beginning, repenting for all the bad stuff one does during the year. Reflection. big guy and I have off together. We took a walk, played, went to the supermarket- where he did awesome! And then he passed out in the car before lunch. Guess he's used to going to naptime hungry since he never eats at school. Oh dear. I'm thinking about what I need to work on- patience, controlling my temper ( my fuse is short these days), and finding more ways to get big guy stimulated with differing train activities. It's a big list- good thing the year is long!

Be gentle

last week, every time I looked at big guy's sheet from school- it said how big guy had to be reminded to use "nice touch." which to me sounds creepy- but I was getting the message- big guy was not being gentle in his class. after the third day, hubs and I spoke about it. I told hubs he better tell the teacher that the word we use at home is gentle- it's how we practice being nice to the cat. And big guy is awesome with her- touches her gently, gives her kisses. And he's just as nice with other animals we meet in the world.

Hubs called me later the next morning. Apparently, big guy has been grabbing kids by the neck and throwing them on the ground. oh no! but wait, it's actually big guy trying to hug the other kids, but b/c he's so much bigger and stronger than everyone else- he knocks them over. whew! so, we aren't heathens, but we do need to practice being gentle. big guy is definitely a full throttle kind of guy- even we love is involved!

a little tummy something

Big guy has been having a little tummy something this week. It all started over the weekend when big guy was chugging the apple cider. Not such a good idea- as it got big guy's system moving! And everyday this week when I've picked big guy up his teacher has told me how he's been having diarrhea. Which is obviously not good and not what I'm seeing at home either. I mean, it's definitely loose, but not diarrhea. I think our definitions are different.

Yesterday (wednesday) I get a call around noon that I have to come get big guy- he's had two bad poops. Great. I race over and his butt is RED. poor thing didn't want to lay down, didn't want to be held. I let him run naked for a little bit and then put him down for a nap. He was out pretty quickly, only a couple minutes of tears. Grandma D came over and played with him when he got up. Bath time was sad- he sobbed the whole time. Something was definitely going on.

When I called the Dr's office, the nurse said it could be from the cider or she said he got a little tummy thing. Which unfortunately just has to run it's course. Lots of yummy binding food- cheerios, bananas, yogurt, pastas. All of what he's been eating this week anyway. This morning I called the director on my way to work. I let her know what the nurse said and asked that big guy be changed every two hours with aquaphor. And then I asked her to check the poopy diaper to see if she considered it "diarrhea." Turns out, big guy had a great day! Only one super messy poop. Otherwise- all was well. And big guy got his "fall cleansing" out of the way!

Thomas the Train

Big guy and I the morning of the train ride

Waiting in the corn field for the school bus

Big guy checking out the scenery

Big guy enjoying the train ride

And the big deal part of our trip out to lancaster was riding the Thomas the train! It was crazy, I've never seen anything like it. We were going to the Strasburg railroad again, but this time we couldn't park in the parking lot- instead, we parked two miles away. In a corn field. And took a bus back to the railroad. And while this might in normal circumstances be a pain in the butt- I have to say, the bus ride might have been big guy's favorite part!

big guy was thrilled to finally get to ride in a big yellow school bus across a bumpy corn field and without a seatbelt on with a ton of people- he actually cried when we got off the bus. And of course we were late, so we ran to get our train and it was leaving. After arguing with a few people, I finally got to the man in charge who asked us to wait with the other losers who missed the 11:45 train. Luckily, the wait wasn't too long. We got an awesome seat on the train.

Hubs picked out a double seat (two that face each other) and no one came to sit with us. We got a nice window view and it was a good 15 mins on the train. Big guy was hooting and hollering with joy! Yelling- choo-choo! The conductor came by and yelled, "all aboard!" it was just awesome. Getting off was actually better than the bus. We ate some lunch and yummy kettle corn- which big guy is obsessed with! Then another bus ride to the car and we head for home. I was hoping the Thomas train would sate big guy's appetite for trains, but I think it might have just added to the obsession! Next year, I think big guy will be good to take the normal train and maybe we can eat in the dining car!!

A visit to F&M

Big guy enjoying the mulch

big guy and I playing in a garden

Big guy, PE, and I at the track

Sunday morning (pre-thomas the train) we went to visit a special person, PE. She's this totally fabulous young woman who goes to F&M. PE is one of those awesome people that you want to awesome things to happen to and to be in college and wake up early on a sunday to give us a tour- she's priceless! We got to her campus around 8:45. We walked the beautiful grounds- rolling hills, lots of trees, plenty of squirrels! Big guy was of course in heaven! Grass to pull up, mulch galore, and plenty of room to run.

We had breakfast in the cafeteria (oh, it brought me back) and made our own waffles. Big guy stole PE's bowl of chex. Then we wandered for a little while longer before ending back at the football stadium. A really great visit!!

apple pickin'

Saturday we went apple picking. Big guy LOVED it!! Any place where big guy can run through a muddy field and throw stuff is the place for him. Big guy was wearing his new fall clothes, as it was quite chilly! (the vest is so cute- I might be obsessed!) And one of the best parts of apple picking, besides the mud, you get to eat lots of yummy apples- big guy is a big fan of honey crisps- which is my favorite and we ate plenty of them! So much fun, we are definitely going to go again until it's too cold to do it! Just view this to see big guy picking his first apple:

uh-oh

big guy has started to say uh-oh again and it's extra adorable. Why? Because he will purposefully throw stuff on the floor and look at me all sweetly, "uh-uh-uh-oh!" Multiple syllables, even cuter. I keep telling him that if you do it on purpose it's not an uh-oh, but try being logical with a toddler, it just doesn't work!

I'm super cute

I bought big guy these really adorable pj's from old navy a few weeks ago. They are navy blue and red. the pants are red and blue stripes with the stripes forming circles around his legs- extra cute points b/c big guy has delicious chubby legs and they are super long. The shirt if navy blue with red cuffs and collar. In the middle in white writing is "I'm Super Cute." adorable.

When the hurricane hit, big guy was wearing them. And hubs was sick, so wasn't there for the bedtime routine to see how cute they were. The next morning, we went outside to see the tree that fell down on some wires. A bleary eyed hubs looks at big guy and asks me, "Does that shirt say, I'm with stupid?" Um, no. That would make for horrible pj's!!!

No lunch for you

Big guy has decided he doesn't really want to eat anymore. Sigh, he was such a good eater. And occasionally still is but I definitely am thinking back fondly to when I could anything in front of this kid and he was ready to rock and roll. I think it has to do with being back at school. He refuses to eat his yogurt. So, he's mostly eating snacks, which drives me crazy. Not that I can do too much about though.

I've tried sending some yummy italian meats- thrown to the floor and apparently at other kids. I've tried sending grilled chicken strips- ignored. I've even sent a go-gurt (portable yogurts) and I think he ate it, but they are so full of sugar! The only thing he did eat were some leftover four cheese ravioli. Tomorrow I'm sending leftover turkey meatballs, which are usually a guarantee, but he only ate half of one tonight. Sigh again.

And for some reason, it's trickled into dinner time. More often than not, big guy is eating yogurt for dinner while hubs and I eat the real dinner. it's just so frustrating. Maybe it's a tummy thing- he did have diarrhea today and major diaper rash. Maybe it's a toddler thing. The good thought I have is that he's solid, so I'm not too concerned that he's going to melt away!

Hand, hand, fingers, thumb

big guy has been pointing for a long time, but now he likes to grab my hands (or hubs) and point our hands at something. Sometimes he'll put our hands onto what he wants- like onto the computer screen to point at the train going by. Or he'll grab our hands and take us somewhere.

Big guy will grab my hand and pull me onto the floor so we can sit together. so precious. And the best new thing? He likes to hold hands when we go for walks. It used to be I would carry him down the street to go for a short walk, like if we just need to cool down for a bit. But I recently realized that big guy likes to walk on the sidewalk and explore the neighborhood. and now he'll walk with me down the street holding hands.

Besides being really sweet, it also provides me with some control to slow him down and prevent falls. Always a good thing. I must say that when I started the walks, I grabbed his hand. But now he reaches back and takes my hand like it's the most natural way to walk.

A case of the grouchies

Big guy, hubs, and I were grouchy today. Each in our own ways and at varying times during the day. Hubs always says that the mood I'm in is the mood the family is in. Usually this is true, except today I was in good spirits, and the boys had a serious case of the grouchies.

We were going to go to the park today, but big guy was pretty exhausted from his day of fun with hubs on friday, that we just walked to the duckpond. Big guy was ok until he wanted to go a little too crazy in the mud- I'm all for getting dirty, but this was too much for me. meltdown! Luckily, we had stopped and gotten an egg, cheese, and sausage bagel- so big guy conveniently munched on that for the walk home.

Hubs was pretty much grouchy all day. but he did get in better spirits after a very short :( naptime. We went to the farmer's market to pick up some italian meats, fruit, and snacks. BIg guy and hubs snacked on blueberries, soprasada, and sausage very happily until we went to our first b-day party for one of big guy's friends. And he was surprisingly good or we were lucky that there were a bunch of other kids w/parents who were totally cool with his wildness! So, while the day started out with a case of the grouchies, it actually turned out to be awesome!

bathtub disaster

tonight I was giving big guy a bath. He was really comfortable- apparently- because he took a huge poop. Luckily, I saw it right away, but obviously had to get big guy out as fast as possible. I yanked him out of the tub and set him on the floor. Darn, I hadn't cleaned his butt area yet! I yell, "HUBS!!" I'm in need of help. Wet, slippery baby. Poop in tub. big guy attempting to get back in and clearly upset that his fun was interrupted so abruptly.

I hear hubs running up the stairs yelling, "Oh my g-d, oh my g-d." Then I realize, hubs thinks there is an injury. I say, "we're fine, but there's poop!" He calms down when he sees us. I ask him to hold big guy while I suds his rump and then dump a cup of water from the sink on him over the tub. He does and we end the bath time quickly. As I'm walking out, I notice the roll of paper towels hubs brought up. I ask, "what's with the paper towels?" Hubs looks at me and says, "well, either we were going to the ER or there was poop." I'll take poop any day!

Dancing

big guy is quite the dancer. Ok, by dancing, I mean bopping up and down and some foot stomps thrown in. it's adorable, to say the least. it's funny how he will just start dancing when he hears a good beat that moves him. Like tonight, we were watching beethoven's second (it was raining, we were all tired from a bad night's sleep, and big guy is still battling this mini-cold) and hubs starts to sing some funky beats. Big guy is staring very seriously at the st. bernard's on the screen and he just starts bopping. Bounce, bounce, bounce. Then a foot stomp comes in. Like he was dancing not of his own volition. sometimes we just start funky beats to see the dancing.

Chocolate

Big guy has recently decided that he wants to try some new stuff food wise. And unfortunately it's the unhealthy stuff he suddenly has an interest in. Chocolate being the main yum-yum on his radar. Suffice to say that as being related to my mother means that I LOVE chocolate. It's true, I need to have it everyday. It makes me happy if I'm sad, calms me when I'm tense, and um, pretty much any excuse to eat it, I will find- get the picture?

So I was very surprised when big guy did not like chocolate upon first taste. Or second. Or third. It would go in, and then come right back out! I think it's mostly a texture thing. Anywho, the other day I made brownies for a party and then we didn't go, so I was sadly (ok, not that sad) given the opportunity to eat the whole tray- hey, it was only an 8X8 pan! I took a bite of one and big guy came over to investigate. I gave him a taste expecting the spit out, but instead, he chewed, looked up at me, and opened wide for another bite.

Uh-oh! Not to fear, he didn't want more after that bite. But he has been dabbling with chocolate ever since. Chocolate covered biscuit, don't mind if I do. Non-pareils, mmmm. He still won't do ice cream though. Oh well. He will eventually discover it's yummy-ness!

bedtime song

The past two nights big guy has been very cuddly before bed. After we finish our milk, I walk him over to his crib and hold him while we sway for a few minutes. Sometimes longer than other times! But the past two nights, he has given me delicious hugs- arms around my neck, legs around my waist. And he has started to sing this really cute song.

It sounds like he is humming- "mmmm, mmmm, mmmm. mmmm, mmmm." Just like that- set of three, set of two, set of three. Over and over for a few minutes. Then at the end of his song, he starts to giggle, like he's just uncovered a secret or something. then I get a kiss and he's into the crib. Very precious.

not our day

Today was the beginning of the labor day-four day weekend. Big guy didn't have to go to school and neither did I. I thought it'd be a great day. Boy, was I wrong. It just wasn't our day. big guy decided to wake up at nine o'clock last night, inconsolable. I put him in bed with me and then moved him back to his bed after he was asleep. But then he decided to get up at two am and not go back to sleep until four am. He and I were both exhausted when he decided 6:15 was a good time to wake up.

The only good thing (besides hubs getting me an extra large Hot Chocolate from the dunkin' donuts and a bagel w/ cream cheese for big guy and I to share) was that we could take a nap later on b/c we had no where to go and nothing to do. And usually this works our for us, but like I said, it wasn't our day.

We watched some sesame street and curious george- our norm- ate a good breakfast, and walked hubs to the train station. It was a great morning outside- we were out for about two hours- watching trains, watching the construction across the street- they were paving a road! giant dump trucks, pavers, rollers- it was awesome. We came inside and had a banana. I took us up to lay down around 10am. I was very excited for a two hour nap and so was big guy- excited that is, but not to sleep. He thought it was play time. Fine, we go downstairs and play. Unload the dishwasher, eat lunch.

Around 12:15, I drop him in his crib and I pass out on the couch. Only to be awoken at 1:40 by a screaming toddler. Craaaap! He wouldn't go back to sleep in bed with me- he was hysterical, from exhaustion. He fell asleep on me for a little while on the couch. After a full on tantrum, we was in good spirits. we were going to walk to the post office, but then big guy decided to shove his hand into the door jam of one of our cabinets and ripped off a chunk of skin and formed some blood blisters on his left index finger. Sigh, when was this day going to end?

But wait- there's more. After calming him down and calling the dr, we met hubs at the train station. We booked it back home to eat our leftovers from the week for dinner. I was so excited b/c I was having the left over chili! And then it slipped out of my hand and spilled all over the floor. It just wasn't our day.

Mommy's helper

big guy has been a big help to me this week with... cooking! Do I have a budding chef on my hands, possibly. But I definitely have a little buddy to help. It all started when I was making some banana bread muffins last week. Big guy was very interested in the bananas to begin with. Then he wanted to see what I was up to. So, he helped me measure the sugar. And actually dipped the measuring cup into the flour!

Last night I was making chili with ground chicken. big guy helped me add the chopped peppers to the pot- very carefully away from the heat. He was surprisingly thorough in picking up each and every straggler-pepper. I love this new interest in cooking. He already loves shopping for food, but now he's going to be even more invested in helping make dinner and thus in eating it!

Back to school

Big guy started school again yesterday. I was worried that the day would go badly- crying, hysterics, etc. Turns out I was worried for nothing. he had a totally fabulous day. No tears, fell asleep on a mat on the floor like a big boy with no problems, played with trucks. It was great... except that some kid bit him! And then in retaliation, big guy bit a different kid. Maybe it was some kind of hazing ritual?!

Anyway, the teacher and director were all weird talking to me about it. I was thinking at the time, why the F**k are you speaking to me like I should be doing something? He didn't bite anyone when he was home with me for 8 weeks! Like I said weird. And I was all hostile afterwards. And I'm pretty sure the teacher is an idiot. She didn't give him his yogurt for lunch. So instead he ate pretzel sticks and strawberries for lunch. Um, what?

Today was better. I called midday and there were no incidents. I also asked about this giant kid (the one who hit him in the face the other day & who I'm also sure was a part of this biting circle) was moving soon- I was assured- monday. Whew!

So when I went to pick him up today his report was good. He was just waking up on his mat- he came over and gave me a big hug. It was awesome. And I said, you had a good day? And he said, Yeah! Then the teacher gave me his sippy cup from yesterday that I forgot and I was like, oh, where's his cup from today? "Your husband didn't give me a cup." Great, so big guy only drank a juice box today. grrrr. I open up the bag and there are the extra diapers for his room. Oh, she didn't notice those either or the sippy cup underneath filled with milk?! Omg, she is an idiot.

She actually commented that hubs didn't say anything to her about the diapers. I was like, he's a man, men don't do stuff like that. I told her to always look in his bag if something is missing. I'm hoping she will. Big guy tanked his milk before we had left the parking lot. The good thing is that he's having a great time. And he's been in a great mood with me at home. Good weather, going outside to play, eating dinner. It's been awesome!

New on our front

Ok, it a weather pun. This week brought with it some wild weather for our area at least. Tuesday there was an earthquake. Nothing serious where we were, but a first for me. and big guy, who slept through it. And this weekend we had a hurricane- strong winds, tons of rain, and a sick hubs. It was a sad scene.

I was in charge of a toddler trapped by the rain, the cat (who got out two hours before the rain started!), the sick hubs (who was quarantined in the other room with video games and movies), packing up the outside for the oncoming weather, doing my normal chores (dishes, laundry, general cleaning), and taking care of the fish (oops- saturday night I found the orange fish dead).

Luckily, everything worked out, except for the fish. And big guy slept through the hurricane as well. The only time he woke up was at midnight and 12:30 when our power flickered on and off and the sump pump made a really loud noise. Thank goodness this weekend is over. I'm bushed! I am sad that big guy has to go back to school tomorrow, but we will all be ok.

old man in the making?

big guy has recently been on a fiber kick. I mean we eat a lot of fiber in our house anyway, but I think he's decided to go right to the old man foods. Raisins- he'll suck 'em down until I take the container away. Raisin bran- and not that he eats just the raisins... he actually likes the flakes when they are all soggy (which is also how I prefer cereal, too). And most recently- fiber one cereal with milk- flakes, honey clusters, both at the same time. He's a fan! I wonder if he'd eat a whole prune, hmmm, an experiment for the future!

Some cuteness

Here are some recent pics of the big guy being extra cute:

Big guy eating an entire bag of mini pretzel sticks that he dumped on the floor!

Hubs and I call this his "robo-cop" look

A boy and his cat

Big guy is in love with blankets all of a sudden. He loves running through the house with them and covering himself with them on the couch. We may have to invest in a lovey!