Bump on the Head?

There is some recent confusion between "boo boo" and "boobie". Lately he has been pointing to the scab on his knee and saying "boobie". Despite our efforts to clarify the difference between the two, he remains certain of his own definitions.

Santa Claus

Alex has been asking for a white coffee maker. He is very specific. He wants it white like our cupboard door. And not just any cupboard door in our kitchen - specifically the one next to the sink. THAT cupboard door. Everyday he asks for it, every day I get specific instructions about how it needs to be white. Alex's coffee maker needs to be WHITE. I get it. I've looked online for toy coffee makers. They don't come in white. They come in primary colors, pastel colors, and even just red. But not white. I know if I bought him one of those, he would not like it.....because it's not white, and because the colors so clearly mean it's a toy.....and as much as we pretend not to get it, we all know if it's not a REAL coffee maker, it's not of interest to him.

My mom thinks he might be coveting the white one he sees at Starbucks every day. And yes, I considered buying it for him for about 30 seconds. Then the insanity passed and I went on to Plan B. Which was to tell him about Santa Claus and how he brings toys to boys and girls all over the world at Christmas time and that if we go see him and sit on his lap and ask for what we want, he will bring it to us on Christmas. This is what Alex said to that: "No Santa's lap. Sit on MOMMY'S lap. Alex wants a white coffee maker." Oh well. My mom thinks he'll forget in time. I'm not so sure. She's not there every morning when he wakes up asking for his white coffee maker, and not there when he goes to sleep talking about it and how Mommy is going to buy it at the store. I had hoped Santa would buy me a little more time. But so far that route doesn't seem to be working out too well.

2 Years Old!

Alex had his 2nd birthday party last weekend with many friends and family attending. We had Andy the entertainment guy come and do puppets, balloons and dancing with the kids. They had a blast. And, as if a switch was flipped, Alex is now a TWO YEAR OLD. He insists on doing things HIS way. He prefers to do the opposite of whatever we want him to do. If we need him to move quickly, he slows down. If we want him to eat at the table, he insists on eating in his high chair. It is his attempt to control his little world (and his mommy and daddy) and for the most part, it's working. Our strategy: if it's not a danger to himself or anyone else, let him have his way as much as possible. We are aware that any power struggles we engage in with him we will lose. It's his world and we're just living in it.

Two steps forward, two steps back.

Alex is beginning to use the potty. He went yesterday morning after telling me he had to go, sat on it while we read 3 books, and then peed. We were VERY excited and we could tell he felt pretty great about it. He spent most of the day yesterday without pants on, but didn't go again. This morning we did the same thing - spent lots of time without pants on and sat on the potty and read about 5 books. After the 5th book he decided he was done and asked for a diaper. I put one on him and suddenly he grabbed himself and said "dump dump dump". I took it off, noticed he had JUST peed, and he had been holding it in until I put the diaper on him. He did not understand why he couldn't dump his pee in the toilet like we sometimes do with his poop.

So he has the control.....just not the desire. Let the good times roll.......

Backseat Driver

Sitting at a red light the other day, waiting in a long line of cars to be able to go through the intersection, I hear from the backseat, "GO lady."

Pooking and DiaRAHda

We had a rough end of last week and weekend. Alex started last week off with a pretty strong case of DiaRAHda (his way of saying diarrhea). He was in a great mood, though a little more touchy than usual, between diaper changes. The best part was that he was actually an active and willing participant in the diaper change. Usually when he's got a mess in his pants he will deny it so he can keep playing. But with DiaRAHda, he would alert you immediately ("DiaRAHda! DiaRAHda!"), toddle off to the bathroom door and wait to get "hosed off" in the bathtub. Good times. Sadly, by Thursday, the "pooking" began, and I spent Thursday and Friday cleaning "pook" off of our bed, the carpet, 4 of my shirts, 5 of his, both pairs of my flannel pajama bottoms, the rug and floor in the living room.......it was not fun.

We are learning though that Alex, even when sick with the stomach flu, is a pretty easy-going kid. Between expulsions, he was mostly happy, willing, and cooperative. The hardest part was the quarentine.....not being able to go out to breakfast, to the play gym or the park, or to have our playdate with friends Dana and her triplets in town visiting from Chicago. Having to travel with triplets by air.....it was understandable why they were not interested in being within a 5 mile radius of us.

I think both Chris and I are relieved to be back at work this morning....and of course, Alex is fully recovered in time for another week with Grandma and Grandpa. We're trying not to feel short-changed. It wasn't much of a relaxing weekend for us. But then....when is it ever???

My Men and the Moon

Alex made friends with the moon last night. He had never really noticed it before, but walking home from dinner, sitting in his car being pushed by Chris he stared at the sky and would point and say "There it is!" every time it appeared from behind the trees. Chris's dad has a similar story about Chris when he was a little boy driving to the farm in Black River Falls. It was night time, the boys were in the back seat of the car, and Chris leaned forward and whispered in his dad's ear, "Dad, I think the moon is following us." It's fun to see ourselves appear in him. I'm just waiting for his first easter egg hunt to get a glimpse of myself. Let's give the boy a spoon and a hard boiled egg and see what happens.