Imagination in Bloom

The world of imagination is in full bloom over here. Cal finds adventures and secrets behind every corner. These are just a few.
1)He is extemely attached to his teddy bear "Teddy" and assigns Teddy thoughts, feelings, and preferences. Most of these are extensions of his own thoughts, feelings, and preferences of course. The other day Teddy was hitting and got a timeout, he also was eager to read a book while sitting in Cal's lap but soon vigorously shook his head and said 'that is the end of that book'. Teddy goes down the slide, takes lots of nap, does lots of dancing and is becoming a regular member of the family.

2) Lot of games revolve around firefighters these days. All of these people lined up on the fire truck are firefighters. The farmhouse chicken also wanted to be a firefighter but there wasn't enough 'space for him'.


3. He like to pretend he is falling asleep and then leap up saying 'Woah! There's a monkey in my crib'

4. If he has something in his eye he says 'I have a butterfly in my eye' or with a stuffed nose he says, 'I have spiders in my nose'.

5. One of his favorite games is to play we are all a train--he is either the steam engine or the driver and leads us. Papa is usually a box car and Mama is almost always the caboose.

6. The one that cracks us up the most, however, is when he plays robot. This involves walking around the house on his tiptoes, with the palms of his hand facing each other straight out in front of him while he says 'I'm am a robot. I'm am a robot.' It is always "I'm Am" never "I am".

7. A corner to the side of the couch has become his office, he brings a bag and some trucks and says 'I'm am going to work.' The adults are then required to blow him a kiss and say 'I Love You' really loud. This is by special request. The first time he played this game it was explicitly laid out that saying I love you should happen loudly. Then he just sits there from his 'office' looking at us, waiting to "come home" from work.

I'm Ticklish (and adorable)

Parenting Lessons

When your child is sprouting tears at the slightest bump, refusing to eat even their favorite foods, doing things (like hitting) that are completely out of character, is unable to make up their mind "Yes!" "No!" "Yes!" "No!", and wearing a frown all day long without once doing the happy dance (arms swinging in the air while hopping back and forth) they are NOT being two, as you like to call it. They are, in fact, sick.

You will discover this during dinner when they get sick all over themselves, you, and the floor. It will be reinforced when you cup your hands so they have somewhere to put the sick and it spills over the side of your hands and you wonder how such a small person can create so much sick. Consider us humbled.

Of course, as quick as it comes it is gone. So, during our sick day at home we got a chance to line up our trucks and sing songs and read books and help change the babies' diapers and on and on...

Here I am singing my new songs. Grandma Pat, the swish, swish, swish is from the wheels on the bus book and is my new thing. It makes an appearance in nearly ever song I sing. Sorry, once again, that it is sideways.

Princeton for Toddlers

We are back (thanks dad for the technical help.)  Ok, Princeton doesn't really have a toddler program.  It was just another excuse to take a train ride with a friend.  And, it's doubly exciting because you take the regular train and then another little train (the dinghy) to get there! Wahoo!  And, there was a little snacking and some very cute hand-holding, all very important things to do with a buddy. 

Technical Difficulties

Blogger is being a bugger and won't let me put up any pictures! So, please excuse us as Mama tries to understand even a modicum of this darn technology as it insists on failing us. Suffice it to say, the kids are being adorable and perfectly behaved and the parents are serene and calm at all times. (HA!)

Five Months Old!

Jude is five months old as of last Thursday. Hard to believe. He is loving life and usually wears a smile. He is very deliberate in his attempts to reach for things and DETERMINED! More than once I've glanced over to see him reaching for something and it looks like he could fall our of his little bumby seat. Yikes! He is crazy about his big brother and watches him all the time with fascination. He isn't rolling yet (either did Cal at this age) but is interested in sitting and standing (putting pressure on his legs). He has started teething, which means waking in the night and difficulty with naps. But, even then he remains a happy-go-lucky guy. His favorite thing to eat is his hand or any finger that dares come near his mouth. Cal's favorite joke is to put his finger near Jude's mouth and then say "He's eating my finger!".

A Whole lot of Good Things..

Was a weird weekend starting with a Hurricane threat.  So, in preparation we got out this survival tent, just kidding, we just got out this tent bed for fun. 

And, fun it was.  So fun we couldn't get a good picture because Cal was moving too fast tumbling onto the tent, running around to return and slam back into it again.  (How do you spell a good, long nap!)

Later, we visiting the much anticipated new park in town and had a blast.

Our littlest man is so impressed with his older brother, he spends most of his time around Callum with his eyes wide and his mouth agape.  Ah, the beginning of his lifetime of living up to his big brother.  But, he is reaching his own milestones and, in good family tradition, enjoying eating!  Go Jude.