2 years old

Bobby is really cute. I wish I had more concrete things to say, but he is really fun, but also has his moments. I'll ask the pediatrician on Friday if he should be talking more. I know plenty of kids are (and have been for months) but we communicate just fine - especially with no day care or big siblings around.  Just me. But he does mumble and chatter to himself and it's really funny.  And if you get loud, so does he.  But he also does sometimes just for no reason. I wonder what it will be like when he does talk.  He is getting good at colors and numbers and letters, but not really altogether properly.  His athletic skills and coordination seem to be excellent, however, so we got that going for us if the brain part doesn't catch up. Exhibit A...(not sure what side this defends though)

He loves his trains and trucks and spends a lot of time in this position.

and not very much time wearing pants.  He can throw the biggest fit if you take his pants off and he doesn't want them off, or if you try to put a shirt on him and he doesn't want to.  Very particular that way.

Now I am going to start taking notes on the blog points I want to share b/c I can't remember any of them. He still carries his $2 birthday plane everywhere and sleeps with it.  He talks about how "Namaw" "dew" (flew) home.

Also, just had my first foray into Panko breadcrumbs and I must say it was excellent, although the house is a bit fishy now... My garden is coming along nicely.  I have a feeling the deer are just biding their time to screw me though.  My flickr account is expiring so get all your looks in so I can put off the renewal.

Dos!

Also to follow up on my not-really-crafty-but-I-could-be-if-I-wanted-to-be thing, I put together a little collage of Bobby at the last 24 months.  This is the picture generally on the 4th of each month.  Not exact, but close in most cases. I do wish I had taken pictures weekly and monthly in the same chair or outfit or something, but who are we kidding. We have lived in four places and the kid is way too busy for my picture taking.  enjoy.

0-24 Months

We go all out

Of course, those are finger swipes in the middle

It's Bobby's birthday today.  I'll say it because I have to: I can't believe it's been two years, Time goes so fast, blah blah blah.  I admire those who throw elaborate themed, coordinated parties for their young children - including first birthdays, but I am not one of them. I think I could be, goodness knows I cruise the internet enough and could copy those ideas just fine, but since there's only 2 people here (and he doesn't know what a birthday is!), we're taking it easy this year. We made a cake because that is what more fun for Bobby than me buying one and impressing our guests...The wheelbarrow was sitting on the floor unwrapped, but he loved that as is. We went to see the USS North Carolina battleship and had lunch out and now everyone else is napping. We'll eat cake and open the one matchbox car that i got him as well.  Sort of feeling like a bad mother, I don't even have any balloons, but I figure it will even out and if he gets some friends in preschool one year, I'll have a helluva party then.

Bobby is the best

He has finally started saying yes, instead of Da.  Well, des, at least.
He can sometimes feed himself, if he feels like it.  He will flip the sandwich around and eat the crust first though.
I only ever write about the times I'm frustrated, but Bobby has been sleeping really well and a ton lately.  Even better, he goes to sleep really well.  After we read our books, I get up to turn off the light and he instantly puts his head on my shoulder for a snuggle and song.
Speaking of that song, I thought we'd have a special thing where I'd sing You are My Sunshine to him before I put him in his crib.  Well I did for a long time, then I mixed it up with Christmas carols for a while, but now, whenever he hears that song, he says NO. Even in the car, if I try to sing it, he shuts it down.
He loves Toy Story.  He's never seen it, but he has the book on my ipad and now a cup and a placemat, and he is obsessed. Woody, Buzz, horsie.
Otherwise, he's just really busy and smart and active and busy.  He's really fun to be around right now.

He has been calling for Wiley and Archer today.
We missed a turtle release at the beach that I just found about. bummer.

Beach time

P5290265, a photo by Elizabeth and York on Flickr.

We had a great time with the Wilsons and once I get the cup of sand out of my washing machine and off of every other surface in my house, we'll be even better.

How does my baby only own one bathing suit?  Must remedy that soon.

Great day

Had a little realization this afternoon that we were having a really nice day, so here's why.  We got organized and headed down to Costco/Target/Petsmart. They are all next door to each other; and while some people think all we do is shop, we were only there 2 hours max, including an early lunch and home by noon.  We might do this once a week, or less.  But now I want to go to Target again and get more $3.50 knit shorts for Bobby since they are great for throwing on after he trashes his first outfit or two. And no one told me target has great underwear and I found workout tops I like there too until I can justify Nike big bucks.

After his nap, we washed the car (like 3 times) then watered the sidewalk and washed out the trash can. Fascinating stuff, huh? We took a watermelon break, then went to the now-even-hotter kiddie pool. We blew bubbles forever and then continued to play and hit balls.  We were in the playroom and he jumped to a new toy, so I said, are you done with these blocks? we need to put them away before we play with something else - and then I shoved the bucket towards the pile of blocks - thinking I/we'd do it later, but HE DID IT.  on his own, put the blocks away.  Amen for progress!  He also makes me lie on the floor in the playroom, and then he says, ahhhhhhh.

So with all the swimming and sprinkling, and me being lazy, he's spent a lot of time out of a diaper. And he holds it.  No accidents at all.  And I know he has to go, but won't on the potty.  So when I put a diaper on him, he saturates it so fast.  We're quite far from potty training still.

I sort of love that our house is turning into a beachy/outdoorsy one.  Or maybe this is normal toddler house, but our back door has sandy sun hats and shoes and sunscreen by it.  We have towels on the kitchen chairs and run around in tank tops (me) and shirtless (him) all the time.  It's going to be a fun summer and we are so pumped for this long weekend. Rick has lots of time off and Elizabeth is coming, then it's Ricks birthday so we'll probably pilgrimage to Outback, unless I can talk him into Fondue.

Flickr doesn't like ipod videos

Nuggets

Our kiddie pool is about 85 degrees. it's gross.  and i don't want to dump it out without being able to get that water onto my dried out grass.  Also, when I turn on my hose, I have to wait a LONG time for scalding hot water to turn into cold.  Can I make sun tea with that?

We went to the beach yesterday, It was great, sort of.  Bobby went straight for the water and had a great time frolicing.  I even took him out deeper and he loved getting crashed into by the waves.  Of course, one wave hit him hard and knocked him on his ass; and I just waited to see what would happen. It was about nose high when he was sitting, but sloshy and receded fast, but I had to swoop in b/c I think it was a bit scary for a bit.  Then he got sort of pissy and annoyed when he had sand on his hands.  He had to get over that.

We got this book that was Ricks growing up, The Monster at the End of this Book, 39 cents.  Not my favorite, but glad to have it since a lot of people like it and I didn't have to buy it to see what it was all about.  Well, it also comes in free iPad form, where Grover actually talks and such and Bobby LOVES it.  Like, giggles out loud.  It's really freakin cute.

Whenever Bobby had a scrape or little strawberry or cut, (i.e often) I am nutso about putting neosporin on his head.  When I, however, have a deep, inch long gap in my very visible forehead, it doesn't even cross my mind until today - 10 days later.

I refuse to label and get into talk of Terrible Twos, but my god, if he doesn't get his way or you try to help him with something, watch out.

Looking forward to a long weekend and playing lots, hopefully with some visitors.

So proud

I went out of town this weekend to visit some girlfriends in Virginia.  Rick and Bobby are both alive, well rested and well fed.  Yay.  Except for Bobby getting up at 5:30am, there were no problems at all.  First time alone with Daddy - piece of cake!

So I probably should work on teaching/helping Bobby learn how to talk properly, but we've got it for now.  His one sentence is "hold that" - refering to many things, but often to the plastic tarp that goes over the sandbox.  He has also added, "better" to his vocabulary.  He closes the doors to the playroom - better.  He takes our shoes off outside - better.  He will throw nouns at you like nobodies business.  Farmer, tractor, drive, horse, hay. And that's his dialogue on farms. the end.

We were sitting on the front steps chalking tonight, and a car flew by in the 35mph zone, going about 60. And I said, damn.  Guess who else did too?

Sleep begets sleep.  Got him back on track, for 2 nights last week he woke up randomly and was up from10:30-11pm and then started sleeping close to 12 hours again and today he took a 3.5 hour nap in his crib.  I was getting worried.

We have this train puzzle that when all the pieces are together, it makes a train choo choo sound.  Well this thing goes off, with the pieces all over the floor, BY ITSELF. It scares the crap out of me every time. It also doesn't help it's always at night.

And b/c I have to brag, he can put it together by himself - which is an upgrade from one piece into one hole puzzle that we had been doing.

Headbut

Headbut, a photo by sld78 on Flickr.

(typing a second time...)
So we were jumping around on the couch and somehow we conked heads. Hard. I was sure Bobby would come up screaming and have bitten his tongue or lip. But nothing. I said, show me your owie and he pushed me away. Then I touched my head, saw a little pink on my fingers, thought nothing of it, until it dripped on my hand!

It's not that big of a deal and I'm sure not getting any sympathy around here, but right after it happened every step I took made my head throb so hard. So no run tonight, but it was a moot point since Rick didn't get home until 7. Tomorrow is another day!

Another sleep post

We are having a real aversion to sleep here.  Yes again.  He's been fairly good for several months with a few hiccups here and there, but in the last week he has not wanted to go to bed easily.  And then Thursday and Friday, he didn't take a nap, Saturdays was in the stroller and Sundays was in the car at Ricks game. He is really fighting sleep and no tricks work.  There are a lot of tears, not mine - yet.  He won't cry himself to sleep, he is just too stubborn.

He was sitting playing and I kept trying to get him in his room to read just now, but he kept screaming so I let him play and went to put on my running clothes. In that time, he climbed upstairs and is now hitting baseballs to himself. I'm tempted to let him go and do my thing (which today is probably lay down too) but I know he needs sleep.  We're also failing at bedtime because Rick gets home late and I don't enforce 7 or 7:30 bedtime anymore and we all play and are happy. But then does he sleep in if he goes to bed at 8? no. of course not.

I think I can

Bobby must forgot the word for caboose sometimes, so he just says moose when he points to his train.  Then i correct him so he says, boose.  no Cs here.

He loves to sing too, nunny days (sweeping the clouds away) which is weird b/c he doesn't watch the Sesame Street credits with me at all.  I always fast forward. guess not though.

The best thing he'll do is sit down with his Little Engine that Could book at read it to himself.  "Pease, pease" "hepa, hepa"  Help us, help us - then the other trains say no, so he says "Byee" to them, then the little blue engine says yes and it goes "up, up, up"  over the hill, to which he then proclaims "hooray"

Another train-ism

In one book and one of his toys, the steam engine is followed by a coal car.  So ask Bobby what that is and he'll hug himself and say Brrrr.  Cold Car.

Not quite cute enough for facebook

I tried to post this to flickr but failed twice. Enjoy.

note to self

• wheelbarrow
• chairs/table  (like this or ikea or kid kraft) chairs really, since we use our coffeetable
• chair (like this)
• water table (he would love, i dunno though)

i have to go to Toys R Us to see what they have, although I have to go alone.  Even then, I buy too much unneeded stuff.  I wonder if he'd like a slip and slide.  who wouldn't!

Bobby is so funny and fun to be around these days.  I can't believe he's almost 2.  so bizarre. he is a constant blabber mouth, but still won't string words together, but will totally communicate whatever he wants/sees.

May 1

Bobbys cough is back; don't know how or why.  it's just a day old, but it was bad falling asleep - which thank god he did w/o getting up and slept until 7 this morning, but as soon as we went into his room for his nap it started up again.  Is he just too busy playing to cough? Or, is his room toxic!

I had wanted to do this for a while, but finally got around to stealing the idea from Carolyn and setting up a sandbox.  He loves it, for now.  Thankfully, we had a lot of beach toys to put in it and only some of the cars got in it.

There is a dead deer in my neighbors front yard, I think from a car crash, but it's gross.  And has drawn a lot of hawks or vultures- whatever they are, they're HUGE.

He's not sleeping

I really want to get a sewing machine to make a proper table tent for Bobby.  I could do this. Thank goodness, I have many many tablecloths. 

And finally, how the hell is it May already?