The Older They Get

Today we had Aaron's parent teacher conference and we are very proud to say that according to his teacher he is very bright and is well ahead of where he needs to be.  Aaron knows all of his letters (both upper and lower case), numbers 0-30 and during the  the test he knew 47 out of 50 site words.  But I called him over during the meeting and asked him to read me the three words he missed during the test and he got two out of the three!  So basically he knows 49 out of the 50!  Woot!  The one "academic" thing he does need to work on is his penmanship.  

After we were done meeting with his teacher we left the classroom and some of the other kids were standing in line waiting to come in (school was just beginning).  Aaron walked out to get in line and put his backpack up.  One of the little girls in his class said "Oooh Aaron!  How'd you get in the class already?"  Well, Elizabeth was having NONE of that and ran after him yelling at the girl "HEY!  That's MY Baby!" (She calls him Baby).  LOL!  I guess she doesn't like other girls talking to her big brother!  I'm pretty sure she's going to be saying in high school "Listen Skank!  That's MY brother!  You better stay away from him or ELSE!"   Hahaha!  Then after we left Aaron in the class to start school we were walking back to the car and Josh was carrying her and I swear to God she was giving some other little girl the stink eye on the way to the parking lot!  Josh and I were cracking up the whole way.  

Back to the whole Baby thing - Elizabeth calls Aaron "Baby".  She won't even attempt to say Aaron!  She says so many other names!  Besides mama & dada she says Elsa, Anna, Sophia ('Phia), Gamma (Grandma), tia, Sam & even Malcolm!  But no Aaron.  Poor Aaron.  He doesn't seem to mind though.  

Elizabeth was still using her binky up until about 2 weeks ago when I finally decided to see if he would notice if I didn't.  I was just really giving it to her for nap and sleep but she started wanting it more again so one day after she woke up I just put it out of site and she never asked for it.  I put her to bed without it and it went really well for the first two days.  After that she would ask for it once in awhile but I'd quickly change the subject and that seems to work so far.  Yesterday was the first time she asked for it and kinda cried about it when I would give it to her.  I just told her I didn't know where it was!  Eventually she got over it but then she asked for it again today.  No fit, but still.  I'm waiting for the day she doesn't mention it.  Until then, I'm hiding them instead of throwing them away.  

Her birthday is next week and we're doing a Frozen theme of course.  The only other thing she likes as much is Sophia the First, but that's a more recent like.  We've ordered the cake and since we don't have family or friends close enough to invite to a party, we're just going to have cake and presents for us four.  I'm not sure if we will go out to eat (she loves pizza) or if we'll do it at home.  Either way I'm sure she'll enjoy it!  As long as she gets her CAKE!  

Hope you're all doing well!  Until next time!

 

Too Cool For School

That's my kid, in a jean jacket, headed to his first day of a preschool daycare program.  He is just too cool.  I should have popped his collar.  Aaron won't be going to this school full-time, or even part-time really.  It's more like a drop off basis type thing.  But Grandma & Grandpa were out of town for the week to celebrate Grandma Yvette's birthday (Happy Birthday Momma!) so we needed a back up.  And luckily were I live currently there is one right across the street.  They take kids from infants up to 12 years old for before and after school daycare as well as all day care that includes playtime and curriculum.  They even throw in some Spanish and Potty Training!  Woot!  Of course, by throw in I mean more like I just paid $191 for 3 full days of care.  And THAT, my friends, is WHY he won't be going full-time.  

It is a great back up and resource to have and he seemed to like it, though I'm sure he thinks of it more as play time than anything.  But it's something new for him and it gets him to socialize with other kids, keeps his brain working on new things and I'm sure (hopefully) they do a lot more activity than we do with him since on our days off we just want to relax.  But his Grandpa & Grandma take him on adventures like the story time at the library which he loves.  In fact, the teacher at the school said Aaron knew most of the stuff they were going over so he was able to join right in.  :)  Hooray for reading to him since he was a baby!  He loves his books.  In fact, he has a Blues Clues video that he watches where Blue reads Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and I kept telling him I would buy it for him once I found it.  The other day we were at "the circle market" (aka Target) and there it was!  I think Aaron saw it as soon as I did and he immediately started "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!  Will there be enough room?".  He would not let go of the book once it was in his hands!  

This of course, doesn't bother me at all and I never consider books as toys or "gifts" in the sense that he has to ask for them as a special treat because every kid should have books!  Now toys, that's a whole other issue.  Frankly, his bedroom is more like a playroom with more toys than furniture but as the only small child in the immediate family -- it's to be expected I guess, right?  But since birthday #3 and Christmas are coming up and just wanna put this out there -- he has plenty of toys!  He does grow out of clothes constantly, however and is now wearing between a 3 and 4 Toddler.  He's also a size 9 Extra Wide in shoes.  PS - he now comes to my waist.  Granted, I'm only 5' but still.  It's a bit daunting to see your (almost) 3 year old be almost half your height already. 

Aaron is still naked potty trained for the most part, but we are practicing with underwear more often and that's still hit and miss.  On his big boy bed, well....... Being with Grandpa & Grandma for a week while Josh and I were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC meant that he got to sleep with Grandpa & Grandma in their bed and that put us back a notch or two.  So now we're working again on getting him to sleep on his own in his own bed again.  Having a toddler use you as a head pillow while simultaneously kicking your husband in the kidney (Ow! My pancreas!) and smacking you in the face is not a good way to sleep my friends.  Not At All.  

But this boy, this boy is a crack up.  He as learned that saying "What the hell?" gets a funny reaction out of adults so he's been using that phrase quite a bit more often.  He still loves his singing and dancing.  He still falls asleep faster to Dave (Matthews Band) faster than mostly anything else.  He is still really into The Cars movie and practically every day asks his dad "Can we go to the circle market and get another toy?".  Right now we're on the hunt for Flo & Ramone!  And a kid friendly cd player/radio because he loves music.  And momma's gonna teach him to shake his booty!

Life with Aaron is wonderful.  


The rest of our adult life is stress and work and bills and debts and chores and everything else YOU are also going through.  And today, if I wasn't before (I totally was), I am now most definitely the 99%.  But this blog isn't about that so .......


I'll just say again life with Aaron is wonderful.  He reminds us to love, to smile, to dance to sing, to laugh.  


If you ever need a reminder, just let me know and I'll send you a picture of Aaron! 

Where does he get this stuff?!

 

Seriously, I just don't know where he gets this stuff but it's hilarious!

After taking off Josh's hat:

Dadda, you're a mess!

Watching the sun set:

The sun is sinking.

His new favorite thing to say to me whenever I walk into the room:

Momma, get back in the kitchen!

When I was holding him:

I'm a boooooy.  I'm a boy.  And you're a girl!

After hearing his belly growl:

Momma, I'm hungry.

Every day, at least once:

OW!  I have a booboo.  You've got to kiss it!

At every single meal:

Are you all done?

Anytime he falls down:

I'm okay!

 

He saw a spider web today and said:
Yucky!  That's a yucky!  I wanna take it to the trash can!

This boy, I tell you -- He's just adorable!  Everyday he says something new and funny. 

 

Brought to you by your future graffiti artist

Today it was hot in the Northwest.  Like, 95 degrees in some spots.  And for those of you who say that 95 isn't that bad -- Seattleites do not have air conditioning so SHUT IT!  Moving on.....

Since I knew this week was going to be warm I had been thinking of activities Aaron and I could do outside - even if it was on our little "stoop".  I had been actually thinking of sidewalk chalk for awhile and yesterday I went to Safeway and lo and behold -- there was sidewalk chalk for sale right in the front of the store in a summer display.  So today I swept our stairs and little entrance area, put the baby gate up at the end of the stairs and introduced Aaron to sidewalk chalk!  Hooray!!!  

Aaron loved it.  Ulrich loved keeping Aaron company.  And I loved being outside for a change without having to restrain Aaron in one way or another (hand holding, stroller, babe in arms).  He spent a little over an hour outside coloring on the walls and ground.  It's like he's a baby Picasso.  I sent a photo to my mom's phone and she said "He is going to become a graffiti person now!".  Yeah, I'm pretty sure sidewalk chalk does not lead to a life of crime, but I guess you never know.  Of course she thought it was totally adorable anyway.

Recently Aaron, Josh and I went to The Hi-Life (for their awesome $5 breakfast) and Aaron dropped his cup on the floor when a nice woman who was waiting for a table picked it up for him.  I said thank you to the lady and Aaron turned around and looked at her and said "thank you!" and the woman just started cracking up.  She thought it was the cutest thing.  And it was.  Score one for teaching baby good manners!

We're also trying to get Aaron to say "help" when he needs it instead of screaming (loudly) in frustration.  When Aaron can't get a toy out of his toy box he screams.  When he's sitting on something and doesn't realize it and can't pull it out from under him, he screams.  When he traps himself behind a piece of furniture and the wall, he screams.  So we tell him that it's inappropriate to scream and then we ask him to ask for help.  So far he still yells at first mostly, but when I look at him and say "Aaron, what do we say when we need help?" he says "heeelp".  On rare occasion he uses it all on his own.  Like when he's screaming his head off because I'm changing his diaper and he hates it and is trying to roll over and yelling "HEEEELLP" at the same time.  Yeah.  Awesome.  I'm just picturing having to change his diaper in public when he starts that up.  Score one for baby on this one.  (sigh)  You win one, you lose one I guess.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go stick my head in the refrigerator.  And if you happen to see some sidewalk chalk tags in your neighborhood, I swear -- it's not my boy!