Photography
Thomas's new hobby is taking pictures with my digital camera. I can't believe I'm letting him carry around my new camera. It is a year old by now but to me it's still new. Parenthood obviously makes you lose brain cells. But it's so cute to see him walking around the house deciding what to photograph next. Could be his shoes, or the wall, or a toy, or his favorite subject: Old Zackie Boy. He'll walk up to him and say, "Smile Old Zackie Boy!" That tickles me every time because he's got high hopes expecting his deaf old dog to smile at him. :-)
Speaking of photos, last night Mom and Dad kept Thomas so I could go to my photography class, got to try keep my skills ahead of my two year old as long as possible. Last night was the first class and David is out of town on business so they graciously offered to keep him for me. We all went out to eat dinner first. Thomas decided he wanted ice in his sippy cup and after I got it for him, he put the lid on and took a big drink. The only problem was that he hadn't screwed the lid on, just sat it on top and therefore he got drenched in ice water. I started cleaning his shirt off with as many napkins as I could grab. After a minute of that, and being very patient, he started saying, "Mommy my legs are really really cold." A pause and then, "Mommy, my legs are really REALLY cold!" So he ate his dinner with a slightly damp shirt on, and no pants. And somehow, I know that was not the last time that's going to happen.
And for one more story totally unrelated to photography, Saturday night, David put Thomas to bed. He got downstairs and heard Thomas crying, "Daddy! DADDY!!" By the time he got back upstairs, Thomas was sobbing. And what was it that upset him so much? David had forgotten to take Thomas's sippy cup downstairs with him. David hadn't followed the routine and since Thomas was really tired, it was a BIG deal. The next day, Thomas was telling that story again and I wish you could have seen his face when he scrunched it up and pretended like he was crying saying "Daddy come get my milk!"
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Translation
90% of the time our family members can understand what Thomas is saying. For the other 10% of the time, I serve as his translator.
The other night David was putting Thomas to bed, and as occasionally happens, he needed me to translate something Thomas said that he couldn't quite understand . Thomas ran to the top of the stairs and yelled down what he was trying to tell his Daddy and then I yelled the answer up to David. What tickled us this time was that the translation was, "What did Daddy say?"
Tonight, my parents came over for dinner. Afterwards, Thomas was doing a jigsaw puzzle (he LOVES jigsaw puzzles and if I may brag for a moment, oh who am I kidding...it's my blog I can brag all I want!...he can do a 24 piece puzzle all by himself) with my mom and said something, can't remember exactly what it was, but whatever it was my mom didn't catch it and looked to me to tell her what he'd said. So I repeated it. Then Thomas said, "I JUST said that!"
90% of the time our family members can understand what Thomas is saying. For the other 10% of the time, I serve as his translator.
The other night David was putting Thomas to bed, and as occasionally happens, he needed me to translate something Thomas said that he couldn't quite understand . Thomas ran to the top of the stairs and yelled down what he was trying to tell his Daddy and then I yelled the answer up to David. What tickled us this time was that the translation was, "What did Daddy say?"
Tonight, my parents came over for dinner. Afterwards, Thomas was doing a jigsaw puzzle (he LOVES jigsaw puzzles and if I may brag for a moment, oh who am I kidding...it's my blog I can brag all I want!...he can do a 24 piece puzzle all by himself) with my mom and said something, can't remember exactly what it was, but whatever it was my mom didn't catch it and looked to me to tell her what he'd said. So I repeated it. Then Thomas said, "I JUST said that!"
Monday, January 23, 2006
Friendship and Sharing
I wanted to share a few snipets of things that have happened lately between Thomas and his friends. I guess this is the age where sharing becomes REALLY hard because they're all having a difficult time with it.
Thomas' friend James came over to play the other day and both boys ended up fighting over the phone that came with Thomas' kitchen. They probably each own a dozen phones but that was the prize phone of the day. I pulled Thomas aside and talked to him about sharing with his friend. I then gave him the ultimatum that I'm sure many parents have. "Either you share this toy with James or I'll put it up." He looked at me straight in the eye and said, "Put it up." So I did.
Today we went to music class with Thomas' friends, Natalie and Preston. I guess the message about sharing was coming across this morning because they would share with each other but not any other kids. So I guess the message came across too well. Share with your friends and ONLY your friends. :-)
Thomas and Preston were being silly after class and Thomas fell on Preston's head. Preston was understandably upset and then Thomas got upset so it took him a few minutes to calm down enough to apologize. When Thomas was telling the story later, he said, "I fell on Preston and he just cried and I said "Sorry" and hugged him and that was really really sweet."
At lunch, Thomas and Natalie weren't very interested in eating their own food so they decided to share. Thomas ate Natalie's turkey and Natalie ate Thomas' turkey. Guess it's the whole grass is greener thing.
Oh, one more thing, dear readers. If the title of my post is something like oh I don't know Poop or Boogers, that should give you a pretty good idea what I'll be talking about that day. So if you're not used to dealing with those things on a daily basis, maybe you should skip reading those stories. Don't say I didn't warn you!
I wanted to share a few snipets of things that have happened lately between Thomas and his friends. I guess this is the age where sharing becomes REALLY hard because they're all having a difficult time with it.
Thomas' friend James came over to play the other day and both boys ended up fighting over the phone that came with Thomas' kitchen. They probably each own a dozen phones but that was the prize phone of the day. I pulled Thomas aside and talked to him about sharing with his friend. I then gave him the ultimatum that I'm sure many parents have. "Either you share this toy with James or I'll put it up." He looked at me straight in the eye and said, "Put it up." So I did.
Today we went to music class with Thomas' friends, Natalie and Preston. I guess the message about sharing was coming across this morning because they would share with each other but not any other kids. So I guess the message came across too well. Share with your friends and ONLY your friends. :-)
Thomas and Preston were being silly after class and Thomas fell on Preston's head. Preston was understandably upset and then Thomas got upset so it took him a few minutes to calm down enough to apologize. When Thomas was telling the story later, he said, "I fell on Preston and he just cried and I said "Sorry" and hugged him and that was really really sweet."
At lunch, Thomas and Natalie weren't very interested in eating their own food so they decided to share. Thomas ate Natalie's turkey and Natalie ate Thomas' turkey. Guess it's the whole grass is greener thing.
Oh, one more thing, dear readers. If the title of my post is something like oh I don't know Poop or Boogers, that should give you a pretty good idea what I'll be talking about that day. So if you're not used to dealing with those things on a daily basis, maybe you should skip reading those stories. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Thursday, January 19, 2006
From Poop To Pinkeye
Don't start expecting to read a new story every single day. I know I've spoiled you this week. That is if reading my stories about poop and a sick kid could be considered a treat. :-)
Wednesday morning, Thomas' right eye was matted shut and stayed swollen half the day. I told myself he slept wrong on it and that it would be better the next day. But this morning when BOTH eyes were matted shut, I knew it was something more. He woke up crying, "Oh Mommy! My eyes do that AGAIN!!" I told him I thought he had pinkeye and that I was going to call the doctor. He didn't want to go but I reminded him that the doctor could give him some medicine that would help his eyes get better. So we made an appointment (and isn't it just like kids to get sick on Mother's Day Out days?). Thomas did great letting the doctor look in his eyes and check him out without crying (which was a first by the way). After examining him, the doctor said, "Well buddy, I think you've got pinkeye." Thomas got this big smile on his face, looked from me to the doctor and said, "That's just what my Mommy said!" The doctor laughed and told him that mommies usually know.
Don't start expecting to read a new story every single day. I know I've spoiled you this week. That is if reading my stories about poop and a sick kid could be considered a treat. :-)
Wednesday morning, Thomas' right eye was matted shut and stayed swollen half the day. I told myself he slept wrong on it and that it would be better the next day. But this morning when BOTH eyes were matted shut, I knew it was something more. He woke up crying, "Oh Mommy! My eyes do that AGAIN!!" I told him I thought he had pinkeye and that I was going to call the doctor. He didn't want to go but I reminded him that the doctor could give him some medicine that would help his eyes get better. So we made an appointment (and isn't it just like kids to get sick on Mother's Day Out days?). Thomas did great letting the doctor look in his eyes and check him out without crying (which was a first by the way). After examining him, the doctor said, "Well buddy, I think you've got pinkeye." Thomas got this big smile on his face, looked from me to the doctor and said, "That's just what my Mommy said!" The doctor laughed and told him that mommies usually know.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
POOP
How's that for a self-explanatory title? Before I get to the nitty gritty of the story, I want to give you a little backstory first. We have been working on potty training...again. Things weren't going very well and I found myself getting mad at him when he would sit on the potty for 20 minutes without success, get up, and then pee on the floor within 2 minutes (which I know is probably not the best way to potty train..tee tee on the potty or Mommy will yell!) so we went back to diapers for a few days so Mommy could take a mental health break. Thomas also has basically stopped napping, but I still put him in his room for a while each afternoon to rest and if he falls asleep great (which happens 2-3 days a week). Ok, now you're up to date so onto the poop!
This afternoon I went to get him after his rest time was over. When I opened his door, I immediately smelled poop. My initial thought was no wonder he didn't nap, he had a poopy diaper. But that wasn't the case. At some point, and for some unknown reason, he'd taken his diaper off and at sometime after that pooped on the floor. It was a firm poop so that alone was relatively easy to clean up. It was the rest of the scene that greeted me that took an hour to deal with. Yep, you guessed it, he'd either stepped in it or played with it and there was poop EVERYWHERE. On the wall, ground into the carpet, all over his sheets (and of course we had his white sheets on and not the red ones which made it all the harder to clean), all over his pillow, and last but not least, all over him. As I took in the scene I couldn't decide which to deal with first, him or the carpet. He won, but just barely. I cleaned him enough so that he wouldn't make a bigger mess and then got right to the carpet. I gave him a wipe and had him clean the wall, which he did very nicely. And to top it all off, I was so flustered I didn't even think to take a picture. Now that it's over and all back to normal, I'm mad at myself the most for missing that shot because I certainly hope I never have the opportunity to do so again.
How's that for a self-explanatory title? Before I get to the nitty gritty of the story, I want to give you a little backstory first. We have been working on potty training...again. Things weren't going very well and I found myself getting mad at him when he would sit on the potty for 20 minutes without success, get up, and then pee on the floor within 2 minutes (which I know is probably not the best way to potty train..tee tee on the potty or Mommy will yell!) so we went back to diapers for a few days so Mommy could take a mental health break. Thomas also has basically stopped napping, but I still put him in his room for a while each afternoon to rest and if he falls asleep great (which happens 2-3 days a week). Ok, now you're up to date so onto the poop!
This afternoon I went to get him after his rest time was over. When I opened his door, I immediately smelled poop. My initial thought was no wonder he didn't nap, he had a poopy diaper. But that wasn't the case. At some point, and for some unknown reason, he'd taken his diaper off and at sometime after that pooped on the floor. It was a firm poop so that alone was relatively easy to clean up. It was the rest of the scene that greeted me that took an hour to deal with. Yep, you guessed it, he'd either stepped in it or played with it and there was poop EVERYWHERE. On the wall, ground into the carpet, all over his sheets (and of course we had his white sheets on and not the red ones which made it all the harder to clean), all over his pillow, and last but not least, all over him. As I took in the scene I couldn't decide which to deal with first, him or the carpet. He won, but just barely. I cleaned him enough so that he wouldn't make a bigger mess and then got right to the carpet. I gave him a wipe and had him clean the wall, which he did very nicely. And to top it all off, I was so flustered I didn't even think to take a picture. Now that it's over and all back to normal, I'm mad at myself the most for missing that shot because I certainly hope I never have the opportunity to do so again.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Rule Stickler
Ah ha! Just when you got used to reading a new post once a week, I throw you a curveball just to keep you on your toes! :-)
Thomas has just started playing real games. Well, I should say playing one real game. It's called Lucky Ducks. The game says for three to six year olds but I figure since he'll be three in two months we're ok. The first time we played it, he had a hard time taking turns, but now he's got it down pat. So much so that he has to tell you the rules each and every time, even from round to round. It goes something like this. "I push this button and turn it on and you have to pick up the duck and look for your color and put it on your nest and then it's my turn. You understand?" I say that I do and he says Okay! and then we can play. Until one of us gets all three ducks of our color and then we put them back on the pond and he explains the rules again just in case I forgot.
Ah ha! Just when you got used to reading a new post once a week, I throw you a curveball just to keep you on your toes! :-)
Thomas has just started playing real games. Well, I should say playing one real game. It's called Lucky Ducks. The game says for three to six year olds but I figure since he'll be three in two months we're ok. The first time we played it, he had a hard time taking turns, but now he's got it down pat. So much so that he has to tell you the rules each and every time, even from round to round. It goes something like this. "I push this button and turn it on and you have to pick up the duck and look for your color and put it on your nest and then it's my turn. You understand?" I say that I do and he says Okay! and then we can play. Until one of us gets all three ducks of our color and then we put them back on the pond and he explains the rules again just in case I forgot.
Monday, January 16, 2006
FINALLY!
Our internet was down for a week but we're FINALLY back up! (Boo to Comcast for taking so long to come to our house and boo to the neighbor puppy who chewed through the cable.) I already knew how much I used the internet (a LOT) but I was reminded even more last week. When I wanted to check the news or weather, I had to resort to looking at the paper...gasp! The horror!! Ok, enough of the poor me story, and on to what you're really here to read...Thomas stuff!
You know the game you play with little kids where you pretend like you stole their nose and your thumb is their nose trapped between your fingers? Well, I did that to Thomas the other day and when I asked him if he wanted his nose back and he said, "Yes please." I felt terrible. I mean what if I really had stolen his nose? He shouldn't have to ask so politely for it back.
The other day, I asked Thomas if he wanted to go to his friend James' house to play. He said, "That would be really really perfect!"
One night last week, I asked Thomas to feed Zack a half a cup of food before we sat down to dinner. I was busy getting everything ready to eat and wasn't paying much attention until Thomas walked up to me about 5 minutes later with Zack's bowl brimming with food and said, "This gonna be ok?" We had to dump out about 9/10 of the bowl first but that's ok.
We were in a parking lot together somewhere and he held his hand up for me to hold until we got in the store. I told him how much I appreciated him remembering that Mommy needs to hold his hand in the street. He said, "Yeah but we don't hold hands in the snow!" I asked why and he told me that when it snows you make snowballs and throw them at the street sign and they go boom. He remembers being allowed to go in the street doing that very thing when we were visiting my brother and his family in New York over Thanksgiving (they live at the end of a cul-de-sac so it was pretty safe). I decided not to correct him on that since it only snows here about once a year and only sticks for a few hours.
We were driving somewhere over the weekend and Thomas was busy in the back seat playing with his monkey puppet. David and I were talking but heard Thomas say, "I love you Daddy!" David said, "You love me Thomas? I'm glad!" And Thomas said, "No, the monkey do!" and cracked up.
Thomas spent the night at my parents' house on Saturday night so David and I could go out with friends. This was his first time to sleep away from us and he did great. The only uneasy moment came when Mom was putting him to bed and after reading books she told him goodnight. He started tearing up and saying, "Grandma, the hong! The hong!" Mom thought maybe he was asking to go home and asked him to tell her again what he wanted. He composed himself enough to start singing, "If you like to talk to tomatoes..." Mom said, "Oh Thomas, Grandma forgot to sing a song! I'm sorry!!" So they sang the Veggietales theme song and he went right to sleep. You've GOT to follow his night night routine no matter where he is! :-)
Our internet was down for a week but we're FINALLY back up! (Boo to Comcast for taking so long to come to our house and boo to the neighbor puppy who chewed through the cable.) I already knew how much I used the internet (a LOT) but I was reminded even more last week. When I wanted to check the news or weather, I had to resort to looking at the paper...gasp! The horror!! Ok, enough of the poor me story, and on to what you're really here to read...Thomas stuff!
You know the game you play with little kids where you pretend like you stole their nose and your thumb is their nose trapped between your fingers? Well, I did that to Thomas the other day and when I asked him if he wanted his nose back and he said, "Yes please." I felt terrible. I mean what if I really had stolen his nose? He shouldn't have to ask so politely for it back.
The other day, I asked Thomas if he wanted to go to his friend James' house to play. He said, "That would be really really perfect!"
One night last week, I asked Thomas to feed Zack a half a cup of food before we sat down to dinner. I was busy getting everything ready to eat and wasn't paying much attention until Thomas walked up to me about 5 minutes later with Zack's bowl brimming with food and said, "This gonna be ok?" We had to dump out about 9/10 of the bowl first but that's ok.
We were in a parking lot together somewhere and he held his hand up for me to hold until we got in the store. I told him how much I appreciated him remembering that Mommy needs to hold his hand in the street. He said, "Yeah but we don't hold hands in the snow!" I asked why and he told me that when it snows you make snowballs and throw them at the street sign and they go boom. He remembers being allowed to go in the street doing that very thing when we were visiting my brother and his family in New York over Thanksgiving (they live at the end of a cul-de-sac so it was pretty safe). I decided not to correct him on that since it only snows here about once a year and only sticks for a few hours.
We were driving somewhere over the weekend and Thomas was busy in the back seat playing with his monkey puppet. David and I were talking but heard Thomas say, "I love you Daddy!" David said, "You love me Thomas? I'm glad!" And Thomas said, "No, the monkey do!" and cracked up.
Thomas spent the night at my parents' house on Saturday night so David and I could go out with friends. This was his first time to sleep away from us and he did great. The only uneasy moment came when Mom was putting him to bed and after reading books she told him goodnight. He started tearing up and saying, "Grandma, the hong! The hong!" Mom thought maybe he was asking to go home and asked him to tell her again what he wanted. He composed himself enough to start singing, "If you like to talk to tomatoes..." Mom said, "Oh Thomas, Grandma forgot to sing a song! I'm sorry!!" So they sang the Veggietales theme song and he went right to sleep. You've GOT to follow his night night routine no matter where he is! :-)
Friday, January 06, 2006
More Stories
Not a very creative title, I know, but Thomas and I have colds (many thanks to David for sharing his germs with us) so I'm not feeling creative today.
Speaking of our colds, a few days before we got sick, I'd bought him a box of Mickey Mouse Kleenex on a whim at the grocery store. Well, now he won't blow his nose unless he sees the tissue come out of the Mickey Mouse box. That's not exactly the best thing since I like to use lotion tissues when we have colds so our noses won't get so sore but oh well.
I remembered another story from our trip that I wanted to share. The morning we flew to Tucson, we ate breakfast at the food court in our terminal. At the next table was a family with a small baby, probably less than 2 months old. The baby started crying, as babies are wont to do, and after a few minutes without success the mom got up and walked away with the baby to soothe her. Thomas yelled out, "That baby's going to time out!" and everyone at the nearby tables laughed along with us.
Zack must be reading this blog too because after I posted the one about what a sweet dog Fifi is, Zack decided to let Thomas fix his hair. He sat still on the floor for about 10 minutes and let Thomas put about 8 hair clips in his hair. He didn't growl one time! What a sweet doggie!
Not a very creative title, I know, but Thomas and I have colds (many thanks to David for sharing his germs with us) so I'm not feeling creative today.
Speaking of our colds, a few days before we got sick, I'd bought him a box of Mickey Mouse Kleenex on a whim at the grocery store. Well, now he won't blow his nose unless he sees the tissue come out of the Mickey Mouse box. That's not exactly the best thing since I like to use lotion tissues when we have colds so our noses won't get so sore but oh well.
I remembered another story from our trip that I wanted to share. The morning we flew to Tucson, we ate breakfast at the food court in our terminal. At the next table was a family with a small baby, probably less than 2 months old. The baby started crying, as babies are wont to do, and after a few minutes without success the mom got up and walked away with the baby to soothe her. Thomas yelled out, "That baby's going to time out!" and everyone at the nearby tables laughed along with us.
Zack must be reading this blog too because after I posted the one about what a sweet dog Fifi is, Zack decided to let Thomas fix his hair. He sat still on the floor for about 10 minutes and let Thomas put about 8 hair clips in his hair. He didn't growl one time! What a sweet doggie!
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Bad Mommy and Ice Cream
I have two stories to share this morning. One from a week or so ago that I haven't had time to post and one from last night.
Just before Christmas, Thomas and I were running errands one day buying a few last minute gifts. On a side note, after he told my Dad about his birthday present, you would think I would have learned my lesson and NOT gone shopping with him but no. He told both my mom and David what we'd bought them the second he saw them. But I digress. As we were leaving Sam's that day, I opened the back door of the car, sat him in his car seat, and proceeded to put the rest of the things I got in the car beside him. Then I got in the front seat, buckled up, turned on the car and started driving away. I knew Thomas was saying something but at that moment I wasn't listening since he talks all the time and I was trying to navigate the parking lot. But he kept getting louder and louder until I finally heard him say, "BUCKLE ME UP MOMMY!!!" Boy did I feel bad. Especially since I am so conscientious about his car seat. I've read the statistics about how 80 or 90% (depending on which statistics you read) of car seats are installed incorrectly and always was a little obsessive making sure I was in that 10% who did it right. It's installed in my car so tightly that when you try to wiggle it, the whole car moves. Of course, having a properly installed car seat does no good if the child isn't actually buckled into it!
Last night we went to Sheridan's to get some frozen custard. Thomas said he wanted to get chocolate with M&Ms. After talking about it, David and I decided that he would just share with one of us since he usually doesn't eat that much of the chocolate and it's melted by the time we get home. So I asked him if he wanted to share my strawberry and banana sundae with me. At first he got all excited and said, "I going to share strawberries and bananas with Mommy!" Then he paused and said, "Wait a minute! I going to have M&Ms with chocolate!"
I have two stories to share this morning. One from a week or so ago that I haven't had time to post and one from last night.
Just before Christmas, Thomas and I were running errands one day buying a few last minute gifts. On a side note, after he told my Dad about his birthday present, you would think I would have learned my lesson and NOT gone shopping with him but no. He told both my mom and David what we'd bought them the second he saw them. But I digress. As we were leaving Sam's that day, I opened the back door of the car, sat him in his car seat, and proceeded to put the rest of the things I got in the car beside him. Then I got in the front seat, buckled up, turned on the car and started driving away. I knew Thomas was saying something but at that moment I wasn't listening since he talks all the time and I was trying to navigate the parking lot. But he kept getting louder and louder until I finally heard him say, "BUCKLE ME UP MOMMY!!!" Boy did I feel bad. Especially since I am so conscientious about his car seat. I've read the statistics about how 80 or 90% (depending on which statistics you read) of car seats are installed incorrectly and always was a little obsessive making sure I was in that 10% who did it right. It's installed in my car so tightly that when you try to wiggle it, the whole car moves. Of course, having a properly installed car seat does no good if the child isn't actually buckled into it!
Last night we went to Sheridan's to get some frozen custard. Thomas said he wanted to get chocolate with M&Ms. After talking about it, David and I decided that he would just share with one of us since he usually doesn't eat that much of the chocolate and it's melted by the time we get home. So I asked him if he wanted to share my strawberry and banana sundae with me. At first he got all excited and said, "I going to share strawberries and bananas with Mommy!" Then he paused and said, "Wait a minute! I going to have M&Ms with chocolate!"
New Year's Eve
We flew to Tucson over New Year's Eve weekend for David's grandmother's 90th birthday party. Wanted to share a few stories from our trip.
David and I decided not to take the stroller this time because lately we've only used it to push our bags through the airport while Thomas runs ahead and then we never use it again the rest of the trip. And isn't it just typical that the one time we don't have the stroller is the one time Thomas wants to be carried the entire time. And he's a big boy at 40 pounds so David and I definitely got a workout.
Thomas did great with David's family. He hadn't seen most of them since he was a baby but was very comfortable with them like he sees them all the time. He did fairly well keeping track of everyone's name but it was a challenge since David has such a big family. If he wanted to talk to one of his aunts, he'd use their name if he could remember it. If not, he just called them "that girl" which I think really made their day since it's been a few years since any of them were technically "girls." :-)
He wouldn't call David's grandmother "Grandma" because he already has a Grandma (my mom) but he decided to call her Grandma and then her last name. He's a lucky boy to have three living great-grandparents. One story not about Thomas but still funny is that Grandma's birthday cake said, "Happy 90th Birthday Pink" which cracked everyone up since the writing was supposed to be her name in pink. Luckily everyone in the family has a great sense of humor, especially Grandma.
During the party, the family was watching a video of old family photos from Grandma's life. At one point many said "Amen" in response to a message on screen about Grandma's life and how it had influenced others. Thomas looked up from where he was playing and said "Hey Man!" along with them. David's uncle Bob and I were trying to explain to him that they weren't saying "Hey Man" but "Amen." Once he got it, he looked at David's uncle and yelled, "A-MEN Bobby!" It might not sound all that funny in print but we all died laughing when it happened.
On Sunday we got to go to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum which is really nice. It's like a desert zoo, botanical garden, and museum all rolled into one. Thomas loved all the animals and catcus and knew he couldn't touch the cactus because they were poky. At one point though, he ran too fast and fell down into one of the small cactus. I saw him fall and thought I grabbed him before he did too much damage to himself or the cactus. It was only the next morning that we realized, he had two small cactus needles stuck in his stomach. We felt terrible because we thought he'd just been grouchy that day because he was tired.
We flew to Tucson over New Year's Eve weekend for David's grandmother's 90th birthday party. Wanted to share a few stories from our trip.
David and I decided not to take the stroller this time because lately we've only used it to push our bags through the airport while Thomas runs ahead and then we never use it again the rest of the trip. And isn't it just typical that the one time we don't have the stroller is the one time Thomas wants to be carried the entire time. And he's a big boy at 40 pounds so David and I definitely got a workout.
Thomas did great with David's family. He hadn't seen most of them since he was a baby but was very comfortable with them like he sees them all the time. He did fairly well keeping track of everyone's name but it was a challenge since David has such a big family. If he wanted to talk to one of his aunts, he'd use their name if he could remember it. If not, he just called them "that girl" which I think really made their day since it's been a few years since any of them were technically "girls." :-)
He wouldn't call David's grandmother "Grandma" because he already has a Grandma (my mom) but he decided to call her Grandma and then her last name. He's a lucky boy to have three living great-grandparents. One story not about Thomas but still funny is that Grandma's birthday cake said, "Happy 90th Birthday Pink" which cracked everyone up since the writing was supposed to be her name in pink. Luckily everyone in the family has a great sense of humor, especially Grandma.
During the party, the family was watching a video of old family photos from Grandma's life. At one point many said "Amen" in response to a message on screen about Grandma's life and how it had influenced others. Thomas looked up from where he was playing and said "Hey Man!" along with them. David's uncle Bob and I were trying to explain to him that they weren't saying "Hey Man" but "Amen." Once he got it, he looked at David's uncle and yelled, "A-MEN Bobby!" It might not sound all that funny in print but we all died laughing when it happened.
On Sunday we got to go to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum which is really nice. It's like a desert zoo, botanical garden, and museum all rolled into one. Thomas loved all the animals and catcus and knew he couldn't touch the cactus because they were poky. At one point though, he ran too fast and fell down into one of the small cactus. I saw him fall and thought I grabbed him before he did too much damage to himself or the cactus. It was only the next morning that we realized, he had two small cactus needles stuck in his stomach. We felt terrible because we thought he'd just been grouchy that day because he was tired.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Messy Boy
I was up here posting to the blog while Thomas was playing outside with David. When I heard a knock on the door, I knew it was Thomas by the sound of the knock. And also by the "Mommy!!" being screamed on the other side. I opened the door and he started laughing hysterically and said, "Look at the mess I made on my shirt!" Then he said, "Watch me make a mess and you're going to be really happy about that!" Then he ran over and took a shoveful of dirt from underneath the tree and dumped it all over his head. He was laughing so hard at his cleverness that he had a hard time pouring the dirt but he managed to make a very nice mess. Aaahh boys. :-)
I was up here posting to the blog while Thomas was playing outside with David. When I heard a knock on the door, I knew it was Thomas by the sound of the knock. And also by the "Mommy!!" being screamed on the other side. I opened the door and he started laughing hysterically and said, "Look at the mess I made on my shirt!" Then he said, "Watch me make a mess and you're going to be really happy about that!" Then he ran over and took a shoveful of dirt from underneath the tree and dumped it all over his head. He was laughing so hard at his cleverness that he had a hard time pouring the dirt but he managed to make a very nice mess. Aaahh boys. :-)
Christmas
Boy was it fun this year! He was so excited about Santa coming. When he woke up Christmas morning (early of course), he looked around the living room to see if Santa came. When he noticed the stash, he said, "Whoa! Look at all this cool stuff Santa brought!" Santa brought him the requested "skateboard" which was actually a scooter safe enough for him, and a Bertie the Bus (one of Thomas the Tank Engine's friends). Santa also brought him a few unrequested items which were big hits as well. Once he looked at his toys for a minute, he ran straight over where we left the snack for Santa the night before and started screaming that Santa had eaten it all but a tiny bite! Then we had to run outside to see if the reindeer left the carrots we left them, which they had.
Later when he was trying out his scooter outside (wearing all the safety equipment Santa brought as well), he said, "This is a pretty cool scooter Santa brought me alright!"
One of the gifts Mommy and Daddy gave him was a pop up tent. On one of the sides, it had a puppet theater with curtains so you could put on your own shows. Fortunately he'd brought one of his puppets from home with him since we spent Christmas in Lubbock with our families. After David tried to explain the concept of putting on a show with his puppet, he'd go into the tent and say, "Ready?" We'd say that we were and then he'd stick the dog puppet out of through the curtains and say, "Woof woof! That was a good show!" and crack up.
We also loved hearing him sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas. He'd sing, "We wish you a Merry Christum and a Happy Moon Year. Good tiny we bring to you and your kids..."
There were many stories I wanted to share, but I can't remember any more right now. I'll post more later if they come to me. This is what happens when you don't post to your blog in a week. Just know that we were happy and grateful to be with both of our families for Christmas this year and that we had a wonderful time.
Boy was it fun this year! He was so excited about Santa coming. When he woke up Christmas morning (early of course), he looked around the living room to see if Santa came. When he noticed the stash, he said, "Whoa! Look at all this cool stuff Santa brought!" Santa brought him the requested "skateboard" which was actually a scooter safe enough for him, and a Bertie the Bus (one of Thomas the Tank Engine's friends). Santa also brought him a few unrequested items which were big hits as well. Once he looked at his toys for a minute, he ran straight over where we left the snack for Santa the night before and started screaming that Santa had eaten it all but a tiny bite! Then we had to run outside to see if the reindeer left the carrots we left them, which they had.
Later when he was trying out his scooter outside (wearing all the safety equipment Santa brought as well), he said, "This is a pretty cool scooter Santa brought me alright!"
One of the gifts Mommy and Daddy gave him was a pop up tent. On one of the sides, it had a puppet theater with curtains so you could put on your own shows. Fortunately he'd brought one of his puppets from home with him since we spent Christmas in Lubbock with our families. After David tried to explain the concept of putting on a show with his puppet, he'd go into the tent and say, "Ready?" We'd say that we were and then he'd stick the dog puppet out of through the curtains and say, "Woof woof! That was a good show!" and crack up.
We also loved hearing him sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas. He'd sing, "We wish you a Merry Christum and a Happy Moon Year. Good tiny we bring to you and your kids..."
There were many stories I wanted to share, but I can't remember any more right now. I'll post more later if they come to me. This is what happens when you don't post to your blog in a week. Just know that we were happy and grateful to be with both of our families for Christmas this year and that we had a wonderful time.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Cats
Thomas and I ran some errands this morning. He did very well staying by his mommy so we got to go walk around Petsmart afterwards. He followed his normal path through the store. Fish first, then birds, then lizards and rats, then doggies being groomed, leaving the cats for last. He was talking to the cats through the glass cages telling them to look at him. He'd even demonstrate by saying, "Turn your head this way, like this!" and then would turn his head in the direction he wanted the cat to look. But the thing that he got most excited about was when he saw one cat grooming himself. He yelled, "Look Mommy! That cat is licking his leg!" and promptly sat down on the floor and licked his leg too just like the cat. Instead of getting a mouthful of fur, he got a mouthful of blue jeans. Another woman and her kids were looking at the cats too and she almost fell on the floor she was laughing so hard.
Thomas and I ran some errands this morning. He did very well staying by his mommy so we got to go walk around Petsmart afterwards. He followed his normal path through the store. Fish first, then birds, then lizards and rats, then doggies being groomed, leaving the cats for last. He was talking to the cats through the glass cages telling them to look at him. He'd even demonstrate by saying, "Turn your head this way, like this!" and then would turn his head in the direction he wanted the cat to look. But the thing that he got most excited about was when he saw one cat grooming himself. He yelled, "Look Mommy! That cat is licking his leg!" and promptly sat down on the floor and licked his leg too just like the cat. Instead of getting a mouthful of fur, he got a mouthful of blue jeans. Another woman and her kids were looking at the cats too and she almost fell on the floor she was laughing so hard.
Friends, Dogs, and More
We've been busy this week visiting friends' houses and having the kinds of fun you have on Christmas break. Sunday night we made a gingerbread house at our friend Denise's house. She makes gingerbread houses as gifts each year and this year invited us over to help make our own. Thomas LOVED it. I think he ate about 5 pounds of candy, but that's what you're supposed to do. He ate as much candy as he put on the house. But boy do we have a beautiful gingerbread house sitting on our kitchen table. On Monday, we went to my friend D'Ann's house to make and decorate Christmas cookies with Natalie and Bethany. Thomas enjoyed rolling out the dough, and his hair, and my shirt... We were completely covered in flour and icing but had a blast. When we were decorating the cookies, I know Thomas ate at least 6 cookies. He'd put a little frosting on one and then eat it before moving onto the next one. We did make it home with one or two that he decorated that only had one bite missing.
And yesterday we went to my friend Lisa's house to play and visit. Thomas had a great time playing with Amy and James as usual but the story I wanted to tell was about Fifi their English Mastiff. He's a BIG dog (I think he weighs 180 pounds). He seems big to me and I know he must look like a giant to a two year old when the dog is as tall as you are. He's big but he might just be the sweetest dog I've ever met. Thomas and Zack (our 20 pound Cocker mix) have finally become friends and Zack even lets Thomas pet him. Woo hoo! For comparison, Fifi let James ride him when he was younger. And yesterday, he let Thomas put reindeer ears on him. Wish I'd had my camera handy for that one! Last night, Thomas was telling David about playing with Fifi and said, "Zack is a small dog." David asked if Fifi was a big dog or a small dog (even though he already knew the answer) and Thomas said, "He's a big dog alright!"
This Christmas, Thomas is old enough to really get into the whole Santa thing. He asked Santa to bring him a skateboard and a Bertie the Bus. But no matter how many times we discuss it, he's confused about exactly what Santa is going to do. He knows Santa is going to bring him the gifts he asked for but last night he told David that Santa was coming in 5 more days and was going to take all the presents under the tree. And he seemed excited about it. He doesn't understand that he gets to open those gifts AND Santa will bring him gifts too.
We've been busy this week visiting friends' houses and having the kinds of fun you have on Christmas break. Sunday night we made a gingerbread house at our friend Denise's house. She makes gingerbread houses as gifts each year and this year invited us over to help make our own. Thomas LOVED it. I think he ate about 5 pounds of candy, but that's what you're supposed to do. He ate as much candy as he put on the house. But boy do we have a beautiful gingerbread house sitting on our kitchen table. On Monday, we went to my friend D'Ann's house to make and decorate Christmas cookies with Natalie and Bethany. Thomas enjoyed rolling out the dough, and his hair, and my shirt... We were completely covered in flour and icing but had a blast. When we were decorating the cookies, I know Thomas ate at least 6 cookies. He'd put a little frosting on one and then eat it before moving onto the next one. We did make it home with one or two that he decorated that only had one bite missing.
And yesterday we went to my friend Lisa's house to play and visit. Thomas had a great time playing with Amy and James as usual but the story I wanted to tell was about Fifi their English Mastiff. He's a BIG dog (I think he weighs 180 pounds). He seems big to me and I know he must look like a giant to a two year old when the dog is as tall as you are. He's big but he might just be the sweetest dog I've ever met. Thomas and Zack (our 20 pound Cocker mix) have finally become friends and Zack even lets Thomas pet him. Woo hoo! For comparison, Fifi let James ride him when he was younger. And yesterday, he let Thomas put reindeer ears on him. Wish I'd had my camera handy for that one! Last night, Thomas was telling David about playing with Fifi and said, "Zack is a small dog." David asked if Fifi was a big dog or a small dog (even though he already knew the answer) and Thomas said, "He's a big dog alright!"
This Christmas, Thomas is old enough to really get into the whole Santa thing. He asked Santa to bring him a skateboard and a Bertie the Bus. But no matter how many times we discuss it, he's confused about exactly what Santa is going to do. He knows Santa is going to bring him the gifts he asked for but last night he told David that Santa was coming in 5 more days and was going to take all the presents under the tree. And he seemed excited about it. He doesn't understand that he gets to open those gifts AND Santa will bring him gifts too.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Songs and Parties
We had two parties to attend today at the same time. The first was Thomas' friend Natalie's third birthday party. We had fun making Dora ornaments with Natalie and would have enjoyed staying the whole time but also wanted to attend the party David's new boss had at his house. When we got to the second party, Thomas looked around and said, "Where's the birthday cake?" No cake, but they did have a mashed potato martini bar and Thomas had three glassfuls. He'd eat one and then play for a few minutes and say, "My tummy growling! I need something else to eat!" When asked what he wanted, mashed potatoes were at the top of the list each time followed by grapes, cheese, and crackers.
On the way home from our last party, Thomas wanted to sing songs. So we sang Jingle Bells, Away in the Manger, Santa Claus is Coming to Town (you should hear his version of it...so cute when he says "he knows when you are too sleepy") among others. Then Thomas asked me to sing the "Flashlight Song." I had no idea what that could be and asked him to sing it for me and then I'd sing it with him. It wasn't until I heard "hide under bushels NO!" that I knew that the "Flashlight Song" was "This Little Light Of Mine." And so we all sang that one a number of times.
We had two parties to attend today at the same time. The first was Thomas' friend Natalie's third birthday party. We had fun making Dora ornaments with Natalie and would have enjoyed staying the whole time but also wanted to attend the party David's new boss had at his house. When we got to the second party, Thomas looked around and said, "Where's the birthday cake?" No cake, but they did have a mashed potato martini bar and Thomas had three glassfuls. He'd eat one and then play for a few minutes and say, "My tummy growling! I need something else to eat!" When asked what he wanted, mashed potatoes were at the top of the list each time followed by grapes, cheese, and crackers.
On the way home from our last party, Thomas wanted to sing songs. So we sang Jingle Bells, Away in the Manger, Santa Claus is Coming to Town (you should hear his version of it...so cute when he says "he knows when you are too sleepy") among others. Then Thomas asked me to sing the "Flashlight Song." I had no idea what that could be and asked him to sing it for me and then I'd sing it with him. It wasn't until I heard "hide under bushels NO!" that I knew that the "Flashlight Song" was "This Little Light Of Mine." And so we all sang that one a number of times.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Christmas Musical
Thomas' school put on their Christmas musical yesterday. I think it goes without saying that while they were all incredibly cute my child was obviously the cutest. :-) Kids from ages 2-4 were up there singing and luckily for my video camera, Thomas was front row center.
When I took him to his classroom yesterday morning, Thomas saw the other kids putting on their crowns and he said he didn't need a crown and started trying to untuck his shirt. For him to make it on stage 30 minutes later wearing a crown AND with his shirt tucked in was no small feat.
In talking about the upcoming musical, Thomas had told me he was going to sing songs and that I was going to clap and say "Yea!" So of course that's exactly what I did.
When all the kids walked in it took a few minutes before they could sing because every child needed to find their parent/s and wave to them. Thomas waved to me and Mom (David was out of town and was disappointed to have to miss it) as soon as he saw us. Once all the kids, and parents, got quiet Thomas looked at his teacher and yelled, "That's my Mommy!" A few audience chuckles later, the musical was under way. I had no idea how he would do up there with everyone watching him. He doesn't like to perform on command even at home so we were prepared for anything. To my surprise and enjoyment, he stayed up there the whole time and was one of the only kids in his class to do all the motions to the songs. He shook his jingle bell and did the motions to Away in the Manger and each time a song started or ended, he'd look at me with this happy, proud, slightly embarrassed, Look at Me Mommy! kind of look. I only got a little weepy, mostly smiled happy and proud myself.
I have a video clip of him singing Away in the Manger. I only sent it out to people who I knew had fast internet connections (or grandparents who I knew would want it no matter what) since it's about 1 MB. If you didn't get it and want to see him, email me and let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.
Thomas' school put on their Christmas musical yesterday. I think it goes without saying that while they were all incredibly cute my child was obviously the cutest. :-) Kids from ages 2-4 were up there singing and luckily for my video camera, Thomas was front row center.
When I took him to his classroom yesterday morning, Thomas saw the other kids putting on their crowns and he said he didn't need a crown and started trying to untuck his shirt. For him to make it on stage 30 minutes later wearing a crown AND with his shirt tucked in was no small feat.
In talking about the upcoming musical, Thomas had told me he was going to sing songs and that I was going to clap and say "Yea!" So of course that's exactly what I did.
When all the kids walked in it took a few minutes before they could sing because every child needed to find their parent/s and wave to them. Thomas waved to me and Mom (David was out of town and was disappointed to have to miss it) as soon as he saw us. Once all the kids, and parents, got quiet Thomas looked at his teacher and yelled, "That's my Mommy!" A few audience chuckles later, the musical was under way. I had no idea how he would do up there with everyone watching him. He doesn't like to perform on command even at home so we were prepared for anything. To my surprise and enjoyment, he stayed up there the whole time and was one of the only kids in his class to do all the motions to the songs. He shook his jingle bell and did the motions to Away in the Manger and each time a song started or ended, he'd look at me with this happy, proud, slightly embarrassed, Look at Me Mommy! kind of look. I only got a little weepy, mostly smiled happy and proud myself.
I have a video clip of him singing Away in the Manger. I only sent it out to people who I knew had fast internet connections (or grandparents who I knew would want it no matter what) since it's about 1 MB. If you didn't get it and want to see him, email me and let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.
Monday, December 12, 2005
More Stories
Thomas loves making up his own songs these days. One of his favorites goes like this, "Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, I don't know you!" Don't know where that came from but it makes me laugh every time I hear it, which is at least 10 times a day. He also made up the "Granny" song one day at breakfast. It basically went like this, "Granny Granny Granny Granny Granny Granny!" followed by giggles.
He also "reads" books. He actually does very well. We love hearing him read "Old Hat New Hat" because he says, "Too hancy (fancy) too hrilly (frilly) too hiney (shiny) toooo hilly (silly)." Tonight, he read me "Are You My Mother?" and remembered most of the words. Not just "Are you my mother" and "No" but "The baby bird asked the cow, 'You am my mother?' and the cow say 'I not your mother. I am a cow.' " What can I say? He must take after his mother. ;-)
Thomas loves making up his own songs these days. One of his favorites goes like this, "Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, I don't know you!" Don't know where that came from but it makes me laugh every time I hear it, which is at least 10 times a day. He also made up the "Granny" song one day at breakfast. It basically went like this, "Granny Granny Granny Granny Granny Granny!" followed by giggles.
He also "reads" books. He actually does very well. We love hearing him read "Old Hat New Hat" because he says, "Too hancy (fancy) too hrilly (frilly) too hiney (shiny) toooo hilly (silly)." Tonight, he read me "Are You My Mother?" and remembered most of the words. Not just "Are you my mother" and "No" but "The baby bird asked the cow, 'You am my mother?' and the cow say 'I not your mother. I am a cow.' " What can I say? He must take after his mother. ;-)
Bethlehem Revisited
As I mentioned in the previous post, David's parents and sister were here this weekend. As usual, we had a great time and there were so many stories to share, I've forgotten some. I'll tell some over the next two posts.
On Saturday night, both sets of grandparents, and "Aunt Juanda" (no "s" sounds yet, remember?), went with us to Waxahachie to see Bethlehem Revisited. On the way there, Thomas was screaming in the car that, "I no go Watahatie!!" But once he got into the restaurant, he was all excited telling everyone, "I in Watahatie!" We went to eat at Catfish Plantation first, which is a neat experience if you've never been there. The food is good and the atmosphere is fun too. I've never had a ghostly experience though which is just fine with me. It was so crowded when we were there that our group had to sit at two separate tables. Thomas sat with his grandmothers and one grandpa which he wanted and we were quite willing to let them take over for the night. After about 15 minutes at his table, he looked over at our table and said, "What's going on over there?" We thought that was funny.
Bethlehem Revisited was great as usual, but very crowded. For those of you not from this area, they recreate the town of Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. You can follow Joseph and Mary as they try to find a room at the inn through the birth of Jesus and visits by the wise men and shepherds or you can visit various craftsmen and see how they did things in those days. It's a big thing and a great experience. Thomas really liked King Herod's court and the shepherds too. Once we started walking through the actual town though, he was overwhelmed by the crowds so David took him off to see the sheep while the rest of us followed Mary and Joseph. One of the women characters there told Thomas, "Little one, thy feet are on fire, be thou careful." when she saw his light up shoes. Thomas didn't get it but David was tickled by it. We caught up with Thomas later and he did see Baby Jesus when the crowds let up a little bit. Before we left, we stopped by the flute maker's tent and Thomas got a big kick out of the guy playing a flute with his nose. When asked later what his favorite part of the night was he said, "I like the King, and the camels, and the sheep, and Baby Jesus, and the donkey, and the music!"
As I mentioned in the previous post, David's parents and sister were here this weekend. As usual, we had a great time and there were so many stories to share, I've forgotten some. I'll tell some over the next two posts.
On Saturday night, both sets of grandparents, and "Aunt Juanda" (no "s" sounds yet, remember?), went with us to Waxahachie to see Bethlehem Revisited. On the way there, Thomas was screaming in the car that, "I no go Watahatie!!" But once he got into the restaurant, he was all excited telling everyone, "I in Watahatie!" We went to eat at Catfish Plantation first, which is a neat experience if you've never been there. The food is good and the atmosphere is fun too. I've never had a ghostly experience though which is just fine with me. It was so crowded when we were there that our group had to sit at two separate tables. Thomas sat with his grandmothers and one grandpa which he wanted and we were quite willing to let them take over for the night. After about 15 minutes at his table, he looked over at our table and said, "What's going on over there?" We thought that was funny.
Bethlehem Revisited was great as usual, but very crowded. For those of you not from this area, they recreate the town of Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. You can follow Joseph and Mary as they try to find a room at the inn through the birth of Jesus and visits by the wise men and shepherds or you can visit various craftsmen and see how they did things in those days. It's a big thing and a great experience. Thomas really liked King Herod's court and the shepherds too. Once we started walking through the actual town though, he was overwhelmed by the crowds so David took him off to see the sheep while the rest of us followed Mary and Joseph. One of the women characters there told Thomas, "Little one, thy feet are on fire, be thou careful." when she saw his light up shoes. Thomas didn't get it but David was tickled by it. We caught up with Thomas later and he did see Baby Jesus when the crowds let up a little bit. Before we left, we stopped by the flute maker's tent and Thomas got a big kick out of the guy playing a flute with his nose. When asked later what his favorite part of the night was he said, "I like the King, and the camels, and the sheep, and Baby Jesus, and the donkey, and the music!"
Friday, December 09, 2005
Sweet Boy
Now that Thomas is in a big boy bed, Sandra has to sleep on an air mattress when she and David's parents come to visit. Last night, Thomas was helping get her bed set up, a side benefit is that the air mattress is really fun to jump on. He jumped for a few minutes and then wanted to help put her sheets on. He was doing everything just right. Bottom sheet first, followed by the top sheet and then the pillows which he wanted to put on himself. I'd forgotten how observant he was until I saw him put one pillow in the middle of the bed and one pillow on the floor in case she fell off...just like we do his bed. We thought that was so sweet.
Now that Thomas is in a big boy bed, Sandra has to sleep on an air mattress when she and David's parents come to visit. Last night, Thomas was helping get her bed set up, a side benefit is that the air mattress is really fun to jump on. He jumped for a few minutes and then wanted to help put her sheets on. He was doing everything just right. Bottom sheet first, followed by the top sheet and then the pillows which he wanted to put on himself. I'd forgotten how observant he was until I saw him put one pillow in the middle of the bed and one pillow on the floor in case she fell off...just like we do his bed. We thought that was so sweet.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Manners
Thomas has always impressed people with his manners. When he was younger, he couldn't say many things, but always remembered please and thank you. I was frequently complimented on what a well-mannered young man I had, which, of course, made me feel like I was being a good mom. However, as his vocabulary has increased, the manners have decreased. He still usually remembers "thank you" but hardly ever says "please" unprompted. Ok, there is ONE scenario when he'll say please unprompted. If he asks for M&Ms or some other treat and is told no, then he says, "Please M&Ms?" That actually worked one time because I thought it was so cute and then I caught on to his sneaky little ploy.
All of that to preface tonight's story. He wanted some milk to drink and said "I need milk Mommy." I decided it was time to have another talk about manners and asked him what nice words he could use. He said "Thank you AAANNNDD please." I said, "That's right! So how should you ask for milk in a nice way?" He looked at me with a straight face and said, "Get my milk!" followed a withering mommy look later by "please." Oh well, we'll keep working on it. :-)
Thomas has always impressed people with his manners. When he was younger, he couldn't say many things, but always remembered please and thank you. I was frequently complimented on what a well-mannered young man I had, which, of course, made me feel like I was being a good mom. However, as his vocabulary has increased, the manners have decreased. He still usually remembers "thank you" but hardly ever says "please" unprompted. Ok, there is ONE scenario when he'll say please unprompted. If he asks for M&Ms or some other treat and is told no, then he says, "Please M&Ms?" That actually worked one time because I thought it was so cute and then I caught on to his sneaky little ploy.
All of that to preface tonight's story. He wanted some milk to drink and said "I need milk Mommy." I decided it was time to have another talk about manners and asked him what nice words he could use. He said "Thank you AAANNNDD please." I said, "That's right! So how should you ask for milk in a nice way?" He looked at me with a straight face and said, "Get my milk!" followed a withering mommy look later by "please." Oh well, we'll keep working on it. :-)
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