Good Luck Daddy!

Daddy has a final exam... which means that both he and B-Boy wore Daddy's lucky shirt.

Daddy's lucky shirt on B-Boy means that Mommy once again has to explain to a new set of teachers why my cherrub is wearing a very scary looking shirt. But tradition is tradition, and you don't mess with luck!

Good Luck Daddy! I love you!

Gingerbread houses!

B-Boy's class had a party, and we were invited!

The teachers had built gingerbread houses for each child, and even smaller ones for siblings. They had asked each parent to send in one type of candy, and to bring icing to decorate with.

We started out by selecting the candy we wanted to use. Fortunately for us, B-Boy doesn't eat candy, so all of it made it on the house, which could not be said for most of the kids! We had a good time making them, and added it to the one we had at home.

Oh wait, I didn't tell you about that did I?

I found an adorable kit at Trader Joe's, that makes an A frame gingerbread house. The set came with PEOPLE, which was absolutely adorable. B-Boy decided one was Mommy, one was Daddy, and one was B-Boy! Of course, Mommy was the one with the cane, and he decided she needed to lie down. Hmmm....

We had fun decorating them, and I thought they turned out pretty darn good!

Do you like our growing village?

GranE and B-Boy visit the library

Neb had to study for his final exam, so I told him I would take GranE and B-Boy out for a while.

B-Boy enjoys the library, and since it was too cold to go to the park, we decided to take GranE. B-Boy could not wait to show her all the books!

Look! All these books and I managed to find one with ELMO!!!!

Then he convinced her to read to him...

Finally, he decided he could read to himself.

Don't mind me... I'm just going to read here quietly for a while!

The part I am omitting, of course, was when he ran around in circles up the ramp to the reading area, down the steps, through the book shelves, and back to the ramp. He wasn't screaming, per se, but let's just say he wasn't quiet! But we won't talk about that, shall we?

A fun morning, and we all stayed toasty warm!

Can't stop... Potty Time!

B-Boy is ever so more curious about the potty. There are lots of older kids in his room, and he sees all of them using the potty, so it is only natural that he is gaining interest. He can't do it yet, but he tries.

He now tells us "I need to go Potty!"... and then will scream until you let him. He will pull down his pants, sit for about 2 seconds on the toilet, then put a piece of toilet paper in the toilet, close the lid and then flush.

That's it. But hey, some interest is better than none right?

This week, he actually did a bit more... he took off diaper and sat on potty at school. Nothing came of it so to speak, but it was a nice step in the direction of the toilet.

And that reminds me...



The other day, I put him down for a nap. I don't think he ever really went to sleep, but a bit later he called out to me "I need help please!". He said it a few times, so I decided to investigate.

When I opened the door, I had to laugh at what I saw. B-Boy stood in the middle of his crib, stark naked! He had managed to remove every stitch of clothing on him, and then remove his diaper, which he had thrown on the floor.

He was so proud of himself, and I was just so surprised to see he could take off all his clothes!

Hi GranE!

GranE was reallly missing her B-Boy, and so she came back out to visit us.

I picked her up at the airport, and then we headed to B-Boy's daycare to pick him up. He was very happy to see her, and to show her his classroom, which was decorated for Christmas - complete with tree!

He showed her all the fun toys he likes to play with, and the decorations that he made for the tree.

It's a dress up guy GranE.

You put costumes on him and they stick!

Teacher says it uses magnets, whatever that is.

Oh, hi Mommy! I didn't know you were here!

Did you know GranE came to see me?

YAY!

GranE was in great spirits, and listened to him talk on and on- even though she didn't fully understand most of what he said.

Then we headed home- and GranE's day was complete! She got to see her boy... B-Boy's Daddy!

All in all, GranE seems happy to get her Neb and B-Boy fix!

B-Boy Clause

When we got home from work\daycare, B-Boy wanted to play with bubbles in the sink.

He tossed the seat cushion from the kitchen chair, dragged the chair to the sink, and proceeded to DEMAND I give him BUBBLES!

So I did. Mostly because I was making dinner, and having an occupied B-Boy makes that easier.

At one point, I had to grab my camera- of course I was laughing really hard at the time... B-Boy had put bubbles all over his chin and cheeks.

"Are you B-Boy Clause?", I asked.

"Ho-Ho-Ho", he replied.

Silly B-Boy.

B-Boy rides on his first train

Choo-Choo!

B-Boy rode his first train, and was not very happy about it. But since he is the type of kid who has to try things at least 3 times before he is comfortable, we will continue to take him until he finds it fun. It will happen, he loves trains.

He sat on my lap the entire time, but I give him credit- he stopped crying as soon as we exited the tunnel, which is as the start of the ride.

Then we headed over to the carousel, for the second try. B-Boy was not going to let me plop him on the kitty cat, nope- he wanted to be held.

And did he hold! He grabbed on to me like a monkey, and would not let go! So up I climbed onto the kitty cat, and sat down.

Look B-Boy, there's Daddy!

Look B-Boy! No Hands!

I am laughing here because I am not holding him....

He is holding on to me!

Eventually, B-Boy relaxed and I was able to turn him around. He was not very happy with it, but eventually we got a smile!

I just kept repeating the mantra- "Up, Down, Up, Down." There is a segment on Elmo's World where a little girl talks about going up and down, and when she flies a toy airplane, she says this mantra over and over. Yep, I will use the little red guy if I can!

Triangle!

Did you know that B-Boy knows his shapes? Well, he does.

He found a rock today. It was shaped like a triangle, and he could not stop looking at it.

"Look Mommy, Triangle!"

<< insert record scratching sound here! >>

"What? Did he just say what I think he said?" I thought.

When we got home, I pulled out the crayons and paper. I started drawing shapes. I started with the triangle. "B-Boy, what's that?" I asked, pointing to the triangle.

"Triangle!" he replied.

So I drew a circle. "B-Boy, what's that?" I asked, pointing to the circle.

"Circle!" he replied.

Then I drew a square. "B-Boy, what's that?" I asked, pointing to the square.


"Square!" he replied.

Wow. I did NOT know he knew those yet. Cool!

Popular B-Boy phrases

B-Boy does not say a lot, and most of his talking is around single words or small phrases.

But there are two phrases he uses quite a bit... and I thought I would jot them down for you.

The first one he started using was "They're sleepy." He usually used the phrase when I asked if he thought he would see any doggies, or buses... and then he would say it about the small buses we would pass in the parking lot of a school. It still makes me giggle when he says it.

"They're sleepy!"

The other phrase he uses ALL the time. I think we hear it more than we hear the word NO! His second phrase is "I need some help please!".


Whenever he needs help he uses the phrase. Whenever he THINKS he can't do something, he uses the phrase. Holy moly, he uses it A LOT.

But at least he asks... :)

B-Boy visits the library

B-Boy really likes books, and when I took him to the library in town, he was in heaven.

We spent some quality time in the children's book area, and then sat in the comfy chairs.

B-Boy was also really into the library computers. There were two just outside the children's area for older kids to use. B-Boy banged on the keyboard- and before I knew it, had quickly found the power button and proceeded to shut down one of the computers.

On that note, I decided it was time to leave.

B-Boy's first spin on a Carousel

One of the coolest parks I have ever seen just reopened in town... and Neb and I headed over.

The park was a big hit for B-Boy, until we went to the Carousel. It had been restored, and was beautifully done. I took B-Boy inside for a ride, and Neb took some photos for you.

We picked a kitty cat to ride, but B-Boy was NOT happy about it. He's one of those kids that takes at least 3 times to get used to something new before he can open up and hve fun. New things can be scary, but we work hard to make them comfortable.

So that is how B-Boy and I found ourselves riding on top of a Kitty cat, spinning round and round.

Whimper, sniff.

He was miserable... but at least he stopped crying when I turned him around to hold him. Neb captured photos of him looking quite sad. But the good news is that he made it all the way around and bounced back once we got off the thing!

Mommy, can we get off now?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Who would have thought Thanksgiving could be so fun?

I got up for the day, and turned on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on TV, one of my favorite traditions. The turkey got stuffed, and found its way into the oven... and then it was time to make a a big pancake breakfast.

We got B-Boy up and of course, the first thing he wanted to do was to go down to the basement to wake up Mema. She was happy to oblige, and so the day was off to a great start.

All in all it was a great day... it was beautiful out, and we were able to take a walk before we ate dinner. Usually, we play golf in the morning on Thanksgiving Day, and then I come home while Neb gets in as much time playing as possible. Of course, that was before B-Boy came into our lives... and before we moved.

Another new thing this year....



It was the first time in a long time that we have not eaten a holiday meal in the dining room. This is because it is still at the old house to be used for staging. So, we left the food on the island and ate at the kitchen table.

The meal was good, the company was great. Another great thanksgiving for all of us!

Our little pilgrim

I picked B-Boy up from daycare and he was just so proud of himself. He walked out of the building with his head held high, and had a HUGE grin on his face.

Why you ask?

Because he was wearing a pilgrim hat he had made at school. And he was super proud to have it on his head.

He wore it the whole way home, and once we arrived, I was able to take some pictures for you.

Turkey!

Sadly, the top of the construction paper hat kept falling on top of his head....

I had hoped to stage another photo shoot for a themed photo, but B-Boy still won't cooperate for those. Fingers crossed we can start them up again soon!

B-Boy, a self portrait

B-Boy found the camera in my purse, figured out how to turn it on, and then proceeded to take a picture of himself. I thought you would like to see his first self portrait.

Hi folks! It's so good to see you!

I make this blog look good!

B-Boy in the kitchen again!

B-Boy can be a handful when we get home. And since Neb and I no longer commute together, it means that I get to handle it all by myself.

One option is to plop him down in front of the TV. I must admit, some days, I just need to do that while I cook dinner. Other days, we sit together and color while we wait for Daddy to return. We put stickers on paper (one of his all time favorite actiivities), or he tells me letters to draw, but all these activities require my interaction with him. And this means that I am delayed in making dinner until Neb gets home.

Sometimes this is not an option.

I am happy to tell you I came up with an idea that seems to work for us. I get B-Boy to make himself a pizza.

Our grocery store carries packages of whole wheat Naan. I had originally purchased it to eat with hummus, a yummy treat I acquired when I was not allowed to eat dairy for B-Boy's sake.

I put out a flat, shallow pan and placed one of the Naan on the pan.

I then set up a working station for B-Boy on the kitchen island. I take two blue ramkins and fill them up with fun goodies for B-Boy to play with. One gets a healthy helping of shredded white cheese, and the other gets some marinara sauce.

B-Boy gets really excited when I set this up, and will drag over a chair to stand on. I give him a spoon, show him how to put the sauce on the crust and spread it around. While he works with the sauce, I get our dinner ready.

Puttin' on the Sauce...

Then I showed him how to put the cheese on top of the sauce. Then I go back to cooking. B-Boy really likes the cheese part, mostly because one handful goes on the pizza and then one goes into his mouth.

Mmmm Cheese!

When B-Boy finishes with the cheese... into the oven it goes (400 degrees for 10 minutes on the top rack),

Once it goes into the oven to cook, B-Boy gets upset again. Which is why I have started doing the "Today Show" method. As soon as the pizza goes in the oven, I pull one out of the fridge that he previously made. Voila! Instant pizza!

I must admit, it does taste pretty good. And it looks fantastic!

Yummy!

CRACK!

It's been awhile since I posted about B-Boy going to see one of his favorite doctors... and so I made sure to snap some pictures so that the update would be more interesting for you!

B-Boy went back to see Dr. Crack. It had been a while, so he wasn’t very happy to be there. Fortunately, Dr. Crack has two kids of her own, and knew just what to do to help him relax. She said “Hey B-Boy, do you still like Elmo?”

B-Boy paused in his crying to consider what she said.

“Let’s see if we can find Elmo on the computer.”, she said.

He then seemed to forget that he was upset, walked over to her desk and said “Elmo computer?”.

She then found an episode on YouTube of Elmo with the New York Jets. He watched from her lap, totally oblivious to the fact that she was manipulating his neck.

Elmo!!!

That tickles!

Oh look, Elmo is playing FOOTBALL!

After she adjusted him, we told him he would watch more the next time. He wasn’t too happy to leave Elmo before it ended… but he was fine when I said “Let’s go!”.

The next time we went to see her, B-Boy didn’t waste ANY time… he ran right over to her desk and said “Elmo Computer!”. It was slightly embarrassing when he started banging on her keyboard… but she didn’t miss a beat.

“Let’s see if we can find you an Elmo”… and she did. The adjustment went quickly and without tears.

We are so lucky to have a doctor who gets him!

MusicLady rocks!

B-Boy is really lovin’ his new class. The transition has gone really well, and he can say or do something new everyday.


One cohesive thread that we are fortunate to have- is MusicLady. Every time B-Boy moves to a new room, he gets new teachers and new classmates. But the one thing he can count on is seeing MusicLady at least once a week. And, you can always tell when he has had a session with her because he usually comes home singing a new song.

He was doing so well in class that I thought I would join him for some time with MusicLady… and I am so glad I did. We had a lot of fun!

We heard her read a book about Fall, and sing a song about it too. She sprinkled faux leaves and the kids picked them up. They all thought leaves were fun!

Then MusicLady brought out the glockenspiel (I love it that she uses a word other than xylophone, don’t you?). Each child got to take a turn playing the instrument, and of course I had to snap some photos! Jambuca got to go first….

Soon it was B-Boy’s turn!

It is neat to think back to the first time he sat in her lap to play it. He was so small then! He was interesting to see how confident he was to stand up, sit in her lap, and play what he wanted to. He no longer just bangs away… he plays as if the note was intent. (It’s not, but that is the level of his confidence!)

Then MusicLady brought out drums for us to play! (Granted, they were plastic coffee canisters with plastic lids on them, but we each had one, and they were fun to beat!) I must admit, the drumming was my favorite part of the day.

I'm drummin' with my Momma!

AAAAhhhhhhh!

 
She serenaded us with her guitar before she had to leave. B-Boy got very upset when we both went to leave, so I think it will be a while before I will be able to go back.



;)

Ready to go

When we got home from our adventures of the day, B-Boy decided he wanted to take a spin.  As I unloaded the car, B-Boy climbed up into the driver's seat of the car. I could not resist taking some photos for you, so you could see how big he has gotten in context!

Hi Folks! Want to take this for a spin with me?

The key is here somewhere...

Beep Beep! Come on!

Let's get on the road!

Sigh. Fine. I guess I'll try later.

Although I should have known this would happen when I chose his clothes this morning. It was not until later when we were inside and I took off his coat that I realized why he might have been excited to drive...

I still want to ZOOM Mommy!

Yes, he is wearing a shirt that says "Speed Demon" and has a Ford Mustang like car on the front. No wonder! Perhaps I should find him a shirt with a turtle on it next, yes?

B-Boy gets cookin'

B-Boy loves to help. He has always enjoyed sweeping and picking up items we ask to retrieve. This has always come in handy when he needed a distraction, he is so eager to help that sometimes you can deflect a meltdown by asking him to do something like feeding the kitty cats.

The other day, B-Boy was near meltdown status. He was upset, bored and missing his Daddy. We had just gotten home from work\daycare and I was getting dinner ready. B-Boy was not feeling very well, and so he was having a hard time with patience. I must admit that I was too.

I decided that B-Boy might just need to help me get dinner ready. I asked him to pull his chair over.

Side story:

B-Boy loves to play in the kitchen sink... he likes to play in the bubbles, wash his hands, and sometimes wash a cup or dish. Mostly, he likes to bend over and drink from the faucet and turn the water off and on. He won't wait for Neb or I to offer the opportunity to play in the sink, he usually announces that he wants to wash his hands. He then tosses the seat cushion to the floor and then pushes the chair to the sink. Game over.

So it did not take much for him to get his chair ready. While I waited for the chair to arrive, I chopped up the sweet potatos. By the time he arrived and climbed up to help, the bowl was ready with the cubed potatos. I gave him a spoon and asked him to stir.

While I added the spices and the olive oil, B-Boy stirred.

Stir stir stir!

Hmm, this is ORANGE!

He was such a good helper, and was really happy to be doing it... he even helped pour them onto a baking pan. Of course, the happiness ended there- he got very upset when I put the pan in the oven. The only thing that could distract him from that was his Daddy coming home!

They're sleepy

Since we have moved, our commute to work\daycare has significantly changed. No longer are we in the car for 45 minutes (at a minimum) each way. Where we used to see lots of 18-wheeler trucks, we now see few... but what we do see in our 7 minute trip is much different, and it has been fun to watch B-Boy take it all in.

There are three things that B-Boy likes to look for in our commute. He still loves TRUCKS, but now his list includes BUSES and DOGGIES.

I'll ask him as we leave... "B-Boy, do you think we will see any BUSES?" "YA!" he will reply.

Me: "How about a truck?"
B-Boy: "YA! A BIG truck." 

Me: "Do you think we will see any doggies?"
B-Boy: "YA! Two doggies!"

He will count them as we see them, or remark that they are big doggies, little trucks, or yellow buses. Sometimes we see green buses, blue buses, fire trucks, and delivery trucks. The funny part of this story is what he says when he doesn't think we will see them.

"B-Boy, do you think we will see any buses on our way home?" I often ask.

"No", he says in reply, "They're sleepy."