Is Bigger Better?

Depends on what you're talking about.  Right?  My life has revolved around my boy, so for now, that's what I'm talking about.  My boy is getting bigger and he's becoming devilish.  Devilish in a good way.  He knows how to rope me in.  He's good at that.  Just when he knows he's creeping under my skin, he looks at me with a warm smile, arms stretched out, and says: I want a hug.  This does not excuse your behavior.  It's what I tell him. 

Since he has decided to potty train himself, life has gotten a bit hectic.  For my husband and myself, that is.  We weren't exactly prepared to go diaper-less so soon.  But it's okay, we're going with it and there's no turning back.  Our boy is getting bigger and eventually we would have to teeter down this wobbly path.  Our son is leading the way and maybe that part scares me the most. 

As much as I want to allow my son as much independence as possible, how well will his decisions really be?  I suppose now is a good time as any to start trial and errors.  Granted, there are a few decisions that he tries to make and we have to steer him into a different direction.  But so far, he hasn't put too much of a battle against us. 

I allow him to make decisions whenever possible.  We always have 2 choices on what to do.  Lunch or Nap?  Yes Please or No Thank You?  Would you like ME to do it, or YOU?  No matter what, he's making a choice.  Of course, I'm setting the stage on what I would like him to do.  But allowing him to consider his options is important.  And hopefully, as he grows older, he'll find similar choices and choose wisely.  Because I won't be there for every choice he makes, so I can only hope that he can learn a good choice from a bad one.

My son is getting bigger and there is no denying he'll be grown before I know it.  I can either sit and wait until he's all grown up and moved out, or I can play an active role in his life and help guide him along the way.  It's the best I can do especially since he thinks he has all the answers already.  

A good day for underwear!

It was his choice to go diaper less today.  He saw a picture of himself last summer, wearing underwear in the house.  He immediately asked me about the photo.  He pointed out that he wasn't wearing a diaper and had underwear on.  Why wasn't he wearing underwear??? His tone started to sound like I had been holding out on him.  Like this was a revelation for him.  So I told him he COULD wear underwear but he had to remember he couldn't go pee pee or poopy in his underwear.  He would need to remember to use the potty.  He seemed okay with the idea.  He was excited.

It was the last thing he told me before going to bed last night.  He wanted to show his friends his underwear.  Aahh, only because he's 2 does that sound cute. 

Sure enough, we walked into his school today and when he saw his friend, he immediately wanted to show off his new piece of clothing.  Cookie Monster was on them too!  How COOL!

It'll be an interesting day, for sure.  I haven't been pushing the whole potty training because he does use it occasionally, but not full time.  I would rather have him spend time at home being naked, that way he could remember when to go with minimal accidents.  He does well with naked time.  But it's still winter in March and I just don't have the heart to let him go naked too long this time of the year. 

I know he understands the potty.  He's not afraid of it.  He just chooses not to use it all the time and prefers diapers.  So I go with it.  I find the more I force him to do something, he resists the challenge.  So if I act like I don't care if he does it or not, he wants to use it.  We make a big deal if he does use the potty.  Lots of HIGH FIVES and dances, PLUS he gets 1 M&M.  Yup, 1.  And that's just for going pee pee.  He will get 2 for going poopy, but we haven't really experienced much of that lately.

The kid is only 27 months so I don't like to apply too much pressure on him.  Heck, I'm thrilled that he just wanted to wear the underwear today!  If it turns out that it was a bad day for underwear, well, then, we're back to diapers.  I'm not too concerned.  In the meantime, I'll enter this moment in the books about when the kid decided he was done with diapers for the day.

Dance Party

The kid had a dance party at school the other day.  I wish I could have been a fly on the wall for that day.  His classmates are 9 two year old kids, including himself.  Out of the 9 kids, only 1 is a girl. 

My kid loves parties.  Any kind of party.  I think the word party makes him giggle because his face turns goofy when I talk about a party. 

On that particular morning I mentioned his school will be having a dance party.  I could see his wheels spinning in his mind.  A Dance Party!  He has been a dancing fool lately, and we'll even take parts of our day and dance around the house.  Usually we'll hold hands and bounce in place, but he thinks it's hilarious. 

So the morning of the Dance Party at school, he and I are in the car on our way to school and he says to me: I goin to dance party (the AR said like a pirate) and goin to hold friends hands and dance!  He could not wait.

Inside the classroom he's looking around, and asking me where the dance party was.  He couldn't see anything and was curious about when the music was going to start playing.  I can only imagine how long he had to wait until they started dancing. 

Later in the day, when I went to pick him up, I heard the little girl, the only girl, in the classroom was just as excited for the dance party.  I heard she walked into the room declaring she was going to 'shake her booty'.  Her mother proceeded to explain to the teachers that when the little girl is at home, shaking her booty usually ends up with her clothes off too!  I'm sure there is a reason behind that but I couldn't help but laugh when I heard that story.  Especially since this little girl is the only girl with 8 other boys. 

It's a Snowman kind of day

We've had plenty of snow to tide us over for a while.  30+ inches and it just keeps coming.  If you're into winter sports, well this is the year to really enjoy that activity.

I haven't done much this winter, other than shoveling and throwing some salt in our driveway.  My son wants to build a snowman but the snow we've had is so powdery, it's just not the right consistency for snowman making.  It's actually nice, I think.  But to a 2 year old, all he wants to do is make some snowballs and a snowman.

Taking a walk in the neighborhood

The small storm we got last night has sent us the gift of really wet, heavy snow.  Horrible for shoveling, but perfect for snowman making.  Oh boy, oh boy... My boy will be so surprised and happy.

Unfortunately he's spending his day at school, so hopefully they get to play in the playground and make some snowballs, or something like that.

The Birds

The Birds sit outside their window and the class of children become giddy.  It's just a hole in the brick wall, really, how many birds can fit in there?  It's that small, but it's enough to thrill the children and have big discussions about these birds that live outside their window. 

Where could have the birds gone?

They're too high and we can't reach them.

I can't reach them!  As one boy hangs onto the window's ledge.

Perhaps they went to find some food?  I ask one of the boys.  His eyes widen and I can see he's trying to imagine The Birds out gathering their breakfast.  They'll be back I say.  That seems to calm his fears of not seeing The Birds again.

"Your OWN soap!"

"WOW, you have your OWN soap now!"

He was sooo excited.  He's been asking for his own soap for a while.  Since Mommy and Daddy each have their own bar of soap, my son decided he would like to ask for his own bar of soap.  So how could I tell him No? 

We buy our soap from a local farmer.  I've posted other bars of soap that I've used from their farm, and I'm kind of addicted to their style.

So I told my son he could go to the goat farm and pick out his own bar of soap.  How cool is that?! He was quite the excited 2 year old boy!

Unfortunately I was not able to take him to the goat farm, however, I arranged for his Nana to take him one afternoon recently.  It was quite cold and windy, but they saw the goats.  My son was brought inside the farmers store and was able to pick out his very own bar of soap.  WOW!  You have no idea how special that made him feel.

A no nonsense bar with no fragrance or color for the most delicate skin. Lots of avocado oil added to make it the most gentle soap you can use.

Ingredients: our own goat milk, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, soybean oil, sodium hydroxide.

 
 
He uses his soap every night during tubby time.  It's actually become his new toy and has very little interest in the large crate of toys he already owns.  He enjoys tossing the soap to make big splashes, hiding it under his legs and says: Where'd it go?  Or he starts scrubbing his body getting it squeaky clean.
 
In any case, it was a simple treasure for him and also has ingredients that are a lot safer than many you'd find in your local stores.  Not to mention we are supporting our local neighbors!  I know he'll be looking forward to a future visit to the goat farm.

Introducing Santa

My son is just shy of turning 25 months old.  He really doesn't remember what Christmas was like last year.  We didn't go crazy over Christmas last year either.  It was a simple day for us and he had a blast with the wrapping paper and boxes.  This year, it's a little different.

He has learned what presents are and has quickly learned Santa likes to give presents too.  But as we talk more about Santa and his reindeer, my son grows a little skeptical about who Santa really is.  I tell him that Santa will come into the house one night, while we're all sleeping, and he'll leave presents for us.  Would you like that? No, he replies.  He would love to receive presents from Santa, but why at night while we're asleep?  I can see it in his face that there is something weird about a strange man entering our house in the middle of the night.  Why would Mommy & Daddy allow that to happen?  He's not asking this, but I can see these types of questions swirling that 2 year old brain of his.

I'm trying to keep the story simple, he's only 2 years old.  But I can see I'm going to have some tough questions ahead of me.

We attempted visiting Santa in the mall, and my son enjoyed saying HI and giving Santa a high-five.  But that was it.  The picture had to be taken as a family photo, and still, my son was a little weary of the man next to him.  We left the mall with a small present from Santa: a coloring book and crayons.  That was enough to make my sons day, and it turned out being the conversation he had with us.  All day long.

This year, Santa is going to bring lots of gifts for my son, and I'm concerned Santa may have done too much.  But I suppose there is a different magic in the air when you're with a 2 year old, and everything seems new again.

Christmas lights seem brighter, the Christmas tree smells more pine-y, and snow globes look more sparkly.  Maybe Santa has the right idea and spoiling a 2 year old is okay, especially when the idea of Santa seems so special and magical.  How can Santa not overdo the presents for a 2 year old!

How have you introduced Santa to your kid(s)?  What sort of questions did they have for you?

I hear that.

I hear that he says to me.  We are outside and I point out to him that it is a airplane and I hear it too.  He says Airplane and looks up in the sky to find it.  Eventually he points and shows me where it is.

I hear that he says to me.  We are standing in line at a small convenience store.  We hear ding dong, ding dong.  He doesn't know what's making that noise.  I point to the door and explain the door makes that noise every time the door is opened.  He's fascinated with this explanation and watches each time another person opens the door.

I hear that he says to me.  We are in the parking lot walking into the grocery store.  I tell him that sound is a car's horn honking because someone is locking their doors.  Honk Honk.  He gazes around the parking lot looking for the particular car making the noise.

I hear that he says to me.  We are inside our house, sitting in the kitchen eating a snack.  I hear it too and tell him that sound is the heat rattling through the vents and the furnace downstairs.  This seems a little complicated for him but he looks like he's pondering the explanation and doesn't ask anthing again.

Just like Mommy

We sit on the floor together and have a snack.  I'm sitting on my knees and he's laying on his belly.  He and I are eating crackers with cream cheese & chives.  I tell him they are a new snack and pleased to see he enjoys them.  He's excited to share a snack with his Mommy while playing on the floor.  He decides to sit up and fold his legs under his bottom, just like Mommy.  He sits there and munches on a cracker and smiles at me.  Under his cracker filled lips he mumbles like Mommy.  He melts my heart and I've fallen in love all over again.

We play on the floor with a ball and toss back and forth to each other.  He sits there and inspects my position on the floor, I'm sitting Indian style, and he imitates me.  Just like Mommy he says.  I'm teaching him how to hold out his hands and keep them together.  We sit rather close because he's not a good catcher.  I toss the ball into his arms and he squeals with excitement for the fact that he did it by himself.  We play like this for what seems all afternoon, but really it's more like fifteen minutes.

He finds me in the kitchen while I'm putting food away from dinner.  He doesn't mind playing in the other room alone, he just prefers company with Mommy or Daddy.  He looks up at me while the kitchen light glares in his face.  He smiles a sleepy smirk and hums Mummmmy.  I answer him back and he gently places his head on my leg.  Awwwwww we say together.

I know these moments are rare and I know they won't always be there.  But for now, they're my little treasures and I'm thankful to have them.

Two

My silly putty is two today.

Where has the time gone?  He's grown so much in just two years, I cannot imagine what this next year holds for us, but I'm excited for it. 

Two years ago at 5:24pm my baby was born. 

A cesarean birth was decided around 5:00, due to the fact my unborn son's heart rate was not normal, and I had to lay in a specific direction for him to have a normal heart rate.  I had been in labor for about 8 hours and I could not dilate further than 8cm.  I was also nauseous and exhausted and had opted for the epidural earlier in the day, but by 2pm it had worn off.  The contractions were tolerable, however my nausea was not.  I'd go through hot and cold spells and it was as if I had a fever, but the nurses would continue to check my temperature and I was consistently normal. 

Once the decision was made around 5:00, I was prepped for surgery and I was whisked into the operating room.  I remember trying to haul myself onto the operating table "Can you move yourself over?" they asked me. 

Seriously?  I feel like a whale!  I was just given a dose of meds for surgery and I was numb to my neck.  There was no way I'd be moving anything myself.

Twenty-four minutes later, my silly putty was born.  It wasn't the dramatic scene you'd imagine a labor being because for me, I was more in shock for the quick turn in events. 

My husband left with our new baby and watched him get cleaned and weighed.  7lbs 16oz is what the nurse calculated.  Isn't that 8lbs then? he asked the nurse.  Oh yeah.

My hospital experience wasn't as bad as I had thought, although we do have some not-so-fond memories too.  Now two years later, I'm contemplating what my second birthing experience will be like.  Most likely I'll be having another cesarean but I'm wondering if I should change to a hospital closer to home.

Despite the sort of day I had while in labor with my son, he turned out to be extremely healthy and happy.  I couldn't have asked for a happier baby for my first child.

However, that happiness is fading in his personality as he sinks into his two-dom world.  The lack of communication leads to frustrations and moans and whines and tears.  We try hard to use our words and describe how we're feeling, but some days are harder than others.  And today was one of those days.

I'm sure we'll have many more teary days ahead, and I'm stocking up on my patience pills.  But for now I'll take each day as it comes and hope for more smiles in our future.

Dip Dip

I never realized how much food we eat that requires dip dip.  I've experimented on a few different meals to see which type of dip my son prefers.  He doesn't mind ketchup, and will even use salsa.  He won't touch sweet and sour sauce, and he's not the biggest fan of syrup.  He's accepted pumpkin butter, but he loves honey.

Dip dip is exactly what it sounds like, and we've even nicknamed one of our meals: Dip Dip.  All it is, is cheese quesadilla's that we use either marinara sauce or salsa.  I prefer salsa, my husband likes marinara.  For a while my son would use the salsa, I think because he liked saying the word: salsa.  It is quite fun to say, especially when you're learning new words every day. =)

Last night we had our traditional 'dip dip' meal and he asked for honey in a ball.  A ball?? I asked him again.  Yup, he's saying ball, but after a few attempts I realized he meant to say bowl.  Well that sounds a lot more appealing than honey on a ball!

Desert, when we have it, is typically cookies.  I like to buy the mini cookies that are in individual snack size bags.  And of course, dip dip needs to go with our cookies.  So we give our little man a shot glass that is half full with his milk.  Sometimes he likes to dip his cookies in the milk, and sometimes he just shoves them into his mouth.  But the best part is being able to drink the cookie flavored milk afterwards.  Smack the lips and say AHHHH.

My son goes through spurts of appetite.  Most days he just picks, and maybe once or twice a week he has a really good appetite.  So I try my hardest not to stress over how much he eats, and try to make eating fun... with dip dip!  He's working hard at telling me what he wants to eat, or how he wants to eat his food. 

We're still experiencing a battle ground over most of this 'table talk', so I'm curious to know how others are enjoying their meals?  Do you have a favorite dip too?

He makes me laugh

We're in his bedroom getting ready for bed.  He's had a bath and I'm working on getting his pj's on his chilly little body.  I notice his has a small scab on the back of his calf.  I ask him if he has a boo-boo.  He says yah.

How did you get it?

Big Bear over there.

You got a boo-boo from Big Bear?

No.  The bed.

You were on the bed?

Bumped my head. Taps head.

You were jumping on the bed and you hit your head?

Momma called doctor and doctor said (points finger) NO more monkeys jumping on bed!

=)

How did my conversation about a boo-boo lead into that song?  He was so proud of himself and when I picked him up to finish zipping his pj's he laughs and says: Silly Goose!

Yes, you are a silly goose... You are my silly putty.

Click

We spent the morning at the photographers studio.  The studio is private, it's actually in a condo specifically rented for photography.  She specializes in weddings and newborn photos.  But she takes all sorts of pictures.  I really enjoy her work and I like her patience with my son. 

This was our 2nd visit.  The first one, six months ago, was not so pleasant.  My son didn't want to be there.  He didn't care for the big fancy shmancy camera, or the photographer.  As nice as she was, she spent the whole hour with us trying to convince my son that he would enjoy getting his picture taken.  But that particular day, not so much.

Today was a different story.  I spent most of our weekend discussing the big fancy shmancy camera.  I talked about the silly faces we'd make.  I mentioned the big fancy shmancy camera would also 'click', just like Dora's did. 

We watch Dora, I'm sure like most kids, my son is obsessed with this chick.  I don't know what it is about Dora that he loves, or maybe he just loves Boots.  Two reasons, 1-he's a monkey, and 2-he wears boots!  Well, there is a particular episode where Dora travels through the forest looking for animals.  When she spots an animal everyone says CLICK.  She snaps the picture and enters her photos in a contest.

Since my son loves cameras and picture taking (only by me), I thought this would be a fun episode to watch since we'd be visiting the studio today with the big fancy shmancy camera.  And it would "click".  Just like Dora's does... is what he'd say.  He seemed a little weary, but I was convinced he was ready for a 2nd visit in the studio.  I wanted his 2 year old pictures done, so I was committed to making this work.  He ended up surprising me.

He's a little shy about people knowing his name, especially when he doesn't know the person at all.  So it took a few minutes to warm up to the studio.  But a few minutes is all he needed.  He was running around, and cooperating with the photographer faster than I had imagined.  He sang his ABC's, played peekaboo, jumped on the couch, stood on a chair, roared like a dinosaur, and plopped into the bean bag... and all doing it on queue!  I was stunned.  He really did enjoy the sound of the "click".

Toy Story

It's quite popular in our home.  We watch Buzz-Woody so frequently, I keep one of the dvds in the dvd player.  My little guy isn't even 2 and he's obsessed with the characters.  I think it's funny to see the types of toys, themes, and characters that hook themselves into my sons heart.  He has a hard time letting go of them.

Dressed up as Buzz-Woody for trick or treating

It's quite funny actually.  I decided to let him play the part of his hero, Buzz.  He ran around the neighborhood for the whole hour and half that we were outside.  There was no stopping him.  He was Buzz of course!

But after 3 parties as Buzz, we decided to let Woody join the crowds.  He had as much fun, if not more.  I actually don't know which character my son enjoyed more.  He loves them both equally, it's hard to pick one.

Woody's ready for the next party!

Do you let your kids decide what to dress up for Halloween?  Or is everyday Halloween in your home?

Pumpkin Decorating

We have a few pumpkins on our front steps, by few I mean four.  I really have no desire to carve them this year.  Okay, maybe I'll carve one, but really... that's it.  I just can't fathom carving four pumpkins.  My husband isn't interested in carving any.  But Halloween is around the corner and really, how can you go through Halloween without having a Jack-O-Lantern by your front door? 

So I decided to let my son decorate his own pumpkin.  He had a blast at the idea of painting.  I never realized how much he enjoyed painting!  He used every color we had and painted in the same spot, over and over again.  I'd suggest painting in a different area, but he insisted on painting in the same spot.  Over and over again.

He's so excited to start painting!

We included some foam stickers shaped like dinosaurs, trucks, cars, planes, trains, and helopcopters.  Then we glued some pom poms... just to add some extra flare =)

He didn't want to stop.  He whined to keep painting and sticking and gluing.  I'm glad he appreciated the quick craft we completed together.  Actually, HE did the crafting while I did the gluing.  He didn't want me to help in any way.  I don't mind though since I was thrilled to see his artistic side.

My crafty kid... he was so proud =)



Gender considerations

I have a 23 month old son.  He's been my life since the moment I found out I was pregnant.  I didn't know I was having a boy until I was about 20 weeks pregnant.  My husband and I decided to find out.  It was our first baby and we needed to know.  We clearly didn't care what we were having, boy or girl, we were happy just the same.  So why did we need to know the gender? 

My husband needed to know more than I did.  I was happy with all sorts of gender neutral baby clothes, toys, and decorations.  A baby is a baby, right?  Blue and Pink don't really make the baby, it's the love, home, and warmth that a couple brings to a new persons life. 

But we decided to find out the gender.  We considered this was appropriate because we wanted to be prepared.  We wanted to know the name of our child before he or she was born. 

However, once we found out the news we'd have a boy, nothing changed with the plans of our future.  We still decorated the baby's room with green walls, white furniture, and a silly Muppet theme.  No bears, sports, dolls, or frills.  To me, we decorated a gender neutral baby room.  I decided once our son arrived, we'd make adjustments according to his personality. 

Ironically, we haven't had the need to change much, but we've added more 'fun' to his room.  At 23 months old he does in fact know the characters of the Muppets.  If we had a girl, I'm sure her love for the silly characters would be the same.  (I grew up loving the Muppets, particularly Animal).

The only difference in how we've raised our baby is the fact we have no dollies, no strappy dress shoes, no barretts or pony tail elastics.  I feel our gender neutral home is just that, simple and equal.  And the fact that our son does like the color pink doesn't mean he wears the color, but enjoys drinking out of a pink sippy cup.  It's a color after all, not a life style.  We color in pink and he even enjoys watching Dora the Explorer.  To me, there's nothing wrong with that, but to others, they may raise an eyebrow as to 'why'.

I don't ask Why, but Why Not?  Why Not let my son have an interest in anything and everything?  We can play kick ball or base ball, then color pink hearts and flowers too. 

I'm sure when and if we have baby #2 there will be more changes and more gender considerations.  Will we find out what baby #2 will be?  Or will we decide to wait it out until the baby is born?  It's a real personal decision and I'd like to think people would respect any decision an expecting parent would make.  To justify that someone needs to know because they want to buy clothing or a toy isn't enough of a reason for me. 

Yes, I have a son.  He's my child, my kid.  I hope that by the time he's my age the world will have developed a different outlook on gender.  I can only hope that society will encourage kids to listen to their heart and gut, and not what others say or think.

Mummy... socks off!

We've gotten into a habit of taking our shoes off at the front door.  I am trying to teach my son the habit of sitting on the steps inside the house so I can remove his shoes, coat, and hat.  Sometimes he's too excited and flees into the house.  Other times he's pleased with the new routine and doesn't fuss much.  But lately he's taken to the idea of removing the socks as well.

Typically, during the warmer months, I don't care much for socks myself.  In fact, no surprise, but we don't wear socks that much. 

However, our house has hardwood floors and ceramic tile.  We do have a few scatter rugs, but that ceramic tile can be cold.  Apparently my son doesn't mind.  He insists on pulling those itty-biddy socks off his feet, and keep his toes cold. 

He'll tell me he's pulled his socks off.  If I ask him if they were hot, he'll say yes and start blowing on his toes.  Because when our food is hot, we blow on the food to cool it off.  I think he's having a hard time with these differences, because when I do feel his feet to see if they are warm, they're cold. 

He prefers bare feet.  So do I.  But we're working on wearing fun slippers, although he'd rather wear his green froggy boots that are too small for his growing feet. 

We pick our battles and he knows that socks are required with shoes.  However, while spending time in the house, the socks are off.

I'm sure I'm not the only one with a battle similar to this.  In fact, I let my son win these battles because I'm sure there will be other, more important, issues that I'll need to find a hefty compromise with him.

Flying Solo

At the end of the day I feel good.  I know my son and I can find the patience for each other and tackle each speed bump together.  He's not quite 2 yet, but he thinks he's a smart cookie.  Well, he is, but I'm biased. 

For the next four weeks, except weekends, my son and I will be doing what we do without his Daddy.  He'll be away for work and it's really the first time since our son was born that he has a commitment like this.  But it's okay.  We'll make it okay. 

My husband does the morning wake-up routine with our son.  This includes getting him up, change diaper, dressing for the day, and coming downstairs to settle him onto the couch and flips on the Disney channel.  After handing some milk to our son, he's set for the time being while I get myself ready and pack lunches. 

Daddy is missed.  Terribly.  Morning 2 had my son asking for Daddy before he could even see clearly after waking up.  I explain that Daddy had to leave early and he gave a smooch while you were sleeping, he loves you.  The comprehension of a 22 month old is limited, but I know he can understand simple facts. 

So it's not often my son and I get to spend so much solo time together.  It almost feels like he knows he is just with me and is not being so two-year-old towards me.  It's nice actually.  I haven't had any breakdown moments with him.  For the most part, he's been very well behaved.  (knock on wood)

Granted, we've only made it through the first week.  My husband drives home today and come Monday we'll be saying bye again.  My son won't understand this schedule, but I'm sure we can manage.  We'll find balance together.

Swim Lessons

I registered my son for swimming lessons.  He's only 22 months old but I've heard it's never too early to start.  I'm not looking for him to reach the Olympics.  I'm hoping he, eventually, will learn life saving skills and techniques while in the water.  I don't want my son afraid of the water or ever feel like he can't go into the deep end of the pool because he doesn't know how to swim.

I'm not the best swimmer.  In fact, I float with some movement.  It's enough to get me by.  It's all about the journey anyways, right?  I don't really have a destination when I swim, but more recreational.  So that's the least I can expect what my son will learn, right?  Or so I hope so.

Our first lesson was on Sunday. 

The water was cold.

He doesn't like cold water.

Out... OUT! he cried for 20 minutes.

We bobbed, we sang, we splashed... he cried.

Then we each received a ducky and a whole knew game started, and my son decided he wanted to play.

Five minutes later the class was over and he clapped and cheered YAY!  He said he had fun and that's all that matters.

I asked Do you want to come back to pool again?

YEAH! he squealed.

After taking a quick warm shower to heat our chilly buns, we dressed and went home to tell Daddy the news.

Swim lessons was fun and we'll do it again. =)

1 to 10

We read many stories that include counting.  We watch cartoons that involve counting.  We even count how many cookies or crackers we plan on eating.  I knew my son understood the words, but did he really understand what they meant?  I'll find him repeating numbers after me; one, two, thfree... and point to the objects as we count along.  He's becoming my little copy cat.

Yesterday I discovered he can count higher. 

Yesterday I discovered he can count all the way to 10.

I was shocked.  I actually thought, did he really just say those words?  Does he know he's counting?  Maybe he thinks of it as a sentence?  Like we say: Open the door please.  He memorizes the sequence of words.  Perhaps these numbers are just words to him.  How much can a 22 month old know, and realize, about numbers?

Either way, I'm excited.  I'm excited to hear all ten of those words come out of his mouth and in the right order.  I like the way he points to an object and acts like he's counting each item: one, two, three, ... all the way to ten.  So he really doesn't understand the two pretzels he has in front of him, are only two and not ten.  But he shows so much excitement when I cheer and applaud at the fact he's counting from 1 to 10.  He's proud of his accomplishment, and he should be. =)