11 posts tagged “toddler fun”
Tonight I was getting ready to wrap-up some things for the work I've been doing, and I got up to put the laptop away and as I stepped toward the table where it belongs, I heard a little scuffle and saw two little people suddenly turn and try to scurry up the stairs before I saw them. I have NO IDEA how long they were sitting there. Fortunately, there was nothing with inappropriate language on TV...America's Best Dance Crew Live Auditions. Stinkers.
I assumed they would run straight back to bed, but Jason went to check on them. Aidan was still on the stairs further up, and Alanna had made it all the way back to their room. Apparently Alanna had a cramp in her leg, and Aidan had a stomachache. Yeah, right. After I finished washing up and was heading downstairs, I bumped into Aidan who was holding his arm, smiling and "complaining" that his arm hurt. mmhmmm...so again, I ask, when will I ever know that this little boy is really hurting! I'm going to have to start reading The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
On a not so silly note, the kids have handled me being at work full-time this week VERY well. The girls don't seem as bothered by it as Aidan, but he is thrilled that tomorrow is my last day. (As am I!)
...That I Adore...
- They give each other hugs and kisses at naptime and bedtime. Emory gets very upset if someone isn't "up for" her affection!
- They love reading, and they will recite books aloud. (I even caught Alanna using voices for different characters while she recited Hushabye Lily for Emory the other day!)
- They tell each other that they love one another (spontaneously)
- They spoil me with hugs and kisses, too!
- They sing "clean-up songs" when they help me pick up the play room.
- They can identify each other in photos, even as babies...how do they do that?? Even Emory can tell Aidan and Alanna apart as infants!
- They love to dance!
- They make each other laugh and squeal (and scream and fight...but that's not the point!)
There are many more...but these are the things that spring to mind right now!
Emory is in that phase of toddlerhood when children ask a zillion-and-one "why" questions. I try my best to be patient, but sometimes I feel like if I have to answer one more question I will go bananas. Emory asks simple questions. Alanna asks very thoughtful questions that reflect how deeply she is processing things we read or see. They require an explanation, not a simple answer. Tonight at dinner, Jason turned the tables on Emory. I'm not exactly sure how it happened; I was just thankful I wasn't on the receiving end of all the questions for once! But all of a sudden, no matter what Emory said, Jason replied "I don't know. Why, Emory?" Some of her responses:
Because... (looks out the window)....the tree
Because...(sips from her cup)...my milk
Well, at least it made Jason and me laugh.
I am amazed at Alanna's memory. We were talking about her stuffed animal "Blue" from Blue's Clues, and she said she'd really like a Dora doll. I told her when we got Blue, I offered her the choice of Blue or Dora, but she chose Blue. Then she said something like, "yeah, I really liked that train that went around the ceiling at that place." I didn't even remember that until she brought it up, and the trip to the beach was last Fall. She has even reminded me about things that took place last Spring! She stores away these little details in her mind that don't make much of an impression on me.
We got new shoes this weekend. As Aidan was helping me choose the shoes he wanted, one or two of which I wasn't too excited about, he suddenly spied a pair of shoes that had orange on them...his FAVORITE color. He gasped and grabbed it; he was so excited and couldn't bear to put it back on the shelf. It took some convincing to reassure him that they would get him a pair from the back, and we would take them home. They are cute little shoes, I must say...kind of a hybrid sneaker-sandal. My little boy has good taste in shoes!
We went to The Loop for dinner with friends, and the kids had a blast...well, the adults did, too! But the best part, of course, was the milkshake Jason clued Aidan in on while we were at Stride Rite. They chose an Oreo milkshake, and there was not a drop left to spare. I got a great shot of Emory with it all over her face. When no one was looking, she took the lid off and turned it up. I think we all saw her at the same time and cracked up. Fortunately, there wasn't much left, so it was really just on her face. I'll upload the photo soon.
Sometime during lunch, we started talking about children's ages and who is older/younger than whom. Eventually, the conversation turned to Aidan and Alanna having babies. Aidan asked "What color will they be?" ??? I told him they'd be whatever color God makes them! Over the course of the conversation, I discovered that Alanna plans to have a baby girl named "Oliktch" with skin the same color as hers. Can't wait to meet her!
Another little vignette from my parents' last night. When Jason and I leave for Baltimore for a few days, and leave the kids at their house, we have concerns about just what Emory might get into. She is clearly very comfortable in their home. Fortunately, Emory tends to let out mischievous little giggles when she is doing something she shouldn't....or she's so quiet you know something is amiss. (The question is, will my parents hear and/or recognize these cues!) I didn't ever truly understand the meaning of things being "too quiet" in reference to toddlers until Emory came along. At one point, she disappeared around a corner, and the options were: a bathroom with a litter box, a laundry room with a litter box, a bar with lots of glassware and alcohol within reach and a bedroom. She was silently waiting in the bedroom (thank God) until she saw me turn the corner (I assume) at which point she let out her little giggle and started running across the room. When we play this game of cat and mouse, she has a funny little run...it's kind of a high-stepping, bouncy run with her arms out to the side. I caught her in my arms, and she thought she was so funny. We went to the family room, where I spoke briefly with my dad, when I heard another of those giggles heading up the stairs. So there, she had three bedrooms and two hall closets to get into. She went into the first room and ran as fast she could, cackling away as she heard me bounding up the steps behind her.
At our house, she loves to run ahead of us when we go upstairs, go into the closet in the master bathroom, close both doors and wait in silence until we open the door...and she starts to squeal.
She cracks me up. That gleam in her eyes never disappears...I hope it never does. My passionate, spirited little girl!
From the last couple of days:
Emory: As I'm cooking dinner, she comes over and says "Mommy! You best Mommy whole wide world." Of course, I say "Thank you!" Then she replies "I like eggs." And walks away. ....naturally...
(I'm not sure how my kids started this adorable habit of telling Jason and I that we are the best parents in the whole wide world...I have no idea where they learned it, but I DEFINITELY hope that it persists well into their teenage years and beyond. I know, wishful thinking...but that's allowed!)
Aidan: My little lovebug will pretend he needs to go potty just to get a few extra minutes with his beloved Aunt Michelle, who is about to take her son for a bathroom break. So sweet.
As we finished dinner at my parents' house last night, Aidan inquired about dessert. There is ALWAYS dessert at Nana and Grandad's, but we all feigned like there was not any cake in the house. Poor thing, he looked so sad. Jason had to call it off, so he wouldn't cry. We reassured him that of course there was cake...two types of cake, both chocolate in fact. I think this is when he started to cackle with excitement.
Alanna: At dinner last night we also talked a little bit about the kids staying with my parents for the first time while Jason and I got to Baltimore for a few days. Alanna started talking to Emory like a little mommy, asking her if she would be okay, telling her she'd take care of her, all in this very sweet, soothing voice.
All the kids got haircuts last week, and a precedent I was hoping to avoid for a very long time was set. I was standing with Emory, and I looked over at Alanna, who was smiling from ear to ear as she picked out a Dum-Dum lollipop. The kind lady who had just finished cutting her hair just looked at me and smiled as I cursed her in my head. :) At our prior visits, the "stylist" always checked to see if lollipops were allowed before handing them over. I had to restrain myself from leaping across the aisle and intervening. :) So, they all got Dum-Dums, and I will have to pray that they don't remember this joyous experience next time we go. (Yeah, right.)
I know...not a big deal. Am I obsessive? Arguably...yes. But there is just something about handing your child sugar on a stick...
Earlier this week, when we were discussing the fact that we needed a few ingredients from the grocery store for our fruit pizza, Aidan told me I would be going by myself, and the kids would stay home with Daddy. He had NO interest in going with me. Alanna said she wanted to go, and I said that would be great and added that she could push her own little cart if she wanted to. Well, that just got everybody chomping at the bit to go to the store. Aidan was in tears this afternoon when I told him it was just going to be me and Alanna. So, we all ended up piling up in the car.
Since Jason was with us, we divided the list and Aidan and Emory went with Jason while Alanna and I hit the produce department and deli. Alanna had a ricketty little cart that was a little difficult to maneuver, and she got stressed every time she got more than a foot or two from me or if it got hard to steer. She did well though, only took my heel out a few times. They were SO excited to have their own little carts, and Emory got to carry a box of Kix through the store. Aidan could hardly stand it; he was so thrilled to have "his peaches...his tomatoes...his spaghetti sauce...his turkey..."Then when we got to the checkout, he LOVED helping give things to the cashier and place them on the little platform. I didn't get to see Alanna, since I was helping Aidan park his cart, which didn't go over very well. Aidan was SO SAD to leave the cart behind. I think he thought we would push it all the way to the car. He recovered...thank goodness!
This morning we decided to take the kids out for lunch since Jason would be working tonight. So we trekked over to Red Robin for some burgers and chicken tenders. Aidan asked for a hamburger a few times this week, so we thought he'd want a burger. He said he wanted a burger, but at the last minute, he changed his mind... good old chicken tenders won out in the end. But the BEST part were the (chocolate) milkshakes after lunch. They were all in heaven with those. Emory sometimes needed help , and every time she got a good sip, she looked at me and laughed with this gleam in her eye. She finished hers first, and Aidan finished his on the way home. Alanna enjoyed hers as well, and I think they are all looking forward to another milkshake one day!
We all know Aidan loves chocolate, or anything sweet. But more than that, he really likes to help me in the kitchen...REALLY likes it. He cries anytime I say I'm about to prepare a meal, and I tell him I don't need any help. I usually have at least some small job he can help me with, but other times I really would just prefer to do it alone. Sometimes it's a moment alone for me, other times, it's just easier not to have the "help." By and large though, I enjoy it when he helps me. I don't know if it's the cooking he likes, or the fact that he gets a chance at some time with me without the girls (if they don't come running and come to share in the fun.) Sometimes sweet little Aidan gets overpowered by our ambitious girls who really push for what they want. At times, I catch him wandering away by himself, looking a little forlorn.
Anyhow, he enjoys food, especially since he's been branching back out into fruits and vegetables again. He loves to be in the kitchen, and he's never met a dessert he didn't like. Jason and I will not be at all surprised if he pursues a career in the food industry. Maybe he inherited the cooking gene from my mom!
Today we had some kiwi for the first time in a while, and he was hesitant to taste it. Once he did, his eyes lit up, and he ate it all pretty quickly. They were asking about treats, and I started telling them about a fruit pizza we could make with kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, etc. Aidan didn't look too interested, in fact, his face looked a little disgusted....until I brought up the fact that it is a huge cookie with "frosting" and some fruit on top. Then he perked right up and said very seriously "We should make that!" We talked a little more about it, and he pointed at me and nodded his head and informed again that we REALLY should make that. We talked about holidays coming up that might be a good excuse for making a fruit pizza...I kidded Jason that we could celebrate "tax day." Aidan quickly asked "Is today tax day?" He looked so dejected when I said no. So, I'll be breaking out my fruit pizza recipe sometime soon!
Emory has decided lately that she will be dressing herself, thank you very much. I'm not even allowed to touch whatever article of clothing she is trying put on, no matter how hard she is struggling. She might have it most of the way on, having struggled to get to this point, and be stuck, but if I lay a finger on her, she will take it completely off and start over. Occasionally, I can give her a small bit of assistance if I can convince her I'm not helping. For example, she couldn't reach down far enough behind her to pull up her pants this morning. So I said, "I'm just trying to get the pants into your hands, so YOU can pull them. I'm NOT helping you." And she acquiesced.
I figure the more she practices, the better she'll get at it, and that will be one less thing on my list of "to-do's" in the morning! But then again...I don't want them to grow up so fast! What to do??
Oh, and she has taken to doing airborne 360s, which occasionally end well...sometimes, not so much. She jumps in the air and spins, at times landing on her feet. She has learned this from watching Alanna....can't wait to see what's coming down the pipeline. I'm quite sure there are injuries in her future! Pray that it will be nothing serious!
This morning, the kids chose to watch a video while I exercised and play (nicely) while I got ready. I'm always a little skeptical about changing things up...usually they play while I exercise, so that I have peace of mind that they are sitting still watching a video while I can't keep my eyes on them.
Before I went to take a shower, Emory and I talked about the "rules"...play nicely, don't get into drawers and cabinets, play with toys and books. I escaped to the relative peace of my bathroom, though I could hear the screeching over the rush of water in the shower. When I was done, I went out and informed them that from now on they would need to play while I exercise since they were having a hard time playing together nicely. I heard one more screech as I returned to the bathroom, and I stuck my head out the door, asking if they needed to be separated and sit on their beds. Silence. I closed the door again, and things stayed quiet...eerily quiet. Then I heard Alanna say something about going to "the ice cream store." I peeked out. They had arranged their little stools they brought in with two lined up side by side with one behind them. They were all seated in their "car" on the way to the store. Alanna was "driving"...her hands on the steering wheel; Emory was riding shotgun, and Aidan was in the backseat. They were all happy...and then they went to the chocolate store. Well they attempted, but Aidan lost interest oddly enough...they were going to the chocolate store. I think I disrupted the fun. Darn!
