26 months

This month Lennox's imagination has gone wild. For a long time he has barked like a dog or ooo-oo--ahh-ahhed like a monkey but now he pretends he is the dog. He was crawling around in the shower yesterday saying "I'm a puppy dog" and he was panting and pawing the ground. The other day he put a blanket around his head and said "Wook... I'm a wion! RRRRROOOOOAAARRR! Wion care me!" ha. So I took the opportunity to make him lots of different animals with the blanket. His favorite is the Diplodocus. Apparently all you have to do is tuck the blanket in your diaper and run around and eat grass to be a Diplodocus!! Who knew? Good thing I'm about to save some money on Halloween costumes... I'll just throw a blanket on his head and let him imagine he is whatever he wants to be. :) Lucky me. Also, at night when he wants me to sing and I'm all tapped out I ask what he wants me to sing. He has been saying "sing dat back hoe, bulldozer song." Ok, I don't know a back hoe song so I tell him to sing it. He makes up his own little song with a tune and words... it mostly goes something like La-La--- A backhoe_----Bulldozer---digging dirt---dump truck - lala--- dumping----lala. Pretty huh?

This month he is really into hiding too. He likes to hide under the covers or in the cabinets. He thinks no one sees him or knows where he is "hiding." It's pretty cute. He also likes for us to hide and jump out to scare him. I think that could be slightly damaging, especially when Jay hides in the closet of a dark room, but he keeps laughing!

He is doing really good with the potty. I am hoping one day he will just stop going in the diaper. Is that an effective potty training method? Probably not. I hope while I am home on maternity leave I can really buckle down and get rid of the diapers. Maybe.

He loves school so much and has only gotten in a few scuffles. One child did go home with marks but his teacher swears Lennox was just defending himself and his property (a pot from the play kitchen). Not that it is ok to use force to defend yourself... I don't condone that. But I would probably do the same thing if someone came and took my pot. Especially if they hit me in the head with it!

He loves to paint more than anything in the world. Maybe even more than he loves dirt and shaving cream in the shower. He was introduced to paint at school and that's all she wrote. He wants to paint everything, anything, more paint, more stuff to paint, paint all day. Hopefully he will be creative. He also likes to draw. His specialties are "roads" (known to some as scribble) and zig zags. We are working on circles and sometimes he ends up with something that looks like a football... which pleases him to no end. He draws big roads and tiny roads and mama roads and daddy roads. When his roads are complete he would like for you to draw any number of heavy equipment on his road. Then he can draw the dirt in the back hoe or dump truck or whatever you may have the talent to draw. My talent ends with those two and bull dozers. He never gets tired of drawing... or asking you to draw. He is a bit like me with the markers too. If they don't work like they did the day they were opened, they are "not working" and go in the trash. That can be an expensive habit but who likes to draw with markers that skip?! Not me. Not Lennox either.

He has started counting again. There were a couple of months that he refused to count. He counts to twenty but there are only about 16 numbers between 1 and 20.

So, I think that's about it for this month. He may have grown a little taller... or maybe it's wishful thinking. I think he is definitely heavier... or I am weaker. Either way, I'll have to check that for sure and update. So 26 months is a really fun age. I can't believe how big he is and how perceptive he is... Of course I think he is just too smart but don't all of us think that about our kids?!

"Daddy tiny, Mommy BBBBIIIIIGGGG!" - Lennox

Where do butterflies come from?
"Butterpies come from powers."
Really? What do caterpillars turn into?
"Caterpillars turn into caterpies. They ugwee" - Lennox

Lennox, are you sure you don't want chicken nuggets?
"No, I want a cheeseburger."
Lennox, here is your cheeseburger.
"Here Mama. Dis cheeseburger ugwee. I need a chicken." - Lennox

"Here bunny wabbit. I got a cawwot." - Lennox (sticking his hand out of the hole in the laundry basket he was sitting in)

Lennox, when baby sister comes out she is going to live here.
"Nope."
Yes, she's going to live here with you and me and Daddy.
"No. I can't wike it. I can't wike it a baby sister... now. Because, I can't wike it." - Lennox (who has since agreed that she can live here)

Pregnancy - The Ups and Downs

Yesterday started out rough... like most work days. I got to work at 515 and found in my inbox a picture of my team from the day before. Most of the time, I hide when work photos are being taken but I did not manage to escape this photo op. Poor me... why didn't I hide better? Anyway, the picture was less than flattering of me but, like they say, pictures don't lie. So... I cried at my desk, feeling like the ugliest, fattest pregnant person ever. That was a down. (Then I ate a bowl of ice cream and felt better)

On my way home from work, I stopped to pick up something from my friend who I haven't seen in a while. He said, Wow. You are not as big as I expected. You were REALLY big last time! Ok, so that's an up (i guess).

Today, I got to work at 515. I was sitting at my desk minding my business when one of my co-workers declared that I was definitely "going to pop!" Hmmm.... I think that's a down. So, go with what works... I ate another bowl of ice cream.

My doctor congratulated me on Monday because I weigh exactly what I weighed at this point with Lennox. I thought that was good... until I was told I was REALLY big the first time. I guess that would classify me as REALLY big this time too :(


UPDATED:
So I was in Hudson's checking out the awesome baby gear at 40% off and a new grandmother asked me "what did you have?" I said, I have a 2 year old and have 5 more weeks before this baby arrives. She acted so surprised and said "oh, I thought you already had the baby!!" ha ha. Ok, I realize she must have been smoking crack but I said, Oh thanks for making my day. I turned the corner to the next aisle, minding my business, calculating my discounts. A lady came up to me with a knowing smile on her face and said "You're having twins aren't you?!" ha. no, but thanks for busting my bubble. I really don't get it.

interpretations

My friend Laura posted about the interchangeability of her son's words. It made me laugh because, as parents of a toddler, we all go about interpreting what they say and eventually it makes perfect sense to us... With Lennox, I would say he is conversational but that's probably because I understand his language. Others, on the outside, may understand most of what he says but I doubt they get it all like I do. Some things he says do throw me for a loop.

• He was demanding "pork whips" from his carseat the other day. I had no idea what he was talking about. I thought fork lifts? pork lips? huh? After a frustrating ride home and allowing him to show me what he wanted, it was chap stick!? Pork Whips - chap Stick? What?
• Waygo - translation: Is Diego on? Can I watch Diego? I see Diego.
• Wibia - translation: Olivia his friend, Olivia the pig, Lydia the name (we were practiciting)
• sunshine take away - translation: Will you please sing "You are my Sunshine"
• I can't wike it - translation: I am totally frustrated. I don't like it. I am not doing it. I can't make it work. I don't know how this works. I am about to throw a fit if you don't help me. I am about to throw a fit if you do help me. I need help. I am going to spit this chewed up food in your hand, thanks.
• I need to use potty - translation: I will do anything for candy
• I can't see moon - translation: I am tired. I want to go out side in the dark. I don't want to go to bed.

I'm sure this list could go on and on....

Gas?

Yesterday I picked Lennox up and squeezed him really tight and he tooted (maybe a little too tight). Then he tooted 3 more times and laughed. I said, "You have gas, boy!" His response? "Gas for wawnmowers!" ha ha... yes, that's true too. This kid kills me.

School Days

Lennox's first day of school was a success! We missed Meet the Teacher day so he was unfamiliar with First Baptist. We pulled into the parking lot and he looked up at the church and said "Oooo, wook at dat house. Dat's a big one house!" I explained that it was a church... Yes people, I take my child to church. But our church is in an old Wal Mart so it just looks like a store to him. Anyway, I took him to Mrs. Amy's room and he started playing right away. He never even told me good bye :( Oh well. I was glad he was happy. One poor child in the class was totally beside himself. I really did feel sorry for him (and his mom) and I was thankful I was not in that situation!
Lennox's teacher said he were one of the best listeners!!! (at least on Day 1) He held on to the rope while walking (although walking in line didn't exactly happen). He went around to the crying kids and tried to hug them. If they didn't want hugs, he hugged them anyway... of course. He made an apple tree with finger paint and talked about it all day "My apple tree, my apple tree..." Today his venture was apparently helping all of the kids in the class blow their nose. I just hope he used a kleenex!

25 Months

• You are sort of interested in using the potty. You are much more interested in m&m's and chocolate that you receive for using the potty. This is gross but when I change your poop diapers you say "ooooOOoo BIG one! I can't see!" so I have to show it to you. Monday you were playing and I asked what you were doing and you gave me a dirty look. I said, "are you pooping?" You said "no, go way!" A few minutes later, you ran into the living room wagging your finger at me. I couldn't tell if you were proud or disgusted. I was disgusted. I won't go into detail but we both needed to wash our hands... in HOT water... with LOTS & LOTS of soap.


• You have quite an opinion on almost everything. You pick your favorite books. You pick your favorite pages in the books and tell me I am going the wrong way when I pass them (Diplodocus "DiKadoKus" in the dinosaur book, bird page in the animal book, diggers in the truck book, etc). You want to tell me which way to turn at a stop sign, which shoes you will wear, which cartoons you will watch, etc.
• You seem to be a little upset that Jay has not been around much. When he tries to lay down with you, you've been telling him "no daddy... go way. get off my bed." It seems a little harsh and would probably make me cry, but he takes it well. Afterall, daddys are tough. They can take the punishment. You still love him... :) When I lay down with you, we say our prayers, read a book, and then you say "mommy sing song." So, although I lack any talent in the song singing department, I sing a few songs for you. A few days ago I sang "Jesus Loves Me" and "Jesus Loves the Little Children" then I decided to throw in some "God is So Good." Like I said, I cannot sing and this was a new song for you to hear but I did not expect the reaction that I got from you. You said "EWWWWwwww. No! I can't wike dis one. I can't wike it. Dis one UGWEEE... No sing song mommy. No sing song!!" Ha haha... I just laughed myself to sleep. I didn't know I was going to be under such scrutiny.


• You are a rough and tough kid. You tackle, hit, punch, but you seem to think it's all a game. I don't know how much Chloe appreciates your roughness. She gets the brunt of it alot of times. I hope you start to understand "being gentle" before your baby sister arrives.


• You give some seriously dirty looks. I wish I could capture them on camera. I can't help but laugh when you do it but your face turns to stone... your eyes still give you away though. I can see them smiling even if your face isn't cooperating.


• You are still learning to recognize letters. You are pretty good with colors (this month). You notice little details and pick up on every conversation we have... that could be bad.


• You start school on Tuesday. I didn't take off work to take you to Meet the Teacher day but I feel like you will adjust quickly. I am thankful for your flexibility and your social little personality. I feel sure that once you see other kids AND toys, you won't miss a beat and I'll be back in the car without you caring.
• You still are still being a picky eater. I hope this is a phase. Some of your favorites are PB&J, avocado with balsamic vinegar (sour stuff), cheese, and cereal. Oh, and don't let me forget your syrup (ranch dressing) and ketchup. Ketchup is a vegetable right?
• You have a temper and do not hesitate to throw your self down but I try to ignore it. I can remember throwing myself down in a fit but it didn't seem to get me anywhere. I don't do that now (most of the time) so I figure you will eventually learn to control the urge! I hope.
• Despite the ugly temper, you are very loving to almost everyone. I could eat you up!