mama can give you cookie!

(says nj) I told him he could have one of mama's cookies when he finished his milk. first time I finally baked, yesterday we got the mixer out. he's never had any of my cookies before, another first. I burned the first couple of batches, I have to get used to this oven. the oven at our other house would need more time, this one burned them too quickly! I made pb & j and chocolate chip with walnut & cranberries.

ooh...

auntie's car is so cool, there was a dvd player for him. and he called her son guh-guh (big brother, he's almost five). how sweet, he called him that on his own!

blow out the candle!

and smile!

let's hold hands...

"mama, get up!"

so bossy, he told me to get up today (as I sat on the recliner). I played music for him and did the motions with him to the songs. after that, he kept calling me to play with him and asking for more music. he asks the way we ask him: you want music? he asked for his red train, I told him to look in his room. so he discovered them in his drawer and played with them most of the day. I think he missed them.

good boy

I finally finished a rewards chart for nj the other day, baba started it today. he got three already! one for sleeping good and long (he wasn't up until 10:00!), one for being a good eater (finishing his food, not making a mess, and us not having to ask him to eat it...), and one for being such a good boy all day. he listens so well and he tells us exactly what he wants or needs and says please. so pleasant when he can communicate. we let him pick any sticker and he chose them in order from the first one on the page. baba laughed and said he's just like me, orderly!

special guest

we had a special little guest again today. I got out nj's old musical aquarium that was on his crib. he used to love to watch the fish, kick the spinning crab, and listen to the music. since it was sitting in a box and who knows when there'll be another baby in our house, may as well let it be enjoyed by a deserving baby! it made me think of how fast he's grown already.

woody allen & eight monkeys

instead of the cars book, he took out the toy story book. he only knows the character woody because he has uncle perry's old woody doll at grandma's. but my mom calls him woody allen, and now so does nj. great! I kept trying to explain to my mom that woody allen is a director and actor far from the cartoon character woody! she completely ignored what I said and continues to call woody, woody allen. ugh!!

he takes out the 8 silly monkey's book and says, "mama read!" as he climbs onto my lap. I read the first part (8 silly monkey's jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head. mama called the doctor and the doctor said...) and I get him to say the last part, which he knows without me reading it: no more monkey's jumping on the bed! it's so cute, I love it.

no gate

that's what he said when I told him we took down the gate. we didn't need to tell him, he noticed right away. funny, he cautiously rode his trike past the spot where the gate was. before, we wouldn't let him take his ride-ons through it. he almost looked a bit confused, but then smiled as if he realized it was a good thing. :)

catch!

i was trying to teach him how to catch by putting his hands in a ready position, but he didn't grab it as it was thrown to him. he just let it hit him, but it's a soft squishy ball and he'd laugh every time! he loved playing catch so much, he did a happy dance every time i'd say, "ready?"

baba help, please

today's lunch was easy, he ate everything and more. when he has a hard time scooping up the rest of his food, baba helps by doing it for him. he was so good today, he asked nicely. and even slept a nearly three hour nap! while he napped, I finally finished up his reward chart for potty training. I also added spaces for good behavior, good eating, and good napping. :)

yogurt mama?

more for me!

every morning he asks for yogurt. he says, "peach yogurt? peach yogurt?" this boy loves his yogurt! sometimes if he wakes up cranky, he'll cry when we tell him he can't have any until he's finished breakfast. after his nap today, we asked him what flavor he wanted (vanilla, peach, or strawberry). he asked for strawberry.