*yaawwnnn* Mommy was up way too early this morning!
I woke up a little before 7:00am, sleepily shuffled to the bathroom, and then back to the bedroom for another hour of sleep. I was jolted awake by the realization that Todd's crib was empty! In my sleepy haze, I wondered who had taken him out, and then realized that he'd awakened, rolled over, saw the empty bed, and got up and out of the crib by himself (as the gate was lowered and the crib butted up against the bed). I turned around and there was my brightly smiling little man running down the hallway, turtle and pillow in tow. Yeah... neither of us was gonna get more sleep after that. So we cuddled for a bit before heading to the kitchen for breakfast.
Reminds me of another cuddle episode earlier this week, during which I had to go to the bathroom, so I remarked: "Mommy has to go pee-pee. Do you have to go?"
His reply? "No.... Don't make pee-pee in your pajama pants!"
An admonishment which he's not only heard time and again from the grownups, but which he's started dishing out to us.... isn't that right, Daddy? :-D
Counting with Uncle Ron
I forgot to mention a cute episode between Todd and Uncle Ron during the BBQ on Aug 18.
Todd was eating a handful of Goldfish crackers, and Uncle Ron asked for some. The following ensued:
Uncle Ron: Can I have some?
Todd: (puts one in Uncle Ron's outstretched hand)
Uncle Ron: No, two!
Todd: (adds a second Goldfish)
Uncle Ron: No, three!
Todd: (adds a third Goldfish)
Uncle Ron: No, two!
Todd: (thinks a moment, and then takes a Goldfish out of Uncle Ron's hand)
Guess he foiled Uncle Ron's attempts to foil him ;-)
Todd was eating a handful of Goldfish crackers, and Uncle Ron asked for some. The following ensued:
Uncle Ron: Can I have some?
Todd: (puts one in Uncle Ron's outstretched hand)
Uncle Ron: No, two!
Todd: (adds a second Goldfish)
Uncle Ron: No, three!
Todd: (adds a third Goldfish)
Uncle Ron: No, two!
Todd: (thinks a moment, and then takes a Goldfish out of Uncle Ron's hand)
Guess he foiled Uncle Ron's attempts to foil him ;-)
Boys will be boys!
Like all boys do, Todd was having a grand ol' time running around the house, swinging his noodle (the foam one for swimming) around and generally causing havoc. Oma warned him to stay out of the kitchen, as it was full of breakable things and other items that could hurt him! She then went into the sunroom to clean up a bit, and was startled by a terrific CRASH and the sight of Todd holding his chin and crying when she came running in. Broken shards lay scattered on the floor about him. Turns out he'd disobeyed Oma and poked his noodle at the kitchen lights, sending one of the panes crashing to the ground, and cutting him in the process-- he's now graced with a cut running from the bottom of his lower lip, diagonally across his chin. Typical boy!
Open/close the door!
Oma was bathing Ama-ama, who indignantly insisted that Todd close the bathroom door. Feeling contrary, Todd instead opened it wide. So, Oma decided to try a bit of reverse psychology. In her sternest voice, she commanded him: "Open the door!"
What do you think happened?
That's right-- Todd immediately shut the door! Mission accomplished! :-D
What do you think happened?
That's right-- Todd immediately shut the door! Mission accomplished! :-D
Toilet training update
It was another hot day and Todd was running around naked while Oma tried to feed him dinner. That's when she noticed a little brown thing on the floor, which looked suspiciously like a poopie. Examining Todd's butt, she found some more poopies smeared there. Surprised, she asked him "do you have to make poopies?" To which Todd replied: "I already did!"
He then proceeded to explain that he managed to climb onto the toilet ALL BY HIMSELF, do his business, flush the toilet, close the lid, and go on his merry way. And since he didn't need any help getting on and off the toilet, he didn't bother to tell a single soul that he had to go to the bathroom!
Our little man is growing more and more independent!
He then proceeded to explain that he managed to climb onto the toilet ALL BY HIMSELF, do his business, flush the toilet, close the lid, and go on his merry way. And since he didn't need any help getting on and off the toilet, he didn't bother to tell a single soul that he had to go to the bathroom!
Our little man is growing more and more independent!
Tinkering with Toys
Todd had gotten a hold of Opa's screwdriver and was tinkering around with his spinning toy (the one where you sit on it and spin yourself around by rotating the wheel in the middle). It's not unusual for Todd to take his screwdriver to his toys and pretend he's fixing them, so nobody thought anything of it. Next thing I knew, a very surprised Opa sauntered into the kitchen from the bathroom, wondering what had happened on his way in through the living room. The toy lay in pieces-- Todd had managed to successfully remove all the screws in it-- all by himself! Handy little boy!
Lumpy
Mommy (checking up on a cut on Todd's head after a nasty bump a few days prior): How's your head, sweetie?
Toddy: It's lumpy!!
(and yes, he's got all sorts of permanent lumps on his head. Typical boy, after all! New nickname, methinks!)
Toddy: It's lumpy!!
(and yes, he's got all sorts of permanent lumps on his head. Typical boy, after all! New nickname, methinks!)
Getting dressed
Today, Oma had to run to the pharmacy super-quick to pick up a prescription. She left a naked baby at home with Ama. When she returned, the little man was fully dressed! According to Ama-ama, he climbed up onto a chair and picked out his clothes: underwear, pants and shirt. He even managed to put on the underwear and pants by himself, and asked Ama-ama to help him put on the shirt!
Swimming Lessons
Todd's first successful swimming lesson today. Private, one-on-one, 30-minute instruction at a pool in Chatsworth. Unlike when he is with Oma or Mommy or Daddy, he didn't refuse to listen and did everything he was instructed to do! Learned to use the kickboard and noodle to stay afloat on his tummy and back, learned to kick, to walk around the pool, and even dunked his head into the water! Great strides in getting him used to, and unafraid of, the water!
Ventura County Fair
We didn't make it to the Ventura County Fair last weekend, so we went this weekend. It's about 40 miles south of Santa Barbara, so it made for a nice little day-long excursion. We started off with lunch at the mall in Ventura, where we could park for free and catch the free shuttle to the fair, rather than having to battle traffic and pay for parking AT the fairgrounds itself. The shuttles? Big yellow school buses, just like the kind Allan and I used to take when we were younger. Boy, did that bring back memories, and I tell ya-- the interior of the buses seemed a lot smaller than I remember :-P
Here are the two boys, one riding sky-high (literally!) as we make our way to the shuttle pickup point:
We didn't end up going on any rides or playing any games in the carnival section of the fair, but we did end up seeing all kinds of interesting exhibits, such as the art exhibit done by schoolchildren in the local area (some very impressive oil paintings from middle-school kids!), a show where we were regaled with a folk tale while a blacksmith churned out horseshoes to give away to 5 lucky audience members, and of course, a variety of animals, mostly farm animals. Todd got to see cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, turkeys, rabbits and goats, all up close and personal. Great way to personify all those animals he sings about in "Old McDonald" :-) Our favorite animal exhibit? Why, the turtles, of course! Todd really enjoyed seeing real turtles, some larger and some smaller than the stuffed turtle he carries around with him everywhere.
The last exhibit we visited was the fish aquarium, where Todd immediately spotted the clownfish in the tank near the entrance, and exclaimed: "Nemo!!"
We also stood by the sidelines as a group of Clydesdale horses came by on parade, pulling an old firetruck wagon. The wagon was complete with fireman and a Dalmation, very old-fashioned ;-) And it was the first time I'd ever seen Clydesdales up close, I knew they were big horses but didn't realize HOW large they were until I was standing about a dozen feet away from them!
For a break, we sat in the shade and enjoyed the strumming and singing of a bluegrass band called the Iron Mountain Boys. They had some CDs for sale, and also perform for hire at events, so we grabbed one of their fliers, as we enjoyed listening to them immensely.
And of course, what county fair would be complete without its share of vendors? We wandered through the showrooms, chock-full of all kinds of vendors, some demonstrating their products to interested onlookers. One of my favorites was the vendor who sold hand-made porch signs with creative designs and ways to display family names, such as "Barrett's Bar" or "Olsen's Outback". I thought something like "The Knight Castle" would be especially appropriate for when we get our own home in the future. But when I took a closer look at the already-made signs on display, I found that we already had a ready-made one on display:
Wonder if he would've given us a discount for buying the sign off the display rack instead of having to carve one out for us right then and there ;-)
We stopped off back at the mall for dinner at Red Robin before heading home, and enjoyed a lovely sunset (Todd remarked: "what's that red thing?", not realizing it was the sun in beautiful red and orange colors as it got ready to dip below the horizon and go to sleep) along the way.
All in all, a very fun family day :-)
Here are the two boys, one riding sky-high (literally!) as we make our way to the shuttle pickup point:
We didn't end up going on any rides or playing any games in the carnival section of the fair, but we did end up seeing all kinds of interesting exhibits, such as the art exhibit done by schoolchildren in the local area (some very impressive oil paintings from middle-school kids!), a show where we were regaled with a folk tale while a blacksmith churned out horseshoes to give away to 5 lucky audience members, and of course, a variety of animals, mostly farm animals. Todd got to see cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, turkeys, rabbits and goats, all up close and personal. Great way to personify all those animals he sings about in "Old McDonald" :-) Our favorite animal exhibit? Why, the turtles, of course! Todd really enjoyed seeing real turtles, some larger and some smaller than the stuffed turtle he carries around with him everywhere.
The last exhibit we visited was the fish aquarium, where Todd immediately spotted the clownfish in the tank near the entrance, and exclaimed: "Nemo!!"
We also stood by the sidelines as a group of Clydesdale horses came by on parade, pulling an old firetruck wagon. The wagon was complete with fireman and a Dalmation, very old-fashioned ;-) And it was the first time I'd ever seen Clydesdales up close, I knew they were big horses but didn't realize HOW large they were until I was standing about a dozen feet away from them!
For a break, we sat in the shade and enjoyed the strumming and singing of a bluegrass band called the Iron Mountain Boys. They had some CDs for sale, and also perform for hire at events, so we grabbed one of their fliers, as we enjoyed listening to them immensely.
And of course, what county fair would be complete without its share of vendors? We wandered through the showrooms, chock-full of all kinds of vendors, some demonstrating their products to interested onlookers. One of my favorites was the vendor who sold hand-made porch signs with creative designs and ways to display family names, such as "Barrett's Bar" or "Olsen's Outback". I thought something like "The Knight Castle" would be especially appropriate for when we get our own home in the future. But when I took a closer look at the already-made signs on display, I found that we already had a ready-made one on display:
Wonder if he would've given us a discount for buying the sign off the display rack instead of having to carve one out for us right then and there ;-)
We stopped off back at the mall for dinner at Red Robin before heading home, and enjoyed a lovely sunset (Todd remarked: "what's that red thing?", not realizing it was the sun in beautiful red and orange colors as it got ready to dip below the horizon and go to sleep) along the way.
All in all, a very fun family day :-)
Todd-lers
I got an immense kick out of the above cartoon, taken from this week's "One Big Happy" comic strip.
Hey-- we have a bona fide Todd-ler!
:-D
Tail-less doggies
While watching a man walk his boxer (which, true to its breed, has a short tail), Todd wondered:
"Why is the doggie's tail so short?"
I hesitated, pondering how to tell him that the dog's tail had actually been CUT OFF by us ruthless humans. But before I could say anything, Todd figured it out:
"He's a small doggie. When he gets bigger, his tail will be long."
Can't do anything but agree with that kinder assessment! :-D
"Why is the doggie's tail so short?"
I hesitated, pondering how to tell him that the dog's tail had actually been CUT OFF by us ruthless humans. But before I could say anything, Todd figured it out:
"He's a small doggie. When he gets bigger, his tail will be long."
Can't do anything but agree with that kinder assessment! :-D
Who's the mature one?
This afternoon Todd and Daddy played baseball in the backyard while Mommy was cleaning up in the kitchen. She soon joined the boys and next thing we knew, it was Mommy and Daddy playing baseball while Todd got distracted by toys on the back patio. Bored, he decided to climb onto a chair and sit comfortably while watching his parents play.
And the look on his face! It read: "What are these kids doing? I'm waaaayyyy too mature for games like this. I'm just gonna sit her and keep an eye on them, make sure they stay out of trouble!"
And the look on his face! It read: "What are these kids doing? I'm waaaayyyy too mature for games like this. I'm just gonna sit her and keep an eye on them, make sure they stay out of trouble!"
Bonding in SB
Yesterday Todd and I enjoyed some good, quality mommy-son time together, letting Daddy work peacefully at home. We went shopping for swim trunks, hit Trader Joe's for groceries, ate lunch together at a Pick-Up-Stix, browsed the toy store next door, and stopped off at Border's before making our way back home to grab a bag and head for the wading pool at Oak Park.
It was a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed splashing around in the foot-deep pool and playing in the playground afterward.
Been a while since we've had a whole day all to ourselves, and what fun it was! :-)
Today was family day-- Todd helped Daddy wash his ash (from the nearby Zaca fire that's been burning this past few weeks), bird poop and tree tar covered car, and then the entire family trooped down to the pool. It was decidedly cooler, as clouds kept covering the sun, so our swim time was short-lived, but playground play wasn't :-D
It was a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed splashing around in the foot-deep pool and playing in the playground afterward.
Been a while since we've had a whole day all to ourselves, and what fun it was! :-)
Today was family day-- Todd helped Daddy wash his ash (from the nearby Zaca fire that's been burning this past few weeks), bird poop and tree tar covered car, and then the entire family trooped down to the pool. It was decidedly cooler, as clouds kept covering the sun, so our swim time was short-lived, but playground play wasn't :-D
Weekend Fun
Whew! Been remiss in updating this thing, but I guess I wasn't around much for many updates, anyway.
Last week I spent the majority of the nights in Santa Barbara, after work. Our former next-door neighbor was in town for several days and stayed at my parents' house. This meant they would occupy the room that Toddy and I sleep in, and Todd had to sleep in my mom's bed. Fortunately he stayed quiet and relatively immobile during the night.
The visit was also good for getting Todd acquainted with Mason, their 4-year-old son, and after some initially timidness, Todd soon grew bolder and started actively playing, running around the house screaming his head off (with Mason following suit), and generally just bouncing off the walls in hyper excitement. Not unlike his mother when she was that age and playing with her friends :-P
All last week, Oma took him to the local community pool for swimming lessons. And, again, just like Mommy, he was quite afraid of getting his head dunked in, and clung to Oma tighter than a leech. He was quite happy to use the "noodle" (those long styrofoam poles which resemble a giant, straight macaroni noodle) to stay afloat.
This week marked getting back to normal, and with Todd sleeping early and waking up early, it gives us time to cuddle in the morning for a few minutes before I have to get up and get ready for work. With the crib pressed right up against the side of the bed, it is easy enough for me to hold on to the railing, to keep it from moving while Todd climbs out and straight onto the bed. Nice little morning routine, and apparently Todd has gotten accustomed to it, as he holler and fusses and insists on "giving Mommy a kiss!" if I leave for work before he wakes up-- and Oma ends up having to call me so I can blow kisses over the phone. Not quite the same thing, but better than nothing.
Anyway, this morning, Todd noticed my morning breath and talked through his stuffed turtle. He made the turtle hold its nose and exclaim: "Pee-you! It stinks like a skunk!" I laughed and pointed out that it was my bad breath. This must have puzzled Todd, as he next made the turtle say: "No, Pao-pao's nose stinks!" while poking his own nose with the turtle's fin.
Woe to morning breath! And woe to the nose that must smell it! ;-P
Last week I spent the majority of the nights in Santa Barbara, after work. Our former next-door neighbor was in town for several days and stayed at my parents' house. This meant they would occupy the room that Toddy and I sleep in, and Todd had to sleep in my mom's bed. Fortunately he stayed quiet and relatively immobile during the night.
The visit was also good for getting Todd acquainted with Mason, their 4-year-old son, and after some initially timidness, Todd soon grew bolder and started actively playing, running around the house screaming his head off (with Mason following suit), and generally just bouncing off the walls in hyper excitement. Not unlike his mother when she was that age and playing with her friends :-P
All last week, Oma took him to the local community pool for swimming lessons. And, again, just like Mommy, he was quite afraid of getting his head dunked in, and clung to Oma tighter than a leech. He was quite happy to use the "noodle" (those long styrofoam poles which resemble a giant, straight macaroni noodle) to stay afloat.
This week marked getting back to normal, and with Todd sleeping early and waking up early, it gives us time to cuddle in the morning for a few minutes before I have to get up and get ready for work. With the crib pressed right up against the side of the bed, it is easy enough for me to hold on to the railing, to keep it from moving while Todd climbs out and straight onto the bed. Nice little morning routine, and apparently Todd has gotten accustomed to it, as he holler and fusses and insists on "giving Mommy a kiss!" if I leave for work before he wakes up-- and Oma ends up having to call me so I can blow kisses over the phone. Not quite the same thing, but better than nothing.
Anyway, this morning, Todd noticed my morning breath and talked through his stuffed turtle. He made the turtle hold its nose and exclaim: "Pee-you! It stinks like a skunk!" I laughed and pointed out that it was my bad breath. This must have puzzled Todd, as he next made the turtle say: "No, Pao-pao's nose stinks!" while poking his own nose with the turtle's fin.
Woe to morning breath! And woe to the nose that must smell it! ;-P
