Another fun Christmas with Daddy's family. Todd got some of the items from his wish list, regular-sized legos and his very own digital camera, in addition to the usual loot. Because it was raining outside, we all sat around the dining table indoors, and it was actually quite nice! Usually when we sit outdoors we're divided between 2 patio tables, but this time we ALL got to gather around one single table, so it seemed more cozy.
Not a lot of good pictures to put up :-( I just offloaded them from the camera and discovered that they all had Todd either looking away (concentrating on unwrapping a gift) or looking at someone else. If anyone else took better photos, please send them! :-)
When we arrived back at Oma and Opa's house, he was eager to teach them how to play Snakes 'n' Ladders and checkers while they ate dinner.
And of course, what post would be complete without a Toddism?
On the way to Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ron's house, Todd declared that he would not speak to anyone (in fact, he was loath enough to say that to us). The reason? "If I speak English, I will forget my Chinese!"
Bears are not snowmen
One of Todd's current favorite toys to snuggle with at night is the white birthday bear that Grandpa gave to him on his 2nd birthday. It is large and the color of pristine snow, and so when we settled down to read books before bed last night and I pulled out a book featuring snowmen, I instantly remarked to the bear: "You look like a snowman!", pointing to the pictures of snowmen.
The bear, through Todd, took great offense to this, and insisted that he wasn't a snowman. In fact, he went on to prove *why* he wasn't:
"I don't have 3 balls!"
(I'm sure you can imagine what he was actually talking about, but it was insanely funny nevertheless :-D)
The bear, through Todd, took great offense to this, and insisted that he wasn't a snowman. In fact, he went on to prove *why* he wasn't:
"I don't have 3 balls!"
(I'm sure you can imagine what he was actually talking about, but it was insanely funny nevertheless :-D)
Don't forget!
I was singing "Frosty the Snowman" in the car on the way home today and when I got to the part about "2 eyes made out of coal", Todd wanted to know what coal was. I explained it to him, and tried to give him a visual description of charcoal used in barbecues. Of course, he wanted to actually see it, so I told him that after dinner I'd find pictures on the computer and show him.
Knowing, however, that I was likely to forget after the hustle and bustle of our evening routine, I asked him to remind me in case I forgot.
His reply? "You should keep it in your brain!"
Knowing, however, that I was likely to forget after the hustle and bustle of our evening routine, I asked him to remind me in case I forgot.
His reply? "You should keep it in your brain!"
Reading and 'rithmetic
(Whew! Been remiss in blogging here, haven't I! Just played another round of catchup and posted 9 new entries-- including this one-- happy reading!)
Todd had been becoming more and more curious about words and reading. The elements of phonics are starting to sink in and he's applying them more and more. For the time being, I have given up the approach of teaching him to read using sound-out phonics, and instead am focusing on sight words. Kids have good memories, and it's easier for him to recognize words by sight rather than sounding them out letter-by-letter. In fact, now that he's learning sight words, he's starting to apply the phonics to them!
Often he will do one of two things:
1. See a word somewhere (on a sign, in a newspaper ad, on electronic equipment, etc...), spell it out for me, and ask me what it says.
2. Ask me how to spell a certain word he already knows. Stuff like numbers, body parts, and anything else he's recently heard/talked about.
Here's some examples of how he's applying phonics concepts to words he's learning about:
The other day I was washing his hands at school and he looked at the soap dispenser, which had the name and logo of the soap supplier on it. He wanted to know what "S-U-P-P-L-Y" spelled. I told him. He mulled it over, and then added a new twist:
"You know what word it is if you use a 'T' instead of an 'S'? Tupply!"
Then there was the time when we were talking about planets. He went quiet for a few moments, and then declared: "You know what rhymes with 'planet'? Hanet!"
In the world of arithmetic, he no longer needs beads to count sums less than 10. He can use his fingers! He has become manual dexterous enough to do both addition and subtraction using his hands.
One last tidbit: a few weeks ago he spelled out the letters to his full name: first, middle, last. He wanted to know how many letters it was. I suggested he try counting them. As I was driving, I didn't get to observe what he was doing, but it went quiet in the back seat for a while as I heard whispers while he figured it out. A few minutes later, he proudly announced: "Fifteen!" I was amazed. Not sure if it was a lucky fluke or if he really managed to count them all out, but 15 it is! :-)
Todd had been becoming more and more curious about words and reading. The elements of phonics are starting to sink in and he's applying them more and more. For the time being, I have given up the approach of teaching him to read using sound-out phonics, and instead am focusing on sight words. Kids have good memories, and it's easier for him to recognize words by sight rather than sounding them out letter-by-letter. In fact, now that he's learning sight words, he's starting to apply the phonics to them!
Often he will do one of two things:
1. See a word somewhere (on a sign, in a newspaper ad, on electronic equipment, etc...), spell it out for me, and ask me what it says.
2. Ask me how to spell a certain word he already knows. Stuff like numbers, body parts, and anything else he's recently heard/talked about.
Here's some examples of how he's applying phonics concepts to words he's learning about:
The other day I was washing his hands at school and he looked at the soap dispenser, which had the name and logo of the soap supplier on it. He wanted to know what "S-U-P-P-L-Y" spelled. I told him. He mulled it over, and then added a new twist:
"You know what word it is if you use a 'T' instead of an 'S'? Tupply!"
Then there was the time when we were talking about planets. He went quiet for a few moments, and then declared: "You know what rhymes with 'planet'? Hanet!"
In the world of arithmetic, he no longer needs beads to count sums less than 10. He can use his fingers! He has become manual dexterous enough to do both addition and subtraction using his hands.
One last tidbit: a few weeks ago he spelled out the letters to his full name: first, middle, last. He wanted to know how many letters it was. I suggested he try counting them. As I was driving, I didn't get to observe what he was doing, but it went quiet in the back seat for a while as I heard whispers while he figured it out. A few minutes later, he proudly announced: "Fifteen!" I was amazed. Not sure if it was a lucky fluke or if he really managed to count them all out, but 15 it is! :-)
That's not what he said!
Ah, the time to pit one parent against another has come. When Todd arrived home from school today, he explained that he wanted jelly-only sandwiches (instead of the PBJ he regularly gets at lunchtime). I explained that he HAD to have peanut butter as it was a good source of protein. But then I went on to further explain that on weekends, when it was snack time, I'd be happy to make him jelly-only sandwiches then.
He immediately pounced on my last statement and pointed out: "Your answer is not the same as Daddy's!"
I was quick to clarify that when Daddy and I were both talking about lunch, our answer was the same: you *must* have PB.
But wow, talk about keen to observe any differences in one parent's explanation vs. another! Time for Daddy and I to band together and make sure we get our stories straight... and airtight! That kid finds loopholes faster than dirt finds him!
He immediately pounced on my last statement and pointed out: "Your answer is not the same as Daddy's!"
I was quick to clarify that when Daddy and I were both talking about lunch, our answer was the same: you *must* have PB.
But wow, talk about keen to observe any differences in one parent's explanation vs. another! Time for Daddy and I to band together and make sure we get our stories straight... and airtight! That kid finds loopholes faster than dirt finds him!
Todd takes up Karate
Last summer, we'd tried enrolling Todd in Tae Kwon Do at a place near my parents' house. It didn't work out too well, probably because (a) he was still too young-- just turned 3! and (b) the instructors were rather loud and intimidating. Good for discipline for older kids, not so good for toddlers who don't quite understand yet.
Anyway, this past summer, after turning 4, he expressed interest in returning to Tae Kwon Do. Of course, by then school was ready to start so he had to come back to SB. Recently, however, we found several karate classes in/around SB. Unfortunately most of them had the kiddie group classes during times when Daddy and I would still be at work. Or else they were far away (well, far away by SB standards). That is, until I found one place that not only had group classes starting at 5pm, but was located in the building right NEXT to Todd's after-school care center!
I took Todd to his first, introductory class last Monday, and he did remarkably well. He followed instructions, listened to the teacher, and even volunteered at the end when the teacher sought someone to come up to the front and help him with a demonstration.
This past Monday marked Todd's second lesson, and this time Daddy joined in to watch. We were surprised at how well Todd adapted. When the teacher called each kid up individually to line up, he remembered to stand ramrod straight in front of him and address him with "Yes, sir!" When corrected during the moves, he remembered and followed instructions with minimal distraction. It was quite heartening to see! And hopefully the discipline will be good for him.
Saturday will be his first private lesson. I think the combination of the individual attention during a private lesson plus the social atmosphere in the group lesson will be good for him. Here's hoping to more successful classes in the future! :-)
Anyway, this past summer, after turning 4, he expressed interest in returning to Tae Kwon Do. Of course, by then school was ready to start so he had to come back to SB. Recently, however, we found several karate classes in/around SB. Unfortunately most of them had the kiddie group classes during times when Daddy and I would still be at work. Or else they were far away (well, far away by SB standards). That is, until I found one place that not only had group classes starting at 5pm, but was located in the building right NEXT to Todd's after-school care center!
I took Todd to his first, introductory class last Monday, and he did remarkably well. He followed instructions, listened to the teacher, and even volunteered at the end when the teacher sought someone to come up to the front and help him with a demonstration.
This past Monday marked Todd's second lesson, and this time Daddy joined in to watch. We were surprised at how well Todd adapted. When the teacher called each kid up individually to line up, he remembered to stand ramrod straight in front of him and address him with "Yes, sir!" When corrected during the moves, he remembered and followed instructions with minimal distraction. It was quite heartening to see! And hopefully the discipline will be good for him.
Saturday will be his first private lesson. I think the combination of the individual attention during a private lesson plus the social atmosphere in the group lesson will be good for him. Here's hoping to more successful classes in the future! :-)
Deep bedtime conversations
As mentioned in an earlier post, our bedtime routine is pretty standard, and pretty established. Often Todd and I will engage in a little conversation while snuggling, before we drift off to sleep. If he's in a good mood, it's a perfect time to get him to open up with more details about what he did at school that day. Or we'll just talk about random things.
Tonight the conversation started before finished his prayers. As he was about to launch into the Lord's Prayer, he paused and asked quizzically: "Why is the Lord's Prayer so long?"
I seized the opportunity to go through it line by line and explain in kiddie terms what it meant. That in turn led to questions about what heaven must be like.
I gave him my best guess, explaining that it was a place where people could live peacefully and lovingly and not hurt each other by lying or stealing or cheating. Upon my mention that I believe animals are in heaven too, Todd objected:
"If animals are there, they'll go RAWR at you!"
I quickly allayed his fear that he might get chased by a ferocious lion up in heaven, and pointed out that up there, there would be no need for animals to hunt one another. Sharks would not attack turtles, lions could sit peacefully with deer.
Todd digested this and then added his own opinion of what else heaven might consist of:
"There will be music in heaven. That's what I think."
I agreed. After all, what better way to express peace and love than through music?
Tonight the conversation started before finished his prayers. As he was about to launch into the Lord's Prayer, he paused and asked quizzically: "Why is the Lord's Prayer so long?"
I seized the opportunity to go through it line by line and explain in kiddie terms what it meant. That in turn led to questions about what heaven must be like.
I gave him my best guess, explaining that it was a place where people could live peacefully and lovingly and not hurt each other by lying or stealing or cheating. Upon my mention that I believe animals are in heaven too, Todd objected:
"If animals are there, they'll go RAWR at you!"
I quickly allayed his fear that he might get chased by a ferocious lion up in heaven, and pointed out that up there, there would be no need for animals to hunt one another. Sharks would not attack turtles, lions could sit peacefully with deer.
Todd digested this and then added his own opinion of what else heaven might consist of:
"There will be music in heaven. That's what I think."
I agreed. After all, what better way to express peace and love than through music?
Thanksgiving 2008
As usual, celebrations at Ron and Debbie's this year. Dinnertime came with the usual semi-reluctance to eat. But then Todd's ears perked up when Grandpa mentioned apple pie. His mouth watered at the sight. Looking at his half-finished plate of turkey, potatoes and spinach, he declared that he was full. The following conversation ensued:
Todd: I'm full! (clearly wanting pie)
Mom: Oh well, if you're full then I guess you're too full to eat pie.
Todd: (mulls it over) I'm hungry!
Mom: Oh good, if you're hungry, then you can eat more dinner.
Todd: I'm... a little bit hungry, a little bit full!
When he did finish his dinner and delved into his pie with gusto, he devoured it so quickly that it wasn't long before he was looking at his last bite on the plate. At which point he looked at me and said: "I'm not full yet. After I eat this bite, I will be full!"
At the end of the night, as we were getting ready to say our goodbyes to the family, Uncle Ron tried joking about with Todd, claiming he had slaved away all day to get Thanksgiving dinner ready.
It was clear, though, that Todd had observed Aunt Debbie bustling about in the kitchen all day while Uncle Ron sat outside, for he was quick to correct Uncle Ron (albeit speaking to Daddy):
"Uncle Ron didn't do anything! Aunt Debbie did everything!"
Todd: I'm full! (clearly wanting pie)
Mom: Oh well, if you're full then I guess you're too full to eat pie.
Todd: (mulls it over) I'm hungry!
Mom: Oh good, if you're hungry, then you can eat more dinner.
Todd: I'm... a little bit hungry, a little bit full!
When he did finish his dinner and delved into his pie with gusto, he devoured it so quickly that it wasn't long before he was looking at his last bite on the plate. At which point he looked at me and said: "I'm not full yet. After I eat this bite, I will be full!"
At the end of the night, as we were getting ready to say our goodbyes to the family, Uncle Ron tried joking about with Todd, claiming he had slaved away all day to get Thanksgiving dinner ready.
It was clear, though, that Todd had observed Aunt Debbie bustling about in the kitchen all day while Uncle Ron sat outside, for he was quick to correct Uncle Ron (albeit speaking to Daddy):
"Uncle Ron didn't do anything! Aunt Debbie did everything!"
School progress report
This afternoon, Allan and I dutifully reported to Todd's school to meet with his teacher and discuss how he has been doing in class. She handed us his report card-- all good marks so far!
She went on to explain that he was starting to come out of his shell a bit. He answers questions in class, and plays nicely with the other kids. One of my chief worries (besides the social aspect) was the fact that he has a short attention span and tends to let his mind wander when he should be paying attention. According to his teacher, he doesn't do that so often at school. He does at times, but not more than is normal for most little kids. For the most part, he listens and follows instructions. That was a big relief to hear.
We were also regaled with an anecdote about a recent day during chapel-- a bit hazy on the background, but apparently the kids were talking about being scared at night-- and Todd raised his hand. When called upon to speak, he piped up with his little bit of advice:
"When I say my prayers at night, I'm not afraid anymore!"
Doubly pleasing to hear because not only is he participating in school, but he sees the value of saying his prayers :-D
She went on to explain that he was starting to come out of his shell a bit. He answers questions in class, and plays nicely with the other kids. One of my chief worries (besides the social aspect) was the fact that he has a short attention span and tends to let his mind wander when he should be paying attention. According to his teacher, he doesn't do that so often at school. He does at times, but not more than is normal for most little kids. For the most part, he listens and follows instructions. That was a big relief to hear.
We were also regaled with an anecdote about a recent day during chapel-- a bit hazy on the background, but apparently the kids were talking about being scared at night-- and Todd raised his hand. When called upon to speak, he piped up with his little bit of advice:
"When I say my prayers at night, I'm not afraid anymore!"
Doubly pleasing to hear because not only is he participating in school, but he sees the value of saying his prayers :-D
Snuggle time
The everyday routine is pretty standard. Bedtime is mostly Mommy's domain: brushing teeth, reading stories, saying prayers, and snuggling until Todd falls asleep (most of the time, Mommy zonks out, too!)
Tonight, however, Todd decided he wanted something different. He is currently in the midst of wishing to do everything with the parent of the same gender. A boy has to sit next to him in the car, a boy has to shower him, a boy has to... etc...
So it came as no surprise that at bedtime today, Todd declared: "I never get to snuggle with Daddy after stories and prayer!"
Since Daddy gets to snuggle with him in the morning, I pointed out that nighttime was my turn: "But what about me? Then I'll never get to snuggle with you!"
Todd's solution?
"You can snuggle with DADDY at night (after I go to sleep)!"
Tonight, however, Todd decided he wanted something different. He is currently in the midst of wishing to do everything with the parent of the same gender. A boy has to sit next to him in the car, a boy has to shower him, a boy has to... etc...
So it came as no surprise that at bedtime today, Todd declared: "I never get to snuggle with Daddy after stories and prayer!"
Since Daddy gets to snuggle with him in the morning, I pointed out that nighttime was my turn: "But what about me? Then I'll never get to snuggle with you!"
Todd's solution?
"You can snuggle with DADDY at night (after I go to sleep)!"
Let's make a deal
Todd proves that he isn't as gullible as you might think:
Daddy and Todd were having fun and got into a pseudo-discussions about languages, mostly about Todd picking up his Chinese again when he returns to Oma and Opa's house for winter break, Daddy's wish to learn more languages, and Todd's curiosity about German.
So Daddy tried to strike his son a deal:
"You teach me Chinese and I'll teach you German."
Todd wasn't about to be fooled, however:
"But... you don't speak German!!"
Daddy and Todd were having fun and got into a pseudo-discussions about languages, mostly about Todd picking up his Chinese again when he returns to Oma and Opa's house for winter break, Daddy's wish to learn more languages, and Todd's curiosity about German.
So Daddy tried to strike his son a deal:
"You teach me Chinese and I'll teach you German."
Todd wasn't about to be fooled, however:
"But... you don't speak German!!"
Halloween
Last year Todd dressed as a pumpkin. This year it was Mommy's turn to dress like a pumpkin, but she added some geekish flair by dressing as Pumpkin Pi(e).
Since I'd just come back from Indonesia with new clothing in tow, and since some of my relatives gave me traditional Chinese garb, I decided the perfect costume for Todd would be as a "little Chinese boy"-- complete with the hat and fake pigtail! It went well with Daddy's Asian-themed costume of a Hawaiian shirt and long sarong.
We went to a Halloween party at our apartment complex's clubhouse, enjoyed pizza and candy, and then returned home to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Only a few kids came by, though :-(
Since I'd just come back from Indonesia with new clothing in tow, and since some of my relatives gave me traditional Chinese garb, I decided the perfect costume for Todd would be as a "little Chinese boy"-- complete with the hat and fake pigtail! It went well with Daddy's Asian-themed costume of a Hawaiian shirt and long sarong.
We went to a Halloween party at our apartment complex's clubhouse, enjoyed pizza and candy, and then returned home to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Only a few kids came by, though :-(
Birthday party
Today was Todd's first time attending a birthday party-- one of the kids in his class was celebrating. The day before, he and I stopped at Border's to shop for a gift, and found the perfect blend of educational material with fun stuff-- a "Space IQ" set consisting of a fact-filled, colorful book to read, a space game and glow-in-the-dark space-themed stickers. We also picked up a glass chess set that was on sale, so he and Daddy can play chess more often :-)
It had been a loooong morning for the poor kid, as we spent nearly 2 hours at the Orthodox church service (the church his school is affiliated with-- we wanted to see what it was like, it was a new experience for all of us!) and then another hour at our (regular) church friends' house, having brunch to raise funds for their trip to the orphanage in South Africa. And boy did he waste no time letting loose a lot of steam! He spent a large part of the time jumping around in the bouncy castle, shrieking with delight and having a grand time. Two hours flew by all too quickly, and the little man left, satisfied and caked with dirt.
Boys will be boys!
We'll have to see what we can do for his next birthday, esp now that we have a rec room and playground at our disposal, through our apartment complex.
It had been a loooong morning for the poor kid, as we spent nearly 2 hours at the Orthodox church service (the church his school is affiliated with-- we wanted to see what it was like, it was a new experience for all of us!) and then another hour at our (regular) church friends' house, having brunch to raise funds for their trip to the orphanage in South Africa. And boy did he waste no time letting loose a lot of steam! He spent a large part of the time jumping around in the bouncy castle, shrieking with delight and having a grand time. Two hours flew by all too quickly, and the little man left, satisfied and caked with dirt.
Boys will be boys!
We'll have to see what we can do for his next birthday, esp now that we have a rec room and playground at our disposal, through our apartment complex.
I remembered what you said
A VERY rare thing for Todd to say-- even if the observation came about AFTER I instructed him on what to do. At least he went about it willingly?
I had mentioned for the umpteenth time that he is ALWAYS to wash his hands with soap and water 1) everytime after he uses the toilet and 2) everytime before he eats anything. It seems to be slowly sinking it, but I've yet to see him actively do this without my reminding him. Not a big deal, really, so long as he goes willingly once I actually tell him to wash his hands.
Today, as I was helping him wash his hands, he piped up with "I remembered what you told me (about washing hands). I kept it in brain!"
Good job. Now, the next step: keeping it in your brain and taking the initiative to ACT upon it ;-)
I had mentioned for the umpteenth time that he is ALWAYS to wash his hands with soap and water 1) everytime after he uses the toilet and 2) everytime before he eats anything. It seems to be slowly sinking it, but I've yet to see him actively do this without my reminding him. Not a big deal, really, so long as he goes willingly once I actually tell him to wash his hands.
Today, as I was helping him wash his hands, he piped up with "I remembered what you told me (about washing hands). I kept it in brain!"
Good job. Now, the next step: keeping it in your brain and taking the initiative to ACT upon it ;-)
Smart vs. Lazy
When I picked Todd up at Boys & Girls Club after work, he was busily making a little art project in the arts and crafts room. After getting him washed up and into the car, he explained why he ended up in there instead of, say, the computer room or the day care room playing with toys:
"I wanted to do something smart. I could either be lazy (and play with toys) or be smart, and I wanted to be smart, so I did art!"
Apparently they had phrased his choices (play vs. art) in the form that the former would be being "lazy" while the latter was more fruitful. Nice to see Todd made a good choice :-)
"I wanted to do something smart. I could either be lazy (and play with toys) or be smart, and I wanted to be smart, so I did art!"
Apparently they had phrased his choices (play vs. art) in the form that the former would be being "lazy" while the latter was more fruitful. Nice to see Todd made a good choice :-)
Open House and Paper Todd
Had Open House at Todd's school. Since the kids don't normally attend, Mommy had to stay home with Todd while Daddy attended. Got a good look at what the little man does in school everyday, as well as discussed some ideas for future directions the school hopes to take.
One of the items showcased? A life-size version of Todd, created by him out of paper. The kids had a template to use to trace and cutout, and then drew in their faces and clothes and colored it. Here is a picture of Todd and Paper Todd (apparently he was so good at it that he helped some of the older kids trace and cut theirs out!) Click on the image to view it larger size and see the details of the drawn-in face (toothy grin and all-- how very Todd-appropriate!)
One of the items showcased? A life-size version of Todd, created by him out of paper. The kids had a template to use to trace and cutout, and then drew in their faces and clothes and colored it. Here is a picture of Todd and Paper Todd (apparently he was so good at it that he helped some of the older kids trace and cut theirs out!) Click on the image to view it larger size and see the details of the drawn-in face (toothy grin and all-- how very Todd-appropriate!)
Food substitution?
Little man and I spent the morning shopping so Daddy could sleep in, and when we were done, we stopped by El Pollo Loco to grab some lunch and bring it home. Do you remember the things with the crumbs? Well, this time Todd remembered what they were called, and asked for churros. I included the order of "two churros" in my order, and we went home.
As the three of us settled at the table to eat lunch, Todd showed Daddy the churros, diving them up as so:
"One for me, and one for Mommy."
Daddy asked if he could have a bite of Todd's churro. To our surprise, he rejected Daddy's request! Instead, he offered this bit of food-substituting advice:
"You can make cinnamon toast, and put sugar on it. Then it will taste like a churro!"
As the three of us settled at the table to eat lunch, Todd showed Daddy the churros, diving them up as so:
"One for me, and one for Mommy."
Daddy asked if he could have a bite of Todd's churro. To our surprise, he rejected Daddy's request! Instead, he offered this bit of food-substituting advice:
"You can make cinnamon toast, and put sugar on it. Then it will taste like a churro!"
How to recognize Daddy's hand
Last night, I'd just gotten done uploading Toddy photos onto my Facebook account-- a couple dozen ranging from newborn to current school picture taken last week. How he went from a teeny creature growing in my tummy to this giant ball of energy is beyond me.
Anyway, when Todd came by with Daddy to pick me up from work last night, I had this photo (taken when Todd was about 2-3 days old) on my screen:
Curious to know if he recognized the baby in the photo, I asked him who it was. He pointed to himself. Then we asked him what he was holding in his hand.
"A hand", said Todd.
Whose hand?
Without hesitation, he proclaimed: "Daddy's hand!"
How do you know it's Daddy's hand?
"Because you can see the hair on his arm!"
On another photo-related note, he looked at a picture featuring Mommy and Toddy, and (I'm guessing, since I'm the one who always takes pictures) he wanted to know:
"Who took that picture??"
Anyway, when Todd came by with Daddy to pick me up from work last night, I had this photo (taken when Todd was about 2-3 days old) on my screen:
Curious to know if he recognized the baby in the photo, I asked him who it was. He pointed to himself. Then we asked him what he was holding in his hand.
"A hand", said Todd.
Whose hand?
Without hesitation, he proclaimed: "Daddy's hand!"
How do you know it's Daddy's hand?
"Because you can see the hair on his arm!"
On another photo-related note, he looked at a picture featuring Mommy and Toddy, and (I'm guessing, since I'm the one who always takes pictures) he wanted to know:
"Who took that picture??"
Class Photos
Last week everyone at Todd's school took their class pics. Here is our little boy, looking quite grown-up:
Here is his entire class. As you can see, there's only 6 kids total in the kindergarten class. And he is (albeit barely!) the tallest one... while at the same time the youngest, too!
We've ordered prints and shall be mailing them to the family as soon as we receive them. So keep an eye out on your mailboxes in the coming weeks :-D
Here is his entire class. As you can see, there's only 6 kids total in the kindergarten class. And he is (albeit barely!) the tallest one... while at the same time the youngest, too!
We've ordered prints and shall be mailing them to the family as soon as we receive them. So keep an eye out on your mailboxes in the coming weeks :-D
Routines
After a couple weeks, we've finally begun settling into a routine.
At first, when I found out that Todd would be dismissed after lunch, and the school didn't provide after-school care long enough, I was a bit dismayed. It would mean having to drive to school to pick him up and drop him off at an after-school care center somewhere else.
But soon I realized that this minor inconvenience was more than made up for by the fact that Todd would get to eat lunch with us!
When he was in preschool, my chief concern (aside from hygiene and staying dry) was that he wasn't eating/drinking (well) enough. There were many days when I'd pick him up at 5pm only to discover more than half of his lunch still in his bag. No amount of cajoling, threats or bribery worked. Harder still was providing a variety of healthful things to eat-- just about the only thing I could really pack, that would ensure he ate it all, was sandwiches.
But now? I can send him off to school with just a little bit to eat (some fruit for morning snacktime and a small sandwich and juice for lunchtime), and then whisk him home for a proper, nutritious, hot lunch. Top it off with plenty to drink and making sure he gets scrubbed down clean before sending him off for a few hours of after-school care.
Another good thing is that it breaks up the monotony of the day for Todd. Rather than spending 8 hours nonstop at a child care facility, he gets to see his parents in the middle of the day, a nice little change. It's fun for us, too, to eat together as a family. Makes a nice break for Mommy and Daddy, as well!
We can also change him out of his uniform and into regular clothes for Boys and Girls Club. You know how boys like to roughhouse. This is good way to preserve his uniforms :-)
Todd has taken to going poopies at lunchtime, which is great because it ensures that one of us can wipe his little po-po properly, rather than have him attempt to do it himself at school. It's yucky enough to have him walk around with skid-marked undies, but its even worse if he gets some on his hands and doesn't wash it off properly.
So, all in all, this difference in venue for both school and after-school is working out to be a blessing! We're certainly settling into our routine nicely :-)
At first, when I found out that Todd would be dismissed after lunch, and the school didn't provide after-school care long enough, I was a bit dismayed. It would mean having to drive to school to pick him up and drop him off at an after-school care center somewhere else.
But soon I realized that this minor inconvenience was more than made up for by the fact that Todd would get to eat lunch with us!
When he was in preschool, my chief concern (aside from hygiene and staying dry) was that he wasn't eating/drinking (well) enough. There were many days when I'd pick him up at 5pm only to discover more than half of his lunch still in his bag. No amount of cajoling, threats or bribery worked. Harder still was providing a variety of healthful things to eat-- just about the only thing I could really pack, that would ensure he ate it all, was sandwiches.
But now? I can send him off to school with just a little bit to eat (some fruit for morning snacktime and a small sandwich and juice for lunchtime), and then whisk him home for a proper, nutritious, hot lunch. Top it off with plenty to drink and making sure he gets scrubbed down clean before sending him off for a few hours of after-school care.
Another good thing is that it breaks up the monotony of the day for Todd. Rather than spending 8 hours nonstop at a child care facility, he gets to see his parents in the middle of the day, a nice little change. It's fun for us, too, to eat together as a family. Makes a nice break for Mommy and Daddy, as well!
We can also change him out of his uniform and into regular clothes for Boys and Girls Club. You know how boys like to roughhouse. This is good way to preserve his uniforms :-)
Todd has taken to going poopies at lunchtime, which is great because it ensures that one of us can wipe his little po-po properly, rather than have him attempt to do it himself at school. It's yucky enough to have him walk around with skid-marked undies, but its even worse if he gets some on his hands and doesn't wash it off properly.
So, all in all, this difference in venue for both school and after-school is working out to be a blessing! We're certainly settling into our routine nicely :-)
What can Mommy play with?
While I exchanged some uniform pants at Sears, Daddy and Todd amused themselves at the toystore next door. When I re-joined them after taking care of business, Daddy showed me a game he thought I would like. He was laughing as he approached me, because before he showed it to me, he showed it to Todd, mentioning: "Hey, Mommy would like playing this."
Todd took one look and shook his head.
"Nooooo... Mommy likes turtles!"
Todd took one look and shook his head.
"Nooooo... Mommy likes turtles!"
Down with beards!
As Todd kissed Daddy good-night, he complained about the roughness of Daddy's five-o'clock shadow. Nobody likes being scratched by facial hair!
So he rubbed Daddy's face, and came up with a solution:
"You can ask God to make your beard stop growing!"
If only!
So he rubbed Daddy's face, and came up with a solution:
"You can ask God to make your beard stop growing!"
If only!
Clothes in a locker
Today Daddy picked up Todd from school (which dismisses at 12:30) and brought him back to work, where we enjoyed lunch on the back patio. Afterward, Daddy took him into the bathroom to get washed up. While there, Todd spied the door leading to the shower, where there were also a few lockers.
Upon peeking inside, Toddy spied an open locker with someone's clothes in it.
He then surmised that: "There's someone walking around here with no clothes on!"
Makes sense, right? After all, if that person's clothes are in the locker, then what could he be wearing?
Upon peeking inside, Toddy spied an open locker with someone's clothes in it.
He then surmised that: "There's someone walking around here with no clothes on!"
Makes sense, right? After all, if that person's clothes are in the locker, then what could he be wearing?
First Day of School
Today was Todd's official first day of school.
He joined 5 other kids in the kindergarten class of St. John of Damascus Academy. It was exciting, dressing him in his school uniform (either a white or burgundy polo shirt, and navy pleated trousers) and sending him off with his lunch on his first day!
He is the youngest in his class, but also the tallest, thanks to his freak Daddy. Figures!
He seemed to enjoy his first day of class, and his first day at Boys and Girls Club, where we drop him off for after-school care. They get plenty of exercise as well as structured activities like reading, coloring, and computer time.
All in all, a successful first day!
He joined 5 other kids in the kindergarten class of St. John of Damascus Academy. It was exciting, dressing him in his school uniform (either a white or burgundy polo shirt, and navy pleated trousers) and sending him off with his lunch on his first day!
He is the youngest in his class, but also the tallest, thanks to his freak Daddy. Figures!
He seemed to enjoy his first day of class, and his first day at Boys and Girls Club, where we drop him off for after-school care. They get plenty of exercise as well as structured activities like reading, coloring, and computer time.
All in all, a successful first day!
Not too much butter!
Todd and I were both pretty hungry after church today, so we decided that, rather than drive straight to Sylmar (it was nearly noon), we'd accompany our friends to our usual post-service lunch at Jake's (a little cafe we frequent, it serves lunch and breakfast).
I ordered some stuff from the kids' menu for Todd, and one of the items included toast. He was looking forward to it, and wanted honey with it.
When his food arrived, first thing I did was butter his toast. Todd watched me carefully. I had barely spread a small pat of butter on a slice and was reaching for more butter, when Todd exclaimed: "Not too much!"
A bit puzzled, since it was very little butter, I queried why.
"Because butter has a lot of fat. Too much fat is not good for you, it will make your heart sick!"
I ordered some stuff from the kids' menu for Todd, and one of the items included toast. He was looking forward to it, and wanted honey with it.
When his food arrived, first thing I did was butter his toast. Todd watched me carefully. I had barely spread a small pat of butter on a slice and was reaching for more butter, when Todd exclaimed: "Not too much!"
A bit puzzled, since it was very little butter, I queried why.
"Because butter has a lot of fat. Too much fat is not good for you, it will make your heart sick!"
Todd sees the new apartment
Todd's been looking forward to seeing the new place all week. Oma told him about it when Mommy and Daddy were first moving in, and he was excited at the prospect of Mommy picking him up and seeing it for the first time.
First thing he did (after greeting Daddy and the stuffed animals, of course), was walk around the apartment, inspecting it. Mommy and Daddy proudly showcased every room to him, as if we were trying to sell the place to him ;-)
The kitchen bar counter is exactly as tall as Todd, so he just barely fits perfectly underneath it, standing straight up. So what do you think he did? Grabbed hold of the edge of the counter and jumped up and down, so from the kitchen all you could see was this little head bobbing up and down over the counter!
When he spied things he recognized from the old apartment (like the microwave, vacuum cleaner, CD cabinet, the stereo, etc, etc...) he would immediately point to it and clamor about its familiarity. Thus, we heard a lot of "You brought this from the old apartment!" over the weekend ;-) On Saturday morning, before we arrived in SB, he asked, concerned: "Did you bring [insert name of stuffed animal] to the new apartment?" as if anxious that we might have inadvertently left someone behind ;-)
He liked having a whole couple bottom shelves dedicated to his books and study materials, and was good about putting them back where they belonged.
The cutest part of the evening? Mommy settled into the bed, leaning on some pillows, to examine some new books she's just bought. Todd grabbed a couple books from his shelf and climbed into the bed next to me, opening his books and studiously perusing them while I leafed through mine! :-)
Anyway... it's safe to say that Todd is quite pleased with the new place, and duly impressed. So are we :-)
First thing he did (after greeting Daddy and the stuffed animals, of course), was walk around the apartment, inspecting it. Mommy and Daddy proudly showcased every room to him, as if we were trying to sell the place to him ;-)
The kitchen bar counter is exactly as tall as Todd, so he just barely fits perfectly underneath it, standing straight up. So what do you think he did? Grabbed hold of the edge of the counter and jumped up and down, so from the kitchen all you could see was this little head bobbing up and down over the counter!
When he spied things he recognized from the old apartment (like the microwave, vacuum cleaner, CD cabinet, the stereo, etc, etc...) he would immediately point to it and clamor about its familiarity. Thus, we heard a lot of "You brought this from the old apartment!" over the weekend ;-) On Saturday morning, before we arrived in SB, he asked, concerned: "Did you bring [insert name of stuffed animal] to the new apartment?" as if anxious that we might have inadvertently left someone behind ;-)
He liked having a whole couple bottom shelves dedicated to his books and study materials, and was good about putting them back where they belonged.
The cutest part of the evening? Mommy settled into the bed, leaning on some pillows, to examine some new books she's just bought. Todd grabbed a couple books from his shelf and climbed into the bed next to me, opening his books and studiously perusing them while I leafed through mine! :-)
Anyway... it's safe to say that Todd is quite pleased with the new place, and duly impressed. So are we :-)
Swimming
After Todd's school assessment, we went back to the apartment and changed into our swimsuits so we could hit the complex's pool. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day-- perfect weather for swimming!
We had loads of fun dunking our heads in the water, and Todd even jumped from the top of the steps into the shallow end of the pool, dunking his head as he splashed in! He was still nervous about lying on his back to float (didn't want to put his head in the water), and about "swimming" with only his chest/tummy supported, but he seemed more comfortable in the water than previously :-)
We also enjoyed soaking in the jacuzzi and practicing some leaps and dunks in the nice warm water! It may have been a warm and sunny day, but with Santa Barbara's mild climate (and temps in the 70s), even a splash in the pool can quickly turn chilly!
We had loads of fun dunking our heads in the water, and Todd even jumped from the top of the steps into the shallow end of the pool, dunking his head as he splashed in! He was still nervous about lying on his back to float (didn't want to put his head in the water), and about "swimming" with only his chest/tummy supported, but he seemed more comfortable in the water than previously :-)
We also enjoyed soaking in the jacuzzi and practicing some leaps and dunks in the nice warm water! It may have been a warm and sunny day, but with Santa Barbara's mild climate (and temps in the 70s), even a splash in the pool can quickly turn chilly!
School assessment
We took Todd to the school we're interested in placing him, for an assessment. We met with the kindergarten teacher, who briefly showed Todd around the room before we left him with her for the next half hour for his test.
When we returned, we got some positive feedback and learned that while Todd was his usual quiet self, he at least opened up enough to answer the questions that were asked of him. The teacher told us she'd speak with the headmaster, who would in turn get in touch with us this week.
After we picked Todd up and took him back to the apartment to go swimming, he informed us what he had done in the classroom: his teacher read him a story and then asked him some reading comprehension questions after it. She also showed him some patterns to see if he could deduce the next item in the sequence. And then they played with Tinker Toys together, all-too-familiar to Todd from preschool.
This is the school we're hoping Todd will be able to enroll in this Fall:
St John of Damascus Academy
Here's hoping for some good news this upcoming week :-)
When we returned, we got some positive feedback and learned that while Todd was his usual quiet self, he at least opened up enough to answer the questions that were asked of him. The teacher told us she'd speak with the headmaster, who would in turn get in touch with us this week.
After we picked Todd up and took him back to the apartment to go swimming, he informed us what he had done in the classroom: his teacher read him a story and then asked him some reading comprehension questions after it. She also showed him some patterns to see if he could deduce the next item in the sequence. And then they played with Tinker Toys together, all-too-familiar to Todd from preschool.
This is the school we're hoping Todd will be able to enroll in this Fall:
St John of Damascus Academy
Here's hoping for some good news this upcoming week :-)
Turtle Surgery
As I drove Todd to SB, he fielded an imaginary call from his imaginary cell phone. It was Geronimo and Pistachio calling from SB to tell him that they missed him. How did I know? Because Todd provided their squeaky, high-pitched voices while he talked to them in his normal voice. During the conversation, it was discovered that Pistachio had a tummyache. Todd promised to heal him when he got to SB.
Curious, I asked how he planned to cure the turtle, fully expecting him to tell me he was gonna give the turtle medicine, or take him to the doctor. No. What followed was an intricate description of invasive surgery:
"I'm going to cut open his tummy. Then I'm going to pull the bad things out, and put the good things in. Then I'll put glue on his tummy and put it back together. And when the glue dries it will be stuck tight!"
Ouch?
Curious, I asked how he planned to cure the turtle, fully expecting him to tell me he was gonna give the turtle medicine, or take him to the doctor. No. What followed was an intricate description of invasive surgery:
"I'm going to cut open his tummy. Then I'm going to pull the bad things out, and put the good things in. Then I'll put glue on his tummy and put it back together. And when the glue dries it will be stuck tight!"
Ouch?
I love Ama
Todd was busy drawing and writing, and came across a post-it pad. That's when he came upon an idea. First, he asked Oma, "How do you spell 'I Love You, Ama'?" Oma spelled it out for him. Then he asked "How do you spell 'Pao-pao'?" Again, Oma spelled it out for him.
That's when Oma finally decided to see what he was up to.
He had written:
I LOVE YOU AMA
PAO-PAO
on the sticky note, and pasted it up on the wall next to his bed!
His reasoning?
"When Ama comes by to see me, she will see the note and read it!"
Awwwww... :-)
That's when Oma finally decided to see what he was up to.
He had written:
I LOVE YOU AMA
PAO-PAO
on the sticky note, and pasted it up on the wall next to his bed!
His reasoning?
"When Ama comes by to see me, she will see the note and read it!"
Awwwww... :-)
Tenaciously fickle
Todd's been rusty at writing his ABCs, so earlier this week, Oma set him to the task of practicing writing them again. She gave him some leads to follow. But when she wrote out a capital "C", she put a little vertical line on the top of the curve.
Todd immediately took offense to that. When she told him that one should draw the line when making a capital C, he shrieked, very insistently, "NO, YOU DON'T!!!"
Fast forward to today, when I spoke with him on the phone. What do you suppose he told me?
"I'm writing letters today. On the top of the 'C' there is a line!"
Naturally, I tried to reassure him: "Oh, you don't have to write it"
Oh, but Toddy would have none of that, for the next thing I knew, I got a very loud and insistent earful: "YES, YOU DO!!!!"
Boy, when he sticks to something, he sure sticks tenaciously! Now... make up your mind, kid :-P
Todd immediately took offense to that. When she told him that one should draw the line when making a capital C, he shrieked, very insistently, "NO, YOU DON'T!!!"
Fast forward to today, when I spoke with him on the phone. What do you suppose he told me?
"I'm writing letters today. On the top of the 'C' there is a line!"
Naturally, I tried to reassure him: "Oh, you don't have to write it"
Oh, but Toddy would have none of that, for the next thing I knew, I got a very loud and insistent earful: "YES, YOU DO!!!!"
Boy, when he sticks to something, he sure sticks tenaciously! Now... make up your mind, kid :-P
Dentists and good ideas
Two funnies rolled into one entry:
As Todd and I were driving back to LA after church, he realized that he'd left Pokie and Blue behind! Since it was too late to turn around, I told him that Daddy and I could just bring it along with us when we stopped by Opa and Oma's house next week.
To my surprise, this not only satisfied him, but he deemed it more than acceptable:
"That sounds good. That's a good idea".
Since when did he become the judge of what's a good idea and what's not? ;-)
As part of that same conversation, I explained to him *why* we were coming to LA that weekend-- the whole family had semi-annual dentist appointments that day. The same dentist that Todd and I had visited a few times in the past. Todd digested this bit of news, and then proclaimed:
"Daddy's never been to the dentist!"
Well, Daddy's never been to THIS particular dentist. But close enough-- it HAS been a few years since his last checkup. Naughty Daddy!
As Todd and I were driving back to LA after church, he realized that he'd left Pokie and Blue behind! Since it was too late to turn around, I told him that Daddy and I could just bring it along with us when we stopped by Opa and Oma's house next week.
To my surprise, this not only satisfied him, but he deemed it more than acceptable:
"That sounds good. That's a good idea".
Since when did he become the judge of what's a good idea and what's not? ;-)
As part of that same conversation, I explained to him *why* we were coming to LA that weekend-- the whole family had semi-annual dentist appointments that day. The same dentist that Todd and I had visited a few times in the past. Todd digested this bit of news, and then proclaimed:
"Daddy's never been to the dentist!"
Well, Daddy's never been to THIS particular dentist. But close enough-- it HAS been a few years since his last checkup. Naughty Daddy!
Can you pick out your name?
It's one thing for Todd to recognize his own name when it's the only word in sight-- for example, printed on a name tag, or written on top of his homework, or typed in big letters on the computer when he wants to practice typing.
But it's another for him to be able to pick it out from amidst a jumble of other words!
Today he did just that. After I blogged about our campout and was re-reading the post on the screen, he stared it it studiously. Usually his attention is captivated by interesting pictures on the computer screen, but this time, with nary a picture in sight, I couldn't figure out what he was so entranced by. He soon let me know when he excitedly announced:
"I see my name! Look! T-O-D-D!" and proceeded to scramble into my lap and point out exactly where in one of the paragraphs he saw his own name!
But it's another for him to be able to pick it out from amidst a jumble of other words!
Today he did just that. After I blogged about our campout and was re-reading the post on the screen, he stared it it studiously. Usually his attention is captivated by interesting pictures on the computer screen, but this time, with nary a picture in sight, I couldn't figure out what he was so entranced by. He soon let me know when he excitedly announced:
"I see my name! Look! T-O-D-D!" and proceeded to scramble into my lap and point out exactly where in one of the paragraphs he saw his own name!
(Ham)burgers?
This morning we left for our campout in the mountains about 20 miles from home. We checked into our cabin, unpacked, got settled, and got to know everyone. More details on Mommy's blog.
One of today's highlights came at dinner, where we were served grilled hamburgers with salad. You know-- typical 4th of July cookout fare.
Todd, as usual, needed quite a bit of prompting and reminding to eat. The promise of dessert at the end of dinner helped spur him on ;-)
Anyway, more than once did I find myself repeating to him: "Eat your burger!"
To my puzzlement, he kept replying with "Not burger! HAMburger!"
I chalked it up to another Todd eccentricity (perhaps the first word he had been taught about that grilled round patty inside a bun was "hamburger" and he didn't realize "burger" was the same word, short for it. You know how particular he gets and how tenaciously he sticks to the first thing he's learned)
Eventually, though, he clarified when I, for the umpteenth time, reminded him to eat his "burger":
"It's not a burger, it's a HAMburger! Burger is the thing from your nose!"
After a hearty laugh, I explained to him the difference between "booger" and "burger" ;-)
One of today's highlights came at dinner, where we were served grilled hamburgers with salad. You know-- typical 4th of July cookout fare.
Todd, as usual, needed quite a bit of prompting and reminding to eat. The promise of dessert at the end of dinner helped spur him on ;-)
Anyway, more than once did I find myself repeating to him: "Eat your burger!"
To my puzzlement, he kept replying with "Not burger! HAMburger!"
I chalked it up to another Todd eccentricity (perhaps the first word he had been taught about that grilled round patty inside a bun was "hamburger" and he didn't realize "burger" was the same word, short for it. You know how particular he gets and how tenaciously he sticks to the first thing he's learned)
Eventually, though, he clarified when I, for the umpteenth time, reminded him to eat his "burger":
"It's not a burger, it's a HAMburger! Burger is the thing from your nose!"
After a hearty laugh, I explained to him the difference between "booger" and "burger" ;-)
The thing with the CRUMBS!
Oma, Mommy and Todd stopped by El Pollo Loco for lunch after running some errands. They have a GREAT value menu, most items for $1. As I was ordering our lunch, Todd stared up at the menu and pondered its contents. He knew what he wanted. He just didn't know what it was called. Finally, he piped up with:
"Mommy, what's that thing with the crumbs?"
I stared at the menu. I couldn't find anything with crumbs! I thought maybe he meant the flan, since we'd recently had flan at home. Nope. Then I spied the salads, with their little tortilla chip strips on top-- could those be "crumbs"? I asked him what color they were, and he said "brown". I still didn't get it.
Everytime I guessed (wrong) and said "Is it X?" Todd became indignant and cried out "NO!!! With the CRUMBS!!!" as if in disbelief at my inability to see what was right in front of my nose.
Eventually I figured it out. It WAS an item from the dollar menu, not just the regular menu. See if you can figure out what he meant:
"Mommy, what's that thing with the crumbs?"
I stared at the menu. I couldn't find anything with crumbs! I thought maybe he meant the flan, since we'd recently had flan at home. Nope. Then I spied the salads, with their little tortilla chip strips on top-- could those be "crumbs"? I asked him what color they were, and he said "brown". I still didn't get it.
Everytime I guessed (wrong) and said "Is it X?" Todd became indignant and cried out "NO!!! With the CRUMBS!!!" as if in disbelief at my inability to see what was right in front of my nose.
Eventually I figured it out. It WAS an item from the dollar menu, not just the regular menu. See if you can figure out what he meant:
Sleeping Funnies
With Todd spending the summer in LA with Oma and Opa, blogging has been scarce. There's nothing to blog about! :-(
So I decided to catch up and post a mini collage I'd been meaning to for a while now. Now, nothing is cuter than a sleeping baby. Close second is sleeping children, little children. But I have to say-- when a sleeping kid is in funny positions, it makes for some very amusing and photogenic opportunities. Observe:
Taken over a year ago, April 2007. Todd managed to roll off the bed. Luckily the bed is very low to the ground, there was carpeting AND he managed to drag the blanket down with him, providing extra cushioning as he snoozed merrily on the floor:
A year later, April 2008. Nothing spectacular about Todd himself, we just thought it was cute the way Happy ended up resting right on his tummy, as if to stand guard and watch over his little brother.
Finally, May 2008. I walked into the bedroom to check on the little man and use the bathroom, and promptly exited, laughing my butt off. I don't see how on earth this is comfortable, let alone conducive to continued sleep, but apparently it didn't faze Todd. It's like those pictures you see, of kittens sleeping in shoes and whatnot:
So I decided to catch up and post a mini collage I'd been meaning to for a while now. Now, nothing is cuter than a sleeping baby. Close second is sleeping children, little children. But I have to say-- when a sleeping kid is in funny positions, it makes for some very amusing and photogenic opportunities. Observe:
Taken over a year ago, April 2007. Todd managed to roll off the bed. Luckily the bed is very low to the ground, there was carpeting AND he managed to drag the blanket down with him, providing extra cushioning as he snoozed merrily on the floor:
A year later, April 2008. Nothing spectacular about Todd himself, we just thought it was cute the way Happy ended up resting right on his tummy, as if to stand guard and watch over his little brother.
Finally, May 2008. I walked into the bedroom to check on the little man and use the bathroom, and promptly exited, laughing my butt off. I don't see how on earth this is comfortable, let alone conducive to continued sleep, but apparently it didn't faze Todd. It's like those pictures you see, of kittens sleeping in shoes and whatnot:
Reading class
Last weekend (the 14-15th) I headed down to LA to accompany Todd to his first day of the summer reading class he's enrolled in. The class turned out to be full of 4-and-5-year-olds who were still just learning the alphabet and the sounds they make. After reviewing the class goals (to be able to read/write ABCs as well as learn beginning phonics sounds), I told the teacher that Todd was already familiar with all that material. She seemed hesitant to recommend moving him to the next level, however, and the following week's class (which Oma took him to, this past weekend) proved right. At least there's a silver lining: because Todd already knows all the material, he's picking up confidence and learning to raise his hand and participate in class when he knows the answer. That's something useful for when he starts school.
Aside from that, the little man and I had such fun hanging out. He was happy to see Mommy and Mommy was very happy to see him :-) Because the class took place at CSUN on Saturday morning, we trooped off to the Northridge mall afterward to do some shopping, eat lunch together at the food court, and play in the playground.
At home, we enjoyed a nice nap together. When Todd awoke, he waited for me to wake up before climbing out of bed. And that's when he noticed my pink toenails. He did a double take when he first glanced at them, and then moved in for closer scrutiny.
"Why are your toenails painted?" he queried. Then he declared his judgment: "It doesn't look nice!"
Little Toddy, fashion critic :-P
Meantime, he's still immensely enjoying taking pictures. Whereas before he only used Daddy's phone camera to take snapshots, this time he got hold of Opa's digital camera and fired off a few shots-- and they aren't half bad! Time to get our budding little photographer one of those toy digital cameras for Christmas :-)
p.s. During the week of the 9th, when Oma told Todd that Mommy was coming by, he screamed indignantly, thinking that I was coming to pick him back up and take him to SB. He demanded that Oma call Mommy, which she did. When I answered the phone, I was immediately greeted with an adamant insistence: "Mommy, don't come pick me up!" I quickly reassured him that I was only coming to visit and accompany him to class. That seemed to assuage him.
Sunday night, however, as I got ready to leave, Todd looked forlornly at me and said quietly "I want to go, too!" After many hugs and kisses, and after Opa managed to distact him with his newest toys, he quickly forgot about his longing to go with Mommy, and instead stood in the front yard waving and yelling "Bye bye!!" as I pulled out of the drive. Ah, how quickly kids forget!
Aside from that, the little man and I had such fun hanging out. He was happy to see Mommy and Mommy was very happy to see him :-) Because the class took place at CSUN on Saturday morning, we trooped off to the Northridge mall afterward to do some shopping, eat lunch together at the food court, and play in the playground.
At home, we enjoyed a nice nap together. When Todd awoke, he waited for me to wake up before climbing out of bed. And that's when he noticed my pink toenails. He did a double take when he first glanced at them, and then moved in for closer scrutiny.
"Why are your toenails painted?" he queried. Then he declared his judgment: "It doesn't look nice!"
Little Toddy, fashion critic :-P
Meantime, he's still immensely enjoying taking pictures. Whereas before he only used Daddy's phone camera to take snapshots, this time he got hold of Opa's digital camera and fired off a few shots-- and they aren't half bad! Time to get our budding little photographer one of those toy digital cameras for Christmas :-)
p.s. During the week of the 9th, when Oma told Todd that Mommy was coming by, he screamed indignantly, thinking that I was coming to pick him back up and take him to SB. He demanded that Oma call Mommy, which she did. When I answered the phone, I was immediately greeted with an adamant insistence: "Mommy, don't come pick me up!" I quickly reassured him that I was only coming to visit and accompany him to class. That seemed to assuage him.
Sunday night, however, as I got ready to leave, Todd looked forlornly at me and said quietly "I want to go, too!" After many hugs and kisses, and after Opa managed to distact him with his newest toys, he quickly forgot about his longing to go with Mommy, and instead stood in the front yard waving and yelling "Bye bye!!" as I pulled out of the drive. Ah, how quickly kids forget!
Growth in pictures
Little trip down memory lane:
Here is Todd at 7 weeks old. Note how tiny the little man is Allan's arms!
A few months later, at age 6 months, we posed him in the same positions. He's grown quite a bit, as you can see:
The years that followed were a blur. We never found the time to try to pose in those same pictures again to chart Todd's growth. Which makes the next picture even MORE dramatic: a few years later, Todd at almost 4 years old:
Notice how Allan looks more and more frazzled as the months and years go by? ;-)
And finally, the really cute poses: the tiny head poked over Daddy's shoulder. Only two shots, but at a big age gap:
Here is Todd at 7 weeks old. Note how tiny the little man is Allan's arms!
A few months later, at age 6 months, we posed him in the same positions. He's grown quite a bit, as you can see:
The years that followed were a blur. We never found the time to try to pose in those same pictures again to chart Todd's growth. Which makes the next picture even MORE dramatic: a few years later, Todd at almost 4 years old:
Notice how Allan looks more and more frazzled as the months and years go by? ;-)
And finally, the really cute poses: the tiny head poked over Daddy's shoulder. Only two shots, but at a big age gap:
Thank you for the love!
On the phone today, with little man:
Todd: I love you
Mommy: I love you too
Todd: Thank you!
Well... isn't that polite! ;-)
Todd: I love you
Mommy: I love you too
Todd: Thank you!
Well... isn't that polite! ;-)
Birthday pictures
As promised, an update with pictures (click for larger versions)
Todd enjoys the bubble gun:
And struggles with the mammoth water gun!
Here he is digging into and enjoying his presents:
Here are the Blue's Clues themed decorations:
And Todd blends right in with his Blue ears and big Blue sticker!
Birthday cake (Tres Leches with strawberry filling):
And finally, the pièce de résistance: video clip of Toddy with the bubble gun-- and not believing in letting go!
Todd enjoys the bubble gun:
And struggles with the mammoth water gun!
Here he is digging into and enjoying his presents:
Here are the Blue's Clues themed decorations:
And Todd blends right in with his Blue ears and big Blue sticker!
Birthday cake (Tres Leches with strawberry filling):
And finally, the pièce de résistance: video clip of Toddy with the bubble gun-- and not believing in letting go!
Happy 4th Birthday (the party)
Celebrated Todd's birthday at Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ron's house today. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't as scorchingly hot as it was last weekend (perfect squirt-gun weather!) so Todd played with bubbles instead. The place was decked out with all sorts of Blues Clues-themed decorations, including adorable stuffed beanie babies of Blue, Magenta and Periwinkle! Aunt Debbie really went all-out! :-)
The celebration itself was nice and relaxing-- Oma and Opa couldn't make it, so it was just the (extended) Knight clan. Todd was still his shy self, ONE of these days Allan's family will get to glimpse the REAL Todd!
Todd was also a bit shy of Winston, his new canine cousin (who arrived yesterday), but the little dog was very friendly and loved to give kisses :-* I'm sure next time around, Todd will be emboldened a bit more and play with him!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I've got quite a few, plus video, stored in my camera. As soon as I upload them I'll post some and updated this entry. Keep checking this space! :)
At the end of the evening, we trooped to Oma and Opa's house to drop him off for the week. Full of cake and well-rested after a nap, the little guy couldn't stop kicking the back of my seat and exclaiming with glee that he was going to Oma and Opa's house. Then, he announced: "You won't see me anymore. I'm staying at Oma and Opa's house for a LONG time. Don't pick up me for a LONG week, okay?"
Awwww... little man won't miss us a bit, will he!
The celebration itself was nice and relaxing-- Oma and Opa couldn't make it, so it was just the (extended) Knight clan. Todd was still his shy self, ONE of these days Allan's family will get to glimpse the REAL Todd!
Todd was also a bit shy of Winston, his new canine cousin (who arrived yesterday), but the little dog was very friendly and loved to give kisses :-* I'm sure next time around, Todd will be emboldened a bit more and play with him!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I've got quite a few, plus video, stored in my camera. As soon as I upload them I'll post some and updated this entry. Keep checking this space! :)
At the end of the evening, we trooped to Oma and Opa's house to drop him off for the week. Full of cake and well-rested after a nap, the little guy couldn't stop kicking the back of my seat and exclaiming with glee that he was going to Oma and Opa's house. Then, he announced: "You won't see me anymore. I'm staying at Oma and Opa's house for a LONG time. Don't pick up me for a LONG week, okay?"
Awwww... little man won't miss us a bit, will he!
Of Monsters and Boys
Little man and I have developed a new bedtime routine: after all the bedtime stories are read, we turn out the lights and he snuggles into my arms while saying his prayers and then just generally falling asleep. We started out with me snuggling "for five minutes" (invariably it lasted longer than that) and then somehow he extended it to "ten minutes". Sometimes he falls asleep in my arms, sometimes he doesn't, but at least he's quieted down enough that it doesn't take him long to doze off after I've left the room.
Tonight was one of the rare nights when we actually laid in bed and talked for a little while. Sometimes I ask him what he did in school. Usually reticent, he tends to open up more while snuggling comfortably and just relaxing.
Anyway. Fast forward to tonight. We got to talking about monsters and such. Here's how the conversation went:
(T = Todd, M = Mommy)
T: When you're here, I'm not afraid.
M: Aww, what are you afraid of?
T: Monsters.
M: Don't worry, no monsters here. Mommy and Daddy close the doors and windows, so they can't come in.
T: Where do monsters live?
M: Um... where do you think they live? (Haha! Clever way to get around "I don't know"!)
T: The bad monsters are in jail.
M: (Inspiration strikes) And the good ones live on Sesame Street!
T: But where to they REALLY live?
M: On Sesame Street!
T: No, that's just on TV. That's pretend. Where do they REALLY live? (C'mon, Mom, how infantile do you think I am!?)
After I while I realized he was thinking of the monsters from "Monsters, Inc"!
M: But those are all good monsters!
T: No, not ALL of them!
M: Well yeah, Randall and Mr. Waternoose were bad, but look what happened-- they went to jail!
Again the conversation turned to Todd's fear that they would visit him here. I tried to allay those fears.
M: Don't worry, they won't come here. Even if they did, they'd just make jokes and do funny things to make you laugh, that's all. They won't scare you. But they aren't coming here anyway.
T: They're not? Why?
M: Because I told them not to. I told them you had to sleep and if you're busy laughing at them then you're not gonna get enough sleep! (I was feeling quite proud of myself, thinking this up on the fly. Until...)
T: But I didn't hear you (tell them)! (So how do I know you really did?)
M: Oh, um, I told them after you were asleep.
T: (Still skeptical) How did you tell them?
M: (Starting to sweat) Um, I e-mailed them!
T: How do you spell it? (Obviously he meant their email address)
M: (Crud!) M-O-N-S-T-E-R
That seemed to satisfy him, thankfully. I swear, I felt like I was under some heated cross-examination by a razor-sharp, eagle-eyed lawyer. That boy misses nothing, and we're VERY hard-pressed to put anything past him! Yes, I still believe he'll be a lawyer when he grows up :-P
Tonight was one of the rare nights when we actually laid in bed and talked for a little while. Sometimes I ask him what he did in school. Usually reticent, he tends to open up more while snuggling comfortably and just relaxing.
Anyway. Fast forward to tonight. We got to talking about monsters and such. Here's how the conversation went:
(T = Todd, M = Mommy)
T: When you're here, I'm not afraid.
M: Aww, what are you afraid of?
T: Monsters.
M: Don't worry, no monsters here. Mommy and Daddy close the doors and windows, so they can't come in.
T: Where do monsters live?
M: Um... where do you think they live? (Haha! Clever way to get around "I don't know"!)
T: The bad monsters are in jail.
M: (Inspiration strikes) And the good ones live on Sesame Street!
T: But where to they REALLY live?
M: On Sesame Street!
T: No, that's just on TV. That's pretend. Where do they REALLY live? (C'mon, Mom, how infantile do you think I am!?)
After I while I realized he was thinking of the monsters from "Monsters, Inc"!
M: But those are all good monsters!
T: No, not ALL of them!
M: Well yeah, Randall and Mr. Waternoose were bad, but look what happened-- they went to jail!
Again the conversation turned to Todd's fear that they would visit him here. I tried to allay those fears.
M: Don't worry, they won't come here. Even if they did, they'd just make jokes and do funny things to make you laugh, that's all. They won't scare you. But they aren't coming here anyway.
T: They're not? Why?
M: Because I told them not to. I told them you had to sleep and if you're busy laughing at them then you're not gonna get enough sleep! (I was feeling quite proud of myself, thinking this up on the fly. Until...)
T: But I didn't hear you (tell them)! (So how do I know you really did?)
M: Oh, um, I told them after you were asleep.
T: (Still skeptical) How did you tell them?
M: (Starting to sweat) Um, I e-mailed them!
T: How do you spell it? (Obviously he meant their email address)
M: (Crud!) M-O-N-S-T-E-R
That seemed to satisfy him, thankfully. I swear, I felt like I was under some heated cross-examination by a razor-sharp, eagle-eyed lawyer. That boy misses nothing, and we're VERY hard-pressed to put anything past him! Yes, I still believe he'll be a lawyer when he grows up :-P
Happy Birthday, Todd
Today Todd turned 4. Hard to believe that it has been 4 years since the little man got suction-cupped out of my womb and entered the world hollering from here to eternity! Since his birthday fell on a school day, he got a personalized crown that he got to wear all day. Mommy and Daddy treated him to a rare sight-- both parents picking him up from school! Then we drove to Rusty's Pizza Parlor for pizza dinner and some arcade games. Here's the little man and his crown:
Here are the boys at play:
Here are the boys at play:
Emptying out the camera
Playing catchup on some photos I've been meaning to post but never got around to... until now!
Arming himself with a squirt gun at Aunt Debbie's birthday party, April 12:
Hatching out of a dinosaur egg at the Santa Barbara Zoo, April 19:
Enjoying a snack break from shopping. With Mommy in the coffee shop, enjoying zucchini bread and milk :-9 (April 20)
One of Todd's doodlings on Mommy's whiteboard at work. It started out as an elephant (hence the big ears), but halfway through, he changed his mind and decided to draw a doggie instead. So, I present to you, Elephog! (Eledog?)
And finally, a typical shot of the little man, all splayed out, sound asleep... this time with a doggie resting watchfully over him. No, nobody posed the dog like that. You know how it goes. When the humans aren't watching...
Arming himself with a squirt gun at Aunt Debbie's birthday party, April 12:
Hatching out of a dinosaur egg at the Santa Barbara Zoo, April 19:
Enjoying a snack break from shopping. With Mommy in the coffee shop, enjoying zucchini bread and milk :-9 (April 20)
One of Todd's doodlings on Mommy's whiteboard at work. It started out as an elephant (hence the big ears), but halfway through, he changed his mind and decided to draw a doggie instead. So, I present to you, Elephog! (Eledog?)
And finally, a typical shot of the little man, all splayed out, sound asleep... this time with a doggie resting watchfully over him. No, nobody posed the dog like that. You know how it goes. When the humans aren't watching...
More new words
Putting together reading and phonics is starting to go more easily for the little guy.
Last month I started with words that end in "AT", and since then we've progressed to:
-OG : DOG, LOG, FOG, FROG
-UG : BUG, HUG, MUG, RUG
-IG : BIG, DIG, PIG, WIG, TWIG
-ET : GET, LET, NET, PET, WET
We've enrolled him in a reading class that starts in mid-June. He should be well-prepared for it now :-)
Last month I started with words that end in "AT", and since then we've progressed to:
-OG : DOG, LOG, FOG, FROG
-UG : BUG, HUG, MUG, RUG
-IG : BIG, DIG, PIG, WIG, TWIG
-ET : GET, LET, NET, PET, WET
We've enrolled him in a reading class that starts in mid-June. He should be well-prepared for it now :-)
Crazy Hair Day
This entire week has been special dress up days for the kids at Todd's school. Yesterday was backwards/inside-out day, and today? Crazy Hair Day. Followed by Pajama Day tomorrow, Crazy Hat Day on Thursday and Sports Day on Friday.
Not much that can be done with a little boy's hair, especially when his parents have a penchant for keeping it closely cropped (esp in hot weather). But luckily it had been long enough since his last haircut that Daddy was able to take some hair and shape and mold it into a nice little faux-hawk. Here's the results:
Not much that can be done with a little boy's hair, especially when his parents have a penchant for keeping it closely cropped (esp in hot weather). But luckily it had been long enough since his last haircut that Daddy was able to take some hair and shape and mold it into a nice little faux-hawk. Here's the results:
What's your name?
It's been so long since Todd has seen Opa and Oma that his Chinese is becoming rusty. He got a chance to talk to them today while calling Oma to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. Opa answered the phone, and Todd naturally fell into speaking Chinese with him, albeit haltingly. Then Oma came on the phone, and he refused to speak Chinese with her. He tried to tease her: "What are you talking about, Oma!?" whenever she said something in Chinese, though we could tell he knew perfectly well what she was saying.
Oma tried to persuade him to speak Chinese by saying "I don't understand you. Speak Chinese!"
Oh, but Todd was not to be fooled, and was quick to correct her: "Yes you do! You can speak English!"
There is, however, one Chinese word that he still prefers, and that is his (nick)name: Pao Pao (simply, "little boy" in Chinese).
So much so than when Mommy or Daddy try to say his full name, Todd Knight, he shakes his head and insists: "No, I'm not Todd. I'm Pao Pao. My name is Pao-Pao Knight!"
Little boy Knight? Well, I suppose that's apt, too!
Oma tried to persuade him to speak Chinese by saying "I don't understand you. Speak Chinese!"
Oh, but Todd was not to be fooled, and was quick to correct her: "Yes you do! You can speak English!"
There is, however, one Chinese word that he still prefers, and that is his (nick)name: Pao Pao (simply, "little boy" in Chinese).
So much so than when Mommy or Daddy try to say his full name, Todd Knight, he shakes his head and insists: "No, I'm not Todd. I'm Pao Pao. My name is Pao-Pao Knight!"
Little boy Knight? Well, I suppose that's apt, too!
Big brother?
Daddy was commenting on how Aunt Debbie was his big sister, and that he's her little brother.
Ever the literal-minded boy, Todd insisted that Daddy was the big brother. No, Daddy kept insisting-- "I'm Aunt Debbie's LITTLE brother!"
Exasperated, Todd made it clear why Daddy was wrong:
"But you grew up so big, like a giant!!"
Ever the literal-minded boy, Todd insisted that Daddy was the big brother. No, Daddy kept insisting-- "I'm Aunt Debbie's LITTLE brother!"
Exasperated, Todd made it clear why Daddy was wrong:
"But you grew up so big, like a giant!!"
Slip 'n Slide
What a scorcher this weekend has been! Sunday morning we had all the doors and windows open to let in some air, with temps rising in the upper 80s, even low 90s predicted! Not too bad on the surface, but for Santa Barbara, and its humidity, it was record-breakingly HOT! Little man got a visitor-- one of the neighbor kids, a little boy almost 8 years old (who has a 2-year-old brother, so he plays the caring big brother role very nicely) stopped by to see if Todd wanted to play on the slip 'n' slide they set up in the backyard. So Todd joined the fun and got to cool off while Mommy and Daddy did housecleaning.
Here he is during one of his forays down the slide... his expression is priceless! That grimace (click for larger pic) accurately reflects his initial hesitance.
As you can tell from this video, however, he quickly warmed up. After lunch, he went back out and played with squirt guns, the hose, and the little plastic wading pool. All in all, a nice way to cool off on a hot day :-)
Okay, Blogger is annoying me!!! Everytime I go to edit this thing, the video shows up in the preview and in the code, but when I publish the post, it is nowhere to be found. What gives!? Here is the Photobucket version, hopefully it shows up better. If Blogger decides to finally kick in and update this thing, you'll have 2 of the same video to enjoy. My apologies in advance for any possible duplicates...
Math whiz
A month ago I blogged about Todd teaching Pistachio how to add using his beads. He's continued to practice his addition since then.
We use flashcards that have an addition problem on one side, and a subtraction problem on the other. Last week, as we were doing the addition exercises, Todd turned the card over and noticed the subtraction problem. He wanted to know what the minus sign was. So, I decided it was time to start teaching him subtraction!
We started off with some simply ones. 4-1. 5-3. 6-2. He quickly caught on, and our nightly study sessions now included subtraction as well as addition.
He is always eager to do his arithmetic, mostly, I suspect, because he simply enjoys playing with the beads. Whatever-- as long as he's getting some learning in with the fun, why not? Beats having to struggle to get him to sit still and learn!
I started to wonder, though, if he truly grasped the concept of arithmetic or if it was just some bead-sliding game to him.
So today, I got out his box of mini tangram puzzle pieces, and got out the flashcards. I set him in my lap, and gave him the first assignment: an addition problem. He dutifully got out the requisite number of pieces and worked out the sum. Then I gave him a subtraction problem. He hemmed and hawed for a bit until I explained that subtracting means "take away". He got it after a few moments and was able to work out the rest of his arithmetic problems with the puzzle pieces... and nary a bead in sight!
Next up: using his fingers! :-D
We use flashcards that have an addition problem on one side, and a subtraction problem on the other. Last week, as we were doing the addition exercises, Todd turned the card over and noticed the subtraction problem. He wanted to know what the minus sign was. So, I decided it was time to start teaching him subtraction!
We started off with some simply ones. 4-1. 5-3. 6-2. He quickly caught on, and our nightly study sessions now included subtraction as well as addition.
He is always eager to do his arithmetic, mostly, I suspect, because he simply enjoys playing with the beads. Whatever-- as long as he's getting some learning in with the fun, why not? Beats having to struggle to get him to sit still and learn!
I started to wonder, though, if he truly grasped the concept of arithmetic or if it was just some bead-sliding game to him.
So today, I got out his box of mini tangram puzzle pieces, and got out the flashcards. I set him in my lap, and gave him the first assignment: an addition problem. He dutifully got out the requisite number of pieces and worked out the sum. Then I gave him a subtraction problem. He hemmed and hawed for a bit until I explained that subtracting means "take away". He got it after a few moments and was able to work out the rest of his arithmetic problems with the puzzle pieces... and nary a bead in sight!
Next up: using his fingers! :-D
Todd learns to read
Little man has, for a while, been able to identify what words correspond to certain sequences of letters, as I wrote about earlier:
http://toddsdiary.blogspot.com/2008/01/words-so-far.html
Well, this week we added several more words to the list, but not by the usual route. I got Todd's deck of ABC flashcards and decided to try to put some of them together to form short words. He knows his ABCs down cold and he knows his phonics, at least in terms of the sounds individual letters make. Figured it was high time to put those two skills together.
I started off with "A" and "T", forming "AT". After Todd understood how the "at" sound was formed, I added another letter to the beginning. C-A-T. And then M-A-T. A light bulb went off in Todd's head. The next few letters, R, B, and H, came easily. 5 new words!
Couple days later I tested him to see if he remembered it. He needed a bit of prompting at the A-T stage, but once he got it, he was able to fly through those 5 words. I added a couple new letters just to make sure it wasn't rote memorization, and he was able to get the words "pat" and "sat" without any trouble. In fact, he even went on to further define "sat" for me, explaining that it came from "sitting"!
Later that night, I quizzed him verbally: "What does C-A-T spell?"
"Cat!" came the immediate response, and likewise through all of his -at ending words.
Our ittle man is reading! :-)
http://toddsdiary.blogspot.com/2008/01/words-so-far.html
Well, this week we added several more words to the list, but not by the usual route. I got Todd's deck of ABC flashcards and decided to try to put some of them together to form short words. He knows his ABCs down cold and he knows his phonics, at least in terms of the sounds individual letters make. Figured it was high time to put those two skills together.
I started off with "A" and "T", forming "AT". After Todd understood how the "at" sound was formed, I added another letter to the beginning. C-A-T. And then M-A-T. A light bulb went off in Todd's head. The next few letters, R, B, and H, came easily. 5 new words!
Couple days later I tested him to see if he remembered it. He needed a bit of prompting at the A-T stage, but once he got it, he was able to fly through those 5 words. I added a couple new letters just to make sure it wasn't rote memorization, and he was able to get the words "pat" and "sat" without any trouble. In fact, he even went on to further define "sat" for me, explaining that it came from "sitting"!
Later that night, I quizzed him verbally: "What does C-A-T spell?"
"Cat!" came the immediate response, and likewise through all of his -at ending words.
Our ittle man is reading! :-)
Stop Hitting Yourself...
Do you remember when you were a kid, and you'd grab your, say, brother's hand and smack him in the face with it, repeating: "Stop hitting yourself!" and laughing at his consternation? Well, Todd adds a new twist to it. Observe... Todd and Daddy's hand:
Oh, and if that wasn't silly enough, Todd figures he can do the job just as easily and efficiently all by himself:
So if Child Services ever gets called on us, this is our evidence that he really did "do this to himself", honest!!
Oh, and if that wasn't silly enough, Todd figures he can do the job just as easily and efficiently all by himself:
So if Child Services ever gets called on us, this is our evidence that he really did "do this to himself", honest!!
Guess who?
In case you're wondering, that Spongebob bucket is part of the Easter gift baskets that Todd got from Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ron when we all went to Grandpa's house to celebrate Daddy's birthday... which fell on Easter this year!
Happy Birthday, Grandma!
Happy Birthday, Grandma! Here's a little hand-drawn greeting from your little man. The picture at the bottom is a cake with a couple of candles on top :-)
Prayers for Oma
Todd has added a small get-well prayer for Oma, to his daily bedtime routine. He keeps asking how Oma is doing, and if she's still sick-- yearning to go back to LA.
Tonight, he explained how exactly God heals people: He has to touch you on the head, and then you will be made well! I guess he's retaining more material than I thought, from all those stories he's had read to him!
Tonight, he explained how exactly God heals people: He has to touch you on the head, and then you will be made well! I guess he's retaining more material than I thought, from all those stories he's had read to him!
Knott's Berry Farm
Todd remained in LA for the rest of the week while Mommy and Daddy returned to SB, and back to the grindstone, on Sunday evening.
On Monday Todd, Opa and Oma trooped to Knott's Berry Farm for some R&R and a much-anticipated visit to Snoopy:
In Todd's arms is his newest favorite stuffed animal-- a Pokemon creature that Uncle Ron and Aunt Debbie gave him for Easter yesterday. It resembles a turtle because it has what looks like a turtle's shell on his back. But it also has a twig with leaves growing out of its head-- in true anime fashion ;-P It's name? Why, Pokie, of course!
Todd had a great time, riding many of the kiddie rides by himself, and wore himself out so much that he fell asleep on the way home-- in the middle of eating a banana!
On Monday Todd, Opa and Oma trooped to Knott's Berry Farm for some R&R and a much-anticipated visit to Snoopy:
In Todd's arms is his newest favorite stuffed animal-- a Pokemon creature that Uncle Ron and Aunt Debbie gave him for Easter yesterday. It resembles a turtle because it has what looks like a turtle's shell on his back. But it also has a twig with leaves growing out of its head-- in true anime fashion ;-P It's name? Why, Pokie, of course!
Todd had a great time, riding many of the kiddie rides by himself, and wore himself out so much that he fell asleep on the way home-- in the middle of eating a banana!
Happy Easter
I wish I had remembered to bring the camera with me when I went to pick up Todd at school this morning! It was 11:30am and the kids were lined up to do an Easter procession, each class walking single-file up to a foam cross set up in the center of the play room. They carefully tucked in their hand-made flowers and then stood in a semi-circle around the cross. One little girl, upon spying her parents amongst the gaggle of camera-wielding grownups, broke from the line and made a beeline for her folks. That cracked everyone up. After the procession, the kids sang songs and finally, the head teacher led us all in a prayer. As usual, she instructed the kids to fold their hands and close their eyes.
I couldn't resist. I looked up and snuck a peek at Todd. And what did I see? My little boy with his hands carefully folded, and eyes closed... not just closed, but scrunched tightly shut, almost in a grimace! Hey-- he was certainly following instructions!
Afterward, we met Daddy at Cajun Kitchen for a delicious breakfast lunch (no, not brunch-- breakfast food at lunchtime) before heading home to clean up and trek down to LA for the weekend.
I couldn't resist. I looked up and snuck a peek at Todd. And what did I see? My little boy with his hands carefully folded, and eyes closed... not just closed, but scrunched tightly shut, almost in a grimace! Hey-- he was certainly following instructions!
Afterward, we met Daddy at Cajun Kitchen for a delicious breakfast lunch (no, not brunch-- breakfast food at lunchtime) before heading home to clean up and trek down to LA for the weekend.
Campers, packing and lunch
... continued from the previous post...
This morning I kept reminding Todd that since school is dismissed at noon today, we would be picking him up early and he would eat lunch at home instead of at school. Then I told him we'd go to Oma and Opa's house later tonight, and eat dinner there. He perked up at that, and asked: "Why can't we eat lunch at Oma and Opa's house?"
I explained that he got out of school right AT lunchtime, that it would take a long time to drive there, that we still needed to clean the house and pack up, and that by the time we got there it would be far too late for lunch = too hungry!
Todd's solution?
"We can eat lunch in the car! (i.e. on the way)"
Hehehehe....
On the way to school, after getting off the phone with Daddy, he asked me if I'd finished packing everything yet. I said no, and he suggested this time-saving technique: "You can clean up while I pack lunch!"
Before long, we passed by a truck with a camper attached and Todd wanted to know what it was. I explained how people can use it to sleep while traveling. So, Todd hit on another bright idea:
"When I grow bigger, I will get a camper. Then I can drive while you and Daddy sleep in the camper!"
You mean we can travel and not have to worry about transportation!? Awesome idea, son. I'm posting this here for posterity-- a couple decades from now I'm gonna remind you about this little deal next time we want to travel far away on vacation ;-)
This morning I kept reminding Todd that since school is dismissed at noon today, we would be picking him up early and he would eat lunch at home instead of at school. Then I told him we'd go to Oma and Opa's house later tonight, and eat dinner there. He perked up at that, and asked: "Why can't we eat lunch at Oma and Opa's house?"
I explained that he got out of school right AT lunchtime, that it would take a long time to drive there, that we still needed to clean the house and pack up, and that by the time we got there it would be far too late for lunch = too hungry!
Todd's solution?
"We can eat lunch in the car! (i.e. on the way)"
Hehehehe....
On the way to school, after getting off the phone with Daddy, he asked me if I'd finished packing everything yet. I said no, and he suggested this time-saving technique: "You can clean up while I pack lunch!"
Before long, we passed by a truck with a camper attached and Todd wanted to know what it was. I explained how people can use it to sleep while traveling. So, Todd hit on another bright idea:
"When I grow bigger, I will get a camper. Then I can drive while you and Daddy sleep in the camper!"
You mean we can travel and not have to worry about transportation!? Awesome idea, son. I'm posting this here for posterity-- a couple decades from now I'm gonna remind you about this little deal next time we want to travel far away on vacation ;-)
Getting Dressed
Todd must have enjoyed a good night's sleep last night because this morning he was bubbling with all kinds of cute things.
Today he managed to get dressed all by himself. He's been able to remove and put on pants and socks all by himself for a while now. But he insisted that he wouldn't be able to learn to do the rest (i.e. shirts) until he got older. Then last night, I pointed out that his friend Molly, who is younger than him, has been able to dress herself entirely for some time now. That must have gotten him motivated.
This morning, I helped him out of his jammies, and then, to save time, I laid out his clothes in front of him and instructed him to get dressed. (Meantime, I was busy dressing myself) Fully expecting him to tackle only the pants and socks (hey, that's still less work for me) I was surprised when I peeked over and saw him pulling his T-shirt over his head, and then studying the logo to make sure it was in front. To my amazement, he continued with the flannel button-down shirt that goes on top of the T-shirt-- not only did he get it on, but he managed to fasten every button except the top button! Of course, it took him about 10 minutes but hey, I was busy getting stuff ready anyway, so it was a good use of time. I periodically asked if he needed help, and he kept refusing it (till the last button). Lo and behold! Little man had finally gotten dressed ALL by himself, without any help, for the first time!
He was so proud of himself that when I suggested he tell Daddy later today about it, he wanted to share the news sooner, while driving to school: "When I hop in the car, you call Daddy and give me the phone so I can tell him!"... and tell him he did :-D
Today he managed to get dressed all by himself. He's been able to remove and put on pants and socks all by himself for a while now. But he insisted that he wouldn't be able to learn to do the rest (i.e. shirts) until he got older. Then last night, I pointed out that his friend Molly, who is younger than him, has been able to dress herself entirely for some time now. That must have gotten him motivated.
This morning, I helped him out of his jammies, and then, to save time, I laid out his clothes in front of him and instructed him to get dressed. (Meantime, I was busy dressing myself) Fully expecting him to tackle only the pants and socks (hey, that's still less work for me) I was surprised when I peeked over and saw him pulling his T-shirt over his head, and then studying the logo to make sure it was in front. To my amazement, he continued with the flannel button-down shirt that goes on top of the T-shirt-- not only did he get it on, but he managed to fasten every button except the top button! Of course, it took him about 10 minutes but hey, I was busy getting stuff ready anyway, so it was a good use of time. I periodically asked if he needed help, and he kept refusing it (till the last button). Lo and behold! Little man had finally gotten dressed ALL by himself, without any help, for the first time!
He was so proud of himself that when I suggested he tell Daddy later today about it, he wanted to share the news sooner, while driving to school: "When I hop in the car, you call Daddy and give me the phone so I can tell him!"... and tell him he did :-D
Watch the road!
As I was on the road, heading home after picking Todd up from school, I casually flipped the rearview mirror down so I could see him in the backseat and observe what he was up to. I typically do this, but apparently today Todd wasn't about to let me. He proclaimed:
"Put the mirror down! You have to concentrate on driving!"
I was quick to follow his safety caution and thank him for the reminder ;-)
Fast forward to just a minute ago: I was getting ready to vacuum quickly in the living room. Todd wanted food. I wanted to vacuum and offered to fix him dinner after I finished vacuuming. His compromise solution?
"I can eat dinner while you vacuum!"
Sounds like a good plan, son! As soon as Mommy finishes typing this up, she shall get to it :-D
"Put the mirror down! You have to concentrate on driving!"
I was quick to follow his safety caution and thank him for the reminder ;-)
Fast forward to just a minute ago: I was getting ready to vacuum quickly in the living room. Todd wanted food. I wanted to vacuum and offered to fix him dinner after I finished vacuuming. His compromise solution?
"I can eat dinner while you vacuum!"
Sounds like a good plan, son! As soon as Mommy finishes typing this up, she shall get to it :-D
St. Patrick's Day
Saturday was the St. Patrick's Day celebration at the community center for the student housing complex. Brunch was served-- piping hot green eggs (scrambled), green hash browns, and ham (not green), along with an assortment of rolls, croissants, and other sweet pastries. The kids enjoyed some fun outside: painting, play-doh, and a candy hunt (picking up candy hidden in a grassy field).
Todd enjoyed playing in the playground with another little girl about his age. She reminds me a lot of Molly-- same size, same hair, same age, same independent streak. It's no wonder Todd took to her immediately and assumed his "big brother" role with glee.
Here's a couple pics of Todd. I forgot to bring my camera, so the first shot is from my phone-- it features Todd on the see-saw, after having his hair freshly spiked and sprayed with green paint. The next picture was taken a few hours later, after we'd gone shopping and returned home-- by then I had the camera, but his hair color had mostly faded, and the spikes relaxed. Note the hand-written name tag, though-- in an appropriate color, too-- green!
Todd LOVED having his hair dyed, and enjoyed the little festivities. It wasn't much, but for a little kid, it's plenty of excitement :-D He kept asking when it would be St. Patrick's Day again, and if he could dye his hair green again. He was a bit sad when showertime rolled around and he observed the water turning green as I washed the last of the dye out of his hair. Ah well-- as quickly as time flies, next year's St. Paddy's Day will be upon us before we know it!
Todd enjoyed playing in the playground with another little girl about his age. She reminds me a lot of Molly-- same size, same hair, same age, same independent streak. It's no wonder Todd took to her immediately and assumed his "big brother" role with glee.
Here's a couple pics of Todd. I forgot to bring my camera, so the first shot is from my phone-- it features Todd on the see-saw, after having his hair freshly spiked and sprayed with green paint. The next picture was taken a few hours later, after we'd gone shopping and returned home-- by then I had the camera, but his hair color had mostly faded, and the spikes relaxed. Note the hand-written name tag, though-- in an appropriate color, too-- green!
Todd LOVED having his hair dyed, and enjoyed the little festivities. It wasn't much, but for a little kid, it's plenty of excitement :-D He kept asking when it would be St. Patrick's Day again, and if he could dye his hair green again. He was a bit sad when showertime rolled around and he observed the water turning green as I washed the last of the dye out of his hair. Ah well-- as quickly as time flies, next year's St. Paddy's Day will be upon us before we know it!
Computer geek?
Not if I can help it :-P
After a nice long nap this afternoon, Todd and Mommy settled down to play a few educational games on the Nick Jr. website, all with the Blue's Clues theme. We played a couple rounds of Memory and "What's that Sound?" Then we found Doodle in Blue's Room-- a talking easel that draws by himself.
Todd got plenty of practice using the mouse, because part of the game featured free coloring-- click on a color, and then drag the mouse around the drawing pad to draw. At first he could only scribble all over the screen, but before long, he figured out how to control the mouse motions, and he was not only able to color a picture reasonably within the lines, but also write his name-- even though the D's engulfed the T and O by the end ;-)
Before long he was able to select different colors on his own, click the eraser to start over, and even select different pictures to color! Between his typing and his mouse skills it won't be long before he is completely comfortable using a computer... but, uh, let's teach him to read first so he can actually READ what's on the screen and type things other than his name! ;-)
After a nice long nap this afternoon, Todd and Mommy settled down to play a few educational games on the Nick Jr. website, all with the Blue's Clues theme. We played a couple rounds of Memory and "What's that Sound?" Then we found Doodle in Blue's Room-- a talking easel that draws by himself.
Todd got plenty of practice using the mouse, because part of the game featured free coloring-- click on a color, and then drag the mouse around the drawing pad to draw. At first he could only scribble all over the screen, but before long, he figured out how to control the mouse motions, and he was not only able to color a picture reasonably within the lines, but also write his name-- even though the D's engulfed the T and O by the end ;-)
Before long he was able to select different colors on his own, click the eraser to start over, and even select different pictures to color! Between his typing and his mouse skills it won't be long before he is completely comfortable using a computer... but, uh, let's teach him to read first so he can actually READ what's on the screen and type things other than his name! ;-)
Teaching Turtles
I am giggling as I type this, for Todd is busy teaching Pistachio.
But first, let me backtrack.
A few months ago I'd started to teach Todd how to add-- we had one of those little workbooks and I used pennies to help Todd add small sums. He soon got the hang of it, and enjoyed it. At first it was 2+3, 4+2, no big deal... but having to keep lots of pennies gets cumbersome. So, several weeks ago I bought some beads-- 10 rows of 10 colorful beads each. I think 100 beads is plenty to keep Todd occupied until he can do arithmetic without their aid :-)
Anyway, this past couple weeks I'd been teaching Todd not only sums under 10, but sums OVER 10-- like 6+7 and even 11+4... Todd quickly caught on to the concept of using multiple rows of beads.
Today I watched intently as Todd held Pistachio and told him to add "2+5". Through Todd, Pistachio used his fins and went through the exact same motions Todd always does when doing his addition problems: first counted out 2 beads, then 5 beads, then pushed them together and counted them, finally pronouncing at the end "Two plus five makes seven!" Clever turtle! ;-)
I commented on how Todd was teaching the turtle, and he explained further:
"The class is in there (pointing to the bedroom), but there is a man sleeping in there (Daddy's sick and in bed) so we have to do it out here. This (the living room, where we were) is outside the classroom!"
But first, let me backtrack.
A few months ago I'd started to teach Todd how to add-- we had one of those little workbooks and I used pennies to help Todd add small sums. He soon got the hang of it, and enjoyed it. At first it was 2+3, 4+2, no big deal... but having to keep lots of pennies gets cumbersome. So, several weeks ago I bought some beads-- 10 rows of 10 colorful beads each. I think 100 beads is plenty to keep Todd occupied until he can do arithmetic without their aid :-)
Anyway, this past couple weeks I'd been teaching Todd not only sums under 10, but sums OVER 10-- like 6+7 and even 11+4... Todd quickly caught on to the concept of using multiple rows of beads.
Today I watched intently as Todd held Pistachio and told him to add "2+5". Through Todd, Pistachio used his fins and went through the exact same motions Todd always does when doing his addition problems: first counted out 2 beads, then 5 beads, then pushed them together and counted them, finally pronouncing at the end "Two plus five makes seven!" Clever turtle! ;-)
I commented on how Todd was teaching the turtle, and he explained further:
"The class is in there (pointing to the bedroom), but there is a man sleeping in there (Daddy's sick and in bed) so we have to do it out here. This (the living room, where we were) is outside the classroom!"
Pop makes for an unlucky Pops
Todd and Geronimo were saying a thank you prayer before bed today, and Geronima began expounding on all the things he was thankful for-- a cute Pao-pao, Mommy and Daddy, clothes (yes, he still has the onesie on), a warm bed... and Todd summarized it nicely: "You're a lucky turtle!"
I pointed out that Todd was a lucky boy too, for all the same reasons. He pointed to me, saying I was a lucky Mommy. Indeed! I agreed. But then he turned the tables.
"Not Daddy. He's not lucky."
Why not!?
"Because he drinks soda! Soda is not good for you!"
:-D
I pointed out that Todd was a lucky boy too, for all the same reasons. He pointed to me, saying I was a lucky Mommy. Indeed! I agreed. But then he turned the tables.
"Not Daddy. He's not lucky."
Why not!?
"Because he drinks soda! Soda is not good for you!"
:-D
I wanna be a girl
I was ruffling Todd's hair after his shower, musing on how difficult it was to tame that hair, especially with the Daddy-inherited cowlick, and the hair that's not as fine as Daddy's because Mommy's hair is so coarse. I commented that he was long overdue for a haircut, causing him to pull away and exclaim: "No! Don't cut it! I want my hair to be long-- I want to be a girl. Just like Mommy!"
This gave us a good giggle and we humored him, saying he'd be a girl like Oma and Grandma and Aunt Debbie. But he didn't want to be a boy like Daddy? "No!" loud and clear.
Well, what about his beloved Opa? Opa is, after all, a boy too!
Todd's solution?
"Daddy can play with Opa!"
This gave us a good giggle and we humored him, saying he'd be a girl like Oma and Grandma and Aunt Debbie. But he didn't want to be a boy like Daddy? "No!" loud and clear.
Well, what about his beloved Opa? Opa is, after all, a boy too!
Todd's solution?
"Daddy can play with Opa!"
Daddy's big popo
Some time ago a few of the slats on the bed fell off, probably due to Daddy climbing into bed a little too enthusiastically (hey, after a long hard day at work, nothing's more welcoming than a soft pillow!).
Today Mommy uncovered a few wood chips on the floor near the bed, and wondered aloud what they were. Daddy explained that it was him and his big butt that caused the slats to go out of line again.
So, of course Toddy piped up with his own version of the story:
"Daddy's big popo made the bed kaputt!"
Today Mommy uncovered a few wood chips on the floor near the bed, and wondered aloud what they were. Daddy explained that it was him and his big butt that caused the slats to go out of line again.
So, of course Toddy piped up with his own version of the story:
"Daddy's big popo made the bed kaputt!"
The week's highlights
On Tuesday, Todd got to see where Mommy and Daddy worked. Daddy picked him up and brought him by the office, where Todd shyly got to meet some of our co-workers, and draw on our dry-erase boards. Some of our co-workers sat on giant rubber balls instead of conventional chairs, but Todd apparently found that notion silly: "Why is he sitting on a ball? I don't want to sit on a ball-- I'll fall down!"
Wednesday night, while Mommy was out having pizza and beer with her colleagues, Daddy and Todd enjoyed a little pizza night of their own-- hitting K-Mart to look at toys, and then grabbing a pizza from the attached Little Caesar's.
Friday, Mommy and Daddy snuck out early from a farewell shindig for one of the VPs, and had fun picking Todd up at school together. He didn't quite know what to make of the sight of BOTH parents appearing there, but he sure as heck wasn't gonna complain! ;-)
Saturday was good for more Daddy-son bonding time, as the boys spent the morning running errands and playing while Mommy slept in and recovered from her flu.
And Sunday we had fun mattress shopping-- bought a new mattress for the futon-- a Tempurpedic kind, a real bargain-- full size at under $500. It makes the futon much higher than it used to be, much to Todd's amusement. He loves climbing that thing. And of course, Mommy and Daddy were clamoring to try it out, so Todd had to join in the fray, too!
This morning, as I was getting him ready for school, he piped up plaintively (as he had been doing all week): "I don't want to go to my new school!" But this time, unlike the others, he offered a reason: "I will have an accident!" Awww...
You see, Todd has been having accidents fairly regularly at his new school, and it all boils down to his being too timid to ask to go to the bathroom. We tried taking away the privilege of watching TV during dinner (we tape his kiddie shows during the day, and watch one 30-minute episode while eating-- keeps him sitting still) if he didn't stay dry during the day, but that didn't work.
And when Todd made his statement this morning, I hearkened back to an incident when I was about 8 or 9 years old, sitting in a school assembly, and wet my pants because I was too shy to interrupt and ask my teacher (who was sitting right behind me) for a potty break. If I, at 9 years old, was still too afraid to ask, how could I expect more of a 3-year-old? So, I decided to try the opposite tactic: rewarding him when he DOES stay dry. I mulled over my options-- what could I reward him with when he got home, still wearing the same pants I put on this morning?
Something to eat? No, wouldn't want to encourage junk food. A toy? No, that seems a bit much, plus the house will get cluttered and he'll just get spoiled. Then I hit upon the perfect solution-- stickers! I could give him a few to put on himself or Mommy or Daddy or the animals-- wherever he pleased. Then another idea: we bought him a calendar a few weeks ago for fun, now we could actually use it. I told him he could put a sticker in his calendar if he stayed dry, and if he stayed dry the entire week, we could do something special during the weekend. What luck, then, that this month there's no shortage of outside-sponsored activities, like St. Patrick's Day and Easter festivities. So, at lunch today, I shall poke around Michael's and see if I can find any good stickers and worthwhile little trinkets for rewards.
And we shall see if this new system will actually work. Wish us luck!
Wednesday night, while Mommy was out having pizza and beer with her colleagues, Daddy and Todd enjoyed a little pizza night of their own-- hitting K-Mart to look at toys, and then grabbing a pizza from the attached Little Caesar's.
Friday, Mommy and Daddy snuck out early from a farewell shindig for one of the VPs, and had fun picking Todd up at school together. He didn't quite know what to make of the sight of BOTH parents appearing there, but he sure as heck wasn't gonna complain! ;-)
Saturday was good for more Daddy-son bonding time, as the boys spent the morning running errands and playing while Mommy slept in and recovered from her flu.
And Sunday we had fun mattress shopping-- bought a new mattress for the futon-- a Tempurpedic kind, a real bargain-- full size at under $500. It makes the futon much higher than it used to be, much to Todd's amusement. He loves climbing that thing. And of course, Mommy and Daddy were clamoring to try it out, so Todd had to join in the fray, too!
This morning, as I was getting him ready for school, he piped up plaintively (as he had been doing all week): "I don't want to go to my new school!" But this time, unlike the others, he offered a reason: "I will have an accident!" Awww...
You see, Todd has been having accidents fairly regularly at his new school, and it all boils down to his being too timid to ask to go to the bathroom. We tried taking away the privilege of watching TV during dinner (we tape his kiddie shows during the day, and watch one 30-minute episode while eating-- keeps him sitting still) if he didn't stay dry during the day, but that didn't work.
And when Todd made his statement this morning, I hearkened back to an incident when I was about 8 or 9 years old, sitting in a school assembly, and wet my pants because I was too shy to interrupt and ask my teacher (who was sitting right behind me) for a potty break. If I, at 9 years old, was still too afraid to ask, how could I expect more of a 3-year-old? So, I decided to try the opposite tactic: rewarding him when he DOES stay dry. I mulled over my options-- what could I reward him with when he got home, still wearing the same pants I put on this morning?
Something to eat? No, wouldn't want to encourage junk food. A toy? No, that seems a bit much, plus the house will get cluttered and he'll just get spoiled. Then I hit upon the perfect solution-- stickers! I could give him a few to put on himself or Mommy or Daddy or the animals-- wherever he pleased. Then another idea: we bought him a calendar a few weeks ago for fun, now we could actually use it. I told him he could put a sticker in his calendar if he stayed dry, and if he stayed dry the entire week, we could do something special during the weekend. What luck, then, that this month there's no shortage of outside-sponsored activities, like St. Patrick's Day and Easter festivities. So, at lunch today, I shall poke around Michael's and see if I can find any good stickers and worthwhile little trinkets for rewards.
And we shall see if this new system will actually work. Wish us luck!
Todd the caretaker
After spending a week with Oma and Opa, Todd was understandably reluctant to return to SB and have to go to his "new school" again on Monday morning.
So last night, he declared: "I don't want to go to Santa Barbara. I want to stay here for a long time!"
I queried: "Who's going to take care of you?"
"Oma!"
Referring to the fact that she goes in for her 3rd round of chemo this upcoming week, I pointed out: "But she's not going to feel well next week."
"Opa can take care of me!"
"But Opa has to work!"
Not to be deterred, Todd replied: "I can take care of Oma!"
I asked him how they were going to eat, and he asserted: "I can cook!" and when I asked him what he could cook: "I can cook lots of things!"
After a pause, he relented on one thing he knew he wouldn't be able to do while taking care of Oma: "But I can't drive. I don't know how!"
So last night, he declared: "I don't want to go to Santa Barbara. I want to stay here for a long time!"
I queried: "Who's going to take care of you?"
"Oma!"
Referring to the fact that she goes in for her 3rd round of chemo this upcoming week, I pointed out: "But she's not going to feel well next week."
"Opa can take care of me!"
"But Opa has to work!"
Not to be deterred, Todd replied: "I can take care of Oma!"
I asked him how they were going to eat, and he asserted: "I can cook!" and when I asked him what he could cook: "I can cook lots of things!"
After a pause, he relented on one thing he knew he wouldn't be able to do while taking care of Oma: "But I can't drive. I don't know how!"
