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!"
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...
