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 :-)
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! ;-)
