With 3 celebrations this year, I figure I'll be blogging a multi-part series. Little nugget from this morning:
When Daddy took Todd to school, Loftur greeted his friend with an enthusiastic "Happy Birthday!" and a big hug. A hug which.... kept.... going...
... after a long while and no sign of disentanglement, Todd finally piped up, in a matter-of-fact tone: "Um... why are you still hugging me?"
Happy Birthday, little man. I can hardly believe you're 5 years old. You're not a tiny tot or even toddler anymore. You're a bona fide kid... making the transition from little kid to big kid! Where does the time go!?
Plans for the rest of the day:
Cupcakes to share with all the other kids at school (and I mean the whole school) at lunchtime, and then an evening of dinner and bowling at Zodo's, with Loftur. More updates later, as they happen!
White Belt, 2nd class
I put in for Todd's promotion-- had to fill out a form and have Todd's teacher sign off on it, vouching for his good performance in school. Monday he was awarded his 2nd stripe! He is now a White Belt, 2nd class. Just one more stripe to go, and he'll be able to test for his Yellow Belt, after some more training, of course :-)
Next day, Sensei visited Todd's school and taught the lower school kids about bullying: how to spot it, and what to do about it. The kids really enjoyed his presentation, hopefully he'll be back to the school again soon to teach some of his other safety classes!
Next day, Sensei visited Todd's school and taught the lower school kids about bullying: how to spot it, and what to do about it. The kids really enjoyed his presentation, hopefully he'll be back to the school again soon to teach some of his other safety classes!
Strawberry Festival
Whew! Updates in droves again. I really should update this thing as soon as the events in question happen, otherwise I'm liable to forget details or funny incidents themselves... it's been a crazy busy month!
Took Todd to the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard. I'd been wanting to go for the past 7 years, but every year, something always came up and I couldn't go... this year I was bound and determined to take my little man there before he outgrew the rides.
We arrived in the morning and had a TON of fun. The crowds hadn't grown yet, so there were virtually no lines for many of the kiddie rides. We ate strawberry pizza and strawberry crepes for lunch. When I suggested we go to the sinks to hose him down after a messy lunch, he said "Don't hose me down! Just wipe me off!" We waited an hour in line to ride the Strawberry "teacup" rides, which we spun so fast that I stumbled out of the ride, dizzy as all heck. We shared a strawberry smoothie while we rested. We met some of our small group friends and chatted a bit, and wrapped up the visit with a gift purchase for daddy: a whimsical adult-sized bib! :-)
Did a bit of shopping at Wal-Mart and Fry's (since we're in the area, why not!) and then went home, exhausted but satisfied.
Another fun Mommy-son outing. I collapsed into bed when we got home that evening, and let Daddy take over the nighttime kiddie chores, but it was so worth it. Nothing quite like seeing my little man giggle with glee as he enjoyed a ride or dug into some yummy strawberry treats :-9
I took lots of pictures but haven't had time to get them off my camera and post them yet... soon, soon!
Took Todd to the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard. I'd been wanting to go for the past 7 years, but every year, something always came up and I couldn't go... this year I was bound and determined to take my little man there before he outgrew the rides.
We arrived in the morning and had a TON of fun. The crowds hadn't grown yet, so there were virtually no lines for many of the kiddie rides. We ate strawberry pizza and strawberry crepes for lunch. When I suggested we go to the sinks to hose him down after a messy lunch, he said "Don't hose me down! Just wipe me off!" We waited an hour in line to ride the Strawberry "teacup" rides, which we spun so fast that I stumbled out of the ride, dizzy as all heck. We shared a strawberry smoothie while we rested. We met some of our small group friends and chatted a bit, and wrapped up the visit with a gift purchase for daddy: a whimsical adult-sized bib! :-)
Did a bit of shopping at Wal-Mart and Fry's (since we're in the area, why not!) and then went home, exhausted but satisfied.
Another fun Mommy-son outing. I collapsed into bed when we got home that evening, and let Daddy take over the nighttime kiddie chores, but it was so worth it. Nothing quite like seeing my little man giggle with glee as he enjoyed a ride or dug into some yummy strawberry treats :-9
I took lots of pictures but haven't had time to get them off my camera and post them yet... soon, soon!
Crazy Hair Day, 2
More popular than we thought! Remember Todd's crazy hair day from preschool?
Faux-hawks, obviously, are the easiest thing to do-- minimal fuss and mess. A little harder to do with shorter hair (as evidenced in the preschool photos), yet we discovered that if your hair is too long, that is also difficult. We only had mousse and hairspray on hand, I believe if we'd had good ol' hair gel, the faux-hawk would've stayed better. Ah well, here's some shots in the morning, before trotting off to school:
Faux-hawks, obviously, are the easiest thing to do-- minimal fuss and mess. A little harder to do with shorter hair (as evidenced in the preschool photos), yet we discovered that if your hair is too long, that is also difficult. We only had mousse and hairspray on hand, I believe if we'd had good ol' hair gel, the faux-hawk would've stayed better. Ah well, here's some shots in the morning, before trotting off to school:
Who cooks around here?
Todd: Mommy, how come Daddy always cooks?
Mommy: Because he's better at it than I am.
Todd: You mean you haven't learned how to cook yet!?
I couldn't answer through my fits of laughter. Nor could I really explain how Daddy and I had made a deal before marriage: he cooks, I clean the kitchen afterward. Funny thing is, he never asks Oma why she cooks, despite the fact that Opa indeed never cooks, either.
Mommy: Because he's better at it than I am.
Todd: You mean you haven't learned how to cook yet!?
I couldn't answer through my fits of laughter. Nor could I really explain how Daddy and I had made a deal before marriage: he cooks, I clean the kitchen afterward. Funny thing is, he never asks Oma why she cooks, despite the fact that Opa indeed never cooks, either.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day started out without Daddy because he had to go to church early to help set up (because of the fires, our church had been in the evacuation zone, so he helped lug sound and lighting equipment to a nearby movie theater, where we held services). Todd woke up before Mommy did, went out to fix himself breakfast (he's been doing that lately-- getting up on his own, grabbing a bowl and spoon, pouring cereal in, and pouring milk in the bowl... all by himself!
When Mommy came out of the bedroom and crawled back into "bed" on the futon, Todd was pleased that I was still technically "in bed" so he could serve me breakfast in bed. He poured a bowl of cereal for me, stuck a spoon in it, and brought it to the bed (I asked him not to put milk in it, for fear he'd spill it while bringing the bowl to me). How sweet! Toddy got to fix his first EVER Mother's Day breakfast in bed-- and without any help from Daddy! :-)
When Mommy came out of the bedroom and crawled back into "bed" on the futon, Todd was pleased that I was still technically "in bed" so he could serve me breakfast in bed. He poured a bowl of cereal for me, stuck a spoon in it, and brought it to the bed (I asked him not to put milk in it, for fear he'd spill it while bringing the bowl to me). How sweet! Toddy got to fix his first EVER Mother's Day breakfast in bed-- and without any help from Daddy! :-)
Birthday errands
Mommy celebrated her 32nd birthday with a very fun little Mommy-son outing. Okay, it was really only a shopping trip-- and even then, shopping for necessities, not fun stuff. Still, it's always enjoyable to spend a whole day with just my little man. Also gave Daddy quiet time at home to work. Now that gas prices have dropped, it's once again worth it to make the 40-mile drive up to Lompoc to stock up on a few weeks' worth of groceries and other essentials that are much more expensive in Santa Barbara, with its lack of Wal-Mart, Target, dollar stores and discount supermarkets.
So we trekked up north and proceeded to spend the next 6 hours hoofing it from store to store and filling the trunk of my car to the brim with groceries, birthday party supplies, and other essentials. Todd even picked out a Mother's Day card for me all by himself!
It was a long day, but a really nice treat to spend some time with my little man. Now THAT's a birthday present :-)
So we trekked up north and proceeded to spend the next 6 hours hoofing it from store to store and filling the trunk of my car to the brim with groceries, birthday party supplies, and other essentials. Todd even picked out a Mother's Day card for me all by himself!
It was a long day, but a really nice treat to spend some time with my little man. Now THAT's a birthday present :-)
Toddzilla?
Not long after Todd was born, we took to nicknaming him "Toddzilla" at times. Partly because he was taller than average, but mostly because it was fun to wave the little couple-months-old tyke at each other, saying "Rawr! I'm Toddzilla!" :-D
Fast forward a few years later, when Todd's current favorite TV show (not that we watch it on TV, we only get the videotapes of individual episodes from the library) is Veggie Tales.
We often break out into the entire theme song at random-- while showering, while cleaning, in the car... he's even been known to join in with his kindergarten classmates when they spontaneously begin singing it, as well.
Tonight, he suddenly remembered a song from one of the episodes we watched last month. Here it is:
Only... instead of saying "Godzilla", Todd kept singing "Toddzilla", apparently unaware of the existence of said Godzilla, and no doubt influenced by years of Mommy and Daddy calling him "Toddzilla". When he watched the above video, he realized, "Oh! It's GODzilla"... but of course, Mommy kept insisting that we sing the much-cuter "Toddzilla" instead :-D
Fast forward a few years later, when Todd's current favorite TV show (not that we watch it on TV, we only get the videotapes of individual episodes from the library) is Veggie Tales.
We often break out into the entire theme song at random-- while showering, while cleaning, in the car... he's even been known to join in with his kindergarten classmates when they spontaneously begin singing it, as well.
Tonight, he suddenly remembered a song from one of the episodes we watched last month. Here it is:
Only... instead of saying "Godzilla", Todd kept singing "Toddzilla", apparently unaware of the existence of said Godzilla, and no doubt influenced by years of Mommy and Daddy calling him "Toddzilla". When he watched the above video, he realized, "Oh! It's GODzilla"... but of course, Mommy kept insisting that we sing the much-cuter "Toddzilla" instead :-D
Watching a movie at work
Another Friday, another day at work with Daddy... here's Todd wearing daddy's headphones while watching a movie. They're too big for his head! Then again, I guess his ears are big enough to hold them in place, eh? He is, after all, his father's son...
Excuses don't fly
I think Todd's finally learning that Mommy and Daddy are wise to his excuses ;-) We always seem to rebuff him with the same thing, for example, if he complains he's too full to finish his dinner (in the hopes that he can skip the rest of it and go straight to dessert), we'll point out that if he's full then he's too full to eat dessert. He usually relents ;-)
Then there was last night:
Todd wanted to get on the computer and play a game with Daddy, so Daddy instructed him to turn it on while he wrapped up what he was currently doing and joined him. Not feeling like it, Todd asked Daddy to turn it on for him.
"Are you feeling lazy?" asked Daddy.
"No, I... oh. I was going to say I'm too tired, but that would mean I have to go to sleep!" Todd replied, as he turned on the computer.
He pre-empted us! How about that!
Then there was last night:
Todd wanted to get on the computer and play a game with Daddy, so Daddy instructed him to turn it on while he wrapped up what he was currently doing and joined him. Not feeling like it, Todd asked Daddy to turn it on for him.
"Are you feeling lazy?" asked Daddy.
"No, I... oh. I was going to say I'm too tired, but that would mean I have to go to sleep!" Todd replied, as he turned on the computer.
He pre-empted us! How about that!
Are you asleep?
It's 10:15pm and Todd STILL isn't asleep. Usually he's out by 9pm, but this afternoon, while Mommy and Daddy were trying to catch a few winks of sleep after a busy morning, the little man decided to join us and promptly fell asleep. The nap wasn't very long-- only about a half hour or so, and he was awake by 4pm. Alas, that proved to be enough to recharge him well into the night so far, and despite putting him to bed on time and turning off the lights by 9pm, he's STILL awake.
I just checked in on him to see if he was asleep yet. His eyes were shut and he was lying motionless, but his face was pinched, not relaxed. Looked totally unnatural. I was certain he was still awake. But just in case he really WAS asleep, I leaned over him and whispered "Are you still awake?"
He vehemently shook his head.
What could I do but make a hasty retreat out of the bedroom, giggle, and then blog about it? :-)
I just checked in on him to see if he was asleep yet. His eyes were shut and he was lying motionless, but his face was pinched, not relaxed. Looked totally unnatural. I was certain he was still awake. But just in case he really WAS asleep, I leaned over him and whispered "Are you still awake?"
He vehemently shook his head.
What could I do but make a hasty retreat out of the bedroom, giggle, and then blog about it? :-)
That's rude!
As allluded to in this post, Todd's apparently been setting the example for the other kids at school.
This story took place a few weeks ago, when I ate lunch with Todd at school. One of his classmates, Ginny, was horsing around while we ate. She started poking me and I looked at her and said calmly: "Is that a nice thing to do?"
She stopped and then went to the other side of the table, where Todd was sitting, and began poking him. In his best Mommy imitation, he stopped eating, gave her a pointed look, and said: "Is that a nice thing to do?"
Ginny then tried to convince Todd to come with her to one of the older boys (6th/7th grade) so they could tug on his shirt. Todd refused, explaning: "That's rude!!"
:-)
This story took place a few weeks ago, when I ate lunch with Todd at school. One of his classmates, Ginny, was horsing around while we ate. She started poking me and I looked at her and said calmly: "Is that a nice thing to do?"
She stopped and then went to the other side of the table, where Todd was sitting, and began poking him. In his best Mommy imitation, he stopped eating, gave her a pointed look, and said: "Is that a nice thing to do?"
Ginny then tried to convince Todd to come with her to one of the older boys (6th/7th grade) so they could tug on his shirt. Todd refused, explaning: "That's rude!!"
:-)
Karate sticker
As promised from this post, here's a shot of Todd proudly displaying his karate sticker (click on image for larger version):
I KNOW you like turtles
Todd and I were flipping through a story about a boy who visited a pet shop in search of the perfect pet. Along the pages, the boy examined each creature in the pet shop-- fish, birds, rabbits, turtles, cats, dogs... when we got to the page where the boy was looking at the cute little baby turtles, I squealed and exclaimed: "Oh, look! Turtles!!"
I could swear Todd rolled his eyes (at least inwardly) as he impatiently continued flipping the pages and said:
"Yeah, yeah, I know *you* like turtles!"
:-P
I could swear Todd rolled his eyes (at least inwardly) as he impatiently continued flipping the pages and said:
"Yeah, yeah, I know *you* like turtles!"
:-P
Don't pick me up!
You can always tell when Todd's out of town by the length of time between updates. He's spent the past 2 weeks with Oma and Opa for Spring Break plus an extra week off :-) At first he was reluctant to go to LA. But he quickly warmed to the idea, especially after I promised I'd install "Professor Fizzwizzle" on their computer.
Then yesterday at work I receive the following call:
Ring, ring
Mommy: Hello?
Todd: Mommy, don't pick me up tomorrow!
Mommy: Why not!?
Todd: Because... it's funner here!
Mommy: How come?
Todd: Uh... ummm... *silence*
I guess it's just one of those things that's too difficult to put into words, eh ;-)
If he calls again today with the same spiel, perhaps I should tell him that he has a letter from Grandma waiting for him ;-)
Then yesterday at work I receive the following call:
Ring, ring
Mommy: Hello?
Todd: Mommy, don't pick me up tomorrow!
Mommy: Why not!?
Todd: Because... it's funner here!
Mommy: How come?
Todd: Uh... ummm... *silence*
I guess it's just one of those things that's too difficult to put into words, eh ;-)
If he calls again today with the same spiel, perhaps I should tell him that he has a letter from Grandma waiting for him ;-)
Hidden letters
Todd likes picking up the mail every evening on our way home. It's part of his daily chore assignment, and we mark it on his "good deeds" sheet for karate class. He also likes examining the mailing labels on letters and packages, and then divvying up the mail according to recipient (a belated THANK YOU to Grandma for sending those letters to him-- it really makes his day, and he is so excited when he sees that the something is addressed to him! He especially likes the personal letters, and asks us to read it for him as soon as he opens the envelope)
Today, there was only one letter (amongst the usual advertisements) and it was addressed to "Allan H. Knight". Todd read: "Allan H. Knight. It's for Daddy. The 'H' stands for Harvey!"
Thinking I would try to trick him a bit, I asked him: "Do you have an 'H' in your name?", fully expecting him to say no.
Instead, he thought for a few seconds, and then piped up, "Yes!"
I asked him where.
He was not to be fooled, for he replied: "In 'Knight'!"
Today, there was only one letter (amongst the usual advertisements) and it was addressed to "Allan H. Knight". Todd read: "Allan H. Knight. It's for Daddy. The 'H' stands for Harvey!"
Thinking I would try to trick him a bit, I asked him: "Do you have an 'H' in your name?", fully expecting him to say no.
Instead, he thought for a few seconds, and then piped up, "Yes!"
I asked him where.
He was not to be fooled, for he replied: "In 'Knight'!"
More karate excellence
Last week Todd got a sticker for good behavior. Today he got a stripe on his white karate belt! Stripes, it seems, are sort of in-between levels between each color belt. One girl who is Todd's age and has been taking lessons for a year, has 4 stripes on her white belt and is testing for her yellow belt promotion this month. So it's a nice way of charting progress at a particular belt color. Todd's really taking well to karate, not only the techniques, but the behavior aspects of it!
Report Cards
The schoolchildren got their report cards today. Todd is doing well. Not only is he keeping up academically, but he's also getting good marks for behavior. The written portion indicated that he's really starting to come out of his shell and interact with others. And just like Sensei mentioned in karate, the report card made mention of Todd setting a good example to the other kids, helping them maintain "self control". Good to hear that Todd's thriving and not being so shy anymore!
Stickers in karate
Todd got an "awesome" sticker today in karate class. Sensei said it was for not only doing good deeds that week (helped out with lots of chores at home, and played quietly while Mommy was sick) but for doing well in class and always setting the example for the other kids. He proudly wore the sticker home to show to Daddy, and we snapped a picture for posterity, before taking it off so I could launder the uniform. I'll be sure to post the pic as soon as I've uploaded it from my camera!
Karate pics
The first batch. I took these in January (where you can tell I had not yet learned how to properly tie the belt!) and am just now getting around to uploading them off my camera and posting them. I will have to take more pics that show Todd in action!
Daddy's psychic!
After I got up from a nap, groggy and still contemplating the household chores ahead of me, Todd clamored to go to the playground. Poor little man had been cooped up indoors most of the day, he needed a refreshing break. But I had so much to do!
Knowing that Daddy was due to come home from work soon, I got on my computer and IMd him to confirm the exact time, and ask if he could take Todd to the playground. While we were making the arrangements, Todd watched quietly as we typed back and forth. Curious, he asked what Daddy was saying. I told him that Daddy would be coming home soon and taking him to the playground.
Todd's response was three-fold:
1. "Ohhhh, I thought YOU were gonna take me there!"
2. He then leaped around excitedly, yelling "Yahoo!" and smacking his forehead with glee and gusto.
3. When he settled down a bit from the initial excitement, he thought some more and then queried: "How did Daddy know I want to go to the playground?"
I had to laugh and explain that I told Daddy about it on IM :-)
Knowing that Daddy was due to come home from work soon, I got on my computer and IMd him to confirm the exact time, and ask if he could take Todd to the playground. While we were making the arrangements, Todd watched quietly as we typed back and forth. Curious, he asked what Daddy was saying. I told him that Daddy would be coming home soon and taking him to the playground.
Todd's response was three-fold:
1. "Ohhhh, I thought YOU were gonna take me there!"
2. He then leaped around excitedly, yelling "Yahoo!" and smacking his forehead with glee and gusto.
3. When he settled down a bit from the initial excitement, he thought some more and then queried: "How did Daddy know I want to go to the playground?"
I had to laugh and explain that I told Daddy about it on IM :-)
Greediness doesn't pay
This weekend we checked out more Veggie Tales videos from the library. This time we got the episode with Madam Blueberry, about a wealthy bery who was still unhappy despite having tons of stuff, plenty of food, a nice house, and good friends. She learned that having a thankful heart is what makes you truly happy, not greediness for more stuff.
As we got ready for bed, Todd and I talked about the episode. I tried to put it in the context of his own life, given that he's like Madam Blueberry in "wealth"-- a family who loves him very much, a warm bed, good food, and plenty of toys. Since Madam Blueberry coveted stuff that her wealthy neighbors had, believing it would make her happy, I asked Todd what he would do if, say, a friend of his had a huge birthday cake. Would he then in turn want an even bigger one for his upcoming birthday?
"No" came the response. Good. Then he elaborated:
"I'll just have a regular cake and be thankful for that. (Besides,) I don't WANT a big cake-- that's too much cake!"
As we got ready for bed, Todd and I talked about the episode. I tried to put it in the context of his own life, given that he's like Madam Blueberry in "wealth"-- a family who loves him very much, a warm bed, good food, and plenty of toys. Since Madam Blueberry coveted stuff that her wealthy neighbors had, believing it would make her happy, I asked Todd what he would do if, say, a friend of his had a huge birthday cake. Would he then in turn want an even bigger one for his upcoming birthday?
"No" came the response. Good. Then he elaborated:
"I'll just have a regular cake and be thankful for that. (Besides,) I don't WANT a big cake-- that's too much cake!"
Day at work with Daddy
Todd got to spend Friday at work with Daddy! Daddy cleared out some space in his cube so Todd would have his own little workspace-- where he set up my laptop and Pooh bear. Here are the boys, hard at work (or hardly working??):
(click for larger, more detailed image)
(click for larger, more detailed image)
More pics from school
(click on each photo for (slightly) larger versions)
Last week the kindergartners, who are learning about ancient Egypt in their history lessons, made Pharaoh double crowns. Here they are, with Todd wearing his usual cheesy grin... and his hat backwards :-P
Last Friday they got to see a ballet, since one of his classmates does ballet, and both of her parents are professional ballet dancers. Here's the school with the cast of "Cinderella":
And this past Monday, the school got to go on yet another field trip-- to a local fire station, where they got to try on gear and use the equipment, and of course, learn about fire safety. Here's the whole crowd posing with the firemen and fire truck:
Last week the kindergartners, who are learning about ancient Egypt in their history lessons, made Pharaoh double crowns. Here they are, with Todd wearing his usual cheesy grin... and his hat backwards :-P
Last Friday they got to see a ballet, since one of his classmates does ballet, and both of her parents are professional ballet dancers. Here's the school with the cast of "Cinderella":
And this past Monday, the school got to go on yet another field trip-- to a local fire station, where they got to try on gear and use the equipment, and of course, learn about fire safety. Here's the whole crowd posing with the firemen and fire truck:
Painting your feelings
Last night Todd told me about an activity he does at school-- the kids are given art supplies and free reign to "paint whatever you're feeling". I wonder if any kids have gotten a serious scrutinizing for drawing overly macabre pictures ;-)
Anyway, Todd described his most recent painting to me:
"I painted a rainbow..."
(Oh, how cute-- colorful rainbows = cheerful!)
"... and a heart..."
(how sweet!)
"... and then I covered it with black paint."
(!?!?!?)
Slightly concerned, I asked him why the black paint, and this was his reply:
"The heart was for Valentine's Day. Then Valentine's Day is over, and it was nighttime and I closed my eyes and went to bed!"
Oh. How simple. Why do grownups read all sorts of things into kids' literal interpretations of their worlds? :-P
Anyway, Todd described his most recent painting to me:
"I painted a rainbow..."
(Oh, how cute-- colorful rainbows = cheerful!)
"... and a heart..."
(how sweet!)
"... and then I covered it with black paint."
(!?!?!?)
Slightly concerned, I asked him why the black paint, and this was his reply:
"The heart was for Valentine's Day. Then Valentine's Day is over, and it was nighttime and I closed my eyes and went to bed!"
Oh. How simple. Why do grownups read all sorts of things into kids' literal interpretations of their worlds? :-P
