Oddly Specific
Me: “do you want to use the glass mug* with the sippy lid?”
(A mason jar w/a handle)
Oliver: “I like that cup at night when it’s dark outside and I watch “The Jungle Book.”
O.Kaaay.
I guess that isn’t now.
No, We Don’t Love Books Around Here
Books read today
Elephant and Piggie:
-Watch Me Throw the Ball x2
-Are You Ready to Play Outside? x2
-I Am Going! x2
Dr. Seuss:
-The Cat in the Hat
-The Butter Battle Book
-Green Eggs and Ham
Curious George:
-Curious George and the Dump Truck
-Curious George Rids a Train
and in no particular order
The Little Red Caboose
The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree
Put Me In the Zoo
Grizzwold
Snow
Harry and the Lady Next Door
Little Blue Truck Leads the Way
Arlo Needs Glasses
… and I’m sure there may be one or two I’ve since forgotten.
Words That Are Fading
Oliver is becoming ever more precise in his language. There are a few things he says that I want to get down before they fade away completely. The ones that come to mind right now are listed below.
“tadle” – table
“nilk” – milk
“‘yik” – music Oliver has said music correctly several times in my presence. Twice he’s “shaken it off” and gone back to ‘yik.
“bana” – banana The original pronunciation was “baba,” and Jeremy still refers to banana bread as “baba bread.”
“tend” – pretend We often play “tend” ball with each other or eat “tend” food. Today Oliver splashed in “tend” puddles on the deck and got his shirt “all wet, Mom.” Keep that imagination active, Oliver!
In the last month, Oliver has also started calling family members by shortened versions of their names. Mommy and Daddy have been shortened to Mom and Dad. Calle has become Cal. “Bama,” for Grandma, has become “Gramma.”
I can only imagine the language explosion that will happen next month when he starts school.
I’m Sorry and I’m So Proud
Today we quit the pacifier. Cold Turkey. I say “we” because it is a family endeavor at this time.
Oliver received the gift of a hand-me-down (I love hand-me-downs!) scooter yesterday and we had been talking for some time that when he gets a scooter and a helmet, it would be time to give up the “cork.” So Oliver agreed to go to the bike shop and pay for his helmet with the pacifier. That part went well.
How old is this guy?!?
After that when it came time for nap time Oliver asked for his cork, twice, and has not asked since. However, there was no nap and bedtime was a restless and tearful undertaking. Throw in the fact that Oliver just cut one of his first two-year molars and I’m beginning to wonder why I felt this was the proper time.
Oliver, I’m sorry that you felt so sad this evening and had such a hard time falling asleep. I am so very proud that you didn’t ask for your cork at bed time and remembered why you no longer have it. That shows you are really growing up. I love you.
Everyone else, wish us luck.
And sleep.
Actually, hold the luck and just wish us all good sleep during the withdrawal phase.
Vacation Reading
As Oliver spends his second night in a big boy bed (read as the office futon on FI) I awake this morning to hear Oliver “reading” Watch Me Throw the Ball, one of his favorite Elephant and Piggie books.
I wish we had the nursery camera here.
So Much Has Happened
…In the months since my last post. Yet at this moment I’m not sure where to begin, so here are a few highlights instead.
Museo del Nino, OSJ
We have had our first plane ride and learned that Oliver does have curly hair – when exposed to the proper humidity.
And he has finally embraced the sunglasses from Pop-Pop!
Cool, no? Awesome shirt courtesy of Angela & her amazing sewing skills!
There is much more to report, but here is where the laziness of summer vacation overtakes me. So with that in mind, good night and happy (almost) 4th of July!
Happy Birthday Oliver!
The Bear is officially two years old today! Photos and “stuff” to be uploaded later.
Apparently July is later.
The Birthday Boy!
This is my favorite shot of Oliver’s birthday, actually taken on his birthday. Thank you to C for the fabulous photography, as always!
ABCD… Cookie Monster?
During our recent bout of sickness the “no tv” rule was suspended. We watched a lot of clips of classic Muppets and Sesame Street.
One of clips I remember most from my childhood is Kermit and a little girl, singing the ABC’s. (Yup, this old clip is captioned – Thank You Sesame Street!)
Within the last week Oliver has begun singing (read as, “yelling”) the alphabet in its entirety. Soon after he began inserting other words into the song. I’m not sure if he recalled the above clip or if he is simply engaging in typical toddler humor – stating something which they know not to be true, so they can be caught at it.
Recent versions of the alphabet sung in our house:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, – H, I, J, K, “ellemno”, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, O!!!!
A, B, C, D, E, F … Blue!
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, … H, I, J, K, “ellemeno” Poo… Q, R, S, T-U Poo.. “Poo… hahaha!”
And thus begins a boy’s love of potty humor.
Vacation – the sick chronicles
Oliver: 8 days sick with a cough, cold, and ear infection. Today he is finally himself.
Kate: 5 days and counting. Ugh.
Oliver before
Sick is cute…
Oliver after
Healthy is cuter!
“Why?”
In other news, Oliver asked his first “why?” a few days ago. I love the explosion of language that has been happening. Our days of mostly one-sided conversations are officially over.
When I pick up Oliver after work he can now tell me about things that he has done during his day. If he struggles to get out an idea and I’m able to say what he wanted to tell me it’s followed by an enthusiastic, “YEAH!!” Some of his earlier toddlerisms, such as “peesh” for “sheep” have gone, to be replaced by “nn-ge” for “orange.” On the downside, when we are in the car driving there is a frequent refrain of “different song!” and “Oliver music!” from the back seat.
We have been blessed to have such a communicative little guy. I have to be better about documenting some of the fun stuff Oliver says before I forget it.