Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Dear Logan,

One day when you read this blog, maybe in book form, you will read this post and call me and say:

"Mom, I can't believe you did that".

Being a parent means learning to roll with the punches. More specifically, it means knowing some tricks to achieve desired outcomes. Lately, my desired outcome has been for you to try new foods, or foods that your haven't cared for much in the past. I have tried so many different ways to get this accomplished - rather unsuccessfully. Don't get me wrong. You are a wonderful eater. You eat three solid, healthy meals a day,enjoy a wide variety of foods, are rather unpicky, and you sit calmly in your chair and share good "family dinnertime discussion". Usually you talk about Wrigley. Or your love for condiments.

So back to the trying of new foods - like I said, I have tried many different ways, and I just happen to have discovered the only one that works:

Me: "Logan please take a bite of your pineapple/pears/broccoli/lima beans/etc."
Logan: "Ummmmmmm... no"
Me: "But Mickey Mouse brought it here!"
Logan: "Mickey mouse eat pipebapple"
Me: "He sure does!"

BINGO! You now have a love for all these foods. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

You are welcome.

Love,

Your Genius Mother

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Milestones

When Logan was born, we busted out the "Milestone Calendar". It is a little calendar with stickers for all those fun "firsts" that baby (and mom and dad) will experience int he first year of life. There is a little sticker with a giraffe on it that says "First Dr. Visit". There is a sticker with an elephant on it that says "First Smile", and another that says "Slept through the night". There are 12 months full of "firsts". I love looking back at this calendar and remembering all of those amazing moments.

At the beginning of Logan's second year of life, I wondering, hmmm.... how come they don't have a milestone calendar for Year Two? Well, I had a lightbulb moment the other day. The reason why they don't have a milestone calendar for budding toddlers is because this is what the stickers would have to say:

"First time screaming NO!!!!!!"
"First time pushing over the neighbor girl and making her cry"
"First time saying "NO I DO IT!" when mom/dad are trying to help you with something"
"First time screaming MINE!"
"First time ROLLING YOUR EYES AT YOUR MOTHER BECAUSE SHE ASKED YOU NOT TO FEED YOUR DINNER TO THE DOG".

You get the picture.

Don't get me wrong, the second year of life is amazing actually. From 12 months to 24 months kids change from baby to full-blown toddler. It is pretty spectacular. Another big change is once they hit 24 months, they are no longer counted in age in terms of months! Can you believe that? By age two, you are just two.

The best thing that Logan has started doing in his second year of life is the hugs and kisses and cuddles. I wonder what the third year of life will hold?

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Dear Logan,









Dear Logan,

You are so much fun. You brighten my everyday. Today we spent the day at the park. We took a picnic lunch and sat side by side at a picnic table, ate our sandwiches, and talked. We talked. Do you know how amazing this is to me? You are old enough to start having conversations. Of course, we conversed about topics such a choo choos and birdies, but still.

After lunch, I was in awe of you discovering things for the first time. You gazed in wonder at the height of an oak tree. You stood in skepticism at the feeling of the crunching of leaves under your tiny shoes. You held back exploration with the touch of sand for the first time. You hugged a tree. You inspected the details of the ladybug that landed on your arm. Watching you learn and experience has to be the best gift of parenthood.

We took a drive to lower city park and walked along the river. "Water! Water!" you yelled in complete amazement, and just stood still for so many minutes looking out at the water. Wow, I would give a lot to know just what you were thinking in those moments. We visited the statue of Loss of a Child and you were so careful and sweet with your questions, words and touches. You always know when it is the right time to give me a hug.

We saw a huge sculpture to which you asked "what's that?". I replied, "oh, that's neat". You took that quite literally, and when we couldn't see the sculpture anymore you asked "where neat go?". You were still talking about "neat" tonight at home, and when you see a picture of it you yell "that neat!".

On the way home, you sang "twinkle twinkle little star.." just that verse, over and over until you fell asleep. What a perfect end to the afternoon. Thank you for being so much fun. I love you forever.

Love Mommy

Friday, November 6, 2009

More reasons to love the second year of life

You know that song "I like to move it, move it..." You know, old school type song? The other day, Nile, who comes to daycare here, was singing it around the house ALL DAY LONG. He was singing it to the point that I was singing it as well. At the lunch table, he was singing it and was interrupted when Logan proclaimed:

"I like to move it too, Mommy!!"

Whereas Robin argues:

"No I move it!"

I had to explain that there is enough time in a day for us all to move it.

***

Yesterday when naptime was coming to an end, I could hear Logan babbling up in his room. I stood outside his door for a minute or two listening to his "conversation". He was explaining to "Puppy" what all those things were on his sheets. It sounded like this:

"Puppy! That is football, baseball, soccer ball, and beebee ball!" This went on for a while, and when I finally opened the door, he was sitting in his crib, looked at me, pointed to his nose and said:

"Mom, I've got a boggie"

Thursday, November 5, 2009

5 Reasons to love a 22-month-old

1. Today Logan and Nile were playing "Handy Manny" (tv show from the Disney Channel). They had their soft tools - a hammer and a screw driver, and were "fixing" the rocking horse. Logan would crouch down to asses the situation. Do a little hammering. Look at it from a different angle, hammer some more. He stood up to proudly proclaim "MOM! I'm Mandy Manny!". He was so proud. Then when Eliza came over to steal the horse, Logan screamed, held on for dear life, yelling "but I'm Mandy Manny! I'm Mandy Manny! NO ELIZA! I'm MANDY MANNY!!!!"

2. Last night when we put you to bed, you just chilled in your crib until you fell asleep. But you were not silent.... you were saying "duck, duck, duck, duck, GOOSE!" over and over. We did, in fact, get it on video.

3. You have started proper usage of the words "oh" and "um?". I love it. Yesterday we had this conversation:

Logan: Daddy home?
Me: Nope, not yet. He will be home in 45 minutes.
Logan: OH!

Then we also had this conversation:

Logan: Where is football?
Me: I don't know, Logan. Where is football?
Logan: I don't know!
Me: Where did you put it?
Logan: Ummmmm....?

Great. (note to the concerned: we did find the football. THANK GOODNESS!)

4. Today while I was making lunch, you sat at the little kid table looking at books. You picked up the family photo book, opened to the middle and said this:
"Oooo! Oooo! Oooo! MOM!! It's GRANDMA!!" you had an Epiphany. Then you turned the page and said "OH! OH! OH! OH! MOM! It's Grandpa!". I think you just made your Grandparents day.

5. Today I taught you how to say "what up, dawg?". It is my right. As your mother. I birthed you and can do stuff like this. I also taught you how to say "transcendent" for no other reason than the fact that it comes out trafffhhehhot... and that makes me giggle.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A man who knows what he wants.

Dear Logan,

Last night we tortured you by forcing you to wear a Firefighter costume. You were not happy. Then we put you in the wagon and made you carry a basket shaped like a pumpkin. The horror. Finally we made you walk up to a door of a friendly neighbor, stand there and say nothing, while the neighbor puts candy into your basket. How could we? You retaliated by crying, removing said candy, and putting it back in the bowl. What, you don't like M&M's?

Love, Mom and Dad