Curly Straight

This poor kid. Does not feel well. Doing artwork now. Drawing many pink circles and if it's not a perfect circle, tells me to rip off the piece of paper. He also likes to peel stickers off the sticker book and stick them into his artwork book.

When he was a little baby, we never let TJ sleep with us and it turns out that he's not so good at it now the few times we have tried to bring him into our lair. Limbs everywhere. Feet in our stomachs and our faces does not make for good sleeping.

Julia sleeps in her own crib most of the time. We put her down for the night around 9ish or so, sometimes earlier. She wakes up to eat in the middle of the night and I bring her into our bed. I know this is totally going to mess everything up if I continue, but I really like having her there.

I put my arms around her and make sure she's safe while we both sleep. In the morning, she looks into my eyes and smiles. How can I resist that? It's a memory that will always be precious to me.

When TJ acts out, sometimes I put him in Relaxation Time Out, where he goes into his crib and just chills for a while until he calms down. I use it when he seems like he's really needing a rest.

Today he was in there after he threw his artwork book. I gave him his blankie and left him in there for a couple of minutes. When I checked in, he was laying down all comfy and looked at me and said "Mommy, I calmed down."

I find it amazing the things that TJ picks up...he repeats things that I didn't even know he heard.

Today in the doctor's office, he pointed to the scale and asked what it is. I replied "a scale for little babies." He said "I'm a little baby. I'm four months. Not two."

Which means that he knows he is two, knows Julia is four months and knows that a four month old is a little baby.

The doctor also informed me that TJ is somewhat belligerent. Hmrph.

TJ has been sick lately.

During his normal mid-afternoon nap, he woke up crying and I went in and told him to go back to sleep because he needed the rest. He did, sleeping for about another hour.

Woke up upset, sideways in his crib and wouldn't stop crying for about ten minutes. He was telling me what was wrong but I (frustratingly) couldn't understand him.

Finally it came out, with much coercion from me asking him again and again to say it in his big boy voice.

The reason for the scariness?

A giraffe that was tickling him.

I would be scared too.

Mama: "TJ, do you want to run in that race again this year?"

TJ: "Yes."

Mama: "You'll be three."

TJ: "I'll be three? I'm two now."

Pause.

"HEY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PARTY?"

TJ is FREAKING OUT because there was broccoli cooked in with his pasta. "I DON'T WANT GREEN BEANS IN MY PASTA."

This morning, as TJ and I read the book "Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?" he pointed out all the things he would rather be. This is a first.

For the record, he would rather be a fat. And he picked dog first then cat the second time.

Yesterday TJ had a breakthrough.

I asked him "TJ, guess who is coming to visit this weekend?"* and instead of his usual "what?" or "where" he actually remembered to say "who?" for the first time ever!

*Shelby

I don't write much about Julia yet because she is just so chill. It would say "Julia Rocks" each day. She's that good.

Her and TJ LOVE each other so much. She gazes at him with such love in her eyes.

She really is a great baby. Smiles and coos and makes squee noises. Rolls from back to belly. Likes to put both fists in her mouth. Went swimming with Mama and her little legs were moving all around.

Today TJ did a whole dance routine for Julia with her gazing at him.

I danced a little too, and TJ asked me if I was little. I said "No, I'm big." He said are you "little big?". Sure, I told him. "Not tall, tall, tall (insert hand motions here) like Daddy/" he said.

TJ: "I want chicken nuggets from the driveway."

Had to run to CVS today to get laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, and a couple of other things.

Stuffed TJ into the little part of the carriage and put Julia in her carseat bucket up on top. I asked TJ if he wanted the Disney music cd for the car. He did. He also wanted bubbles, which he got and a fly swatter, which he did not.

If an airplane goes by overhead, TJ puts his hands over his ears and when I asked him, he said it hurt his ears.

Rough couple of nights. Well last night was good. Night before not so much.

The babysitter said that she (Julia, not the babysitter) only took two 45-minute naps which is not much, considering how much she usually sleeps.

Well, she must have been overtired as she DID not sleep at all during the night. Yuckamucka!

In the mornings when I go in to pick up TJ when he calls me, he doesn't say hi or anything, he says "can I go draw with chalk on the sidewalk?" - he always does that. This afternoon when I went in, he said "you all wet?" which he always says when I take a shower.

We told TJ that when he hears the bell (of the ice cream truck), it is his naptime. He'll hear it and look at us and say that it is time for his nap.

Today what did I google? Mp3s for ice cream trucks.

I get such a feeling of satisfaction when a check scans through on my online banking account.