The other day, I asked Jack what he liked the most about his sister. He replied, "That she makes me laugh." I then asked him what he liked least. "That she bothers me sometimes," he said. This would exactly be my answer as well. Dani jumps into everything feet first, makes major waves and makes you laugh so hard, you can't ever truly be mad at her.
--Dani has a cold. Jack did something to make her mad. She waited a bit before walking up to him and coughing right on him on purpose.
--Dani wanted to give Jack another hug before bed. She sprinted into his room and jumped on him, embracing him and squealing with delight. He responded in kind. She pulled away and headed back to her room before thinking better of it, turning around and pinching him right on the arm before racing back to her room with a devilish grin on her face.
--This is an actual conversation we had:
Jack: I'm scared of skeletons.
Me: Don't be scared. They aren't scary.
Jack: Can you kick 'em in the butt?
Me: You can kick them anywhere and they'll just break.
Dani: Kick 'em in the penis.
That's my girl.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Dani Loves School
Dani has loved school from the moment it started. She never cried once. In fact, when I asked her if she missed me when she was at school, she didn't hesitate when she said, "No!"
She went on her first field trip to the pumpkin patch this month. And she was not the least bit shy about anything. On the hayride out to the patch, Dani decided it was imperative to talk to her teacher. She told Grandma that she had to talk to Mrs. Nabi. Carmen told her to wait until the ride stopped. Dani kept bugging her until she realized that it was useless. So she screamed down the length of the wagon, "MRS. NABI!! I have a question for you."
Later on the hayride, a mother fought with her daughter to put on her coat. The girl made a fit but the mom kept forcing her arms into sleeves. Dani turned to the mom and told her, "Why are you doing that? It's not even cold."
Dani's self-confidence never ceases to amaze us. Sometimes it's embarrassing, as with the aforementioned mom. Other times, it makes me so proud, knowing that my Dani is never going to put up with crap from anyone. Unfortunately, that probably also includes me. At the conclusion of the pumpkin patch field trip, the kids all flocked to the store. Most of them wanted popcorn and candy. Not Dani. She set her eye on a white plastic rat with red eyes. And once she had it in her hands, she refused to see anything else. Another little girl came up to her, questioning her selection. "Why did you get that rat? Why don't you get popcorn?" she asked. Dani replied matter-of-factly, "I can have popcorn at my house whenever I want."
Take that, kid.
She went on her first field trip to the pumpkin patch this month. And she was not the least bit shy about anything. On the hayride out to the patch, Dani decided it was imperative to talk to her teacher. She told Grandma that she had to talk to Mrs. Nabi. Carmen told her to wait until the ride stopped. Dani kept bugging her until she realized that it was useless. So she screamed down the length of the wagon, "MRS. NABI!! I have a question for you."
Later on the hayride, a mother fought with her daughter to put on her coat. The girl made a fit but the mom kept forcing her arms into sleeves. Dani turned to the mom and told her, "Why are you doing that? It's not even cold."
Dani's self-confidence never ceases to amaze us. Sometimes it's embarrassing, as with the aforementioned mom. Other times, it makes me so proud, knowing that my Dani is never going to put up with crap from anyone. Unfortunately, that probably also includes me. At the conclusion of the pumpkin patch field trip, the kids all flocked to the store. Most of them wanted popcorn and candy. Not Dani. She set her eye on a white plastic rat with red eyes. And once she had it in her hands, she refused to see anything else. Another little girl came up to her, questioning her selection. "Why did you get that rat? Why don't you get popcorn?" she asked. Dani replied matter-of-factly, "I can have popcorn at my house whenever I want."
Take that, kid.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Dani's First Day of School
Dani's start to school went a bit differently than Jack's. Dani's preschool eases kids into it. The first day is for one hour and is with a parent/grandparent. The next three days are for one hour alone. Where Jack is passive in new situations, Dani jumps in with both feet. She's always been my "I'll figure it out once I get there" kid.
On day one, she played with Grandma and had some fun. She also raised her hand to answer questions quite a bit. At one point, she raised her hand to tell the teacher (and the class) that the girl who had given the answer was wrong and then she supplied the correct answer.
On day two, she didn't cry at all as Grandma dropped her off and left her there to her own devices. She has already informed me that she loves her teachers. She is also happy that they are both girls. She wants everyone and everything to be a girl . Fortunately, her class is girl heavy.
I can't wait to see how she does at school and what she learns. She's an amazing little kid. I've never seen a kid her age have such confidence. I certainly hope it will serve her well rather than lead her into a series of time outs at school!
On day one, she played with Grandma and had some fun. She also raised her hand to answer questions quite a bit. At one point, she raised her hand to tell the teacher (and the class) that the girl who had given the answer was wrong and then she supplied the correct answer.
On day two, she didn't cry at all as Grandma dropped her off and left her there to her own devices. She has already informed me that she loves her teachers. She is also happy that they are both girls. She wants everyone and everything to be a girl . Fortunately, her class is girl heavy.
I can't wait to see how she does at school and what she learns. She's an amazing little kid. I've never seen a kid her age have such confidence. I certainly hope it will serve her well rather than lead her into a series of time outs at school!
Dani with her first day of school book
Kindergarten
Jack started kindergarten on Wednesday, August 13. I can't decide who was more excited--me or him. We had met his teacher the day before and he was super excited to get started. We picked out his outfit and packed his lunch and I was so happy that school hadn't yet started for me so I could take him his first few days. In the morning, I gave him his book. Our tradition has been to give Jack (and now Dani) a book that we sign and date on his first day of each school year. I drove him and was able to walk him into school and stay in the class for awhile with the rest of the parents. He looked so small walking the hallways, but he was excited and didn't seem overwhelmed at all. His teacher was welcoming and Jack naturally ran and got a spot front and center so he could be near the teacher. The teacher started by giving each student a name tag. She wanted to introduce the kids but also see how well they recognized their letters and their names. She picked up a name tag with "Axel" on it and commented on how the name was unique and asked if anyone could guess it. Jack yelled out, "Alex." Teacher was impressed that he was obviously already reading. When she held up "Brody" minutes later and Jack said the name, she said, "Wow. You're already learning how to read." Jack responded matter-of-factly, "I can read."
Shortly after the doling out of name tags, we were asked to leave. I couldn't wait to pick my little guy up. When he got in the car, the first thing he said was, "I cried a little today. I missed you." He was also upset because he didn't get to have as much recess because he took too long to finish his lunch. He informed me that this also made him cry. I asked him if he saw his lunch mail that I had sent in his lunch box. In the excitement of the day, he had missed the letter. He read it out loud in the car and then looked at me sweetly and said, "That's beautiful."
We talked about the day and then as night got closer, he got progressively more sad, claiming he didn't want to go back to school. After I tucked him in, I heard him upstairs in his room sobbing. It was completely heartbreaking. I went to lay down with him and he said that the day was just too long and he missed me too much. In the morning, he was in tears again, begging not to go to school and claiming he had a stomachache.
Even though he claimed that he had fun after I picked him up that day, he still said he didn't want to go back and the sadness grew. At night, he cried and cried in bed. I laid with him, trying to hold back my own tears, my heart breaking as I tried to pump him up and convince him that he would be fine and that new things are always scary.
On Friday, I wrote his teacher an e-mail. My biggest fear has always been that Jack will get swallowed up by his own shyness. He isn't like the other boys, and I mean that in the best possible way. He is sensitive, sweet, and kind. He doesn't goof off or wrestle with the other kids. He'll never cause an ounce of trouble. He's also so smart. I was afraid that he wouldn't get any attention--negative or positive because the teacher's attention would be directed at misbehaving kids or kids struggling with concepts. Jack is an amazing boy who is so worth knowing, but he doesn't always let people know him. At least not right away.
Fortunately, his teacher is excellent and assured me that he would be fine and that she would be looking out for him. A week later, he became a different kid. He loves school and his wonderful teacher. She had him tested for reading the first day of school and we have learned that he is already reading at first grade level. He spends reading time practicing with a girl in his class-the only other one who can read at his level. His teacher gave him a job in the library and he was also selected as the class's first VIP. In sum, Jack's teacher did so much to help him feel special and important and his confidence has grown.
He's still nowhere near the most boisterous boy in class and he still hasn't mentioned finding a special friend to hang out with. But he's happy and he's having fun and I know that, if he can't be in our hands, he's in the best hands possible. Which is exactly what this sweet boy deserves.
Shortly after the doling out of name tags, we were asked to leave. I couldn't wait to pick my little guy up. When he got in the car, the first thing he said was, "I cried a little today. I missed you." He was also upset because he didn't get to have as much recess because he took too long to finish his lunch. He informed me that this also made him cry. I asked him if he saw his lunch mail that I had sent in his lunch box. In the excitement of the day, he had missed the letter. He read it out loud in the car and then looked at me sweetly and said, "That's beautiful."
We talked about the day and then as night got closer, he got progressively more sad, claiming he didn't want to go back to school. After I tucked him in, I heard him upstairs in his room sobbing. It was completely heartbreaking. I went to lay down with him and he said that the day was just too long and he missed me too much. In the morning, he was in tears again, begging not to go to school and claiming he had a stomachache.
Even though he claimed that he had fun after I picked him up that day, he still said he didn't want to go back and the sadness grew. At night, he cried and cried in bed. I laid with him, trying to hold back my own tears, my heart breaking as I tried to pump him up and convince him that he would be fine and that new things are always scary.
On Friday, I wrote his teacher an e-mail. My biggest fear has always been that Jack will get swallowed up by his own shyness. He isn't like the other boys, and I mean that in the best possible way. He is sensitive, sweet, and kind. He doesn't goof off or wrestle with the other kids. He'll never cause an ounce of trouble. He's also so smart. I was afraid that he wouldn't get any attention--negative or positive because the teacher's attention would be directed at misbehaving kids or kids struggling with concepts. Jack is an amazing boy who is so worth knowing, but he doesn't always let people know him. At least not right away.
Fortunately, his teacher is excellent and assured me that he would be fine and that she would be looking out for him. A week later, he became a different kid. He loves school and his wonderful teacher. She had him tested for reading the first day of school and we have learned that he is already reading at first grade level. He spends reading time practicing with a girl in his class-the only other one who can read at his level. His teacher gave him a job in the library and he was also selected as the class's first VIP. In sum, Jack's teacher did so much to help him feel special and important and his confidence has grown.
He's still nowhere near the most boisterous boy in class and he still hasn't mentioned finding a special friend to hang out with. But he's happy and he's having fun and I know that, if he can't be in our hands, he's in the best hands possible. Which is exactly what this sweet boy deserves.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Games
My kids both love games. It's great, because Paul and I both love games. Jack has always been into them because he is fiercely and often annoyingly competitive and has always had a ridiculous attention span. Dani--not so much. But she is getting much better and now likes paying attention for more than 1 consecutive minute. She really enjoys games. Her favorites are Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, Candyland, and Monopoly (Bonopoly). She's not competitive at all and doesn't care if she loses. And therefore, she usually kicks everyone's butt. But there are two things she cares very deeply about in the board game world. And if these two things don't happen, all bets are off.
Candyland
Candyland's rules are about as basic as they come. Draw a card and advance to the color shown. But there are also treat cards. Those are pink and if you draw one, you immediately go to that space. This can be good, if you are near the beginning of the game, or really bad, if you are near the end and get a pink card that takes you backwards. Getting one of the pink cards is the only way your progress doesn't go forward in the game. On each of the pink cards there is a treat: Gingerbread man, popsicle, lollipop, cupcake, etc. Dani doesn't care if she wins. She just wants that bloody cupcake. It just so happens, the cupcake is the closest pink space to the beginning, which means if you are anywhere past that, you don't want the cupcake. Unless your name is Dani. If you are Dani, and you are one space from winning, you want that cupcake. If you are Dani, and someone else gets the cupcake card, you lose your ever-loving mind. It's awesome. And by awesome, I mean, horrifyingly awful.
Monopoly
We don't have standard Monopoly, we have a kid version. Instead of deeds to property, you win various parties (Ice skating party, Princess party, Beach party, etc.) If you land on one, you don't get the choice, you have to buy it. If you are Dani, you want the Pizza Party. If you are Dani and you have every other party on the board, you are not happy because you don't have the Pizza Party. If you are not Dani, and you HAVE the Pizza party, you wish you were Dani because she is going to make your life absolute hell until you give her the damn Pizza Party card.
Anyone want to come over for Game Night?
Candyland
Candyland's rules are about as basic as they come. Draw a card and advance to the color shown. But there are also treat cards. Those are pink and if you draw one, you immediately go to that space. This can be good, if you are near the beginning of the game, or really bad, if you are near the end and get a pink card that takes you backwards. Getting one of the pink cards is the only way your progress doesn't go forward in the game. On each of the pink cards there is a treat: Gingerbread man, popsicle, lollipop, cupcake, etc. Dani doesn't care if she wins. She just wants that bloody cupcake. It just so happens, the cupcake is the closest pink space to the beginning, which means if you are anywhere past that, you don't want the cupcake. Unless your name is Dani. If you are Dani, and you are one space from winning, you want that cupcake. If you are Dani, and someone else gets the cupcake card, you lose your ever-loving mind. It's awesome. And by awesome, I mean, horrifyingly awful.
Monopoly
We don't have standard Monopoly, we have a kid version. Instead of deeds to property, you win various parties (Ice skating party, Princess party, Beach party, etc.) If you land on one, you don't get the choice, you have to buy it. If you are Dani, you want the Pizza Party. If you are Dani and you have every other party on the board, you are not happy because you don't have the Pizza Party. If you are not Dani, and you HAVE the Pizza party, you wish you were Dani because she is going to make your life absolute hell until you give her the damn Pizza Party card.
Anyone want to come over for Game Night?
Dani's voice
Dani's voice has always been amazing. It's kind of like the voice of a little girl who swallowed a parrot. She's a little squawky and it sounds adorable. I don't want her voice to ever change but I realize it may not sound quite as charming coming out of the mouth of a 30 year old, so I'll allow it. But she is getting more and more articulate with each day and the her misspoken words that I so loved are now correct, and nowhere near as interesting. Let's take a little before and after look down Dani's linguistic memory lane...
Spaghetti = Sup-a-getti
Strawberry = doughboy
princess = princense
octopus = opp-a-pus
crocodile = crock-o-waddle
Sigh. My baby girl is growing up. At least we still have bah-zahn-ya-la (lasagna).
Spaghetti = Sup-a-getti
Strawberry = doughboy
princess = princense
octopus = opp-a-pus
crocodile = crock-o-waddle
Sigh. My baby girl is growing up. At least we still have bah-zahn-ya-la (lasagna).
Thursday, June 19, 2014
World Cup Fever
I don't really like soccer. I never watch it and I don't understand all the rules. But I LOVE the World Cup. Paul does as well and this past week, he has turned Jack onto it as well. As I mentioned, I was in Cincinnati this week and though I couldn't see the kids, I had some pretty great conversations with them. Jack loved telling me who won each of the matches and had even perfected his Spanish accent for the Spanish-speaking countries. Below are snippets of our conversation:
Jack: Chile is playing Spain.
Me: And who do you want to win?
Jack (to Paul): Who do we want to win?
Jack (to me): We want Chile to win because they're the underdogs.
Me: Oh. Do you know what an underdog is?
Jack: No.
Me: It's the team that no one thinks is going to win, the team that isn't supposed to win. And the other team is better and should win. And people usually like when the team that no one thinks is going to win actually wins.
Jack: Oh. (long pause) I have no idea what that means.
-----------
Me: Who is your favorite team?
Jack: Germany.
Me: Why?
Jack: Because you like them.
Me: Yes. But I like the United States too. I want them to win and I want Germany to win.
Jack: Yes. Germany plays Ghana and the United States plays Portugal and we want Germany and the United States to both win.
Me: Yes. But on June 26th, Germany plays the United States. Who do you want to win then?
Jack: Oh! (long pause) Well, I want them to tie because then they both win.
(This kid is a genius.)
Me: Yes. But then they both lose too.
Jack: Hmmm. When Germany plays the United States, we'll have to think about who we want to win, don't we??
Jack: Chile is playing Spain.
Me: And who do you want to win?
Jack (to Paul): Who do we want to win?
Jack (to me): We want Chile to win because they're the underdogs.
Me: Oh. Do you know what an underdog is?
Jack: No.
Me: It's the team that no one thinks is going to win, the team that isn't supposed to win. And the other team is better and should win. And people usually like when the team that no one thinks is going to win actually wins.
Jack: Oh. (long pause) I have no idea what that means.
-----------
Me: Who is your favorite team?
Jack: Germany.
Me: Why?
Jack: Because you like them.
Me: Yes. But I like the United States too. I want them to win and I want Germany to win.
Jack: Yes. Germany plays Ghana and the United States plays Portugal and we want Germany and the United States to both win.
Me: Yes. But on June 26th, Germany plays the United States. Who do you want to win then?
Jack: Oh! (long pause) Well, I want them to tie because then they both win.
(This kid is a genius.)
Me: Yes. But then they both lose too.
Jack: Hmmm. When Germany plays the United States, we'll have to think about who we want to win, don't we??
The Amazing Jack
Jack never ceases to amaze us with how mature he is. We joke all the time that we don't need to ever worry about finding a babysitter--Jack can just take care of it. We saw that several times this past week when I was out of town in Ohio. Paul had single dad duty for a week while I went to Cincinnati to help grade AP exams. I always hate leaving them because 1) they are adorable and I hate not seeing them each day and 2) it is a lot to leave to one parent. I am fortunate that Paul understands and is a great dad and can handle it!
We had celebrated Father's Day the Sunday before I left since I would be out of town on the actual day. But I told Jack to try and remember to wish Paul a happy Father's day on Sunday. On Sunday, Paul heard Dani start to stir but when she got quiet again, he fell back to sleep. When he woke up a little later, he noticed both kids were not in their rooms. When he got downstairs, Jack and Dani were playing on the iPad and Jack had gotten Dani some juice. When Jack saw Paul, he smiled a huge grin and said, "Happy Father's Day, Dad!" It was the perfect morning present he could have given Paul.
He one-upped himself a couple of days later. Paul again heard Dani but fell back asleep. He awoke to the clinking of utensils and Jack telling Dani to wash her hands. When he got downstairs, both kids were at the kitchen table eating the cereal Jack had prepared. The kid is ridiculous. And sweet.
We had celebrated Father's Day the Sunday before I left since I would be out of town on the actual day. But I told Jack to try and remember to wish Paul a happy Father's day on Sunday. On Sunday, Paul heard Dani start to stir but when she got quiet again, he fell back to sleep. When he woke up a little later, he noticed both kids were not in their rooms. When he got downstairs, Jack and Dani were playing on the iPad and Jack had gotten Dani some juice. When Jack saw Paul, he smiled a huge grin and said, "Happy Father's Day, Dad!" It was the perfect morning present he could have given Paul.
He one-upped himself a couple of days later. Paul again heard Dani but fell back asleep. He awoke to the clinking of utensils and Jack telling Dani to wash her hands. When he got downstairs, both kids were at the kitchen table eating the cereal Jack had prepared. The kid is ridiculous. And sweet.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
More short cuts
I have been a terrible blogger because I am busy. Because I am busy, I tend to write quick updates on Facebook with little stories of the cute things the kids do and say. So it's almost like Facebook has done the work this blog was intended to do. So I've decided that the best way to catch up and perhaps get back to blogging on a more regular basis is to copy the FB posts up until now. Here goes:
01/12/13
04/24/13
Me: Jack, you're weird. How come you're so weird?
Jack: Because you're weird.
04/30/13
Jack and I sat down for a popcorn snack and a chat about school and his hesitancy to engage the other kids:
Me: So you went outside? What did you do?
Jack: I played ball and I made a goal.
Me: Did you play with other kids? (J.shakes his head.) Buddy, I want you to go talk with the other kids and ask them to play.
Jack: But I just want to play by myself. (Long pause). Just eat your popcorn and don't worry about it.
06/10/13
Paul bought some more fruit on his grocery run today.
Jack: Ooohhh! Thank you, Daddy for buying that. I love apples and bananas and pears! Thank you! You wanna know what I'm gonna have? (Long pause). Grapes.
06/13/13
I think Jack misses me. Today, we talked on the phone. After about 2 1/2 minutes of conversation, he informed me, "Okay, that's a lot of talking. Gotta go!"
06/20/13
Me: Don't you want to go on the potty?
Dani: No. I don't want to.
Me: Why? You're a big girl.
Dani: No, I'm not.
Me: Then what are you?
Dani: I'm Dani.
06/22/13
My children have come up with a new game called "Time Out," in which they give each other time outs for various fictitious reasons. This game comes complete with fake crying. It's pretty awesome. And it's showing me just how effective Time Outs are in the Soto household.
06/27/13
This morning:
Jack: Mom? I've got a BIG problem.
Me: What is it?
Jack: The kitty doesn't have any hands.
07/02/13
Stopped at Monkey Joe's in Indiana so the kids could burn some energy. Dani was having so much fun and was quite displeased when I pulled her away to change her diaper. She cried and declared, "This is NOT gonna be awesome!" For you and me both, kid. How 'bout that whole potty thing?
07/02/13
We usually don't let the kids watch TV while they eat, but we are getting the car ready for our trip. When I suggested a different seat to Jack so he could see better while he ate, he said, "Yes, I'll sit there so I can see your beautiful face." This kid is a keeper.
07/05/13
Jack is refusing to play Old Maid because he doesn't want to get "that stinky girl."
07/10/13
Jack (from the bathroom): Oh my goodness, what did I do?
Me: What did you do?
Jack: I just peed all over myself.
Moments later as I am helping him get dressed...
Me: Did you wash your hands or was that pee you just wiped on me?
Jack: Um....pee.
07/17/13
We were going to meet my Mom and Dad and the kids while they were out. Dani was excitedly yelling for us prior to our arrival. A car like ours pulled up and she screamed, "It's Mommy," just before a bearded man with an earring got out. She turned to my Mom and stated, "That's not Mommy, that's a sir!" Apparently all of this sir and ma'aming here in the South has gotten to her.
7/20/13
And now deep thoughts with Jack Soto:
"Mom, I have good news and bad news. The good news is I love Nonny's kitty so much. The bad news is you dropped a carrot."
If this is as bad as news gets according to Jack, I think we're going to be just fine.
07/21/13
Jack was eating just the bun of his burger. For the umpteenth time, I warned him he better eat the meat too. He told me, "You already told me. If you say it again, I'm not gonna eat it and you don't want THAT!"
Checkmate.
07/26/13
Yesterday, we told the kids we were going to the zoo in the morning, and that it was a zoo where you could go in the cages/areas with some of the animals. This clearly didn't fully register in Dani's two year old mind, since she woke up, excitedly declaring, "We goin' to da zoo! We gonna put Mommy in a cage!"
07/29/13
Jack went to the bathroom and then went to go wash his hands without flushing.
Me: Hey! You need to flush when you're done.
Jack: I don't want to. You do it.
Me: No, you can do it. You're a big boy.
Jack: Well, you're a big girl
08/12/13
Jack: Dani, you're my best girl.
Dani: Senk you.
Jack: I love you.
Dani: I wuv you.
And they didn't even know I was listening!
09/07/13
Jack the geography nerd is now comparing the sizes of the members of the family. According to Jack (who "is medium like Germany"), Paul is "big like China, Mommy's like India, and Dani's Rwanda."
At this rate he'll either have no friends or he'll befriend every foreign exchange student at school.
09/28/13
At breakfast the kids were briefly arguing.
Jack: Dani, don't talk bad to me. You're my best friend and I love you.
Dani: Gimme kiss!
11/11/13
Arguments in the Soto house:
Dani: You're a pretzel.
Jack: No, I'm not.
Dani: Yes, you're a pretzel.
Jack: Fine, then you're Zimbabwe.
11/14/13
I was upstairs and overheard Jack trying to teach Dani the names of the states.
Jack: Say "North Dakota."
Dani: I don't wanna.
Jack: But Dani, you have to. It's really important. Don't you want to grow? You have to learn!
11/19/13
Jack was hiding his toy car and giving us clues as to its whereabouts. He put it on top of Paul's head (I didn't say this was a challenging game.):
Jack: Okay, it's on something black.
Paul (with car on head): Mommy's coat?
Jack: Nope. Clue #2: It's on something handsome.
01/12/14
Me: When are you going to go on the potty?
Dani: Ummm...in 10 weeks.
01/17/14
On the way to school today, Jack wanted to practice doing math problems. About 5 minutes into it, Dani started screaming, "NO! NO!!Stop it! No more math! I don't wanna do math!!!" This child IS me.
01/17/14
My daughter has the cutest voice in the world. I never want it to change. I would, however, enjoy an improvement in her articulation of words. Today, after examining her belt, she attempted to say, "Mom, there's a little bit of a hole." What came out was, "Mom, you're a little bit of a ho."
01/18/14
Jack: Mom, you know there's another name for China. Do you know what it is?
Me: No, what?
Jack: Well, it's The People's Republic of China.
01/23/14
Jack: Mom, you're Colorado, just like me. Daddy's Wyoming.
Me: What? Why?
Jack: 'Cause Daddy's orange and we're green.
It took us quite a while to figure out that we were wearing those colors and that orange and green are the colors of Wyoming and Colorado on the map of the U.S. hanging in his room. My kid is weird. And I love it.
01/12/13
04/24/13
Me: Jack, you're weird. How come you're so weird?
Jack: Because you're weird.
04/30/13
Jack and I sat down for a popcorn snack and a chat about school and his hesitancy to engage the other kids:
Me: So you went outside? What did you do?
Jack: I played ball and I made a goal.
Me: Did you play with other kids? (J.shakes his head.) Buddy, I want you to go talk with the other kids and ask them to play.
Jack: But I just want to play by myself. (Long pause). Just eat your popcorn and don't worry about it.
06/10/13
Paul bought some more fruit on his grocery run today.
Jack: Ooohhh! Thank you, Daddy for buying that. I love apples and bananas and pears! Thank you! You wanna know what I'm gonna have? (Long pause). Grapes.
06/13/13
I think Jack misses me. Today, we talked on the phone. After about 2 1/2 minutes of conversation, he informed me, "Okay, that's a lot of talking. Gotta go!"
06/20/13
Me: Don't you want to go on the potty?
Dani: No. I don't want to.
Me: Why? You're a big girl.
Dani: No, I'm not.
Me: Then what are you?
Dani: I'm Dani.
06/22/13
My children have come up with a new game called "Time Out," in which they give each other time outs for various fictitious reasons. This game comes complete with fake crying. It's pretty awesome. And it's showing me just how effective Time Outs are in the Soto household.
06/27/13
This morning:
Jack: Mom? I've got a BIG problem.
Me: What is it?
Jack: The kitty doesn't have any hands.
07/02/13
Stopped at Monkey Joe's in Indiana so the kids could burn some energy. Dani was having so much fun and was quite displeased when I pulled her away to change her diaper. She cried and declared, "This is NOT gonna be awesome!" For you and me both, kid. How 'bout that whole potty thing?
07/02/13
We usually don't let the kids watch TV while they eat, but we are getting the car ready for our trip. When I suggested a different seat to Jack so he could see better while he ate, he said, "Yes, I'll sit there so I can see your beautiful face." This kid is a keeper.
07/05/13
Jack is refusing to play Old Maid because he doesn't want to get "that stinky girl."
07/10/13
Jack (from the bathroom): Oh my goodness, what did I do?
Me: What did you do?
Jack: I just peed all over myself.
Moments later as I am helping him get dressed...
Me: Did you wash your hands or was that pee you just wiped on me?
Jack: Um....pee.
07/17/13
We were going to meet my Mom and Dad and the kids while they were out. Dani was excitedly yelling for us prior to our arrival. A car like ours pulled up and she screamed, "It's Mommy," just before a bearded man with an earring got out. She turned to my Mom and stated, "That's not Mommy, that's a sir!" Apparently all of this sir and ma'aming here in the South has gotten to her.
7/20/13
And now deep thoughts with Jack Soto:
"Mom, I have good news and bad news. The good news is I love Nonny's kitty so much. The bad news is you dropped a carrot."
If this is as bad as news gets according to Jack, I think we're going to be just fine.
07/21/13
Jack was eating just the bun of his burger. For the umpteenth time, I warned him he better eat the meat too. He told me, "You already told me. If you say it again, I'm not gonna eat it and you don't want THAT!"
Checkmate.
07/26/13
Yesterday, we told the kids we were going to the zoo in the morning, and that it was a zoo where you could go in the cages/areas with some of the animals. This clearly didn't fully register in Dani's two year old mind, since she woke up, excitedly declaring, "We goin' to da zoo! We gonna put Mommy in a cage!"
07/29/13
Jack went to the bathroom and then went to go wash his hands without flushing.
Me: Hey! You need to flush when you're done.
Jack: I don't want to. You do it.
Me: No, you can do it. You're a big boy.
Jack: Well, you're a big girl
08/12/13
Jack: Dani, you're my best girl.
Dani: Senk you.
Jack: I love you.
Dani: I wuv you.
And they didn't even know I was listening!
09/07/13
Jack the geography nerd is now comparing the sizes of the members of the family. According to Jack (who "is medium like Germany"), Paul is "big like China, Mommy's like India, and Dani's Rwanda."
At this rate he'll either have no friends or he'll befriend every foreign exchange student at school.
09/28/13
At breakfast the kids were briefly arguing.
Jack: Dani, don't talk bad to me. You're my best friend and I love you.
Dani: Gimme kiss!
11/11/13
Arguments in the Soto house:
Dani: You're a pretzel.
Jack: No, I'm not.
Dani: Yes, you're a pretzel.
Jack: Fine, then you're Zimbabwe.
11/14/13
I was upstairs and overheard Jack trying to teach Dani the names of the states.
Jack: Say "North Dakota."
Dani: I don't wanna.
Jack: But Dani, you have to. It's really important. Don't you want to grow? You have to learn!
11/19/13
Jack was hiding his toy car and giving us clues as to its whereabouts. He put it on top of Paul's head (I didn't say this was a challenging game.):
Jack: Okay, it's on something black.
Paul (with car on head): Mommy's coat?
Jack: Nope. Clue #2: It's on something handsome.
01/12/14
Me: When are you going to go on the potty?
Dani: Ummm...in 10 weeks.
01/17/14
On the way to school today, Jack wanted to practice doing math problems. About 5 minutes into it, Dani started screaming, "NO! NO!!Stop it! No more math! I don't wanna do math!!!" This child IS me.
01/17/14
My daughter has the cutest voice in the world. I never want it to change. I would, however, enjoy an improvement in her articulation of words. Today, after examining her belt, she attempted to say, "Mom, there's a little bit of a hole." What came out was, "Mom, you're a little bit of a ho."
01/18/14
Jack: Mom, you know there's another name for China. Do you know what it is?
Me: No, what?
Jack: Well, it's The People's Republic of China.
01/23/14
Jack: Mom, you're Colorado, just like me. Daddy's Wyoming.
Me: What? Why?
Jack: 'Cause Daddy's orange and we're green.
It took us quite a while to figure out that we were wearing those colors and that orange and green are the colors of Wyoming and Colorado on the map of the U.S. hanging in his room. My kid is weird. And I love it.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Yikes!
I just realized that I have not posted since January! So much has happened and it is overwhelming. Last school year was the most taxing of my career. Between teaching 5 different classes, being a mom, and taking a Masters class myself, there was little time to breathe, let alone keep up with this blog. On the one hand, we are constantly busy with the kids, doing fun things and this keeps me from writing. On the other hand, they are only little once and all of this stuff I think I'll remember, is being replaced by other new memories and I worry that I'll forget to document some of their important milestones/events. Fortunately, Facebook has allowed me to document little things and I will transfer some posts over to here soon. For now, I'll just do a brief update:
Jack: Jack continued to love pre-school. Mostly, he loves learning and his teachers. He is still shy to engage in groups of kids is own age, but he loves spending time with adults and older kids. At times I worry because he tends to hang back and is quite timid. He sits back and lets the other kids take things (toys, opportunities, etc.) My heart breaks a little for him because I worry he will struggle with his confidence. I don't want him to choose to be on the outside. He is such a wonderful, loving, amazing, smart little boy and I want people to see that in him. Not for me, for him. I just don't want him to be one of those kids who is overlooked when he has so much to offer.
Jack loves to learn everything about everything and his memory is second to none. His attention span never ceases to amaze me and he focuses on things that he wants to master until he gets them. He loves all books (taking away books at bedtime is the worst punishment imaginable for him) and maps. He has spent significant time with various geography apps on the IPad and knows where every state is and all of their capitals. Now he has set his sights on the countries of the world. The two maps (one of the U.S. and one of the world) in his room are two of his favorite new things. He loves trying to read and is doing quite well. He also requests to do math at the dinner table. I call him my little nerd and his love of learning is one of the things I love most about him.
Another is his capacity for joy. He is so excited and happy about everything. It is just so fun seeing things through his eyes. He mostly loves his sister, though he has taken to pestering her and trying to push her buttons. Fortunately, she has learned how to push his back lately.
Jack has been very interested in sports lately. He loves baseball and can hit the ball quite well. He doesn't want to hit off the tee anymore, prefering the pitch. He has a baseball glove and he is working so hard to make it happen. He's been smacked in the face with the ball and though he warned me, "If you do that again, I'm gonna do it to you!" he keeps trying. He is very interested in golf and learned how to swim by himself this summer without the help of a vest. And he's a fish. He has no fear of the water at all. He jumps off the side and dives to pick things up off the bottom. He also does a lot of gymnastics on his own. It will be fun to see what he picks as his passions.
Dani: Dani's joy bursts out of her eyes and smile. To know her is to love her. People simply gravitate toward her and she makes friends easily. The biggest compliment people give her is on her big blue eyes. Though her eyes are indeed a beautiful color, it's their twinkle that gives them their true beauty. Her hair still rivals Albert Einstein's and we wonder when it will grow into something we can work with. At the same time, it is so her. Her voice is awesome. She actually has a pretty good vocabulary, but she wants to say more than she can and her head works faster than her mouth. Yet she never gets frustrated. She just talks and is so confident that she either assumes that you must understand or she doesn't care that you don't. Her voice is hysterical. She sounds like she is half parrot, half human. My favorite mispronunciations are slowly becoming actual words. Gone is "prin-cense" (princess) and "ah-pah-pus" (octopus). But at least I still have my favorite, "suh-bagetti." (spaghetti)
Dani learns so differently from Jack. She doesn't want to be taught anything. And yet, she learns it. She just makes things happen. I think she's going to make a lot of mistakes (she's daring, she's impulsive, she's curious), but I'm never worried about her. Dani is always going to land on her feet. Even if she gets scrapped knees in a few stumbles. She's strong-willed and knows exactly what she wants. At the same time, she's so loving (she loves snuggles) and sweet. We went to a music class and I was concerned that she wasn't going to pay attention and that I would be chasing her around. She was by far the best listener in the class, focusing on what the teacher was saying and participating in the activities.
Dani loves just being with you. She likes riding bikes and coloring. She also loves everything blingy. Whenever we go to a store, she has to touch EVERY, SINGLE piece of shiny jewelry, declaring, "Ooooo. It SO pretty!" She loves to wear baseball hats (like Mom). She also loves going to Santa's Village. Her favorite ride is the roller coaster (you can barely see her head above the bar) and she gets mad if it doesn't go faster. She loves animals.
Dani also LOVES her big brother. She wants to do everything that he does. The other day, Jack and Daddy snuck out to play golf and she burst into tears. Not because she didn't get to go, but because they didn't hug and kiss her goodbye. Sometimes, he is can be pretty mean to her and likes to tease her. I keep hoping she'll deck him, but she never does. She just idolizes him. I hope they always love each other the way they do now. I think they are the perfect match for each other. I hope Jack will teach her some restraint, and that she'll teach him to loosen up a bit. I hope they will lean on each other growing up and long after Mom and Dad aren't around.
Every day, I can't believe how lucky I am in this life and how lucky I am to get to be the mom to the two most amazing kids. I am so proud of them and my heart swells every time I think of them. They are the absolute lights of my life and if I never accomplish anything else, I'll feel fulfilled just because I got to be their mom and I'll know I've done something good for the world.
Jack: Jack continued to love pre-school. Mostly, he loves learning and his teachers. He is still shy to engage in groups of kids is own age, but he loves spending time with adults and older kids. At times I worry because he tends to hang back and is quite timid. He sits back and lets the other kids take things (toys, opportunities, etc.) My heart breaks a little for him because I worry he will struggle with his confidence. I don't want him to choose to be on the outside. He is such a wonderful, loving, amazing, smart little boy and I want people to see that in him. Not for me, for him. I just don't want him to be one of those kids who is overlooked when he has so much to offer.
Jack loves to learn everything about everything and his memory is second to none. His attention span never ceases to amaze me and he focuses on things that he wants to master until he gets them. He loves all books (taking away books at bedtime is the worst punishment imaginable for him) and maps. He has spent significant time with various geography apps on the IPad and knows where every state is and all of their capitals. Now he has set his sights on the countries of the world. The two maps (one of the U.S. and one of the world) in his room are two of his favorite new things. He loves trying to read and is doing quite well. He also requests to do math at the dinner table. I call him my little nerd and his love of learning is one of the things I love most about him.
Another is his capacity for joy. He is so excited and happy about everything. It is just so fun seeing things through his eyes. He mostly loves his sister, though he has taken to pestering her and trying to push her buttons. Fortunately, she has learned how to push his back lately.
Jack has been very interested in sports lately. He loves baseball and can hit the ball quite well. He doesn't want to hit off the tee anymore, prefering the pitch. He has a baseball glove and he is working so hard to make it happen. He's been smacked in the face with the ball and though he warned me, "If you do that again, I'm gonna do it to you!" he keeps trying. He is very interested in golf and learned how to swim by himself this summer without the help of a vest. And he's a fish. He has no fear of the water at all. He jumps off the side and dives to pick things up off the bottom. He also does a lot of gymnastics on his own. It will be fun to see what he picks as his passions.
Dani: Dani's joy bursts out of her eyes and smile. To know her is to love her. People simply gravitate toward her and she makes friends easily. The biggest compliment people give her is on her big blue eyes. Though her eyes are indeed a beautiful color, it's their twinkle that gives them their true beauty. Her hair still rivals Albert Einstein's and we wonder when it will grow into something we can work with. At the same time, it is so her. Her voice is awesome. She actually has a pretty good vocabulary, but she wants to say more than she can and her head works faster than her mouth. Yet she never gets frustrated. She just talks and is so confident that she either assumes that you must understand or she doesn't care that you don't. Her voice is hysterical. She sounds like she is half parrot, half human. My favorite mispronunciations are slowly becoming actual words. Gone is "prin-cense" (princess) and "ah-pah-pus" (octopus). But at least I still have my favorite, "suh-bagetti." (spaghetti)
Dani learns so differently from Jack. She doesn't want to be taught anything. And yet, she learns it. She just makes things happen. I think she's going to make a lot of mistakes (she's daring, she's impulsive, she's curious), but I'm never worried about her. Dani is always going to land on her feet. Even if she gets scrapped knees in a few stumbles. She's strong-willed and knows exactly what she wants. At the same time, she's so loving (she loves snuggles) and sweet. We went to a music class and I was concerned that she wasn't going to pay attention and that I would be chasing her around. She was by far the best listener in the class, focusing on what the teacher was saying and participating in the activities.
Dani loves just being with you. She likes riding bikes and coloring. She also loves everything blingy. Whenever we go to a store, she has to touch EVERY, SINGLE piece of shiny jewelry, declaring, "Ooooo. It SO pretty!" She loves to wear baseball hats (like Mom). She also loves going to Santa's Village. Her favorite ride is the roller coaster (you can barely see her head above the bar) and she gets mad if it doesn't go faster. She loves animals.
Dani also LOVES her big brother. She wants to do everything that he does. The other day, Jack and Daddy snuck out to play golf and she burst into tears. Not because she didn't get to go, but because they didn't hug and kiss her goodbye. Sometimes, he is can be pretty mean to her and likes to tease her. I keep hoping she'll deck him, but she never does. She just idolizes him. I hope they always love each other the way they do now. I think they are the perfect match for each other. I hope Jack will teach her some restraint, and that she'll teach him to loosen up a bit. I hope they will lean on each other growing up and long after Mom and Dad aren't around.
Every day, I can't believe how lucky I am in this life and how lucky I am to get to be the mom to the two most amazing kids. I am so proud of them and my heart swells every time I think of them. They are the absolute lights of my life and if I never accomplish anything else, I'll feel fulfilled just because I got to be their mom and I'll know I've done something good for the world.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Love
Today, Dani said, "I love you." It was unprovoked and she wasn't simply repeating what I had said. It's going to be a good week.
-----------------------
When Jack was younger and didn't know the word for something, he would say, "Buh duh", as in, "Jack, what is that?" "Buh duh." It appears that Dani has her own version. Today, in her numbers book she was able to tell me the words for all of the different fruits. Until she came to the kiwi and the pomegranate. Those she referred to as "a bu da ya ya ya."
----------------------
This weekend, Dani told her first story. She was all smiles when she came back from a trip to Meijer with her daddy and couldn't wait to tell me all about it.
Dani: Mommy! I go Target! (she doesn't know her stores yet)
Me: You did?
Dani: Yeah! I see toys. . . .I ride horsey. . . .I see fishies. . . .I have fun!
-----------------------
When Jack was younger and didn't know the word for something, he would say, "Buh duh", as in, "Jack, what is that?" "Buh duh." It appears that Dani has her own version. Today, in her numbers book she was able to tell me the words for all of the different fruits. Until she came to the kiwi and the pomegranate. Those she referred to as "a bu da ya ya ya."
----------------------
This weekend, Dani told her first story. She was all smiles when she came back from a trip to Meijer with her daddy and couldn't wait to tell me all about it.
Dani: Mommy! I go Target! (she doesn't know her stores yet)
Me: You did?
Dani: Yeah! I see toys. . . .I ride horsey. . . .I see fishies. . . .I have fun!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Catching up
I have been a HORRIBLE blogger lately. I actually wouldn't even call myself a blogger. I would call myself a copier of Facebook statuses. Well, this post will be no exception. Work is crazy and I don't have the time I'd like to devote to this. But the FB statuses offer up cute stories that will someday give the kids a glimpse into their childhood and what kind of kids they are. And I'll try to be better about filling in larger pieces. Until then. . .
1. This morning, Jack called me over to the window. He pointed outside and asked, "What do you see?" When I told him I didn't know, he pointed again and said, "Do you see pink clouds?" In the moment I finally noticed the amazing, billowy clouds lit pink by the sun, Jack, still looking in awe, remarked, "Beautiful." Though they were indeed spectacular, pink clouds weren't the most beautiful thing at that window this morning.
2. We were just discussing going bowling with the kids again (it was a big hit yesterday). Jack turned to me and said, "Don't worry. It's okay. We'll go bowling again, big girl."
For the record, Jack is the only man who can call me "big girl" without getting punched. Same goes for "old girl", if you are taking notes.
3. My parents and their dog are in town for the holidays. It appears that Dani has either confused the dog with people or she is far less polite than my son. At breakfast this morning, they wanted Poppy to come to the table.
Jack: Poppy, come join us!
Dani: Come 'ere, boy! Come 'ere!
4. My greeting this morning:
"Mommy, I took a really long nap and I peed in my bed but I love you."
5. Me: Jack? You're taking turns with your toy? That's nice!
Jack: Yes. It IS nice.
6. Jack's commentary at the end of the night: "We can't read books yet. We have to wait for Dani. Then we can be a family and smile at each other."
7. While reading books before bed, Dani impressed me by knowing far more animal sounds than I have actually taught her. My eyes widened and I told her, "Wow! Good job, Dani." She gave me a big smile and replied, "I practice!" No idea where she learned that one either!
8. At school Jack has two teachers and knows the very involved 70 year old school director well. We'll call them Mrs. James, Mrs. Alt and Mrs. Baker, respectively. At dinner he was being silly and calling me by different names.
Jack: Hi, Mrs. James.
Me: What?! Do I look like Mrs. James?
J: Yes, because you're pretty.
Me: Oh! Do you think Mrs. James is pretty?
J: Yes.
Me: Do you think Mrs. Alt is pretty?
J: Umm. . .sure.
Me: Do you think Mrs. Baker is pretty?
J: (silence) Kinda?
Nice to know my son has already rank ordered his teachers based on hotness.
9. Jack was making up games that we could play with his basketball and other bouncy ball. He got so excited that I couldn't understand the rules.
Me: Wait. What do we do?
Jack: Or I can just throw it in your face, that's fine.
I don't think Jack is going to have a lot of friends.
10. Tonight at dinner, Dani thought it was hilarious when she pressed my nose and I made a noise like a car horn. She laughed and declared, "I so happy!"
I'm going to remind her of this someday after I disappoint her by saying "no" when she asks for a pony.
11. Jack: What are we having for dinner?
Me: I don't know yet.
Jack: You better tell me or you gonna go to time out. (Pause) 1. . . 2. . .3. That's it!
12. I hate American Girl. I'm sorry, I just do. My husband's family has been pushing me to get into it but I refuse. But today, at Dani's family birthday party, American Girl came to me. Dani got a baby from her aunt and uncle. For the sake of my daughter, I disguised my feelings, happily presenting the baby to her with the appropriate ooohs and ahhhs. She grabbed it, gave it a quick glance and promptly threw it to the floor. I've never been more proud.
13. Today in the car...
Jack: Mommy, you can't drive fast. If you drive fast the policeman gives you a ticket and you go to jail and that's a really big Time Out.
1. This morning, Jack called me over to the window. He pointed outside and asked, "What do you see?" When I told him I didn't know, he pointed again and said, "Do you see pink clouds?" In the moment I finally noticed the amazing, billowy clouds lit pink by the sun, Jack, still looking in awe, remarked, "Beautiful." Though they were indeed spectacular, pink clouds weren't the most beautiful thing at that window this morning.
2. We were just discussing going bowling with the kids again (it was a big hit yesterday). Jack turned to me and said, "Don't worry. It's okay. We'll go bowling again, big girl."
For the record, Jack is the only man who can call me "big girl" without getting punched. Same goes for "old girl", if you are taking notes.
3. My parents and their dog are in town for the holidays. It appears that Dani has either confused the dog with people or she is far less polite than my son. At breakfast this morning, they wanted Poppy to come to the table.
Jack: Poppy, come join us!
Dani: Come 'ere, boy! Come 'ere!
4. My greeting this morning:
"Mommy, I took a really long nap and I peed in my bed but I love you."
5. Me: Jack? You're taking turns with your toy? That's nice!
Jack: Yes. It IS nice.
6. Jack's commentary at the end of the night: "We can't read books yet. We have to wait for Dani. Then we can be a family and smile at each other."
7. While reading books before bed, Dani impressed me by knowing far more animal sounds than I have actually taught her. My eyes widened and I told her, "Wow! Good job, Dani." She gave me a big smile and replied, "I practice!" No idea where she learned that one either!
8. At school Jack has two teachers and knows the very involved 70 year old school director well. We'll call them Mrs. James, Mrs. Alt and Mrs. Baker, respectively. At dinner he was being silly and calling me by different names.
Jack: Hi, Mrs. James.
Me: What?! Do I look like Mrs. James?
J: Yes, because you're pretty.
Me: Oh! Do you think Mrs. James is pretty?
J: Yes.
Me: Do you think Mrs. Alt is pretty?
J: Umm. . .sure.
Me: Do you think Mrs. Baker is pretty?
J: (silence) Kinda?
Nice to know my son has already rank ordered his teachers based on hotness.
9. Jack was making up games that we could play with his basketball and other bouncy ball. He got so excited that I couldn't understand the rules.
Me: Wait. What do we do?
Jack: Or I can just throw it in your face, that's fine.
I don't think Jack is going to have a lot of friends.
10. Tonight at dinner, Dani thought it was hilarious when she pressed my nose and I made a noise like a car horn. She laughed and declared, "I so happy!"
I'm going to remind her of this someday after I disappoint her by saying "no" when she asks for a pony.
11. Jack: What are we having for dinner?
Me: I don't know yet.
Jack: You better tell me or you gonna go to time out. (Pause) 1. . . 2. . .3. That's it!
12. I hate American Girl. I'm sorry, I just do. My husband's family has been pushing me to get into it but I refuse. But today, at Dani's family birthday party, American Girl came to me. Dani got a baby from her aunt and uncle. For the sake of my daughter, I disguised my feelings, happily presenting the baby to her with the appropriate ooohs and ahhhs. She grabbed it, gave it a quick glance and promptly threw it to the floor. I've never been more proud.
13. Today in the car...
Jack: Mommy, you can't drive fast. If you drive fast the policeman gives you a ticket and you go to jail and that's a really big Time Out.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
F-bomb
So, Jack has dropped his first F-bomb. We were leaving a restaurant after my birthday and, as usual, I had Jack hold my hand when we were about to go into the parking lot. Jack likes to jump off of the curb so we counted together, then he jumped in the air and yelled, "F@#! it!" Then he started laughing as though it was something funny and situationally appropriate. My eyes widened in horror as my brain scrambled to figure out where he could possibly have heard that.
I asked him and his face got all serious, as he realized that he had done something that was wrong. "The video," he replied. It took me a little while to figure out what happened. Apparently he has figured out how to navigate away from the favorite videos that have been pre-selected for him on YouTube on the IPad. Through a series of clicks on "Related Videos", he stumbled upon a video of guys jumping off of a cliff into a lake. They count 1, 2, 3, just like we did and before jumping, utter the phrase that Jack so easily picked up.
The viewing history has now been cleared so he can't find it again and we are hoping our little talk sunk in good. Now we are just hoping that we don't get a call from pre-school.
I asked him and his face got all serious, as he realized that he had done something that was wrong. "The video," he replied. It took me a little while to figure out what happened. Apparently he has figured out how to navigate away from the favorite videos that have been pre-selected for him on YouTube on the IPad. Through a series of clicks on "Related Videos", he stumbled upon a video of guys jumping off of a cliff into a lake. They count 1, 2, 3, just like we did and before jumping, utter the phrase that Jack so easily picked up.
The viewing history has now been cleared so he can't find it again and we are hoping our little talk sunk in good. Now we are just hoping that we don't get a call from pre-school.
More fun
Jack greeted me as I was taking the wrapped towel off my head after a shower. My wet hair was all over the place.
Jack: Oooooo, Mommy! Your hair looks SO good. Come and show Daddy your perfect hair. He's gonna love it!
My child is so weird. I love it.
--------------------- Paul: Jack, you want orange or grapes?
Jack: Grapes.
Paul (really hoping to get rid of the orange): Orange or grapes?
Jack: When someone says "Grapes," you have grapes.
The kid's got a point.
---------------------- Last night during story time:
Jack: He's (llama character in book) sad because he misses his mommy when he's at school.
Me: Do you miss YOUR Mommy when you're at school?
Jack: No.
At least he's honest.
---------------------- This is the first year Jack has really figured Halloween out. And he's beyond excited. We look at the calendar and count the days and we talk about what we are going to do on the actual day. But I think he thinks Halloween is a more like preparing for a hurricane. Today he came up to me carrying his pumpkin bucket and told me, "Mommy, I have everything I need in case I get candy. I have my pumpkin and my water."
--------------------- My mom is in town this week. At dinner she wasn't paying proper attention to Jack.
Jack: Nonny, let me see your face. Ohhhhhh! You look cute in that face!
Jack: Oooooo, Mommy! Your hair looks SO good. Come and show Daddy your perfect hair. He's gonna love it!
My child is so weird. I love it.
--------------------- Paul: Jack, you want orange or grapes?
Jack: Grapes.
Paul (really hoping to get rid of the orange): Orange or grapes?
Jack: When someone says "Grapes," you have grapes.
The kid's got a point.
---------------------- Last night during story time:
Jack: He's (llama character in book) sad because he misses his mommy when he's at school.
Me: Do you miss YOUR Mommy when you're at school?
Jack: No.
At least he's honest.
---------------------- This is the first year Jack has really figured Halloween out. And he's beyond excited. We look at the calendar and count the days and we talk about what we are going to do on the actual day. But I think he thinks Halloween is a more like preparing for a hurricane. Today he came up to me carrying his pumpkin bucket and told me, "Mommy, I have everything I need in case I get candy. I have my pumpkin and my water."
--------------------- My mom is in town this week. At dinner she wasn't paying proper attention to Jack.
Jack: Nonny, let me see your face. Ohhhhhh! You look cute in that face!
Monday, October 22, 2012
New tidbits
This is the first year Jack has really figured Halloween out. And he's beyond excited. We look at the calendar and count the days and we talk about what we are going to do on the actual day. But I think he thinks Halloween is a more like preparing for a hurricane. Today he came up to me carrying his pumpkin bucket and told me, "Mommy, I have everything I need in case I get candy. I have my pumpkin and my water."
-------------------------- Jack is a genius. The other day we were waiting at a stoplight. There was a fire truck in front of us stopped at the light. Jack: Where is he going? Us: I don't know. Jack: He's going to the fire station. His lights aren't on so he's not going to an emergency. -------------------------- Saturday was my day to get up with the kiddos. When I went to fetch Dani from her crib she asked me, "Where Jack and Paul?"
-------------------------- Jack is a genius. The other day we were waiting at a stoplight. There was a fire truck in front of us stopped at the light. Jack: Where is he going? Us: I don't know. Jack: He's going to the fire station. His lights aren't on so he's not going to an emergency. -------------------------- Saturday was my day to get up with the kiddos. When I went to fetch Dani from her crib she asked me, "Where Jack and Paul?"
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Future Hairstylist?
Dani loves hair. More specifically, Dani loves MY hair. Though she found it interesting early, she has now started to find comfort in it. When I pick her up, the first thing she does is put her arms around me and grab my hair on each side with both hands. She never pulls, she just gently submerges her hands into it and sweetly plays with it. Sometimes it has a calming effect on her and she'll just get very quiet and rest her head on me while continuing to play with my hair. For a girl who is going full tilt 24 hours a day, it is a welcome quiet time where she is sweet and cuddly. Though I usually wear my hair up in a pony tail on the weekends, I have found myself leaving it down so I don't disappoint her. Or me.
I have always been told that I have great hair. Every hairstylist I've ever had has complimented me on its thickness and I really didn't think much about it other than when I was on minute 15 of blowdrying a still wet head. The compliments were always nice but pale in comparison to the most important opinion from the little girl whose chubby hands find their way into my hair when she wraps me up in a hug and lays her head on my shoulder.
I have always been told that I have great hair. Every hairstylist I've ever had has complimented me on its thickness and I really didn't think much about it other than when I was on minute 15 of blowdrying a still wet head. The compliments were always nice but pale in comparison to the most important opinion from the little girl whose chubby hands find their way into my hair when she wraps me up in a hug and lays her head on my shoulder.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Dani notes
Dani says everything as though it is a question, even when it isn't.
Dani gets really proud of herself when she puts words together to make "sentences" or just longer speech samples. New favorites are "Burger and fries" (bugu n fyes), "Burger King" (bugu. . . .. KEEENG!), "Fan is broken" (fahn bokin), "It's dark outside." (dahk saiiii), "Where did Grandma go?" (O Gooona go?) It's not always pretty but she gets the job done.
Dani is really good at colors and can easily identify blue, red, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and white. She can identify the animals dog, cat, bird, duck, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, chicken, cow, pig, giraffe, rabbit, owl, fish. She can also do the sounds for cat, sheep, monkey, chicken, cow, pig.
Dani has a cold right now. When she sneezes and the snot runs down her face, she declares that she has "Mocos!" When you wipe her nose she says, "Thank you." (Ak ooooooo!)
Dani gets really proud of herself when she puts words together to make "sentences" or just longer speech samples. New favorites are "Burger and fries" (bugu n fyes), "Burger King" (bugu. . . .. KEEENG!), "Fan is broken" (fahn bokin), "It's dark outside." (dahk saiiii), "Where did Grandma go?" (O Gooona go?) It's not always pretty but she gets the job done.
Dani is really good at colors and can easily identify blue, red, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and white. She can identify the animals dog, cat, bird, duck, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, chicken, cow, pig, giraffe, rabbit, owl, fish. She can also do the sounds for cat, sheep, monkey, chicken, cow, pig.
Dani has a cold right now. When she sneezes and the snot runs down her face, she declares that she has "Mocos!" When you wipe her nose she says, "Thank you." (Ak ooooooo!)
Accomplishments
Yesterday, while we were trying to watch Jeopardy, Dani bent in half a the waist and walked slowly across the floor like an old lady. Paul and I watched her wondering what the heck she was doing. When she got to the other side of the room, she stood up, gave a huge smile, threw her arms in the air in victory, and declared, "I DID IT!" Still not exactly sure what "it" was but if there is anything we have learned about Dani, it is that there is no playroom in the world that is as cool as the one in her head!
Dinner Table Antics and Stuff
Jack acted up tonight at dinner and I informed him that there would be no treat. I told him that the banana he was eating was his treat. With a look on his face that was a cross between panic and confusion, he said, "NO! It's a ba-na-na! It's a FRUIT!"
-----------------------
At dinner Paul told Jack he needed to take four more bites of vegetables. After much stalling and whimpering, Jack waited until Paul and I started having a conversation. In the middle of our conversation, Jack eats a huge forkful and excitedly announces, "FOUR!!"
Nice try, kid.
----------------------
Jack was standing on the couch, trying to swing the pictures hanging on the wall.
Me: What are you doing? Are you CRAZY?
Jack sits down and calmly states, "I am crazy."
Dani: I cway-zeee!!
----------------------
Even though Dani talks a lot, only about 10% is actually intelligible. But tonight, I am fairly certain she said "entente" and "Gauguin." If this kid decides to take French, I'm gonna be ticked off.
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Jack had a cold a couple of weeks ago:
Jack: I'm really sick. Who make me sick?
Me: I don't know. Who do you think made you sick?
Jack: You make me sick.
I think we need to start talking about the importance of verb tense. Oh, and the negative effects of false accusations.
---------------------
Me: Isn't your sister the cutest girl you've ever seen?
Jack: No.
Me: What!? Then who is?
Jack: You.
Have I mentioned I love this kid?
-----------------------
At dinner Paul told Jack he needed to take four more bites of vegetables. After much stalling and whimpering, Jack waited until Paul and I started having a conversation. In the middle of our conversation, Jack eats a huge forkful and excitedly announces, "FOUR!!"
Nice try, kid.
----------------------
Jack was standing on the couch, trying to swing the pictures hanging on the wall.
Me: What are you doing? Are you CRAZY?
Jack sits down and calmly states, "I am crazy."
Dani: I cway-zeee!!
----------------------
Even though Dani talks a lot, only about 10% is actually intelligible. But tonight, I am fairly certain she said "entente" and "Gauguin." If this kid decides to take French, I'm gonna be ticked off.
---------------------
Jack had a cold a couple of weeks ago:
Jack: I'm really sick. Who make me sick?
Me: I don't know. Who do you think made you sick?
Jack: You make me sick.
I think we need to start talking about the importance of verb tense. Oh, and the negative effects of false accusations.
---------------------
Me: Isn't your sister the cutest girl you've ever seen?
Jack: No.
Me: What!? Then who is?
Jack: You.
Have I mentioned I love this kid?
Sunday, September 9, 2012
22 months
Dani is 22 months and getting more and more chatty and able all the time. She is very sure on her feet and loves to run. She loves to pretty much do anything unless she hates to do it. Then she really hates it. She knows colors blue, green, yellow, purple, pink, orange, numbers 1-10 by sight, and all her letters. She's been good on all of these for about a month now, but gets more clear each day. She loves pointing out things in books. She is also starting to make sentences. Favorites are, "Ack oooo, Mommy!" (Thank you, Mommy.) She has gotten much better. It used to be, "Ack oooo, Grandma-Mommy." She says, "Mooo wah-tur!" and "Ahontooooo" (I don't want to.) and "Ahontnoooooo." (I don't know.), which is her standard answer when we ask her why she is in time out.
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