Category Archives: toddler talk

When Less is More

I had my yearly checkup and apparently stress is contributing to slightly high cholesterol. Wee.  How can I be old enough to worry about crap like that?  Oh wait, I shouldn’t worry… that’ll just make it worse. There’s been a lot going on, to say the least and I’m stretched pretty thin lately. I haven’t picked up my camera lately and seem not to have time to keep the house clean between one thing and another. So… I need to re-prioritize and I think that means blogging less. I think for a few months I need to completely focus on my work endeavors and then see where I’m at.  With so little time I like to focus on my family when I can and my own personal needs, so… yeah.

As far as the kids go, despite there being more stress and chaos in the house than usual, Enzo has been doing great in preschool lately, which also seems to coincide with his preschool teacher leaving and a new teacher stepping in.  He’s been having so many good days and has been bringing home more worksheets and seems to be learning more.  I can’t even tell you what a relief that is.

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Things I want to remember about right now.

  • Enzo
    • Has an ongoing imaginary game/story where we travel to outer space. Typically it’s him, me and Phoebe since we usually pretend we’re in a spaceship on the way home from preschool, but now and then Josh is allowed to also come. My job is to drive the spaceship and Enzo is in charge of “Pewing” (sp?) bad aliens. They can usually be found on meteors and Enzo uses a special gun that shoots fish that eat the aliens. The fish also have the powers of expansion to eat and/or destroy anything in our path.
  • Phoebe
    • Has started telling little white lies like asking her if she washed her hands and her saying she did when she very obviously didn’t and other little things like that.
    • Is a tad bossy and adorable at the same time. She often holds up her little hand and will say, “Just one minute” if you ask her to do something.  It’s all in the inflection and hand motion.

Comfort1

With luck this next year will give us much more time together and the current chaos will make it all worthwhile.

Things they say and do…

I can’t remember every little thing they do, but it’s nice (for me) to write down what I can now and then so I can look back later.

BDayBoy1

  •  Enzo
    • Wants to be a dinosaur when he grows up.
    • Has nightmares now and then, but has been able to tell us about them in more detail. The other night it was monster faces in his room. Only occasionally does he end up in our room, though.
    • Huge imagination! We’ll have a conversation about wildlife and suddenly he’s telling a story about how when he was a baby (how most of his stories begin) a skunk sprayed him and a squirrel stole all of his candy. Yesterday it was a giant who tried to eat him (and apparently succeeded) but then he also looked at Enzo afterwards and said, “Time for dessert!” and ate him again…
    • Quite the bossy pants and I have to often remind him he isn’t the parent when he tells Phoebe she can’t have any more TV if she does such and such. This morning he told her she couldn’t watch TV if she kept laughing. Yeah, not so much, Buddy.
    • Has discovered my least favorite game of all time – the Copycat game. I turn the tables on him, but he usually just thinks it’s funny and it doesn’t stop him.
    • Was worried we might move the other day and said he only wanted to stay in our house and anxiously asked if we would move. I told him not to worry about it for now. Poor boy likes change about as much as I do. 😉

ExplorerPhoebe2

  • Phoebe
    • Peeeeze!!! Just a little bit (Don’t forget the thumb and pointer finger pinched together for the full effect). Also the outraged scream when you have to say “No” for one reason or another.
    • No longer stays in bed when I leave her room if she’s still awake. Instead she climbs out and curls up with her head against the door, so when I try to go put her back in bed I can’t open the door… not until her demands are met and I agree to lay in bed with her again.
    • Loves My Little Pony and she has a ton now thanks to Josh’s thrift store finds. I had to go out and buy some new outfits for her because she became obsessed and NEEDED pony shirts.
    • Wants yogurt all day every day and every morning sits in my lap while she drinks her chocolate milk.
    • Is in the midst of potty training! It’s going fairly well during the day time, and yesterday was the first day without accidents!

I know it’s said all the time, but they really do grow up so fast. I can’t believe we’re not going to have any diapers to change soon and that soon Phoebe will be moving up into the preschool room at day care.  They won’t be in the same class, but will be seeing a lot more of each other. Sigh. Slow down!!

ExplorerPhoebe

Things they say and do…

Oh, where to begin?  Enzo will be 4 in less than a month and Phoebe is well into the “Terrible” Twos. We’ve entered the land of crazy meltdowns, incapability to make decisions and stick with them, and straight up drama. Even Enzo has at times given me the look when Phoebe is having a moment and has sighed and slapped his head against his forehead.  They’re both finding their way, and it can be hard to remember that at times when we are up against things that seem to inconsequential and silly to us, but obviously means something more to them. Ah, perspective.

PeasInAPod

Enzo:

  • Is so incredibly self-sufficient.  It’s incredibly helpful right now since Phoebe is in that volatile stage, so being able to ask Enzo to go pick out clothes and get dressed is awesome. He also really wants to help Phoebe, but… Two.

Enzo: I can get your water Phoebe, because I’m 3 and I’m big and strong.

Phoebe: No! Mommy do it. Mommy’s bigger and stronger!

  • He is always making us laugh whether it be randomly breaking out into songs he know will get stuck in everyone’s head or other out of the blue phrases and silliness.
  • Is navigating the difficult waters of having a toddler sister. He is my introvert and needs alone time, and she… doesn’t care.
  • Is just as ready for warm weather as I am. I picked him up at preschool and he had rolled up his pants to make his own shorts.

WeSnuggle

Phoebe

  • Her vocabulary continues to grow and often it makes me laugh because her mannerisms are so like her brother. She looks up to him so much already, and I know that won’t change.
  • Where do I start with all the funny things she’s saying lately? She’s very much interested in everything, including the human body.  We went to Target and were in the bra section when she ran up to them yelling, “Boobies!” I corrected her and then she just wanted to wear the pink ones and said she wanted to get a bra for Enzo too. Ha ha!
  • She is my cuddle bug and I get no exercise in in the mornings any more because she wants to just snuggle as long as possible. Her latest thing is to say, “I no feel good. I lay down in Mommy’s bed and watch Mickey Mouse.” Little stinker. She’ll climb up and pat the bed next to her and say, “Sit down with me.”

LaundryGal

Some days it’s rough, but I do so love this parenting gig.

Things They Say (and Do)

First, I’m ecstatic that tomorrow the high is supposed to be 55 degrees! I’d love to get out with the kids, but we have some stuff that needs to be done around the house and it’ll just be me in the afternoon through Sunday morning, so do I want to try and wrangle the kids by myself?  I’d hate to go anywhere that needs a stroller otherwise I’ll just be chasing them around like a lunatic with a stroller and unable to keep them under control. Let’s face it… all children go nuts the first time it gets this warm after months and months of winter.

We’ve had a fairly mild winter, but the kids haven’t been outside nearly enough, which I only just discovered the other day.  We also realized that this would account for some behavioral issues. We assumed they were being plenty active still and were probably allowing too much screen time.

Teaching

I just found out from Enzo that there have been several days where movies have been watched and for Enzo that plus getting some screen time in the morning and evening is way too much. So, we’re cutting back and hoping his mood is better. I think even he realizes he’s had too much because he’s only argued a little bit and has been okay with more creative play.  Now if we could just get Josh off his phone. 😉

FunwithM&M1

Phoebe is really such a typical girl and loves playing with dolls and houses. Enzo plays with her houses and Minnie stuff as well, but the bad guys are usually destroying it and his super heroes need to catch them.  They each have their own very creative ways of playing with the same toys.

FunwithM&M2

Enzo is still very much wanting to read, so we need to get on that. The other day he wanted me to stop so he could try and read a sign, so we really need to work on helping him reach this next milestone. Phoebe likes to pretend to read books and when she can’t remember the words she’ll just make up words and sounds.

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More than anything, though, they both have huge imaginations and play really well together, and by themselves.  It’s pretty fun when they ask for someone to play with, although, with Phoebe I’ve found it’s safer to just watch her. She’s very particular with how she plays and I usually do the wrong thing. My bad, Phoebe, of course the toilet goes in the kitchen and we are most definitely not playing with that Minnie, but the other Minnie, my bad.

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There is always a method to their madness when it comes to play. An absolutely adorable method. They do sometimes get frustrated with each other when their ideas don’t quite mesh, but overall they’ve found a pretty good rhythm and there have only been a few Jerry Springer moments to speak of.

FunwithM&M5

My favorite Enzo and Phoebe sayings lately, though?

Enzo: Did a full on “Heavens to Murgatroid!” at dinner when Phoebe did a big sneeze. It was amazing.

Phoebe: “Daddy hit me!” Yeah… she thinks it’s funny to say so-and-so (usually her friends) hit her or bit her, but then we had to have the It’s-only-funny-until-CPS-gets-called-on-daddy Talk. The fact that she has zero grace and always has cuts and bruises would not help her poor dad out.  Oh, kids.

Happy Friday!

Toddler Talk

Mondays after a long weekend are the worst, aren’t they?  We had a very productive, but also fun weekend. Got to see family we don’t see very often and we rearranged the house a bit, did some decorating and tried to fit in some fun as well. That being said, I don’t have much in the way of motivation today, so how about some fun with what the kids have been saying/doing lately?  I need to keep better track because they crack me up.

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Enzo

He says “What the heck?” a lot. Apparently so do I.

“Last morning.”

Me: Enzo, do you need to go to the bathroom? (He was squirming).

Enzo: No… my underwear is just in my butt.

This weekend, I also got a text from Josh while I was out with Phoebe doing a little shopping and apparently Enzo had been asking for a treat so Josh told him he had to eat some blueberries and grapes first. He didn’t want to and said, “My mom will be so mad if you don’t give me a candy.”  Ha ha, nice try!

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Phoebe

Says “Um” a lot. Not sure where she picked that up… hopefully not me?

“Mies from Morrowland!”  (Miles from Tomorrowland).

Still sings everything, especially her favorite theme songs. She’s really using a lot more gestures and facial expressions lately, though, which can be hysterical at times.

The other day Josh was trying to change her and she was not cooperating at all.  Finally I walked in to see what was happening and she was being a total goofball, so I said, “Phoebe, can you please let Daddy change you?” The stinker stopped moving and said, “Ok.”  Hahaha.

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Love, love, love their personalities.  The awesome little moments make it all worthwhile.