Even on hard days

Today I need to remember something.

Big D is sick. Just a head cold but still a gross one. And he's 2 yrs old. Therefore - he has a right to be grumpy. He was whiney and needy and cried over everything as SOON as I got him up today. Before Ben left for work I said --- today is gonna be rough, isn't it buddy. Everything I did made him mad. Like ragging and gnashing of teeth mad. Part of it was my fault. #1. It is so pretty and warm outside and I'm itching to clean up and the yard and work outside. Usually he'll bee-bop in the back yard for HOURS but not when you are 2 yrs old and sick. #2. I am distracted with church calling stresses and my desire for activities and plans to work out even when I'm the one that is planning them. And when it is not communicated to me that things are in motion...I desire to take over in a bossy-pants manner. #1 and 2 were making me less patient with my little guy. Late morning - I had to put him down stairs in front of Cars movie (God bless Pixar), 5 cookies and milk... while I worked out my calling frustrations.
Then we had to get in the car to drive Dad's lunch to him. Dalton was way ticked off about this too because his movie was over, he's tired, and 'I HAVE TO GET IN THE DANG CAR?!' The drive to Ben's work is like 10 minutes tops. But when we got there I turned around to find him asleep in his car seat. Chocolate chips smeared on his face.  :)
When we got home and it was time to get out --- at the frustration of today melted off with his limp little arms and floppy head that stayed asleep on my shoulder as I carried him to bed. I thought of how I wanted to burn the memory of his fat baby body sleeping in my arms 2 yrs ago and now I want to do it again.... a fat 2 yr old asleep on my shoulder. ( I had a brief moment of rage when I stepped on Scout who asked 'can you think of something blue?' .... thankfully not waking D. Otherwise it would have been a swift end for that bear...) Even as I laid him down in his crib D didn't wake up just plopped flat on his back. Uneven hair cut from when I tried to trim it when Ben's beard trimmers. Chocolate smeared face. Football jersey and softy jeans that look like he's off to the pep rally. And the crib covered in Lighting McQueen stickers from the sticker book to keep him busy after he wakes up.
Even on hard days.... he's not so bad. :)

...simple pleasures

 I had one of those 'toddler days' this week when we just couldn't get along. I didn't want to play what he wanted to play and he didn't want to play what I wanted to play. 

BOY. HOW DO I ENTERTAIN YOU. 

So I put him in front of Sesame Street and turned to pinterest. There are loads of toddler activity ideas - however most of them seem too old for Big D or just lame or require special prep. 

This is what I came up with...

Q-Tip in a Jar

Worked pretty good. Card board lid and kept his attention for 5 minutes. That's pretty good for his age. And he wanted to go back to it later. So that's a win. 

...look at those little hands... :)

Sort Easter Eggs:

Too many things say 'sort' on pinterest for toddler activities. "Sort" means "toss all over the place til bored". Egg "sort" was good at first. Big D didn't really sort them as he just liked to open them to see what's inside. Really liked it - less them 2 minutes of entertainment now what he can get them open easy. But! He always goes back to them. Could recycle if put new things in eggs: treats, cars, cereal, etc.

"Sort" 

More attempt at sorting. Big D really was interested in this apple holder from costco.. until I tried to make him sort puff balls, cereal bits, mallows...even punching holes in the top to push there. Bust.  

Magnet Board

This one is pretty good. The big magnets hold his attention the longest. Unfortunately I only have 12. What's really funny is he likes it until I start quizzing him. 

Don't try and make me learn Mom. :)

 

After all my tricks were out of the bag ... you know what worked the best? What was the most fun? What kept him busy the longest?

...

Ramming his bus against the wall. 

So I think sometimes... we try too hard.  :)

Simple Pleasures 

..Is picking blackberries at Gpa's

Spent the weekend in Salt Lake City with family. Gpa has a LARGE patch of blackberries that Big D was wild over.  

This pained look on his face is because he is worried about the thorns. At our old house we had a wild blackberry bush that Big D would graze on. However the thorns were horrid and often he'd come back to me crying covered in purple juice and scratches. One time his lips were bleeding! What'd you do?!

 BITE THE BUSH?

Gpa's bush on the other hand has no thorns and the berries and 900 times larger. :) Big D still wouldn't touch the branch - he would point and squeal at a berry until you picked it for him. 

I hope Gpa keeps up these bushes. I hope to find Big D sneaking berries with no fear of thorns in the coming years. 

Things you did today

Dear Big D.
You did some pretty awesome stuff today:
- For breakfast ate an orange, banana, blueberries, and 2 scrabbled eggs.  Whoa.
- Slid down the slide without wigging out.
- Swung on the swing without wigging out.
- Climbed through a tunnel without wigging out.
- Got stuck in the chicken coop ( by your own accord) without wigging out.

You are growing up.

btw - You chased the chicks into the cage. They got escaped and you got stuck. We didn't leave you in there a REALLY long time.

Awesome things you are doing.

- You can recognize and point to cars, leaves, flowers, dogs (especially dogs), chickens, tractors (anything not a car is a tractor), strawberries, bananas, oranges, bubbles, and balls.
- You eat all kinds of fruit and with great vigor. Your dad is trying to grow strawberries in the front yard but is having trouble because you dig through the bushes and pick off anything the slightest bit pink.
- You want so bad to do just what everyone else is doing - be a big kid. Following dad around to copy him, carry the eggs back from the roost to the house, dig in the flower beds, sweep and mop, stir up the dinner, and tackle the steps with your feet instead of your hands and knees. (You're just a mite of a thing still).

(Helping Dad dig)

- You just are figuring out how to 'scooch' yourself off the edge of the porch. This is a wonderful and frightening development. (Means you can more easily escape!)

- You love to walk our dog tally. She often will walk to fast and pull the leash out of your hands which makes you mad. You can walk a LONG ways with your little legs if you are walking the dog too. When we do this at the park - every... and I mean EVERY grandma-age lady has to stop and ooooh and ahhh at you. And You often will 'DADADADADADADA' back at them :)

Today you are 15 months old! Look how many things you can do. :) (Slow down a bit will ya...)

Copy Cat

Today you and I spent 2 hours outside working in the yard. I figured out how to be a little more productive doing yard chores... let you help me! I needed to dig up and clean out the flower beds - and if I gave you a spoon you'd dig up right along side me. If I pulled up weeds and threw them in a pile off to the side - you'd pull off a flower or leaf and throw it too. Same with weeds in the dirt - but you'd just get a big hand full of dirt. I also tried to edge the side walk with a butter knife. Ya know - cut the chunk of grass that hangs over the edge of the side walk. I got a lot done because you had a butter knife too! You stabbed the grass and the dirt and the side walk with gusto!  
But my favorite copy cat move you're doing now is getting the eggs from the nesting box, carrying it back to the front door, and into the egg carton (I have brought out). It took some practice... you did trip and smash the egg a couple of times (which made you cry) or just throw it into the house (which made me cry). 
You are the greatest :)
xo. 

Dear Dalton;
Last Sunday during church... you met a girl. You  ran all over the room gabbering at each other and caused a great distraction. But man, it was cute. You were doing most of the chasing, cornering up against the door and talking. The joke was you were practicing dropping off the date at the door step.  :)

You are becoming more of a people person every day - wanting to talk with everyone! Going to the store, at the park, at church... so much to say. Most of the time it's series of DA DA DA DA with big emotion. 
You are attracted to kids of any age. You want to watch them up close and look right into their faces (some times getting right up in their face..). Makes me excited for you to go to nursery and make lots of new friends.