The Wakeful Baby

Happy Snowy Halloween...

2011-11-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

So I kind of figured I would get up a post about Halloween BEFORE the first snow of the season, but...NOPE. Two days before Halloween we have a substantial snowstorm. It was kind of fun, albeit totally weird.

Last night we went to the mall for treak-or-treating, and Wyatt made out like a bandit. It was really cute to see all the three to five year old boys walking around in their super hero suits eying each other up. One of my favorite/non-favorite-but-still-kind-of-hilarious moments was when one store ran out of candy and replenished the bowl with these industrial sized pixie sticks and the admonition of "Good luck with that" to all the parents passing by. I mean seriously, this thing is about three feet long and an inch in diameter. A PIXIE stick. If I was a kid I would've been all, "SCORE!"...but now? Not so much. Aforementioned stick is now hiding in the back of the pantry in hopes that it will never be missed.

After that we went to a Harvest Festival put on by my grandma's church. They went all out with games, trunk-or-treating, crafts, lots of food, and even a hayride around the parking lot. We all had a great time, including IronMan himself. Enjoy the pics of our little superhero in his store-bought costume as well as his self-drawn one. Go super powers!

It can't be November already, can it?

No Training Wheels!

2011-09-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

We took the training wheels off Wyatt's bike about a month ago and he has been doing really well with riding his bike without them. Here is s short video of that:

First day of school and miscellaneous updates...

2011-09-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

Wyatt started Pre-K last week and he goes 5 mornings a week for 2.5 hours each day. He seems to enjoy it and I think it helps that the five day 4 year olds have the same teacher and are in the same classroom as last year. Kindergarten is next year and that's kind of blowing my mind. I miss having a toddler around. Here is a picture of him on the first day.

The week before he started school we went hiking in the Catoctin Mountains. I am still so used to not checking the weather that it hasn't fully become a habit yet. Unless it is really cloudy or pouring down rain (which it seems to be doing a LOT this year), I just figure everything's good if we've had a couple nice days in a row. So it started raining halfway through our hike and we stood under a tree for a while hoping it would pass. It didn't look like it was going to let up, so eventually we ran the rest of the way to the falls and then had a really wet hike back to the picnic in our car. ;)

Usually when I grab my camera I get all manner of goofiness and throwing up of gang signs like this:

...and a little of this:

That's my boy! :)

Vacation Bible School

2011-06-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Last week Wyatt went to Vacation Bible School at a friend's church and he LOVED it. Even though he is only four, he and his friend were put in the kindergarten class to even out the number of kids. They had a closing program on Friday night, which was ADORABLE. Wyatt danced right along to all the songs they had been singing all week, and at one point he even busted out of the pack to get up into the aisle so he could see the teacher better...we laughed so hard when he was standing there in the aisle doing his little dance. Here are some videos we tried to get of the cuteness!

Preschool

2011-06-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Wyatt LOVED preschool this year and did SO well. They gave out a little "report card" at the end of the year which let us know that he had excelled in almost everything except "Cleaning Up", "Resolving Conflicts", "Transitions", and "Listening", which he HAD improved on, but still needed work. Ha! I agree with all of those, especially the listening part! ;) There were a TON of categories though and he definitely excelled academically (although what kind of academics are they really doing in a 3 year old preschool class? STILL...). Dude can read, so I fully expected that, but was so proud of how he was so attentive and really participated in group time. That is something totally new.

His last day was on May 25th (I'm a little late...), and they had a party at a sports complex. He just loved his teachers this year (so did we), as you can see. I took so many pictures of him with them because he could not stop hamming it up! He thought it was hilarious to squeeze his eyes shut so we would have to keep taking more pictures.

My sweet little funny man. I can't believe he only has one more year of preschool and then he will be in kindergarten. In some ways I can, in some ways it baffles me. Time. It flies.

Visit with Cousins in New Jersey

2011-06-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

Updating after so long can be daunting, so here are some pictures - maybe posting them will give me a kickstart again...

Crying in Goodwill...

2011-05-16T15:56:00.001-07:00

Well, that didn't actually happen, but I was THIS CLOSE. We were heading to a food packing event at our church and were early enough that we decided to stop in and peruse the wares at Goodwill. I found a bunch of books and was about to leave when I wandered over to the kids shoes, just out of curiosity.

There they were. Staring me in the face. A pair of canvas velcro skater shoes from Stride Rite. The same ones I had recently traded in at a kids clothing swap because they were getting a tad too small. They were sitting all lonely on the shelf, flooding me with memories of Wyatt wearing those shoes. I almost bought them on the spot, before I talked my self out of it. But I still welled up with tears the entire way to church. Remember when we bought them? It was a lifetime ago... What if I never get to have another child that fits into shoes that size again?

Growing up is so bittersweet. Almost bittersweet enough for tears in Goodwill.

Belated Happy Easter

2011-05-01T13:58:00.002-07:00

It's a bit of a rainy Sunday outside and I'm feeling tired and unmotivated to write much of a post, so you'll get pictures. And YOU'LL LIKE THEM. ;) Without further adieu, I bring you some Easter cuteness. Enjoy!

Dyeing eggs with Daddy...

With a friend after church in their adorable Easter outfits!

She wanted to hold his hand and he happily oblidged. ;)

On a hunt for some eggs...

My handsome boy.

Look what I got...

2011-04-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

It's always a good day when you get flowers. :)

Baseball Season

2011-04-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

It must be time for baseball...(or tee ball!) We finally had the chance to get outside and use the new baseball tee that Wyatt got from his Uncle Mark and Aunt Marci for his birthday.

Most of the time he ended up hitting the tee over as well, and we still haven't convinced him to wear the glove on his left hand since he is a righty. That's ok...he loved it, so we'll just have to practice more! In his own words, "This is the funnest ever!" :)

Disorganized Brain??

2011-04-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

The other day I stumbled upon this series of short videos created by Brain Highways on the signs of a disorganized brain. I found them extremely interesting and informative as well as entertaining, and I'm inclined to think this theory makes a lot of sense. What do you think?

Terrific Tuesday Flashback

2011-04-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Taken after a snowstorm in February. On April Fool's Day it snowed, yesterday it was in the 80's, and today its been raining all day. We are SO ready for Spring!

Deep Thoughts

2011-04-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

...by Wyatt. ;)

On Saturday at our family birthday party for him, Wyatt asked his great-grandma if she would still "be around" when he is "as old as Pop Pop" (his great-grandpa).

The other day in line at the grocery store he asked me if he could stay awake all day and all night in heaven. I said yes. He said, "But not on the earth, cause our bodies need sleep". Pause. "Will our bodies be as big as God's in heaven?"

And on the way home from a friend's house, "When girls marry boys, do the boys have the babies? I know that when boys marry girls the girls have the babies, but what about when girls marry boys? Do the babies get in the boy's bellies? Cause having babies is the only reason to get married..."

Today it was finally nice out, so we were having a "picnic" on the deck. I asked him why he was making a particular face, and he said, "I'm trying to figure out why it's so hard for kids to listen to their parents." Pause. "It's like when I ask you to go outside and you tell me 'No'. That doesn't make any sense to me." When I told him I didn't understand, he said, "You should say, 'No, because its too cold, or something, not just 'No'."

Hahaha, I have no idea where he comes up with this stuff. He is a thinker.

World Autism Day

2011-04-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Being that this it is officially World Autism Day, now seems like the appropriate time to talk about the fact that my kid is on the autistic spectrum, for those of you who didn't know. I try to keep things sort of positive on this blog, and haven't really said much about it here. I've been trying to process it for a long time, and haven't always known how to deal with it. But it has been pretty clear from a young age, whether I wanted to acknowledge it or not (mostly not). Anyway, we are just days away from receiving tangible paperwork stating what we have known for years...that Wyatt has Asperger's Syndrome along with Sensory Processing Disorder. This is what I already know, but will make it easier for him to access much needed services like occupational therapy, speech therapy, and possibly social skills classes. I have so much more to say about all this, as well as my thoughts and feelings on it, but today is kind of a busy day getting ready for a rescheduled family birthday party (we were all sick on the original day).

For a truly inspirational story about autism, check out the movie "Temple Grandin". She is remarkable and revolutionized the cattle industry, even though her mother was told she should be institutionalized at a young age.

Also, here is a YouTube video of a high school graduation speech given by a young man named Eric who happens to have autism. I just love this.

For information about Asperger's specifically, check out John Elder Robison's blog. John is an "Aspergian" as he refers to those with Asperger's, and has become an advocate for those on the spectrum. He has authored several books including "Look Me in the Eye" about his life growing up as an "Aspie", and his latest book, "Be Different", a sort of survival guide for those on the spectrum and their parents and teachers, as well as a celebration of the unique differences and skill sets that are present.

Autism has many faces, and the spectrum is so broad. A lot of people see Wyatt in public and probably assume he just needs to be spanked, but he is dealing with the world in the best way he knows how (one in which he sees everything fundamentally DIFFERENTLY than everyone else.) It would be hard to automatically follow the same rules if your world looked different, no? At times he drives me bonkers with his incessant questioning, not listening, hyperactivity, upsets over very minor things, general loudness, and still not sleeping through the night, but I have seen great improvements in him over time, and I am so proud of him. Not many kids are reading before they are four years old, and I know he loves loves LOVES us fiercely. He is a very intelligent and sweet kid with SO much to offer the world, and I feel so blessed to be his mom. He allows me to see the world in a different way, and I just know he is capable of greatness.

Love you, kiddo.

Catching up with a FOUR year old...

2011-03-21T12:05:00.001-07:00

So many things have happened in the month+ since I have written a post...to start with, Wyatt turned 4 on March 18th. FOUR years old. I can hardly believe my baby is four. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday, and can't believe how quickly time has passed. We have lived in three different places in his short lifetime, and long for a place of our own, where he can have more than a hand-me-down bed in someone else's house. I think it often affects us way more than it does him. He seems happy to spend so much time with his Grandmommy. And we are so blessed by her as well.

Wyatt started preschool at the end of February. Unconventional timing, but when we arrived here in the summer time we hadn't thought we would be here for long enough to really get settled. That our time here would be a lot more brief than it has turned out to be, and we would soon be on our way back "home", or on to our next adventure, wherever God was leading us. We truly felt this, and the waiting and delays have been hard. But we are learning contentment and holding onto God's promises to us, because we know He is always faithful, and He never leads us astray, but sometimes allows delays to be merciful. And we are so thankful for that.

So, when fall rolled around I called a couple of preschools and found one that had an opening. I wasn't terribly impressed when I visited, and felt in the end that I should wait. I wasn't sure if it was a sign that we would be moving on shortly, but I really felt like the timing wasn't right. And in the end, it was best that way, because the car that had been so graciously given to us by my brother (which I had ironically made fun of him for driving for years...lesson learned, ha!) ended up having some problems and not being altogether reliable. Eric finally ended up pulling the engine apart and now it works great, but Wyatt would have missed a good chunk of school just from lack of reliable transportation.

Anyway, after Christmas I thought I would try again. I didn't know how long we would be here, but we were still here, and I have wanted to put Wyatt in preschool for some time. He is so bored here at home, and being an only child who struggles with socialization to some degree I knew it had to be beneficial for him to be around other kids. We visited two that had openings. The first we were not too impressed with, but the second one let us stay all day, and Wyatt fully participated. We liked the teacher, and that is the one we ended up going with.

So now Wyatt goes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9:00 - 11:30, and really seems to enjoy it. His teacher has noticed some of the issues I have been concerned about (very rigid, and getting upset easily about things he thinks aren't right, the need to correct people, and preferring to stick to solitary activities or activities with adults rather than kids his own age, etc., and we are in the long process of trying to obtain services), but has noted that he is SO smart and is so eager to learn. I am really proud of the way he has apparently adapted so far to the routine and participates in group time. All the way up to a week before we enrolled him, he would sit on my lap the ENTIRE time at library story times, totally paying attention, but refusing to participate or move out of his comfort zone. It is so great to see this newfound independence and the fact that he is excited to go to school on his own.

Wyatt's first day. He wanted to hold his school bag in the picture and was so excited that he could hardly stand still. So this was the best of the goofy shots I was able to snap before we had to run so we wouldn't be late! ;)

About a month before his fourth birthday was when he really started reading. Not just putting sounds together, but reading...whole books. Like "The Giving Tree" and Dr. Seuss books. He still loves to be read to though. He has been writing his name and whole sentences phonetically. Stuff like, "Wyatt runs and jumps rily fast." His drawing has taken off too. It started off with lots and lots of trains (of course!), and there still are lots of those, but he will also draw houses and flowers and suns, and people. One of my favorites is a picture he drew of our family. Even though he forgot to give himself any arms. ;)

We had a nice day at the park with a couple friends on the morning of his birthday, and hope to celebrate with family later this week. Here are some pics of our brand new FOUR year old...enjoy!

At the park with some friends:

This one reminds me a lot of THESE...

Some things change a whole lot in three years and some things don't... ;)

HAPPY FOUR YEARS, WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH LITTLE MAN/BIG KID!!!

Wyatt "Reading"

2011-02-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

I have just uploaded over 100 pictures and videos that have been taken on my camera over the last few months. Whew, I am behind! Here is a video of Wyatt "reading"...we only read this book to him maybe three times. He has since started more actual reading on his own, which is so amazing to watch. Please ignore my incessant blinking; I have the driest eyes on planet earth. Enjoy!

Happe Birrf

2011-02-09T20:52:00.001-08:00

Wyatt decided to make Daddy a birthday card today, complete with balloons and hearts and reading "Happe Birrf". It doesn't matter that Daddy's birthday isn't till May. It's the thought that counts and this one was completely his own. ;)

PSA

2011-02-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

It has been a LONG time since I posted, but I just needed to say this:

For those of you who still think it is acceptable to make derogatory comments about developmental disabilities (or any disabilities for that matter), and the people that have them, it is not, and never has been. Please look around you, and realize that you may be commenting in the presence of parents of special needs children, or people with special needs themselves, and never know it. You may be unnecessarily adding more pain.

I have encountered this situation several times in the past few weeks alone, and it is several times too many. Instead of passing judgment and perpetuating stereotypes, why don't you educate yourselves and lend a hand? The bottom line is that all people are people first and deserve love and respect. I tend to evaluate our society on how it treats those it thinks cannot stand up for themselves, or even those who can, but shouldn't have to. Based on that, we are not looking so good.

Nighttime Prayer

2010-12-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

"Dear God, why do rainbows change colors? Amen."

(A belated Merry Christmas! Hope yours was wonderful. Will add some photos later, maybe.)

Will do...

2010-12-12T17:47:00.001-08:00

"Mommy, Buster is on the couch. I think you need to talk to him about that."

First Snowfall

2010-12-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hello there, blog. Today was the first official snowfall of the season.

Wyatt had the most fun helping us shovel. I won't complain about that! ;)

Priorities

2010-11-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

"No, Mommy, I don't want you to go!"

"But I have to, I'll be back later."

"Are you taking the cake?"

"No, I'm not taking the cake."

"Oh, good. Bye!"

And that made all the difference.

2010-11-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

Just now, heard from the bathroom, "ARGHHHH!! BLAHH!!!!! COME ON!!!!!!!!!! ACK!!!!"

"Are you ok, Wyatt?"

"I don't need any help!"

Running out of the bathroom, "I was trying to pull up my pants and it was really hard so I said to myself, "I think I can, I REALLY think I can."

New Haircut

2010-11-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago, Wyatt told me he didn't like his hair. He wanted his hair to stick up in the front, "like his friend Ethan." So I told him we would go get a haircut the next day. Witness the transformation:

(Taken about a week prior, after pretending to dress the poor dog up for Halloween...I tried to get a picture in the barber shop beforehand but he was so excited he wouldn't stay still!)

He looks like such a big boy now. Part of me was sad about him looking so much older, but another, bigger part was proud of him for deciding how he wants to look for himself. Every time I look at him I am struck by how fast he is growing up. It is bittersweet, but I never want to stifle his spirit. I love that about him.

More Pumpkin Time...

2010-10-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hiking

2010-10-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we spent a wonderful fall day hiking in the Catoctin Mountains. The weather was perfect, and the foliage was amazing, but I think the best part was taking Wyatt hiking in the breeding grounds of some of my favorite memories growing up.

The Catoctin mountain iron furnace.

Reluctantly touching a snake at the nature center.

Cunningham Falls.

I think Wyatt enjoyed it as much as I always did.

Ring Bearer, Part 2

2010-10-22T19:04:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we spent a wonderful day at the wedding of my youngest brother Mark and his fiancee Marci. Marci has been like a member of the family for a long time, so it was a great day, and it turned out beautifully. Wyatt got to be a ring bearer for the second time in a month! I was requested to walk him down the aisle, as he clung to Marci and wouldn't let go during the rehearsal the night before. ;)

It ended up being a gorgeous fall day, so at least Wyatt could somewhat run around outside (although not too far) while pre-ceremony pictures were being taken. When the wedding started, I walked Wyatt down the aisle, and bribed him with peppermint candies to sit quietly. Which KIND of worked, until it was time for me to go up and do a reading. I was worried about what he would do, and while I was at the front I kept hearing, "No! Come back!" along with lots of "Shhhhhhhhh!" (from Daddy). :-/ Other than that, it all went on without a hitch, and I was a bit relieved when it was all over (because keeping a three year old quiet at a wedding, ahem...MY three year old...is kind of stressful, and I was looking forward to the reception!).

Wyatt had refused to take a nap the day before the wedding and had been up late at the rehearsal dinner...and obviously couldn't nap the day of the wedding, so we had a very tired ring bearer on our hands. And we spent a good portion of it tag-teaming to avoid melt-downs. But we managed to have a great time anyway, and here are some pictures to prove it! Enjoy!

Mark's side of the family before the ceremony - Eric, myself, Wyatt, Mark, Mom, Brian, and Stefanie.

Brian, myself, Mark, and Mom.

Wyatt with Uncle Mark...

...and another one...

...and another one because he looked so adorable.

Wyatt and I walking down the aisle.

Cute moment between Wyatt and Daddy.

Mmmmmm.....cake.

Dancing...

Congratulations Mark and Marci! Love you guys!!!

Pumpkin Time

2010-10-18T16:55:00.001-07:00

............

Happy Fall.

Work at home kid...

2010-10-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

The other day I walked into the living room to find Wyatt buried in a pile of couch pillows.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm in a fort. This is my house."

"Oh yeah? Cool! What do you do in here?"

"Come in, I'll show you!"

"Um...uh...ok...." (squeezing in)

"This is where I sleep, and this is where I eat, and here is where I work."

"You work in here? Wow! What do you do?"

"Work on the computer! I click on things and type things in."

(And watch everything you do...) ;)

........................................

<--- I realize this post probably needs pictures to showcase the awesomeness of the great pillow mountain, but I am the sort of person who always wishes I had pictures after the fact. I have lots of great memories. Pictures? Not so much...and this makes me sad.

I perpetually tell myself I'll work on being a better picture taker, but...I feel like sometimes a camera is more like a wall between myself and the world. I don't know why. I would love to capture more of life but I can't get past the feeling that I would be missing it instead, even if only for that brief moment... /random long introspective thought that has nothing to do with the title of the post. Apologies. I guess. Not really though. ;)p --->

Good Logic

2010-10-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Earlier today...

Lady at church (talking to a little girl with red hair): "Where did you get your beautiful hair from?"

Wyatt: "She went to the hardware store and got paint in a box and painted it on."

Family Game Night

2010-10-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

Our Ringbearer

2010-09-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Wyatt did a great job in his Aunt Heidi (and now uncle!) Jim's wedding this past Saturday. (Even if he did give a wide berth to all those flower petals on the ground, explaining the he "didn't want to step on flower petals because flowers are for girls.") He looked so handsome in his vest and tie and took his job very seriously!

It was a BEAUTIFUL weekend and a wonderful day for pictures on the beach. We had a lot of fun with family and Wyatt loved spending time with his cousins! He also got in some practice for his Uncle Mark's wedding in a few weeks. ;) Here are some pictures I snapped on the beach (and a few more I didn't)...enjoy!

...

Congrats Heidi & Jim! We love you guys!

Cousins...

2010-09-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

...friends.

I really think they should up the driving age...

2010-09-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Many, many thanks to Ruth, who passed this awesome Jeep down to Wyatt, along with this:

*One of Wyatt's favorite things in the whole world - note the excitement when he first found it in the basement?*

...and many other wonderful toys. There is kindness in the world, and it has blessed a little boy.

Daily Chatter, Part 2

2010-09-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

"It was a great time! Sure was! Everyday we have a great time!"

"I love you so much! So much I do!"

"Does your back hurt? I'm gonna give you a massage."

(About a present) "Why does that paper have flowers on it?
"Why do you think?"
"Because girls love flowers!"

And also,

"Grandmommy, your friend died. They were hit by a truck, and now they are in heaven with God." (Talking about my dad - he saw a picture of him one day a few months back.)

"How far is heaven?"

Daily Chatter

2010-09-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

"I can't read that book, it would just sound like nonsense."

"My whole body stinks really bad. I think I need a bath."

"Look how tall I am. You will have to say, (looking up at the ceiling) 'Hi, Wyatt!' "

Haircut

2010-09-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

After a morning that started off in a barbershop with a grouchy lady (who didn't want to cut Wyatt's hair because he wanted to sit on my lap and not wear a cape...:-/ You know about by son, right? Never having been into an actual hair cutting place, just getting him to agree to get a haircut was a triumph. And I suggest the lady in question seek employment somewhere that ISN'T well-rated for their patience with children who might be nervous about getting a haircut. Anyway...), we took him to another place, where the first thing they asked me was if he wanted to sit on my lap. Ironically, he didn't, because we had talked about it between places, and he promised he would try it himself.

Without further ado, I present to you Wyatt's first haircut at an actual "salon".

Makes me want a sour apple lollipop.

Sometimes peer pressure is a GOOD thing...

2010-09-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

As soon as we arrived at his friend's house, Wyatt jumped on this thing and took off. I ran to get my camera and had him do it again. This time was not quite as spectacular as the first, but you get the idea. It is great to watch him come out of his shell! ;)

Sweet bedtime prayer...

2010-08-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

"Dear God,
Thank you for this good world. Please help me to play with Ethan later, and get in the pool, and share my toys. Amen."

You can't expect to get precision plant care service from just anyone...

2010-08-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

It'll cost ya.

One haircut, please.

Somewhat unclear on the concept...

2010-08-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

Wyatt's first steps toward eventual Baseball Hall of Fame notoriety:

.......................

Until he decided it was more fun to make a "snowman with a leaf hat"

...and be "an airplane". ;)

I thought to myself...

2010-08-27T10:42:00.001-07:00

Today I ran inside for a quick second while Wyatt waited on the deck. When I came back out, his pants were around his ankles.

"What are you doing? Do you need to go potty?"

"No, I already went potty." (Over the side of the deck. What IS it about boys and peeing outside?)

"Why didn't you just come inside and go?"

"Because I thought to myself, if I go inside I'll pee in my pants. Because I had to go really really bad."

Future Ring Bearer

2010-08-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

Wyatt and I are going to be in my sister in law's wedding in about a month. Wyatt is the ring bearer. Which could go well (possibly, if he takes his job seriously, and I walk with him, but I'm not letting him know up front that walking down with him is an option), or it could be a disaster of epic proportions. (In which case, if I sense that coming on, he will just sit with Daddy.)

You put Wyatt in a new situation, with new clothes including a vest and possibly a tie, and ask him to follow directions, especially with a whole bunch of strangers looking at him, and you never know what you're going to get. But it probably goes something like this:

"NOOOOOOOOO!" (running in the other direction while yelling) "STOP LOOKING AT ME!" and crying and lots and LOTS of drama.

Of course I wanted to say yes when she asked and I know it could be a really good experience for him as well. And the outfit...SO cute. But took a lot of doing and prep to convince him to try it on. Like I had to hang the vest where he could see it for a week, and bring up the wedding nonchalantly for a while before he would stop saying how much he "didn't really like it" and would "run away from the pastor".

As he has never been to a wedding and really has no idea what it entails, we had him watch OUR wedding video, so he could see my cousin walking down the aisle as the flower girl. He looked concerned, and then started tearing up and saying he didn't really like wearing rings. So I had to explain to him that HE wasn't getting married, or wearing rings.

And then one day as I was tucking him into bed, he told me he was scared of Daddy's hair at the wedding. I had to explain to him that Daddy had long hair and a pony tail at OUR wedding, and that he hasn't had long hair in a long time and that long hair wasn't part of mandatory wedding attire.

Anyway, we have gotten him to wear the wedding outfit willingly, so that's a huge first step. (Although I had to order different pants, because as you might or might not be able to tell, the ones in the picture are super huge and had to be rolled up halfway to his knees. And the waist is too big to keep the shirt in.) Here is my dapper little man (who also hates having his picture taken, so that always makes things interesting as well...)

I hope it goes well and he has a good time. It will be good practice for him as he will possibly be a ring bearer in my brother's wedding in October as well.

P.S. Wyatt was just jumping on the trampoline, with no idea that I was writing about a wedding when he asked me where he was when Daddy and I got married. I said he wasn't born yet, and he wanted to know if he was in my tummy. I said, not yet, he was still with God. He said he would rather have Daddy put him in my tummy than God, because God was so big. (Oh boy...have no idea where he even got any ideas like that, its way too early to have THAT conversation...)

Yes, this is the boy who has always hated baths...

2010-08-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

...with Grandmommy in a friend's pool. I don't care if you think I'm a liar. I won't tell you how long it has even taken him to just GET in the water, but knowing him like I do, I am very impressed. And PROUD. :)

(And I am harboring a tiny glimmer of hope that someday before he is 18 we will be able to get into a pool without him hanging on to me for dear life with both hands and a death grip.)

Random thoughts from a three year old.

2010-08-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

“God made the people and the animals both. Does God like bunnies? He loves people AND he loves bunnies. He made the people over here (gesturing to his left)...and the animals over here (gesturing to his right).”

While listening to the "Hush Little Baby" song on a children's CD, "Why is he going to buy all that stuff? Maybe he has a really big garage. That's kind of ridiculous."

“God built a really mean man's house on the sand.” (There is some song about the house being built on the sand, but I don't know it, and I'm not sure where he heard it.)

And one that makes me feel awful, because it is usually said after I have lost my patience and yelled at him (most often to stop getting out of bed - another post ENTIRELY), “Try to be a good mommy.”

The makings of a computer geek...;)

2010-08-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

"So what is that?"

Wyatt: "It's an "on" button."

"An "on" button?"

Wyatt: "Yes. Like on your computer."

Learning to ride a bike...

2010-08-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

Well, kind of a big wheel/tricycle really. But I think it is self-confidence building all the same.

For the past month or so, Wyatt has been riding a trike borrowed from a neighbor. He previously had very little experience with pedaling of any kind, and if he actually got up the nerve to, you know, SIT on a "bike", what soon followed would go something like this:

"Help! NOOOOOO!!! I CAN'T DO IT! It's TOO HARD!!!" And other displays of frustration, which often led to crying, which more than likely led to a tantrum of sorts, which was accompanied by more screaming of "Help!" and refusal to get off the bike because it was just TOO HARD, and maybe, just maybe, if he COULD do it himself, we might decide to make him try other things too.

Pretty sure I have mentioned here before that my kid warms up to things at a glacial pace, and if I have not, let me now take the time to do so. GLACIAL PACE, people. There.

With that in mind, I never really expected him to take an interest in riding a bike before the age of, say...12? Wanted him to, yes, but never really expected it when you couple his caution and perfectionism with the fact that his strengths definitely lie in the cerebral realm, and not so much the physical coordination realm.

I have had to face the fact that most likely I do not have an Olympic athlete on my hands. (Given my own coordination inadequacies, this should really come as no surprise, but you always want your kids to be better at things than you were, right?) The talking Olympics though? No problem. I have a gold medaler right here. He can talk your ear off and often answers yes or no questions with a 10 page, single-spaced response of verbal information. And questions. About everything. That I know nothing about. So if ever there WERE a talking Olympics, I would sign him up and we would display that gold metal proudly.

Ahem. All this to say, there is a delicate balance between pushing my child too hard and just enough, so that he is uncomfortable but still the teensiest bit willing. I'm sure I fail on a regular basis. But watching him go from, "NO, I CAN'T RIDE THE BIKE! I DON'T LIKE IT!" to "Can you push me, this is too hard." to "Look, I am doing it by myself!" (before running off into the grass while looking backwards to make sure I am still watching) to "I DID it!" to "Look how fast I can go! Watch me! Watch me!" (while zipping around the driveway, backing up, and performing hair-pin turns) is pretty darn rewarding.

Plus, now I have ammo to use whenever he says he can't do something because its too hard. (Which is still often, but now I have a CREDIBLE response, right?).

A little dinner music?

2010-08-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, please.

Trend setter.

2010-08-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite like wearing pants on your head to make you feel a little rebellious.

You should really try it.

Chalk scribblings...

2010-08-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

That's what I thought there would be on the driveway when Wyatt asked to draw with some chalk. I was in the garage for two minutes and I came out to this. I love stumbling upon unexpected creativity. ;)

Bedtime Prayer

2010-08-16T18:19:00.001-07:00

"Dear God, please leave the thunder turned off and help it to just water the flowers with rain."

Do you remember that chewy granola bar commercial?

2010-08-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

The one that insinuates that a chewing mouth is one that won't say embarrassing things in public? I needed one of those the other day.

We were in a store which only had one bathroom. The kind of bathroom you avoid going into at all costs and dread having to use because it is no doubt strewn with errant toilet paper and inexplicable muddy wetness on the floor which you unsuccessfully try to keep from soaking the bottom of your pants.

Anyway. Of course Wyatt needed to use THIS particular bathroom, in THIS particular store, and couldn't wait. Except we had to. Because there was a man who went in in front of us. And apparently set up camp complete with a sleeping bag and cookstove cause he was NOT. COMING. OUT. No matter how long we waited.

Finally, Wyatt was getting impatient with running around the rug display in front of the bathroom, and said really loudly, "Why is that man taking SO LONG? I think maybe he ate too much dinner."

We went somewhere else to find another bathroom.

My Child...

2010-08-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

The one who never sleeps when he is supposed to, apparently never wakes when we need him too either. Upon trying to wake him to go out to dinner on time (I would not normally do this, but the plans were already made), we hear:

"NO!!! I am REALLY REALLY TIRED! YOU CANNOT COME IN HERE!" Followed by a door slam.

He wakes like his mama. I can't wait till the teenage years.

I have an amazing son...

2010-08-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

I just had the craziest conversation before bed with Wyatt while I was singing to him. While I was singing "Jesus loves me" he asked me if Moses loved him too. I didn't even know that he had ever heard of Moses but I assumed it could have been during the VBS at Grandmommy's church. He said he had heard of Moses in the Bible at Adam's house. Which might be true, I just don't know. But later he did tell me he heard the story in the big church (the sanctuary) during VBS.

I said that Moses lived a long time ago and was now in heaven with Jesus and we would be able to meet him some day. He replied, "I don't want to meet Moses, he was a mean man, not very nice." I told him I thought he was thinking of someone else because Moses was not a mean man.

A couple minutes later he asked why they were in the desert. Then I realized the mean man he was talking about was Pharoah! He kept asking why Pharoah was so mean, and I said he didn't know God and have Jesus in his heart. Wyatt scrunched up his face and said, "You mean God is INSIDE of me??? I don't think I really like that!"

I said, "Not really inside your real heart, but he lives with you and helps you when you ask him to! And Pharoah was mean cause he didn't know Jesus and so he couldn't ask him for help to be patient and to be a good listener like we can."

Then he asked why Pharoah died...and told me he thinks Pharoah died in a big pond with no ducks! It took me a minute to realize he was talking about when they went through the Red Sea and Pharoah's army drowned!

He wanted to know how fast God made the water cover over the army, and I said probably pretty quick cause God controls everything, all of nature, like the thunder and lighting the other night.

Wyatt replied, "But God needs to turn off the thunder and lightning when I'm sleeping." (Haha!) I told him we can't tell God what to do but we can ask him for things.

Then he asked if God protects him when he goes fast (like on his bike, etc.), and I said, he protects us if we're being careful, but if we do crazy things we can still get hurt! But we don't have to worry about things because God is looking out for us.

He said, "But sometimes I worry," and I said whenever you are worried you can tell God about it and leave it with him.

After I came downstairs, he came down a couple minutes later and wanted to pray that God would keep him safe. So I prayed that God would keep him safe and then he prayed and thanked God for a good lunch. (Even though it was bedtime! Haha!)

What a crazy deep conversation. I can't believe how much he pays attention, and how much he thinks about things. Sometimes I don't give him enough credit, he is a truly amazing three year old. It just touches my heart to see his longing to know about God. (Especially earlier when he asked me how old God was and then said he must have really big feet, like the size of a steam train if he was that old.) :)

Sweet Moments

2010-08-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last night as I was putting Wyatt to bed, there was a big storm raging outside with lots of thunder and lightning. Wyatt was scared of the thunder and wanted me to tell God to make it stop! I tried explaining to him that the rain was a gift from God because the flowers and plants needed water, and he told me they had enough because we had watered them earlier today (we had)!

So I told him about all the neighbors' flowers which might not have been watered, and all the trees and the grass which we didn't water and how much they need the rain, and that God would make it stop when they had the perfect amount. We didn't need to be afraid of the lightning and thunder because God was in control of it. And then I prayed about the storm and asked him if he wanted to. He said he didn't want to talk about the storm, but would pray about Buster.

"Dear God, please help Buster to eat his food, and drink his water, and stay on the earth."

Then Wyatt wanted me to pray about the storm again, so I prayed that God would protect us and keep us safe, and then Wyatt prayed:

"Dear God, Please help protect me and keep me safe and help me not to cry and not to get hurt by the storm."

And the storm rolled away.

EVEN more funny...

2010-08-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

I had to wake Wyatt up from his nap this afternoon because lately, no matter how early I put him down, he can't seem to fall asleep before 4-5pm. The other day he slept till almost 7pm, and I did not want a repeat of that night. The one wherein my mom and I tried to watch the finale of our favorite reality show (which shall remain nameless) and Wyatt couldn't help but moonwalk and soul train back and forth across the room in front of us the entire time. It was KILLING him that he was not the center of attention. And I don't like being forced to put my kid to bed close to midnight because otherwise its too early. Hah.

He was all groggy and a little upset that I woke him (hate doing that), so I just let him lay there and turned on his light and went downstairs. A couple minutes later I called up, "Are you getting up?" And he said, "No, I need a few more minutes, I didn't want you to wake me up because I was making a fish. In the room. But there weren't enough stickers." I can only presume he was telling me about a dream he had been having, based on something that actually happened this week. (Wyatt has attended VBS at Grandmommy's church since Monday this week, and done surprisingly well. One day they made fish (in the room) and used stickers to decorate them. Haha!)

Anyway, he finally got up after realizing I had turned on his light and chided me that I was "wasting electricity!" When he came downstairs, I was putting together shish-ka-bobs. I stubbed my toe on the oven, and Wyatt said, "I think you'd better back up and let Granmommy do it." Thanks kid! ;)

And more already...

2010-08-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Heard from upstairs just now:

(Bump, thump, thump, thump...)

Me: "What are you doing out of bed?"

Wyatt: "I just had to tell you I love you all through the day and all through the night. And give you a hug and a kiss."

How can I be mad at that? Boy, he knows it too. ;)

Funny Stuff...

2010-08-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Whoa. Time has gotten away, and fully updating just seems way too daunting, so I'm just going to post a couple funny things from Wyatt (that I can think of offhand, they are so constant!)

After dinnertime prayer last night:

"Is Jesus's name 'Amen'?"

Tonight while I was putting him to bed:

"Why don't we see crickets during the day?"
"They only usually come out at night."
"But, why?"
"Because their day is our night! They sleep all day."
"Whoa, that is TOO funny."

Etc, etc. Lots more to come, I am sure.

Naptime Chats

2010-05-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

After explaining to Wyatt what an outlet does (he wanted all the details), he said:

"It's called an outlet because electricity comes out of it, and the electronics you plug in are called inlets because electricity goes in to them."

We always have the best conversations before nap and bedtime. I can't even begin to remember all the ingenious things he has pondered about while lying next to me. It's pretty awesome.

They grow up SO fast...

2010-05-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

It's true, because we have a teenager now.

In the bookstore tonight Eric asked Wyatt to pick up some toys he had dropped. He gave Eric a face and quickly said, "Whatever."

Eric: "What did you say?"

Wyatt: "What-EVER."

?!?!?!?!?

Ok, really, SO funny. I know I'm supposed to be shocked and all, and I am, but mainly because I have no idea where he learned to do the neck snap like that. I have been practicing in front of the bathroom mirror for close to a decade and I still haven't got it.

We have been battling growing pains for the last few weeks, complete with pulling faces and sticking out tongues, and being the objects of angst from a three year old who is "Really REALLY mad" that we're so mean and life is SO unfair.

Tonight though, I was TOTALLY hiding behind my magazine, trying desperately not to make any eye contact when it happened, lest I loudly collapse and start rolling around on the floor not-so-inconspicuously.

Our THREE YEAR OLD is READING...!!!!!!!

2010-05-01T21:21:00.001-07:00

Seriously.

I came downstairs from the bathroom and Eric was reading to Wyatt before bed, but actually really, Wyatt was reading. Sounding out the words. Letter by letter. S-L-O-W-L-Y and then a little less slowly, and then a little faster, putting the sounds together until it made a word he recognized. Words like:

bat
hat
rat
cat
sack
snack
tack
black
nail
mail
sail
snail
lake
cake
rake
snake
red
bed
shed
shred
pen
hen
ten
men
deep
peep
sheep
sleep
beam
steam
stream
kick
lick
chick
lips
zips
slips
drips
lock
sock
clock
block
log
jog
dog
frog
bone
cone
stone
phone
bow
row
snow
crow
skunk

Yeah, he really sounded out all those words tonight. By himself. From a book he has never seen before, so its not like he had them memorized. And some of them are hard. This was the first time he has ever sounded out words.

He just turned THREE.

Is this normal??!!!???!!!???

The things you say...

2010-04-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

Lately Wyatt has been coming out with the funniest, most amazing things. Things that are often profound, many of which I have NO IDEA where he heard it or what made him think of that.

The other day when we were walking, "Why are there so many clouds out? Is there a storm comin'?"

Earlier today as we were about to go to the store and Daddy was taking too long, "C'mon, Mommy. Let's go without him."
"No, we don't want to go without him, sweetie."
"Why? Cause then he'll be sad? And he'll chase the car down the road?"

Earlier in the car today,
"You are very beautiful, Mommy." (LOVE that.)

And, "Tigers are a member of the cat family." (Huh?? I'm with him pretty much 24/7, and I have NO idea where he heard that...very true though.)

Tonight at dinner, "God lives in Heaven. Did you know that?" (Love that too.)

And later while I was getting him out of the bath, "What does dressed up mean?"
"Well, "dressed" means you're wearing your clothes, but "dressed up" means you are wearing fancy clothes and going somewhere special."
"I want you to dress up like a Princess, Mommy." (Again, I have NO IDEA where he even came up with that.)

This child amazes me on a fairly constant basis. I know I might be biased and all that, but sometimes I'm not so sure...

Night, Night

2010-04-02T22:10:00.001-07:00

Tonight as I was putting Wyatt to bed, he said, "I love you, Mommy. You're my favorite girl in the whole world."

I have a three year old.

2010-03-24T00:14:00.000-07:00

Oh, hi there. It's come to my attention that I have a blog. So now would probably be the perfect time to talk about the fact that as of March 18th, Wyatt is three. Or "tres" as he likes to call it.

His favorite birthday present was the watch he got from Marci and Uncle Mark. It has a car that ticks away the seconds. He constantly asks me what time it is. ALL. THE. TIME. Thanks guys. ;)

It's actually been good though, because he hasn't taken it off since it came in the mail, and he spent the first 45 minutes (!) watching it go around. (And I thought paint drying was exciting!) So its like a babysitter, without the guilt! Sweet!

"What's that? You want me to answer your hundreds of questions? Well, I have a question for you! 'What time is it?' Oh, look at that! It keeps going, and going and going..." Hehehe. Heh.

This year he was old enough to kind of grasp the concept of his birthday, and every day for the two weeks prior he would ask me many times, "Am I three yet? Am I ALMOST three?" I think he was most excited about the cake. He wanted a chocolate cake with white icing. It was VERY good. So good in fact, that Wyatt and I ate it for breakfast for the next four days. Oh the benefits of getting older, kid.

Speaking of getting older, funny story. Wyatt found picture of Eric and I on our wedding day and said, "Oh! That's a nice picture of you!" I told him it was from the day we got married.

About a week later we were walking to the store and he said, "Are you married?"
"Yep, Daddy and I are married."
"Am I married?"
"Nope, you're not married! You're not big enough to get married."
"When I get bigger, do I have to get married?"
"Well..."
"I don't want to get bigger. I don't want to get married."
"You don't have to get married! Do you want to stay little?"
"No."
"So you want to get bigger?"
"No. I just want to stay the same."

I hope you do for just a little while anyway, little man. ;)

Wyatt "Reading"

2010-03-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

The same book twice, kinda long...;)

Somersaults & Silly Faces...

2010-03-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

Phone "Conversation"

2010-02-13T19:59:00.001-08:00

The other day we were all at the mall when Wyatt spotted a pay phone. He picked it up, put it to his ear, and said,

"Hi Grandmommy! We're at the mall! What's Uncle Brian doin'? I wanna talk to Aunt Stefanie. Are you at home? Oh, that's ok! I'll talk to you later, bye bye!" and hung up. SO cute.

Amazing Memory Strikes Again!

2010-02-13T19:56:00.001-08:00

This evening I was giving Wyatt a bath and I said, "There was an old lady who lived in a shoe, she had so many kids, she didn't know what to do!"

About twenty minutes later when we went downstairs, Wyatt said, "Daddy, There was an old lady, she lived in a shoe, and she didn't know what to do!"

Random Amazing Conversation with Wyatt...

2010-01-29T23:00:00.000-08:00

"Does God give us sins?"

"Does God what?"

"Give us sins?"

"Sins?"

"Yeah!"

Thinking..."Oh! Do you mean does he FORGIVE our sins?"

"Yeah! That IS what I mean!"

"Yes, he does! Do you know what a sin is?"

"Yup."

"What is it?"

"I don't know!"

"Like when you do something bad, like screaming at Mommy and Daddy or not listening to us, right?"

"Yeah."

"God forgives us of our sins if we pray and ask Him to, and then we ask Him to help us be good. Right?"

"Right."

Pause. "Do does God pray for us?"

"Well...we pray to God..."

"But does God pray?"

"Um...kind of...its kind of confusing, but there are three parts to God. God the Father..."

"Yup."

"God the Son..."

"Yeah."

"...and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit prays to God the Father for us."

Pause. "I don't like this sauce." (on his pasta).

.............

Maybe we'll talk about it when you're three kiddo. ;)

Wyatt's Prayer

2010-01-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

"Dear God,
Thank you for Daddy, and Mommy....and Daddy...and all my toys, and help us to have a good sleep, and then to wake up and play with my toys again.
Amen".

Oh yeah, and Happy New Year and stuff. ;)

Merry Christmas!!! And other things...

2009-12-25T21:09:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful day. We went to a friend's aunt's house for Christmas dinner. It was a loud, chaotic, totally great time. All the cousins in the family (and there were a lot) put together a Christmas program for us after dinner. It was quite enjoyable, especially when we were all clapping after a scene and Wyatt says, out of nowhere, "What in the heck is this crap? There is no reason!"

Huh? Who let Walter Matthau in here?

Seriously though, it was quite funny, and he obviously didn't know what he was saying, but just was repeating something he had heard and thought it was hilarious. GREAT.

And the other day. We were at a friend of Eric's who lives a couple hours away. I had never met this friend before, and the friend had never met Wyatt.

He decided to tease Wyatt. To which Wyatt replied, "No, that's not right. You are an idiot." I kid you not. "Um hi, nice to meet you, thanks for having us over to stay at your home, I'm sorry my two year old just called you an idiot to your face." Whoops. See, Eric? All those elbows in the ribs while driving when you called someone just that were for a REASON. REALLY.

101 Uses for a Toddler, #87

2009-11-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

When you really need a dressing room and no one is around to let you in, have your toddler crawl under the door and open it from the inside.

Not that I'm advocating it, or anything...;)

Conversation I Just Had...

2009-11-12T20:59:00.000-08:00

Wyatt is in the habit of suddenly having to go potty (more specifically, poop, because it takes longer) right after we have put him to bed for the night. Most of the time he doesn't have to at all, it is just a huge stall tactic, and I had a hunch tonight would be no different. (I always let him try, because what if I am wrong?) So, I told him I hoped he wasn't just trying to delay bedtime and that he really did have to go.

A couple minutes later, I walked back into the bathroom and asked him if he was pooping. His answer?

"I am...trying...really hard. Really really hard." Meaning, I'm trying to so I don't get in trouble for making up this story. HAHAHAHA!!!

Uno, Dos, Tres...

2009-11-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

I got a little workbook for teaching preschoolers Spanish, and Wyatt and I have been going through it a little bit for the past couple days. It is helpful for me too, since uh...I never really paid attention in high school...oops! He is really interested and is picking things up amazingly fast. We have only spent maybe 20 minutes total in the past two days, and he can already count to five in Spanish. It's crazy!

Stinker!

2009-11-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went out on a little boat. Somewhere on it, Wyatt discovered an obviously old piece of chocolate, and kept trying to put it in his mouth. I told him no, and then he started climbing the stairs to get on deck. The man who owned the boat said, "Where ya goin', Wyatt?" And Wyatt said, "I'm goin' out here so Mommy can't tell me 'No'".

Stinker. ;)

Those Potty-Mouthed Toddlers!

2009-11-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

Wyatt was playing with his trains today and chattering when I suddenly felt the need to have him repeat himself.

Me: "What did you just say?"

Wyatt: "Oh, crap."

"Where did you hear that?" As I stifled a laugh.

"From my friends at school."

Good to know. ;)

In the Middle

2009-11-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

It's funny how my baby can look like such a baby:

and then such a big boy, all within minutes. *

** Murky waters.

* These photos were all taken yesterday.

** Wyatt thought it would be a good idea to throw a couple bars of soap into the water.

Hide and Seek!

2009-10-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight we taught Wyatt how to play hide and go seek. He would stand in one place and count to ten, and then come barreling down the hallway looking for either Mommy or Daddy, laughing hysterically when he found us.

"I wanna do it again!" we kept hearing. It was so much fun. I love how he's getting older and turning into a little boy. ;)

The Big 3-0!

2009-10-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's me. I'm really that old. As of Tuesday, the 27th. It was a great birthday.

We couldn't find a babysitter for Eric to take me out to dinner last Saturday night, so we took Wyatt with us. When we got to the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was a guy who looked JUST LIKE my brother. And he was smiling. At me. Next to him, was my brother's girlfriend...wait! So it had to be my brother...WHAT??? And next to HER was my MOM! This wouldn't be such a shock if not for the fact that they all live approximately 2600 miles away, on the opposite coast. They had all flown out to surprise me for my birthday! I was so floored...it was the best surprise ever.

My brother and his girlfriend left on Monday to drive up the coast and explore, and my mom stayed with us until Wednesday. Wyatt absolutely LOVED all the Grandmommy time.

Here's a couple shots of Wyatt bonding with Uncle Mark over bedtime stories. :)

Our Family

2009-10-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up to, "Daddy, I put your markers away!" Eric shot out of bed, panicked with the prospect that Wyatt had used markers with no supervision. Been there, done that.

When we asked him where he used them, he showed us this picture. In his own words, (from right to left), "It's Wyatt, Daddy, Mommy, and Buster."

Little Artist

2009-10-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were hanging out with some friends and Wyatt was doodling on a white board, mostly lines and circles, and letters like "W", "T" and "H". Then he drew this.

He said it was a boy with hair. Picasso-esque, eh? ;)

Now OFFICIALLY Potty-Training...

2009-09-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

We finally used the last diaper this morning. Our washer hasn't been working for months so we have been buying them on a regular basis. I am so over that, and our wallet is too. Eric and I made a joint decision to bite the bullet and not buy any more. Cold turkey, just like that. We have been giving Wyatt plenty of naked time today and he has had a couple accidents (all in his underwear, hence the naked time), but has done pretty well and even pooped on the potty.

I'm a little nervous about tonight. It will be a long and wet night I assume, but its about time. I feel like he is ready. He's been peeing on the potty whenever HE wants for the last six months, so he is more than capable, just needs a little incentive. Wish us luck...hopefully it will be a relatively quick and painless process for all involved! ;)

Say WHAT??

2009-09-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

Bathtime, 7:45pm.

Wyatt was being silly and said something funny and then laughed.

I said, "Did you just say, 'No way, Jose?'" (It sounded JUST like that!)

"No silly," said Wyatt. "That's not a word I would use."

WHAT??? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Seriously???

2009-09-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

To all my neighbors....

Apologies for the INSANE screaming and hollering coming from the house twenty minutes ago. I swear I did not lay a hand on my kid, even though the hysterical shrieking and shouts of, "Don't spank me, no spankings!!!" would belie that. I know you have all heard a tantrum or two coming from this house many times, but this time the windows were open, and I heard you all outside. Also?? This was no ordinary Wyatt tantrum. This was EPIC. Like exorcist-requiring epic and lasting for half hour. Over some Legos that wouldn't go together properly. Someone is beyond over tired.

Ordinarily I could care less who overhears a tantrum, but THIS?? If I had heard it? Yeah, I might consider making a phone call or I would definitely be knocking on a door to make sure everything was ok. But seriously, the last thing I need right now is CPS knocking on my door...I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for that later when Wyatt is a teenager and realizes how much he hates me and how easy it is to work the system.

I HATE this.

Here Ya Go...

2009-09-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've been busy. And I'm lazy. So for now, this is all you get. :)

Wyatt traced his name with help (the one of the top), and by himself (the one on the bottom). Be amazed. :)

Small World Shout Out to Rebecca of Girls Gone Child

2009-09-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

Wyatt had preschool on Wednesday of this week, so after I dropped him off I went to the bookstore for coffee and magazines. I was walking over to the newstand when I noticed someone that looked very familiar. Almost exactly like Rebecca Woolf from Girl's Gone Child, (a blog I have been following faithfully since Wyatt was born), and her son, Archer. (Also author of "Rockabye,from Wild to Child", a book I have yet to read, but is definitely on my list.) Hmmm. There aren't many mommybloggers I have felt a sort of kinship with, but Rebecca is one of those that I have always pictured myself hanging out with in real life. Her writing style is incredibly honest and true to life, and she says the stuff I wish I was brave enough to.

After a couple minutes of deliberation, I finally sucked it up and nonchalantly approached her and mentioned that I read her blog and we started chatting. About our kids, our tattoos (I noticed she has a very similar star pattern on her wrist), our hot old houses, and the fact that she was down from LA visiting her mom in Encinitas and had actually gone to the exact same preschool Wyatt now attends. She was every bit as cool and down to earth as I had imagined, and maybe sometime we can actually "plan" to run into each other again, and have a coffee/ play date the next time she is in town. Wanted to post a shout out, and much love to an awesome mama. If you haven't already, go check her out here. Seriously, I LOVE her. DO IT.

Sadly, I did not get to meet the delicious and delightful Ms. Fable, and her fabulously drool-worthy thighs. Sigh. There is always next time, I hope. ;)

Preschool and Lamps

2009-08-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today at preschool Wyatt drew a happy face...eyes, nose, and a mouth. Well, to be honest, it surely looked like there were more than TWO eyes, but it is the first representative drawing I have ever seen from him. His teacher was excited to tell me all about it when I came to pick him up.

There is a really cool lighting store right next to the preschool, and last week we walked around...well, I carried Wyatt around it, so he wouldn't touch anything. He had been asking to go in for weeks. I told him we couldn't touch anything because it was "breakable". Although I might have, I don't remember using that word with him before or after that day.

Today after preschool we walked around it again, when Wyatt said he wanted to touch one of the lamps. After I told him we couldn't touch the lamps, he said, "Because they're breakable. Are they breakable, Mommy?" I couldn't believe he remembered that word!

Bathtime

2009-08-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Wyatt being himself in the bath. ;)

I might be doing SOMETHING right...

2009-08-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

Today as we were leaving the laundromat (silly washer having issues AGAIN, right after we bought a new part), Wyatt dropped his sippy cup and it started rolling away. Which started a meltdown of grandiose proportions. A little boy (maybe 6 or 7) saw it and handed it back to him. Which immediately stopped the tantrum, and Wyatt said, "Oh, thank you!" ;)

I'm pretty sure he is a smarty-pants.

2009-08-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Wyatt that is. He has been able to identify numbers, colors, shapes, and most letters of the alphabet since, oh, around 18 months or so...around the same time he started arguing with us about, oh, EVERYTHING.

No wait, I take that back. That was BIRTH. Or maybe before. If a 32 hour labor is any indication, he was all, "HELLO...I'm nice and cozy and just fine in here, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. So SCREW YOU crazy contractions, and come back about a quarter to never, cause that's about when I'll be making my entrance into the world. Just so you know."

The verbal part of disagreeing started with arguments such as, "Wear pants." As an answer to why he couldn't eat his peas. I didn't say the arguments were logical mind you.

They have progressed to statements like, "No, I can't eat this pasta. I don't like it. I like the car pasta. It is my favorite. Mommy, I told you many times, I will not eat it." Cheeky little monkey. And similar long-winded arguments to just about anything he's not cool with. Which, depending on the day or the minute, could be just about EVERYTHING. Did I mention he was moody and extremely sensitive? Yeah, just a smidge. Or maniacally, crazily silly. It all depends to which side the intensity switch is positioned.

He just built a crazy cool train track setup, complete with the tracks curving around underneath another bridge of tracks. I'm pretty impressed actually. Mostly about the fact that it took the 2 minutes I was down the hall in the bathroom...

Wyatt regularly counts above 50, and supposedly (according to Eric) has counted up past 100 by himself. And he doesn't just have the numbers memorized, he can count any amount of items accurately. It is a trip, and regularly freaks people out. ;)

His latest thing is to constantly ask me (while we are driving), "What's that car, Mommy?" "What's that truck?" And the color and KIND of truck are not sufficient. Nope, he doesn't care that its a blue pickup truck. Nope. He wants to know the kind. Ford. "Ford what, Mommy?" "Um, I don't know...a Ford F150." I'm totally serious. We are so going to have one of those kids that asks "why" about everything, but no answer is ever detailed enough. Haha. Thanks, Eric. ;)

Just Dance.

2009-08-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

When I heard "Look, Mommy, I'm dancin'!" I just had to pull over and capture it on video. Enjoy. ;)

Happy 8 Years!!!

2009-08-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

A little late with this post, but we celebrated our 8th anniversary on August 11th. Has it really been that long?

Eric came home with a card and THREE dozen gorgeous red and white roses. ;) Later on we dropped Wyatt off at a friend's house for a couple of hours and went out for the BEST. SUSHI. EVER. Given that this was one of the first times we have had Wyatt watched by someone other than my mom since that first unsuccessful attempt for our anniversary two years ago, he was fabulous. It helped that our friends have a five year old and a two year old that he had fun playing with.

Hmmm....maybe we should think about doing this again before another two years passes, eh?

The kid must really hate chicken...

2009-07-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first night Wyatt was sent to bed without stories, rocking, and songs. It was really his choice, I suppose. He finally decided to eat a second piece of chicken at dinner like we had asked. Then proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes chewing it amidst our numerous requests to just swallow it already. The cheeky smiles and little faces were quite hilarious, and I really had to try hard not to laugh in front of him. (I think in hindsight it would have made a GREAT youtube video, but then he would have known we were amused by it...right?) I know he was being defiant on purpose, but really, it was one of those times where I wanted to congratulate him on his perseverance and stubborness. Yep, I was actually PROUD. ;)

It became quite apparent that he was using it as a stall tactic to stay up later, so I gave him the option of going to bed without stories and songs, or swallowing the chicken. After more waiting around, I sent him to bed (without brushing his teeth...I know, the horror!), and he willingly went, with the tiny piece of chewed up chicken still in his mouth. I didn't want him to think I was still mad at him, so a few minutes later I went in and gave him a hug and a kiss, and told him goodnight. And I still smelled the chicken in his mouth. Not wanting him to fall asleep with food in his mouth (or find it later, wiped all over his sheets, a more likely outcome), I let him spit it into my hand.

I just wish he would have decided to swallow it. I really missed reading and singing to/with him at night, it is my favorite part of the day. Sigh. Stubborn guy. ;)

ETA: He is chattering up a storm right now. I just went by his room and he is singing the songs we usually sing to himself. :)

This makes my heart melt...

2009-07-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

Even though there are a thousand million cagillion tiny Lego pieces all over the living room right now. Because Eric said he has been waiting for this day since before we met. (Yep, they have been in the garage our ENTIRE marriage...) <3

Pre-school! And BOATS!!!

2009-07-10T09:09:00.000-07:00

Monday was Wyatt's first day at "pre-school". He is going one day a week for two hours only. Eric and I both drove him, and I was dreading dropping him off, as this is always a disaster. But we had checked out the preschool before and really liked how the teacher handled Wyatt, and most importantly, Wyatt ended up having fun!

So the transition wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated. Sure, he cried and clung to me for dear life, but the teacher held him for a while and successfully distracted him into having fun. I know this because when we came back from a lovely breakfast out together, he was sitting in circle time for songs, and he had painted a cool picture. He also helped the other kids "feed" a dinosaur (a plastic play structure dino in the back of the school), and went down the slide several times on his own. And I would be lying if I didn't admit that probably the best part of all was the two whole hours it afforded Eric and I ALONE to have a date. Mondays are now the best day of the week. :)

After we picked him up, we drove down to San Diego to see the boats in the harbor. Wyatt fell asleep on the way down and woke up as we were driving around Seaport Village. We got tickets to see a bunch of naval ships and two submarines, something we had never done before. It was definitely up both the boy's alley. ;) Here are a couple pics from the day:

4th of July Fun

2009-07-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

Wyatt and I went to a bar-b-que on the 4th of July, and then we all went to see some fireworks with our friends. Once again, Wyatt loved them, and this year he couldn't stop talking about them...

"There was red, and blue, and purple, and it goes 'Pop, pop, pop!"

Here are some pictures of Wyatt and his friends from the bar-b-que.

This is why we use washable markers.

2009-07-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

Firsts: Train Trip and Photos Taken

2009-07-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a "class" trip on the Sprinter Train, from Crouch Street Station in Oceanside, to the Escondido Transit Center. Wyatt thoroughly enjoyed the 50 minute ride, although I didn't get many pictures.

From there was a quick ten minute walk to the Children's Museum in the Center for the Arts.

We later had lunch at an East Coast style deli (yum!) and made it back to the train station on time for our ride back. On the way, we showed Wyatt how to take some pictures and the following photos are the work of our budding photographer:

(What? Like you've never accidentally taken a picture of your face?)

(I think there was some help in steadying this shot.)

(But this one was definitely all Wyatt! Pretty good, huh?)

Mr. Attitude

2009-06-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, he has arrived. I couldn't be more over it.

In other news, Wyatt has been peeing on the potty much more lately, even being dry after naps. He can take his own diaper off, and now he has decided it is easier to sit, which keeps the floor a lot happier I'm sure. ;) During the day he usually tells us if he needs to pee, and if he happens to accidentally go in his diaper, he usually asks for a new one right away. I think we are just about ready for training pants.

Thanks Grandmommy!!!

2009-06-19T17:53:00.001-07:00

Wyatt was so excited to receive the 3-pack of Little Einstein's videos in the mail today. Before we had even opened up the package, he ran right up to the man watering the trees, shouting "Present, present!" So, thank you. I already let him watch 1.5 hours of Bob today, and I didn't quite feel guilty enough. ;) How could I not let him watch a new Little Einstein's when he was THAT excited?? I can hear his brain turning to mush as he sits next to me on the couch right now...hahaha ;)

(Also of note: Wyatt wore his sunglasses willingly for the first time today. Rock on.)

ETA: Tonight before bed, Wyatt WILLINGLY sat on his potty and pooped in it. Without being put there first (like the one other time). Nice. It was a day of firsts here, apparently.

The Wakeful Baby

Happy Snowy Halloween...

No Training Wheels!

First day of school and miscellaneous updates...

Vacation Bible School

Preschool

Visit with Cousins in New Jersey

Crying in Goodwill...

Belated Happy Easter

Look what I got...

Baseball Season

Disorganized Brain??

Terrific Tuesday Flashback

Deep Thoughts

World Autism Day

Catching up with a FOUR year old...

Wyatt "Reading"

Happe Birrf

PSA

Nighttime Prayer

Will do...

First Snowfall

Priorities

And that made all the difference.

New Haircut

More Pumpkin Time...

Hiking

Ring Bearer, Part 2

Pumpkin Time

Work at home kid...

Good Logic

Family Game Night

Our Ringbearer

Cousins...

I really think they should up the driving age...

Daily Chatter, Part 2

Daily Chatter

Haircut

Sometimes peer pressure is a GOOD thing...

Sweet bedtime prayer...

You can't expect to get precision plant care service from just anyone...

Somewhat unclear on the concept...

I thought to myself...

Future Ring Bearer

Yes, this is the boy who has always hated baths...

Random thoughts from a three year old.

The makings of a computer geek...;)

Learning to ride a bike...

A little dinner music?

Trend setter.

Chalk scribblings...

Bedtime Prayer

Do you remember that chewy granola bar commercial?

My Child...

I have an amazing son...

Sweet Moments

EVEN more funny...

And more already...

Funny Stuff...

Naptime Chats

They grow up *SO* fast...

Our THREE YEAR OLD is READING...!!!!!!!

The things you say...

Night, Night

I have a three year old.

Wyatt "Reading"

Somersaults & Silly Faces...

Phone "Conversation"

Amazing Memory Strikes Again!

Random Amazing Conversation with Wyatt...

Wyatt's Prayer

Merry Christmas!!! And other things...

101 Uses for a Toddler, #87

Conversation I Just Had...

Uno, Dos, Tres...

Stinker!

Those Potty-Mouthed Toddlers!

In the Middle

Hide and Seek!

The Big 3-0!

They grow up SO fast...

I might be doing SOMETHING right...