Oh, to be Aidric....

Just a few of our exchanges over the last few days:

After asking me to lift him up so he could see out his window, which looks out at the dilapidated side of the house next door, "Mommy, I can not see the ocean."

While playing in the yard today:
A (pointing up): is that the roof?
M: yes
A: I want to go on it.
(and then not understanding at ALL that all houses do not have roof decks and that while our rental had a great one, we weren't so lucky this time.)

Prior to nap today.
M: Aidric, it's time to go potty.
A: I don't need to go.
M: Honey, it's nap time and we always go pee before we take a nap.
A: I don't need to go.
M: Fine, then you can wear a pull-up for nap time.
A: (as he is putting pull-up on) I don't need to go right now. I will just call you to go after you put me in my crib.
(Seriously? The whole reason that I make him go BEFORE nap is so that I don't have to walk ALL the way back up there 5 minutes later, and here he is planning it out ahead of time.)

Yesterday, he'd had a rough time at the grocery store with me and was put into timeout when we got home. After time out, he said he wanted to stay upstairs in his crib. I told him he could sit on the chair instead of his crib, that way he could come down and join us whenever he was ready. About 10 minutes later, Chris went up to check on him and this was their conversation, as Chris relayed it to me.

Chris: What are you doing buddy?
Aidric: I just wanted to come upstairs and cuddle with my cloud blankie b/c I was not making good decisions. Later, when I come back downstairs, I will make good decisions.
Chris: Ok, when are you going to come down?
Aidric: That's a good question daddy. Maybe 14 or 17.

?????

Lovie Love

This child LOVES her lovie. She has 3 of them now, all the same, and they are DISGUSTING. She had one to begin with (passed down with love from cousin Grace when she started getting attached to Aidric's blue one and I panicked). Anyway, the original became pretty gross b/c she sleeps with a limb in her mouth and sucks on it all night long. It's beyond gross. So, I ordered 2 new ones and hoped to completely dispose of the original. Instead, she rejected the new ones completely. So, I found myself working on making them a little more disgusting so she'd take them. I figured I had just spent $50 on lovies and shipping, I was going to get some use out of them!!

Long story short, we now have three absolutely filthy, disgusting, smelly lovies that get washed at least once a week but smell after one nap. I don't know how we'll take them away from her, but at some point, we'll need to. She's only allowed to have them in her crib, for naps and quiet time. But, she'll stop what she's doing (in the playroom or wherever), crawl up the stairs, go to her crib, reach through the slats and pull one out just for an in-between the nap snuggle! I followed her up this morning with my camera to capture the love Juliet has for these nasty little things!!

She really does walk!!

Well, when she wants to. And only for a short distance. She's been doing about 10 steps for over a month now; I have no idea when she'll realize it actually IS easier to walk than crawl. She is incredibly stubborn, so this is the first time we've managed to get walking on video. I have no less than 20 videos of her standing, me urging her to walk and then her getting on her hands and knees and crawling to me. But, she was on a roll today. (Of course, she would choose a day when she was dressed in a stained t-shirt and had ripped the bow out of her hair!)



Aidric looooooooves it when JZ walks "to him"

ahhh, PERFECT day

I just enjoyed today so much that I want to bullet point it out so I don't forget. Except I don't know how to do bullet points in blogger, so I'll "asterick" it out. =)

*slept in until 7:15
*laid in bed reading US Weekly until 7:45 when Juliet finally insisted on some attention
*cream cheese and bagels for breakfast
*chris and aidric got some work done around the house (Aidric looooves to follow Chris around with his tool box "helping" while Chris does random work) while Juliet and I had a little photo shoot in her room. (next post)
*quiet time for Juliet while I packed a bag for the beach and Aidric and Chris continued house work
*quick drive to Gardena to look at a truck for Chris (no purchase)
*about an hour and half spent at the beach- lunch first and then Aidric and Chris throwing rocks into the ocean and Juliet and mommy sunbathing, digging and lots of giggling
(I didn't bring my camera, so just an iphone snap here)

*home for a quick shower and naps (long naps)
*more work around the house done during naps..but this is GOOD- we are crossing things off that to-do list!
*also during naps, a half-caf coffee and a piece of "welcome to the neighborhood" cake for me- (THREE of our neighbors have stopped by with various gifts to welcome us and introduce themselves! sooo excited about this neighborhood!)

*up from naps...quick snacks and FINALLY we get a video of juliet walking!!!! (she started taking steps early February, but is very stubborn about using walking as a form of transportation and has been impossible to get on video)
*daddy worked a little longer after naps while the kids and I played in the backyard
*family bike ride around the neighborhood before dinner
*chris and aidric run to the grocery store for chips, salsa and guacamole while I make the burritos.....best part- they also come back with Jose Cuervo premade margaritas. YUM!
*yummy dinner and drinks
*and then, to keep it real.........Jules pooped in the bath tub. there really is no such thing as a perfect day =)
*snuggles and stories.....kids in bed
*ahhhhhhh, another margarita =) i loved today!!

2 things Aidric said today that made me laugh:

Actually, he said one yesterday, but I'm just remembering it now =)

We were in the car and he was talking. (He honestly NEVER STOPS talking, it's a constant chatter..Chris says it's my payback b/c I talk so much.) Anyway, he was asking me why I had my window rolled down a little bit, but not a big bit. (his words) I said I was cold, so I didn't want my window rolled down a big bit. He asked, "if you are cold, why do you have your window rolled down?" So, then I explained that since his window was down, there was air pressure in the car that was hurting my ears, so I rolled mine down a little to make my ears feel better. He asked for further clarification on this and I have no idea exactly what I said, but tried to explain the air pressure situation a little further. I heard a "hmmm" and then silence. A few seconds later, he said, "Mommy, I do not know what you are talking about."

Actually, that story reminds me of the other day when I was telling him something and he kept saying "WHAT??" and then he finally said in a really exaggerated but clear voice, "Mommy, I can not understand you." The EXACT same tone I use when I'm trying to get him to speak more clearly b/c I can not understand him!

So..today. We were driving home from his mother's morning out program. A little boy had had a birthday and brought cookies in for the whole class. The teachers saved them and sent them home with the kids. On the way home, Aidric was asking me who gave him the cookie. (even though he KNEW who it was, he just likes to ask to confirm things). I answered, "Jo Jo gave you the cookie honey", and he said, "Oh. That was so sweet of him."

soccer!

Aidric participated in a trial "Coach Derek" soccer class this week. He absolutely loved it and it was so cute to see him following along with the calisthenics. When it was time to kick the ball down the field and make a goal, he kicked it once, picked up the ball and then ran it over to the net. After the process was explained better, he kicked the ball in the net and then yelled across the field, "I doing a GREAT job mommy!!". The coach commented that self-confidence is always a good thing. =)

Juliet at 15 months...

Ok, 15 months and 8 days. I admit to not being very on top of things these days. Getting ready to move in a little over a week will do that to you. Especially when the house you are moving into still looks like a construction site! (progress here)

Here are some fun facts and things we adore about our little girl at 15 months. (and 8 days)

stats
20 lbs. 10 oz (20%- this just seems weird b/c this child has some major thighs!)
30" (40%)

New Accomplishments
Taking 6-7 steps but still tentative
Just started to sit up in crib and read books during nap instead of going right to sleep
Singing (mimics basic tune in a hum and ends with AJ's signature "yeah")

Words:
No (3rd and probably favorite word)
Mama (her first word)
mommy
Dada (2nd word)
All done
Day doo (thank you)
Nigh nigh
uh-oh
hi
bye bye
mil (milk)
(Will repeat almost anything but these are words she knows/says regularly.)


And the things we love:

*The way you laugh hysterically when you are being "chased". Half the time I come near you for something, you frantically crawl away just so we can play chase.
*How much you love to cuddle...especially on mommy
*How HAPPY and SILLY you are- most of the time you can be counted on to make us all laugh
*Your acting abilities. The DRAMA you display is truly worth an oscar. It is both hilarious and a little bit scary.
*The "game" you and daddy play in the car..when you start to fuss and he tickles you under your arm and you laugh so hard AJ starts to beg to be tickled too.
*The way you say "no!" in such a sassy little voice (there is limit on how long we're going to love this one)
*That you can absolutely hold your own. You were standing next to a ladder at the park the other day, and a litlte girl who was probably 3 or so came up and tried to push her way around you. You loudly GROWLED at her, causing A.) her to take a step back and B) her mom to crack up laughing at the situation
*Your "excited" pose- you do the same thing Aidric used to do- tighten your fists into balls, holding them up by your chin, clenching your jaw and screeching "eeee".

Favorites:
your lovies
mommy
Duck and Goose books
nutrigrain bars
yogurt
cutie oranges
being held (by mommy =)

These pictures crack me up. Can you tell Dora is MUCH more interesting than I am? She wouldn't even glance in my direction!