Kids say the darndest things....

I have been holding back on this one for a few weeks thinking I did not hear what Collin was saying. Maybe he was saying something that only sounded like the work I thought he was saying.

It started one evening when I got home from work. I typically go to my bedroom closet and get undressed from the day and put something on that is more comfortable so I can play with Collin and relax. As usual, Collin followed my into the closet to sort daddy's socks, pull out the dirty clothes from the hamper or make some other mess that I would have to clean up later. I was taking off my work shirt (left my bra on) and about to put on my causal comfy shirt when I heard him say "boobies". I was shocked. Where did he know that word from? I don't refer to "my girls" that way so I wondered where he learned this word. Thinking I must be hearing things, I asked him "what did you say?" and he repeated "boobies". I had to tell daddy what happened and he thought it was hilarious.

Yesterday, we were running errands and we stopped in for me to try on some clothes. Collin followed me into the dressing room and was looking at himself in the mirror when I started to take of my shirt to try on a shirt. He turned around and said "boobies" and pointed to my chest. Thank goodness the shop had music blasting into the shop or people walking by would have been able to hear him.

I thought I had at least another 6 months to a year before I would be embarrassed about what words come out of his mouth. Once again, I have things to learn about being a parent.

Park and Puddles

Yesterday morning after breakfast, Collin, daddy and I went to the park so Collin could play and we could enjoy the outdoors before it got too hot. We went to his favorite spot. Before we got out of the car, Collin was so excited to see the park. He started to laugh and point the direction of the slides. Daddy read while I followed Collin around the playground equipment. He had a great time running from the tunnels to the steering wheel and then the sway ride (I will have to take a picture sometime). He would only pause if there was an airplane flying overhead. He stopped, looked up and watched the plane until it was out of sight.

It had rained the night before and Collin found one of the puddles by accident. He was running from the end of one tunnel back to the other side and stepped in the water. As soon as it splashed on him, he stopped, backed up and stepped in it again. Yep, he got wet but was having a great time. He then decided to step in all of the puddles he could find. He even started to dance in one of them.

I enjoyed watching him have a great time and me not be worried about his clothes getting wet. I had dry ones in the car. Even if I did not, I would have hated to stop him from exploring what the puddles did every time he stepped in them.

Boys, boys and boys!

This morning, we attended Gavin's 4th birthday party at a local park. It was about a 45 min drive so Collin took a nap starting about 15 minutes before we got there (isn't that how is always works?). He was still trying to wake up when we first showed up at the picnic tables set up for the party. He slowing started to wake up when he noticed the choo-choo as he called it. He just had to sit on the choo-choo. We did not know it was electronic until one of the other older boys showed him that he could push a button and the choo-choo would go by itself!! Collin was hooked. He must have spent 2o minutes on it before he really started to wake up and notice that there was a playground close by. This is where all of the other boys were playing. They ranged in age of 3 to 12....so Collin was the youngest but that did not stop him from having fun. He quickly found a friend, Zach. He watched Zach and started following him around so he could do what Zach was doing. Zach did not mind and even help Collin do a few things. They were buds by the time the party was over.

Creative way to get on the couch

Instead of asking for help from one of us to get on the couch, he uses the over sized ottoman/table we have in front of the couch. I have no idea how he figured it out but it's really fun to watch him do it. If the ottoman is moved, he will push one of us over by the ottoman to have us move it closer to the couch.

I tried taking a video of him doing it one time, but he was more focused on the camera. I finally was able to piece some shots together to show what it looks like when he is doing this. Can you imagine what his abs would look like if his little belly was not bloated all the time.

Great day for the museum

After Collin took over a two hour morning nap and then had lunch, Mimi, Collin and I headed to the Children's museum. They just opened up the toddler section and I have been wanted to take Collin there. Since it was an overcast afternoon and likely to rain, I thought it would be fun to go today.

On the way there, Collin had to point out EVERY bus or truck. He even spotted bicycles before Mimi and I saw them. Dogs were high on the list too. As with any other time Collin is in the car, it's not just baby babble anymore. He has to either talk and point out everything he sees, hummmm, dance to the music. So the trip to the museum was like any other car ride. Much more entertaining than it used to be. At least he is not crying all the way home sounding like a siren like he used to.





When we got there, he was in awe watching the kids climb on the indoor playground equipment. Then, we found an ambulance for kids to try out the lights and pretend like they were driving. He LOVED playing with the stirring wheel. Mimi showed him were the lights were. He liked flipping the lights on and off and watch them flash on my shirt as I stood in front of the ambulance.


Next, it was time to grocery shop. Collin enjoyed putting fake fruit and other produce in his grocery sack. He was picking out really healthy food and Mimi was putting in cake and donuts. After he filled his bag, it was time to check out. Mimi showed him where to do this but he did not know what to do with the bag.





After grocery shopping, we played in the toddler area for at least an hour. He liked driving the small car, sliding down the slide, playing with the gigantic light-bright screen, and playing in the kid-sized house. Then it was time to play outside at the water works area. This showed the kids how water can make things move. Collin liked playing with the boats floating in the water and the fountain pushing the boats along the path. Before I knew it, he was soaked. I am glad I brought an extra shirt for him.

He has so much fun and played so hard that I did not think he would ever stop eating dinner tonight. He ate about 3 times the amount that he normally eats. Wonder how long he will sleep tonight? I cannot wait for the 4-year birthday party we are invited to tomorrow. I hope the rain stays away.

Like Father, Like Son

When we were playing at the park this weekend, I noticed that Collin and daddy walk alike. I already knew that they looked so much like each other so I should not have been shocked by seeing how their stride and "arm swing" was similar also. Collin was able to keep up with daddy too. The only time he "fell back" was when he saw someone walking their dog. He had to stop to make barking noises at the dog.

I Do It!!!

Drum roll......Collin is officially in his Terrible Twos!

He does not want us to feed him (and really has not for awhile). Now, he wants his spoon (which he still holds in his left hand) to feed himself his food. He is really good with soft food and even is able to fork meat and make it to his mouth. Mimi was over yesterday and was clapping during most of the meal since he was really accurate and did not get too much on the outside of his mouth or on his shirt. I was working and had to come out of the office to see what was going on.

Another example is that he does NOT want to hold our hand or finger when his is walking down the stairs. Yes, he walks down the stairs now. He used to wait and hold his hand out for us to give him our hand and then he would start walking down. Now, he let's us know that he is going to do it on his own.

He also runs away when it's time to change his diaper. Before, he did not mind and would lay down on the floor and wait for us to change him. Now, when he sees us coming with a diaper and wipes in hand, he runs away and hides. His hiding spot is not that great though....he crouches down next to the couch and between the large ottoman. It's very east to see and catch him.

Just a few examples that we have noticed in the last week or two.

Jealous?

When the three of us are in the car going somewhere, Collin DOES NOT like it when either mommy or daddy grabs for the other one's hand to hold it during the ride. Collin could be happy in the back seat pointing out the trucks, water fountains and other things he sees until he sees mommy and daddy holding hands. He immediately starts crying and pointing at our hands. It does not matter that we tell him we are OK or if I even kiss daddy's hand to show him that we are fine, he continues to cry until one of us let's go. It does not matter who grabs for the other hand, he is fine until we actually start holding hands. This has happened several times and not just during one car ride so it was not because he was not in the best of moods during the ride.

We will continue to hold hands because mommy and daddy like to do this. Collin will just have to figure out that we are not hurting each other or that daddy is not taking mommy away from him.

Baseball Anyone?

We might have a future baseball player growing up in our house. I just talked to Mimi on my way home and she says our "lefty" has great aim from at least 6 feet away. Now, this is from a proud grandma but I do have to believe this because Collin can not only throw far for is size but he does have good accuracy too. She said that he repeatedly was able to throw a ball to her from a great distance. He did something similar with a stuffed animal this weekend and we thought it was a coincidence that he kept throwing the animal where he was aiming. Maybe not after the call I just had with her. So, he really IS throwing the remote control in my face on purpose!

Sorry daddy. I know baseball is not your favorite sport. :(

Happy Easter

We are so lucky to have family and friends near. We saw my family for lunch after Easter service and then some close friends of ours after that for a nice relaxing afternoon. We were going to go Easter egg hunting again this morning since daddy was off for the day but the weather was terrible....it poured during the time we would have been outside hunting for the eggs. I am so glad we went yesterday morning. Not that Collin would have known the difference but I would have.



Here is Chris, cousin Timmy (Collin, aren't you glad we did not do that do you?) and Collin at lunch.

Tonight, daddy and Collin had a great time building a fort out of the couch pillows and blankets while mommy watched and scrapbooked a few pages. Collin tore down the fort a few times and this led to a game of tackle daddy and push him over (new game to add to the list). When they finally finished this game, it was really hard to tell who was more tired, Collin or daddy? Collin ate dinner and then insisted on sweeping his mess. He really did not sweep around the area he ate but instead pushed it out into the living room area. Does he at least get an "A" for effort? Then, it was time for bath and then to read a few books which include new ones Grandma H gave him last time she was in town for a visit.

It was a great day spent with family. Happy Easter!

Look at me run!!

Collin does not really walk anymore. I guess it's boring for him because he prefers to run from place to place now. He is getting really good at it and does not typically fall when he does it. Here he is after the egg hunt Saturday morning.

First Easter Egg Hunt

We met Saige and her family this morning for Collin's first Easter egg hunt. First, there was breakfast. Collin was only interested in the fruit and not the pastries. That's my boy!!! (sorry dad). Then, the hunt was on! There was a section for the "early walkers" where the eggs were really easy to find. Collin did not wait for the official start and started to pick up the eggs right away. He did not realize that he was then supposed to put the egg in his basket. Mimi showed him what to do and then he was a pro at it. He ended up getting over 15 eggs. He might have gotten more but his basket was little and we (OK, mommy and not Collin) wanted to save some eggs for the other kids who started a little late. When he was finished, he and Saige got together to compare their eggs and pose for photo time.

After the hunt, the kids played on the playground for about 20 minutes. Yep, Collin took a much needed nap on the way home.

Here he is collecting his eggs....there was not too much hunting going on.

After Naptime

After he wakes up from a nap or first thing in the morning, Collin still throws everything that is in his crib out and on the floor. We even had to move the diapers that used to sit near the crib because, one morning, the entire floor was covered with diapers. He had reached through the crib rails and threw each diaper he could grab onto the floor.

Once he gets out of his crib (so glad he has not figured out how to get out himself yet), he does have to carry his favorite monkey and blanket with him down the stairs. Here he is after his morning nap today. Looks like he is rested and ready for the day.

Park and Persuasion

Because we were both couped up in the house most of the week, we all went to the park after Mimi and Dustin arrived at the house. Collin had a good time running up and down the paths leading to the slide sections of the playground equipment. I sat on the park bench while Mimi made sure that he was OK climbing and running around. Whenever he was thirsty or hungry, he would stop by where I was sitting for a drink or snack.

The last time he stopped by, he took his snack cup and took off running to his favorite tunnel on the equipment. He then sat there blocking the tunnel opening. He does this every time we play on this particular park equipment. Daddy and I think he is watching the other kids play and maybe figuring out how he can do the same thing. The park was getting busy so he was blocking the other kids from having fun. Neither Mimi or I were able to get him to move or even slide down the nearest slide. I eventually had the great idea of putting his sippie cup at the bottom of the slide and showed him were it was. This worked!! He moved and slid down the slide. Whew! I was hoping that we were not going to have to resort to other extraction methods.

Hurricane Collin

If daddy were to come home an hour earlier than he did last night, he would have seen the affects of what I can only refer to as Hurricane Collin. These days, I wish our couch did not have back pillows that could come off. Collin is fond of taking ALL of the pillows off every day to build a fort or to climb all over them on the floor. Whatever the reason is, the pillows need to come off the couch. If I need to lay down or want to sit on the couch with a pillow behind me, he lets me know right away how he feels about me picking up one of his carefully placed pillows off the floor and putting it back on the couch. If I were to put the pillow back, he stops yelling at me. Of course, I am the mommy and I will do what I want with the pillow. ;)

Beside the destruction of the couch, Collin likes to take all of his books of the shelves (he does "read" a lot of these before they make it to the ground), dump the toy box and its contents all over the floor and rearrange where the toys were sitting previously. Just picture what all of this looks like at the end of the day. It's even better if he has decided that all of his dirty clothes from the hamper in the laundry room need to be thrown over the gate to the bottom of the stairs. It's a mess for sure.

I will try to get a picture of it today.....I was too exhausted after cleaning it all up to get a picture yesterday.

Mockingbird

Collin has been like a little mockingbird lately. Anything he hears us say, he repeats....sometimes even more than once. He will repeat both English and Spanish words and even sounds from the TV. Even when you don't think he is listening to what you are saying, suddenly you can hear him from across the room repeat a word you just said. I will turn around and smile at him and he will smile back knowing that he just did something great.

Getting Cultural

I am a week late in blogging this. Collin and I walked to a local art festival that I like to attend every year. This time, I enjoyed it much more because Collin was there to give his opinion of the art we saw. He even helped me pick out a clock made by a local artist. We also ran into a buddy of his, Dane, that was running his fingers through water trickling down from a fountain and laughing. This is exactly what Collin does when he sees fountains and I let him do the same thing. Collin loves water and fountains these days. If I knew that he would not make a mess with a small fountain, I would buy us one for the house. When we were leaving, there were large sculptures of animals in the front of the festival. I let Collin walk around and explore these sculptures. He seem to really like looking at them until something else caught his eye and he ran over to it to get a better look. I started to laugh when I saw what it was. He spotted the bicycle parking and just had to check out the bikes. He was not interested in the sculptures anymore.