Austin's Ad-libs

Austin, who is not quite 2, was playing with his animals today. 

A:  This is a stegosaurus.

M:  Yes, it is.

A:  This is a brachiosaurus.

M:  Squints at the bottom of the dinosaur to read the name before agreeing with Austin.

Perfect Poses

Swinging with my friends.

Crib Notes: Sweet Home Alabama

Hi, Everyone!  I've been so busy getting used to my new home that I've trusted Mommy to keep you up to date with everything.  I finally figured out that she's not doing a great job at it!  I'm here to fill you in on everything I'm doing these days.

I'm so big!  Over 30 pounds at my last doctor visit and 32 1/2 inches tall.  I think I'm close to being totally self-sufficient.  I'm even going to "school" now.  We've had a hard time finding the perfect school for me.  There isn't a Mrs. Fran here.  I really loved going to Pineview's Mother's Morning Out program.  I miss Tiffany, Jennifer, and Toni a lot, but I'm making new friends at Primrose.  Landon is my new best bud.  I'm the youngest in my class at Primrose, but I'm the tallest and the smartest.  Mrs. Fran taught me all my colors and shapes a long time ago.  But that is okay because I'm learning other things at school like what's expected of me, how to sleep on a cot, and that we don't hit our friends.  That is a lot of rules, you know.

I LOVE to play outside on the swing and the slide.  I love to finger-paint and read books and dance.  I love to jump and to run.  And I still love to eat.  I love to "help," and Daddy has taught me how to use my "crewsdriver," wrench, hammer, and pliers.  I'm really good at using the broom and the "shovel" (aka dust pan).  I even helped Daddy do laundry this weekend.  Apparently, it's a good thing that he listened to me when I told him I put Mommy's ipod in the dryer.  Did you know ipods don't go in the dryer?  Again with the rules!

I'm funny.  I like to make jokes and tease.  Apparently, I'm very good at it because Mommy and Daddy are always laughing at me.  For example, sometimes I'll call Mommy "Momby" because that makes her laugh.  I'll offer Daddy a toy and then pull it away just before he gets it.  He thinks that is pretty funny.  I make faces and mimic and laugh.  Adults are so easy!

I talk...a lot.  Pretty much all the time.  There is so much to say, and I know how to say it all.  These days, I think it is really fun to say pepperoni and quesadilla.  I know way too many words to count.  I almost always speak in full sentences, and I can put together ideas.  I also remember things.  I might remind Mommy of a new story several days after we read it.  And I often tell Mommy what is coming next in a story.  Last week on the playground, the toddler teacher came out, counted her students, and said she had 5 little monkeys.  I looked at her and said, "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed.  One fell off and bumped his head.  Mama called the doctor and the doctor said...no more monkeys jumping on the bed."  She just stared at me!  I can count to 10, and Mommy is working with me on eleven and twelve.  I don't always remember those yet.  Mommy and Daddy are also working with me on letter recognition.  When I'm not talking, I'm probably singing.  My favorite songs right now are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Old McDonald, but I know lots more songs.

Nemo and I are best friends.  I help take care of him.  I'll tell him he needs to eat his food.  I'll take his treat to him so he can chew on it.  I give him toys when he's just laying on the couch.  Each morning I'll ask him "how did you sleep, Memo?"  And I tell him "I'm so happy to see you, Memo" when I get home from school.  You always have to be gentle when you are petting Memo, and you can't ever throw things at him.  Those rules are really hard to follow sometimes.

When I play, there are two things that are always fun...breaking something and throwing it.  Mommy and Daddy are both really serious about not breaking or throwing some things.  We've had some battles.  I don't understand.  What else are you supposed to do with something?  If you try to break it, you see how it is put together.  And if you throw it, you can see if it bounces.

As you can see, things are really great here in Alabama.  I'm just trying to navigate all the rules!

Austin's Ad-libs

M:  Austin, don't throw the dirt.

A:  That not dirt, Mommy.  That's sand.

M:  Let's put your britches back on.

A:  These not britches, Mommy.  These are shorts.

M:  Let's put your socks on your feet.

A:  Socks go on my tootsies.

M:  Here are some crackers, Sweetie.
A:  These not crackers.  These are goldfish.

M:  Are you hungry?  Ready for dinner?
A:  Oatmeal's not dinner.  It's breakfast.

Perfect Poses: I'm SO cute

Perfect Poses

I don't have a title for this...suggestions?

Austin's Ad-libs

Sassy:  Austin, you need a dry diaper.  Where do you keep your diapers?

A:  On my booty.


Mommy:  Austin, you need shoes for water play at school.  Let's go see if we can find you some shoes.
 A:  My shoes are on my feet, Mommy.

Daddy Saves the Day

Daddy and Austin went shopping, and Austin talked Daddy into buying him a balloon.  When he got out of the car, the balloon slipped out of Austin's hands and went floating into the sky.  Austin was devastated.  Daddy assured Austin that he would get the ladder out of the garage and get his balloon.  While I was putting Austin down for his nap, Daddy went shopping again.  Austin was so happy that Daddy "used the ladder to get my balloon" that he talked about the ladder for days.

Calling all available toddler angels...

you are needed at Austin's side.

Just like many other afternoons, I had lots of things to carry in from the car when I got Austin home from school.  I got Austin out of the carseat and loaded up.  Austin immediately climbed onto Daddy's motorcycle trailer.  Awkwardly, I tried to get him off the trailer with my available hand so he wouldn't fall.  That accomplished, we head into the garage.  Austin picks up the motorcycle helmet and starts to put it on.  Trying to avoid Austin dropping the helmet, I finagled it off him with the same one available hand and turned to put it on the workbench.  In the approximately 0.75 seconds it took me to do that, Austin picked up a box cutter.  With one little hand over where the blade pops out, he managed to pop out said blade somehow avoiding all skin just as I took that from him with my newly available one hand.  I dropped the box cutter on the workbench (this probably took 0.25 seconds) and turned to find Austin halfway up the motorcycle.  He decided he wanted to ride it.  Since the motorcycle is precariously balanced on its side with motor entrails spilling onto the garage floor, I didn't think a ride was a great idea.  Oh, and did I mention I only had one hand free to catch Austin if he were to fall off precariously balanced bike?  Same awkward shuffle used to get him off the trailer worked to get him off the motorcycle.  At this point, my one available hand didn't leave his back as I "ushered" him towards the door to the house.  We finally get to the door with no injuries, and I find that Austin has locked the door from the inside.  I have to remove my one available hand from Austin to get the key.  Before I can get the key into the lock, Austin has decided to climb the six foot ladder, which is leaning against the garage wall.  Somehow, and I'm really not sure at this point which body part I used, I kept the ladder from falling on top of him.  Then, we went in the house.

This was my 25 foot walk into the house this afternoon.

Crib Notes: Boo Boo

I got my first real boo boo, and I am SO proud of it!  A boo boo is great.  You get so much attention...women hugging on you, men impressed by you, and kids afraid of you.  I am getting all the mileage I can out of this. 

Here's what happened.  I was being a gentleman and trying to help Mrs. Joanne water her flowers.  The water hose was sprawled across the sidewalk.  In my eagerness to help, I tripped on the hose.  Mommy nearly passed out when she saw the blood.  Mrs. Joanne, who is an experienced Mommy...and a nurse, calmly went inside for a wet towel to wipe it off.

Daddy had to wear a band-aid on his cheek to convince me to leave my band-aid on my knee.  I really wanted my wound to be visible to the world.

Even though it is almost totally healed and the scabs are long gone, I still point to the pink skin on my knee and remind Mommy that I have a boo boo.

Unapproved Adventures

Does anyone remember that first time your child opens the door, goes outside, and gets almost to the end of the drive before you even realize he's not in the house?  How long does it take before your blood thaws?

We were getting ready to go to dinner with our neighbors tonight.  Dallas went outside to clean out the truck.  He came back in and left the garage door open since we were leaving in a few minutes. After getting bored with me, Austin went in search of Daddy.  We heard him rattling through the house calling for Daddy.  We called out to tell him Daddy was in the bathroom.  When he didn't come back to the bathroom, we went to get him.  He had let himself out the garage door, closed the door behind himself, walked through the garage, and was on the way to the end of the drive where the truck was parked when Daddy saw him.

Within a few hours of this occurrence, we had child-proof covers on all our outside doors.

Austin's Ad-libs

While eating his Mickey Mouse yogurt.

A:  Mickey is looking for Goofy.

M:  Is Mickey looking for Baby Goofy (from one of his favorite videos).

A:  No.  Mickey is looking for Big Goofy.

M:  Oh.  Where is Big Goofy?

A:  He's...in the castle.

M:  In the castle?

A:  Yes.  Big Goofy is in the castle.  Mickey needs to find him.

After a pause to eat more yogurt...

A:  Mickey needs to climb up the ladder to get in the castle.