Finally, some more videos.
I usually can't catch most of the funny stuff on video and Dawson typically throws a fit and stops doing whatever cute thing he was doing, when I do pull out the camera. So I wanted to at least write down some of the funny things he says on a regular basis as he's trying to master the English language.
- We have an alphabet book with Grover twisting his body into each letter. It's a book that I read as a kid, too. When we get to the "H", Dawson puts one hand and one leg down and attempts to stick the other limbs straight up into the air, just like Grover. It's quite funny.
- He loves saying "Oooozzzzy mud" when we're reading "Going on a Bear Hunt."
- He throws temperamental fits when he wants the other parent to do whatever the first one is attempting. Even something simple like giving him his milk. If' dad is doing it, but he wants mom to do it, its "Mommy wants to do it." He's been saying "____ wants to do it" instead of "I want _____ to do it" for quite awhile now. It's usually quite, though not always.
- When he does something for which he thinks we should thank him but for which we failed to do so, he announces, "I yelcome."
- When he wants us to cuddle with him on the couch, it's "I cuddle for you."
- When he needs some fresh air, its "I pay back yard."
- When he wants us to chase him, "I get you."
- When he wants to wrestle, "I jump on daddy!"
- When giving a thoughtful or playful response, "aahhhh.... NO / aahhh... YES."
- When finishing the ABC song, "Next time won't you sing with Dawson (or Elmo).
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
It's Beginning to Sound a lot Like Christmas
This year at Christmas, Dawson will be almost three years old. The last two years, he really has not known what was happening. Because he will understand more of what is going on this year, I've been making an effort to get him prepared. :)
We've been watching Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, and I'm hoping I will find Charlie Brown's Christmas and the animated version of The Grinch that Stole Christmas. (Somehow, those got lost in the last year. Although, they might be packed with the Christmas decorations...) Each time he watches the movies, he remembers more and more. He is walking around the house singing the songs and requesting them at bed time.
My next plan of attack is to get out the Christmas books. There are several that teach the true meaning of Christmas as well as several that are just fun.
I can't wait to take him to see Santa, but I'm really looking forward to getting some kind of nativity scene with which he can play and interact.
It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas!
Dawson-isms
Dawson talks more and more every day. His vocabulary is expanding at an amazing rate and it is so interesting and fun to hear what comes out of his mouth... most of the time. :)
When something is not happening the way he thinks it should he says:
"Needs batteries."
"Oh, no it's scratched!" (because that is what happens when DVDs aren't working.)
"It's not working!"
If he wants you to come and snuggle with him he says:
"I cuddle for you!"
When he is really proud of something he says:
"I DID IT!"
If he wants you to see what he is doing:
"Watch, Mommy!"
When he wants me to do something:
"Mommy's wanna do it."
If he is thirsty while he is eating, he coughs and says:
"Need a drink."
When he is frustrated, usually we hear:
"Oh crap!" but we are trying to replace it with, "Oh man!"
Sometimes when something makes him upset he says:
"That's just great!"
So, we are pretty sure that he is mimicking some of his mommy and daddy's words and appropriately using them. :) Mommy and Daddy are glad that we don't use (much) profanity...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Where are the KIDS???
All parents inevitably seem to have those moments. The ones where the kids are right beside you and then a second later you turn around and they are nowhere in sight. Well, when we were in Iowa, Dawson and his cousin, Dani were with me upstairs getting ready to go on an errand with Grammy Lori and Aunt Rachel. After I finished getting Dawson dressed, I watched the kids go downstairs where Lori and Rachel were in the kitchen. I got dressed and then went downstairs about 5 minutes later.
When I got to the kitchen, I asked, "Where are the kids?" Rachel and Lori looked at each other and said, "They were just here!" Rachel had seen them playing less than a minute before and looked at me bewildered.
We started calling for them, thinking they were on the back porch, in the living room, or the office. After no response and looking in each of the rooms, we checked in the bathroom and even went back upstairs in the bedrooms and closets. No sign of either of them.
I went to the back porch, looked down the cellar stairs, and noticed a truck at the bottom, so I went into the basement and called for them. There was no light on, but I still wanted to double check, so I said each of their names loudly and waited. No response.
I was beginning to panic. I raced outside and looked everywhere around the house. Donnie's parents live on a fairly large farm with a house that sits right at the highway. My heart was racing... Rachel followed me outside and we were both yelling for them, looking in the garage, machine shed, bushes, and the barn. We couldn't see or hear any sign of either of them anywhere.
While I stayed outside searching, Rachel went back in and rechecked some of the places that we had already searched. She just didn't understand how they could disappear so quickly! She went into the basement and walked back into the rear rooms, calling the kids names. As she got closer to the back room, Dani popped out! They had been HIDING, SILENTLY, in the basement TOGETHER the WHOLE TIME!!!
Looking back on this I can laugh, but at the time, I was SO scared that they might be dead on the highway, that I was pretty upset. Rachel talked very seriously and sternly to Dani. Just a week before, she had left the house and gone out into the machine shed by herself because she wanted to play in there. The funny thing is, we don't think either of them would've gone down into the dark basement alone. But, together, they somehow figured that it would be fun to hide from their mommies and not talk when they were calling for them. I guess one of them has figured out how to hide. But they don't understand that the rest of the game involves telling someone to come and SEEK you!
Whew! First dangerous missing child episode down! I hope to not feel that way again any ttime soon!
Erin
When I got to the kitchen, I asked, "Where are the kids?" Rachel and Lori looked at each other and said, "They were just here!" Rachel had seen them playing less than a minute before and looked at me bewildered.
We started calling for them, thinking they were on the back porch, in the living room, or the office. After no response and looking in each of the rooms, we checked in the bathroom and even went back upstairs in the bedrooms and closets. No sign of either of them.
I went to the back porch, looked down the cellar stairs, and noticed a truck at the bottom, so I went into the basement and called for them. There was no light on, but I still wanted to double check, so I said each of their names loudly and waited. No response.
I was beginning to panic. I raced outside and looked everywhere around the house. Donnie's parents live on a fairly large farm with a house that sits right at the highway. My heart was racing... Rachel followed me outside and we were both yelling for them, looking in the garage, machine shed, bushes, and the barn. We couldn't see or hear any sign of either of them anywhere.
While I stayed outside searching, Rachel went back in and rechecked some of the places that we had already searched. She just didn't understand how they could disappear so quickly! She went into the basement and walked back into the rear rooms, calling the kids names. As she got closer to the back room, Dani popped out! They had been HIDING, SILENTLY, in the basement TOGETHER the WHOLE TIME!!!
Looking back on this I can laugh, but at the time, I was SO scared that they might be dead on the highway, that I was pretty upset. Rachel talked very seriously and sternly to Dani. Just a week before, she had left the house and gone out into the machine shed by herself because she wanted to play in there. The funny thing is, we don't think either of them would've gone down into the dark basement alone. But, together, they somehow figured that it would be fun to hide from their mommies and not talk when they were calling for them. I guess one of them has figured out how to hide. But they don't understand that the rest of the game involves telling someone to come and SEEK you!
Whew! First dangerous missing child episode down! I hope to not feel that way again any ttime soon!
Erin
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
My Boy is Reading!
Dawson has settled into an interesting routine. Every single night, he wants to read just three books; a book about Thomas the Tank Engine, Going on a Bear Hunt and Bear Snores On.
Tonight, however, we couldn't find Bear Hunt but thankfully, it wasn't too much of an ordeal.
We read those books so often, that Dawson is saying the words along with me. In the case of Bear Hunt, he is even making the same sounds.
Tonight I tried something new. Knowing that Dawson actually knows many of the words, I would read a few words at the end of a phrase, then point to and read each word, then have Dawson repeat the words individually and then read the entire phrase. And the sending-chills-down-my-spine response from Dawson was that he would READ THE PHRASE! This is just so EXCITING!
I can still remember the first book I ever read, it was A Great Day for Up by Dr. Seuss. What I don't remember, however, is actually learning to read. I know that both of my parents worked really hard with me, but my only two early reading memories was crying with frustration while reading Great Day for Up but finishing because my mom wouldn't let me quit - I also remember her wild celebration when I finished. I also remember riding through Burlington with my dad and reading each sign that he pointed to, which was followed by a celebratory whoop from my dad.
I learned during my TFA Institute training that ideally a kid won't remember learning to read. That's my hope for Dawson, that he won't be able to remember learning to read, that he just reads from his 2 1/2 year old state throughout his life. The ability to read any author's story allows us to live an unlimited number of lives.
We finished the night with another activity I can't remember learning to do but just did my entire life, singing "Jesus Loves Me."
A good night that I wanted to remember, so I took the time to write this blog post.
Tonight, however, we couldn't find Bear Hunt but thankfully, it wasn't too much of an ordeal.
We read those books so often, that Dawson is saying the words along with me. In the case of Bear Hunt, he is even making the same sounds.
Tonight I tried something new. Knowing that Dawson actually knows many of the words, I would read a few words at the end of a phrase, then point to and read each word, then have Dawson repeat the words individually and then read the entire phrase. And the sending-chills-down-my-spine response from Dawson was that he would READ THE PHRASE! This is just so EXCITING!
I can still remember the first book I ever read, it was A Great Day for Up by Dr. Seuss. What I don't remember, however, is actually learning to read. I know that both of my parents worked really hard with me, but my only two early reading memories was crying with frustration while reading Great Day for Up but finishing because my mom wouldn't let me quit - I also remember her wild celebration when I finished. I also remember riding through Burlington with my dad and reading each sign that he pointed to, which was followed by a celebratory whoop from my dad.
I learned during my TFA Institute training that ideally a kid won't remember learning to read. That's my hope for Dawson, that he won't be able to remember learning to read, that he just reads from his 2 1/2 year old state throughout his life. The ability to read any author's story allows us to live an unlimited number of lives.
We finished the night with another activity I can't remember learning to do but just did my entire life, singing "Jesus Loves Me."
A good night that I wanted to remember, so I took the time to write this blog post.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Our First Family Vacation
A few weeks ago, we took our first family vacation to Saint Louis. To read about it and to see some pictures, check out this link.
"I ride tractor on"
"Dawson, do you wanna go with pappa on a tractor ride?", my dad asked Dawson when we were visiting them a few days ago.
Dawson gave no reply, because he didn't know what a tractor ride was. But after Pappa gave him said tractor ride, Dawson kept asking for another ride over and over and over. When Erin and I were in Chicago for a few days, leaving Dawson with Gammy and Pappa, he got his wish for lots of tractor rides.
But the way Dawson was asking to ride on the tractor was a bit odd and it took us a while to figure out what he was saying. The best we can decipher is that he was stating, "I ride tractor on." Since my dad would ask, "do you want to go on a tractor ride?", we assumed he was simply misplacing the on of the phrase "go on a tractor ride."
Whatever the reason, Dawson kept stating, "I ride tractor on", even as we drove by a John Deer dealership on our way home.
And in another funny turn of a phrase, Dawson was watching "Alvin and the Chipmonks" on they way home but he couldn't say the word chipmonk. The most common title he used was chickens, but the funniest title he used was monkey chips. That got a laugh out of Erin and me.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
A Memory to which I’d like to Hold On
If I could put time in a bottle, last night would’ve been a deposit I would’ve made. However, I can’t stop time and my little boy’s relentless march toward becoming a big boy continues. So I’ll just do the next best thing, blog on the memory. And while I likely won’t be able to adequately convey our adventures of last Sunday night, just the act of re-reading this, as I’ll eventually do, will likely trigger the emotions of the memory.
Erin was away for the evening, attending the HS graduation of her adopted sister and since we knew a graduation would not be a good place for Dawson, I had the late afternoon/ evening alone with my boy. As soon as he woke up from his nap, I strapped him in the jogging stroller and headed toward Cornerstone Park. We took our usual route; past the HS, through a newer neighborhood, then eventually through the older, tree-lined neighborhood.
As soon as I unstrapped the restraining harness of the stroller, Dawson tore off toward the playground equipment. As usual, he occasionally stopped his passionate run over the bridges and down the slides to get an approving smile from his daddy. One time, I had to keep Dawson from crashing the birthday party taking place in the shelter. Knowing he was hungry, we sat down at the picnic table and with legs swinging from the bench, Dawson munched down his peanut-butter crackers. Occasionally, he picked up the lid of the little orange container, looked at the cartoon drawing of a cat’s face on it and gave a “meeoow.” But what really melted my heart were the smiles he kept throwing up over his right shoulder, in my direction. Maybe that was just because I kept giving him more crackers. Or maybe it was because he was enjoying the daddy-son outing as much as me.
“I see dogs” was the enthusiastic answer to the question of whether we should go to the dog show happening the nearby 4-H building. Inside, the sight of all those dogs, the barking and the clapping almost over stimulated Dawson. And when I asked whether we should go to another park, I was given the reply “ut-her pak.” So we played on the playground of Gardner Elementary, Dawson fearlessly, then cautiously, running along the swinging bridge under the bright late-afternoon sun.
At first, he threw a mini-fit about the idea of leaving the park, but I explained we needed to go eat “dineh,” so he walked toward and climbed into the stroller. At home, he tried climbing into his booster seat and again got a big angry when I said we needed to go “bye-bye.” Although he didn’t understand what I meant, Dawson tried to mimic my explanation of where we’d eat with a “Ma-don-owd.”
At McDonalds, he kept trying to run behind the counter as I was waiting to order the food. He then pointed at the toys in the Happy Meal display and I thought, “wont’ be long before he’s asking for one of those.” And while the Chicken was too spicy, he sure wolfed down his fries. And again, I got some more heart-warming smiles as he ate the fries and swung his legs in the thin-air beneath his seat.
I eventually realized that since we were at a fast-food restaurant, it was a bit pointless to insist he eat some more bites of chicken before getting the “tweet.” So I ordered the treat of an ice-cream fudge Sunday and we shared the dessert together.
Later that night, my announcement that it was time to go “night-night” was met by an enthusiastic cheer, demonstrating just how tired my boy was. He grabbed the tooth brush and was trying to do it on his own before I even got into the bathroom. That version of the usual bed-time routine was enjoyable and sweet, reading the usual “Mouse” and “Moon” and singing about “Sunshine” and all the people in my little boy’s little world. With Monkey and Cow joining him underneath Blanket, Dawson quickly fell into a much needed sleep. Though the fact that I forgot to give pain medicine to the teething boy made for a rough night’s sleep.
I can’t hold onto my little boy, keeping him a little boy. I can, however fiercely hold onto the memories; keeping the memories from fading the way my suntan from Sunday afternoon is already fading.
Erin was away for the evening, attending the HS graduation of her adopted sister and since we knew a graduation would not be a good place for Dawson, I had the late afternoon/ evening alone with my boy. As soon as he woke up from his nap, I strapped him in the jogging stroller and headed toward Cornerstone Park. We took our usual route; past the HS, through a newer neighborhood, then eventually through the older, tree-lined neighborhood.
As soon as I unstrapped the restraining harness of the stroller, Dawson tore off toward the playground equipment. As usual, he occasionally stopped his passionate run over the bridges and down the slides to get an approving smile from his daddy. One time, I had to keep Dawson from crashing the birthday party taking place in the shelter. Knowing he was hungry, we sat down at the picnic table and with legs swinging from the bench, Dawson munched down his peanut-butter crackers. Occasionally, he picked up the lid of the little orange container, looked at the cartoon drawing of a cat’s face on it and gave a “meeoow.” But what really melted my heart were the smiles he kept throwing up over his right shoulder, in my direction. Maybe that was just because I kept giving him more crackers. Or maybe it was because he was enjoying the daddy-son outing as much as me.
“I see dogs” was the enthusiastic answer to the question of whether we should go to the dog show happening the nearby 4-H building. Inside, the sight of all those dogs, the barking and the clapping almost over stimulated Dawson. And when I asked whether we should go to another park, I was given the reply “ut-her pak.” So we played on the playground of Gardner Elementary, Dawson fearlessly, then cautiously, running along the swinging bridge under the bright late-afternoon sun.
At first, he threw a mini-fit about the idea of leaving the park, but I explained we needed to go eat “dineh,” so he walked toward and climbed into the stroller. At home, he tried climbing into his booster seat and again got a big angry when I said we needed to go “bye-bye.” Although he didn’t understand what I meant, Dawson tried to mimic my explanation of where we’d eat with a “Ma-don-owd.”
At McDonalds, he kept trying to run behind the counter as I was waiting to order the food. He then pointed at the toys in the Happy Meal display and I thought, “wont’ be long before he’s asking for one of those.” And while the Chicken was too spicy, he sure wolfed down his fries. And again, I got some more heart-warming smiles as he ate the fries and swung his legs in the thin-air beneath his seat.
I eventually realized that since we were at a fast-food restaurant, it was a bit pointless to insist he eat some more bites of chicken before getting the “tweet.” So I ordered the treat of an ice-cream fudge Sunday and we shared the dessert together.
Later that night, my announcement that it was time to go “night-night” was met by an enthusiastic cheer, demonstrating just how tired my boy was. He grabbed the tooth brush and was trying to do it on his own before I even got into the bathroom. That version of the usual bed-time routine was enjoyable and sweet, reading the usual “Mouse” and “Moon” and singing about “Sunshine” and all the people in my little boy’s little world. With Monkey and Cow joining him underneath Blanket, Dawson quickly fell into a much needed sleep. Though the fact that I forgot to give pain medicine to the teething boy made for a rough night’s sleep.
I can’t hold onto my little boy, keeping him a little boy. I can, however fiercely hold onto the memories; keeping the memories from fading the way my suntan from Sunday afternoon is already fading.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
To A Child Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E
Take them to a movie they want to see.
Go on a treasure hunt (collect all the loose change around the house/car) together and then make a trip to the arcade with your findings.
Take a long nature walk together, at their pace. Let them lead the conversation. Find qualities about them that you genuinely love, and compliment them in front of others.
Frame a photo of the two of you, and display it in their room.
Put a few Hershey’s Hugs in one of their coat pockets, and Kisses in the other.
Play a game with them.
Let them win.
Make bath time special. Add lots of bubbles, colored soaps, maybe you could purchase a new tub toy or let them play with things found around the house. I let my kids play with things like colanders and funnels from the kitchen—they love it. Don’t forget to warm the towel!
Send them a handmade card in the mail with a coupon to go get ice cream with you.
Gather all the home movies that feature them as the “star” and have a movie night complete with popcorn and treats.
Using blankets and chairs, or a card table, build a clubhouse together and have a picnic inside.
Read “I love you” books together.
Let them stay up past their bedtime with you and watch cartoon classics together.
Do a chore that is normally reserved for them.
Tuck an encouraging note inside their lunchbox.
Give them your full attention.
Tell them some of the ways they make you happy.
Make them laugh.
Laugh with them.
Make their favorite treat to welcome them home from school with.
Show them your joy when they arrive.
Ask for hugs and kisses.
Listen, and let them make their own decisions whenever possible.
Make them a coupon book filled with things they’d enjoy doing, or things they’d like to get out of doing.
Take a day off from everything: work, household duties, technology, etc. and focus entirely on them.
Cook together.
Write them a poem using the initials of their name.
Decorate their room for no reason.
Create a sign that lavishes them with praise.
Kidnap them from school and take them out for lunch.
Make home a fun place to be.
Make a treasure box from an old shoe box, fill it with “gold” (chocolate coins) and make an official looking treasure map with clues for them to locate the hidden treasure with.
Go to the store and let them pick out all the ingredients to make banana splits. Make and eat them together.
Wrap up in a warm blanket together and take turns making up stories to tell each other.
Make a list of things you love about them and put it on their pillow before bedtime.
Talk about what they did in their day at dinnertime.
Sit down together and write a list of fun activities to do in a day. Write each idea on small slips of paper, roll up the papers and stick them inside balloons. Blow up all the balloons and then pop one balloon at a time until you’ve completed all the activities.
Play back rub/tickle games—ie; Spider crawling up your back…
Make a CD with all their favorite tunes and have a dance party.
Go on a treasure hunt (collect all the loose change around the house/car) together and then make a trip to the arcade with your findings.
Take a long nature walk together, at their pace. Let them lead the conversation. Find qualities about them that you genuinely love, and compliment them in front of others.
Frame a photo of the two of you, and display it in their room.
Put a few Hershey’s Hugs in one of their coat pockets, and Kisses in the other.
Play a game with them.
Let them win.
Make bath time special. Add lots of bubbles, colored soaps, maybe you could purchase a new tub toy or let them play with things found around the house. I let my kids play with things like colanders and funnels from the kitchen—they love it. Don’t forget to warm the towel!
Send them a handmade card in the mail with a coupon to go get ice cream with you.
Gather all the home movies that feature them as the “star” and have a movie night complete with popcorn and treats.
Using blankets and chairs, or a card table, build a clubhouse together and have a picnic inside.
Read “I love you” books together.
Let them stay up past their bedtime with you and watch cartoon classics together.
Do a chore that is normally reserved for them.
Tuck an encouraging note inside their lunchbox.
Give them your full attention.
Tell them some of the ways they make you happy.
Make them laugh.
Laugh with them.
Make their favorite treat to welcome them home from school with.
Show them your joy when they arrive.
Ask for hugs and kisses.
Listen, and let them make their own decisions whenever possible.
Make them a coupon book filled with things they’d enjoy doing, or things they’d like to get out of doing.
Take a day off from everything: work, household duties, technology, etc. and focus entirely on them.
Cook together.
Write them a poem using the initials of their name.
Decorate their room for no reason.
Create a sign that lavishes them with praise.
Kidnap them from school and take them out for lunch.
Make home a fun place to be.
Make a treasure box from an old shoe box, fill it with “gold” (chocolate coins) and make an official looking treasure map with clues for them to locate the hidden treasure with.
Go to the store and let them pick out all the ingredients to make banana splits. Make and eat them together.
Wrap up in a warm blanket together and take turns making up stories to tell each other.
Make a list of things you love about them and put it on their pillow before bedtime.
Talk about what they did in their day at dinnertime.
Sit down together and write a list of fun activities to do in a day. Write each idea on small slips of paper, roll up the papers and stick them inside balloons. Blow up all the balloons and then pop one balloon at a time until you’ve completed all the activities.
Play back rub/tickle games—ie; Spider crawling up your back…
Make a CD with all their favorite tunes and have a dance party.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Vocabulary
As is normal for this age, Dawson’s vocabulary is EXPLODING! But not only is he able to name all kinds of things around him, he is also speaking short, but complete sentences. Sentences containing pronouns, direct objects and even the occasional conjugated verb. When he’s trying, for the hundredth time, to persuade us to let him watch one of his favorite shows, he’ll state, “I watch it, Thomas” (or Nemo, or Elmo, etc). He is singing to us most of the alphabet and the better part of the song “sunshine.” What’s really impressive to me is how he’s finishing the sentences of book or adding in words, like the end of the phrases in “Good Night, Moon” or as I’m reading the line “one morning the warm sun came up and..” from “The Very Hunger Caterpillar”, Dawson will enthusiastically add the “POP” of that sentence.
I think what impressed me the most, however was the other night during dinner. We were, again, getting on the floor to pick up the plastic fork he had, again, thrown on the floor. When he had it in his hand, I told Dawson to put the fork on the, the, the… and the word just wouldn’t come to me. So Dawson decided to help his daddy out, supplying the missing word – “tehbal” (my best phonetic spelling of Dawson’s “table.” His pronunciation may not be quite correct yet, but Dawson was able to produce a word that wasn’t able to make it through his daddy’s temporary mind block. That’s some serious vocab and language development.
I think what impressed me the most, however was the other night during dinner. We were, again, getting on the floor to pick up the plastic fork he had, again, thrown on the floor. When he had it in his hand, I told Dawson to put the fork on the, the, the… and the word just wouldn’t come to me. So Dawson decided to help his daddy out, supplying the missing word – “tehbal” (my best phonetic spelling of Dawson’s “table.” His pronunciation may not be quite correct yet, but Dawson was able to produce a word that wasn’t able to make it through his daddy’s temporary mind block. That’s some serious vocab and language development.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Letters and Numbers
Erin works REALLY hard in teaching Dawson his letters and numbers. Aiding her efforts are several electronic toys that sing the alphabet and say letters while pronouncing their phonetic sounds. Our Parents as Teachers instructer was over here earlier in the week and described Dawson's ability to count and say his letters as "amazing." She also suggested we get it on video. And while it's really hard to capture the best stuff on video,we did pretty good here. But what you won't see, and what prompted me to get out the camera, is that while Dawson was playing with his toys, he was randomly calling out letters of the alphabet - maybe a few were in order. Erin has got this boy constantly thinking about numbers and letters.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
A "Choo Choo Chaine" evening
Like most boys his age, Dawson is obsessed with trains. He LOVES Thomas the Train, as well as Percy, James and the other inhabitants of the Island of Sodor. So last Friday night, we took Dawson to eat at Fritz's Restaurant in Crown Center Plaza. Fritz's is done in a train theme, complete with trains running near ceiling that bring the food. Dawson was in sensory overload. I'm quite surprised he was even able to finish his food, but he did.
After Fritz's, we walked through the City Link (glass walkways connecting the downtown buildings) over to Union Station. There, Dawson go to see more trains as well as ride the huge escalator. Not only were the trains perfect but the City Link was a toddler's dream, too - enclosed hallways in which Dawson could run as fast as he wanted, while being forced to go in a somewhat straight line. Or maybe it was a parent's dream way for their toddler to burn some energy. Either way, it was a great night.
Shunshine
The bedtime routine I wrote about here has altered a bit. Dawson no longer wants "Hush Little Baby", instead he wants "You are my sunshine" and he asks for it with "shunshine?". Erin actually started this song, as well as adding the variation that Dawson loves. She adds the names of people Dawson knows. So, instead of "you are my sunshine" it's "you are my ____."
Here's a list of names Dawson asks us to sing (with a phonetic spelling based upon his pronunciation):
Casey
Trisha
Andy
Sindy
Jhake
Cackie
Pappppaaaa
Gramie
Rashe
Mo
Mahrgie
Daddy
Mommy
Bugga - our nickname for Dawson
And the occasional stuffed animal or character from "Thomas".
He's becoming so aware of and attached to the other people in his life. About a half hour before they got here, Erin told Dawson this morning that his cousins were coming over. We then had a half hour of Dawson looking out the window, then asking or even demanding in a whiny voice "Trisha-Andy-Sindy" (It's all one phrase).
Then there's the occassional phrase "Jake-Cakie-Bye-Bye" which means he wants to go see the Armstrong kids at his babysitter, Sarah's house.
Here's a list of names Dawson asks us to sing (with a phonetic spelling based upon his pronunciation):
Casey
Trisha
Andy
Sindy
Jhake
Cackie
Pappppaaaa
Gramie
Rashe
Mo
Mahrgie
Daddy
Mommy
Bugga - our nickname for Dawson
And the occasional stuffed animal or character from "Thomas".
He's becoming so aware of and attached to the other people in his life. About a half hour before they got here, Erin told Dawson this morning that his cousins were coming over. We then had a half hour of Dawson looking out the window, then asking or even demanding in a whiny voice "Trisha-Andy-Sindy" (It's all one phrase).
Then there's the occassional phrase "Jake-Cakie-Bye-Bye" which means he wants to go see the Armstrong kids at his babysitter, Sarah's house.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Dawson's First Snow
Today was a snow day for Erin and for Dawson, the first day he's ever been bundled up and gone out to play in the snow.As you can tell from the video, it will be awhile before he's taking over my job of shoveling the driveway.
Eventually Erin had to take him inside because he kept taking off his mittens. Oh, those dreaded boundaries and consequences.
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