Conversations

Little man is getting so conversational these days. Not that he particularly will just sit and chat (unless there's an iPad so he can see himself), but he can finally answer questions. He has definitely learned that NO is a power word and tries to use it to assert his independence at every turn. But sometimes he just can't help telling the truth:

On Friday during the summer, his preschool does snowcones. When I picked him up Friday, here's what we talked about.

Mommy: Hey sweetie. Did you have a fun day today?

Shepard: No.

Mommy: Oh, that's too bad. Did you have a snowcone today?

Shepard: No.

(Mommy, thinking, "well I paid for snowcones...")

Mommy: Hmmm. I was sure they were going to have a snowcone today. Was it yummy?

Shepard: No...yes. (in the same breath)

Mommy: Oh good. Was it cold?

Shepard: No...yes. 

Mommy: Do you want another one?

Shepard: No...yes.

Mommy tickles Shepard and enjoys laughter. Silly Shepard. You are allowed to say YES every now and again without starting it with a NO.

Sometimes Sunday afternoons are just grumpy. Seriously.

The other favorite thing he says right now is "unstuck it." As in...when he wants to get out of the car seat or unlock the door to go outside. He wants you to unstuck it.

Finally, a usual conversation in the car goes something like this...(three minutes into any car ride).

Shepard: ALL DONE!

Mommy: Not yet, honey. We are going to ride in the car for a few minutes.

Shepard: ALL DONE!

Mommy: We're going to ...(wherever it is) I'll tell you when we're almost there. But we're not all done yet.

Shepard: ALMOST?

Mommy: Yes, I'll tell you when we're close. Just a few more minutes.

Shepard: Almost...

(moments later)...TRUCK! BUS! CAR! HOUSE! TREE! (he really likes to identify everything)

Shepard: ALMOST? ALL DONE.

Mommy: Yes, Shepard, we're almost there.

Shepard: Almost.........Almost all done.

Mommy stops car.

Shepard: Unstuck it.

He is currently fascinated with straws and cups...though the drink-to-table ratio is beating the drink-to-mouth ratio in that format. We only do this at restaurants, in a pinch. And a bicycle update: he talks about his "cycle" a lot, but I think he got frustrated with just walking on it. He will NOT let us help him or show him to sit on the seat. We are going to recruit a small child to show him how it works. He also tells me "helmet HOT!" emphatically. Probably because the weekend we got it was about 95 degrees in the shade. Poor little thing was roasting. Oh well. We'll keep at it.

Lap Chat 2

This was from a few weeks ago on sick day. I just "found" it on my iPad. We had done several chit-chats, and I didn't realize this one was so much fun.  :) Shepard ROCKS.

Please excuse my morning crazy hair... :)

Family photos!

Our great friend Mike is also a great photographer. So, we decided to *attempt some photos to document this stage of life and toddlerhood. And by this stage of toddlerhood, I mean the independent-can't-sit-still-will-run-the-other-direction-at-all-costs stage. Obviously, we needed a patient photographer who would still have to love us when it was all over.  :)

 

Shepard had a blast. Running free on the lawns of Winthrop...and I thought he was going to lay a duck when he saw the very cool water wall/fountain things. We had to drag him away several times, literally kicking and screaming "POND!!!!" We were able to sneak in a few good shots in the rare moments when he was still for 3 seconds. Here's a sneak peek at a few of my favorites.

My 'cycle

Shepard is growing up every day. He shocks me at least once a day with something he knows that I didn't know he knew. This week he picked up an "I" and a "0" in the bathtub (foam toys), put them together and announced, "TEN!" Whoa there, partner.
He has also been talking non-stop about a bicycle, which he still mostly calls a 'cycle. He spots them everywhere. So, in the decision about what to get him for his birthday...that was pretty much it. We're hoping he'll get LOTS of wear out of this. We went with a balance bike. It doesn't have pedals or a chain, but teaches the kid to balance and steer, and they power it with their feet and coast. Here's a video of another kid (different bike, but same concept) on his balance bike.

You should have seen how excited Shepard got when we were just trying on the helmet. It's like he knew what it was for! Here's some footage of our first ride. Apparently, for the first week or so, they just walk. Then they get more confident and sit on the seat and walk, then start to run a bit, and then start coasting. We'll see how he progresses. He must have said "My 'cycle" about 28 times this afternoon...

Happy Birthday (early), sweet little man.

Random Chat

We're having a sick day today. Last evening was a rough icky-sicky time. Mommy might have gotten barfed all over. Bless his little heart. He has bounced back after a good night's sleep. Here we are hanging out on the sofa this morning. I think he's on the up and up.

Shepard now seems to know almost all his basic colors and numbers by sight. What a fun age.

I LOVE...YOU!

Here's a fun new trick...just in time for Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to our special Gigi and Grandma. We love...YOU! And, just for fun, a special rendition of "The Wheels on the Bus."

All Summer Long!

Thanks to an early birthday present, Shepard will be playing his heart out all summer long. Jerod and Uncle Matt put in at least 10-12 hours on this. It doesn't look like it would take that long, but every step had 28 more steps, holes to drill, etc. I think there were 459 bolts and screws. In playset versus Jones Brothers, Jones Brothers win by a narrow margin. Humidity played a factor in day 2. But the Joneses are persistent. They don't get beat down by some rowdy wood and such.
Here is Shepard when he discovers his new backyard "toy."