SNOMG!

The video really does all the heavy lifting for me this time. Just watch and enjoy Shepard watching and enjoying his first real snow...followed by a few pictures of him in snow when he was much smaller (sigh). Sorry for the delay. I have had numerous technical difficulties getting this one saved and published (???). It's has taken about a week and a half to get it worked out. Oh well. ENJOY!

Whoa. What's going on, Mom? January 2011

 

Don't worry, I was only sitting here like this long enough for Mommy to snap three pictures.

Eating my hand at the Cracker Barrel, Bristol, TN: December 2010

It's a Snow Gang Sign.

Snug as a bug in a snowstorm. December 2010

More catch-up! Valentine

I'm so woefully behind on all this. And that darn facebook makes me think I've already shared it all...but I do want to be sure and share the good stuff HERE.

Here was our Happy Valentine's Day "card."

We went to Georgia on Feb. 8 - 10 for Mommy's 20th high school reunion and were able to get some fun shots of our fun boy. At Gigi/Pop's house and the park.

Snow shots coming soon!!!

Can I have some "catch-up" with that?

Between my video camera being stuffed in a sofa and an over-full schedule of late, I've been remiss at posting some of Tidbit's videos. I'll start catching up now. I mean, you don't mind having Christmas in February, do you?

Here's Shepard with a Christmas gift, JINGLE the dog. Jingle has an accompanying storybook and iPad app, and responds when you read certain phrases with barks and such.

Thanks Aidan and Melissa!

You cut my French toast! And other calamities.

I just read THIS WONDERFUL LIST, entitled 46 reasons why my three-year-old might be freaking out. (no, really, you should at least browse this.)

So, I'm feeling pretty inspired now. While our little man is only 2 and a half and some change, below are actual moments of freak out from HIS life. In no particular order and grouped by category.

Reasons that Shepard might freak out/melt down: 

(based on actual experiences...could also be titled "reasons that I think sometimes I might be legitimately crazy")

BANANAS:

• Someone peeled the banana. We are only to "open" it.
• The banana "broke." Into pieces. Cannot possibly eat it now. The taste is altered.
• There is a sudden remembrance that we aren't to eat seeds. (i.e. apples) Cannot eat banana.

DOORS:

• He indicates a desire to enter a particular room (usually sunroom) and the door is locked. Person unlocks door to help him enter the room, but carefully refrains from actually opening the door because person knows better.
• However, person unlocked the door of the room he wanted to enter.

BATH:

• Eager to take bath, we ensue ritual of removing clothing items before entering the water.
• While he is not actively participating in removing items that he is able to (i.e. socks), and seems ready to bathe, he is not complying with any sweet requests to assist in clothing removal.
• Socks are removed by an adult.

MERE PRESENCE:

• Mommy walked into the room. A shared room, such as a kitchen.

MILK:

• The sippy cup has suddenly become empty.
• The milk has been lost. (i.e. under the sofa, on a coaster/side table, in the fridge). These locations are all LOST/GONE!!
• Preference is water after asking for milk.

TOYS:

• Person looked at toy.
• Person put away a toy that had not been played with in at least two days.
• Person attempted to engage him in play with toys that seemed age-appropriate and fun.

GENERAL FOOD:

• Stirred yogurt.
• Cut French toast.
• Suggested salad.
• Did or did not put lid on snack-catcher.
• Used a bowl.
• Used a blue bowl.
• Used a red cup.
• Used a blue cup.
• Filled an empty cup.
• Sampled a bite to be sure it wasn't too hot.

DIAPERS/POTTY:

• Adult attempted to assist with sitting on potty after desire to sit on potty expressed and multiple attempts at climbing up unsuccessful. For the record, adult asked, was given permission in advance.
• Adult attempted to change a really wet diaper. "MY WET DIAPER!!!!"
• Adult suggested potty.
• Striped big-boy underwear are unacceptable today.

There are hundreds more, but we'll just leave it there for now.

Little tidbits

How did I get my little one in bed last night? He wanted to play with a box that I had that was full of some new-to-us summer clothes. We started pulling them out. When we got to the shoes, he got excited (my genetics, thankyouverymuch). I told him those didn't fit yet, but he could wear them this summer. He said, "I want to go to summer, Mommy." "Well, hon, we have to wait for summer to come to us. It's not quite time yet. It will take a lot more sleeps and mornings before summer gets here." (trying to explain how I thought he might conceive time) "Alright. I want summer. I go night-night." Fine by me.

Also, we have been working diligently on "please" and "thank you." Our little bossy-britches really needs to learn about PLEASE. He's getting it. He will usually say, "Thanks, Mom" when I bring him something. Somehow it's really much cuter than a proper "thank you."

Morning jammie time

Imaginative play is really starting to happen. We regularly have "picnics," "rocket shows," and make "food" in the bathtub. He feeds me a sandwich (foam bath letter/toy) and enjoys one for himself. He gets in a big diaper box and drives his "train." He loves for us to play with him and watch him. I am loving this phase. Still trying to mold and shape his strong will and teach him about obedience, but we'll get there.

~Mommy

Holiday Wrap-up, Part Two

(I have been "writing" this one for a solid week and a half. It's finally going up!)


After 8 straight days of little man feeling poorly, not even wanting a bath, barely eating goldfish and turning down ICE CREAM...he finally took a turn toward healthy. As parents, we were struggling mightily when our normally chatty toddler was just pointing and crying. We had tried every food that he loves--Bojangle's mac n cheese, Chick-fil-A nuggets, yogurt, bananas, applesauce, popsicles, ice cream, etc. I think he was finally ready to eat by Thursday though, and Jerod went to the Chinese place we frequent to pick up some "Chinese noodles" (aka Mai Fun noodles) for lunch. Kiddo scarfed them down. Mommy and Daddy jumped for joy. No sooner had he eaten a plate-ful than Gigi, Pops, Aunt Suzee and Uncle Harry arrived. Yippeeeee!

Gigi and Pops were able to score a great deal on a TRUCK for Shepard. Here is Uncle Harry, Gigi and Daddy figuring it out the night before...on the kitchen counter:

Pops is cheering them on from the sidelines.

Here he is seeing and trying it for the first time:




He wasn't 100% sure about the sound and thrust of the thing. He has sat in it a few more times. We're just going to let him warm up to it. I'm sure once he gets the hang of it, we won't be able to keep him indoors!

Holiday Wrap-up, Part One

We were blessed with a glorious two weeks off. Based on several doctor's opinions, we also chose to get Shepard's tonsils out. Ugh.

He wanted to nap in the den on the floor...sweet little thing.

 

Bless his little heart, he most likely caught some kind of "bug" at the same time as the surgery. Without going through a play-by-play, we had a full eight days of Christmas that involved forced medicine (every trick known to man or beast), begging him to eat/drink, a late-night/early-morning trip to the children's ER in Charlotte, begging him to eat or drink some more, fevers, worry, prayer...and Christmas gifts.

That about sums up our vacation.

Nap close-up

We were able to get down to Greenville for the Jones family Christmas, and seeing Grandma, the cousins and the gang did seem to cheer him up.

I think I have some pretty sweet videos of the kiddos opening gifts, but my video camera is currently MIA.

Grandma cuddles

He got some amazing gifts and seems to still like all of them. He hasn't quite taken to the Mr. Potato Head like I thought he would, but perhaps he just needs more eye and funny mouth options.

We were at Grandma's for Christmas morning, so his mommy-and-daddy gifts were ready. By this point, he had "gotten" the idea of ripping open the paper, and was ready to unwrap everything he saw.

He ate a cake pop! We were just excited he ate something.

"My own computer!"

Christmas morning cartoons

"My school bus!"

"Let's have a picnic!" (I was hoping that the plastic food would awaken his hunger...)

Chutes and Ladders!

All this present-opening has made me sleepy.