Popsicles at breakfast

Daniel doesn't have a sore throat, but is enjoying them as much as I am! 

Blue ones are his favorite, of course. 

Popsicles

Daniel calls his tricycle a Popsicle.
He also calls popsicles cold popsicles.
(He calls bicycles bikes.)

He was digging in the freezer a few weeks ago -something he can do now that he's tall enough to see what is inside -and he found some of those plastic tube Popsicles.   He told us he wanted to "Eek cold popsicles!".  When we gave him one, he wasn't thrilled about how cold they were.

His dad offered him a solution.
Popsicle gloves.
Made from old socks.
They love it.

  

A New Food!

I'm concerned about Daniel's intake of vegetables, so when I had the idea to make sweet potato pancakes for him, I thought I was pretty brilliant.

He loves pancakes.

He also loves to help cook.

I let him mash the sweet potatoes with a masher (he usually uses this masher for playdough, so he knew how to do it.)

He ate these pancakes right now, asking for more "seat po-ate-o-can-cake" every day we ate them.  

Success!!

Waffles, yes.

Daniel says this phrase ten times a day. He begs and begs to eat waffles, and not only at breakfast!

I used to ask him what he wanted to eat, but I've changed my tune because he only would say, "Waf-fulls!" (Or cake!)

Lately though, he's been coming to me and telling me what he wants to eat. "Waff fulls, yes!" is his request/demand.   He usually gets his way one out of three meals.

We serve him waffles with almond butter and strawberry or grape jelly or with vanilla yogurt or with applesauce.  On special, rare occasions he gets shee-gup, and that will be the rule until he keeps that shee-gup out of his hair!

Making Cup Cakes with Mama

After Daniel came home from his Douglas grandparents, he needed some Mama alone time.  Without the baby.  So we did one of his favorite things... cooking!  And also sprinkles... and eating...

All Done!

He's been signing this phrase after meals for about 8 months. Lately his ALL DONEs look more like triumphant finishes of a bull riding event or Olympic gymnastics team. He is just SO happy to show us that he has finished!

First Oreo.

Well, he takes after me in one respect... a love for chocolate that his father just does not share.  He could not get enough of these oreos for snack!  Fortunately for me (because there were not too many left!) he didn't realize that one entire cookie is made of two parts, so he only had 2 cookies total when he thought he was hot stuff for getting four!  

Happy Pudding Face!

I discovered a way to give myself at least one half hour with my child sitting in one place.  I can use this half hour for exercise, putting away laundry, mopping the floor, or pretty much anything else I need to do that requires Daniel to be still and only mildly supervised.

I let him feed himself pudding (or yogurt or applesauce, but pudding gives him the most enjoyment!) with a spoon.  I could feed him this in about three minutes, but it takes him at least times longer.  Sometimes, its closer to one hour!  

Believe it or not, no pudding ended up on the floor, and very little pudding was left on the spoon, container, or his body.  He got it all in!

Notice all those teeth?  They are all almost in!

He was so happy with this snack.  And so proud of his accomplishments!

He is really growing up!  For most of his meals, he does feed himself.  However, we speed things along by feeding foods like this to him and sometimes by loading up one fork with bites to eat and switching it with the fork in his hand.  Usually self-feeding means he eats less food per meal and more carb-type foods (muffins, crackers, fruits, etc) but we've been having good luck with bean burritos, chicken, hamburger sandwiches, and yogurt.  Obviously, we are having good luck with pudding!  If only there was a way for vegetables to make their way into pudding... he would be set!

Table Manners

I am happy to report that Daniel's table manners have improved since he was twelve months old!  He spent about a month being rebellious and throwing food on the floor when he no longer wanted to eat.  He also used to be much more impatient when finished eating, demanding to be put down.

These days, DHH is pretty happy at meal times.  Meals must be short with few choices of food.  He prefers to use silverware, wear a bib, and have his hands and mouth washed JUST AS SOON as he has taken his last bite.  He also prefers his sip cup in one hold of the cup holder, but not the other.

There are times when Daniel will hold a fork and properly stab into a bite of food and then remove the food and eat it with his other hand.  He is better at using forks than spoons, but still loves to have access to them at meal times.

Meal time manners are far better at our own home than when we travel to our parents' homes or go to a restaurant.  He is so impatient with restaurants and needs A LOT of distractions before the meal arrives and after the five minutes he spends eating his own meal.  He also loves to show off for family members and other people who are dining around us, which is usually really funny to watch, but very distracting for every one involved.

A Special Family Christmas Evening

Daniel,

Tonight we had a special time celebrating Christmas with our little family.  All week we have been preparing for Christmas, day by day, adding new decorations to our house.  Last weekend your dad put up the house Christmas lights.  He got down decorations from the attic.  We also started to light Christmas candles that smell of evergreen and other festive scents, and you enjoyed seeing and smelling them.  On Monday, I washed our special 12 Days of Christmas drinking glasses and moved the ceramic lighted tree into our kitchen to see.  On Tuesday we strung a garland of snowmen together and hung it in the kitchen near the table above your high chair.  We also read a Christmas book with several traditional Christmas icons and taught you the vocabulary.  On Wednesday, I hung two more Christmas wreaths on doors.  I also put out the small nativity and we practiced saying Jesus.  On Thursday you moved the window clings we'd put on the patio doors around.  You enjoyed the train stickers, but you really enjoyed the nativity.  You carried Jesus and his parents around the house and told me their names.  I also put out a small Santa and you started to call him HAT (or AT? or Hatch?).  On Friday I got out some more decorations, which included a set of nesting gift boxes. You played and played with them. I also bought a small tinsel tree for your bedroom and you watched as I hung small ornaments on it for you.  I put two other small, artificial trees in the living room and a few other decorations on door knobs.  You were delighted!

And on Saturday, we planned a date for our family.  We started by reviewing Christmas vocabulary, but you have really mastered it.  We ask you to identify Santa, Jesus, candy canes, wreaths, etc. and you can easily do so.  

First we made hot cocoa for everyone and watched the opening scenes of a Christmas movie your dad loves, Christmas Vacation.    You LOVED the cocoa! It was only warm for you since I cut it with half a cup of whole milk.  You slurped down twelve ounces, and I shared some of mine with you, too.  Here you are with your father.  Note that you are wearing a special, Christmasy outfit.

Next we went to Bass Pro, a local outdoor equipment and sporting goods shop.  They have a special Christmas area with Santa.  They also have many motorized vehicles, and you stopped to explore them.  You will not ride on these things alone for quite sometime based on your size and your impulsivity!  But it was fun.

This store has many different decorations and lots of animals that have been taxidermied.  You liked this lighted deer, though I am surprised you could identify it as a deer since it looks like a bundle of sticks!  But you are a clever fellow.

When we went inside, the store was so crowded.  There were lots of sales to see, but we were there on a mission.  We wanted you to go and visit Santa Claus.  The Bass Pro Santa did look friendly and his costume was nice.  However, there was no line at all.  You did not have an opportunity to get warmed up before we took you to see the Santa.  Look at your expression.

We told you several times it was Santa, and tried to distract you by getting you to smile at your dad or listen to jingle bells.  You just wanted the man to put you down.  You kept pointing to the ground and saying, "DOWN!".

 And then you started crying.

 It was a fit.  We couldn't help but laugh though.  You looked really funny.  The Santa didn't think it was so funny.

We did not order any of the professional photos.  The free photo we received was good enough!  And I did not want to torture you by making you pose again.

The Santa area was very loud.  There were so many children playing shooting games, running around the ATVs, making crafts, and playing with other displays that were set up.  You were quickly distracted.  You noticed everything.

Your dad showed you the remote control cars.  You can see he thought they were pretty neat.  I think you did, too.  You could not look at the controller and the car at the same time, so I don't know if you really understood what was happening.  But your dad had fun!

 He tried to explain this to you by putting you on the table to look at the cars as you pressed the button.  But you grabbed for the car and broke the antenna off.  I took you away so your dad could try to fix it.  I guess you are just too young for a car like that!

 
Next we looked around some more.  You liked the special Christmas train set that was on display.  When other children left, we showed you it and let you press some of the buttons.

I think you liked the whistle noise, too.  Your father and I both like the idea of a special Christmas train and town display, so maybe someday we'll have a trainset like this one.  You will probably think its neat then, too.

The next photos are beautiful.   They are not of you looking at Santa or his beautiful workshop area.  You are looking in wonder and astonishment, the same way many children do look at beautiful Christmas decorations.

But you are looking at fish in a large aquarium.  You waved to them, said, "HI!", and loved seeing them swim.  We looked at fish for a very long time.  You can say the word fish in your own way, and it sounds like 'Ffffffsh".  You have been saying this word for two months, since your 15 month checkup, but these fish are much more impressive than the fish at our pediatrician's office.  They are neater than the ones in your books, too.

After going to Bass Pro, we went to a restaurant to eat.  This is a rare and special occurrence.  Though we really do love you, it is stressful for us to take you to a different place to eat.  You are a little picky about the food and you are VERY distracted by other diners, sounds, and decorations.  This time you spent a little time coloring with crayons and sitting in the booth in our laps.  You ate maybe five bites of food from our plates, and we were under pressure to eat quickly to get to our next destination and to be kind to your dislike of sitting still and quiet in a restaurant.  You weren't TERRIBLE, but you were not a calm, peaceful diner, either. You made eyes at a table full of college girls and caused them to giggle.  You pointed and loudly said,. "THAT!" at all the decorations on the wall and at every light.  You fussed when we tried to get you to eat anything other than a French fry (and you only had two or three of those).

We next drove to our church to see the Christmas program.  Last year our family was in this program, and I remarked at how much you've grown since you were Baby Jesus.  This time, you were interested in all the decorations and you danced a little to the music.  Unfortunately, we had to leave early.  You soaked two diapers (all that cocoa!) and had a leak on my lap.  You were also too talkative to be a good audience member.   I think you did enjoy the time of watching the singers and also in seeing the church decorated so much.  You did not notice either thing last year!

On our way home, we looked at many houses lit and decorated for Christmas.  We could see many lighted trees in the windows.  Our tree will go up later this week, and I think you will like it, too.  You are so interested in our house lights and in the lighted nativity scene we have in our front garden.  You are able to point to Mary and Joseph when we ask you to point to Jesus's mama and dad, but you can say Jesus.   It sounds like  'Chu-Je-z-s" or at other times 'Jees".

This was a very lovely afternoon for us as your parents, and it was so pleasant to hear you sing along to the Christmas carols in your high pitched "ahhaaa"s and "ooooo- ou-ou"s.  It is wonderful to see you delight in our favorite holiday as well.

Love
Your Mom