Birthday Party Food Planning

I took notes on our birthday conversation.  This is his chosen menu. 

I think the cake is a reference to a Daniel Tiger episode. 

Right after this photo was taken, DHH put the hat on my head. He said, "you look like you must be from France! Camouflage hat!!"

Then he slid down the fireman pole. 

Things He Says

DHH has started to say untruths. Well, lies.
As in: yes, I made my bed. Oh no wait , don't go check; I didn't.

He has started using an unintelligible goofy voice when he is ashamed and embarrassed and silly and we are asking him to make amends or apologize. Latest offense: batting away forkful of corn into the floor.

He heard that Uncle Randy sang Benny and the Jets about Benjamin. He does not know that song but heard me sing a partial lyric and so DHH spent afternoon saying, ba ba ba ba Benny in a Jet.

Sister in a Box

Elsa went into Daniel's room while he was playing trains with his dad and didn't ask to play or join in.  She climbed into the storage box and made herself at home for a nap.

This thrilled Daniel.  Both kids liked her being inside the box, lid closed, with various toys and flashlights inside.  

Both kids also liked Daniel pushing Elsa around the house in her box, too.

Daniel tried the box out and liked it, but he is really too large for it to have as much fun as she did!

Gode In Arch

Aka Daniel's name for McDonald's.

Nose Privacy

Yesterday Daniel asked if I wanted to see what was in his nose if he picked his nose. I told him I didn't.

"Why not?"
I explained that things that are inside our body and come out, like pee or snot ("Or poop, right, mom?") are things that are kind of private. People just don't like looking at other peoples pee or snot or poop or boogers.

"Its like Nose Privacy, Mama.  I call this Nose Privacy for not sharing my boogie with you!"

Amusing Malpropism

Today we were talking about Thanksgiving. I took out two ceramic figurines/dolls that depict Native Americans. I told DHH that people often call these people Indians, but really, its more correct to say Native Americans because they live in American and not in India.  We continued to discuss their clothing and the food they were holding.  He played with them and made them to stand and dance in his box of beans.  I asked what game he was playing.

He said, "Naked Kids Game."

Excuse me?

"These guys.  Naked A kids. Indians. "

Oh, I get it. Native Americans.  We both laughed, but I was really laughing at him and he was laughing because of the word naked!

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.

  

Early Literacy

Daniel and I read each day, and I work on many print concepts like location of title, directionality of print, and that letters make up words and words make up a story.  I notice him tracing along the text from left to write, saying his version of the ABCs.   I also notice him proclaiming, "De End!" when he completes most stories.

I have started to work on orthographics  (the representation of the sounds of a language by written or printed symbols) with him.  For instance, reading the book Dazzling Diggers we point out the D and say, D. Digger. D. Dddddd. Digger. DDDDDigger.

Today when we were reading before naptime, he selected the Little Golden Book Picture Dictionary.  We were on the T page, which is a favorite because it has a truck, tractor, train, and tiger.  We made the ttttt sound before identifying each image.  Then we moved to the R page.  Daniel said, "TTT-rabbit."  I giggled because it was unexpected.   He continued to do this as we moved to other pages, "Tttt-bed.  Ttt-cat."

I really love teaching reading to this kid!

Evidence He Is Watching and Learning

Today we were watching the movie UP.  It has an older man who uses a cane to walk.  We shut the movie off after the first fifteen minutes to break for lunch.  He got down off the couch, picked up the vacuum pipe, and said, "Oh, mang, oh mang!" and hobbled over to the table.

What a goof ball! He hasn't ever noticed people using walkers or canes before, but one short movie segment, and he transferred what he saw into action!

Doing Tricks While Drinking

You had to have this blue bottle (boo boggle) when you saw it at HyVee.  I can't find the other blue sports drink bottle we had, so I indulged you.

Then I noticed how you drink out of it.  

Its really silly.

You think you are doing a trick when you drink with the bottle above your head, so you say, "Tad-dah!"

And another trick is to drink it standing on one foot.

And this last trick is called Pretending Drink Cup Is A Horn. You made little trumpet noises and drank (and spilled some milk on your shirt).

You do make life fun and photograph-able, kid.

Something Poppy Taught You

(and you think its so cool)

You beg for syrup (choc seegrup) in your mouth when we make a chocolate milk for you.  My dad, your Grandpa Douglas, taught you this bad habit / annoying request/ little trick when we visited him last month.

I usually indulge you, but your dad doesn't.  (I like chocolate more than he does, so perhaps that's why!)

I also tolerate messes better than he does.

I bet Poppy wouldn't like a sticky face like this either.

More Words To Daniel Dictionary

Pook:  poop
New Trang: the train he got for birthday
Tiny Cumumumer: a small cucumber
Bag Cumumummer: a large cucumber
Mongey: money
Sinky toes: smelly feet
Nonal Choo Choo: Road Rally episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, in which Donald Duck drives a train
New Trang Book: new train book
Boo Trang Book: Little Engine That Could
Choc Moke: Chocolate Milk
Rabby: refers to a specific rabbit in book, all other rabbits are called Hops
Bombine Track Tor: combine tractor
Track Tor Houf: barn
Mouf Dock Tor: dentist
Soof drush: toothbrush
Shunnoule: funnel
Hoop: a circle or ring or hoop
Hook: anything that fastens to something else, a cord, a tether, a hanger, etc.

Exposure to Princesses and Pink

In mid June, we attended my cousin Katherine's daughter's fourth birthday party.  This is Daniel's first real exposure to all things girly.  It was full of pink, sparkles, and Disney Princesses. 

He enjoyed cake that was decorated as a castle.

Daniel actually did like these little dolls!

Telling me which one was his favorite... Jasmine. (He has seen that movie!)

And here he is licking a skirt.  

The Time with the Apples.

This morning getting Daniel ready for one of his last times of daycare and one of the last times I would go to work before the new baby, I left Daniel alone in the main part of the house while I went to get his diaper bag ready and find his other shoe.

When I came back, he had pushed his yellow step stool over to a chair at the kitchen table, climbed on the chair, and reached precariously for the fruit bowl.  He'd taken a bite out of every single apple in the fruit bowl and was working on gnawing through a banana.

"Ap!" he said.
"Anana!" he said.

"Good grief," I said.

Another Wonderful Thing About You.

Dear Baby,

You are so full of joy.  You spent most of your day in pure merriment!  This means you laugh and play with your toys (alone or with a parent), you sing little high pitched songs you've made up and then giggle when we catch you and ask if you are singing Christmas carols, and you laugh anytime you hear another person laugh.  Then you laugh harder and louder so everyone will laugh with you!

But just now is even better and a perfect example of what a happy person you are.  Its after ten and I went to make sure you were tucked in under some covers.  As I drew the blankets around you, I saw you smile.  I smiled. I put a pacifier near your head, and you lunged for it and laughed.  Your eyes were closed, but you were clearly laughing and smiling.  You turned your head and I saw why you thought it was funny - you had another pacifier right there on the other side of your head!  You tried to put both of them in your mouth at once.  You chuckled silently to yourself.  I laughed and smiled, and you smiled some more.  All the while, you were SLEEPING!  I bet you are having very pleasant dreams tonight.

It is a real pleasure to spend days with you, my happy boy, and your delight in life rubs off on me. Even though I am often tired and sick through this current pregnancy with your sister, I do enjoy my days. You are such a fun, special little boy!

Love,
Your Mama.

Let Him Eat Cake! A Birthday Celebration in Frosting.

Cakes created by Nana.
Enjoyed by all.
Enthusiastically devoured by Daniel.