nathan-isms, vol. 11.

He's never at a loss for words, that's for sure!

When seeing the bag of candy for trick-or-treaters...
N: For me?! Mom, I love it!!

When playing with some other kids at the library...
N: Let's meet here every week. Can we be library best friends?
Other Kids: Yeah!

During story time before bed, one of the books made me tear up ...
N: [in the sweetest little voice] Don't worry Mom, I can wipe away your tears.
Me: Aww! You're so sweet!
N: [muttering under his breath] Yeah ... I feel like the parent now.

Because we love watching 'Inside Out'...
N: I'm Sadness. Pull me!

My kiddo is up on all of the lingo ... 
Me: You are using excellent manners today!
N: Thanks. I'm kind of nailing it.

After calming down a tearful tantrum ... 
Me: Do you feel better?
N: No, I'm still frustrated ... and ...
Me: And what?
N: Plotting my revenge.

After telling Nate about the Christmas parade and a play date this weekend ... 
N: I'm going to have a new core memory and it's going to be a Joy one!

Preschool "art" ... 
N: It's a finger pointing to an airplane! [demonstrates pointer finger]

When Nathan pulls one over on his grandparents ... 
N: I always get a bowl of ice cream with my Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast!

The backhanded compliment ... 
N: Mom, are you old?
Me: Umm...not too old. I'm 31.
N: Well, your face is still smooth and [with a scrutinizing look] you still have all your teeth. It's not that bad yet.

The unintentional non-sequitur...
Me: I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I have a Justin Bieber song stuck in my head.
N: I know a song about beavers! [continues to sing about beavers for ten minutes]

nathan-isms, vol. 10.

Sometimes I don't know whether to laugh, cry, or do both. This kid says some terribly hilarious things.

Playing dress-up at school...
N: I'm pretending to be a thief, but only of money and diamonds.
[clearly a discerning eye, this one]

The field trip debrief...
Me: How was your field trip?
N: We stole peaches.
Me: You mean picked peaches?
N: I really not sure
Me: Well, did you see any animals?
N: Yeah, but only because we had time to kill.

After driving to school one morning...
N: [in the most calm, nonchalant way] Can you hold onto this today? My tooth fell out.

After telling N to throw away a pair of ripped undies...
N: [to his underwear, with a completely somber little face] I'm really going to miss you.
Me: [snicker]
N: Moooooom! I'm trying to have a moment here!

After reading a book about how vegetables are good for you ... 
N: I really need to take over the world and push the desserts. And make them stop writing stuff like this. It's just so frustrating!

nathan-isms, vol. 9.

A few funnies that I've been storing up: 

Testing out the acoustics at top volume in the Starbucks bathroom, whilst washing his hands: 

N: Tops and bottoms, tops and bottoms, in between, IN BETWEEN, wash 'em all together, wash 'em all together, now they're clean, NOW....THEY'RE....CLEAN!!

While playing outside, I noticed that Nate had stopped to talk to one of the neighbors down the street: 

Me: [yelling down the cul-de-sac] Nate, what are you doing? 

N: NOTHING, JUST TALKING TO THIS OLD MAN. 

Simply put -- my Mother's Day gift: 

During errands after school: 

N: Are we going home soon? I can feel my blood pressure going up! 

Driving by a couple getting arrested on the side of the road: 

N: [putting down his window] Thanks for catching the bad guys, Mr. Policeman! 

And when I didn't think my Mother's Day gift could be topped, along came Chris's Father's Day gift: 

 

That time that Nate tried to pull a Dora: 

N: I've got my snacks, my sword, my backpack, and a map. I'm leaving on my adventure now!

When doing some "real life" science: 

N: Dad, I'm a scientist and [looking at Chris's head with a magnifying glass] I can see that your brain has worms in it. 

Chris: How can I get rid of it? 

N: Hard work and being nice, like mowing the grass and cleaning the bathroom. 

While listening to the radio: 

N: Mom, what ARE apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur??

Getting the post-field trip debrief: 

Me: How was your field trip today? 

N: Great! I held a chicken, fed it out of my hand, and it TOOTED on me! It was awesome! 

Explaining that ever-evolving gray area called 'parenting': 

N: So why do I have to have a consequence? 

Me: Because you didn't listen to the rules. 

N: But WHY?!

Me: It's to help you learn, Next time you'll think a little more and hopefully listen to what I said. Plus, I'm your mom and helping you learn this kind of stuff is my job. 

N: So .... can I talk to your boss instead? 

like mother, like son.

I spent ten minutes swiping through my phone the other day trying to figure out which app disappeared from the home screen. I'm ridiculous, right? I finally had the bring idea to take a screenshot so that I wouldn't have that issue again.

Not ten minutes later, I went into N's room and found him with his camera taking pictures of his toys. His rationale? "This way I know where all of my guys go next time I play." Truly my child!

father's day.

My husband is a laid back sort of guy and, as such, wanted nothing more than a laid back Father's Day. After sleeping in pre-child style (code for waking naturally), Nathan gave him some sweet gifts that his teachers helped him put together at school.

First, Nate gave his dad a coupon book. It had all of these nice coupons for yard work, making breakfast, doing laundry, etc. As my husband aptly told someone later, these were "coupons for stuff my kid can't actually do by himself". Hysterical! Also, preschool put together one of their famous questionnaire forms. Remember mine from Mother's Day this year? Just when I thought something couldn't get funnier, Nate delivers this little gem:
(hint: see number nineteen)

Oh, this child cracks me up! We also gave Chris a gift certificate for a massage, which he's very excited about. Happy Father's Day!

nathan-isms, vol. 8.

Saving some more of N's gems, since it's been a while.

At the dentist's office...
Hygienist: What flavor do you want me to use to clean your teeth?
N: Ninja.

Out of the blue...
N: How will we take over the city and destroy Shredder's ultimate weapon?

Just your normal question of how he came to be...
N: So, I think you and Daddy went on a date and then I was in your tummy for a week, and then I was born.
Me: ....
N: But how did I get in your tummy?
Me: Magic
N: Who did the magic? You or Daddy?
Me: Umm....both
N: But who won?

Because this kid is a genius...
N: Can you bring my guys when you pick me up today? I put them in place where you'll find them.

After reading a Doc McStuffins book before bed...
N: Mom, why are all of Doc's toys broken? I mean, really, what's going on here?!

After dinner one night...
N: Thank you for my dinner!
Chris: Mommy is pretty awesome, right?
N: Yeah, she should be the boss.

The joys of raising a boy...
Me: Do you need to go to the bathroom?
N: No.
Me: Then why is your hand in your pants?
N: Sometimes my privacy just needs to stretch.

dentist.

I need to take a minute to brag on my little guy. Nate had a dentist appointment yesterday and knocked it out of the park. No tears and no anxieties -- just happy and acted like a little ham the entire time. The dentist is not my favorite place to go, so I'm so glad that we found an amazing pediatric dentist practice in our area for N to have the best experience possible.

The dental hygienist that N had was so upbeat and fun. He really liked her, which made the cleaning process absolutely seamless. My favorite Nathan-ism from the visit?

Hygienist: What flavor vitamins do you want me to put on your teeth? 
Nathan: Ninja.

Nate's cleaning went so well that they actually did x-rays! He had never done gotten them done before (because he's been far too wiggly every other time). The amount of praise that he got definitely helped him stay calm and incredibly still. Plus, one of the walls in the x-ray room looks like you're in outer space. I've never seen anyone smile so much for an x-ray!

After we saw the dentist and got the cavity-free seal of approval, N got a balloon, his goodie bag with a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a token to use at one of their machines to get a prize. Such a great visit! If you live in the Northern Virginia area and are looking for a pediatric dentist, I highly recommend this awesome practice!

four (and a half).

My little boy is four and a half! I really shouldn't call him a baby anymore, but he will always be my baby! Four and a half means endless energy, rare naps, a budding vocabulary, and a problem solver attitude that is scary sometimes!

At four and a half...

• N's life is consumed by all things ninja turtles!  Toys, shows, movies, creative play, it all comes down to TMNT. He watches the show that is on Nickelodeon, but has also gotten into the cartoon that aired in the 90's (circa my childhood!) which he refers to as the "little" turtles. 
• When it comes to food, Nate is still so picky! He's still drinking his strawberry Pediasure and trying to subsist on a diet that is more representative of a toddler transitioning to "real" food, but we continue to provide options at every meal (which go uneaten). 
• Even though N's room is fun and has every single toy under the sun, he still likes to relocate to play. The bathroom floor, the hallway, anywhere is fair game. You learn to shuffle to avoid the excruciatingly painful experience of accidentally stepping on a figuring or, heaven forbid, a Lego. 

• And speaking of Lego's, if anyone else buys him more I will SCREAM! I love the creative aspect of Lego's and that they promote critical thinking and fine motor skills. However, he's not really there yet. His interest is in having one of us assemble (and endlessly reassemble) while he demolishes whatever set he's playing with. Maybe next year? 
• Nate is a regular when it comes to field trips! His class has taken a few this year (pumpkin patch, grocery store, my old high school to see the band and orchestra, and the Children's Museum). He is most excited about sitting in the bus and tells me that he likes to sit in the back of the bus (naturally). At least he's so cute rocking his preschool t-shirt! 

• When it comes to school work, I can't say that Nate is totally enthralled, but he's trying. That's all I can ask. We're still slowly working on letters, but I was SO proud when he wrote a recognizable "N" amongst his scribbles on my dad's birthday card this year. 
• A new milestone for Nate is that he's mastered the mouse and has gotten really into playing kids games on my laptop! There is a computer for the kiddos to use at preschool and he's gotten into playing strategy and math games, complete with his own special blend of sound effects.

• Nate's most frequent request for bedtime stories are currently either the Five Little Monkeys or Little Critter series, with some Scooby Doo peppered in for a little variety. 
• Dressing up like a "bad guy" is a favorite, in which he wears his winter coat (by the hood, like a cape) and his snow boots. His snow boots were purposefully purchased to be too big (so he can wear them next year), so there's lots of clomping around the house! 
• It's a lifelong lesson, but he's learning the power of patience! Maybe he can teach me next :) 

And to continue on my little tradition of asking questions over time and seeing how the answers change, here's a quick review of N's answers at three and a half and his answers at age four. His most current answers: 

1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite food? French fries
3. What is your favorite t.v. show? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
4. Who is your best friend? Theo and Morgan and Oliver
5. What is your favorite animal? Turtles
6. What is your favorite song? Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off" or, what he refers to as "The Booty Butt" song -- watch the music video
7. What is your favorite toy? Shredder
8. What is your favorite movie? "You are mistaken - I just like Ninja Turtles right now, not movies"
9. What is your favorite stuffed animal to sleep with at night? My big bear
10. What do you want to be when you grow up? Astronaut

We'll rinse and repeat in six months!

 

nathan-isms, vol. 7.

Because it's been a while ...

My backseat driver ... 
N: That light was YELLOW! The cops are going to get you!
Me: No, it's okay. And did you know that it's the police officer's job to make sure we all follow the rules so that everyone is safe?
N: Yeah, you tell them that in jail.

Singing to the 'chicken dance song'...
N: I don't want to be a goose, I don't want to be a horse, I just want to be a kid HA HA HA HA!

While trying to enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee ... in public ... 
Chris: Let's have another baby.
N: But I'm the perfect kid! 

Explaining roles in our family...
Me: Did you know that Daddy is your dad but he's also my husband?
N: What?!
Me: So that makes me his what?
N: True love.

I just don't even know...
N: I want apple sauce with my dinner tonight. My bad guy is playing in my car seat. All of these trees are FREAKING ME OUT!

My very picky eater...
Me: Daddy is making his famous mac & cheese from scratch for Thanksgiving!
N: I'll be making my honey nut Cheerios from scratch, too.  

nathan-isms, vol. 6.

It's been a few months since I've shared some Nathan-isms. Here are a few that I've jotted down ...

After dropping a bowl of cereal on the floor...
Nate: Mommy, are you thinking potty words?
Me: ....
(full disclosure: he still thinks that potty words are things like "poopy butt" so we'll keep it at that)

While watching me change his baby cousin's diaper...
Nate: He has a butt?!?


While doing some serious pretend play with his superheroes and bad guys...
Nate: It's time for DIARRHEA!! Power up, boys!
Me: Nate, what do you think that "diarrhea" means?
Nate: It's how superheroes get their energy to fight.
Me: That is actually a word for icky poop when you don't feel good. Do you understand?
Nate: Oooooh! You said a potty word!

Because being a threenager is a real thing...
Nate: I don't really like you today.
Me: Well, that's a shame because I like you.
Nate: Awkwaaaaaaaaaard.

While watching his baby cousin, all swaddled up, taking a nap...
Nate: When he wakes up, will he be a butterfly?

Learning the ways of the world...
Me: Let's see if you can get to the car before I count to three. One ... Two ... Wow, you're so fast!
Nate: If I'm not, I get timeout.

life lately.

What a month! Summer hit us, full force, with lots of heat and awful humidity. Is it Fall yet?! We've been doing things like millions of loads of laundry each week and following my kid around with a vacuum cleaner. How does his sand box still have sand in it?! It is everywhere.

We've spent lots of time with my newest nephew and Nate has done very well with having a baby around. Nate asks to hold and feed Baby K constantly and refers to the pacifier as the "quiet button". Love it! These two are just too much :) A few photos off of my phone...I need to have a major sorting and editing session to pull photos off of my 'real' camera.

  

My kiddo has been in rare form lately.  Over the weekend, one of the dogs stole Nate's popcorn. Nate retaliated by peeing on the dog. I had no words. Nate's favorite thing to do on his tablet is to watch videos about toys and how to play with them like this one or this one. Interestingly enough, though, he's learned a few new features of his own toys and now understands more about their moving parts and functions. 

Nate recently decided that he likes bananas again. My strategy to get him to eat them is never to offer them. I'll put one strategically on the coffee table and then let the magic happen. How does he eat them? Why, jumping and swinging around the house like a monkey, of course. 

More adventures to come, I'm sure. Nate's daycare just kicked off summer camp where they have a weekly splash day for the kids, but this week they're celebrating International Mud Day. 

the mind of a three year old.

Sometimes parenting involves little white lies and sometimes it's not correcting a child's thought process because it's too stinkin' cute. Some of the funniest things that my kid thinks right now:

1. Warm water helps your hands to feel all better after a nail cutting. He hates getting his nails cut and I don't want him to look like an unkempt creature. A white lie for the sake of hygiene works for me.
2. GiGi and Pop Pop sleep in hooded frog blankets. My parents bought Nate one of these for Christmas one year and Nate thinks that because he sleeps in his, that they must have one too. 
3. A (fake) cough can be cured with a Starbucks cake pop.
4. A flip flop is performed by landing bell-first on the couch or bed. I refuse to correct him because it's one of my favorite things he does right now. 
5. Toys need to watched during the day while Nate is at school. When I work from home, Nate always assigns specific toys to take care of during the day to make sure they don't get in trouble. I love it.
6. The worst name that you could ever call someone is a "poopy butt" followed closely by "sandwich". 
7. How to treat babies: very gently and don't punch them.

I love the innocence and the hilarity of this age. My little goober :) 

nathan-isms, vol. 5.

The terrible threes may be upon us, but the tantrums seem to be subsiding somewhat. The beauty and hilarity of this age is that your child begins to find his voice. Another round of Nathan-isms...

Monday afternoon, on the way home from school...
Me: I missed you today. Did you miss me?
Nate: Can I be honest?
Me: Yes...
Nate: Not really.

Calling my mom on the phone for Mother's Day...
Nate: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! Why are my mommy's teeth black?
(for the record, I feel the need to point out that this is not the case and I am not on my dentist's naughty list)

On a particularly trying afternoon...
Me: Why are you being stubborn?
Nate: Because I'm a Darder.

In reflecting over the passage of time...
Nate: Mommy, is it Friday?
Me: No, it's only Tuesday.
Nate: Are you sure?
Me: Yup.
Nate: But...could you just double check?

Before heading to a birthday party...
Me: You're going to a birthday party tomorrow for a little girl. It's a princess party!
Nate: Oh wow! And I can be a prince for allllllll the girls?

springtime shenanigans.

Life with a three year old is anything but predictable. I never thought that I would have to apologize to a Target cashier for my son calling her a "little stinker" (true story), that I would have to explain while eating on the toilet is disgusting, and that I would have an audience in Chipotle after Nate tested out the acoustics in the restroom (screaming "echo, echo, echo" and "my poop is greeeeeeeeeen!". Parenting is eating humble pie.

Because I have a major backlog of photos on my phone, a barrage of pictures of my kid (what a shocker).

First, even superheroes have that awkward moment where the bottom of their cape hangs out the car door...

Another toy project from the Lowe's Build & Grow Clinic complete! Nate made a recycling truck (for free!) and it's now on his prized kid-version DIY shelf.

Our first trip to Nathan's Dairy Bar of the season! Nate loves this cow bench, if you can't tell.

First board game attempted: Operation
Length of game: 3 minutes
Frustration Level for a 3 Year Old: HIGH
Frustration Level for a 34 Year Old: HIGH -- Chris was set on the rules, while Nate opted for the sound effects

This little cutie made me a lovely bouquet of dandelions, the only "flower" that I can't kill, while I mowed the grass the other day.

What dog likes the trampoline? NOT this one! Our beagle went in looking to see if Nate dropped his snack, got closed in, and "enjoyed" a few bounces before I rescued him.

Did you know that dogs can climb ladders? Highly motivated ones in search of kiddie snacks can! Granted, the ladder to this little playhouse is on a slant, but nothing brings delight to my child's heart more than seeing his furry friends up in his "ship".

Just my friendly neighborhood Spider-Nate before preschool...

three (and a half).

I've strayed away from the monthly updates that I did until Nate turned two and, even though I always found myself running behind posting them, I miss having the little milestones to look back on. I'm going to shoot for biannual updates, but we'll see how that goes. In the spirit of tradition, I'm a little over two weeks late to the party with this post.

At three and a half...

• Nate's imagination is working overtime! The pretend play, imaginary friends (or fellow superheroes), and intricate story lines make it so much fun to watch him play -- but not too closely because he's now valuing a sense of privacy! 
• The more intently Nate plays, the more he sings. All playtime has a soundtrack and I seem to get his own blend of pirate songs and Star Wars stuck in my head long after he's headed off to school or gone to bed for the night
• Nate is fully potty trained during the day and only rarely has an accident at night. Finally. Potty training was a struggle to start, but he caught on quickly. I'm happy to cut down on the pull-up buying because just recently Nate's decided that he hates them! Insomnia pays off though, because there's many a night that I've intercepted a half-asleep kiddo trying to find the bathroom in the dark
• Whoever coined the phrase "terrible twos & threes" was an idiot and clearly not a parent. I think that it should be "trying twos and terrible threes" - and dare I predict "flippant fours"? While my kiddo is discovering how to use his words to convey complete thoughts and feelings, he's not afraid of mincing his words and having some pretty spectacular tantrums. Luckily the tantrums are less frequent, but certainly memorable (and deafening)
• Speaking of using words, Nate's come out with a few phrases that were pretty cute/funny/where-in-the-world-did-you-pick-that-up-from: I promise I'll [...]; these can be a little tricky; I'm so tired and sick of you; may I have [insert item here] please? It's my faaaaaavorite [crosses arms over chest and does a quasi-piroette]
• This child loves his dogs. LOVES. Every day after school the dogs get huge hugs and Nate says "They miss me so much. Look - they love me!"
• Nate has started to learn the value of responsibility and earning his just rewards. His big helper duties around the house include putting his (non-breakable) dishes into the sink when he's done with his food, helping to feed the dogs, and cleaning up his toys every night before bed. While I'm sure he'll be an allowance one day, his pay comes in form of sticker currency which accrue to special treats, like a Starbucks cake-pop.  
• Keeping up with the trend set at an early age, I'm convinced that Nate does not sleep enough for his age (or heck, for mine). I rejoice if Nate is in bed before 10:00 p.m. and he's always up by 8:00 a.m. at the latest. Naps have tapered off quite a bit - school day naps are getting shorter and weekend naps are virtually non-existent. If I could only have a fraction of this kiddo's energy, I would be set! 

And to start a new tradition! Making a list of questions for Nate to answer and then to see how these change! :)

1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite food? Goldfish crackers
3. What is your favorite t.v. show? Jake and the Never Land Pirates
4. Who is your best friend? Connor
5. What is your favorite animal? Giraffe
6. What is your favorite song? Happy Birthday
7. What is your favorite toy?Soldier Pirates & the Joker
8. What is your favorite movie? Jungle Book
9. What is your favorite stuffed animal to sleep with at night? Winnie the Pooh Bear
10. What do you want to do when you grow up? a cowboy and a barista

 Let's do this again in six-ish months ...

perspective.

I wish that I could remember how my mind worked at the age of three. In the case of my son, there are times where I think that he is so intuitive and on point ... other times I wonder what in the world is going through his little head.

Over the weekend, we were watching Disney's The Lion King and we got to the part where Simba's dad is killed in a stampede. A heartbroken little Simba crawls under his dad's paw to get in one last cuddle.  While my eyes tear up, I hear Nate start giggling and he says "this part is my favorite". My first thought: is this how a child displays sociopathic tendencies?! Naturally, I paused the movie to ask why, to which Nate responded that he loved that Simba was so sweet and gave his dad a hug. Of course, this kiddo does not really understand what death is. After all, you see Mufasa a few more times in the clouds, so why would he associate this scene with loss at his age?

One of Nate's favorite books is Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?, which we read religiously. I'll admit that we have three different copies and the end is different in each. One version has a recap of all of the animals where the children say that there are all of the animals and the teacher looking at them. After about a million readings, Nate came out with "all of those animals are gonna eat the teach-ah!"

 

One thing that I'm waiting to catch up with me, is that Nate recently found out that one of his preschool teachers is pregnant. After hearing that she has a baby in her tummy, he then went on to declare that all of his teachers had babies in their tummies...and despite my best efforts I cannot seem to sway him otherwise. I can't wait to have that awkward conversation! 

Another day, another interesting story! 

nathan-isms, vol. 4.

Because what's a new month in a new year without some of the off the wall and downright sassy things that come out of my kid's mouth?! A boy through and through...

After finding a catalog from Toys R Us, still lurking around the house from Christmas...
Nathan: Ooh, Mommy! I want these. [batting eyelashes and twirling] They're my faaaaavorite!
Me: Those are fifty dollars! You'll have to talk to your father about that.
Nate: [walking over to Chris] Look at these superheroes, my father!

(keep in mind that all words ending in -er are actually pronounced by Nate as -ah, so "fath-ah")

After saying something not very nice at all to me...
Me: Nathan, what did you just say?!
Nathan: Shut up.
Chris: Nathan, we do NOT say that to anyone because it's very mean and rude. Who did you hear say shut up?
Nathan: You
Me: [stifling laughter] Nate, who did Daddy say "shut up" to?
Nathan: He said it to you, Mommy.

Shedding light on how the mind of a little boy works...
Nathan: Mommy, I have a mystery! Follow me! [walks upstairs and into the bathroom]
Me: Okay, so what is it?
Nathan: The mystery is....I have poop in my BUTT!
Me: So, you need to use the restroom?
Nathan: No, I just wanted to tell you [runs away]

A bathroom self-pep talk...
Nathan: It's going to be okay. I going to be better .... what's happening to my body?!?!

Talking with the world's most patient pediatric dental hygienist...
Nathan: [climbing into the chair] I've got itchies in my BUTT!!

Yup, gotta love this kid ...

nathan-isms, vol. 3.

Some gems from this week...

-1-

 When waking up this morning...

[sits up, looks, around]

Nathan: What happened to me?!

-2-

An apology gone wrong...

Nathan: Mommy, I'm sorry. 

Me: [scanning the room nervously] What are you sorry for? 

Nathan: [with the most serious face] You. 

(I'm still not sure what this apology was supposed to be for)

-3-

Watching a commercial on Disney Jr. -- kids on a green screen and his favorite characters, making it look like they were interacting with each other...

Nathan: Jake is TRUE?!?! 

fifty dollars.

Toddlers like repetition. Is Nate still a toddler? I don't know what the dividing line is, age wise, but he's three so I'm going to claim toddlerhood as long as possible. In any case, during tonight's bath he kept acting out the same "scene" over and over again. I have no idea what this is from:

From what I can decipher:
[big gulp of water, hits a "button", look of disbelief, spews water]
"Fifty dollars?! Joe, Joe, you don't believe this! .... Hey, let's do it again!"
[repeat]

Like I said, I have no idea where he got this from but he seems to have the theatrics down pat.

He's now moved on to singing 'ring around the rosy' and doing his own mash-up with a song from 'Jake and the Never Land Pirates'. Never a dull moment!

staycation.

I'm not very good at using my paid time off in normal increments, so I am finishing this year with a bang - the whole week of both Thanksgiving and Christmas off, no plans to go anywhere, and I'll still be rolling over about 80 hours of time off into next year.

So, since I'm home this week, I thought we would use one of our daycare "vacation weeks" so that we only pay half price. On one hand, my eyes want to pop out of my head that we have to pay at all, but I've talked to lots of people lately who have to pay full price, even when they are out. I'll count my half-blessing and keep going.

Yesterday, we went to our local House of Bounce and had a great time at their 'open bounce' time. With only five kids there, Nate pretty much had the run of the place and I even did all of the slides and bouncing with him! Side note: I am super sore today. We had a great time and I'm not sure who was more exhausted when we were done.

With Nate being home, I have a few comedic gems to share, that I'll likely add to throughout this week:

In the car waiting for open bounce time:
Nathan: Mommy, I have to go potty - peep, peep!
Me: I'm not sure if the building is open yet. Do you just want to go pee pee in this empty cup?
Nathan: Yes!
[a few moments later after some crafty repositioning]
Nathan: Mommy, you're going to miss! You're going to miss!
Me: No, I won't. I'm holding the cup, just go.
Nathan: It's on the wrong side.
Me: [after a light bulb went off] Oh dear Lord. Let's go see if we can get them to open early. Stop! Do not do anything!
Nathan: But Mommy, I want to poop in the cup!

Getting out of the car after driving in the rain: 
Me: Nathan, please do not lick Mommy's car.
Nathan: But it's tasty!

While getting in some old fashioned pretend play time: 
Nathan: [pointing to a toy 3" away] Mommy, the crocodile is in the sea!
Me: So are you in the sea, too?
Nathan: [with the MOST condescending look I've seen from a 3 year old] Umm, no Mom. I am on the floor in my room.

About 10 minutes Chris accidentally stepped on Nathan's toes:
Me: [poking my head into Nate's room to see if he's okay playing with his toys] You doing okay, buddy?
Nate: No, Daddy stepped on my toes. Tell Daddy that I'm mad at him.
Me: Okay, I can do that.
Nate: Wait! [waving arms emphatically] No, no, no, no, no! Don't tell him. I'm not mad anymore.

Chris trying to get Nate to talk to him: 
Chris: I just want to talk to you. Promise you won't run away.
Nate: Okay. [promptly leaves the room]
Chris: Nate, you said you wouldn't run away.
Nate: I didn't - I walked!