Things to Remember

Dear Jonah,
These are things I want to remember about you at 3 1/2 years old...

Random quirks:

• To you, there is nothing better, IN THE WHOLE WORLD, than a new shirt.
• You HATE when the waistband of your underwear is twisted. Usually your pants or shorts are on over the twisted underwear, and this is completely unbearable. You will collapse in a tragic heap on the floor. Apparently, twisted underwear impares the use of your legs.
• You pay attention to little sounds that most people overlook. Then you try and imitate the sound. Usually 90 decibels louder than the original. You are a loud, funny, kid.
• Speaking of sounds...Burping, tooting, or any noise that sounds similar, will CRACK you up. Total boy trait.
• And it really bugs you if I sing the male part in a song. You'll usually say something like, "NO, Mama! Mans are singin' dat song! Not girrrr-lz!"
  

Recent accomplishments:

• You're completely potty trained with no accidents (aside from occasionally pooping in the backyard)
• You're doing REALLY well at school the last couple of months. Daddy and I are so, SO proud!
  

Jonah's favorite songs:

• Dance Around - favorite part: "shout out, yeah!"
• I Love You a Bushel and a Peck -favorite part: "bet yer pertyneckIdo!"
• Grumpy Song -favorite part: "if you wanna be a grump, das oKAY"
• Belly Button Song -favorite part: ALL of it - you belly laugh every time the chorus returns
  

Jonah's favorite TV show:

• Olivia on Nickelodeon

Jonah's best friends:

• Daniel A.
• Lester
  

Jonah's love-to-hate-friends:

• K.C.
• Mason

Remnants of Toddler Slang:
There aren't many things that you can't pronounce or explain these days, so Toddler Slang is sadly close to extinction. Here are the few remnants...

"biper"
translation: diaper (used in a sentence: "Gracie's biper is stanky")

"Ohhhhh! My eyes are not tired!"
translation: I am not tired! Please don't make me take a nap!

"Tah Tart"
translation: Pop Tart

"TD"
translation: TV

"nipples"
translation: freckles (this has caused me grief more than once)

"ants are bitin' me!"
translation: something stings...a rash, an ear infection, an itch

Nap Time

Yesterday afternoon, I left the living room to put Gracie down for a nap. When I came back in the living room, I found this...

Every one of Jonah's stuffed friends was cozy on their own pillow and covered up carefully with a blanket.

Goin' Retro

Purple dress the FIRST time around on Aunt Kathleen (bonnet baby)...

Purple dress the SECOND time around (sans bonnet) - Thanks, Marmee!...

Dr. Jonah

I stubbed my toe HARD this afternoon. Thirty minutes later it was still throbbing, so I propped it up and complained to Jonah a little bit. His brow furrowed and he seemed really concerned. Then he showed me his index finger and said, "My finger doesn't hurt. It feels fine. I can touch your toe wif my super finger an make it better."

Valentine's Day Firsts

Jonah's first time to get Valentines from all his friends at school.

Gracie's first Valentines Day!

For you see, each day I love you more
Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard

Seven Months Old

Dear Grace,

At seven months you are already giving us a run for our money. Daddy and I had to lower your mattress out of concern that you would pull up, flip yourself over the crib rail and out of your bed. (Although, you'd probably think that was fun.) You're also crawling and curious. I caught you in the kitchen this morning with an empty roll of tape in your mouth on your way to open the pantry door. When did you get so mischievous? Marmee called it early on. You simply get bored. You don't want the same toy every day. A new object to study and chew on is the key to a happy Gracie these days. I keep your toys on a rotation or else they serve no purpose at all, except to create another colorful pile in our living room. You are still, as you always have been, a smiley, happy girl. I love the way you smile with your whole face. I keep waiting for a big belly laugh to erupt, but you prefer to squeal, cackle, and holler your delight. YOU are a delight. Everywhere we go you pass out baby fever.

Gracie Girl, I love you!

Mama

Good Therapy

Right after Michael's shoulder surgery, he was given a tub of neon-green therapy putty by his physical therapist. Jonah confiscated the putty the very afternoon it appeared on the kitchen counter. Something so brightly colored and so wonderfully squishy had to be destined for greater things.

He's been playing with it almost every day since. This morning, I think the putty finally served it's intended purpose. It was great therapy for this sick little guy. He was back to normal, smiling and laughing, by the end of his putty session...

Milestones

Gracie is churning out the big baby milestones this week...

• She started eating solid food without a tongue thrust and has developed a love for lemon yogurt.
• I found her standing in her crib last night. I left her laying on her back, turned around to get some teething tablets crushed up, and when I walked back over to her, she was grinning like a shot fox and doing a little bop while hanging on to the rail. Apparently, she can pull up!
  
• She started to crawl. Not her little inchworm maneuver, but a full blown crawl. She can't do it for very long before she collapses on her tummy and starts inching again, but she's definitely on her way to figuring it out.
• And, this weekend, she met Mammaw finally!

...and the Bear's not so hot

Our poor Jonah Bear had a rough weekend. I'm pretty sure food poisoning is the culprit. Nothing stayed in is little tummy yesterday. Not even saltine crackers and water. Amazingly, he managed to barf in the toilet 5 out of 6 times yesterday. He got to a point where he stopped telling me he felt sick. He would just take off running to the bathroom. The fourth time, he told me his heart was broken. I'm not sure if he was just milking the sympathy, or if he thought his heart was in the toilet!

Fun for Everyone

Our new neighborhood Sam's Club had a screamin' deal on this jumpy chair during their opening weekend, so we came home with it.
Gracie loves it. She's bounces and rattles and bangs to her heart's content.
Jonah loves it. If you can't tell from the picture, he has some tape wrapped around the arch and is pretending to tow Gracie away. (He's obsessed with tow trucks.)
Dixie loves it, because it rattles and squeaks and it's something new to lick.
Lucy loves it, because it keeps Gracie's sweaty little hands away from her fur.
Mama and Daddy love it because it keeps everyone happy.

Public Displays

Three things happened during our trip to the mall last night.

1) Jonah repeatedly (read, dozens of times) asked, "we get some ice cream, please?"

2) While we were standing in the line to get ice cream looking UP at the menu and not DOWN at the short person, Jonah dropped his pants to show several hundred strangers in the food court his new underwear. Good thing Daddy just happened to glance down.

3) After the ice cream was purchased, Jonah tried to hold it, walk, and eat it all at the same time resulting in a major brain circuit overload. When Daddy took the ice cream away to help Jonah regroup, Jonah threw himself on the ground stomach first, and began to beat the floor with his hands. Oh.Kay.

I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow we rallied and had a lovely family outing. I guess that's just life with an opinionated three year old.