Random Friday

In honour of Random Friday (which I keep forgetting to do, but thanks to Ruthie I'm resurrecting) here are some random things Matt has started saying.

• "Just two more seconds" - this phrase comes out whenever he wants to do something longer (like watch tv) or to calculate time. The other day at Zellers we saw booster seats for the car. I told Mike he would use one when he is older and he said "yes. In two seconds I will use a booster seat."
  
  
• "Two Millllllllllion" - this is used to denote anything large. Something expensive is two millllllion dollars and someone old is two milllllllllllion years old
  
  
• "How about no?" - I often say stuff like "how about we go to the store?" and he will always say "how about no?" as an option. It's awfully funny.
  
  
• "Yo-ho-ho" - If he is made he screams this. I can't help it. When he screams this at us, Mike and I crack up every time. Where did this come from? The other day he also stuck his hand up his sleeve and said "I'm a pirate." okay.
  
  
• "You're a sexy race car, mommy" - Yes. This is from Cars, I think. Who knows.
  
  
• "Daddio and Mommio" - whenever he wants to butter us up for something he adds "io" to our names. I know - adorable
  
  
• "I'm Lightning BuQueen" - he runs around screaming this all the time. We've tried to tell him it's Lightning McQueen but he will have none of it.
  

I know there are a ton more, but these are some of my favourites. In the past month or so Matt's language has exploded. I think he's been hanging around the older kids at daycare and is copying their sentences. Too cute.

Loving Valentines ...

Yay! Valentines.
I loved my Valentines Day!!!
Like most of Southern Ontario we woke up to a ton of snow. I really love snow - at least I love the first snowstorm of the season. I love that we have a walkway to shovel (this is not sarcasm - it's our house ...) So, I was pretty psyched about it. I looked out the window when I rolled out of bed nice and early - almost 5am.

By the time I'd had my shower and made coffee it was about 5:20. I was about to turn on the tv when I saw a card sitting on the couch. It was from Mike. It was a really sweet card and at the end it said to wake him up when I read the card for my super awesome gift.
I could have waited like a nice wife would have. But I ran up the stairs. We don't always "do" Valentines. So I was pretty freaking excited. I didn't even go for a slow wake up. I turned all the lights on and said "I'm ready for my present, Baby!"
I am positive Mike was fully expecting this because he came as close to hopping out of bed as possible, and rushed downstairs.
And, out came the most amazing wonderful Valentine's gift ever.
My Coach bag!!!!
I've wanted one for sooooo long. And, contrary to popular belief, this is not something I would buy for myself. I was thrilled. And, he picked one I would like. It was awesome.

And then back to reality. We still had to get to work. So, I got dressed in my super Valentinesy outfit and shovelled. And got all my Valentines for work. And got Matt's Valentines.
And then we went outside.
Crap. The snow was really really really deep.
It came up to Matt's shoulders. He could hardly walk. And we had left his boots and snowpants at daycare. And then he dropped his bottle in the snow and I couldn't retrieve it. It was tense.
But I got to the train on time. And it was delayed. (surprise).
And, just as I was getting on the late train I got an e-mail telling me that the daycare was closed. Crap. I still got on the train because it was there. And I had a million Valentines to deliver.
So, my incredible amazing sister took Matt for the morning while I went to work.
Really, I also had to show off my purse. So, it was essential to go. And I had a lot of work, of course.
So ...
I went to work for the morning. And, today work was good. Some of the crappy stuff that has been going on wasn't. And, I was dressed in a heart covered outfit. And I was happy. And I delivered Valentines. And I got a whole bunch of Valentines which was SUPER cool!!!!
By noon I was ready to go home to relieve my sister.

My sister! Like the hat? It's her daughter's skirt - the girl can accessorize

And, it was pretty cool because I then got to spend time with my nieces and my sister and of course Matty.
We all went to Starbucks. It was fun and stressful. I'm not so sure that taking 3 tired and stir crazy children to Starbucks is the best idea. But, in our defense, we were planning to go to Chapters but the Starbucks was closed there and we were needing some coffee.
After awhile in Starbucks Matt really was losing it and so we went to the mall. For 2 hours. It almost killed me. We bought popcorn and looked at boots. For 2 hours. Mind you, half an hour was spent in Old Navy in the rocket ship. It was an interesting couple of hours.
Finally our day ended with Matthew telling us we needed to have pizza for dinner. So we all went to Pizza Hut and had a nice Valentines Dinner.
Perfect-o!
This is actually our Sunday evening Valentines Dinner, but you get the point

Cracking the Toddler Code

We've been having some major issues with our toddler.
I'll call it the terrible two's because I'm pretty sure that's what it is. One minute he wants something and the next he is screaming because he doesn't. One minute he's happy the next he's sad. Take for instance gymnastics. He alternates between loving it and running around like a crazy boy to stopping and lying on the floor and saying he's "way too tired, Mommy" and then 2 seconds later bounces right back.
It's driving Mike and I insane.
And the biting. Every so often he bites. It's not so bad, certainly not as bad as when he was younger, but the sudden random bites are PAINFUL. I have the bruises to prove it.
But in addition to all of this he screams.
Last night was fun. I gave him a bath before I went to the gym. As I was trying to convince him to get out of the bath he screamed
"I DON'T WANT OUT. NO OUT. LEAVE ME ALONE MOMMMY. I WILL SLEEP IN THE BATHTUB TONIGHT. GO AWAY. NO. DON'T GO AWAY. STAY. WITH ME. IN THE BATHROOOOOOOM."
I couldn't help it. I laughed. And, I didn't laugh a little. I laughed a lot. It was funny. And if I've learned nothing else about being a parent I've learned that when you have to choose between screaming back or laughing - unless it's life or death laughing is the better option.
The thing is - Matt laughed back.
And we were killing ourselves laughing for a good five minutes.
Till I said "time to get out now."
And he screamed back "NO. NOT GETTING OUT."
What did I do? I laughed and picked him up.
And, instead of his usual kicking and screaming he started to giggle. And then shout and then I'd laugh and then he'd giggle.
This worked all evening.
I was pretty impressed. Perhaps I'm breaking through.
So I went to the gym and when I got back he was asleep. (I know - it's my master plan - lose weight and avoid the bedtime battles). Therefore I did not get to try the laughing thing again last night.
But I tried it this morning.
Whatever he screamed at me I laughed back. Before he was out the door (this is about a 40 minute time span) he had started screaming and then laughing at himself.
It's fantastic. I'm loving this new theory.
I plan to keep trying it.
Frankly, I don't care if it looks bizarre that I laugh when my toddler has a temper tantrum. You know why? Because I have already tried the tactic where you get down to the child's level and speak in the toddler tone. It's way way way more ridiculous. So for now I'm sticking with laughing.
And, as they say: "Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone"