Days of Independence

Tuesday, March 29th, Andrew was crazy whiny. I could hardly stand it. I took him to get a chiropractic adjustment, then to the pet store to buy cat food since we were out. As I am pushing the cart through the isle, I realize Andrew is pointing up and saying "cat." I look up and sure enough there is a huge banner that says Cat on it. Then he saw the Banner across the store that said Dog and started saying Dog and barking. So I took him over to the bird section and let him look at the birds. He had nothing to say but did smile while he watched them flutter around.  We ran a couple of more errands and he was super good the entire time we were out. Of course, at home, it was nothing but a battle. Ted had a class in the evening so I didn't expect him home before 8pm and wasnt sure how we were going to survive if we didn't get out of the house again. On top of being whiny, he was very disagreeable. He'd ask for something and then refuse it - whether it was food or his video - NOTHING I did was right or made him happy. He fought me on everything, even changing his clothes which is unusual for him.  5pm rolls around and I decide to take him to kids eat free at Applebees to kill some time. The food wasn't very good, but Andrew did pretty well and hanging out. I had invited people to join us but no one could.. but Paula invited us to come to her instead. I knew it'd put us past his bedtime, but I needed people. Andrew had a blast! Harrisen was great and got down and played with him, chased him, gave him a tractor and cars to play with, protected him from the dog. After Miranda's friends left, she pulled out her guitar and played a song and Andrew danced for her. It was just what both of us needed.

  Wednesday morning I disappeared to the bathroom for only a minute and a half. When I return to the kitchen I find that Andrew has emptied the rest of a box of cereal onto the floor, and then stepped all over it, and spread it across the floor. Literally from the oven to the dining table there were crushed Flax Flakes (i thought it was raisin bran at first) everywhere. The pictures don't even show how much because some of it blends in with the color of the floor. Wow what a mess. I went ahead and let him play in it before getting the vacuum out to clean up.

Later he was helping me do laundry. Instead of putting him up on the side of the washer/dryer like usual, I just moved the catfood box close to the washer so he could stand on it. Silly me didn't move it once we were done loading the washer.  We had been running up and down the hallway and when I stopped I jumped on my bed and said "can mommy take a nap?" and pretended to sleep. He giggled and asked for help to get up on the bed too. Well - he climbs over me, takes my flaxseed eye mask, climbs back over me and off the bed and runs down the hallway. I wasn't thinking, and therefore didn't follow.  I hear the washing machine stop. I leap off the bed and run down, but it was too late. He was standing on the catfood box and peering into the washer. He'd thrown my eye mask into the wash! I snatched it out and tried to towel dry it but it was soaked.

Ted likes to take the balls out of the ball pit and stuff Andrews clothes with them. Wednesday night before bed, Andrew stuffed daddy's shirt! Here's the video.


Lately Andrew has been asking for things and then telling me no that I dont have it right - like his videos. I never pick the right one even when I ask him first. Well, I finally solved that problem. I let him watch a signing dvd he hasn't seen yet. I didn't want him watching more of them until Ted and I caught up and were familiar with all the words and signs.. but I guess Andrew was ready to move on to more. I dont expose him to enough I guess. He's bored with what he already knows and wants to soak up more education.
  We play in the studio a lot, chasing each other around and dancing to music. We also stand on the couch and stare out the window and talk about what we see outside. It's always a fun surprise when Nana arrives while we're looking out the window. Nana said there was one day she came down into the studio and Andrew was standing in the window all by himself. She actually managed to get a picture of him another time he was standing there.. so precious:

  We went to our two-day assembly this past weekend (April 2,3) and Andrew did great! I brought a harness for him so we could easily hang on to him and protect him from falling over the edge of the rails upstairs. It's a sports arena and is not kid-friendly! It also kept him safely with us but allowed him freedom from holding a hand constantly. He didn't seem to mind wearing it, and boy did he run us around! He is so fast!! You'd be standing there and all of a sudden he'd do the sign for "Go!" and just take off running. He's so cute.
  It was at the assembly too that he started going up stairs without holding onto anything! Not even a hand! There were steps outside that were a perfect height for him I guess to do that. The ones inside were a little more steep - but he could barrel up those faster than some adults could walk.
Oh the harness was great too because HE could walk to and from the car that was parked so far away! There are so many stairs at MTSU and then we hiked down the hill to our car which was parked in the far corner on a hill in the grass. He walked the entire way on Saturday afternoon. And again on Sunday morning all the way up. By the time we got up to the last two steps inside - he was getting to be a slow climber. Nana said he was probably the only 18 month old ever to make that trek!

   Saturday afternoon we came home and turned him loose in the yard. He went straight for pushing the garbage can around. I just rolled up his pant leg and let him play. Looks like a little Huck Finn.

Sunday, Ted and I were both zombies, and it was super warm outside. We got home and I stripped him down to his shirt and diaper. It was a pretty soggy diaper, and when we got to the back yard, I thought he might enjoy being naked. So.. I let him be naked. He loved it and thought it was hilarious to watch himself pee on the stepping stone. (remember that for the next paragraph.) Once we got changed into casual clothes, we got him dressed again and went to kids eat free night at Fulins Asian Cuisine. He really impressed us there. They gave him a divided plate with noodles, veggies, sweet n sour sauce, and chicken. He chowed down on the chicken once I showed him he had sauce to dip it in. He didn't make too big of a mess until the end. He left looking like he'd butchered a small animal - red splatter on his shirt, hands, arms, and some in his hair. Oh! When we sat down at the table, they gave him one page out of a coloring book and some crayons to color with. He takes one look at it and starts signing 'please'. I look at the words at the bottom of the page and it said, "Please, not in daddy's ear!" (it was a picture of Shrek and I guess his baby screaming in his ear or something.) But Andrew was reading it and signing it without us reading it to him!

   Monday we were expecting pretty wicked weather. Nana came early so she could leave before the tornado warnings. We were outside in the backyard when she arrived. It was very windy and that breeze was cool. Nana asked him if he was chilled and instead he pulled at his clothes and asked, "off?" He wanted to get naked again! (Guess we need to start thinking more seriously about a privacy fence? I can just see it now - he's 4 years old, goes storming out the door leaving a trail of shirt, shorts, and undies behind.)

   It is really interesting to watch him learning. For so many words he can read it, sign it, and say it! Of course, most people probably dont know what he's saying at all - but I do. And when you listen closely - he says things almost accurately. I'm still impressed at how much he reads. I'll randomly ask him where the word _____ is, and he points right to it! It doesn't matter if its in the newspaper, a magazine, a favorite book, or a book we've never read. He has learned a lot of the individual letters too, and colors. I imagine he knows some shapes but I haven't tested him on those to find out. I *think* he said 'heart' today when he pointed to one in a book I was looking at. He did it so fast and unexpectedly I wasn't certain.
   We're back to another Tuesday. Over the weekend he actually slept until 8am! Of all days! We were waiting for him to wake up so we could leave for the assembly, but of course wanted him to get as much sleep as possible.. and those two days are the days he sleeps!  Well this Tuesday morning, he started talking at 5:40am. He'd chatter for 10 minutes, fall back asleep for 5-10 minutes, chatter and whine for a few minutes, sleep for a few more, cry and then chatter... and usually he'd sleep for another ten minute spell and then wake up crying which turns into screaming. This morning though he fell back asleep until 8!!  Every time I got up he calmed back down so I'd crawl back in bed and he'd cry again - so I finally decided to get up and start working ... and he slept. Go figure.  I evidently am not allowed to sleep.  Anyway - I sold all my maternity clothes on craigslist and had to meet the other mommy in Cool Springs at 10am. So we ate breakfast and got out the door. Bought some more summer clothes at the consignment store there and then I took him to Monkey Joes to play. THAT place was great! It's just a bunch of inflatable playhouses in one room. There were three that were only for 3 and under. He liked those okay - but really was attracted to the big boy ones. Of course, that meant mommy had to help him climb up them and then go down the slides with him too. We had fun. Then I had to pay $4 for a peanut butter jelly uncrustable sandwhich and a dinky piece of cheese pizza so we'd have something for lunch. He ate all but two bites of the sandwich AND all but maybe four bites of the pizza (which was for me)! I was happy to see him eat so much so I let him have it. We played some more and then packed up to go home. He was so good.

 

   Our friend Miranda wanted to come over so I picked her up on our way home. In her driveway I asked Andrew if he could get in the car for me. He goes around to the passenger side, waits for the door to be opened, and then climbed in without help, then climbed up into his seat all by himself! I'd seen him climb into the car once or twice before.. but this was the first time he got up into his seat himself!
  When I was fixing dinner, Andrew was begging for a video. I decided to put Muzzy on, but instead of in Spanish like usual, I put it on in French. He thought it was hilarious! What was odd though was after I pull out the video camera, his laugh changed to a more forced fake laugh instead of the genuine laugh it was before.