What's Simple is True

This past week has seen some interesting developments in little Kiddo. He is becoming such a big boy, I can't even stand it. His speech has taken off and gone to a whole new level. He will hold a 20 minute, non stop talk-a-thon with himself several times a day! He used to parrot things a lot, but now it is just ridiculous. It is nearly impossible to hold a conversation with him, or anyone else for that matter because he repeats EVERYTHING you say, about a second after you say it. You know how sometimes on a cell phone there is a weird feedback that is your own voice, about 1/2 a second behind when you say something? Know how hard it is to talk when you have that in your ear? Every time I get on the phone with someone, Kiddo goes and gets our other cordless phone and puts it up to his ear. Then he walks around the exact same way I am, using the same hand gestures and expression and repeats everything I say! It drives me insane!! He coughs when I cough, laughs when I laugh, even makes the same faces. I was on the phone with a dear friend of mine and we couldn't even talk because he was so distracting. She was laughing at my "echo" and I couldn't think.


We are also trying to figure out this sleeping thing. I want him to go to bed earlier, but he really only sleeps about 10-12 hours a day. If he has a nap, he is up until 10 or 11 pm before he is ready to go back to bed, sometimes even later. If he doesn't take a nap he will only sometimes go down earlier than 10, but then we deal with a wake up at midnight or later. I think though that the no nap nights work out better. The downside is that from about 6pm on we deal with a major case of the grouchies.


And the grouchies lead to adventures in discipline. Joy. We've been using the "go to your room" technique combined with a time out chair. It seems to be working pretty well most days. A few days ago we had a particularly long round of acting out and punishment and he finally settled down and started playing. He went into his room and emptied out his clothes hamper and came out into the living room with it on his head.
It was pretty cute until he started bumping into things. Fearing he might get really hurt and just getting plain annoyed at having a big canvass Lightning McQueen fall on me every 30 seconds, I abruptly took the hamper away and put it back in his room. Kiddo came up to me and said "Mommy back room!" (Mommy, go back in my room) so I walked in there with him. "Mommy, sit in chair. Mommy not nice. Time out."


*sigh* Well, at least he is getting it.

We are also venturing into the world of potty training. Several times a day now he will ask me to sit him on the potty. Again he will grunt and strain and sometimes get a little tee tee out. As soon as anything comes out he says "Good Job!" and hops off to flush. Yesterday I tried to put a diaper back on him afterward and he refused. "No bopper Mommy. Big Boy." I explained that if he doesn't wear a diaper then he has to tell me when he needs to go and he really seemed to understand. He stayed nakey for about an hour (with me asking him every few minutes if he needed a diaper or to go sit on the potty) and then he asked me for a diaper. It was really strange. I honestly didn't think things would be starting this soon. He doesn't seem to care when he is wet or dirty, so I'm not really sure what the motivation is. I am trying not to encourage or discourage - if he does something we clap and dance and celebrate, but I am not about to pressure him into anything. This is going to be his decision entirely - not mine. (unless of course, he ends up being the only high school senior still in diapers! ;) )

But today we bought him some big boy, Cars underwear just in case!

In keeping with my self portraits, here is yesterday's entry. It's a bit moody/creepy, but I like it. I am currently involved in a picture-a-day project and have started a separate blog just for that. Several other photographers from around the country are participating as well. Please stop by and take a look - there is some amazing talent out there!

Until,

D :)