Books and Tooshie Time

B still can't get enough of his books and reading...which makes this mama very happy and proud!  He would happily trade going outside for sitting in my lap and reading book after book (well most of the time, sometimes those parks do win over!)  We read 3-4 books at each nap time (morning and afternoon)  and then 5 books at bedtime and he just loves it and looks forward to it each time!  If he's struggling to get PJ's on or during a diaper change, we just need to mention books (I wish that worked for every tantrum!) and reading them...it's cute.

Some of his favorites at the moment (mainly anything involving babies and animals, he's happy)

Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton (Actually, anything by Sandra Boynton he loves--especially Snuggle Puppy and The Belly Button Book
(he can now "read" the book himself, his favorite part is saying "lalala" and "no no")

Ten in the Bed by Penny Dale
(good ol' repetition!)

Wake Up, Big Barn by Suzanne Chitwood

(the pictures in this book are beyond cool, that's why I like it so much, she used different materials/items to collage together to make the big picture, I'm sure there is a name for this, but I don't know it...)

And of course he loves Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Oops!, and a million others...but these are his current go-to books...

We let him choose the last book at bedtime and it's the cutest (and longest) process in the world.  He gets off our lap and pulls a book slightly off the shelf so he can see which one it is and then says "noo" (in a way that makes him sound like he's just saying, "nah, not this one right now"), he repeats this a few times, and occasionally pulls a book completely off the shelf flips through a few pages, then says "noo" and puts it back on the shelf.  When he finally finds the book he'd like to read, he hands it to me and climbs back into my lap.  Sometimes I find myself saying, "if you don't pick a book now, I'll pick one for you!"...as if that works.

The time-out chair has been getting more tooshie time lately.  B loves to whip around and play with the vertical blinds on our patio door, he makes it so they all go out of place, which is driving me nuts!  He has all of these great toys and books and he's playing with the blinds...probably because he knows it drives me nuts!  So I've been very consistent about telling him no and then if he continues, 2 minutes in the chair.  He really hates the chair after about 45 seconds...so he doesn't go near the blinds again until too many hours have passed that he doesn't really remember the wrath of the chair.  A few times he has gotten out of the chair and run over to the blinds, reached out to "touch them", looked over at me and smirked, then pulled back his hand and runs away...  He pretends that he is going to touch them!  Really?!  At 17 months...good gosh, what's in store when he's two?!

B is saying more words, but do animal noises count?  His newest acquisition is "Baaaaa" for sheep and anytime there is a sheep on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or in a book or he sees his toy sheep, we hear Baaaa for minutes and minutes.  For some reason, for zebra, he says "z z z z z"...what sound does a zebra make?!

B seems to be getting pickier and pickier with his food, *sigh*.  He will eat the following with no problems...packaged fruit cup (pears, peaches, cherries combo), string cheese, Gerber cheetos, hot dogs, sausage, sandwich (grilled cheese or jelly), and yogurt.  He'll eat the following most of the time:  banana, green beans, crackers, pasta.  I'm starting to lose patience with this whole eating thing!  It'll be interesting to see how he continues on the eating path and how a sibling will be compared to him.

The amount of tantrums has increased, but somehow he knows how to balance out my frustration with giving me a random hug and kiss...he's already working the system...

Take it to the limit, one more time

My life has become this very Eagles song, at least the title is my life.  Brendan is taking it to the limit ALL day long, every day!  How, at 16 1/2 months, does he know how to push my buttons so well?  Why does he test every LITTLE thing?  B and I are too similar it's scary and it's going to be a battle of the wills all the way.  I'm stubborn (which, when sticking to my punishing guns, is a great thing) and he's stubborn (he makes it through punishments unscathed).

Brendan is a really bright boy, I mean really bright, and not in that "oh my son is so fantastic because he's my son" mentality.  He's too bright for his own good (or at least my sanity).  I have never been so flummoxed by something that I love so much.  And when B pushes the limits, I can't take it.  My patience can only be spread so thin.  He is "naughty" all day long and he KNOWS IT!  That's the part that gets me every time; he just looks at me with this smirk as he throws every piece of pizza on the floor from his high chair tray, or as he throws every lotion bottle of his changing table/dresser, or as he rams the high chair into the painted wall repeatedly.  Our house is safe for Brendan to roam around, but what do you do when he uses safe things to be Mr. Destructor?  Toys, chairs, high chairs all become his next victim.

B finally learned how to climb onto the couches and onto a bench we have in our entryway.  Fun developmental step for him!  He stands on the couches and tries to STEP down and then leans over the back of it because he's trying to find a way down.  We have been practicing how to get off the couch (turn to tummy and slide down) since he started crawling and now that he can climb up, he seems to have forgotten this.  The other day he climbed up on the bench and was "stuck".  I was tired of him climbing up and not being able to get down, so I decided to engage in a battle of wills.  It wasn't wise that it was 10 min. to bedtime, but oh well.  I sat on the floor (with my camera that takes video) in front of the bench to monitor the situation and waited until he got down the correct way.  He kept wanting my "ha" (hand) to help him step down.  I refused.  I waited.  I cheered.  I motivated (do you want to play with the laptop sitting right here?).  I explained.  I demonstrated.  I did not give in.  30 minutes later I figure we should really get his bedtime started.  He's crying at this point.  My heart is breaking.  I must be strong though.  I finally had to help him sit down, turn him onto his tummy, and then get him sliding backwards.  He didn't seem to hate me too much, since the rest of the evening went smoothly, if you don't count him trying to get up from the changing table every 2 seconds in order to reach the bottles just so he could throw them on the floor (and as I struggled with lotion and PJ's and got more and more frustrated, he just laughed hysterically---like a mad scientist).  I have some classic video of this endeavor, but probably shouldn't post it, since someone might think it's toddler torture and call DCFS.  I am happy to say that he hasn't climbed on the bench since, but he has climbed on the couches and 80% of the time he gets down by himself just fine.  I'm not sure what to make of the other 20% when he "forgets" how to get down and just stands on the couch dancing...

It has been a very rough few days.  There have been many tantrums, including the one today.  He was upset (I believe due to being overtired) and didn't want to sit still for some books on his great-grandma's lap (mind you, he's the one who climbed up to her with the book in the first place).  So he got down and started throwing the books.  We don't treat books that way, so I started to collect them and put them in his toy bag.  He QUICKLY grabbed the last book before I could get to it and bent the cover backwards and then threw it at my head.  All the while he had this look on his face...I can't quite describe it.   Regardless, he's a handful.  I know that toddlers are known for their tantrums, their hi-jinx, and button-pushing, but I really think I have trouble here.  He's obviously also very "advanced" when it comes to these types of things as well...wonderful.

The boob tube

I love and curse the invention that is the television.  I love my HGTV and guilty pleasures like Desperate Housewives, all of which I wait to watch when B is in bed.  The American Pediatric Association says no TV for children under two years of age.  There are so many reasons given as to why this is and I agree, for the most part.  Children of any age shouldn't watch too much TV (or be on the computer or play video games); it's all about moderation.  There are too many older kids today that don't know how to play outside nor do they have the desire to go outside!  It's sad.  I can remember playing for hours and hours outside, during all of the seasons, even winter!  Even as a teenager I spent a lot of time outside, going biking or just sitting outside talking with my girlfriends.  Since this was my experience growing up, I just assumed that today's youth was the same way, boy was I wrong!  When I was teaching, I had made a comment to the last class of the day, saying "when you guys get home and go outside to play", I can't remember how the conversation started, but the looks I got you would've thought I had three heads!  The students then informed me that they would be going home to watch TV or play video games or go on the computer or a combination of all three.  YIKES!

So this brings me to B.  I don't want him plopped in front of the TV all day and I don't want him growing up thinking it's a vital part of his day.  I want him to think of it as something we might watch together once in awhile, a fun movie or a cute show.   So, even though B is under two, he has watched TV, and it only started recently.  We found Word World on PBS and I enjoy watching it with B once in awhile (we DVR it!).  When it's super hot outside or it's raining and we have played with every toy a million times, it's nice to just sit for 20 minutes and watch a show to break up the day.  We've recently discovered Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse (LOVE IT!) and Brendan LOVES it.  He loves Mickey, he barks at Pluto, and claps when they clap, and of course dances to the hot dog dance at the end.  So I've been recording Mickey Mouse.  I figure if he watches the 23 minute show once a day (in the morning while drinking his bottle of milk--his only bottle of the day) it won't kill him.  As soon as he sees Mickey on the screen, he breaks into a huge smile and bounces.  Once the show is over, the TV goes off (music goes on, I love Sirius on the TV) and stays off the rest of the day (unless I want to veg in front of it while he's napping and I want to pretend the laundry isn't sitting in a huge pile waiting to be washed).

Lately B has been wanting the TV on during other parts of the day.  He tries to grab the remote (it's out of reach) and then when I tell him we can watch TV again tomorrow morning he freaks out and throws a major temper tantrum.  He keeps going to the remote throughout the day and gets so upset when I deny it.  This scares me!  Why is he so addicted?!  Ugh, did I do something wrong?  He even takes his toy remote (old one) and tries to get the TV to turn on...  I'm not going to deny him TV all of the time, especially as he gets older (I can't wait to watch Disney movies with him!), but I don't want him to become a boob tube idiot!

Trying to turn on the TV with his remote.

This boy has a one-track mind!  My friend came to visit and spend the night this week and she brought a chocolate cake she had baked.  Brendan saw the cake when she got here and was obsessed with the cake the rest of the day.  That's what he pointed to during snack, during dinner (which he ate hardly anything), he just wanted the cake (not that I can blame him!).  He finally got some cake when we were done with dinner and he was so happy.  The next day he still saw the cake and wanted it instead of his breakfast and instead of his lunch.  I finally had to show him the cake was "all gone", by changing it's container and hiding it!

Hehehe, I win, I got cake!

Hidden Broccoli and Time-Out

Why was I even concerned that Brendan wasn't saying "no" yet?!  He's been practicing the word a lot, usually while playing by himself with his toys, it's his own little playtime mantra..."no? no! no?"...most of them sound like they are questions because he's practicing the new sound...  "uh-oh" is still his number one, go-to word...I'll take that over some other choice words that he hears on rare occasion...like damn.

Veggies have still been a struggle, but he did have about 5 green beans while having some pizza (his favorite food by far, followed by string cheese and hot dogs), so I'll take that small victory, even though it was more of a bribe meal...you can have another bite of pizza if you eat this green bean first...it worked!
To get those veggies in, at least the most important ones, like spinach and broccoli, I've been pureeing them with berries and bananas and then putting them in his oatmeal.  I freeze the puree into cubes and thaw 2 and mix it in with the oatmeal, which he has about every 3 days (Trader Joe's breakfast bar one day, Trader Joe's waffle with cinnamon sprinkled on top--B doesn't like syrup-- the other days).  And I still puree baby carrots and then add a cube into his applesauce.  I figure it's better than nothing.  I still put the veggies out so he sees them at dinner time, secretly hoping he'll go back to his old veggie eating ways.

Holy cow!  Yesterday was an awful behavior day.  I know that his canine teeth are really bothering him and you can tell that they'll be coming through sooner than later (why does it take sooooo long?!).  He didn't want to nap, he would fall asleep for about 20 minutes and then wake up screaming, huge tears everywhere.  A total of two 20 minute naps does not bode well...and it wasn't well.  The temper tantrums and the frustration were kicked up to high gear to the point where he was so mean and destructive!  Not my normal little Brendan.  He wanted my bookmark (how dare I read a few pages of my book on the couch while he was quietly playing by himself) and it had dangly beads on it and I decided that could be a bad equation, so of course he was upset that I denied him the bookmark.  He then grabbed my book (library book that is) and ripped 4 pages clear down the middle, stared right at me, as if daring me, then grabbed the book jacket and just held on tight, all the while staring at me.  He really has a death grip with those little heads, so it took some struggling to get the book and the ripped pages out of his hands.  Right then and there I decided it was a good time to start "time-out".  I set him on our wood bench in the entry way and he thought it would be hysterical to stand up and walk on it and almost dive off the edge.  So I had to keep sitting him down, which he thought was sooooo funny, which only made me seethe even more inside.  Maybe my angry face is funny looking?  I should look in the mirror some time and check.  I decided one minute was good for a 16 month old.  That was time-out #1.  Time-out #2 was because he got frustrated at his xylophone, so he threw it and then proceeded to destroy the play-area (where did this aggression come from!?  I haven't thrown anything else since that one incident--I swear!).  The bench wasn't cutting it, so we moved to his rocking chair (that has buckles on it!!!!) and I set the timer for one minute and went down into the basement and cried.  I don't even remember what time-out #3 was for, but by me being able to go into the basement for that one-minute it may have saved Brendan.  My mantra for the moment--this too shall pass, this too shall pass, this too shall pass.

Discovering Fun

B is finally nearing the age where we can take advantage of some of the fun exhibits and museums in the area.  We met a friend and her two boys at the Discovery Museum for some rainy day exploring.  B still doesn't get too much out of the excellent displays and interactive exhibits, but he can finally play with them and explore!  There was a Golden Book exhibit at the museum that cleverly incorporated some of the classic books into activity centers for the children.

B was able to look at some books...

...draw with chalk...

 ...play with trains...

...kiss a cow...

...and of course run up and down the ramp.














B did pretty well at the museum, which made me more confident in taking him other places like it.  As long as I have lunch ready for him in the car, he's happy.  It was also his first experience with baked cheetos (part of my lunch)...there was orange on his shoes, his legs, his shorts, his shirt, his forehead, his hair, his hands, his car seat...but he loved 'em!

Nothing like a jelly sandwich (he won't eat p.b.)

Nothing like orange cheetos for the car ride.

So many things

There are so many things Brendan is learning and doing for the first time, it's hard to keep track of it all!  Especially since so much of it is so darn fun and cute...

Brendan has been growing in leaps and bounds lately; physically, emotionally, and developmentally.  It's crazy to think he's becoming such a toddler and not my little baby anymore.  At 16 months he is trying so hard to talk and he does "talk", I just wish I knew what he was saying!  If he could just tell me what he was in the mood for when it comes to meals and snacks, it would be so much easier!!!  He now does "hoo hoo" for owl, and "hissss" for snake.  Every slide he sees is a "weee" and he has to point out every truck and car we pass.  Cars go "voom voom".  He waves hi and bye on command and blows kisses.  And will give kisses to his animals too.  He loves to hug both mom and dad, but his favorite is hugging us both at the same time, he could do it for minutes straight.  He can follow (but doesn't always choose to follow) so many commands it blows my mind!   He can go up and down the stairs by himself (down not as well) while holding onto the railing.  We can't get him to go down the safe way, backwards on his tummy.  He refuses!  We'll just have to keep trying.

My favorite moment of the month so far though, is when we went to lunch yesterday with my parents and grandparents.  Brendan had had enough of his high chair and food, so he went to go sit on my mom's lap.  Her plate still had some fries and ketchup on it.  Mr. Brendan decided to pick up a fry, look at it, then dip it ever so slightly into the ketchup and then took a bite.  No one has ever shown him how to do this, it was purely his observational skills from the times we've been out to eat.  He's never had ketchup before, so his face was quite funny at first, but he decided he liked it!  He went back for dip after dip into that ketchup pile and then started in on my fries and ketchup!  At one point he took the direct route and dipped his fingers right in and sucked off the ketchup.  But knowing Brendan, I'll give him something with some ketchup here at home and he'll refuse it!

Brendan is a very particular child.  He'll only drink out of Tommee Tippee sippy cups.  The blue ones has to have his milk in it and the green one has to have his water in it.  If you switch them, forget it, all bets off, he'll refuse his water, which is his favorite thing to drink all day!  I'm hoping that we can get him to drink out of a straw.  We keep showing him and having him try, but it's not his Tommee Tippee cups...

We've been going to the pool when we can, and when weather allows, and Brendan has been LOVING it, especially when it's time for a snack.  Today at the pool he wanted to jump in the water, with my help, over and over again.  At one point, he looked at me, then put his face right into the water and started to form his mouth to make bubbles, then looked back to me very proudly!!!  The last time anyone showed him that was during swim lessons weeks ago!  He remembered it and did it all on his own.  Then as we were walking through the shallow end to go to his beloved pirate boat water slide, a girl his age blocked the path.  She was staring at him and I told him to say hi, so he waved his hand at her and smiled.  God bless him...too cute.   I can't wait for him to be able to go down the mini water slide on his own though, I have a very bruised behind from hitting the bottom of the pool when we go down!

Small reminders

As Brendan is getting older it's amazing how much he takes in while observing our daily life.  It's amazing and scary at the same time.  We really have to watch how we act, react and what we say...we've been saying that, but now it's really true!

Brendan has observed chores for awhile now and without any prompting he jumps right in to help.  My little helper gladly picks crumbs off the floor and puts them in the garbage and he helps unload the dishwasher!  Yes, the dishwasher!  He picks up plates and silverware and actually hands them to me so I can put them away.  It's probably the cutest thing ever and makes me smile every time.  I actually look forward to emptying the dishwasher now, because it makes him so pleased to be helping me.

All of this observing and mimicking has a downside too, as I sadly found out.  Brendan was extra cranky a few nights ago and I had dinner dishes to clean up and food to put away.  Brendan kept bringing his toys into the kitchen and leaving them there.  I then kept tripping on the toys and stubbing my toes.  It was the end of the day and was getting extra cranky by the minute.  I slid on yet another toy and lost it (poor reaction #1), and Brendan chose that moment to throw another tantrum (a kicking, back arching, head banging into the floor tantrum), so I really lost it and started taking his toys and throwing them back into the living room (poor reaction #2).  Yes, I actually threw his toys, all the while Brendan carefully observing my very own tantrum.  No more than 30 seconds later, Brendan started picking up his toys and throwing them into the living room too.  That's when it REALLY hit me that he really does watch and pick up on EVERYTHING we do.  I felt awful, to say the least, about the poor example I had just set for my son.  So I sat down against the fridge and cried a little and my little observer came up to me, put his arm around my neck and patted my shoulder (his new thing when hugging us, he now pats our backs).  Which of course made me feel a million times better because obviously he'd observed us doing that to each other and to him before.  My almost 16 month old son was comforting ME.  Needless to say, I've really been watching how I react to everyday situations, trying my best to set a good example for Brendan, all it took was one small reminder.