Q, lately

Q is 2 1/2  today. If I think about how quickly time is speeding by I'll cry like a big blobbering blobber thing, so instead we'll just try and get through a quick update.

If you ask him to say his middle name, Montgomery, he'll say "mamagomery". Yes, it's adorable.

He can remember so many parts of so many books, it's kind of blowing my mind. We have a crap ton of books, so the fact that he is retaining so much is just so amazing to me.

Speaking of books, I took Q to the library for the first time last weekend. Mostly he was interested in the colorful rug in the children's section, and wanted to run and jump on all the letters and numbers printed on it. But he was willing to sit quietly with me to read quite a few books. Little man loves books which makes me so, so happy.

He's been very into monsters lately, which is being encouraged by Halloween. He loves to say "Oh no Dada Monster!" to try and get Shawn to chase him around the house. We're also constantly being chased by monsters and dragons when we're in the car, which makes for some very LOUD car rides.

He loves "Halloween stuff" and "trick or treats." He likes to drag his orange plastic pumpkin bucket (I wanted to buy a cute felt-y bucket, but he was of course drawn to the traditional plastic pumpkin) and put his toys in it and call them treats.

He's quite the bedtime staller and his newest thing to try? Telling me he needs to cuddle. Come. On. I've resisted so far, because I'm a monster. But I don't know, I might not be able to stop myself from pulling him out of his bed for a little snuggle the next time he asks.

When he's thirsty he doesn't need a drink, he needs a COLD drink.

He stopped saying '"Aprise!" when he means Surprise. It's kinda sad when they start saying things correctly, isn't it.

I don't think I'll tell you what he repeated after Shawn said it, but let's just say we really, really need to step up our game on watching the language. It's not even words that I'm so concerned about, but the phrases that come out of our mouths sometimes. ayeayeaye

In the last couple of weeks he has, unprompted, told me he loves me. And told me I'm the best. So, I win.

We have our tough days with him, because you know, he's 2. But mostly? This little dude is ridiculously amazing and smart and sweet and funny and silly. And I couldn't be more happy to be his mama.

More Conversations w/ 2 year old

The other day in the car I asked Q what he wanted to be for Halloween. He's still just figuring out what all this means, but he's starting to get the costume part. I think.
Me: What costume do you want to wear for Halloween?
Q: Minnie!
Me: Okay. What should I be?
Q: Mickey!
Me: And what about daddy? (Holding breath... wait for it...)
Q: Goofy! (Ha! There it is!)
Me: And what about Archie?
Q: Um. Daisy!

Now if any of you can find me any of these costumes (With the exception of Minnie, which Target has) can you point me in the right direction? Lol
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On the way to Denny's for a dinner of pancakes the other night I asked Q how many he was going to eat.
Q: 1, 2, 3, 4!
Me: Okay. How many do you think mama can eat?
Q: No Mama! Salad! 

Ok. Noted. Also, screw you kid! I'm eating a big ole stack of "cancakes"

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Last night at dinner my mom was telling Archer he was being crabby. Following conversation took place
Mom (to Archer): You're a crab tonight, aren't you?
Archer: AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHINE WHINE WHINE!!! FEED ME!!!! DON'T FEED ME!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!
Q: He's not a crab, he's a brother!
Me: YOU'RE SO ADORABLE AND SMART!!!

Then later than night, while brushing Q's teeth (ie: trying to shove the tooth brush in his mouth in an attempt to get even a little contact, while he giggles and squirms and chomps his mouth shut)
Me: You are such a wiggle worm!
Q: I not a worm! I Quinn!

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Q's favorite song, without a doubt, is the theme song for Special Agent Oso. It's kind of funny to think that a 2 year old might get a song stuck in his head, but I think that might be the case, because he's always signing or humming it.
We noticed recently that he'll sing other words to the tune of Special Agent Oso.
For instance when he woke up the other morning, instead of just calling for us as he usually does he sang:
Mama dada, maaaamaaa
Mama dada, maaaamaaa
Um, adorable? Check. Clever? Check. He had a new one yesterday though. It was just him saying "pickle" over an over to the tune.  Weirdo. Also, clearly my child.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today would have been be dad's 78th Birthday.

 

Happy Birthday Dad!! We miss you!!

 

Hello Autumn

"When autumn comes
It doesn't ask
It just walks in where it left you last
You never know when it starts
Until there's fog inside the glass
Around your summer heart"
'Somethings Missing'-John Mayer *

I get pretty bummed when summer ends. I always feel like I never really got a chance to enjoy it and do all the summery things I love. I know it's been about a billion years since I was a kid, but I think I still feel like summer should be these endless, warm days. I think of summer and I just think of warm skin and days streching on forever. Cookouts and picnics and beach days and rides at the fair. Now summer is squeezed in between 5 pm Friday and 8pm Sunday night.  So I feel no different this year: Summer is just too short.  But I am going to try and embrace autumn more. It's Shawn's favorite time of year for one. And it's hard not to get excitied about something when someone else is just so joyful about it. So here's to pumpkin patches, picking out halloween costumes, sweaters, MY BIRTHDAY!, halloween candy & taking Q trick or treating for the first time.
Bring it on fall. BRING IT ON!



*Say what you will about John Mayer but he can put words together in a way that just gets under my skin. Also, to totally be THAT person, I had the chance to meet him a long, long time ago.(He was opening a show for the musical love of my life, Glen Phillips) And he was ridiculously nice and friendly, and chatted with me and my girlfriend for 5-10 mintues after a show. So I have to love him forever and always.

Things & Stuff & Other Stuff

Just a jumbled, random bunch of stuff.

Okay, so I was out shopping a couple weeks ago with my girl Racheal looking for dresses to wear to a wedding we're going to. And as I'm trying something on that looks TERRIBLE on me, Rachy brings me a burnt orange colored tweed-like skirt. Normally not even something I'd consider. The kind of thing I'd see on someone else and like, but not for me. But I tried it on and liked it.  Then I thought the only logical footwear choice would be boots. So I bought boots.  Then this weekend I thought I should really have something else to wear these boots with. So I bought Skinny jeans. Which I SWORE I would NEVER EVER DO! Well, I mostly thought I'd look just god awful in skinny jeans and they'd make my ass & thighs look ginormous. Thus far everyone assures me I look good in them. And I like them. (Though I do suspect they are so tight in my calfs I might lose feeling to me feet.)  I don't think I can stress how much boots and skinny jeans are out of my comfort zone. Let's just say I'm not completely convinced there hasn't been some sort of hypnosis incident.

So like I mentioned, I'm going to a wedding this weekend. My sweet dear friend Lisa is getting married in Boise. (I met her when she lived all too briefly in Seattle before she RUDELY moved back to Boise, which I haven't entirely forgiven her for. I'm trying to move on, as it was several years ago. But it's hard.) I have a dress I really like, even though it's black and the wedding is at 2 in the afternoon. It was either that or um... skinny jeans & boots. Shawn is performing the ceremony (if he still has a voice. oh dear sweet infant jesus don't let him loose his voice) and I can't wait.

I've been thinking lately about how small my circle of girlfriends is these days (well, friends at all girl or otherwise). (If you want to know the truth I was trying to decide what to do for my birthday next month and was having a hard time coming up with anyone that would be able to come over/ go out with.) We all know how hard it is to make friends when you're a big old grown up. Throw in how hard it can be to coordinate schedules and actually get together with people, and well, there you are. I don't really know where I'm going with this point. Just that I would like more friends? Huh. I don't even know....

The boys & Shawn have been sick for the last week or so. Yesterday was one of the harder days we've had as parents. Shawn was still not feeling great & so had little patience. I was feeling worn down, and the constant sadness/whining of Q combined with Archer's clingyness just about did me in. It's a pain that when Q needs the most attention and patience is when it's hardest to give it to him. One minute he's crying and sad about who knows what, and the next he's silly and sweet. I'll be trying not to be annoyed about the crying over nothing but he's moved on. I can't keep up with that. But I know I need to. Anyway, I was ready for work today is what I'm saying.

I think we've managed to ditch Q's binkie without so much as a mention. I'm afraid to talk about it, as it's only been a week. We basically just stopped offering it to him (He was only allowed to have it at bed time/ nap time for the last few months). And he hasn't really asked for it. We did give it to him (we offered, he didn't ask) once this last week while he was sick. Just in hopes it would help him feel better (and let's be honest, would shut him up a little.)  But just like with bottles, he had no trouble giving them up. He sure does make some things easy on us.

I do believe I've blabbed enough for one post. I'm going to listen 'Morningside' by Sara Bareilles on repeat for my bus ride home now because I love it an unreasonable amount today.

That's incredibly rude, sir

Also titled: Things my kid is clearly learning from me.

Recently Quinn has taken to shushing us when he wants us to be quiet. It started when we'd turn a song on in the car he didn't like and he'd get kinda mad at us. We'd sing along really loudly to some awesome classic rock song and he'd tell us "NO!"  Oh, excuse me your highness but I can't listen to anymore freaking Katy Perry. (Clearly he spends too much time in the car with my husband listening to Pop music crap I can't stand- and he LOVES it. I need to work on that...)  Anyway, the other day Shawn told me Q flat out shushed him while he was talking AND THEN said "Be quiet! Archie's Sleeping!"  Archer was not sleeping.  And Q did it to me the other day. And maybe I need to work on making him be polite or not lying or whatev, but I'm sorry that shit is funny. And I cracked up. Loudly.
"SHHHHHHH! ARCHIE'S SLEEPING!!!"

Conversations With 2 Year Olds

Quinn: Whatsa doin mommy?
Me: Feeding Archie dinner.
Q: Whatsa doin mommy?
M: Um. Still feeding Archie dinner.
Q: Whatsa doin mommy?
M: What do you think I'm doing?
Q: Feeding Archie dinner!
M: Yup. What are YOU doing?
Q: Eating dinner!

Asking him what he thinks I'm doing seems to be the only way out of the endless loop. See Also: "What's Dis/What's dat?"  (Espeically hard to answer because he rarely points, is just looking at something unknown...)