Binger Painting

You're 3 years and two months, Grady Bear, and I will be sorry I didn't record every cute thing you do right now but it would take all day. You had a ball finger painting last night on your easel in the kitchen, and we love that you still say "binger" for finger, and "bish" for fish, etc. You HEAR the "f" but don't say it and if we do, you insist, "No, BINGER. BING-GER!"

You are OBSESSED with Angry Birds ever since Jenn Moss introduced you to it on her phone at lunch one day. And now you're on to Bejeweled Blitz too. If we let you, you'd play games on the computer all day. Nick Jr, PBS Kids are also favorites, but nothing comes close to Angry Birds. Maybe we'll have an AB birthday party for you this year?

Playing Catch-Up

I'm just going to pretend I blogged yesterday and get on with it! Today is Rick's birthday, and Grady and I are going to make him a cake later this morning. G changed his mind at the last minute from cupcakes to a "big cake with Thomas on it. That's what Daddy would like. Cupcakes are for MY birthday when I am three." So, big cake it is. And I'm so putting Thomas on it.

One of Rick's favorite Grady stories these days is the time when he was working a ton of hours (terrible crime story plus Betty Ford's death/funeral) and hadn't seen much of Grady for a week or so. He came home while we were playing outside and exclaimed, "Grady! I haven't seen you in so long - I think you grew another foot!" Immediately Grady's head snapped down to look at his feet. "No, Daddy, I just have two!" Love it.

My handsome little guy was also in a wedding two weeks ago. My friend Maribeth's daughter Sarah was the bride and the whole family often babysits him so we were really excited for him to be a part of their big day. His little tux was still a bit big so we pinned and tucked and hoped for the best. He was the ring bearer with Sarah's niece-in-law Aubrey as the flowergirl (such a cutie). From the minute they met at the rehearsal, Grady was smitten and wanted to hold hands all the time. Aubrey not so much. She's a little younger than his 2 and half years and kind of wanted to do her own thing but he hung in there and made her play with him some.

He did a great job at the wedding. A few days beforehand, I wanted him to practice how he'd walk down the aisle but he gave me a dirty look and told me he already knew how to walk. I showed him some videos on YouTube so he'd get the idea of "Walk slow, and smile" and he loved seeing them. Unfortunately I left him to it so I could cook dinner, then came back to see he'd found wedding bloopers. Uh-oh.

At the rehearsal, I decided snacks were my best weapon so I packed a purseful for the wedding to keep him occupied and quiet. We also thought we'd bribe him by giving maid-of-honor Katie a DumDum sucker for him when he came down the aisle to her. Thought it might keep him standing there through the prayer until he could come sit with me.

On the big day, after the guests filled the church, we all came into the vestibule to wait our turns going down the aisle and he got pretty excited seeing all the people. He started hurling his ring pillow down the steps and chasing after it, but at least it kept him occupied. When it was time, he held Aubrey's hand and down the aisle they went. When Aubrey saw her daddy, a groomsman, she ran to him but Grady just took his sweet time, walking slowly, smiling... and blowing a few kisses. He mostly stood where he was supposed to with Kate, then came to me for snacks until he went back up the aisle with Matt. He talked a little in that loud 2 year old high voice when the minister was talking but overall, he was wonderful.

He went stone-cold into sleep on the drive to the reception but popped up ready to party when we got there. He loved running around with the other kids before things got started, then after dinner, I literally couldn't get him off the dance floor. The kids were playing around when the DJ turned on twinkly lights, all those little kids hit the floor, trying to pick up the sparkles - it was sooooo cute! Gypsy, a girl about seven, partnered up with him for dances, but he hit up nearly every woman on the dance floor, especially Sarah and the bridesmaids. He came out with some moves I've never seen before, and just had a ball until I put him in his pajamas for one last dance. Now, he can't wait for his "next wedding." Matt?

Smarty Pants

Sometimes I think GradyBear is scary-smart. Or maybe its just that its stunning to hear thoughts that seem so advanced from a little kid. I had to take him to the doctor's with me. We're in the exam room, and I positioned his stroller so I could see him but he didn't get a "Full Monty" shot of me in the stirrups. He says, "I'm going to watch your ultrasound, Mommy." What? Where did he hear about ultrasounds? (and nobody get too excited about a baby, they're just checking out my equipment). Then he looks at the clock and says, "What's wrong with that clock, Mommy? It looks funny." First time he saw Roman numerals and after I explained it, he went through "I means one, II for two, III..." Bored with the clock, he checks out a poster of The Female Reproductive System and wanted to know what it was. I told him its a drawing of what it looks like inside a person. "A mommy person," he emphasized, nodding wisely. WHAT is taking that doctor so long?

On the way home we stopped at the Rockford farmers' market and as we're walking through a booth of perennials he says, "Look, Mommy, hostas. I love hostas." The seller says, "Oh, he knows his plants, huh? What's that?" and points to one. "Astilbe," Grady says calmly and the guy's eyes bugged out. Very impressed. "And that one?" pointing to coreopsis. "Flowers." Grady answers decisively. Well, can't win 'em all.

Down with the Bee Gee's!

My latest Facebook post says it all so I'll re-post: "So glad I passed on my dislike of the Bee Gees. Grady, who loves to dance to just about anything, wrinkled up his nose and demanded, "Turn off that noise, Daddy!"

Rick couldn't stop laughing, especially since he got a finger-wag with it. That's actually one of Grady's favorite dance moves, along with the chicken, the fish, and the robot. His best one though is a classic kiddie dance step: spin around in circles until he falls down. I've turned him into a Gleek (fan of the show "Glee" about a high school show choir). He loves all kinds of inappropriate songs now, especially Ceelo Green's, ahem, "Forget You" and "Ice, Ice, Baby" by Vanilla Ice. Maybe that one's not inappropriate but definately dorky.

The Perfect Day

We've discovered nirvana for two year olds. Its a day at the beach, a picnic by the river, then a tractor ride with Daddy. Grady was so excited, he was spinning in circles! We'd been talking about it with him for a couple days and went on Memorial Day to Wabasis Park first thing when it got warm enough.

He couldn't wait to hit the water. There were a bunch of kids in there, no adults, which should have been my first clue. That water was COLD! But after a little hesitation over putting his bare feet on the sand ("Carry me, Mommy") he ran right in the water and splashed around. Of course, I had to go in with him but I got used to the water after a bit - maybe went numb? He didn't even freak out when I showed him the minnows in the water, just chased them up and down.

Pretty quickly, he fell and landed on his bottom, chest-deep in the water. He gasped at the shock of the cold then stood up, ran a few steps and dropped to his bottom again. Quite the game for a while. He played ball with me... until some cute 6 year old girls lost their ball near us. He threw it back to them then told me, "No, Mommy, I want to play ball with THEM." And they were very sweet and let him. Oh, and Daddy avoided the cold water altogether as the photographer. Mental note for next time :o) But he got great shots.

We kept asking Grady if he was ready for his picnic but he loved playing in the water and didnt' want to get out. When his teeth actually began to chatter, we yanked him out against his will and warmed him up with a towel before heading to the beach playground where he went down the "tubey" slide about 209 times.

We drove down to Fallasburg Park near Lowell for a picnic along the river. Lots of people fishing but not crowded at all so it was perfect with the covered bridge right there - lovely. I must have been channelling my great-grandma, Nana, because I got the fried chicken just right. Even Southern boy Rick was happy with it. Got quite a show when a woman caught a fish, started whooping and hollering and then slipped and fell down the bank in her white skirt. The fish got away but her boyfriend yelled to everyone that it was ok, it was just a sucker fish. Must have made quite an impression because Grady re-told me all about it at bedtime.

We took the long way home so we could drive through the covered bridge there and then another one, White's Bridge near Smyrna, on the way back. Grady thought they were really cool, but seemed sure a train was supposed to be in there too - too much Thomas!

While he napped -and what a fight that was! - Rick mowed the lawn and all the trails through the Big Field and around to the skunk pile and back. The grass had gotten deep enough in the field for it to be hard for Grady to walk there, and I was worried about encroaching poison ivy on the woods' trails so he fixed all that. When Grady got up, I took Dixie for a walk and Grady rode the tractor with Rick all around and had a ball. He noticed the speed control which is just like his bubble mower - rabbit for fast, turtle for slow and got a kick out of that. We played outside until late, had leftover picnic on the deck, and watched the bats come out before heading to bed. A perfect day in Grady's world. And in ours.

The "Classics"

Met my very pregnant friend Elissa for coffee with Grady and by the end, he was pretty fascinated that she had a baby in her belly. He told Rick all about it when he got home. You can only imagine what he thinks about stuff like that. Last week I was changing his diapers and he said to me, "Mommy, you have a baby in your mouth." What? He repeated it, laughing like crazy at my confusion. Then it clicked: we'd watched a TV show about a mother cat taking care of her kittens and he'd seen her carry her babies in her mouth. We'd talked about it but who knew he'd remember it? So funny.

He picks up on the craziest things. We'd gotten caught in the rain walking in the woods and I sang "Raindrops keep falling on my head, they keep falling." and he loved it. That's all I could remember but he kept asking me to sing it so I had to look up the lyrics and now he loves to watch a clip with BJ Thomas singing the whole song. He asks for it every time it rains now, and sometimes when he goes to bed.

He loves all kinds of music but I never thought he'd go for the oldies. REAL oldies. We watch cartoons (Thomas!)on PBS and one evening we turned on the TV, still tuned to PBS, and he instantly fell in love with Lawrence Welk. These shows were on before I was born, and this one in particular is "Tunes thru the Years" or something, starting with 1900 and running to the "present," the 1960's. I remember watching it with my Grandpa and Grandma Morrison when I was a very little girl in the early 70's.

Rick and I recorded it and he asks for "Bubbles" every so often. He loves the tap dancing and the big band numbers. He dances around too and shouts out all the instruments as they come up "Trombone! Clarinet! Piano keyboard!" He wants me to sing "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" as a bed time song so I've added that to the repetoire too. With Rick being a fan of classic country and me loving 80's music and Norah Jones, this kid is going to have the craziest musical background.

Poor Little Bug

Grady Bear has a cold, a real one this time. He's only ever had the sniffles for a day or two, and hardly seemed to notice. Even this real cold hasn't slowed him down much, but he's sneezing a lot, coughing enough to send us to the doctor and demanding every so often "Blow my nose, Mommy!" I heard him wheezing on the baby monitor in the middle of the night and it scared me. Sounded like someone with ashthma who needed an inhaler, and he was coughing with that deep barking sound that's kind of scary. I sat up with him the rest of the night, holding him while he slept and making sure he was ok. Doctor first thing in the morning, but I swear its like taking a car to the mechanic and it won't make "that noise" when you get there - he seemed fine, but she said croup is going around and told me what to watch for. I put on his vaporizer (so cute - shaped like a cow with the steam coming out of its ears), gave him some Benadryl and he seems to be doing much better.

Its getting really hard to blog or be on the computer at all when he's around though. As soon as he sees the laptop he shouts, "I want to see trains on the pew-tair!" Grandpa got him started watching train videos on YouTube and he's an immediate little addict. He's so funny the way he says "computer." We say he must be fancy or French because he says it (pew-tair'). Kind of like "Tar-zhay" for Target :o)

I also got my very first dandelion bouquet from my son, which was really sweet. And he's washed his first car with Daddy. Rick was only going to wash his Mustang, but Grady insisted Daddy do Mommy's car too so there you go. He had his own little sponge and bucket and we couldn't get him to stop putting soap bubbles on the vehicles, even after they were rinsed and we were trying to dry them. So I pulled out his little push car and he washed that too. Sooooo cute. And he also has his first mosquito bite - right on his neck. He keeps telling me, "I ishy, Mommy, I ishy." Poor little bug.

Talk, talk, talk

Just heard Little Bear singing to himself so I went in singing our "Good Morning to You" song and then he announces, "I'm Grady Albin and I need a new diaper." He cracks himself up, and me too. He's so giggly and cheerful in the morning. Most of the time, actually. Every night when he goes to bed we go over what we did that day, and what's coming up the next. So this morning he tells me, "We're going to lunch with the girls, then run errands, then to Home Depot (wishful thinking on his part), then to Toys-R-Us (more of the same but I'll probably cave on that)."

He's speaking really well, lots of new vocabulary every day (Rick and I have to watch those "driving words" we say when someone cuts us off. G's already repeated one of Rick's) Sometimes though it still sounds like a foreign language. He was trying to tell me something yesterday and I finally said, "I don't know what you're saying, Grady." "I know what I'm saying!" he shouted.

Its so much fun to start seeing how his little mind works. One of our favorites stories was when Rick was going for a haircut and took Grady too. When they got back, I made a big fuss over him, "Did you get a new haircut?" G: "Yes, did!" Me: "Did Daddy get a new haircut too?" G: "No, he got an old haircut!" Rick told that one at a convention on parenting in Holland and got a good laugh.

He also told Rick, "Daddy, you talk all time." For me its "Mommy kiss me all time." Guess that's not too bad.

A Hippo, a Bunny & a Bear Peeing on the Floor

(28 months) Putting Grady to bed, he randomly pops out with "Hippopotamus!" I say, "Where did you get that?" He says, "TV. Hippopotamus!" I say, "You're funny!" He says, " I don't care who you are!" Hippo was cute, Larry the Cable Guy means waaaay too much TV lately...

It must be all the sugar from his chocolate Easter bunny. He's steadily chomping it away, from the ears down. He had a ball hunting for eggs in the garden, but then picked through his basket and took out any of them with a crack in it or a smudge of dirt. So much like his daddy - I'm doomed!.

I was changing his diaper the other day and he just announced "I'm a morning person." Cracks me up. I told him he was a night owl so he thought for a minute and tells me, "I'm a night owl AND a morning person." Ain't that the truth. Why do you think Mommy quit her job so she could get more than 4 hours of sleep a night? Sooo worth it, Grady Bear!

And this happened a while ago, but is too funny not to share. Got Grady in the tub and finally returned a call to my brother when G stands up in the bath, slippery with bubbles. I lean over to help him sit down before he falls and he grabs for the phone, knocks it into the water. I'm not sure if he's in danger of electrocution or what so I snatch him out and stand him, dripping, on the floor. I'm swishing around in the bubbles, trying to find the phone, saying, "Shitshitshit!" I get it and its screaming this horrible high-pitch shriek so I yank out the battery... only to hear a little voice saying "Shitshitshit!" while he laughs and pees on the bathroom rug. I had to just sit down and laugh too -- Nice, huh?

"Whatever!"

(26 months) Here's what happened when Grandma Sandi wanted to fix you breakfast.
Grandma: Scrambled eggs?
Grady: "No."
Grandma: French toast?
Grady: "No."
Grandma: Yogurt?
Grady: "No."
Grandma: "Grady, you have to eat something for breakfast, what do you want?"
Grady: "Whatever!" complete with an exasperated eyeroll and hands in the air.

We all went to lunch at Rose's on the lake, and sat in a booth overlooking an enclosed patio area. You bounced into the seat, looked out the window at the table full of women just outside and said, "Oh! Girls!" and immediately proceeded to blow them kisses. Totally charmed, they were all in love with you in seconds. Me too!

Bad Blogger Mommy!

(26 months) Can't believe its been SEVEN MONTHS since I blogged about Grady! Guess its too easy to post little factoids on Facebook, but the blog so great to go back and read. I must do better. Sorry, Grady!

Yesterday you had your first trip to McDonalds, and no, I didn't let you eat any of their crappy food (I brought you some nice applesauce, you can thank me later). You did, however, get to play on their cool Playland stuff (kind of a human habi-trail, like hampsters use, only bigger). At first you were content to watch everyone else and crack up, then you started jumping up and down on your seat, getting really excited. You peeked into the tubes kids come out the slide, but wouldn't go up the tube to try it. You danced with a cutie named Hannah in the ball pit, then finally got brave enough to climb up the ladder tube -- and I freaked out when I couldn't see you! I was ripping my boots off, preparing to go in after you when Hannah's
Daddy calmly told me Grady was popping out the slide tube behind me. Whew! You had a ball and didn't want to leave until I bribed you with your first chocolate milk.

"What's going on, people?"

OK, Ingrid, Mom gave me your message to "get blogging!"

19 MONTHS OLD
I had SUCH a great weekend, getting to see my nephew, visit w/family, shop IKEA and hit the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Whew. Grady had a blast at Grandma and Grandpa's, mostly playing in the pool with cousin Alex. They did pretty well together - Alex shared more easily than you would expect from a 2 1/2 year old. He did think it was hilarious to squirt Grady w/cold water from the hose which made GradyBear cry.

After the second time of "No, Alex" not working, I said (really friendly), "Hey, you want to get squirted too?" and flipped him a little water. He sucked in his breath at the cold, then pointed to the patio table and told me sternly "Go sit in your chair!" But he quit shooting the hose at the Bear.

After they'd moved on to other toys in the yard, Mom turned off the hose. Eventually, Alex picked it up, saw there was no water, turned to the adults and asked, "What's going on, people?" He's soooo cute! I'm sure I'll live to regret this, but I can't WAIT until Grady's really talking. Its so funny the things the little ones come up with!

We rounded out the weekend with some finger painting which Grady loved. For a few mintues. Note to self: don't try anything new just before nap time...

We're so screwed! I put Grady to bed in his crib last night as usual, then was talking to Rick in the kitchen about 10 minutes later, and guess who comes trotting in with a big grin on his face? The little monkey climbed out of the crib, twice! The second time we were in our bedroom and the door pops open and there he is. 18 months old. Just throws a leg up on the top of the crib like its a balance beam and hoists himself onto his belly, then lowers himself down until he can drop to the floor. Maybe he'll be an Olympic gymnast. Or Hollywood stuntman. Or cat burglar/jewel thief.

What baby?

I posted this message on my Facebook page, "Thought I was going to have to leave Grady at the greenhouse to get all these flowers home! Great sale at Countryside Greenhouse in Allendale."

My friend Maribeth went with me to shop and we bought all we could fit on one of those garden store carts. We laid down one of seats, packed all the plants in like pros, buckled Grady in his car seat and were congratulating ourselves on a job well done when I walked around to my side of the car and a saw the stupid stroller still sitting there.

Had to unpack the whole car, squish plants in around the stroller and Maribeth wound up holding a flat on her lap on the drive home. (The picture with Grady is actually taken AFTER she unloaded her share!)

Dandelions and Boo-boos

Grady picked his first dandelion for me today. He was delighted and so was I. Unfortunately he also got his first skinned knee. Its a beautiful day and he loved running around in the grass, but occasionally, little feet trip up and down he went. Didn't seem to notice or care but he's a boy, so there you go. He had a good time stomping down on the ant hills (See? Boy!) and chasing Dixie. He also learned how to sneeze, or rather, fake sneeze. I say "Sneeze, Grady. Ah choo!" and he tilts his head back, saying "Ahhhh boo!" Super cute. Have to get that on video before he figures it out :)

Accidental Bath

Since I had a baby, I'm always running 10 minutes late. Just can't seem to get it all together and into the car on time. Same story trying to leave Mom's to go see my friend Ingrid's gorgeous watercolor she painted for me. Got Grady ready first, shoes on, done. I took a quick bath and was getting dressed in teh bathroom when I heard a thump/splash behind me. Mom's tub is pretty low and Grady was able to throw a leg over the edge and climb in. There he is, fully dressed, waist deep in the draining water, grinning. Grr. Had to start over and call Ingrid to say we'd be really late. She gets it -- she has Liesl, of course, and we had a great time, walking to lunch with the wagon. And the painting is GORGEOUS! Can't wait to see it all matted and framed.

Butterfly Boy

Catching up after a busy couple weeks. And catching butterflies. Took Grady to see the exhibit at Meijer Gardens with my friend Maribeth but I wasn't sure if he'd even notice them. He did! Right away he started pointing and smiling. He wasn't too sure about them landing on him though. We thought we had a great photo opp when one lit right on the top of his head but he made a disgusted, grumpy face and knocked it off before we could get our cameras up. Poor butterfly! "No touch! No touch!" We did torture him with a semi-dead one by putting it on his leg but we got finally some pictures.

Grady do it!

(15 months) We've discovered Bailey. (No, Barb, not BAILEY'S !) Or rather, he's discovered us. He's the little shaggy dog next door and every time he hears us out now, he pops over to our house, much to Grady's delight. Its a Grady-sized dog, unlike Dixie who's three times his size. Bailey also wants to jump up and lick his face, but he can handle him a lot easier. Grady just cracks up and can't stop petting him.

We're also big on feeding ourselves, and that means a big mess too but its fun. He lets me feed him when he's really hungry, then at some point won't accept another bite unless HE'S wielding the spoon. If I try to hold the bowl so he can get a bit of applesauce, he pushes my hand away. Reminiscent of "Dottie do it" so I guess he's got a little of his mama in him after all.

Laying low this week since I'm pulling 12 days of work and trying to sleep when he sleeps. He's getting TWO MORE TEETH though so he's been a bit clingy and crabby, for him. Its the eye teeth and they've finally broken through so hopefully I'll get my cheery, chirpy boy back.

Last night I was in the bath and he wanted in but he'd already had his so I was trying to distract him. "Go get your duck" and he got it. "Go get your frog" and he got that too. "Your ball" "Your comb." He's learning so many new words, just not saying them yet :)

Loves me, loves me not

15 months. Grady loves loves loves being outside! He gets a kick out of walking back and forth from the pavement to the grass and back. Wait until he discovers the "moonwalk" the moles have made of the backyard! Spent a long time examining the crocuses.

He went to the doctor for his 15 month check up. He weighs 25.5 pounds and is 32 inches long! Got his last vaccination until he's 5, by Dr.Sears alternate schedule, but we may do a couple when he's four. Still taking a cautious route with that, more afraid of autism than measles. I know they haven't shown a link but why take a chance? He can get the MMR later.

Sooo sweet last night. When he half-wakes, restless and kicking, I massage his legs from hip to toes, squeezing gently. Last night, as he fell asleep he got a hold of my arm and did the same thing with his little baby hands. Such an angel.

Uh uh oh!

15 months old. So cute to hear Grady chattering, you only get a few words here and there. Now when he drops something he says, "Uh uh oh!" He'll also say "ears" and "nose" when you point to them. No doubt he'll be jabbering soon enough, just like cousin Alex!