SO much happens each and every day and we have been so busy this summer that I have not been good to blog updates on the kids. But, I think about it all the time because they are both changing so much! Here are some Atticus updates and phrases he has said recently:
Atticus has started speaking so clearly and saying so much! He has recently started saying his "L's" which I'm so proud, of but also so sad about. We no longer say "Yike, yook, yittle, yuv, pay or chicken fiway". Now we say "like, look, little, love, play and chicken filet". And when I noticed he was saying L's, I would ask him to say "l" words all the time such as "blueberries, Molly, or sleeping". And do you want to know the funniest thing about him practicing words with L's? He follows it up with "loop-dee-loop." So, I ask him to say blueberries, and he will say "blueberries loop-dee-loop". It is hilarious. He will also just say it sporadically here and there. I will hear him talking and then hear a "loop-dee-loop." I don't know where he heard the word or if he made it up or what. But, it is so funny!
Other than the L's, he is just speaking more clearly and most importantly, saying so many words and having so many thoughts. He asks "why" a lot, which can really wear me down because most of the time, there is not an actual answer. So, when I tell him to get in the car, he will ask why. I tell him because we need to go to the park. He will ask why. I tell him because we are going to see our friends. He will ask why. I will tell him because we need to burn some energy. He will ask why. Basically, there is just no end to this conversation. Other times, it makes me crazy because I am instructing him to do something and the only real answer is "because I told you so or because I said no".
He also explains things a lot. Just now, as I was typing this, he ran up to ask me what I was doing and then he told me he "loved playing on the computer and could do it if someone helped him and he also loved doing puzzles with me and helping me vacuum because he is the best helper to vacuum and mop and make beds but he only likes to use the big mop and not the little mop and now he was going to go play with his bathtub toys that daddy got him from when he was a little baby. I kid you not - that was the nonstop sentence he just gave me." Oh wait - here is another one. He just asked me why I was not typing and I said I was thinking so he said: "Some like to work and some like to squeeze the water out (Vic was squeezing water out of a toy for him) and some like to clean and play and go to bed and read books and do things. I'm thinking. That's how daddy is getting all the water out." Does that make any sense? Not all of it, but it makes complete sense to him. And wait - here is another conversation he had a few minutes later. "Look Mommy at my hand. It dropped this dvd case. (he is carrying the Looney Tunes dvd case). I was walking just like this and it fell and look at the corner; the blue is coming off. Oh look at that grouchy bear (Tazmanian Devil) and what are they doing with that little yellow chicky? Are they trying to get the little chicky? Maybe they are. Why does the coyote chase the roadrunner?" and then he runs off. Okay, these go on all day every day, so I'll stop for now.
He is also getting an opinion but it is mostly a naïve, sweet, child-like view opinion. For example, he will tell me when we get home from being out to put on my house dress. I typically wear a cotton dress around the house when we stay at home all day instead of putting on an actual outfit. So, he thinks that is what I should do all the time. Bossy? Yes. But, does he think he is being helpful? Also yes. Or the other day, when Vic and I got home from a dinner date, GG had the kids outside and had been throwing Atticus a ball. As Atticus gave it to her to throw, he scrunched up his face and said "GG is not very good at throwing the ball" and he looked like he felt sorry for her. GG laughed so much! He also has lots of opinions about what Grace can and cannot play with, hold, eat, touch, and do. Unfortunately for him, Grace doesn't go with the flow very well. I'll tell you all about Grace in another post!
Let's see. I know I've said it before, but I have to say it again. He LOVES his stuffed animals. He gets a current group of favorites and has to have them sleep with him and recently puts them into one of his plastic tubs and carries them to around. Currently, his favorites are all of puppy dogs, his donkey named Jack, Grace's giraffe named Sadie, his Paw Patrol puppy Marshall, his big monkey and Grace's giant cow (both of which take turns being tucked into bed next to him at night - just imagine how this looks when I look in the baby monitor in the middle of the night. I have to do a double-take because that giant cow looks like a person!), his dragon named Waffle and usually an occasional other toy that must accompany him to sleep. Oh and of course Simba! He calls them his friends and tells me they protect him. Adorable.
Atticus has also recently started pretending more and mostly by himself. He will gather toys up in bags and tell me he is going to school or the store and carries them around. He will fly animals around through the air or sometimes just set them up at the table. However, recently his favorite toys seem to be the ones that we've put away for awhile. So, note to self - no Christmas toys needed - I just need to hide his current ones! He also will play at the table sometimes by himself - with his ink stamps, doing puzzles, or playing with this animal counting game. This is a big deal. He will always ask me to play with him, but we have days that he is perfectly content playing on his own. We even have moments where he will let Grace play with whatever toys he is and not yell at her, push her, or throw toys are her. They are rare, but they do happen.
Grace and Atticus' favorite things to do are play outside together and play chase. Chase usually ends in her falling down or him getting too excited and pushing her down. but they both love chase. Outside, they will sometimes play together in the sandbox or with chalk. Recently, Grace's favorite thing to do is get into their little red Cozy Coupe and have Atticus push her around. It works for a little bit but then he loses interest. Still - progress!
He really does love Grace. He not only tells me that sometimes, but he also wants to help her or give her certain toys, but you know how that goes. Sometimes it goes well, but other times, he does it too roughly or she just cries or whines for no reason, and ruins his kind-gestured moment. He likes to make her laugh in the car and really does try to play with her sometimes. And the best part? He still refers to her as "his baby" a lot.
His behavior lately is tough. When he is by himself, he is perfect. Happy, content, sweet, a good helper, etc. Of course, I'm sure this is because he doesn't have to share attention with Grace. But, other times, and not just because he is around Grace, but because he is pushing boundaries and learning his way through being 3 years old, he is really tough to parent. I'm sure it is just like every other 3 year old, but sometimes it does not matter I say, he is going to argue and do the opposite and run from me or yell or scream or do other things that make me crazy. He does not yet realize the difference between acting extra good in public versus at home, although I know they should be the same. This bad behavior happens in public too and we have been so public lately with traveling to hotels, family's houses, swim lessons, church, vacation Bible school, and playdates, that it has been more challenging. I've recently stopped spanking because it just isn't doing any good. We are trying more time outs too, but even those sometimes are more for me to just have a few minutes of quiet. And it's tough because in one way, I want to be patient and explain to him why he can't do something and on the other hand, I want to teach him no means no and not to question things. But, when does no mean no sink in? I try it a lot. And I'm hopeful it is sooner than later. I should be consistent with one way but I don't think every situation gets the same treatment. Yikes. I like this learning curve and figuring out the best way, but sometimes my patience just isn't there. And tantrums have never been an issue with Atticus - they were rare. But, now if he has to go to time-out, he throws a giant tantrum. Screaming, kicking, flailing. Good grief. And he will keep telling me as I put him in his room that "he just wants to be a good boy". Clearly, he forgot that desire when he was throwing a toy at Grace's head for the 3rd time that day.
I think it is worse when we are on the go so much. I love schedules and routines, but I also want my kids to be ready to go with the flow. We'd been traveling constantly for about a month and neither kid wanted to behave. So, I probably push them to their limit sometimes. I need to be better about that.
But, really he is just sweet. Sweet natured and kind and curious and so smart and so silly. He remembers things and people and events. He gives kisses or says "thanks mommy!" or "i love you mommy" or "i love my whole family!" out of the blue. He loves to feel needed or like he is an important part of something. He likes to help me cook and likes to help Vic do projects around the house or outside. And when GG was here last week, he LOVED helping her "Scwapbook" and he truly thought she needed his help. I love, love, love his outlook. I dread the day he worries about what people think or worries that he doesn't do something right or better than someone else. I just want this sweet outlook to last forever!
He is also singing a lot more lately. Atticus has never been much of a singer. But, recently, he will remember words from his car CD's and repeat them and just repeat the regular kid songs we sing.
He is really into monsters, ghosts, and dragons. He likes to tell me one is in the room and then go fight it. He is also into fighting. He will pretend to fight things all day long. And he loves to find sticks to fight with.
He knows the ABC song and can count to 12, but after that he includes 19, 14, and 16. He knows shapes and colors. He doesn't really know what money is but he knows that I pay for things with a credit card. When we were buying a gift recently that he picked out, he told me that he needed my credit card to pay for it. Oh great! If you ask him his favorite stores, he will say "HEB, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Tawget and Chicken Filet". Clearly, we have too many errands at those stores. He still loves Paw Patrol and Mickey, Doc McStuffins, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and of course all of his movies. His favorite thing to do when I tell him he can watch one is to let me get the big stack down and he goes through them one by one to choose. Currently, he is still into Frozen and Charlotte's Web. His love of book never ceases. He loves the news ones, the old ones, and even Grace's baby ones.
We are trying to teach his manners. He has a really hard time sitting in his chair for long periods during mealtime and is always up. But, he will ask me "can I be excused?" and he will say "Yes ma'am!" quite a bit and lately, more without being prompted. "Please" and "thank you" are pretty automatic. But, he still gets shy in front of new people and it takes him awhile to warm up to friend at a playdate and to warm up enough at church to shake hands and talk to people.
One funny thing he does when he wants my attention is puts his fingers up to his mouth and says "WOOOOO" in a high pitched voice. This is his way of blowing his horn to get my attention. I have no idea where he came up with that idea!
As we prepare for preschool this fall, I've really been working on him putting on his underwear and pants and shirt. This is harder than I ever thought to teach: dressing and undressing. But, we are getting there. Potty training is done, but we still have accidents sometimes. He just gets busy and forgets to tell me until it's happening. Yuck, but it's ok - he is doing great.
He still naps once a day, although sometimes he just has too much energy and I let him stay up. He is still tough to get to bed but on average, by 8:45 we have him in his room to read books and go to bed. Vic is really looking forward to the time change in hopes that if it's darker, it will be easier to get him to bed. He also still comes to our room each and every morning "when the sun wakes up" to crawl into bed with us.
If he asks for random items or toys lately, and I tell him he can't have them, then he will say "Maybe we can get them for Kwipmas!". Santa Claus is going to be even more fun this year!!!
His blankets are still his most comforting companions, along with his animals. He has the afghan Melbo made him and most importantly, his "polkadot blanket" (his words).
He is between 41 and 42 lbs and 41 1/2 inches tall. He is still wearing size 3T clothes, but is about to move to 4T sooner than later. I think he has hit a growth spurt recently. He wears a size 11W shoe. Foods he eats regularly are raisin bran cereal, milk, yogurt, pb&j sandwiches, goldfish, graham crackers, nutella and peanut butter, chicken, rice, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, apples, mashed potatoes, tortillas and tortilla chips and typically any kind of casserole with cheese or chicken. He will eat vegetables when forced but not on his own. And, of course, he loves the typical carbs - sweets, (especially icing!), granola bars, crackers, chips, and Chicken Filet (yes, that is how he says it) is his favorite place to eat and he typically asks for it each day we are out of the house, as if we will eat there every single day if he just asks me. He also likes slushies from Sonic. He will ask me if we can go to Sonic so I can get a tea and he can have a slushy.
The other wonderful thing about Atticus is how much he loves his family. He LOVES each and every person and will sometimes say "I want my _____" (gg, pop, mommy, daddy, etc.) He loves for each and every one to come to our house to see him or play with him and he loves to be at their houses to visit them. He loves for them to read to him and eat meals with him. He loves to ride in their vehicles. He loves them so much. He loves his Gwanma, Pop, GG, Melbo, Pa, Janny, Gwanpa, Ana, Chawley, Molly, Jill and Geoff.
All in all, Atticus is growing up so much. Everyday is different, but I just had to document a few things. I hope I can remember everything one day and I hope I can remember every expression on his face during all of these events. That sweet, cute, little face that tells me "I love you too" each and every night makes all the frustrating moments that can occur throughout the day go away.
