Reading Mail

Today I told mom "sit down read book" and pointed at the couch next to me with my bird book in hand. She said "sit down read book please" so I repeated that back to her. Sort of. That's a long sentence to remember, and my longest ever that mom understood.

I like to read more than almost anything else. Mostly I like to read books, and mostly with mom or dad. But I have fun reading by myself in my big brown chair too. I set down my stool and climb up and read.

I also like to read the mail. I take mom out to get the mail after I hear the mailman open the box. I open it and pull out the mail and give it to mom, and then I close it again. Mom looks at what's there, and I want to know if there's anything for me. "Mail for Simon" I say. "Read."

Today she handed me a few things, and one of them was from the National Wildlife Federation (I asked). It had fun animals all over it. "Ribbit. Bird."

I also don't really like to wear clothes lately. If I want to wear them, I'll pick them out for myself, but today I really just wanted to hang out in my diaper. Mom forced me into clothes though; I was mad at her for a little while.

Very Busy Day

I've had a very busy day today.

I woke up mom by saying "poop!" even though I hadn't pooped. It works for getting her to come get me right away though, so I like that trick.

I had some breakfast of toast and peanut butter and goat yogurt & blueberries. The blueberries are fun to pick out of the yogurt, and then when my hand is all soggy with "yah-yo" I like to shake it all over the place. It's fun because it makes pretty white splatters all over everything.

Then it was time to be busy playing. I inspected my little farm for a while and lay on the floor to do so. I found my gold balloon and brought it to mom to look at, and she snuggled me for while. I donked her on the head with my balloon. Then I climbed up on the couch armrest to reach the lamp and turned it on and off and on and off and on and off...this is hard work! You have to be very methodical about turning it on & off too. First pull one cord on, then the other one on, then the first one off and then the second one.

I went in my room after a while and started putting diaper covers in my diaper pail. Mom always stops me; I don't know why. I'm helpful. I see her put them in there, and it's fun to hit the button on top that opens the lid. I just shove all the covers in there that I can find, and sometimes the cloth diapers go in too.

Then it was time to "read book" with mom. Sometimes I just like to read everything I find on the book pile, and sometimes I'm very particular about what would be fun. Today I knew just what I wanted to read: "Dog Go," "B Book" and "Mama Llama."* I was a little frustrated when I couldn't find "Dog Go" but then mom helped me find it.

After those three books I decided that it would be fun to keep reading, so I went to find another book from the pile but then daddy came home. That is always a happy time, but sometimes he gobbles me up too much and I have to say "no."

For lunch I had something very different from breakfast: bread (not toasted) with peanut butter AND jelly. And melon. I love melon. This time it was green melon. Yesterday we had orange melon. Sometimes we have pink melon. I like to eat it with a fork. Mom taught me how to "tabbit." (stab it)

Then I had to say "bye" to daddy, and it was time to dance. I asked mom for "muck peesh" (music please) and we danced around the living room. I am a very good dancer - you should see me sometime.

When I got tired of dancing I inspected my farm a little more. I played the farmer music and danced to it while sitting down - it's a happy song.

Then it was time to read again. I really like "Dog Go" so I paged through it by myself and read the pages I know the best. I read "dog go" and "bye" on the pages where momma reads it. I like "Hug" too - that's another favorite recently. I like to look at all the animals hugging and tell my mom what they are. I also like to say "hug" and hug mom or dad - and they go nuts about it. Even when I'm being naughty I can say hug and they melt at least a little - they can't resist my charms.

By this time mom thought it was nap time. I was feeling sleepy and rubbing my eyes, but it's almost 5:00pm and I'm still chattering away in my crib. It's a VERY busy day for me!




*Mom translation: "Go Dog, Go" by P.D. Eastman, one of the Beginner Books, "The Berenstains' B Book" by Stanley & Janice Berenstain, one of the Bright and Early Books for Beginning Beginners, "Is Your Mama a Llama?" by Deborah Guarino
also, "The Hug Book" by ... I don't remember who. I'll find it and add that name later.

I Dressed Myself Today

From head to toe. Daddy could tell right away when he came home for lunch. He's a smart daddy.

Saying "Poop"... and Confusion

I can also say "poop." I say poop whenever I want my diaper checked - it might just be wet, but if I say poop I know it'll get changed. Sometimes I say it when I let out a little toot. It all gets so confusing.

Another thing that was confusing was my mom today. We went downtown and hung out with Uncle Tyler at his store, and I got to run around in the front yard. Mom gave me a ball to throw, but she didn't like it when I threw it toward the street or the parking lot. I couldn't understand, because those were the places where it rolled the best. We also found yellow flowers to put in our hair and also to munch on. They didn't taste very good.

But the confusing part was the grass. Mom showed me grass, and I learned how to say it, and then she picked a piece and blew on it like a balloon. Instead of making a big balloon though, it just made a loud noise! I didn't understand at all. I shook my head & said "no...balloon!" and handed her another grass. I don't know why she just kept making noise and didn't make me a balloon.

Gold Balloons & Playgrounds

This weekend there were balloons at church. I learned how to say "gold balloon" and I got to take at least three of them home with me. I love balloons.

I learned how to say some new things. I can say:
Simon
please
thank you
bless you
frog
flag
fishies
beach ball
gold balloon
pillow
outside
melon
apricot
blueberry
read book

Today mom took me on a walk after lunch. That was fun, because we don't go for walks in the daytime just the two of us very often. We went to a playground and I climbed up on steps & bumped down them on my butt. I climbed back up and went down the slide. I threw woodchips. I called the woodchips "chips" and nibbled on a few. They don't taste as good as the kind of chips mommy feeds me at home. Mommy told me not to throw the woodchips, but it was fun to do anyway. Suddenly a whole bunch of big kids came out on the playground and mommy said it was time to leave. That was okay with me anyway, because I like to walk. Also, I was getting sleepy and it was almost naptime.

Goodnight Moon has become my favorite book. I have to read it at least once before every time I go to sleep. I'm learning some of the words too, so I can read along.

Two Things

First, some pictures. I like to wear shoes, not so much do I like pants.

And this is a fun outfit to help me learn my colors. Mom said I looked like a little clown.

Second, as of yesterday, I can say my name. Simon. Sometimes it's Si-Simon. And I point at my chest so mommy & daddy are clear that I know it's me.

Impromptu Adventure, part two

I liked to paddle, but I also equally liked to try to put the whole paddle in the water. I think mom was a little nervous I'd let go of it, because she always held on too.

Even better than paddling was reaching my arms over the edge & hanging my hands in the water.

It was tough for my parents to hang on to me, I think. I really really really wanted to get in that water. There was a sign up that you're not allowed to swim in that lake, but I was determined to anyway. Mom & dad listened to the sign though, not me. Bummer. Maybe next time we'll find a lake we can swim in. Oh, this was Lake Roberts by the way.

Labor Day Impromtu Adventure

My daddy is self-employed, and he had decided to work on Labor Day. I guess too many OTHER people were taking the day off though, because no one was ready for him and he couldn't work anyway. So we took off for a mini-adventure!

Mom & dad got this canoe a few months ago but we hadn't used it yet. I learned the word "boat" as they strapped it on to the car, and I was just amazed that there was a boat on top of our car and that I could see it out the front or the back windshield.

We didn't decide to go out for the day till later in the morning, so we packed a lunch and stopped for a picnic before it was time for the boat. I loved running around eating outside, but my big bib (hand made by my Aunt Becky) was a little tricky outside - I kept leaning over & then I'd trip on it. Lunch was fun. I got a pbj sandwich, and mom & dad had lunchmeat & cheese. I learned the word "meat" when they told me what they were eating, but I still am not interested in eating it myself.

After lunch we got "suited up" - which for me meant swim trunks, an spf shirt, and sunblock all over. I stole the bottle & liked to chew on it a bit, but that didn't last long.

And then I got strapped into a life jacket & plunked in the bottom of our big new canoe! It was fun, and I liked watching the ducks "run" by on the water, but I couldn't see too much from that seat. I didn't stay there long.