Early Valentines

Surprise package from Grandma Lizzy came, and in it were window decal hearts for Simon. "Play hearts" is now another new favorite game. Sometimes he enlists a parent to help. "Daddy play hearts. Waaaay up high."

Peeling a big heart off the page...or maybe trying to get it to stick back on.

Antics from a Simon Day

Climbing up on the big red chair to look out the window at his fishie. Balloon in one hand, viking hat in the other. Stretch those legs!

Maybe I can look at the fishie from here...

Chewing on a frog and giving me a sneaky look.

Mom, I've got a frog in my throat.

Function Turned Beauty

My hair is long. Ever since Simon was old enough to grab at my hair while nursing as an infant, I've worn my hair in a ponytail almost every day. Sometimes on weekends when Simon's crawling all over Daddy & not as much on me, I can wear my hair down, but it's rare. Sometime recently Simon started noticing my hair, and fidgeting with his. We decided to try a ponytail, and lately every time he's focused on my hair or his hair, he insists that he needs a "pretty ponytail." Now every time he notices my hair, "Momma has pretty ponytail." Thanks sweetie - good thing he likes it, because it's what he's most used to for me. He has days, often, where he wants to wear a pretty ponytail himself. All day long. We think Simon DOES look awfully pretty.

Finding a toy for a favorite game.

Playing "wheee! balloon!" The game is: throw the balloon up in the air and say "wheee!"

And yes, he DID choose his outfit that day.

More from Lounge-Day

More from bathrobe day:

Climbing on packed boxes is the latest greatest fun challenge.

Sitting on the "rocky" chair & singing songs.

Bathrobe & Puzzles

After a diaper change the other day, Simon decided he was chilly and the only thing that would work was to wear his "Grandma Lizzy bathrobe" that my mom made for him. I said okay, and he happily wore it the rest of the afternoon. He also happened to be very focused on puzzles at his little table that day.

Congratulations!

Simon learned his first 5-syllable word. "Congratulations." Currently it sounds more like "too-drag-u-lations," but that's pretty close. I'm not sure where he learned it either, because we didn't work on that one, but here are three possibilities:

1. From the book "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss that Adam reads semi-regularly to Simon. It begins: "Congratulations! Today is your day!"
2. Today when we were downtown for lunch we ran into friends who announced their wedding engagement. We told them "congratulations!"
3. Also while we were downtown, we ran into a friend who had been away for several months. We said something about baby #2 being due and she told us "congratulations!"

Or maybe it's a little of all three? He's a smart cookie...picks up a lot.

Baby Snuggy Hat

Simon's got a baby doll with two outfits (one we've designated as "jammies" or pajamas) and a hat. He found the baby's hat recently, and insisted that the baby doll needed his "nice warm snuggy hat." When the baby doll had a nice warm snuggy head, we then had to find a hat for Simon too. The first one he found is one my sister made when he was born...and it's sized accordingly. Simon was THRILLED to have a "nice warm baby snuggy hat" just like the doll.

Co-op Kid With Bugs

We love our local food Co-op. One of the more recent programs is Co-op Kids, so we had to get Simon the "shovel kid shirt" with kids and garden tools around a heart. He loves it.

Another recent day's fun...putting every bug & critter & mammal & finger puppet & balloon we could find in the gate between the living room & kitchen. Hours of fun!

The Mystery Deepens

Simon suddenly said: "kind of animal Tuna?"

"What?"

"Kind animal Tuna - biiiig hippo cookie."

Saturday's Cost of Weight

Adam was just in the bathroom and our ever-energetic Simon ran in behind. Simon picked up the little trashcan, moved it out of the way, and grabbed the bathroom scale that was under it. He jumps on to weigh himself, and quickly proclaims that he weighs "5 or 8 dollars." Then it was Daddy's turn, and Simon bent down to look at the numbers. He confidently claimed that Daddy was "fifty dollars." Then it was Simon's turn again, and he was "a hundred fifty dollars." When it got to Momma's turn, Simon looked down close and pronounced me "fifty hundred dollars."

What Kind of Animal is a Cookie?

The other day I asked Simon "who's that?" and pointed at my gray cat, nicknamed Tuna, nearby. Simon correctly answered "Tuna."

Then I asked him what kind of animal Tuna is.

"Cookie." He answered. ??

A few days later I came upon a book we recently acquired called "Cookie's Week" about a black & white cat named Cookie who gets into all sorts of trouble. I thought it made sense then, but neither Adam nor I can recall having ever read this book to Simon yet...and we don't think he can read the word "cookie" yet. The mystery remains.

Speaking Simonese

"wallow" = water
"fing-joe" = finger
"munk" = milk
"dye-pee" = diaper
"tookey" = tookus = bottom/butt
"gwink" = drink

David and the Eggplant

The other day Adam told me a funny story of finding Simon in the morning. I believe it was Saturday, so Adam was here when Simon woke up. When he told me the story I asked incredulously why in the world he didn't get the camera - it's so blog-worthy. His response was that he doesn't think that way, so you'll just have to use your creative mental imagery:

Adam walks into Simon's room to find him completely naked except for his diaper and a hand knit hat that looks like an eggplant on his head. He was sitting up in his crib which was empty but for a cloth book of Bible stories (I think we got it from Adam's mom). Simon usually calls the book "Joseph book" because the first story in it is about Joseph & his coat of many colors, but he had it open to the page about David & Goliath, and when he saw Daddy in the doorway Simon pointed at the book and said, "David page."

The Costume Show Continues

Hmmm. What's this?

Oh, a funny hat. What a surprise. It matches the "elbow kneepads," robot pajama pants & smiley sweatshirt, right?

Cheese.

And just when you didn't think it could get any worse, daddy puts his coat on to go outside for a minute. Yikes. Simon loved it, I think.

Checking Out the Family, and a Hat

In one rare hat-less moment today, Simon wandered over to the edge of the room & sat on his stool, looking up at the (I'm noticing now VERY crooked) wall of family pictures.

This freebie hat from our bank - local Western Bank - has become a recent favorite of Simon's. We're not sure why. Add it to the list of things we're not sure why about him, I guess.

More Cheese

When Simon saw this photo of himself in the back of the camera (after insisting "see kid! See kid camera!") he said of himself: "fuzzy. Fuzzy hair kid." I couldn't disagree.

Teeth, a booga, and green(!?) eyes

The helmet was on & off a few times throughout the day, but he always found something else fun to wear. Here it was "daddy green hat." Kind of makes Simon look like a little mushroom.

"Daddy green hat cheeeeese." Indeed.

Beach Ball Big Blue Ball

Something caught Simon's attention that reminded him of these two big balls. With trying to get some house projects done, packing started, and generally getting into a habit of organized cleanliness (aka keeping the house clean & able to be shown to potential buyers...once we list it for sale) have driven us to pack up & downsize some of Simon's toys. I swear, they multiply. Two giant beach balls were easy things to deflate & stuff in a closet a month ago, but today he started saying "big blue ball beach ball big blue ball" over & again. I couldn't deny the kid his fun when he was so persistent. And it brought such intense JOY when I inflated them both - Simon actually was the one to insist that I take a picture of him with each ball!

This one was a bonus - he insisted on my taking another picture. "Again! Cheeeese!" I couldn't resist. The comical thing was that he kept holding the balls up higher, as if for me to see them better, thus completely obscuring his little face. I managed to snap a photo just over the top.

All Geared Up With No Place To Go

Some days Simon gets an idea that he's really jazzed about. Today he insisted on wearing fun things. You can't see it, but underneath his sweatshirt is "kid shirt" - a t-shirt from the Grand Rapids (MI) Children's Museum with bright colors & shapes & kids on it. Then silly robot pajama pants and monkey shoes. I chose the sweatshirt, but only b/c I knew it was one of few he'd allow. Soon after breakfast he insisted on the helmet & "elbow knee pads" - which he faithfully wore almost all day. Literally. Unfortunately, it was a gray & chilly day, so we didn't have much motivation to play outside. When Adam came home & I started getting the kitchen ready for dinner, Simon DID get to go ride his bike outside with daddy for a little while. Thank goodness!