A small update

A few memorable quotes recently from Little Bit --

While watching an episode of Dora about the seasons, Little Bit named the seasons for his dad, "Winter, Spring, Fall, and hot." (which is oh, so appropriate for Houston).

This evening when he came home after DH and I had finally cleared off both our coffee table and kitchen table of all the various magazines, piles of mail, etc, he asked, "Why is the table clean?"

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While I've been on hiatus from blogging (still no luck on the job front; I just haven't felt like blogging), Little Bit has continued to develop in leaps and bounds. He started asking us what each letter was on books and signs, as they were working on the alphabet at school. Just in the last few months, he's been asking us to show him how to write letters and wanting to practice them. For Valentine's Day, I received my first signed card from Little Bit. He signed the letters of his name all by himself (with just reminding verbally from his Dad what some of them looked like.)

I can't believe that in just a few months I'll have a four year old. How did that happen?! He's still struggling with dealing with frustrations when he tries to do something, and it doesn't work or when we tell him no. Such big emotions in such a small body. For a long time, we've been trying to get him to stop throwing things on the floor when he gets angry. Just recently, he started throwing himself on the floor instead! Small victories, I guess.

Big Boy

Me, speaking to Little Bit: Let's take off your sandals; they make your feet stink.
Little Bit: No, they don't. My poo-poo makes me stink.
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We took Little Bit for his three-year old checkup. The pediatrician says that he is still in the 75th percentile for height and weight. His vocabulary is good. She had him try to draw a few shapes that she drew first. He got the circle (a three-year old skill, she said) and the plus sign (a three and a half year old skill). He's not quite up to drawing a square yet (a five-year old skill), but he did get one corner on the shape he drew. Just in the last few months his coloring skills have grown. He no longer just colors with big swipes of color across the outlines on the page. He tries to color inside the lines and does a pretty good job of it.

When we told the pediatrician that he likes to "read" back his bedtime story books to us, she was impressed. She said that telling stories was closer to a five-year old skill. We need to video Little Bit "reading" The Cat in the Hat. It's hilarious. "You go 'way now t'ing One and Two. No here while Mommy away! You go 'way!! Please!"

Last week, he was reading a bedtime story back to me. The story had asked questions like, "Do you see the present with the big red bow?" Little Bit asked me the questions and when I answered correctly, he said, "Good, Mommy!" My little teacher. Then, he surprised me by coming up with his own new questions. Though, of course, he is still only three. "Can you find the red... with ladybug spots?" I pointed to the picture of a ladybug.

You know you live in Texas when...

You park farther away from the door just to get the spot that is shaded (even if that "shade" is just a few piddly leaves/branches).

Your city's forecast looks like this - Highs: upper 90s and Lows: upper 70s - for the next billion days, or until August, when it will get even hotter.

Even your three year old knows the score. "Let's go there, where it's nice and cool," he says, when talking about what to do next.

You love to look at the flowers in your garden...through the window, from your air-conditioned living room.

You ignore the weeds in said flower garden, because it's too damn hot to pull weeds.

You actually can watch the grass grow (it grows so fast), unless the grass is turning brown from no rain.

Short takes

We were discussing dinner. I asked Little Bit, "Are you going to eat a lot?"

He said, "No...a little a lot."

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DH and I were dropping Little Bit off at the drop-in daycare near our house this past Saturday. (Yay -- date time for mom and dad!) This place has a huge indoor play set that looks like a tree, with slides, climbing boards, tunnels, and bridges. Little Bit grew very excited when we said that he was going to that daycare for the afternoon. The daycare rules say children have to be over 3 years old to climb on the tree play set. Sometimes in the past, they have let Little Bit climb on it because even though he wasn't three yet, he was tall enough for a three year old. However, he remembered clearly his disappointment the last time when a daycare worker said he couldn't climb it because he wasn't old enough. He wanted to be sure that they knew he had a birthday, and that he is three now.

As we checked in at the daycare desk, Little Bit proclaimed to the woman there, "I older. I feel old."

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Little Bit has taken to declaring all the things he will be able to do when he is older. These things are quite varied. According to him, when he is bigger he will get to watch cartoon after cartoon on the tv. He'll be tall enough to touch the ceiling while standing on the top step of his bunk bed. This morning he commented on my dress (a dress he has oooh'ed over before and said was pretty). He said, "I be bigger, and I can wear that [points to my dress] and that [points to my cardigan] and that [points to my necklace]!"

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Now that the days are longer it has become more difficult to convince Little Bit that his bedtime is approaching. Some of the neighborhood kids were playing in the turn-around at the end of our street after dinner last week. Little Bit insisted on going to see them. DH took him. Little Bit had the best time playing with the "big kids" and the "big girls". They were throwing and kicking a ball and drawing on the street with chalk. The olders kids were great with Little Bit, including him in the fun. Little Bit wanted to keep playing and playing. DH finally had to physically carry Little Bit home as it was getting dark (and way past his bedtime).

The next morning, the very first thing Little Bit said as he got out of bed was, "The big kids getting up? We go play the big kids?"

Apparently, another thing he thinks he'll be able to do when he's older is play for as long as he wants. "I get bigger and play the big kids!"

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It's always fun to have your words thrown back at you, isn't it?

Me: (calling Little Bit to come here, please)
Little Bit: Just a minute!

DH: (joking around with Little Bit, but Little Bit is in one of his 'No!' moods)
LB: That's enough!

Only the first time of many that we'll hear these phrases

After being told that we needed change to get candy from the machine (25 cents for a small handful of M&Ms), Little Bit ran across the restaraunt, shouting...

"Daaadddyyyy! I need some monnnnney!!"

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We were waiting to turn left when a Saturn Skye pulled up in front of us. Little Bit piped up from the back seat of the car, with wonder in his voice...

"That's a nice car!"

(Only 3 years old, and he's already noticing cars!)

Welcome home

I was away last week on travel for work. The morning I left I had to get up at "oh,god"-thirty in the morning to catch my flight. Later, when Little Bit woke, DH said he started playing with his toys. Then, Little Bit picked up his toy phone.

"I calling Mommy...Hello, Mommy!...I love you. Bye-Bye."

He said hello to me on the real phone later that day and told me he loved me, but the rest of my trip he refused to talk to me on the phone. I shouldn't take it too personally though. He does the same thing to his grandparents when he's watching cartoons.

I missed DH and Little Bit a lot. Little Bit asked about me everyday. Sometimes DH had to carry him around the house in the middle of the night to show him that Mommy wasn't hiding somewhere. Once he knew for sure I wasn't there, he let his dad settle him back to sleep.

Little Bit has the habit of repeating the last word or few words of most anything you tell him. He's repeating the words with a question in his voice. Maybe he picked it up from me. I repeat his words in a questioning voice when I'm making sure I understood (translated) his toddler-ese correctly. The repeating can be cute or annoying depending on how many nerves are left (i.e. "You're getting on my last nerve."). He also prefaces many of his statements with, "Hey, Mommy?" or "Hey, Daddy?" to make sure we are listening to what he's going to say.

DH relayed a variation of this occuring every day I was gone:

Where Mommy?
She went on the airplane, to see the rocket. She'll be back in threeeee days. (Hold up 3 fingers.)
Airplane?
Uh huh.
Rocket?
Yes. Remember, we watched it yesterday. It went "whoosh!" up into the sky!
Where rocket?
It's flying up in outer space. The mommies and daddies on it are working on a satellite. They'll be done soon, and will come back down and go home to their houses.
Flying?
Yep.
Home?
That's right.

When I got home from my business trip Friday afternoon, I found a sick little boy. DH had been watching over him all day. He had a virus and hadn't been able to keep anything down. He lay on the couch watching cartoons. I sat next to him where he could put his feet on me, and I could reach over to pat him comfortingly. I was telling DH about my trip, when Little Bit piped up.

"Hey, Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Stop talking." (Said in the sweetest little boy voice you can imagine)

DH and I fell over laughing. Little Bit was trying to watch his cartoons, and I was talking! Never mind that I'd just returned from being gone all week. I was interrupting his cartoons.

Little Bit had a few crackers and some water before bedtime and was able to keep them down. He woke later in the middle of the night asking for milk. I (silly mommy) gave it to him. He promptly gave it back all over our bed where he was sleeping between DH and I. Welcome home and happy birthday to me. (Yep, it was my birthday this last Saturday. Little Bit's is next week.) Thankfully, Little Bit woke up Saturday morning his usual bright eyed self.

He's just a little feller

Scene: Dropping Little Bit off at daycare

DH says, "Son, you need to leave your toys in the car. (points to front door of daycare) Miss Donna* put up a sign that says everyone has to leave their toys at home."

Little Bit considers this.
"Let's pretend it says 'yes'!"

DH quickly says, "OK. Then we'll pretend we took the toys inside."

Little Bit considers this...hrmmmm...then, he leaves his toys in the car.

*We live in the South, ya'll. All the daycare teachers are addressed as Miss Donna, Miss Kate, etc. Little Bit is also taught to say "Yes, ma'am" or "Yes, sir" as appropriate.

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I'm way behind on reading/commenting on the usual blogs I read, and of course I haven't posted much lately. There's only so much "free" time in the day; lately I've been reading personal finance blogs and getting lots of good ideas about being frugal and tricks to keep on budget, and so on. Either that or trying to catch up on the DVR'ed shows recorded while we watch the evening cartoons with Little Bit.

Little Bit is staying up later than he probably should. We let him watch his favorite cartoons on Noggin, which end at 8pm. By the time we get him to sleep, it can be past 8:30pm. That doesn't leave much evening. Last night we actually got him into bed and asleep by 7:30pm. He had quite a day though. He woke up feeling out of sorts, wanting to gather all his toys and things around himself on the couch. He really didn't want to go to daycare; he seemed like he might have a bit of a bug. So, he got to stay home with DH for some extra attention. When he felt better in the afternoon, they played outside for awhile. Unfortunately, Little Bit got really overheated very quickly. He has my fair skin, but he also has a high normal body temperature, and his face broke out in a heat rash.

This morning, Little Bit broke my heart protesting getting dressed to go to daycare. He kept crying for me to come hold him, while DH tried to put on a fresh pull-up.

Little Bit yelled, "No pull-up! I baby!"

:-( It broke my heart. He's been feeling insecure I think. I would imagine it's rough trying to dance along that line between wanting to get out and explore and wanting to be held close and safe by mom and dad. In another 10 years or so, we'll get to go through his puberty. Wheeeeee.

DH and I are thinking about taking Little Bit out of daycare part-time. That way he can get more one-on-one attention from his dad. Socialization is good, but he's only almost three. He's just a little feller.

He's such a sweetheart

Little Bit wanted to wear his sling for a few days, even though his arm was better. That was fine. It reminded them at daycare to be extra careful. DH talked with the daycare director and the teacher responsible. The teacher was just crying and so sorry it had happened. She said that she had taken hold of his hand since he had been hitting other kids. He threw himself down on the ground because he didn't want his hand held. She held on instead of letting go, and that's when his arm got pulled. She didn't realize it had happened. I know it was an accident, but I'm still mad it happened. However, Little Bit isn't holding a grudge. DH told me that as they were leaving daycare on Friday that Little Bit told that teacher, "Bye! I love you!"

I feel so bad that his self-esteem took such a beating last week though. The whole thing about being consolidated in with the "babies" after getting his arm hurt really kicked his feet out from under him. He said several times over the weekend, "I baby. I no big kid," even though he'd been so proud to be in the big kid class last Monday. He really needed extra TLC from us over the weekend.

He's already trying to negotiate out of bedtime

Yesterday evening was so nice outside that we sat on the back patio for awhile after eating. Little Bit was sitting on the ground playing with his cars, while DH and I sat on the outdoor loveseat. When it was time to think about going inside, DH said to Little Bit, "It's time to go inside, and you can watch some tv, have some nah-nah, and then go to bed." (Nah-nah is nursing.)

Little Bit said, "No! TV...nah-nah...play!"

DH explained again, emphasizing each word by touching a different spot on his leg. "Play. TV. Nah-nah. Bed." Then I joined in, smiling as we copied the whole Dora-the-Explorer-repeat-three-times-thing.

Little Bit smiled and repeated with us, except for the bed part. "No bed!" Then he wanted to say it all by himself. He copied his dad by touching a different spot on his leg with each word. "Play....What next? (TV) TV....What next? (Nah-nah) Nah-nah...What next? (Bed) No! No bed!"

Then, he switched legs to see if he could get a different answer from us by pointing at his other leg!

(Oh, yeah, you see that band-aid on his forehead above? He hit his head again at daycare, in the same spot on his forehead. This time he hit it while on the slide outside, instead of on a bookcase inside. *sigh* It's been about six weeks since the original wound happened, but you could still see a pink scar there, even before he cut it enough to bleed again the other day.)
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Later, as we sat on the couch together inside, Little Bit made some observation. I don't remember what it was, but I commented proudly to DH, "He's so smart!"

Little Bit said, "I smart!" I nodded. Then, shaking his head, Little Bit said sadly, "Maryann not smart." D'oh! I laughed at the unexpected observation, even though I knew I shouldn't laugh. (Maryann is a made-up name for the real name of a girl in his daycare class.) We'll have to make sure to teach him to keep such observations to himself when he's not at home, or he could hurt somebody's feelings or get in a fight!

I know I've said it before (and I am his mom, so it may seem like bias), but he is *so* smart. He has a very big vocabulary for his age and picks up on words and concepts quickly. As it is, the daycare teachers have told us that he gets bored in the 2-year old class where he is, so he'll start hitting the other kids or throwing toys, etc. He has much more fun in the 3-year old class. They let him stay with the 3's part of the day, but they won't let him transfer over until he's completely potty trained. I guess our laid-back attitude to potty training needs to change so he can move up.

Short takes

His told his first 'Knock, Knock' joke last week --

Little Bit: Knock, knock!
DH and me: Who's there?
Little Bit: Me!! *laugh*

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On the car ride home from dinner, after a discussion between DH and I of the fact that there weren't any napkins in his car to wipe the chocolate off Little Bit's fingers...

Little Bit: I need go store!
Me: What do you need at the store?
Little Bit: Na'kins!

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Little Bit had a throw-down tantrum after we got home because he didn't get to close the door all by himself. (Ah, the fun of living with a toddler.) He was mad at his Daddy for not letting him. Little Bit insisted that I take his shoes off, not Daddy. He insisted that I turn on the tv for him, not Daddy.

He snuggled up to me and said, "Mommy my friend. You no my friend, Daddy."

Later, I gave Little Bit some "stars"/cereal puffs. He ate them all while I was in the other room.

"More stars, Daddy."

"Well, if I'm not your friend, I don't know if I should give you more stars..."

Little Bit said, "I wuv my friends. You my friend, Daddy."

DH gave him more stars. As Little Bit ate, DH said, "I love you, son. You're my friend."

Little Bit said, "You no my friend. I wuv Mommy!"

What a clever little stinker!

I Feel Pretty, Oh, So Pretty

Like the new look? It's purrdy. The new colors make me smile. That's a good thing. So is PMSBuddy. (You're welcome, DH.) I was actually thinking of setting up an MS Outlook reminder in my calendar to email DH every month. If I can't even remember it, he shouldn't be expected to either. I'll be grumping around and feeling like I want to tell everyone to just leave me the F- alone. I feel like a three year old -- I don' wanna go work. I don' wanna do chores. {stomps feet} I'll look at the calendar, count back the weeks, and the light dawns. Hormone-Roller-Coaster-R-Us. Welcome to the funhouse.

It's usually a good thing if Little Bit is not riding in the car with me while the Prehistoric Monster rages.

"Goddammit! That motherfucker cut me off. Bitch! MuhTHER FucKER!!!" Etc. etc. His daycare teachers might raise their eyebrows about the new vocabulary he was using.

Seriously? I would like to dispute whatever assrabbit signed me back up for this. It's just been getting worse and worse since my monthly cycle started back almost a year ago, after several years of blissful pregnancy- and lactational-induced reprieve.

PMS sucks. I need better hormones or drugs or something.
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I picked Little Bit up from daycare yesterday. At a stoplight, I read the notes on his daily report.

"So, you hit and pushed your friends today at school?" I asked him.

He said, "Yeah. I hit Becky. I wanted blocks...green block."

Well, he did tell the truth. He's about three months away from being 3 years old, and it still amazes me how you can have a conversation with Little Bit now. Sure, we're not discussing meta-narratives in his Elmo books. We should start with "Go, Dog. Go!" I think.

Even with his tempermental streak, apparently Little Bit is rocking the 2's room. One of the other moms reported that all her little girl talks about outside of school is Little Bit. The mom thinks it's cute. The dad does not; it brings out his 'threatening the 17-year old date of your sweet, innocent 16-year old daughter' side.

He may have a future in stand-up

For today's story, first a little background -- We had pizza last night; it's one of Little Bit's favorites. DH cut Little Bit's pizza into bites for him after he asked DH to do it. As Little Bit was trying to stuff a large piece into his mouth, DH said, "That's a big bite. Here, let me cut that smaller for you." As he ate, Little Bit commented on the size of the bites, "Little bite!" or "Big Bite!"

Now, on to the story -- This morning, Little Bit asked for "nah-nah". He said, "A little nah-nah, please." I got situated with him on my lap. Then, with a big smile, he said, "Big bite!" and opened his mouth wide and lunged in like a dinosaur to latch on.

Thankfully, he was only playing and no nah-nahs were hurt in the making of this story. He knows that any biting for real is right out.

He's got a funny sense of humor though. A few times, when we are situated for nah-nah, he will raise his arms, ask, "Ready?" like he's about to throw a ball, then go garumph in to latch on. I made the mistake of laughing the first time he tried it.

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DH and I got Little Bit's playroom (which also doubles as the music room) cleaned up and organized. I took pictures because who knows when it will look this way again.


Because I also finally downloaded the pics on my phone, here's some more pictures. I was trying to take a pic of the pack n play to put up on ebay. Our little hambone saw that I was taking pics, so he raced over and asked, "Pictures me? pictures me? Cheeeeeeeeeese!"

Hello, 2009 - If I can't have a personal jetpack, can I join the financial bailout train?

Happy New Year y'all!

It's still hard to believe that it's 2009. I certainly don't feel *mumble*mumble* years old. The last three years have been so busy and hectic with pregnancy, then newborn, and now a toddler. I have to always stop and do the math to figure out my age. I want to automatically say that I'm the age I was just before getting pregnant.

We don't yet have personal jetpacks for everyone or some of the other Jetson-like futuristic gadgets, but soon, we could have personal nuclear power plants. They are the size of a garden shed and would be able to power 20,000 homes. The design is based on a 50-year old design, like that used for nuclear subs. The reactor would be completely encased in concrete, with no moving parts, buried underground, and would not use weapon-grade uranium. That is just amazing to me. The article points out that at a cost of $25m each, a community of 10,000 households would only need to pay $2500 per home to have their own personal nuclear reactor.

Little Bit is certainly going to be growing up in a different time and context than I did or his dad did. Micro-laptops and text messaging and cell phones. When I was growing up, I remember that my dad used punch cards to program the mainframe computers at his work! Now we've got video watches and micro-computers that can fit in your pocket

One of the greatest inventions might be the DVR. Little Bit just assumes that he can watch any show that he requests, at any time. If you don't have any recordings of that show, you better get ready for the tantrum. (BTW, the Viacom and Time Warner dispute news scared the crap out of me -- No Noggin? No Nickelodeon? No CSI on Spike? Yesterday morning, Noggin was still on our cable. Thank god - Little Bit can still watch "Max and Ruby" and "Dora" and etc, etc. The online news says that Time Warner and Viacom reached a deal to avoid the blackout. However, I'm still nervous, because for some reason, Noggin was a black, dead channel this morning. That's so not good, people. We have about two episodes each of Little Bit's favorite shows on DVR. We've already watched each about 5+ times because our DVR refuses to record anything new. We haven't gotten around to taking it in to exchange it for a new one. We need new shows. I can only watch Steve figure out the mouse ran up the clock 10 times before I may have to gouge out my eyes.)

In other news, Little Bit is very aware now and talking about happy and sad emotions. He stubbed his toe recently and told us that the foot was "not happy", but the other foot was happy. While it's very cool that Little Bit can now tell us he is happy, he can also break my heart when he says that he is not happy.

Recently, we were on our way to dinner in the car. Little Bit was being his usual talkative self and kept asking the same question over and over, even when we had already answered. My blood sugar was crashing (head opens and out comes snarling, raging dragon). I told him sharply that we had heard him and to please be quiet.

A few minutes later, his small voice piped up from the back seat. "I not happy."

I said, "Oh, honey...why aren't you happy?" He didn't answer, but DH pointed out that his feelings had probably been hurt by my sharp tone. Cue shattering heart. I apologized to Little Bit for my sharp tone and made sure to hug him when we got to the restaurant.

Last week, I was sleeping in with a headache. DH later told me of a conversation he had with Little Bit.

Little Bit said, "I happy...Daddy happy...Mommy no happy."

DH said, "No, Mommy sick."

Little Bit repeated, "Mommy no happy."

I had been feeling a little blue for several days, and he had picked up on it.

Chri-mas Lights Inside!

Holidays this year are especially fun since Little Bit is old enough to understand something about Christmas. Over the weekend, Santa Claus came through our neighborhood riding a fire truck with the horns and lights and sirens blazing. Little Bit was slightly disconcerted by the noise, but he was excited to see Santa Claus.

Last night we finally put up a Christmas tree (yes, we are lame). We usually get a real tree, but with all of us alternating being sick and with DH's work schedule, the last few weeks have just disappeared. After we put up our new fake tree (pre-lit, too! how convenient!), Little Bit toddled over to the entertainment speakers where a few presents were gathered, picked them up, and put them under the tree. He just knew that was where they went. Too cute.

Then, he asked, hopefully, "Open now? Open now?" We laughed and explained again that he could open the presents on Christmas Day. He seemed to accept that he would have to wait a few more days.

We left the lights on the tree lit for the evening. Every now and then, Little Bit would point to the tree and exclaim, "Chri-mas lights on! Chri-mas lights inside!" Because up till then, he'd just seen the lights outside in neighbors' yards.

I'm so looking forward to Christmas morning - to seeing his face when he sees his new toys. He just loves trains so much. I know the train set and train table are going to be a big hit. He will play "train" with his toy cars, saying, "Choo-choo!! All a-boar-d!"

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This morning, when I was sitting next to him on the couch, Little Bit put his arms around me and said, "I love my Mommy!"

*cue melting heart*

Insert some title here

Poor Little Bit was feeling under the weather this past weekend. He lay back on a pillow on the couch, watching cartoons most of the weekend, and didn't even want to lift his arms to hold a cup to drink. I gave him ibuprofen for the fever, but even with the fever held at bay, he was listless. There's something very pitiful about a little feller saying, "I feel bad."

I made him as comfortable as I could and gave him lots of mommy love. I held the cup with a bendy straw to his lips when he wanted a drink. I got him his stuffed monkey or his Mickey Mouse to snuggle. DH would come and give him Daddy tickles that would bring out a brief smile.

Little Bit felt started to feel better last night. When he ran back and forth carrying armloads of stuffed animals from his bed to the couch (just because), it was a clue. (Blue's Clues!) He felt well enough to go to daycare today. DH dropped him off, telling them that he had been sick, so to call us if he got feverish again. The daycare manager asked Little Bit if he felt better.

He said, "I feel better...Daddy feel better...Mommy no feel better."

I had to laugh at that. I was in bed when they left, because DH let me go back to bed and snooze in a bit.
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A random cute conversation with Little Bit --
Last week, when driving Little Bit home from daycare at the end of the day, I heard him say, "Moon!! Far away! Very high!"

The crescent moon, Jupiter, and Venus were putting on a great show. I said, "Yes. It is very far away. You need a rocket ship to get there. Mommy's working on that."

He agreed, "Need a rocket ship!"

A few days later, when he noticed the moon shining again outside the car windows on our evening drive, he said, "Moon! It far away! Need a rocket ship!"

Did I mention he's only two and a half? He's so smart. *proud mama grin*

More quotes from our toddler

DH comes into the room after overhearing me on the phone with my mom.
DH: Who's whining and not listening?
Little Bit (putting his hand on his chest): Me!!
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Last night, after I put Little Bit into his chair at the dinner table, he made his seating preferences clear...
Little Bit: I sit by Mama....Daddy far away!
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During dinner, Little Bit will sometimes encourage us to share. If I put parmesan cheese on my spaghetti, Little Bit asks for some on his food, then says, "Daddy some." I have to put some cheese on DH's food, too.

DH and I had finished reading bedtime stories, and Little Bit was climbing into my lap for his 'nah-nah' (nursing). Little Bit settled into my lap, said "Daddy nah-nah," and then started nursing. I tried not to crack up too much. He was willing to share his nah-nah with Daddy!

Home again

While I was away, I called home every night at Little Bit's bedtime. He would say, happily, "Mommy...Mommy...Mommy!" I'd ask him if he had played ball that day and he'd say, "I play ball" or "I slide". When I said, "I love you", he said back, "I love you, Mommy." {Here's where my heart melted into a puddle of goo.}

It was so amazingly awesome to be able to 'talk' to him on the phone and to know that he understood that his mommy was coming back. Eight months ago, when I turned down a business trip, he was just too young, I thought, for him to understand I'd be back and too young for me to be able to leave for a week. But he's a big boy now, and this business trip was just for three nights. We could do it.

During the first two nights I was away, Little Bit did ok. He would ask where I was, but accept when DH told him that I was away on an airplane and would be back in so-many nights. Little Bit began to expect my call each night. If the phone rang near his bedtime, he got a big smile and became very excited. On the third night, my last night away, Little Bit had had enough. He kept asking for me and had trouble being settled down to sleep.

I flew back home yesterday. I was very excited to see Little Bit, figuring he would be ecstatic to see me. I was looking forward to that moment when the huge smile of joy lit up his face, and he came running to hug me. I was at home when DH returned from picking Little Bit up at daycare. Little Bit came inside the house saying, "Ride bike outside!!" Basically, he seemed to notice me, like - oh, hai - and kept running to get his tricycle. DH said the look on my face was priceless, like, whut? I certainly didn't expect that reaction.

We all went outside. Little Bit rode his tricycle, walking his feet along as he sat on the seat (he's still working the the whole pedaling thing), while DH and I walked behind him.

On the walk back home, DH reminded Little Bit how they had talked before bed the last few nights about mommy being away on the airplane, but that mommy would be back, and here I was. Maybe Little Bit had been playing cool, because he was annoyed I had left. If so, I was forgiven now. The distraction of his tricycle could last only so long.

For the rest of the evening, Little Bit wanted Mommy. He wanted me to carry him when he was through riding his tricycle. He wanted to sit on my lap while we ate dinner. He was glued to my side or in my lap as we watched cartoons before bedtime. That was a balm to my slightly injured feelings. He did miss me. I soaked in the warmth of his small body next to mine.

Not too long ago, I was settling Little Bit into my lap for storytime before bed. I exclaimed as I hefted him, "You're getting so big!" He said, "No big boy," and snuggled in closer to me. {Here's where my heart melted into a puddle of goo.} Right then, he didn't want to be a big boy. He wanted to be my little boy. I reassured him, "You'll always be my baby." I hugged him even closer.

Hot, hot, hot!

Something fun to do tomorrow here in Houston --
The Houston Fire Fest will take place 10/25/08 from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the HFD Training Facility located by Hobby Airport (8030 Braniff). Admission is FREE!

Further information is available at the following Web site: http://www.houstonfiremuseum.org/firefest.html

One of my coworkers mentioned it today. Maybe there will be some hot firemen there, too. Heh. Little Bit will love the big fire trucks.

The other night, Little Bit sat on the toilet at home for the first time! They've been doing potty training at daycare -- having him sit on the potty and sometimes he goes. I haven't been too stressed about potty training. Sarah, over at life at 45 degrees, and I have the same potty training philosophy:

Part of me hopes that one day, as we near his 3rd birthday, he will grab a copy of the NY Times, announce that he needs some privacy and then abscond to the bathroom for 20 minutes, returning with freshly washed hands and saying, "I need real underwear. The ones with Thomas on them. Let's go to Target."

But the other night, as DH was getting Little Bit ready for bed, LB asked to go to the potty. I heard them go into the bathroom and DH put LB onto the toilet.
Little Bit said proudly, "I be big boy!"

I tip-toed to the edge of the door and peeked around to see our little guy perched on the big toilet. That's how unhurried we are about training - we don't even have a potty seat to put on top the toilet. He just had to balance so he wouldn't fall in. Little Bit saw me peeking around the corner and grinned, then ducked his head shyly.

It was so cute to see him perched on the edge of that big toilet, with his little bare legs dangling. I was tempted to take a pic of him, but I didn't want to distract him if he was actually going to use it. He didn't, but maybe next time he just needs some reading material.

His vocabulary is expanding

Last week, we were getting ready to go out to eat dinner. I started to buckle Little Bit into his carseat.

He said, "I poo-poo."

I said, "Oh, son," thinking about having to unbuckle him and change his diaper, "Did you really poo-poo?"

He answered, "No, I just farted."

Bwah-hahahaha! DH and I fell over laughing. I'm so proud; he's only 2.

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My parents just left yesterday from a long weekend visit. When they arrived late last Friday night, Little Bit woke up as usual about 11 pm. He smiled shyly at them and hid his face, then flirted with them from the protection of my arms. We could tell that he remembered them from the last time he saw them about 5.5 months ago. They were so tickled that he remembered them.

Don't tell that to Superman

This morning DH was carrying Little Bit, laying stretched out in DH's arms, down the hallway.

DH said to him, "Look! You're flying!"

Little Bit answered, "No...Birdie fly. Airplane fly. My no fly."