Mockingbird

As part of our bedtime routine, S gets into bed, I read Goodnight Moon, he asks to touch the pictures (in particular, the mush, the fire (he likes it because he can't touch real fire), and the big star), and then I sing Hush Little Baby - which we call Mockingbird. The other night after reading, I said,
"Do you want me to read Mockingbird, oh I mean sing Mockingbird?"
S: [laughing] Do you have a book about Mockingbird?
Me: No.
S: Why not? Do they have a book about Mockingbird at the store?
Me: I don't know. I just made a mistake, I meant to say sing.

So now, everynight while lying in his bed, he looks at me with a big grin and a giggle and says, "Do you have a book about Mockingbird?"

Keeping with the theme, when I was singing the other night I skipped a verse and he proclaimed, "you skipped a page mama."

Ratings

Last night S proclaimed:

Mama, you're a 7, Daddy you're an 8-9.

Although I could take a guess at what that might mean, I don't think that's what he was thinking. More on his imagination and made up stories to come.

Keep it in perspective

A lesson learned from Stuart last night. We were preparing for our nightly ritual of reading in the rocking chair before bed and he was being his usual silly self - he was covering his head with his blanket.
Me: Do you want me to read a book?
S: Yes.
Me: Then you need to uncover your head.
S: Why?
Me: Because I'm not reading to a blanket [said in a very serious, but not angry or frustrusted, tone. Just the usual feeling of always being a rush and needing to get one thing done to move on to the next.]
S: Hysterical laughing, when he came up for air: why aren't you reading to a blanket mama?
Me & S: Hysterical laughing

Nothing like a child and a good laugh to keep the world in perspective. Another five minutes of cuddling in the chair is way more important than rushing out to the grocery store (which was next on my to do list) which is open 24 hours. Note to self: slow down, don't always be in such a rush, the less important things can wait!

More laughs

After putting Stuart to bed, he started crying which is not typical. Geoff went to check on him:
S: (through tears) Mickey [Mouse] poked me in the eye.
Geoff: It was just an accident, he won't do it again.
Stuart went back to sleep.

Stuart ran up to me yesterday and gave me a hug then ran away laughing and said:
S: I stole your snuggle.

Rides - he loves them, he loves them not

We have discovered that Stuart loves rides and is quite brave. So we broke down and bought a season pass so he could ride all the rides he wants this summer. He was wanting to go on the swings - and he's sort of borderline, I don't think he's quite tall enough to ride them, but quick enough that the teenager running the ride doesn't notice. So we let him go on the swings and he loved them, great, our anxiety was relieved and we have another ride he can go on. Next time we went to the park he wanted to go on the swings and I figured of course, he loves the swings. Well he loved them for about two complete rotations, then came the tears and the cries, "I don't like it, they're going too high for me." And yes, I could hear the pathetic cries from the sidelines, only to be topped by all the pity comments from parents around me (not knowing it was my kid) - aw look at the poor kid, so sad, etc. So I became that mom - but not on purpose and with only the best intentions - the mom with the screaming kid on the ride.

Next time we went to the park (yes we go a lot) he wanted to try the swings again and told us, "I'm not going to cry." So we figured okay, let's try again, he was probably just over tired or something last time. Well before the swings even started he changed his mind and didn't want to go on, but this time he explained, "I didn't like them, they weren't moving." I suppose we can't expect a 2.5 year old to have much patience.

Who knows what will happen next time......

Funny things

Move your foot it's looking at my stick!

Dance to my music. [his music goes something like this, "la la la la la la la la...."]

S: Are you ready freddy?
Me: I'm ready, are you ready freddy?
S: I'm not ready freddy, I'm a Stuart. Silly mama.

Dad: I'm going to take a shower.
S: Don't wash the food out of your tummy.

S: I wanna do blood blood. [what he now calls being held upside down since Dad explained that when you're upside down the blood rushes to your head]

Stop reading mama

Reading a book with Stuart goes something like this:
Me: reading, reading, reading
S: What's that, who's that, why, etc. etc.
Me: If you want me to keep reading you have to stop talking so you can hear the story [I know it's sounds rotten to tell your kid to stop talking, but it's too annoying to try to read over him talking and he's frustrated because I'm not answering his questions]

Here's what happened the other day:
Me: reading, reading
S: Stop reading mama. What's that, who's that, why, etc.....
Me: reading
S: Stop reading mama..... you get the picture