From the Mouth of a Smarty Pants

The other day in the car, we were talking about Alekzander's friends.  He loves lists of things and one of his favorite sayings is, "Whas'else?"  As in, bears eat fish.  "Whas'else, Mommy?" Umm... berries and honey. "Whas'else?"  Its a hard game to play sometimes, but we've quickly learned we can't lie to him because he remembers EVERYTHING!  On the topics of friends, Alekzander asked us who our friends were.  It was Andrew's turn to play so he went through all his friends and named Blake and Woody and other random work friends and old disc golf buddies.  Alekzander went along with all of them as if he recognized all the names or knew the people until Andrew said, "George" in response to "Whas'else?"  Alekzander, without missing a beat, kind of chuckled and said, "Da-Da" - as in you're silly, you don't know a George.  Which is true.  The only George we know is Curious George.  How Alekzander knew this, we're not sure, but he seems to have us all figured out!

No TV Tuesday is not a favorite day for a certain almost-three year old.  As soon as I got home from work the other day, Alekzander asked, "When Tuesday go away, Mommy?"

No TV Thursday was a little easier, but Smarty Pants totally tried to work the system.  I put a music CD on and played it through the speakers attached to the TV.  I forgot that I didn't have to have the screen on, so it was on and showed the blue 'floating' screen.  Alekzander decided, "I no like this CD" and ejected it, put in Shaun the Sheep and fumbled for the play button on the DVD player.  Luckily, I was on to his sneakiness and turned off the screen so he could only hear his show.  This made him so mad!  The torture only lasted for a short time because he busied himself with spilling water all over the floor carrying cups of water from the bathroom to the kitchen to make his own "muffins".  Timeout and additional tantrums ensued and another No TV Thursday went down in history.

After blowing raspberries at me because he was mad, I told him:

           Alekzander, you do not get a cupcake tonight because of the way you are acting.

Alekzander {defiantly}:  But I'm done acting, Mommy.

Mommy:  Sorry buddy, you'll have to earn it back tomorrow.

           Mommy stayed strong for once.  Too little, too late, Mister!

And finally, you know your child needs a haircut when they lift their hair off their forehead and say, "I need haircut and go see Miss Mary, Mommy."  For two days he hounded me to see if I called Miss Mary to make an appointment for his haircut.  

Silly, silly boy.

He will get his hair cut tomorrow and may even get to enjoy a yummy cupcake if he is truly all done "acting"!

Rain Date

We're entering week two of "No TV Tuesdays and Thursdays" 

in conjunction with week two of a yucky cough.  

Needless to say, inside the confines of the house, 

life isn't sunshine and rainbows.  

So even though it was far from that way outside, 

we had an evening rain date and put on rain jackets 

and our funky rain boots and found some puddles to jump in 

after we hopped through our game of hopscotch.  

After stirring some puddles and dipping a stick 

in what I hope was just mud to make a "popsicle" and then tasting it, 

our rain date ended.  

But for 20 peaceful minutes, humid air filled our lungs and 

Shaun the Sheep {Alekzander's British TV obsession} was far from our thoughts!  

In the Great, Green Room

In the great, green room,

sometimes there is a sleeping boy.

{Such a sweet boy!}

Other times there is a talking boy.

A hustling boy.

An OCD boy.

A night-owl boy.

After fighting sleep for an hour while his "George" storybook CD played,

he yelled for me in a panicked voice.

I ran up to see what was wrong.

He hopped out of bed to grab the number 7 block

which had been mistakenly left out of the tower he built 

before climbing into bed.

We made room for number 7 and then he requested to see all the numbers,

so I painstakingly turned all the blocks so numbers 1-8 were facing him.

Good night, Alekzander, I love you.

I can't see blocks, Mommy.

Its ok, its late and dark. Go to sleep. 

Fifteen minutes of continuous crying later,

I checked on him and found out that the tears were still because 

he couldn't see his number blocks.

Because it was dark in the room.  

And almost 10 p.m.

Because I am his mommy, and because we're all a little sick, 

and because there will come a time when mommy is not invited to snuggle,

I snuggled up with him 

to calm him down andexplain that it was late 

while I traced his tiny ski-sloped nose.

The conversation turned from:

why is it dark? where is the sun?

where do bees sleep? can I have honey?

 what do bears make? {a rawrrrh!}

what do bears eat? what do fish eat?  

where were you when I feed fish at Grandpa's house? 

I want the fish light like Abigail. where do you buy it?  

I want chocolate cake for my birthday, when is my birthday? 

whose birthday is after mine? 

when is your birthday? 

whose birthday is after God's? 

can I have honey?

Each and every question was answered,

and his honey wish was satisfied {for his cough}.

Good night, Alekzander, its really time to go to sleep.

Five minutes later, Andrew came home 

and investigated crying coming from Alekzander's room.

What's wrong buddy?

Mommy said no more honey.

Ok, good night Alekzander.  Go to sleep.

Seconds later, the talking boy turned into a sleeping boy.

At 10:30 p.m.

Over two hours after the bedtime process began.

Good night room.

Good night moon.

Good night my sweet Alekzoo.

Tattoos and Glow Sticks

Crazy night for the Swistaks...

tattoos, glow sticks,

and high school football!

{Free, priceless, family fun}

 Checking out his 'tat'.

 Focusing on the game... 

And then this is the kind of craziness that ensues at 9pm 

after {half of} a high school football game!

Such fun!

Spunk and Puppy Dog Tails

Such a sweet face.

 Alekzander's photography endeavor :: His favorite subject - Syra

One of my new favorite pictures.  

Love his spunk, curiosity, energy...

Love him and his baby blues.  

Not ready for summer to end!

I Get You, Mama!

 

He got me!

I never give myself enough credit for 'doing silly well' ...

but maybe I do. 

Its much easier to claim {and cling to}

common sense, conservative, introverted...

But I think it is Alekzander's {and Andrew's} goal

to convert me to the silly side.

It might just be working.

Driving Directions

Its only 317 miles from your house to mine.  

Let's hit the road, Agigail.

Mommy won't mind!

------

Alekzander become obsessed with directions

on our recent trip to Richmond.

Every time we got in the car, he asked if I had directions.

We were without a GPS 

{information he gathered from my panicked phone call to Andrew 

right before we pulled out of the driveway),

and had to travel like I did 

in the old days ::

relying on handwritten directions with mileage estimates, 

constantly looking at the odometer, doing math,

and subtracting miles until the next exit.

We made it there and back and all around 

without getting lost!

Completely worth the 317 mile drive

to see one of my most favorite friends

and her sweet family.

Life with a Boy

Crazy, loud, and messy 

{and sometimes incredibly methodical},

but I love every {bug collecting, car vrooming} minute.

Fake bugs on stairs

All of Alekzander's "favorite" cars parked in the "parking lot"

Bugs at the doctor's :: Sitting on the "doctor paper"

I had to be the doctor and use Alekzander's 

binoculars to check out all 18 bugs and all 30 cars.

Then I had to report the cause of the bug's/car's trouble

to my little OCD assistant along with a suggestion of how to "feel better."

  Upon hearing the diagnosis, he lined up all 48 bugs and cars and sent them to CVS.

{Its interesting to note that Alekzander has only been to the doctor three times 

in almost as many years for sick visits and a handful of times for well visits,

but clearly understands the purpose and process.}

Traffic jam while the bugs and cars waited at "CVS" for their "'edicine"

Loyal buddy always by his side 

No more pictures, Mama!

Peaches and Cheese

SC Peach Grove + Cute Boy Saying Cheese = Amazing

 Photos by Alicia Sutton Photography 

Baxter Village, Fort Mill, SC

August 4, 2012

                    

Silly Soul

There's nothing like a two-year old teaching you that 

"silly" is good for the soul.

And boy oh boy, does he do silly well.

Family Favs

Photos by Alicia Sutton Photography

Baxter Village, Fort Mill, SC

August 4, 2012