I Heard it Through the Grapevine

This afternoon I decided to start crocheting an afghan to be given as a gift. I haven't crocheted anything since Mateo was born. Of course, he was very interested in what I was doing and wanted to help. His job was to pull the yarn out of the skein as I crocheted.

It didn't take me too long before I had finished the whole skein. I held up the part of the afghan I had completed, and Mateo was impressed. "Cool! It's a blanket! It's not a raisin anymore."

Short and Sweet

Marie (friend of mine) to Mateo [wearing the shirt pictured]: Mateo, what does your shirt say?

Mateo: My shirt doesn't talk.

Conversation on Top of Slide

Mateo: Mom, you go up the stairs. I'll go up the slide. You stay there, Mom. Don't go down the slide.

Mom: Mateo, you're being kind of bossy.

Mateo: Yeah, I am.

Mom: Do you know what it means to be bossy?

Mateo: It means I get a time out.

Overheard

I'm lying in bed as most sane people are at 2 in the morning when it occurred to me that Mateo said three things today that are worth writing down. (Don't worry, I didn't get up in the middle of the night to do this, I had actually just gone to bed.) I get a lot of comments from people about making sure I write down some of the things he says. So, here are three that made me laugh today.

1) "Is Oscar in there?" Mateo's question when he spotted a metal trash can with a lid while at Itasca State Park.
2) "...I was watching Kung Fu Panda. And then I pooped." A true statement explained to his new friend Madison about his experience at seeing his first movie in the theater.
3) "Are those Bush's beans? I don't like Bush's beans." A question and explanation told to our neighbors (who were having us over for dinner) when asked if he would like some baked beans on his plate.



Something I've especially begun to learn over the past several months: Kids really do say the darndest things.

Sweet Child of Mine

My 2 1/2 year old has become quite the expert at fake crying. If he doesn't get his way with something, he bursts out in loud boohooing that produces no tears from him nor sympathy from his parents. However, when the real thing does happen, I can't help but feel badly.

Tuesday we spent the day at my sister's and brother-in-law's house. Mateo loves going there to play, and of course, did not want to leave. So when Uncle B said he was going to ride with us (he needed a ride to pick up his car at a service shop), Mateo was very excited. He asked Uncle B if he was going to come home with us and play kitchen with him (a play kitchen set found recently at a garage sale).

The ride to the service shop didn't take very long and when Uncle B got out of the car, Mateo started to cry, the real kind with big tears rolling down his chubby, little cheeks. This has happened before when people leave our house after visiting. He was so sad. I couldn't comfort him physically because I was driving, but I told him that some friends were coming over to play in the morning, and we would have another fun day. This cheered him up, and he stopped crying as he pondered the new adventures. Soon the car was quiet because he fell asleep before we got out of town.

I thought about how sad I had felt because he was sad and that I was glad I could tell him something to make him feel a little better. I'm not looking forward to when he gets older and comforting him won't be so simple or easy. For now, I will keep these tender moments close and appreciate the fact that most toddlers' problems can be soothed with a few words and a nap!

Something I learned today: If you let your toddler sit on your lap wearing just a towel after his bath, you might get peed on.