Awww Happo

Jude has this hippo.  For whatever reason, he thinks this hippo is crying.  Everytime he finds it, he says 'awww happo cwying'.  Then he gives me the hippo.  I have to pat the hippo and make him feel better.  While I do this, Jude says 'aww'.  Then I give the hippo back to Jude.  He gives the hippo a kiss.  Then he hands it back to me and the cycle starts over.  He could play this game for quite a long time.

Also, lately I will ask Jude for a kiss.  He will smile and say no.  Then I pretend to bawl my eyes out.  He gets all concerned, comes and sits with me, and says 'aww'.

I die.

On a totally unrelated note- Jude pronounces 'Thomas' as 'Chamain'.  Don't know how he put that together.

2 years old

 Jude Dylan turned 2 on Wednesday.  Yes, it happened.  I have no idea how, because I swear he was just 4 months last week.  Sigh.... It happens so fast.

His newest things are saying 'i sahie' for everything.  I don't know what made him think he needs to apologize for everything under the sun, but at least he's polite :)  He also says 'i'm ok anytime he slightly bumps himself.  It's pretty cute.  I got him to watch Cars yesterday, which was thrilling.  I will be so happy to move to movies that have a plot that lasts longer than 6 minutes.  The saddest thing is that he hasn't wanted to be rocked since the night before he turned two.  He just crawls in his bed on his own; I cover him up; he goes to sleep.  Very sad.

So we have started our two's with new independence.  As Jude's approached 2 he has thrown more and more fits.  I try to just walk away from them, although most of the time it's because he doesn't want to get in his carseat or having to get his diaper changed.  Both of which are triggered by him having to stop whatever he's doing.  He's a really great kid.  I'm not saying that because he's mine, but he just is really easy going.  He rarely gets so upset he throws a fit, and even when he does it lasts 60 seconds at the longest.  I'm hoping this will continue.

I really think God has had a lot of mercy on me with his behavior.  He says thank you and you're welcome (actually he says i welcome, but you get the idea), and I'm sorry so easily.  I never taught him any of these things.  He is always happy and reasonably compliant.  If I give him 5 minute warnings and count down till it's time to go or stop, he always listens.  I really don't have the time he deserves to pour in to his behavior.  Sometimes he is just so sweet and respectful and non 2yr old ish that I can't help but think that it's God raising my child, not me.  Which just goes to show how much we can trust God to provide for us and take care of our needs.  He's been one step ahead of me all along making sure Jude made it this far becoming a kind person.  It makes me feel better about the next 16+ years.

Anyway, we haven't celebrated yet, because I would like to wait until my family is all here.  These pictures are from his actual birthday.  He was my little British train engineer.  Adorbs.

Big Boy Bed

Hey Jude,

This week you learned to crawl out of your crib.  As unexpected as it was for me, I was proud of you.  Some days, I do miss the little baby I had.  However, I am so excited by each new step you take on your own.  I love how you decide when you are ready to do things.  I love that I can trust you to make growing up decisions on your own.  I've been thinking about when we would convert to the toddler bed for months.  I knew you would let me know when you were ready, and you did.  You are growing up so quickly.
You are only a few weeks away from your 2nd birthday.  I've been collecting little bits of things to make a fun big boy room.  I'm excited to get it ready for you, but I'm a little sad to think about the baby who is no mas.  I love you sweet Jude.

~Momma

Tales from the 2

This hasn't stopped making me laugh to myself-

I have a student who talks incessantly.  I actually have several, but this one is more extreme you could say.  When I actually have it together and remember, I let her talk to me a couple minutes about whatever  after dismissal.  The other day she talked about her new toenail polish.  She was out with strep Monday and Tuesday, so this was her first day back at school.

Student: Yea my babysitter painted my nails.  Do you like them?

Me:  Love them!  They look fantastic.  I love purple.

Student:  Yea, I love purple too.  It's my favorite color.

Me:  I thought pink was your favorite color?

Student:  Well, I've changed a lot since I got sick.

Me:  (Bahahahahhahahaha in my head) So you're like a new person now?  Is the new 'student' going to talk less when I'm teaching?

It.  Was.  Funny.  I love overly smart kids because they sometimes say things that sound so 'adultish' like changing who they are but are still so 'kiddish' because the change occurred over nail polish and a favorite color.

An Update? Say What?

I know I haven't done one of these updates in months, but I am just so amazed lately by the things Jude is doing.  So enjoy this bulleted list of Fun Facts.

* Jude likes to say 'hug' now.  Which is his request for you to hug him.
* He is really into dinosaurs (dyesoar).  I dug some figurines out from an old teaching unit I used to do.  He went on and on and on about them.  And then roared several times.
* I quit counting the words he knew at the end of July because he got too 100.  I suppose I should have started monitoring the 2-3 word sentences he knows, but even those he knows so many of, I literally cannot keep track.  He's very verbal.
* He knows all his animal sounds.  My favorite is listening to him say meow.
* He knows many of his body parts.
* He knows many of the color names, but the his favorites are orange and blue.  Especially orange.  He points it out everywhere we go.  I'm thinking of bringing that color in for his big boy room because of this.
* He counts to about 5.  He's actually been counting for awhile...
* He loves music.  Still.
* He loves trains.  Still.
* I love rocking him to sleep.  He makes the sweetest faces.  And he has such full lips, it's fun to watch him perse them together while he falls asleep.
* He's also becoming defiant and has been saying no a lot.  Two is gonna be fun.
* I've started reading Harry Potter to him at night.  Destined for nerdiness greatness right here.
* And along the same lines of nerdiness greatness, we had to go to the Dr this week bc I was afraid he had caught my strep (he hadn't).  Anyway, he weighs 25.4 lbs.  He's so awesomely skinny.  I love how he is like turning out to be the quintessential hipster kid.  Music. Tall. Skinny. Awesome.  Seriously.  I'm so proud!

Sweet Jude

I love this picture of Jude.  So poetic.  Michael took it last night while he had Jude, and sent it to me.  I'm glad he did.  I love pictures that show Jude's personality more than anything.  He loves music so much.  Lately, he has started to get the concept of 'instruments are meant to be played together'.  I'm sure this is from Michael as they spend most of their time together 'jamming' from what I've gathered.  Anyway, Jude has a guitar and a drum here at the house.  If he is playing the guitar, you can bet he will want me to play the drum.  If he is playing the drum, I better rock the guitar.  My favorite though is that when he is done playing the guitar, he throws it.  Where did my little rock star pick that up I wonder?

All the Young Punks

Jude Dylan is a punk by nature.  At least I think so.  He loves to yell for the sheer thrill of hearing himself scream.  He loves to throw things and smash things.  Especially his play guitar.  He loves to fight fight fight for what he wants.  And I hope that in time I can train this to be a proactive approach to changing what he thinks is wrong.

One of my favorite bands of all time, is The Clash.  They've been called the only band that really mattered, and when you read their lyrics, it becomes obvious why.  What a way to be remembered.  I love punks approach to calling attention to 'the man' and the general screwed up way the world is controlled, and really, how people are controlled.  But I really love The Clash because instead of oh so eloquently yelling expletives at the government, they poetically state their opinion.  I admire that, and thus, love their music.

How do you train a child to think like that?  How do you train a child to share their opinion in a way 'that really matters'?  My dream for Jude is to be both loving and willing to stand up when he needs to... To know when its time to let it ride, and when it's time to 'clash'....