Check It!

Harper, Mona and I spent the day at Grandad's yesterday. We had so much fun. Harper has been looking forward to going for days.

My dad has, well, kind of a jungle in his backyard. He has so many plants and flowers, it's simply beautiful. And it's great fun for a three year old and his dog to explore! Some of his explorations led him to the side of the house to the door to the garage. When he found the garage he stopped, leaned back a little and said, 'Aww, check it!' Where does he get this stuff?! Lol





Harper found a football that at some point had been kicked over the fence. So I dug that out for him. I was cracking up at him and Mona playing with each other. Harper would throw it, Mona would chase it. Then Harper would want me to throw it so he could catch it.





And I've never seen so much running. For either of them! They were worn out on the way home.



We go to Grandad's more than once a year, but we went last year to get our picture taken, too. (My dad is a photographer: Jim Nay) There were a lot of really good pictures, even though Harper didn't really want to get his picture taken. This year, Harper was all about it, but I couldn't get Mona to cooperate. Silly kids. ;)

I did manage to get a lot of good pictures of them individually. There are a couple with all of us.

Night Talkers

My house is a loud house at night. We all (Harper, Mimi, myself) talk in our sleep. Mimi is louder than others. She doesn't so much "talk" as she screams. On more than one occasion I've had to go in and wake her up.

Harper yells. Sometimes I'll hear him in there talking, but he will wake me up yelling something at the top of his lungs. This morning at 5:00 a.m., I was awoken by him yelling "It's not yours! NO! You're in MY WAAAAAAAY!" When I heard him, it sounded like he was standing at his door. So I got up, turned on the hall light and opened his door to check on him. He was laying in bed, under the covers, sound asleep. You'd never know what was going on in his dream, he looked so peaceful. He was probably getting out his naughtiness in his sleep, because he has been an absolute angel all week.

C'mon!

Last night, Harper was messing with the tv in the kitchen. I had recorded the Thursday night line up for Mimi so she could watch it and it was still in the vcr.

Harper went to the tv, ejected the tape, and I guess he thought it was one of his Thomas tapes. He waited a minute and started watching whatever was on at the moment, probably 'Mickey Mouse' or something, when he accidentally pushed in the tape. When that happens, it automatically plays, no button pushing is necessary.

Suddenly, I hear him pushing a lot of buttons trying to get the tape to stop so he could go back to his show. He suddenly yelled, 'OH, C'MON!' with such exasperation. It was totally me coming out in him.

I helped him to do what he wanted to do, but it was SO funny.

With Liverty and Justice FOR ALL!

Harper is learning the Pledge of Allegiance at school. I'm most impressed that he actually says 'indivisible' and not 'invisible' like most kids.




At the end of this, he says he wants to listen to it on my telephone because the night before, I had recorded him saying it with my phone. Just so you know. :)

Joy!

Last night I was putting Harper's pjs on and I asked him to spell milk, which he did. I've only told him how to spell it twice. I said, 'Did you know you're a genius?' And he said, 'Yes! I *AM* a genius! Do you enjoy that Mommy?' I said, 'Yes, I do!' Then he said, 'I'm a joy!'

After I laid him down, I walked to the door and I blew him a kiss. I said, 'You have sweet dreams. I'll check on you in a bit.' He said, 'I love you Mommy.' I said, 'I love you, too, Angel.' He said, 'I love you SO much.' I said, 'I love YOU so much, too.' He said, 'I love you the whole wide world!' (He means, more than the whole wide world.) I said, 'Aww, I love you more than the whole wide world, too, baby. Do you want another kiss?' He said, 'Yes,' and as I bent down to kiss him he added, 'and a hug.'

So sweet.

Just a Minute!

Every night we have the same routine. Harper takes a bath, then he likes to tell Mimi good night. Thursday night was no exception. However, Mimi was watching 'My Name is Earl', since it was back from the strike. So while I was getting pjs and chocolate milk ready, Harper settled in next to Mimi.

I told him it was time to go get jammies on and he said, "Just a minute, Mom. I'm watching this show."

Great.... I had visions of me as a child telling my parents, "Just a minute...!" He is his mother's child.





The sticker on his belly is for telling us he had to go potty instead of going in his diaper!

Potty Training

Mimi just called and said that Harper is in big boy pants (Thomas underwear) today. He's gone potty on the chair like he's supposed to and only had one accident.

She told him that if he wore big boy pants all day and told her when he needed to go potty, he'd get a prize at the end of the day. He said, "A prize?" and Mimi said, "Yes. What kind of prize would you like?" and Harper said, "Hmm... let's see... I know! SNOW!"

Good luck with that Mimi! lol

Waterboy

Last night I was running Harper's bath and he was playing in the dining room. I said, "Come on, H. Let's go take off your clothes and get in the tub." So he took off for the bathroom. I was walking behind him... MAYBE two seconds between us. By the time I got to the bathroom, he was standing in the tub, fully dressed. Shirt, pants, socks, AND tennis shoes. Water up to his knees.

Nice. I would have taken a picture if I had thought it wouldn't be encouraging him to do it again. And considering it's the second time his tennis shoes have been submerged in water in less than a month, I thought I should get him out of there quickly.

Who said raising a three year old boy would be boring?

The "Potty Party"

Monday night Harper was invited to his friend, Jack's, "potty party". Jack has been diaper and accident free for over a week, so his parents took him to celebrate at Chuck E. Cheese. It was Harper's first time to go and he had a blast! He went down the slide, he rode some rides, he played with a train and won a bunch of tickets! He and Jack danced, and Thomas the Tank Engine called to tell Jack what a big boy he was, and of course Harper had to talk to him, too. He got to stay out past his bedtime, and I'm glad to say, he was really really good.
Now all he talks about is how he wants to go back to Chuck E. Cheese. I told him that when he starts wearing big boy pants like Jack and he doesn't wear diapers anymore, we'll have a potty party for him. He said, "I don't think I can do that Mom." He COULD if he would tell us when he has to go instead of going in his diaper. So pray for us that he'll have the desire to potty train!

He had some issues figuring out that he was supposed to hit the puck to the other side of the table. He kept hitting it into the hole on his side.

He went down the slide about a hundred times. Backwards, Forwards, Upsidedown... He's a daredevil!

He rode in the car, but he wouldn't drive it.

Jody and I didn't think he would like this at all, but he loved it!

Here he is taking a call from Thomas.

Alphaccordion

Harper's favorite song (it seems) is the alphabet song. He like to sing it and play his accordion at the same time.

Enjoy:

Two Infinity

This morning we were watching the Disney channel in bed and he said 'I love you SO much Mommy!' I said 'I love you so much, too, Angel'. Then he said, 'I love you to infinity!' I said, 'Wow! I love you to infinity, too!' A few second went by and he said, 'I love you eleven infinity!' (I'm sure he thinks that 'to infinity' is 'two infinity' so he was giving it a bigger number.) It's not the first time he's said that, but it's still adorable no matter what.

Flushed

I was putting Harper to bed tonight and he was in rare form. He was cracking up when I would tease him about wanting to drink his chocolate milk. And I mean crack up belly laugh. It was precious. Then we were reading 'Thomas-saurus Rex' and he was reading the letters that make up the words 'did you see Stepney's Special?' and when he got to the question mark, he called it 'Tootles'. He did so because on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the Tootles character always has a mystery mouse-ca-tool that is symbolized by a '?'.

Between books he said, 'Mommy? I'm flushed.' I said, 'You are, huh?' He said, 'Yeah. I need Bobby (his blankie) to warm me up.' Obviously he doesn't get what flushed actually means. lol So cute.

Writer? Editor? Spelling Bee Champion?

Harper will most definitely win a spelling bee someday. He recognizes so many words when we're reading and he always spells them for me. He is really into spelling "happy" since not only is being happy a big part of 'The Giving Tree', but it's also the name of his teddy bear.

Mimi called just now and said that she overheard him telling Happy that Mimi's name is spelled M-I-M-I. She also said he's been practicing "mommy" all day.

Sleepy Head

Harper wouldn't take a nap yesterday because he just couldn't get his little mouth to stop talking. So when it was time for bed last night, he was extra tired. Super good! But really tired.

After we read a couple of stories, he curled into my lap and said "I'm so tired, Momma." I said, "I know it. I am, too. Just close your eyes and relax and Mommy will sing you a song." I got two words of a song out of my mouth and I heard the light sounds of his heavy sleeping. It was so sweet. I rocked him for a little while and sang some, just to be sure he was out.

When I moved him to his bed, his eyes fluttered a couple of times. As I laid him down, he said in the brightest voice, "You wanna lay down wif me?" He was just talking in his sleep. It was the sweetest thing.

Harper and Jack

This morning Harper and Jack were running around the backyard. They'd stop occasionally and sit on the top step of the back porch.

Harper would say to Jack, "I miss my Mommy, Jack." To which Jack would reply, "You miss your Mommy, Harper? It's okay. She'll be back after your nap."

Chuggets

Last night I was fixing harper's dinner and he said 'whatcha makin mom?' I said 'fish sticks. And you can have some some chips and salsa, too.' he said 'don't forget the chuggets!' I said 'chuggets? Oh! Chicken nuggets?' he said 'yes! Chicken nuggets!'

I much prefer chuggets.

3 Year Check Up

Harper's 3 year check up was today. He's 44 inches tall (100%) and 36 lbs (80%).

His doctor remarked on how well spoken he is, too.

Easter 2008

It's Easter Sunday so Steven and his family have come over.

The kids get so excited to see each other. I've never seen two little ones play as hard as these two do. They've hunted Easter eggs, played on the playset. Mimi tried to teach Harper to golf with his play set that he has... he just couldn't figure it out. He kept going after the golf ball with the club, like it was a pool stick. Keep in mind that his parents are two of the most athletically challenged people out there. lol

After naps, Harper and Kenzie sat in the chair and enjoyed some chocolate milk (a staple in my house) while watching Thomas.

Spring Break

Harper spent part of Spring Break with Jody, since J didn't have to work. Jody said that one morning they were at the park by 8:15a. lol That sounds about right.

It had been raining for a couple of days and there were puddles everywhere. Harper walked up to one and said, "I want to touch it. I'll be really careful." Jody said it was okay and before he knew it....

Nice....

Jody said they were there for so long, that Harper's pants, socks and shoes were completely dry before they left for home.

Peas and Carrots

Harper had fish sticks and peas and carrots for dinner last night. He devoured them. This morning he said he wanted peas and carrots. (he had already eaten breakfast, and it was only 9:30) I figured, why not? It's good for him. So I heated up peas and carrots. He said 'no! I want that chicken stuff!' he meant fish sticks. So he was eating fish sticks and peas and carrots at 9:30 this morning!

Happy Birthday to my Baby!

Harper is three. I can't believe it! It seems like just yesterday that he was born.

He is such a smart little boy... and I'm not saying that because I'm biased... it's just true! He reads so many words and he loves to make up stories about Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. He will also say the craziest most clever things that make me roll with laughter. His favorite books right now are 'The Giving Tree', 'I Think My Dog May Be a Genius', 'Horton Hatches the Egg' and 'Thomas-saurus Rex'. He could quote entire passages of these books to you if you asked.

His best friend is Jack. They will run and run until Mimi is dizzy. Together or alone, he loves to play in the backyard and have numerous adventures on his swingset. He's really into digging (which you think would be a problem, but by having my weeds treated, I've lost all semblance of grass because it was crab grass. lol).

He's also super sweet and snuggly. I'm a very spoiled Mommy to have such a loving child. He runs up and squeezes my leg so hard and says "I love you SOOO much, Mommy!" He has figured out that in order to get me to stay longer in the mornings, he just has to say, "Mommy, I need a hug!" or "Mommy, I need a kiss!" He likes to drink chocolate milk and watch Tigger and Pooh in my bed after he wakes up in the morning. My favorite part of the whole day. ;)

There are mood swings, but that's to be expected. I chalk everything up to growing pains. He's testing his boundaries. In typical fashion, when he's sweet he's super sweet, but when he's bad, he's bad.

I don't care, though. He's my angel sent to me from Heaven above. Just ask him... He'll tell you, God picked him out just for Mommy and Mommy just for him.

Happy Birthday My Love!

Goodnight Moon

This morning harper saw Mimi's comb on the bathroom counter and he said 'what's that?' i said 'it's a comb' and he said 'a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush. and a quiet old lady whispering hush' i about fell over. he was quoting 'goodnight moon'!

Strangeness

Last week Harper fell and bumped his head (not too hard) on the kitchen floor. I said, 'You'd better be more careful, or you're really going to get hurt!' He said 'I be careful. I no want to go back to the sky. I play with Momma.'

One day he was playing in the living room and i was in the kitchen. i was walking towards the living room and he didn't see me. he was pointing at nothing in the air and saying very crossly 'go home! i said go home! go 'way!' i sat down by him and i said 'baby, who are you talking to?' and he thought for a minute and he said 'the light'. i got chills.

Toodles Noodles

Disney Channel has the Mickey Mouse cartoon with "Tootles" (looks like Mickey's head). Mom bought H some noodles that look like Mickey, Donald, and Pluto's heads. He says they're "Tootles noodles".

So Polite!

Last night, when Mimi was leaving for Sonny's, Harper said 'Wait Mimi! I need a hug and a kiss.' She leaned down and hugged & kissed and he stuck out his hand and said 'It was nice to see you.'

Christmas Card Ready

After a rousing game of "I like that toy!" and touching everything on the Christmas tree, I managed to get a couple of good pictures.

Clever Boy

I put up the Christmas tree over the weekend. One of the ornaments is a ball with Mickey and Friends. On the Disney channel, there's a new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cartoon. One of the episodes is about Sleeping Minnie. Clarabelle plants 'sleeping roses' and Minnie picks one and falls asleep for 100 years. Mickey has to get the golden harp so she'll wake up. Harper walks up to the ornament on the Christmas tree and says 'You have to pick the golden apple. Are you strong enough?' Then he flexes to show his muscles and says 'Yes! I'm strong enough!' And he pretends to pull this ornament as hard as he can. When he can't get it he says 'I need safety scissors!' because that's what Mickey uses to get the golden apple off the tree.

Email from Jody after H got a haircut:

Took three of us to hold him down for the hair cut. When it was over Matt said, 'you kind of threw a fit' and H said 'no, I was just coughing'.

Who Loves You?

Email from Jody:

This weekend my mom took H’s picture. When he saw the camera he said, “Cheeeeeeesus loves me, Amen.”

Off to Work

Harper put his shoes on and said, "I need to go to work. Where's my purse?.... I see you later! Give me a call!" Then he walked out of the room. A couple of beats passed and he came back in and said, "Harper was at work!" I said, "And now?" He said, "Harper's home!"

This is the routine that we do everyday, but obviously I'm the one going to work and coming home.

So Happy Together!

Woke up this morning asking for Happy. I said, "What color is Happy?", thinking it would be his leapfrog 'emotions' doll. He said, "Brown!" So I handed him his teddy bear and he hugged it and said "You found him! Happy!"

Scrumptious!!

Harper bent over to get a toy out of his basket in the living room when he tooted. He said, "Oooh! That's my horn!"

While eating chips with dinner he said, "Mmm… scrumptious!"