Summer is just plain hot...

Well summer is in full swing now. The days are near 100 degrees every day and the heat index typically surpasses that. Which makes it difficult to play outside without water. We keep the water hose, small pool, and friend's with pools close at hand. Mostly we're in "survive the summer" mode. Or at least I am. The heat doesn't seem to phase Fen at all. Even when we tell him it is hot and we need to go inside and his cheeks are flush red and his hairline is dripping with sweat...doesn't matter...the play must go on at this age and parents just have to suck it up and remember they were young too once and who wants to be cooped up inside all the time. Not to mention, rubbing your legs and belly all over with mud helps keep you cool. :) (No pictures of that mess, but I'm sure there will be more opportunities.)

Things to do inside on a hot-hot summer day
...take pictures with the camera and look at them over and over...yea digital!
 
 

...playing with puzzles is fun too.
 
 

...messy fruit Popsicle with Memaw is another great way to endure the summer heat!

Blog to book and works of art...

Artwork of our 21 month old. No circles in this one because it is paint, but he can draw circles and spirals now, which started at about 19 months.

Okay, as Fender's second birthday draws near, it reminds me that it is almost time to make another book. I don't think I mentioned his first book before. It was just sort of an experiment the first time, but as it turned out much better than I expected, I am looking forward to doing the next one. I also thought a couple of you other moms keeping blogs might be interested as well.

I found a site last year called blurb.com (last year it was the only one in existence that did this sort of thing, but it may not be now). There is a free software download and then in a matter of seconds (maybe a couple of minutes) you can download all your blog posts from blogger.com into a book format. You have to tell it if you want to start from the first post or last post and a couple of other "set-up" type things, and then you are done. You can tweak anything you want and spell check everything. Once you are happy with it, you upload it back to the website (free) and then you order your book ($$$). :) Ours was actually $50 because of the number of pages (132 I think). But if you want more after that, they are cheaper and you can also be entrepreneurial and set your own price and sell your book online to anyone and everyone.

Anyway, in case any of you are interested in what the product looks like...here are some pictures of some layout choices for Fender's Journey: Year ONE. I designed the cover, inside layouts, colors, wording, and all the content, is mine of course, directly from the blog. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Enjoy. :)

Scooter moderno...

Memaw couldn't resist this purchase for her favorite grandson. It is a Plasma scooter, which basically scoots around on its own when you turn the wheel. No need to pedal, no motor. It is odd and very cool. Fender doesn't seem to grasp the idea yet, but he's more than happy to push it along real fast with his feet. We all had a fun time trying to show him how it goes.

A fantastic video...gotta love that Memaw!!! :)

4th of July...

By request: Fender 4th of July comparison...this year and last year.

With Memaw and Lala out of town, we decided to let Papa have the day to relax and we celebrated the 4th of July just the three of us...and three dogs as we were dog sitting for Lala.

After completing his Red Cross safety course at the local pool, we bought a small back yard pool, which he swam in every day throughout the weekend making a running total of 7 straight days of playing in the agua. Fender and I started the morning off with a brief walk over to visit YiaYia for breakfast. In the evening, we didn't cookout, but we did make burgers in the kitchen and we finished the evening with a short drive over to watch the city fireworks. In true Fender fashion, he had no reaction (scared or excited) until he studied them a bit and decided he kind of like them. He mostly watched in silence as he found the perfect way to end this 4th of July by nodding off to sleep sitting in Momma's arms on the tailgate next to Daddy with fireworks booming overhead.






And on Saturday we drove to Plano to visit one of my good friends from college who was in town visiting her sister. My friend's daughter turned 8 three days before and we gave her one of our dogs for her birthday. :) Yes, it was a surprise, but it was something she had been wanting and reading up on for a couple of years and her parents were wanting to get her a dog but never took the leap. Both my friend's family and her sister's family fell in love with the dog immediately. They explained to me how no one in China had dogs as pets and how they really wanted get one for their kids but were too nervous. Well...Happy Birthday, Audrey...meet Morty. :)

Water slide...

A quick bout of swinging with Memaw and Papa at the park, then on to our last day of swim class where we got to go on the big slide...up and down again and again...that is all he wanted to do. He loved it. No surprises there. Glad Daddy was there for the "uhni, uhni" (which means "again, again" in Fender terms). And the day was even more fun with all the family support. Not only were Papa and Memaw there, but YiaYia came too. We just want to say, "Thank you guys!" for always going the extra mile to say, "I love you." Fender is so blessed! What a fun day.
 
 
 

A retro scooter...

Well, whatever you call it, Fender calls it his bicycle even though it has four wheels and no pedals. Typical, a cool unusual retro gift from Aunt La La, just because. :)





When Fender plays in flowers taller than he is and with such vibrant colors, it just screams "picture time."

Well, hello...

First of all...Happy Birthday to Memaw!!!

Just thought I'd include a couple of pictures while I talk about what Fender is doing these days. Eating well...no surprise there. But since I haven't posted a picture of him eating breakfast since his messy hand scooping days, here's a nice demonstration of how much he's learned. Note the focus on scraping the sides of the bowl with his spoon. Ha. And food pretty much goes from bowl to mouth now and not all over clothes, drink, table, chair, floor, hair, legs, and dog. Well, at least not all the time. ;)

 

And this past week we've been learning to swim with the Parent-Tot Red Cross class at the local pool. Only about an hour four days a week (M-R). So no class tonight, but we'll jump back in on Monday. He loves it, no surprise there either. The boy has some kind of kindred nature with his "agua." He's learned to move his arms and kick his legs. Doesn't care to float on his back at all yet. Fender is the youngest of the group by several months.

Having a light snack in the park before swimming.
 

He's a bit wild when it comes to water. Likes to go under all the time and tries to swim away on his own all the time. Doesn't seem to care that he can't breath under there. I guess he thinks he can hold his breath forever or might grow fish gills if he swims long enough. Not scared at all...so yeah, I'll be a mound of pulsating nerves anytime he's near water. Hopefully we can instill a sense of respect for how dangerous things can quickly get if he isn't careful. But he is a boy. So I can see all of that non-sense flying right over the top of his head as he leaps from the middle of the diving board at 5 years old certain he can clear the end and hit the water. As it is right now, when all the kids get to jump from the side of the pool to their parents, Fender smiles real big at me with my arms out ready for the incoming assault, then he takes off running at an angle hoping to avoid any safety at all and tries to jump so that just he and the water are all alone. It is pretty funny, but he can't actually jump yet, so he runs off the side toward the water and I have to catch him and pull him further out so he doesn't hit the inside ledge of the pool. A very awkward move for me and no doubt extremely unflattering. Wow. He loves water a lot!

And here's our boy and his "best friend" popping balloons (a.k.a. namos). Lighting isn't good at first, but it gets better by the end.


...and don't ask us why balloons are called namos. That's just what he has called them since he first learned to talk. And he has no intention of calling them anything else. Maybe it is French for balloon, but I know it isn't English or Spanish. And I think I've already mentioned that when I tried to shorten Sebastian's name to "Sabey" for Fender, it came out "Dobby." And that's how we've come to live with Harry Potter's "favorite" house elf. :)

Father's day...

Don't ask me how, but Daddy's can find time for everything when they want to. Somehow we had a day full of golf, baseball, and basketball (the things Daddy wanted to do)...yet still made time for the little one with a visit to Papa and Me maw's (not sure how to spell that yet) for playtime in the pool and his first Popsicle. Good times!

A note on Me maw (formerly "Grandma"): In an obvious attempt to vocalize a name for Grandma last week, Fender blurted out in no uncertain words..."Bye Bye, Me maw!" as she was walking out the door to take the trash out. It was too cool. She came right back in and wrapped her arms around Fender for a big hug and kiss in appreciation for her new name, concocted entirely on his own. I thought that was just too neat. None of us had said the name before and it came completely out of the blue.

 
 

A pretty funny video:

Just can't help it...

I know I will probably get flack for posting these two pictures, but I just can't stop myself. I don't ever take "potty" pictures. No desire to do so whatsoever. But the opportunity arose this morning where the camera was handy, Fender was happy and I could do so discreetly and capture, what I think, is a "classic" little boy photo.

And for any of you who may be mortified for Fender's future now that he's been caught naked on the potty. I can assure you he is rarely, if never naked. This was right after breakfast so the shirt was off and the rest obviously came off to go potty. Sometimes naked just happens. :) (I better add a disclaimer for Fender who may read this later on...Naked "just happens" when you are a kid...not when you are a teenager out with your girlfriend! Got it?)

 
 

Uncle Bobby tonight on ESPN2...

Just a quick reminder that Fender's Uncle Bobby now plays for, Back-to-Back MLS Champions, the Houston Dynamo (currently tied for first in their conference) and you can see them in action tonight against their "Back-to-Back" MLS Cup nemesis, the New England Revolution, who currently lead their conference and have the leagues best record. Yeah, did you get all of that...basically...going to be a touch match between rivals.

The game is on ESPN 2 at 8:00PM CST. To that end, here's a quick clip of Fender supporting his favorite Texas Defender. Note he's wearing his favorite shirt, which happens to be the same color for the Dynamos, has a soccer ball and says "Defender" no less. A coincidence!!??? "Let's go Dynamos!"


Video:


Oh and now is the time for MLS All-star voting. You can vote for Bobby Boswell by going to: http://houston.mlsnet.com/t200/ (looks like you have to cut and paste it into browser) and click on "Vote for your MLS All-Stars". You can vote up to 10 times a day until July something. Any email address will do and once you pick your player(s) it remembers your info and choices each time to make it easier for you. He's been in the All-Star game before, so let's help send him back.

Dedication to color coordination...

Is this OCD (obsessive compulsive) already? I'd have to guess it is unusual for a 20 month old to be so dedicated to putting things in their proper place just so they can bang them again with a hammer. I find it very amusing and keep watching to see if he ever slips up. Not yet, so far.

And one other note...from what I've read, I think we can say now with some certainty that he's a lefty. I didn't think you could tell this early, but apparently by 18 months you definitely know which hand a baby favors. (Learning to write in school isn't the determining factor because many lefty's learn to write with their right hands in school.) But the hand they use to throw a ball, hold utensils, and do most major work with is the hand they favor and while he still uses both hands for things, his strongest and most preferred hand is undoubtedly his left, which is the hand he uses to throw a ball, hold utensils, color and draw with. Drew and I are both right handed and so are all of our immediate family members, so if this revelation holds up, life just got a bit more interesting. I think it is pretty neat. :)

Video 1:


Video 2:

२० months old...and potty training

Alright, so our boy is 20 months old now. 33 inches tall and has hovered at the 29-30lb stage for a couple of months. He's doing great. Talking up a storm. If we say something, it is odd to hear him say it right back...for instance, I said "alrighty" the other day and he repeated it right back to me. And today I said, "O goodness" and yep, he said it right back. So amazing. He's also well on his potty-training way, having initiated efforts himself at 18 months and finally getting me on board. Poor boy, Momma was just not ready for this stage so early.

WARNING: The following is more info than you want to read on the subject of potty training, so I suggest you skip the rest of this post unless you find yourself directly involved with a potty-training toddler, in which case, feel free to let me know how your efforts are getting on. :)

Since we all tend to need to go right when we wake up in the morning, we can now manage a quick "meet and greet" then we're off to sit on the potty with some success! (That is, if I don't dawdle too long getting myself out of bed.) And I love a day when it doesn't start out with a poopy diaper. That, added to the occasional successful attempt during the day when he says "Momma, peepee" and points to his diaper, I find I am changing fewer and fewer smelly messes. Yea! Thanks, Fender!

More on our potty training effort - So at the moment, we have a potty seat where I have just begun having him sit anytime I go just to get him used to the frequency and having to stop what he may be doing to go sit on the potty when he needs to. We also have the mini toilet seat that sits on the real thing and the little kids flushable tissue wipes that he gets to open and pull out each time he goes potty, which he loves. He can say "pee pee, poo poo, and potty" but when he actually needs to go, it all comes out as pee pee. We are trying to get him to use the appropriate words as we don't always rush him to the toilet just for pee pee because he generally calls that only a few seconds before it happens and we'd need medals in hurdles and dashes to make some of those.

Okay. Enough on the "icky" stuff. I have a cute video or two I'd like to post if I get the time. (All videos are completely unrelated to potty training in any way. I promise.) And hopefully this will be about the last note on the topic, except to say I am amazed that he may be pretty well potty trained by 2 when I expected it to be more like 3! But we're not there yet, so let's wait and see.

Big family love and support...

Well, we've just returned from a fun-filled week in Florida and Fender was quite the little travel companion. Well-behaved on all the flights and the disrupted schedule and change of scenery didn't bother him in the least. In fact, he skipped naps on several days and wasn't even cranky about it. I was surprised he didn't pull out the "I'm shy and only want my mummy and daddy" card, which he has been known to do on occasion. I'm so thankful all the family got to see Fender in true form. Both paternal sides of the family were in town and he was quite happy to let Nana, Aunt Sara, Great Linda or whomever grab him up and whisk him off to play.

As a result, he didn't spend the week being held or only with parents, so when I took him to daycare today, he just said "Bye, Momma" with a wave and he was off to play... in a new room. Yep, he's moved up another level now and gets to play in a bigger room with more toys and make more friends. His previous teacher said she is really going to miss having someone to talk to in her class now.

Here's Daddy and Fender, with cousin Riley, Uncle Chuck and Grandmother at Gibson's HS graduation. Uncle Chuck (or Chad) and Aunt Sara have two kids (Gibson and Riley) and so far they are Fender's only first cousins.
 

First Cousins: The High School Graduate (Miss Gibson), Riley, and Fender
 

Fender with Great Grandmother Powell and Great Linda.
 

Fender with Nana and Pop.
 

A little batting and pitching practice...he's a lefty at everything so far, but Daddy helped him try with his right. Gotta keep the options open...can you say "switch hitter"?