Bedtime Blues

Last night, Asher tried everything to get me to come to his room and spend a little more quality time with him.  Some of the excuses that caught my attention were:

1) Mommy Booger-He wanted me to wipe his nose.
2) Eat-He used this excuse the other day and I ran up the stairs to feed him, which I think he secretly enjoyed and thought he should try it again. I did NOT go upstairs this time.
3) Mommy come upstairs-Asher was getting worked up at this point and was trying to be more direct.
4) Kiss, Hug-He tried to pull at my heartstrings with this one.
5) Twinkle Stars-He wanted me to push the button for his "Mr. Puppy" which is a stuffed animal that puts lights on the ceiling. The funny thing is-is that he knows how to do this himself. I did not fall for it.

However, as a last resort, Asher had one more attempt to get me upstairs in his arsenal and I am afraid it worked. He said:

Poopy diaper, change me! -He did not have a poopy diaper, but I came running. Instead, he had a BIG smile on his face. Oy vey!

This morning when I wanted to change him into his day clothes. He had a monster fit. The same boy who wanted to be with me the night before no longer wanted my company. (see video below) This video is one of my favorites!

News Break: Asher's Not Afraid of Swim Diapers and Swim Shorts

Asher has been sick with a summer cold the last few days, no fair! We had to get out of the house before the two of us lost our patience with one another, so we decided to venture outside.

This is Asher in the morning with his cold. I thought I had the happiest child ever...

...and then this happened in the afternoon, ugh!

With our desire to be outside, a big obstacle was overcome today and just in the nick of time. Asher is no longer afraid of swim diapers or his shark shorts. Both these little hurdles made it impossible for Asher to enjoy the outdoor splash parks that are everywhere in DC.  It has been hot this week and I was going to do everything in my power to get Asher out of his funk and phobia about swim shorts and diapers. To my surprise, he was happy to wear his swim diapers. He loved that they had fish all over them and recognized the characters on them from his puzzles.  The shark shorts were another story, however, I managed to pull them on him while he kicked and screamed.  Asher and I agree that it was all worth it in the end. After all, it was over 97 degrees today with the heat index in the 105 degree range!

 

 

A fun time with friends without our regular shorts on, let's hear it for progress!

A  banana milkshake after the park to celebrate our success.   

 

Talking, Learning, and Playing:The Life of a Toddler

Asher has been talking up a storm and I love to hear what he is thinking. A few weeks ago Jed asked him if he would like something. He responded, "I like Mommy!" Jed and I laughed so hard because we weren't expecting him to say that. A few days later we were driving in the car and Asher said, "I like french fries." That's right, Asher likes french fries and his Mommy. Who could ask for anything more?

The end of June wrapped up Asher's first year of Montessori. He learned so much and I have included some of the pictures below. The class picture always makes me laugh out loud because of all of the kids expressions, but especially my own little goof ball.

Sun in the kiddos eyes. This was taken on the last day of school.

Hanging on to Asher so he stays put, we know how that feels. 

Maybe his water bottle will distract him?

Asher's little buddy, Tyson, is in the background.

This photo was taken around Halloween.  Asher looks like a pudgy little guy in this picture. Love it! 

Last week, we got a very special gift from Nana. She babysat Asher while Jed and I took a trip to Maine. We ate lobster everyday and enjoyed the tour of the lighthouses around Portland and our walk through Kennebunkport. It was such a beautiful few days that we both were sunburned. Who knew you could get sunburned in Portland, Maine? While away, Asher kept Nana very busy and reminded her what it was like to be with a toddler....EXHAUSTING! Thanks, Nana for hanging out with our cherub.

and the newest Silversmith will make her debut in September...

Today, Asher and I headed to the building museum.  One thing I love about living in DC is all that it has to offer children and it is right at my finger tips.  It was the first time we had ever been to this museum and it certainly won't be our last. Asher loved the playroom so much that I couldn't get a picture of him standing still.

Run, run, run so you'll nap, nap, nap!

Kiss Kiss!

Asher said the sweetest thing the other day to me and it melted my heart. He laid down on his mat and said, "Kiss Kiss".  He wanted a little kiss from me before he went to sleep. He also turned to his Daddy and said, "Good Night!"

With that said, he is still sleeping on the floor next to the gate and that may have been the last time he asked for a kiss. The other day, I tried to give him a kiss and he said, "No kiss Mommy." Oh well, I kissed him anyway.  He still has those super cute cheeks and I can't resist them and he said three words.

This was taken last week at a birthday party. See what I mean about those cheeks!?!



Catching up on his reading. When Asher grabs a book with no pictures he calls it Mommy's book. This one happens to be about toddler discipline. Read on little Asher.

We have several toddler splash parks and wading pools in our area. Unfortunately, Asher dislikes wearing swim diapers and swim trunks. So, we typically sit out on the bench and watch the other children splash. Except for the other day when he decided to get right in--sweat shorts and all.

Montessori is wrapping up next week for the summer. Asher has loved it and we are excited for him to return next year.

Circle Time- The shirt Asher is wearing is one of his favorites. He calls it his Lady Bug shirt. We love the way he says Lady Bug.

Asher's school planted basil and then ate the basil with homemade butter that they made and tomatoes. Asher refused to eat the basil or tomatoes, but he sure liked the butter and crackers.

Finally, here is a little video that I forgot to post a few months ago, but I think it is hilarious. It is of my little munchkin trying to break out of his room by hopping over the gate.  He is a genius, if I do say so myself.

Friends!

Asher had a lot of fun meeting his new buddy Wyatt this week. Wyatt and his mom, Jessica (Jett) stayed at our home for a few days.  I have known Jett since 7th grade and it was so nice to have the babies meet.  Asher loved showing Wyatt around the City.  We went to the zoo, the Capitol, many trips to Union Station, and the Splash Park.  What a treat for everyone!

Snack time with friends. Asher liked sitting in a big seat without a booster.

What a fun time visiting with friends. I am 26 weeks pregnant in this picture.

 

Fly by May

May has been filled with a lot of birthday parties, family, and growing for our little Asher. We are so proud of all of his accomplishments this month. We also had a fun time socializing with all of his first friends and their parents. 

His speech has taken off. He babbles nonstop and says 2 word phrases. He even is beginning to say some three word phrases.  Like, "I like cookies" and "I want downstairs".  Asher is also fascinated with order and enjoys talking about it. He will say, "Mommy's shoes, Daddy's shoes," followed by "Ashy's shoes." He will point at each shoe while saying each item. At dinner yesterday, he went around the table pointing at us and stating our gender.  Very cute!

Some children like trains and some like Elmo. Our child is fascinated with animals. He loves to wear animals on his clothing, talk and read about animals, and finally, go see animals at the zoo or pet store.  Lately, he has been interested in the animals on the Merry go Round. He doesn't want to get on the ride he just wants to talk about the animals that he sees as well as watch the ride go round and round and round again.

Asher found a merry go round at a store and didn't want to leave the window display.

Asher is at the zoo and is disinterested in the real animals. He would rather watch the merry go round.

 

Finally, I am so impressed with Asher's spatial ability.  He has always been interested in puzzles, but lately the Montessori teacher as well as my mother introduced him to pattern blocks. On one particular day, I was the assistant in the classroom and noticed the teacher was trying to do a lesson with him of placing the yellow hexagon in the correct yellow spot on a corresponding board.  Instead, Asher took the two red trapezoids and completed the same exercise by making them hexagons. I was secretly smiling and beaming at his thought process. He has repeated this several times at home.

Asher put the two trapezoids together to form a hexagon.

He also enjoys beading and made this necklace. Look at the little smile on his face. He is so proud of himself.

Let's wrap up this post with a little love from my son! His first portrait of his Mommy!!!

Jungle Gym Daddy

Asher has given Jed a run for his money lately. He refuses to do anything with him that isn't silly.  For example, he demands that Jed get on the floor, so that he can body slam him.  Asher says, "Mommy couch, Daddy floor!"  

He even demands that Jed keep his legs a certain way, so that he can make a car ramp for all his cars to go down. Poor, poor Daddy!!! When Jed arrives home from work, Asher immediately slams the door on him and yells, "Bye Daddy!" Once Jed is out of the house, Asher quickly goes to the window to watch him come through the door and then the entire sequence starts over.  Luckily, Jed is taking this all in stride and realizes that our little guy is only 2.

See, he loves his Daddy!  A little morning cuddle