Are you not listening to me?

(cuddling on sofa)
M: It's time for Mamma to get in the shower.
e: No.
M (thinking Ewan is just being a contrarian decides to reverse the question): So you want me to stay here?
e: Stay there. Daddy shower.

Royal weddings

A real live princess! 5am? zzzz... zzzz....zzzz...

Dinner time

n: We need to sit at the table so we can have a conversation.

Birthday poem from NeeNee

For Ewan

At two you toddle through your days,
charming Mormors and NeeNees,
and also Mamma, Daddy too,
even Nina likes the view
of you when elphants, books and cars
inspire your heartfelt song of stars
that twinkle high above the world
yike the diamonds, ...oh those curls
that match your roundy dimpled face
seen flying by when there's a race
to catch your sister, or her toys
or pull a famous Ewan ploy,
like hiding puzzle pieces sweetly
grinning through your tease completely
then plopping in a favorite nook,
with probably a yummy book,

and I would not want to be missin
your counting recitation; listen:

There are numbers, there is heaven.
Guess which one is Ewan's "wheven."

Still, it's animals you're all about
and if there ever was a doubt,
most of us have lots of tweaks
and nibbles for your chipmonk cheeks,
so please forgive us our devotion,
big and deep as any ocean
we can't help ourselves, you're TWO!
We love whatever Ewan Do.

So twinkle twinkle, ABCs,
EFG and HI JEEZ,
You are Mister Master Fun...

To coin a phrase now: I ah done.

Labels

Why do "they" insist on labeling me?

Dress-up

Ballerina-cowboy-lassoer.

Tabloid rumors

Don't believe everything you hear about me being a little devil. There's no way I would pull my friends' hair and run away laughing. There's no way I would push over friends and then when they hide from me ask my teachers "where'd KiKi go?". I wouldn't hit my beloved sister repeatedly as soon as Mamma or Daddy turned their back laughing hysterically as she cries for me to stop. And I most certainly wouldn't hit/throw everything off of the table making big messy-messes. Don't believe the awful things you hear.

But do believe it when you hear that I can count things, sing lovely songs, help clean up, say 'tank you', bring Nina her snack, and sit quietly to read book after book after book.

Fall?

We are definitely not complaining that Mamma didn't rake up all the leaves from last year. Wheee!!!

Fun with NeeNee

Next time NeeNee visits, she should leave the tornado sirens and constant rain and floods back at home. Luckily we took advantage of the brief sun today for some gardening and swinging.

Easter

Chocolate for breakfast and Chinese for dinner. Can we do this every day?

Potty "training"

I continue to potty train myself - asking to sit on the potty, without the diaper on, and requesting TP afterwards. I'm also practicing with role plays. Today, Nina's doll house doll used the doll house toilet. Head first. Thus why I'm still in training.

More houseguests

First NeeNee, and then PatandBethandLaurenandTrevor? We have pizza and movie night. And we get to go to the museum today? I'm in heaven.

Reading is serious business

Don't bother me. I'm reading.

But not in a road rage kind of way - just in a friendly reminder kind of way

M: (while in the car, sitting at a red light) I'm tired - yawn.
n: You should honk your horn so we can move.
M: I don't understand.
n: If you're tired of waiting, you can honk the horn and then we can move.

Bike

I got a bike for my birthday. It's pink and purple and has a bell and is so pretty to sit on.
What? I have to pedal? No. Mamma or Daddy will help hold the bike and help push me. What? They won't? Well then, I'll have to bring out the tears. It's hard work trying to figure out how to use your words at being frustrated and try to pedal at the same time.
But Ewan sure seems to love that he now doesn't have to share my old bike.

Celebrations

I blew out my own candles. I remember seeing Nina pull out the candle and lick the icing on her cake. So I did the same. Wrong end. e: Yucky.
Bat mobile!
I was too busy playing with my new toys, that Nina had to help me open presents. She opened more than 7 of them for me! Thank you present givers and my present opener.
But after she opened the 8th or so present, I got the hang of it and tore through the remainder.

2 years!

I feel like I've been 2 years old for a long time now, but it's been less than 24 hours. I've been acting like a 2 year old for a couple of months. I ditched D milk a week ago. I've been using toothpaste even though they say to wait until you're 2. And everyone mistakes me for a preschooler. It must be the hair.

In the last two years, I've managed to grow into my nose. In the next year, I hope to find more of my neck.

I love to sing the alphabet, count anything and everything, see who can sing the shrieking-highest (I usually win). I love to run around and around and around with Nina. Sometimes we run around together, but most of the time I'm chasing her. One of my favorite games to play with Nina is call "grab-whatever-toy-she-is-playing-with-and-run-away-then-watch-her-scream-wait-until-she-asks-for-it-nicely-and-then-kindly-return-it-to-her-with-a-smile". Over and over again. It never gets old.

I love to practice new words and love any word that has to do with an animal. Hippopotamus is my favorite (but do not ask me to spell it or to say it quite correctly), along with alligator, flamingo and peacock. But my favorite animal to wear on clothing and read about in books is still the monkey. They have such a great sense of humor.

I'm developing a delicate palate. I still love Daddy's 'Pasta with Cheese on Top', but will food strike if dinner is not french fries and ketchup. Or just ketchup. Snacks are different. I'll still eat all of those. As long as they're fruit, dairy or carbs. Vegetables aren't always my favorite. And I prefer veggie burgers to real meat (unless we're talking Daddy's Pasta).

e: Spill juice.
e: I move it.

Grandmothers

NeeNee: Who is your grandmother?
n: Mormor.
N: That's right. And who else?
n: ?
N: Am I your grandmother?
n: No. You're NeeNee.

NeeNee is here

I'm so excited that NeeNee is here. But I don't want to share her with anyone else. And then Ewan hogs her. She better not leave.

Birthdays

Princess Tortes are a great way to celebrate a birthday.
But now that IKEA has miniaturized them, we much prefer just having then any day of the week! I'll eat the marzipan, and Ewan will eat the creamy filling.

ByeBye South St

Sleep wars

Bears, if you don't go to sleep, I'll take away your toys.

Dinner preferences

I did not like what Daddy cooked last night because it did not include french fries. So I ate my ketchup and then refused to eat anything else. Later, when Mamma and Daddy succumbed to not letting me go to sleep on an empty stomach, they let me eat my requested popcorn. I am my NeeNee's grandson.

Punishment

I have a hard time going to bed at night. Mamma and Daddy have tried keeping a normal routine. They've tried silently walking me to bed. They've tried reinforcers. Finally they moved to punishment where I lost a toy until the next dinner each time I leave my room. I understand the rules fine. But I also know how to use a stepstool to reach toys put out of reach. Daddy didn't accept that.

Loopholes

If I keep my hands to myself at school, I get to watch movies when I get home. Today I didn't keep my hands to myself very well. So when we got home, no movies.

n: But Mamma, SuperWhy isn't a movie!

I got my TV show. Mamma changed the rules from now on. And I'm going to make an excellent lawyer.

Grown up

I kicked my habit of drinking D (aka Homo) milk, am reading the paper, and am eating NeeNee's special food. I'm preparing to transition to Big Boy status.

Melatonin

Can I get some? Please? The Scary Things won't let me go to sleep at night (especially if I nap at school). And then Mamma and Daddy try to keep me in my room with those awful Scary Things. And on top of that, I don't feel tired. So I end up staying awake until 10:30pm. Maybe Mamma and Daddy should just let me sleep in their bed. The Scary Things don't go in their room.

Living close to the South

M: NeeNee is coming to visit. Is she Mamma's mamma or Daddy's mamma?
n: Daddy's!
M: So that makes her your....?
n: Cousin!

Undergarmets

Can I wear this yet?

Bling

My it's bright in here (earrings, necklace, 2 rings, bracelet, bands, and the tiara that hasn't left my head for almost 48 hours).

Birthday party

Yesterday was my birthday party. I don't really like being the center of attention. But it is fun to bounce and run and eat cake and get lots and lots of presents (thank you again for all the awesome gifts!). And Ewan ran around like all the big kids too!

Baths

Bath-time was getting a little predictable. Kinda dirty, get clean. Boring. So on my walk I found a good mud puddle, splashed my hands in it, and then moved the mud to my face and hair. Of to the next puddle. Since it wasn't as muddy, I used the water to wipe off my cheeks, and soak my shoes and socks. Since that wasn't messy enough, I sat in the puddle. Repeat process for all puddles on the way home. Strip on the porch, a quick drink, and then straight into the tub. Much more entertaining!

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone that sent presents. The dolls, toys, dresses and books are great. And as always, the boxes are just as much fun!

4 years!

Age 1

Age 2

Age 3
Age 4

48 is a majestic mirthday.

Now that I'm a big big girl, I feel like there's so much I can do, but then also so much I'm supposed to do. Like I can open the fridge door to get myself a drink/snack, but then I also have to clean up after myself. I can dress myself, but then I'm supposed to wear clean clothing or clothing appropriate for the weather (I do not see a problem with wearing sandals when it is 30'F, it's going to warm up when I'm inside at school). I can write my name (well, duh, I've been blogging for 4 years), and pick out familiar words on a page (Anna, stop), and play by myself for a long long time, but then I'm expected to help play with Ewan.

And then there's things I'm not allowed to do yet. Or stuff that I'm scared to do because there's just so much responsibility with being 4! I'm scared to go upstairs to go potty without Mamma or Daddy coming up with me to turn on any lights, even if it is the middle of the day. I'm scared of the dark at night.

I started napping again so that I could stay up later with Daylight Savings, but Mamma and Daddy still insist on putting me to bed at normal time of 7:45-8:00. But I don't fall asleep until 10pm, and then they're grumpy and I'm grumpy and then the things in the dark come out and then I have to get out of my room again to get hugs and stay up even later. And then crawl into their bed at 5am (to either whack Daddy in the face with my dolls, or elbow him in the back as I toss and turn - Mamma sleeps heavily and isn't as much fun to pester).

And then there's the things that are just so darn fun about being 4. Like learning to ride a bike, and singing Girls Just Want to Have Fun at the top of my lungs, and sharing with little brothers, and discovering new things and putting things together and teaching all of that to Mamma and Daddy (you think they'd have figured it out themselves by now, but I don't mind helping them figure things out).