what I really need to do...

What I really need to do is write a post about Christmas - but there are so many pictures and it will take forever to upload them.

No - what I really need to do is re-re-re-re-do our budget and make room for all the things I'm remembering new houses don't come with.

No - Griffin is changing so quickly.   What I really need to do is write about how he started singing the ABC song 2 weeks ago and has. not. stopped.  I really need to video him singing it, how he always leaves out R and how he says, "now I know my ABC - DEFGHIJ..."  - and starts all over.  I need to write about how he started calling Micah "Bicah" instead of just "Ba."  Oh - and I need to tell how he keeps doing so well eating his broccoli and veggies, but won't eat macaroni and cheese.

I really need to write a post about what it's like to read a book with him.  How we have to talk about EVERYthing in the picture, and make all the sounds of the animals - even the ones who don't make sounds.  And how, really and truly, I tire of this but I do it anyway because I will blink and then he'll be reading on his own.

I really need to write down how good he's getting at puzzles.  And that he loves to tell all the girls in his class goodbye, but he doesn't like the boys too much. :)  And how if he hears the word "zoo" or hears the word "zoo" being spelled, we'll go to the zoo or we'll talk about animals for the next three hours.

I need to remember how his personality can seem obsessive - or persistent may be better.   How he gets stuck on things and will. not. stop. until he's answered or satisfied.  How he loves his cousins so much, that even though he has no idea what Skylanders or "scounds" are, he dreams about them, talks about them in the car, wants to draw pictures of them, and name his stuffed animals after them.

No - what I really need to do is post the videos of Griffin laughing at his daddy.  I should not hoard my recordings of that beautiful sound of laughter followed by, "Daddy funnnnnny!"  Oh - and how he's starting show compassion and sympathy when he believes someone to be hurt or sad.  It's soooo sweet.

No - I should really put the pictures on here of the letters he's drawing.  And list all the ones he knows and recognizes, upper case and lower case, and maybe a video of his mad counting skills....

I've got to write down how he loves to pile up pillows and stuffed animals and take a running leap into his pile and waller and waller until his face is red and then do it again.  How the animals have to be stacked just so and it's not enough for mommy to just stack them however they land....

No.  What I really need to do is TAKE A NAP while this busy, busy child is sleeping...but I'm just too busy remembering....

Santa, Elf, and thank goodness for two-day shipping!

We have succeeded in getting Griffin excited about Santa Claus.  We have an Elf, whose name happens to be Elf, who visits our house each day.  Griffin loves going to find him and tells Elf what he would like Santa to bring him.

I was just telling a good friend of mine that I wasn't sure if Griffin was really grasping the anticipation part of Christmas yet, but Griffin seems to have proven me wrong.

We were in a store a few nights ago and Griffin saw Diesel (a friend of Thomas the Tank Engine) and a Donald Duck that it seemed he could not live without.  He talked and talked and talked about them as we walked through the store.  I made the mistake of letting him hold one (desperation y'all.  I wanted to get out of there and this seemed like a peaceful way to do it) while I finished my shopping.  So - we had to go put it back when I got ready to pay.  Oh the tragedy!

We talked about going home and telling Elf that he wanted it and that Elf would go tell Santa.  And that's just what he did!  I was shocked.  Santa, I don't think, was prepared to get Diesel and Donald for my little Griffin.  Up until that night, when asked what Santa was going to bring him, Griffin would tell you Buzz Yite-year. :)  But now, each morning Griffin has found Elf and said, "Diesel, peas.  Don-ad, peas."

Santa, we have a last minute request!! (note the thankfulness for two-day shipping reference above)

Here's our pic with Santa.  Griffin loves Santa from afar, but ask him to touch Mr. Claus, and you've got trouble.  So - unprepared as we were to have our appearances captured by film for all time, Chris and I obliged Griffin and smiled.  This is the best we got, people (and yes.  Santa in the picture is lacking.  We have no doubt that this Santa is one of Santa's helpers and not the REAL Santa.)  Next year I will not wait until the last minute and we will battle the lines and get the real Santa for a picture.

My big boy!!

So, I mentioned in the last post that Griffin was practically begging to be potty trained.  Well, he is now - begging, that its.  Not potty trained - yet.  :)  (And as a side note, he is still literally big, too.  We're in size 3T and his size 9 shoes are getting snug....)

Last night we went to Target as a family and Griffin picked out a potty just for him and some big boy underwear.  The big boy underwear wasn't as big of a motivator as I was hoping it was going to be because I don't know if he even really knows what it is.  His big cousins all wear manly things like boxers and boxer briefs. ;)  But none the less, we picked some out and as soon as they are washed, we'll try them on.

I bought a book on potty training for my kindle because at some point we're going to have to do the real deal.  The stay at home and let the messes happen thing.  I think I'll take some time off at the first of the year, after the Christmas travel is over, and get this show on the road.  In the mean time.  Griffin loves his potty and puts tee tee in it any time we ask.  He's even been able to get the more shy number two in it once.

Despite how well he's doing with going on command, I'm not sure how well he'll do with stop-playing-and-go-to-the-potty-before-you-tee-tee-in-your-pants part.  We'll see!!

In other big boy news:  Griffin's getting a big boy bed!  The mattress should be in today and I've got some sheets and stuff to put on it.  We'll keep the mattress  on the floor for now to get him used to sleeping on it and avoid traumatic falls, and then once we're in the new house for a bit, we'll move it up to the bed.

I really struggled over what kind of sheets to get.  Not too little boy, but not super big boy because for crying out loud, he just turned two!!  So, I think I'll get both.  I found a crazy cheap clearanced construction quilt and sheets at Target that we'll use for now (during potty training!) and then I'll reward myself with a trip to poottery barn kids.com when Griffin is potty trained! (yeah, right.  I'll probably feel too cheap for that then, too!)

Griffin - you must know that it is taking everything in me to do this.  Because you are my only baby, I want to cling to that smell of baby wipes and fresh diapers and the cute cuddled look of a bumper pad around a crib mattress for as long as I can.  But, also because you are my baby and I love you so much, I know that the best thing for you is not to hold you back!  You are ready, Boogi!  I love you so much and am so proud of you - still praying to cultivate that strong-willed, persistent, and dangerously fun-loving (that sounds still nice, right?) nature to be a man who radiates with the warmth of Christ.

The Polar Express Tradition

I'm really excited to be a part of my family.  We are so cool. :)

This year, Rachel invited us all to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Polar Express Pajama Party.  It was so fun.

Turns out - all the gals from the fam went (Thanks, Mom/BooBoo) and all the kids.  Bret was along for the ride, though not in his jammies. :)

First we got the the museum, all in our pajamas, and did winter science experiments and drank hot chocolate.

Aunt Kelley ROCKED her footies!!

Then we loaded up on popcorn and goodies to watch The Polar Express in the Omni theater.  Griffin loved the popcorn.

Griffin wasn't a big fan of the Omni.  He was terrified.  We sat in the back in the quiet room and did okay for a while, then we just left and walked around.  But, Griffin had a great day.  A stay-in-you-jammies-all-day kind of day:

Everyone agreed this was definitely a "do-againer."  I'm looking forward to many years of The Polar Express and hot-hot-hot chocolate!

An update too late..

So, Griffin is doing some really great things now - and has been for probably about a month, so let's redate this post 11/3/12, k?  Thanks.

Griffin counts!!!  He had totally been holding out on me.  One day he never said it, the next day he counted to 15.  Now he does it all the time and sometimes makes it even higher!

Griffin says thank you and please without having to be asked.

He says everything.  He tells me exactly what he wants, he asks "Where'd that go?," he points out everything he sees.

He says good by and wave to each of his friends and school.  He says, "Bye, Josh" "Bye, Sophia" and then says "Bye Friends" about forty times before we finally make it out the door.

Apparently, Griffin tee-tees on the potty at school - every time they put him on it.  We have been kind of working on this at home, but I know I need to get on it.  He's begging to be potty trained.

Funny story:  Two days before he turned two, we were playing outside with my dad.  Griffin suddenly stopped outside and was still.  I though for sure he was pooping, so I asked him and he said no.  Then he walked up to a tree, lifted his shirt and began tugging at his pants.  I said, "What's wrong, Baby."  He said, "tee tee."  "Tee tee?"  So I helped him pull down his pants and Griffin peed right on that tree.  We refit his diaper, pulled up his pants, and he went on playing.  My dad thought it was hilarious.  I was dumbfounded.  I have got to get this boy some big boy undies.

My Little Stinker

A few too many pictures from Halloween...

This is Griffin when first put his costume on him.  He was NOT excited about it. :)

But then, he went to see his Yogi (La), who he'll apparently do anything for - even wear the hat!

Then, on Halloween night, we went REAL trick-or-treating with his cousins.  It was really fun and sweet.  Conner took such good care of Griffin and let him hold his hand as they walked down the street.

Griffin even said "chick chick treet" at all the houses and thank you when we left.  We got TONS of comments on how cute he was!

(Griffin and his super cute girl cousin, Bonnie.....)

(Conner holding Griffin's hand.....)

Diamond Dung

So have I told you the story of how I lost one of my wedding rings?  Well let me start from the beginning.

My sweet husband bought me two wedding rings, one to go on either side of the engagement ring.  Why?  because I was a little brat and wanted them.  And he says he got a good dea.  I've loved them.  I think they are perfect.

In August, we went to Fossil Rim with BooBoo.  I knew I would be up close with giraffes and deer eating out of my hands, so I took off my rings and placed them safely in the cup holder of Griffin's car seat.  Why there?  Because if I had put them in my pocket, they may have slid out of it as I was moving across the seat from side to side to feed the animals as they came to the car.

Well, we got to a particularly popular spot for the animals and Griffin was fearless in sticking his hand out and feeding them.  I sat near the door, the food was in the middle seat, and Griffin's car seat sat empty on the other side.  See, in a drive through safari park, children do not have to ride in their carseats because the speed limit is ummm, 2 miles an hour, I think.  Griffin was sitting in my lap to feed the animals. He would get down, go to the feet bag in the middle seat and hop back up into my lap.

On one instance of him hopping back up into my lap, I noticed some quite beautiful feed in his hands headed for the window: My engagement ring (with Nana's diamond), and one of my wedding rings.   Aaaagh!  At some poing, Griffin had decided go all the way across the seat to his carseat cupholder for food. I jumped over to the seat to retrieve the other ring out of the cupholder and found nothing.  I searched the car, Griffin's hands and pockets....I was left believing Griffin must have fed my ring to:

Oh well, I guess.  There some diamond studded dung out there somewhere.....We did have fun and a ring is just a thing....

Thanks, BooBoo, for sharing your Fossil Rim pass with us!  We can't wait to go again!!