Barack Obama

A’s school is obviously doing a better job than we are in educating her to be a good citizen. On inauguration day they had the kids sit and watch the whole thing on TV. A now totally knows who Barack Obama is (I figure she had plenty of time to study his face during that hours). She recognizes him when she sees his face in the newspaper or on the internet. Her curiosity slightly peaked when I said that we are going to see an exhibit with a picture of Obama. A promise of a sea monster exhibit was what got her going, though. Once at the museum she immediately recognized Obama in Shepard Fairey’s image of “HOPE”.
She is living in extraordinary times.

Boon

One of N’s favorite things are balloons, aka “boons”. He likes them with air in them, but preferably straight up in their original 20 party balloon bag from CVS. He is now attached to a powder blue balloon in a tattered plastic bag. When he gets tired he starts saying “boon, boon, boon” and is reassured when we tell him it is waiting for him in his crib. Now, if this balloon would make him sleep through the night and/or not wake up crying at 5:30 am I might go out and stock up on balloons. Then again, we might just need to do it anyway.

De-brothering

A is not so in love with her brother. Maybe because he’s been driving us crazy climbing all over the place, biting, just being restless.
A couple of weeks ago she said: “N is not a good baby. He needs to go back to the Hospital”. Mind you, the kid has been around for 15 months.

Today she said: “I’m going to take N and flush him down the toilet. And then we will only be three. Mommy and Daddy and A. And then Ruben (the plumber) will come and get N out of the toilet. And he’ll be all wet. And we’ll dry him up and then I’ll flush him down the drain again. And he won’t come back for ever and ever and ever.”

Time for some positive bro speak.

Mama

N now calls me Mama. In an Italian accent. He calls L Mama as well. And any other human figure too.

Today I was not around for dinner and bath and L told me that N walked around the house with a picture of me crying Mama, Mama, Mama.

New developments

N’s new things:

- peeing and pooping in th potty when we put him on it
- “washing dishes”
- More words: boo (book), bana (banana)
- Signs: Hi, bye, draw

He’s a cute cuddly thing!

Empathy

We have all been sick for the past week. It truely sucks. I was feeling really crummy and was sitting at the table coughing. A said: “Mommy, I will help you. When I get bigger. I will help you feel better. OK? Not right now, because I am not big enough. Maybe when I’m bigger. A teenager? OK?”

And now when we put her to sleep she says: “Mommy, I love you. And Daddy. And Noam too. And I miss you and Daddy. I love you, good night, I’ll see you in the morning”.

My heart melts.

Conversations

Recent conversations with A:

A: “Thank you mommy bear for making me dinner”
Me: “You’re welcome baby bear”
A: “I’m not a bear, I’m a horse!”

Me: “How many people do we have in our family?”
A: “You’re one, and Noam is two and I’m three and Daddy is sixteen!”
The following day..
“I’m three, and you’re one and Noam is sixteen and Daddy is two”

Words

These are N’s words:

- Mayim (water)
- Um (food/eat)
- Duck
- Boon (balloon)
- Ball
- Hot

Signs:
- All done
- More

Animals:
- Bear (ho ho ho ho)
- Elephant (brmffffffffffffff)
- Monkey (ooh-ah-ah)
- Dog (how how)

I miss you

A said: “I miss you when I cry and I miss Daddy when I laugh”.
OK, so this explains why I always get the tears.

Two steps

N took two steps today. He really wanted to reach one of A’s toys so he just walked to it… Then he proceeded to walk around the house pushing the toy shopping cart.