Grammar

Xander's vocabulary is expanding nicely but he's still got some work to do on his grammar. For example, I thought he had mastered "already" when he said, shortly after his sister had left for school, "I miss Jessie already." However, this was followed, maybe 10 minutes later by "I miss Jessie already again."

Oh, to be almost 3 again. Not.

Xander was so sweet--and sad--this morning. Usually he walks to the bus stop with Jessica and Daddy. Today he stayed home. On the days he "voluntarily" stays home, he usually starts screaming the minute they leave, "I want to go with Daddy!" Today, he sat quietly in my lap after they left and said, "I don't have a family anymore." I quickly assured him that just because his daddy and sister had left the room, they were still his family.

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Mommy quote of the day, "Stop taking boogers out of your nose." This after he pulled a few out of his nose and said, "I have a booger" which meant I needed to dispose of them.

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Xander's new nickname: Stitch. Enough said.

Inquisitive

I don't mind (that much) a million questions in a row. What I do mind is the SAME question a million times in a row.

Like "Where Daddy go? Where Daddy go? Where Daddy go?" (you get the idea). I mean, really, there are only so many times I can patiently answer, "Daddy's at work." "Daddy's at work." "Daddy's at work."

And then sometimes answering a question just segues into something like "Why Daddy go to work? Why Daddy go to work? Why Daddy go to work?"

Then there's what appears to be either a hearing problem (doubtful since he had his hearing thoroughly checked at age 1) or a comprehension problem. This results in *me* repeating myself over and over.

To continue with an example from above:
Xander: "Why Daddy go to work?"
Mommy: "So we have money to rent our house and buy food and clothes and toys."
Xander: "What?" (or, even more annoying, "Huh?")
Mommy: "So we have money to rent our house and buy food and clothes and toys."
Xander: "Huh?"
Mommy: exasperated sigh. "Did you not hear me?"
Xander: "Huh?"

I'm ready to sigh just writing this.

Good plans gone bad

Xander's a pretty smart guy. He knew that he needed to get higher to reach the pumpkins full of candy on top of the fridge. He didn't expect to still be 3 feet away.

What I really like is the pained expression on his face:

As any good parent would do, when I saw him I immediately reached for the camera.

Sometimes I think Xander is on the Atkins diet. This kid loves meat and disdains carbs. Well, except for fry-fries and wheat fins (thins). I used to try to send him salami sandwiches for lunch and he would pick the salami off the bread and just eat the salami. So now I just tuck the salami into a tiny tupperware. This afternoon for lunch he had a drumstick. No potatoes.

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Last week Xander came up to me. "I go to doctor."

"Why?" I asked. "Are you sick?"

"I coughing."

"I don't hear you coughing."

He then let out several very fake coughs.

I didn't take him to the doctor. Hypochondriac.

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So, Xander is a bit like the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Sometimes when we're going to sleep, and I close my eyes, he'll say "Open your eyes, Mommy! I can't see you!"

Back to school Part 2

Last night was Xander's preschool back-to-school night, which consisted of a chance to talk to his teachers, look at his work and leave some surprise messages in his journal.

The first page of his journal: some scribbles and the teacher's notation of what he told her it was: "The spider is squashing the bug." Fabulous.

Then his teacher was telling me about potty time. She said she always asks him if he wants to sit on the potty when she changes his diaper. His usual response? "When I'm older." I have no idea where he got the idea he wasn't old enough. Not from me.

It reminded me of a few months ago. I didn't realize I was doing it but apparently I was telling him a lot, "You're too small" or "you're too young" when he wanted to do something Jessica was doing. Then he started saying "I too small" and it was slightly heartbreaking, so I tried to stop doing it. In fact, there have been a few times when I've told Jessica she's too big or she's too old to do something and I make a big point of telling Xander the size/age thing works both ways.

Preschool

My "baby" started preschool today, the first day he could according to MA law, at 2 years, 9 months of age.

He did great!

I must admit, I was little worried. He still cried every time I dropped him off at daycare, though I suspect they were crocodile tears. Hari took him for an orientation session last Thursday, where they hung out for an hour or so and Xander was apparently kind of clingy.

When we got there, as we went up the stairs, he asked, "Why going to Jessie's school?" It's the same preschool we sent Jessica to for 2 years, so he certainly recognized the building. "It's your school now," I told him.

Once we got there, he was clingy. I sat with him for a little while. We played with some playdough, then took out a monkey puzzle. When it was Circle Time, I had to leave, because, as we told him, Circle Time isn't for parents. I handed him over, crying a little (him, not me), to one of the teachers. I hung out in the hall but didn't hear any crying, so I left.

I called a few hours later and they said he was doing really well. He hadn't cried and he was laughing and playing with the other kids. I got the full report when we picked him up in the afternoon. He did much better than any of us expected. At one point, he told one of the teachers, "This is my school now." He took his rest time without any trouble. He talked to lots of people, teachers and children. He far exceeded my expectations. And he had a huge smile on his face when Jessica and I got there to pick him up.

He's my big boy now!