He makes me laugh

I've been kind of down today but little man is doing his best to cheer me up. First is his new expression "No way!" Then he took the little soft guitar from Build-A-Bear (meant for use by a 16" bear), put the strap around his neck so it hung just below his chin and proceeded to "strum" it while singing songs from Music Together. Finally, he asked for a tissue because he's got a bit of a runny nose. Why is this amusing? Because when I tell him to blow his nose, he sucks it in instead, all the while I'm saying "blow OUT, blow OUT."

Thanks, buddy.

Proud....and not so proud moments ; )

Xander pooped on the potty today! Any parent that has potty trained a child knows this is a big thing. It was completely unexpected too. He's been saying a lot lately that he wants to pee on the potty, and of course I completely encourage this. A lot of times he gets on there and no pee comes out but it's the effort that counts. Last night he said he wanted to, and I was busy doing something else and kind of doubted him, so I told him to go into the bathroom, take off his diaper and pee in the potty....and he did!

Today, he said he wanted to pee. So off we went. When he got off, there was poop (sorry for being graphic). I'm telling you, if I hadn't been afraid of ripping my abdominal muscles, I would have turned a cartwheel. I've frequently read that positive reinforcement when a child exhibits positive behaviour is much more effective than negative reinforcement when they do something you don't want them to. Poor Jessica, I didn't know about this when she was younger. So I praised the heck out of him and gave him a reese's peanut butter cup.

The other thing we did today? I bought him a doll. Not just a doll, a Barbie doll. Not just a Barbie doll, but a purple mermaid Barbie doll. Jessica has a couple and he's been feeling kind of sad that he doesn't, so I bought him one (this was even before the pooping on the potty). It kind of amuses me that my son wants a Barbie doll, so I've been hearing myself say "your doll" this and "your doll" that more than I would refer to any doll Jessica has. ("William wants a do-oll, William wants a do-oll").

Right now he's playing with motorcycles, so I doubt this will have any negative effect on his long term mental health.

My current favorite mispronunciation

This one isn't exactly a mispronunciation, but it's cute anyway. Here is an example:

Mom: "Xander, say 'french fries.'"

Xander: "Fry fries."

Disclaimer: this is all theoretical and of course Xander knows nothing about what french fries actually are.

Potty training has begun!

Sort of. Twice this week, after a diaper change but before the new diaper was put on, I've asked Xander if he wants to sit on the potty and both times he peed. After it happened today, I put a pair of Thomas underwear on him and told him Thomas didn't want to be peed or pooped on. I've heard of success stories with similar tactics. It didn't work with him. After he wet himself about a half hour later, I stripped him completely and let him run around outside with nothing on. Then he decided to try on his sister's new boots. What a photo opportunity:



(Last time I tried to put a nude or semi-nude picture of my child on their blog, it got removed, so this has, obviously, been edited).

Stinky man

Xander had his annual evaluation for the Early Intervention program last week. He qualified again for speech, but just barely, primarily because he was too shy to speak more than one word at once. I'm sure that if he'd spoken the way he really can speak, he wouldn't have qualified, but I think it's nice for him to get the services. It can't hurt, right?

Anyway, they evaluate everything, not just speech, including cognitive ability and motor skills. What I found highly amusing is that he was evaluated at the 15 month level for toileting skills because not only does he not show any interest in potty training, he will willingly sit in a dirty diaper without wanting to be changed. In fact, I reported to the woman evaluating him that he actually turns and runs when I suggest he needs a diaper change or when I come at him with wipes and diaper in hand.

I bring this up now because there is that oh-so-familiar stench wafting over to me from little stinky man.

What he doesn't realize is that his diaper days are numbered. My #1 goal this summer is POTTY TRAINING. I've been changing diapers for 5 1/2 years. I'm really ready to be done. I don't care what his stance is.

Huh. How about that?

Xander's napping has generally (knock on wood) been getting better. He--reluctantly--will go down for a nap most days (compared to his sister who fought it every day of her life), and for only the last month or so, actually sleeps 1.5-2 hours without waking up at all. Still, the initial going down part is still a struggle.

Today, I just didn't want to spend an hour begging him or forcing him to go to sleep. Late naps are just as bad as no nap. So, after about 15 minutes, I said, "Okay, if you don't want to nap today, you don't have to."

"No!" he said.

My hopes rose. "You want to take a nap?" He nodded, with a grumpy expression on his face.

Interesting, I thought. "Well, you have to lay down and be quiet if you want to nap." Shockingly, he obeyed.

He popped up a few times, and I repeated that a nap was optional, and soon enough, he was asleep.

Reverse psychology actually works. Who knew?

Guess what?

I know this may come as a startling revelation, but Xander likes trains! Specifically Thomas the Tank Engine.

Things I have bought in the last few months with Thomas' image*:
sneakers
jacket
books
blanket
knapsack
trains
pajamas
and, in a moment of insanity, underwear

I will also most likely be buying a Thomas bathing suit, when I come across one.

Train related things I have bought;
diaper covers (okay, that was more for me than him)
puzzle

And then there's the huge set of trains and tracks we have on long term loan from Kristin.

Gooooo trains!

*this doesn't even count all the Thomas stuff he got at Christmas, per my suggestion