At the discovery museum

Farmer's Market

Davis is starting to bloom and it's lovely. I had forgotten how early spring starts here. After almost ten years away it's another reason it's wonderful to be back. Xander is starting to learn to recognize daffodils, irises, tulip trees, and other flowers popping up around town.

We strolled through the gardens in Central Park, where the farmers market is held, as I pointed out the few plants that I recognized. He was munching on a croissant as big as his head, so he was happy. Later we played at the play ground and climbed in a tree, and I finally pulled out the camera to take a couple of shots.

Photoshoot

We got pictures taken at Shanghai bend. Now we just have to figure out what to order. Here's the whole set.

The dentist

Xan saw the dentist for the first time on Tuesday.

Did you like the dentist?
No.
Do you want to go back?
Yeah!
But I thought you didn't like it.
I DO like it.
What did you like about it?
I liked that toy car that I rode on.
Did you like anything else?
I liked the front shovel.
Was the dentist nice?
Nooo. (total lie - he was super nice and didn't push Xan too much to look inside his mouth. He just wanted him to feel comfortable and have a positive first visit.)

As you can tell, he loved the playroom full of toys and arcade games, but was not to keen at a stranger looking in his mouth. He let me look in while the dentist looked over my shoulder, but he just got a very brief glimpse. He said there were no big concerns, he'd call this a "non-visit" and a get to know you, wouldn't bill us, and we'd try again in six months.

Recently heard at our house

"When I am potty trained I will wear a bra like Mama and Daddy, also." (in addition to big kid underwear)

"I am going to do something funny" ... "FEFF!" *Throws back head and emits an extremely loud, forced laugh.* Made up words are the funniest thing in his universe at the moment.

Cuteness

Xan was waving goodbye, blowing kisses, and signing I love you at Grandma and Grandpa as they pulled out of the driveway today. Grandma imitated his handshape, but with the thumb tucked in. Delighted, Xan squealed, "She's signing forklift!" He laughed, then, "I don't know why she's signing forklift."

Later this afternoon, he looked very concerned and asked me, "Is baby sister friendly?"

You know your keid has way too many toys when...

He'd much prefer that you confiscate them rather than go to the trouble of taking them back to his room. The coat closet has a growing heap of toys and he doesn't seem to miss them a bit. The only thing that will upset him is if you try to take away a spatula.

Halloween

"Roll up my pants."

"My pants are rolled down. Who rolled down my pants?!"

In other news, I am sick. Sore throat, sneezy, bleh.

Xander Invention

"Em, this [his stick] is my nail blower. It blows nails away." He's seen leaf blowers and nail guns, I guess this is some combo.

Later: "Em, this [backhoe] is my backhoe blower. It blows nails away." "This is my police car blower." Does it blow away police cars? "No [duh], it blows nails away." Thought we might have a little radical on our hands for a minute there.

Xander logic

Me: "A cake with candles on it is usually for a birthday."
Him: "A cake with NO candles on it is for... NO birthday."

What is X for?

Xan hasn't hit the why stage. I think his equivalent will be "what is this for?" As in, what is this book for? What are trees for? What is poop for?

He's definitely into explanations and you can see him try to work them out and repeat them to himself. Walking down the street last week he informed me that you don't go in the street and if you get hit by a car you get back on the sidewalk. I had to explain that one again.

You can also hear him muttering rules to himself as part of his ongoing monologue: "Oh, here is a frisbee. Do you throw frisbees inside? No, mhm-mm. Frisbees are for outside."

Sometimes I'm briefly included:

"Can I climb on the furniture?"

"No"

"No, I don't climb on the furniture? Is this furniture? Is this furniture?"

Big Kid Bed

We gave Xan a choice of sleeping in his tent or his new toddler bed tonight and he chose the big bed. He went down with no fuss, giggled at being tucked in, and - at 10 min - appears to be staying there. We told him if he got up he'd have to sleep in the tent. Hopefully the desire to sleep it the big bed will be enough to keep him from roaming all over the place. We'll see how the morning goes or if he rolls out of it in the middle of the night: he's a bit of a thrasher.

Yay for poop

I think this is the first time I've felt that way. Xan sat on the potty without any outside suggestion, and then pooped in it, both firsts for him. Up to this point he has been completely uninterested in potty training and we figured we'd better not impose yet another change on him. Who knows if this will continue, but he seemed pretty proud of himself.

Xanderisms

When mama grows little, mama might pee in this travel potty.

The car went in reverst!

Take off the pretend foil (tin foil).

Watch your mouth

This morning I called Xander from another room, "C'mere, kitten britches!" (a la Skippyjon Jones). He must have found it amusing because he tried repeating it for several minutes, except he left out the kitten and can't say the br sound combination, so he ended up gleefully repeating, "C'mere, bitches!"

In other profanity related news, I'm lucky that the aunt we're staying with says "shoot" often, because it has saved me a couple of times when I've said shit and Xander spiritedly pipes up, "shoot!" I think he thinks they're the same word and I'm just saying it wrong.

Bubbles in Grandad adn Nana's backyard

More pictures from that trip can be found here.

Swimming and Camping

We're staying at my aunt's house in Yuba City while we house hunt in Davis, where Bill got a faculty position. We've been spending most of our evenings in her swimming pool and recently went camping for two nights up in Little Grass Valley. Xander loved the lake, but not quite as much as he loved the dirt.

Time out chatter

(all in an anguished tone of voice)
I'm sorry.
I was wrong.
No. Nooooooo.
Mama count down.
I'm sorry for touching the dishwasher.
Can get up now.

Ride 'em, Cowboy

We spent last week in Santa Fe, where Xan rode a horse for the first time.