Tuesday Giggles

Christian just cracks me up these days.  Whenever he says something funny, I try to remember it so I can share with ya''ll ... and I'm typically unsuccessful.

Here are a couple of funny statements from the past 24 hours:

Yesterday, I was getting Christian undressed and was trying to get him to help out.   I said, "Take off your underwear, please."  He replied in a very whiny voice, "No, you do it."   I said, "Christian, please take off your underwear like a big boy."   His reply, in that same very whiny voice, "I'm not a big boy ... I"m a little girl."  I guess that was the best excuse he could come up with to not get undressed.

This morning, I walked into his room and said, "Good morning!"   He cheerfully replied, "Good morning, mother dear!"

Mother dear?   Ha ha!  Haven't heard that one before!

Auntie Liz Comes a Calling

Today Jonathan departed for a week in Southern California.   Happily, Auntie Liz stopped by to keep us company.  Thanks, Auntie!

Happy Fall!

Happy First Day of Fall!  (that is for those of you not living in the Phoenix area).

Happy "The Temps Are No Longer 110+!"  (that is for those of you living in the Phoenix area - though, today is supposed to reach 107 - mighty close to 110!).

Still super hot here, but the overnight temps have gone down significantly (mid to upper 70s, as opposed to upper 80s/low 90s), so its not as not in the mornings.

Christian and Jonathan were able to get out and play outside the other day - finally.   And despite not being able to ride his tricycle since May, Christian took off today peddling ALL BY HIMSELF!    At last!!

Muffin Monday - September 19, 2011

This week's Muffin Monday had an unexpected surpirse!  Christian ate a chicken sandwich!

What's the big deal, you ask?   

Christian is a VERY picky eater and rarely tries anything new.   He'll eat chicken by itself.  He'll eat bread by itself ... but the only "sandwich" he'll eat is PB&J. 

Today, Jonathan bought hima mini chicken sandwich from Chic-fil-A, hoping that Christian would eat some chicken and some bread ... when lo and behold, Christian ate the two together as a sandwich.

Yep, little things like that get us VERY excited around here!   Progress is progress!! :)

Puppy Love

I remember being nervous about how Bella would react to having a baby in the house when Christian was born.   Happily, she's never given us reason to worry in the nearly four years that Christian has been with us.

Our "two kids" actually get along quite nicely!  He likes to call her up on our bed, says "Hi, Bella!" to her when he comes into his room, and likes to throw her toys for her to chase.   

He laid down next to Bella today and told her, "Lick me!"   She's not a licky kind of dog, but she oblighed and gave Christian a few licks ... and he loved it!  "Bella's licking me!!" he squealed.



Thunder and Motorcycles

Christian has always been a bit afraid of loud noises, though in recent months it appeared that fear my have subsided so it wasn't something I've thought too much about lately.

When I picked him up from school on Friday, he rushed to the door and said, "I want to go home!!"  His teacher explained that there had been a couple of loud claps of thunder and it really scared him.  When she'd try to explain thunder to the class, Christian would tell her, "No, stop!!"

One the drive home, I asked him if he wanted me to tell him about thunder, and he agreed.  I said,

"Well, sometimes when its cloudy,
and lightening strikes
The thunder roars.
Its just a sound way up high in the sky,
and thunder cannot hurt you."

He had me repeat the explanation over and over again and by the time we got home, he'd pretty much memorized it.  (Kinda funny, because when he recites the explanation, he starts off with a big "Well," just the way I did.)

I put him down for his nap, as usual, and he was VERY upset when I left the room.  I tried explaining that I'd be down the hall in my office, as always.   But he was just too freaked out by the thunder.  So I stayed in his room with him and while he was content with met here, I finally had to give up on nap time for that day.  He just wasn't going to fall asleep.

Yesterday when I picked him up from school, the same thing happened:  he rushed over to me, "I want to go home."   His teacher told me that a very loud motorcycle had gone past the school and the noise scared Christian.

I explained motorcycles to him and put him down for a nap.  He seemed to be okay, but when I left the room and took Bella outside to the backyard, I came inside to find Christian crying hysterically because I was gone.  Eventually, I was able to convince him to take a nap.

But then ... after he woke up, a storm rolled in with LOTS of wind and thunder.  As it started, I turned on a noisy fan, and turned up the volume on the TV to help drown out the thunder.  Alas, none of it worked and he was keenly aware of the thunder - and scared.

Unfortunately, even before these newest noise issues, Christian has been having a hard time sleeping at night.   For several months, Jonathan has been sitting outside Christina's door right after he says goodnight to him and just does stuff on his computer.   For the past few nights, Christian continues to call out, "I'll be right here!" (just a direct repeat of what Jonathan tells him as he leaves the room each night).  And he calls it out over and over again, checking to make sure Jonathan is still there.

Also recently, Christian wakes up crying out for me at all hours of the night.  Might be 11:30am, might be 4:30am.  Might be twice a night.   Just depends.   We've always shut Christian's door after he falls asleep and we figured that maybe he would wake up and get upset that his door was shut.  So we started leaving it open and that seemed to do the trick - he slept through the night.

But alas, with Christian being scared over these loud noises in the past few days, he's started waking up again..  Last night, Jonathan didn't come to bed until 11:30am because Christian could not fall asleep.   And then I was up twice throughout the night when Christian would call out to me frantically.

So we're handling it the best we can.  It is not a case of being defiant about going to bed, or that he's just wanting to get up and play.   I think Christian is genuinely frightened by something and his fear of loud noises isn't helping.

And how do you rationalize with a three year old that the noises from thunder and motorcycles cannot hurt you.   He tells me over and over, "Thunder cannot hurt you.  I'm not scared of thunder."

But, indeed, he is.   My poor lil' guy!

Muffin Monday with Mommy - September 12, 2011

Jonathan had to work today, so I was in charge of Muffin Monday.

I thought a visit to a nearby library would excite Christian, given his love of books.  His interest got no further than the library lobby, which had an enitre display case devoted to Thomas the Tank Engine.  Christian was absolutely amazed!   I was able to coax him into the library itself, but his true interest was in that display case, so we didn't really get much library action afterall.

Afterwards, we were driving around looking for a place for breakfast to make the day a true "Muffin Monday."   Christian just about busted out of his car seat when he saw Barnes and Noble - perhaps one of his all-time favorite places to be.   I bought him a scone at the cafe there, but he was too excited about the books to actually sit and eat.  So he'd break off pieces for ME to eat to speed the process along.  "You all done, Mommy?" he lept asking me.

We weren't on a a particualr timeframe, so we stayed at B&N for quite some time ... and Christian really had a nice time.   A successful Muffin Monday! :)

Wordless Wednesday - September 7, 2011

MOM

Christian's new teacher is very much into art projects - he's been coming home with a lot of projects.   One of my favorites is the "MOM" pic below.   His teacher tells me that after he was done, he informed her, "My mommy doesn't have green hair."

Ah, I love that kiddo!

Wordless Wednesday - August 31, 2011

Click image to enlarge.

Disneyland!

Our first trip as a family to Disneyland was great ... as evidenced by the 12 hours we spent at "The Happiest Place on Earth."

Although, the fun was "hit and miss" for Christian.  He'd get excited about getting on a particular ride, and then get a bit panicked once he was on it.   Three exceptions:  1)  the Teacups 2) the carousel and 3) the Dumbo Ride.   Dumbo had a 1/2 hour line, and given Christian's anxiety over the other rides, I spent the entire 1/2 hour asking him if he REALLY wanted to ride on Dumbo.  Each time, he gave an enthusiastic YES!   And he did, in fact, liket he Dumbo ride.

He also loved the Disney parade that we watched late in the day - and that surprised me, because Christian still isn't too keen on loud noises.  But he had a great time and was THRILLED when he got to see Tinkerbell and Cinderella in the parade.

Christian gave out 1/2 though the day and could no longer stay awake.  We were fortuante to find a relatively calm and quiet location and lay him on some chairs and let him take a nap.

What amuses me most are Christian's post-trip recollections.   "Finding Nemo" was the first ride we went on and he was excited until we got inside the submarine and the hatch was closed.  Once the show started it was pretty loud and he cried out many times, "I want to get out!!!"   Yet, since then, he talks about the ride a lot and doesn't seem to remember that he was in a panic for most of it.

We were in Southern California because Jonathan had a meeting, and it is an annual meeting, so we hope to make Disneyland an annual adventure!  And that'll make Christian one lucky boy ... I didn't get my first trip to Disneyland until I was in my early 30s - ha ha!

California Sun and Sand

Our Future Spelling Bee Champion

Christian's latest thing lately is SPELLING!  He'll look at a word - any word - and do this (for example):

"M - U - S - I - C spells music!"

The other day at school, he was playing with letter magnets and put three together, "M-O-M spells mom."  His teacher was most impressed.

Yesterday, the entire class was working together with the letter magnets and the kiddos were coming up with nonsense words and Christian told them, "That won't work ... its not correct."

Ha ha ha!  What a kid!

He reads everywhere he goes ... store signs, street signs ... and the problematic signs:  restaurants.  We'll be driving along and he'll read a restaurant sign out loud and then a moment later, "I'm HUNGRY!!!"

What's especially cool is to see Christian come across a new word ... and stare at if for a moment and either get it right ... or work it out phonetically.    Or sometimes he doesn't have the patience for getting it on his own and he'll say "What does that say?"  We tell him and from then on, he knows the word when he sees it.

Smarty pants!

California Dreamin'

A few pics from our adventure in California:

The kids menu had a "word find" and he was looking for "X"

Some vacation ice cream!

Poor kiddo was sooo tired after waking up early and going to the beach.

We had planned to go to the beach in the afternoon, but he wasn't feeling very well and fell asleep.

The view from our hotel room.

Wordless Wednesday - August 24, 2011

Christian's Inheritance

The time has come ... Jonathan has decided to give Christian his inheritance.

The inheritance?  Jonathan's life-long collection of Hot Wheel cars.   Christian was absolutely THRILLED!

The 5:00am Wakeup Call

There's no such thing as "sleeping in" at the Lucero Household.  Well, not unless you count waking up at 5:45pm as "sleeping in" (a rare treat).

It used to be that when Christian woke up in the morning (typically at a time much later than 5:00am), he's stay in his room and eventually call out to use while sitting in his doorway ... waiting patiently.

Then a few weeks ago, he started coming into our room with a loud, "RAH!" very early in the morning, and delighting so much in startling us, that it became a game for him.   After a few of those mornings, I just adjusted my own waking time so that at least he doesn't get a chance to scare me out of sleep!

With the sun rising later these days, its now dark when he comes in around 5:00am.  When it was light at that time, he was ready to HAVE FUN.   But with it being dark, I tell him its still nighttime, and we need to lay down and rest.  So he lays down beside me and we snuggle a bit before it gets light enough that he KNOWS its morning.   Having a few quiet, still moments with my usually very active little boy is a real treat!

Now, if only we could somehow convince Christian that its perfectly okay (and desirable) to sleep in on weekends past 5:45am.   Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen.

Good thing I'm a morning person! :)

All About Christian

Ah, Christian ... he's quite the little lad. He's got lots to say, and lots to do. He's a busy, energetic and entertaining kiddo!

Some of the amushing things he says lately are:

• "That's a good idea, Papa!" Christian has that to say when Jonathan answers his question, "What are you doing, Papa?"
• "Bless you, Mommy!" I hear this blessing from down the hall when he's in his room at naptime, and I sneeze in my office.
• "Hey! What's going on here?"
• "Do you want to play a game" (we say yes) "Okay, first ... it's called .... um ...." and he makes up a quick game and gives it a name.
• "What can I doooooo?" We hear this one a lot when he's bored.
• "I can do it!" or "I can help!"
• "I'm going to be a pilot!"
• "I'm so VERY hungry."
• "Let's go to Disneyland TODAY!"
• "Stop kissing me!" or "Stop patting me!"
• "Excuse Meeeeeeeeeeee!" after burping
• "I'm going to fly to ColoraTo" ("t" emphasized)
• "One for youuuuuuuu ... and one for me."
• "Gimme a squeezer!"  (hug)

This week at school, Christian and his classmates were moved to the "older preschool" class. His new teacher, Miss Mandee, has been sharing some little nuggets with me.

• Today the kids were switching activities and Christian said, "Miss Mandee, we do A LOT."
• He tells Miss Mandee all about the various documentaries he watches on TV: Trains, sharks, Disneyland (most preschoolers just watch cartoons, our kiddo watches documentaries - by choice!)
• This week is family week, and we were asked to bring pics of our family. Our pics were put on the wall today and when I walked in to get him, he rushed up to me, hugged me and said, "This is my family. This is my family!" Awwwww!! When we got home, I asked him who his family was and he said, "Grandma Janet!" That one surprised me. He's only met Grandma Janet once (back in early 2008) and its been a while since we've said "Grandma Janet." He's got quite a memory!

One of Christian's favorite activities is reading - still. So much, in fact, that in the classroom he's usually found in the room's "library" rather than playing his friends, or participating in many of the activities. His teacher recognizes this tendancy and makes sure to encourage him to participate in other activities, while making sure to not discourage his love of reading.

As I've mentioned before, and it bears repeating, Christian is actually reading ... he's not just looking at pictures. It's the coolest thing to see him grab a book - a book that has paragraphs - and hear him read outloud. The other day, I heard that the Arizona Dept. of Eductaion has proclaimed that starting this year, if a child can't read by the end of the third grade, he's not allowed to progress to the fourth grade. We'll never have to worry about that predicament with Christian! Perhaps the public school system should invest in a copy of "Your Baby Can Read" for each kindergarten classroom. Seriously! The program works!

Muffin Monday - August 8, 2011

Today's Muffin Monday took the Lucero Men to the new Dunkin Donuts in Buckeye. I noticed that Christian had both a muffin and a donut. Hungry boy!

Afterwards, the men headed to the Penske Racing Museum to check out some cool race cars.

Wordless Wednesday - August 3, 2011

"Did That Little Girl Scare You"?

Christian was happily riding a tricycle at the Phoenix Children's Museum and went through a pretend car wash.  The path was narrow - not quite wide enough for two trikes.  An impatient little girl came up beside Christian and grunted to him her irritation that she couldn't pass through at the same time.

I quickly stepped in maneuvered Christian and his trike so she could pass through ... but my lil' man was already upset by her behavior towards him - he's very sensitive to being admonished ... by us, or by a cranky little girl.

I said to Christian, "Did that little girl scare you?"   And since then, when he's feeling uncomfortable in a situation, he quietly says to me, "Did that little girl make you cry?"  And that's my cue that he needs a little love and reassuring.

A Cupcake in the Heat

Today we went to an outdoor birthday party.  It was 109 degrees, so it was mighty toasty.  But nice people and a festive atmosphere made it tolerable.

Christian eagerly awaited the cupcakes, and just like his Mommy, thinks frosting is the best part!

Click to enlarge

The Best Part About Traveling

I was in Houston this week at a conference. Thankfully the trip was short, as who wants to spend any considerable time in Houston in the middle of summer? Not I!

The best part about traveling? Returning home to the Lucero Men who, this time, were waiting for me at the airport. Awww!

Vacation Bible School

This week, Christian and I went to Vacation Bible School at a nearby church. This particular church holds their VBS during the evening, so it worked out nicely for us.

The class had a lot of kids - way more than Christian is used to at school. So the full room, combined with the unfamiliar setting, made for a very clingy little boy.

I was thrilled when on the first night, he agreed to put on the costume for the centurion guard (the center picture).

Outside time was Christian's favorite time, although once he got a ball to himself, all he did was play with the ball alone. Every once in a while, he'd play with one of the little girl's, Bryn (lower left corner picture).

One our final day there, his teacher (Melissa, the woman who originally watched him before we moved to Verrado) went around the room asking the children what all they learned during the week. When she got to Christian, I didn't expect him to have answer. So I was very pleasantly surprised - and pleased - when he said, "Jesus."

Wordless Wednesday - July 13, 2011