Recent Paul News

He'll be officially two and a half on New Years day, and he is a ham of all hams! A comment I get very frequently about Paul is that he "has so much personality". Maybe that's just something people say to you when your two year old looks like a handful, but I still take it as a compliment. Do you say "thank you" if someone says something nice about your child? This mother's still trying to figure that one out...

Funny Paulisms as of late...

1. While busily preparing Paul's breakfast, I was half listening to his babblings as he sat strapped in his high chair. Then I heard him say, "ready... set.... GO! Mom come chase me!" Then in a more melancholy voice he said "I can't really run...." More happily he added, "but I can pretend!" as his legs gesticulated frantically in his high chair.

2. We have a little 3D twisty, block, mind puzzle thing that you're supposed to be able to twist into all sorts of fun shapes. The only shape I can make out of it consistently is a straight line or, as Paul calls is, a "choo choo train". When Rachel and JC came over, JC made it into a sphere. So the next day Paul urged me to do the same and make it into a ball shape. I gave up and handed Paul my mangled attempt. He just looked at it and said, "Mommy, you can't make a ball." After a short pause he added, "Mommy, you are a girl and a woman."

3. Paul and I were driving together without Blair because "daddy was sick". Blair was suffering through the worst of the flu. Paul told me matter of factly, "Daddy is sick. Daddy's head hurts. Daddy's toe hurts. Daddy's knee hurts. Poor daddy! We will put Neosporin on him to make him feel better." (For those who were like me growing up and never used the stuff, Nesporin  is an antibacterial ointment used on open wounds. My slightly more germ-conscious husband introduced me when we married.)

4. Lately, Paul likes to pretend he can read words he sees. He saw the package of baby wipes and told me as boldly and clearly as possible while pointing at the words, "Mommy, it says 'Wipe. Your. Bum'!"


Paul's favorite and overused phrases right now:

• "What did I say?" He asks this whether he just said something or not, and just likes the confused answers he gets from people when he keeps saying this over and over again.
• "I have an idea!" This is another one that mommy falls for every time. He doesn't really have an idea he wants to share, he just wants my attention and to hear me say, "What? What's your idea?"
• "Guess what!" Yet again, I'll never learn. There's nothing exciting he wants to share! Why? Why do I keep buying it?
• "Actually" This is said very know-it-all like before suggesting the very opposite of what I just said. 
• "You're right" My personal favorite. I'm not sure how it got started, but I hope it never goes away!
• "Oh" Another favorite of mine. This is said with a humble expression and often several times in a row. This is usually used after I use an "actually" phrase with him. I think he picked this up from his Cousin Gene, because Paul will often say, "Gene says 'Oh'". 
• "Yesterday" This is used to describe any event from the past, whether it was a year ago or two minutes ago. 
• "Home Depot" For some reason, saying this puts him into a fit of laughter.
• "After that" He uses this little pair to find out what's happening after something he doesn't want to do. "But what are we doing after that?"
• "Okay?" Said very long and drawn out, this is usually used after he explains in detail what he thinks the day's plans are. Example: "We will go to grandma's house, and then we will go to the park and after that I will have a chocolate. Okay?" 
• "No!" Do I even need to mention this one? He's two, that should be all you need to know.

 Other Favorites
Time of day: Paul loves early mornings. Even on the weekends he wakes up at 6:00am the most insanely happy person you can imagine. Ug...
Jumping to music: The daily ritual includes turning on some peppy, keyboard music to repeat, (oh bring back my Bonnie to me, to me!!!!) removing the couch cushions and jumping on the couch base like a trampoline. Now before you start judging me, I did think long and hard about allowing him to do this, and there are limits and conditions. Regardless, it has been one of the most wonderful things that has bought me many precious alone times.
Immitating people: Yes, this little guy has Whitaker blood for sure! He is surprizingly talented at mimicking voice, influction, and/or speach impediments of other people he hears. And, just like his Whitaker relatives, includes a hearty laugh at his own hilarity. Its pretty crazy! Perhaps that's one reason he learned to talk so early...
Books: I bought him a cheep book of Nursery Rhymes from Ross and he LOVES this book. His favorite rhymes are Mother Goose, Old King Cole, and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater. He also loves any book with trains, no matter how long and boring the storyline. If there are pictures of trains he'll enjoy it.
Songs: Book of Mormon Stories, Child's Prayer (Paul calls it "Kingdom"), The Farmer in the Dell,
Foods: His favorites right now are chocolate, blueberries, cheese, chicken, and yogurt. So, people keep telling me two year olds have no appetite and they slim out. Yeah, that hasn't happened yet for Paul. He's gotten taller, sure, but he's still is covered in dimples and rolls and can out-eat his mommy at any meal.
Vehicle: The train is still the winner! Woo woo! (Is that punny?)





Nighttime News
He's recently discovered he's afraid of the dark. After a few nights of panic and running out of the room, we got into a new nighttime and nap time routine which includes a nightlight, an open bedroom door and the words, "I'll come check on you in a couple of minutes". Gotta love the ever-changing needs of children. It makes parenting interesting and fun!