Preparation

I may live to regret this, but I let my 4 year old decide our vacation destination this year.  He studied skyscrapers for a week in school and he asked to go to New York.  He asked because he wanted to go up in a tall building in an elevator and look out the window.  I told him we could do that in Houston, but we'd go to New York.  And so it is planned.  We're going to New York.

 

A couple Fridays ago I took him to downtown Houston.  We rode the light rail to the stop closest to the JP Morgan Chase Building.  We got off with a map in our hand and walked like tourists through down town Houston (I'm not sure Houston actually gets a lot of tourists, but between the picture taking and the map, we certainly played the part.)  We rode up to the sky lobby on the 60th floor.

 

He was mostly impressed by the pool on the roof of one of the buildings (I'm pretty sure it was a hotel, but I didn't confirm) and the echo of the mostly tiled sky lobby.

 

Now that we've done that, and I've paid for the tickets to New York...he tells me that he was under the impression that there was a building named "New York."  But he is excited that we'll be going to the Statue of Liberty and the Central Park Zoo (a la Madagascar, although disappointed that the animals will probably not speak English) and in general the idea of Coney Island.  And the whole idea that there is a train like the light rail that goes under ground...well, that's just silly, how would we be able to get on it?

Not Really Sure I Want to Know

Exactly how the Pets are recycled.  They're not in my water, are they?

 

Of all the things/signs I've noticed lately that made me miss blogging, this is about the only one I can post without seemingly trying to be crude.  (Um, I thought lude meant the same thing, but apparently it is only a slang term for a Quaalude - which I also just learned is not spelled "quaylude"...why I should blog more often, I am learning every time I post something.)

 

 

Monthly Newsletter #46

Dear Landon,

This month has been nothing, if not action packed. Between the parties and the circus and having your favorite 14 month old stay with us for a while – let’s just say we’re doing okay. Actually having the baby at the house made things amazingly easier. You love him and play with him and want to set a good example for him, which even made getting out of the house in the morning and drop offs at school easier.

You have had a sudden bout of materialism. I’m not sure where it came from, but in the big box store the other day you started mentioning all the things on the shelves that we “don’t have at home” and that we should buy. I told you that we can’t buy everything just because we don’t have it. And you said “well, WHY NOT?!?!?” And I pulled out some good old standby parenting sayings I had no idea were in there like “because I said so.” And “because I’m not made of money.”

You have started problem solving fairly well on your own. I tried to get you to think about how things are done and why for exactly this reason, and I love that it’s blossoming in you. Although you have started making the meanest face (scrunched nose, squinty eyes, “UGH”) when I won’t let you carry out some of your solutions – balancing yourself on top of a pile of pillow on top of a wobbly barstool is hardly my idea of safe.

I don’t know where you’re picking up your new words these days , but “Holy Gosh” has made an appearance more than once. I know we’ve been working on perspective and also perforation. And now when you catch on that something has change without your consent, you say “wait a minute!” while you think about what just happened.

A month or so ago I bought 2 very large buckets, I bought them as holding stations for things to go upstairs and things to go downstairs. You, found the red one most appealing and promptly dumped the contents on the floor and began sneaking around the house underneath it, like some sort of cartoon character might do with a bush. You tell me you are “sneaking me.” You have also mentioned while wearing the bucket that your name is Mr. Bucket – “Bucky” for short.

This month was also Zoey’s 3rd birthday. We went to her party and upon seeing her tree house birthday cake, you declared you would need one of those for your birthday party, except you wanted monkeys on yours. To which I turned to your Aunt Kathleen and said “you’re hired.”

We went to the circus this month for the first time. We went early and were able to look at some of the animals prior to the show. You would not get within 10 feet of the fence of any of them except the baby zebra and miniature horses. I have to admit it saved us from being sprayed by a tiger – some people were not so lucky. You also were okay with the clowns, but had no desire to participate up close and personal with them, you preferred to watch from a distance. All in all you had a good time, and I spent too much money – so, it was a pretty normal outing.

I also took you to a movie. It wasn't your first movie, because I let the Day Care handle that, but since you said you were well behaved for it, I took you to see Toy Story 3. You really liked it, and the whole idea of movies in general, so I guess we'll start seeing one every once in a while in the actual theater now.

This month they started up a new Sunday School class at the church for 3 and 4 year olds. And we tried it. For someone who complained about them “not even reading a story” in the nursery, I had an awfully hard time convincing you to go in the new class. However, when I went to pick you up, you were all grins. Apparently in that hour you watched a short movie, made a door hanger, had a snack, and made a small book, and I’m not sure what the blank construction paper accompanied by the envelope with picture cutouts was about, but you certainly liked it. I don’t know why you won’t believe me when I tell you I think you’ll like something. Probably just stubborn. I have no clue where you might get that from. Nope, no clue at all.

Love,

Mama