Another day, another example of Nixon's infallible logic

Dec 13th
"Elves work in Santa's sweatshop"
Day 347

* Nixon decided this morning he wanted a cool hair style. I gave him a fauxhawk, which looked awesome until it was time to put on his beanie to leave for school. It was no fauxhawk when the beanie came off. He didn't care, he was happy to be at school with his friends.

* Evidently, there's a tattletale in Nixon's classroom. This little cutie saw me come to pick Nixon up and he came running up to me "Nixon's Mommy! Nixon's Mommy! Guess what Nixon did today....", and then Nixon's teacher asked the child to stop tattling and told me what happened: Nixon was being whiny and instead of asking for help he'd say "Someone come help me!" or "I can't do this!". His teacher would tell him that wasn't how to ask for help. They worked on it and by the end of his day he was saying the correct "Can you help me please?" when he needed help.
   On the drive home, we talked about this. I gave him a couple examples of "right" or "wrong" ways to ask for something.

* Finally, another example of Nixon logic:
Nixon: Mommy, Santa's elves are busy making all the toys at the sweatshop in the North Pole.
me: What? Wait...work shop or sweatshop?
Nixon: Sweatshop, Mommy. The elves work there. They're almost done with all the presents.
me: Nixon, I think and hope, you mean work shop. Sweat shops are bad places and I don't think Santa runs a sweat shop.
Nixon: Uh-huh! Santa lives in the work shop, Mommy.

I asked him later, after Mac woke up, where the elves worked and Nixon said "They work at Santa's workshops. Not the other bad places." Good to know my talk this morning about sweatshops being bad got through to him!  

It was a low-key day but that means no tantrums and no time outs, so I can totally dig it. Also, Nixon is learning that purposely using incorrect grammar drives me nuts!

* Nixon was so cute today. He drew a stick figure on the window with glass markers, he also drew a heart, a tree, a sun and a bush. He named the stick figure Nixon.

* Nixon made a video today: It's my sister's birthday, so we made a video of Nixon singing "Happy Birthday" with me for her. He sang a verse and then I sang, when it was his turn to sing again, he said "No, I don't want to do it" and stopped singing the song. He did say "I love you" which was good enough for me.

* New phrase in the house "Nixon no understand". This is coming from Nixon. I corrected him, so he was saying it correctly "I don't understand". He would say it correctly and then he would say it incorrectly because he knew it'd bother me.


(no pictures of Nixon tonight....my camera battery is dead)

Oh no, son, that is not going to fly today...or any day.

* Today, Nixon woke up and crawled into bed with me, telling me "Mommy, I needs the blanket on me, my feet are cold!" he then puts his iceburg-like feet on my legs! So rude! I roll him away from me, get his feet wrapped up in a blanket and burrow back into my own blanket cocoon.

* Later in the day, Nixon was getting pissed playing his Angry Birds game. He started yelling and was told to calm down. He looked at me and said "NO! I won't calm down!", so I told him he needed to go to his room for talking back to me. We're not tolerating it anymore affective yesterday because of his behavior at school. He says "No" again. I got up, picked him up, carried him to his bedroom and told him why he was in there. I set the timer and told him he needed to stay in the room until I came up to get him.
   He stayed. He and I talked about why he was in his room, and he came downstairs and apologized for talking back.

* I heard Nixon singing and looked to see what he was singing. My little cutie was singing "Twinkle, twinkle little star" to Arwen. When I told him that was very sweet, he said "I walked by and scared her awake, so I was singing her back to sleep...but you moved and now I'll never get her back to sleep!" haha

* Finally, we've got new magnetic clips. Nixon was looking for BeBe and I asked where he might be. Nixon says "On the fridge, hanging in the dungeon.". Oooookay.
   Sure enough, Nixon had hung BeBe by the ears using the clips and put the clips on the fridge! That's so freaking awesome I can't even find the space to be slightly worried that my son is hanging his beloved bear by the ears in a dungeon.

"He's so great at independent play"

* Today was a big day. We checked out the preschool I'd found with hopes Nixon will attend this fall.
   It's great! The curriculum allows for a lot of creativity and imagination play, which I love because that's sorely missing from public schools. He'll be going half-day, 3 days a week. Enough to work on his social skills but not too much to get overwhelmed and not still be excited by school.

   The administrator we met with was very impressed by Nixon's independent play ability. We know he needs work on his social skills, it's part of the reason we're sending him to school, but he's ahead when it comes to playing by himself and enjoying it. He was totally at ease with playing around kids quite older than him without playing with them. It did not phase him at all that he was by himself with new toys.

* We took Nixon for a walk by the river tonight. He took a photo of Mac and I together:

He's got skills, right?? 

You've met Captain Obvious, now meet Mr. Hollywood!

* Mr. Hollywood made an appearance this morning. He's pretty cool, he comes and goes as he please. Today I caught a picture of him.
(Mr Hollywood is Nixon when he's wearing my over-sized sunglasses.) He's adorable.








* Nixon and I were snacking on some carrot sticks. Nixon comes over, takes the bag and says "Mom, you've had enough. No more!" I ask him if I was cut off and he looks at me, stroking my cheek "Mommy, I love you", like he was getting ready to stage an intervention.
   I take a few more from the bag and he says to me "Lame!" in that tone of voice of his that makes me dread his teen years already! He's also started saying "Well, duh!"

* We were watching a little TV this morning, while I tried to shake off the sleep. Nixon asked me what the words in the bottom corner of the screen said. He spelled them, I helped him sound them out and now he know exactly how to read My Little Pony on the screen. It's all sight recognition, but isn't that really all reading is in the first place?

* I almost had a very devastated little boy tonight. We ran to the grocery store for a few items tonight. Nixon brought BeBe, who usually get left in the car but tonight came into the store with us. We used a smaller cart, and Nixon found the perfect BeBe space: the cup holder on the cart. It became BeBe's seat. Mac loads the car, I buckle Nixon in his carseat. As Mac is getting INTO the car Nixon says "But wait, BeBe!" Sure enough, that damned bear is still in that cup holder in the cart.
   Lesson learned: BeBe stays in the car no matter what from now on. NO exceptions.

The family has arrived!!

(No photos but trust me, family is here and Nixon is excited!)

* Nixon walked around multiple times a day with an invisible map in his hand telling me "Look mom, my cousin is 10 seconds away". I should mention Nixon has no concept of distance.

* Nixon and his cousin finally got to playing together,they've never met before so it took J sometime to warm up to Nixon and Nixon sometime to relax his excitement. The ice breaker? Matchbox cars. Cars bond all boys!

* Nixon saw J getting changed for bed. J was naked and Nixon says "Ewww....that's disgusting!" and points at J's penis. I called Nixon over and told him that's not okay.

* The boys loved playing together in Nixon's room! After awhile moms finally had to step in and say it was bedtime.

Tomorrow is more family fun!

Skip a nap crash on the sofa early!

* I have a sore throat and have been under the weather because of it. Nixon, on the other hand, has been feisty and feeling just fine. Today he refused to pick up his toys and as a result of refusing multiple time and yelling in my face after I told him to go to his room, he was in time out in his room...with a gate in front of his door to keep him in there.
  Or so I thought.
  Around the time I was going to check on him, because he'd been quiet for a while and I thought he'd fallen asleep (secretly hoped), BeBe comes tumbling down the stairs, followed by a very stealth Nixon. Nixon comes over to me and says he "escaped" by crawling under the gate...he was very proud of his escape and very apologetic for the actions that got him sent to his room.

* He might be outgrowing naps...but I'm still doing quiet times. Today he didn't nap. But he did fall asleep on the sofa at 8:30pm!
   I'm a little worried he might be sick because he looked very flush and sweaty when I went to take his pictures tonight. He's been drinking from my water bottle, in spite of my warnings that he'll get sick if he does.
   Please don't let my baby boy don't get sick......

poor flushed, sweaty kiddo :(

Cards for friends!

Nixon's new tie!

* This morning Nixon and I were on a mission. Nixon was tasked with picking out 2 cards. One for his cousin and one for his BFF from Okinawa. He chose 3 different cards before settling on one, shockingly appropriate, card. (I say shockingly because he did pick a 4th birthday card for a girl, as his dad's birthday card last month)
   He loved picking everything out, even chose a very dapper purple and black striped tie for himself, which he wore all day!
   Nixon happily came home and wrote in each card before we mailed them off this afternoon!

* Got loose change? Not if Nixon's around! He's all about putting change in our loose change jar, which means if he finds it, he claims it as his.

Swords and spells and running, oh my!

* Nixon and I were "arguing" over who got to chose the show we'd watch. I suggested throwing out the highest number, Mac suggested using Nixon's dice and rolling for it. We used the dice: I rolled a 6, Nixon rolled a 3. Nixon said "Boooooo!" and immediately re-rolled this time getting a 6 himself.

* I love when Nixon and I have fun running together in the nearby park. Tonight, Nixon added fun to it and spent his time chasing me, trying to "kill" me with his invisible sword. I decided to beat him, by casting an immortality spell, and explained to him that it meant I couldn't be killed by his sword! Only my wee little geek could bring out the inner spellcaster in me in such a fun way!

I love my little geek!

* Nixon was counting random things today. I hear him saying "25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 100, one million! Mommy, I just counted to one million!" Well, he wasn't totally wrong. He did count to a million, he just skipped a lot of numbers in-between.

* Nixon was doing his lessons on abcmouse.com today. He earned enough tickets that he could buy a new hamster. He did and then came time to name it. His first virtual hamster's name is Avenger. me: Nixon, what do you want to name this hamster?
Nixon: Avenger!
me: Nixon, you already have a hamster named Avenger. Can you think of another name?
Nixon: OH! I don't know!
me: Well, let's think of things you like. Then you can pick a name.
Nixon: Sheldon Cooper!
me: *typed in Sheldon Co* Honey, you can name him "Sheldon" or "Cooper" but you can't name him "Sheldon Cooper, it's too big of a name for such a little hamster.
Nixon: I'll name him Cooper! Cooper's an awesome name!

* Nixon is becoming a whiz at addition! It started with simple math, using fingers to help him count.  But lately, if he recognizes the numbers he's being asked to add, he's doing it without using his fingers! And he LOVES counting and adding things! This past weekend, Mac bought Nixon a simple 6-sided dice. Nixon will roll it, then roll it again just so he can add the dots together and then hop the appropriate number of times he gets as a result.
   The math geek in me is overjoyed that he's taking to math and numbers so easily! Math for me was simple and numbers just made sense. So for Nixon to have fun with the very basics so far, I'm bursting at the seams with motherly pride!

he had fallen out of his bed just moments before I took this photo. I went upstairs to check on him and he told me, in his sleepy-child voice, that he was chasing BeBe and they fell out of bed. I snuggled him and we sang my special song for him together. He's too much, even in his sleep! 

Happy Mother's Day!

* My two loves thoughtfully woke me up with a freshly made cup of coffee and a homemade card. Nixon said "Happy Mother's Day" twice before Mac tapped my shoulder and actually woke me up, which is when Nixon happily said it a third time and gave me his goofy morning grin.
  They made the card together, so of course I adore it! And my cup of coffee was perfect!

my coffee (in a smart travel mug), my new Birds of Prey Vol 2 graphic novel and the most perfect handmade card ever....Nixon wrote with the red marker, Mac wrote in green. I am a lucky mom!

Self-entertainment at its best tonight!

* Nixon is having a feet fight...with himself. He is kicking his feet and hitting them into each other, calling them go-go feet, and declaring one a winner! I swear, he is doing this on his own and it is hilarious!

* After Amber's 2 accidents on Nixon's bed, while Nana was visiting, Mac and I hesitantly allowed her to sleep in bed with Nixon last night. I'm happy to report this morning there was no mess on his bed! Amber is now allowed back in his bedroom to sleep. I hope this was an anxiety response to Nixon's excitement while his nana was here.

Nana has arrived!!

* Nixon helped make eggs for Mac today. He did it by himself with a little supervision from me.

* Nixon made his nana a card today. It had 5 smiley faces on it AND he wrote his name...for the first time...ever! I wasn't home, Mac helped him do it. But it looked amazing!

* Nixon's nana was supposed to fly in around 2pm. Due to flight cancellations, weather issues and other  situations she didn't end up finally getting here until 11pm! Nixon was still awake and so excited to see his nana.

Amber is happy to see Nana too!

Nixon chose his future occupation today!!

* car ride conversation with Nixon:
Nixon: Mommy, I want to ride a rocket ship
me: A real one?
Nixon: Yeah, and go to outer space
me: So you want to be an astronaut?
Nixon: Will I get a rocket ship if I do?
me: No, baby, you don't get a rocket ship, but you're trained to ride in one. Rocket ships aren't everywhere, you have to train and go to them.
Nixon: And then go to outer space, right?
me: Yes.
Nixon: And Tom and Jerry are on my rocket ship with me?
me: No, Nixon, Tom and Jerry are on their own cartoon rocket ship, you can't have them ride with you.
Nixon: Crap on a stick! But I can still go to outer space, right?
me: Sure.
Nixon: Okay, I'll be an astronaut.

* In other news, Nixon is super excited about the countdown board for Nana. He even asked to make the 'X' today. I said sure but he needed to practice first. He happily started to practice writing 'X' which turned into 'T' and then 'H'. He was doing great, until he decided he was over it. But he did make today's 'X' which was all he wanted to do in the first place. Mission accomplished.

I wonder if BeBe will need to go to training when Nixon becomes an astronaut??

He's so odd, he's awesome!

* A quick stop at Third Eye today was the perfect opportunity for Nixon to be totally odd and completely awesome in his own way.
   Mac and I were talking to one of the employees, while we were cashing out, and Nixon was being really quiet but was right next to us. He suddenly says "Look at me!"

This is what we see when we look at him. He put finger tentacles on each of his fingers! He even waited for me to take this photo of him because he was so super proud of himself.

* Amber fell asleep in bed with Nixon again. This might be a new thing. When he woke up this morning, she got up and went into the spare bedroom to sleep.

he's so awesome, even in his sleep! 

Days like today make me appreciate Nixon so much!

* Another awesome co-existing day with Nixon. He came into the bedroom at 630am...NOT a wake-up time in our house. I told him he should come into bed with me and sleep some more. He did, until around 8am when he kissed my cheek and asked me to turn on cartoons.

* I spent the morning in the kitchen, at the dining room table, working on some silhouette pieces. Well, really just one piece. Nixon was in and out, with requests for drinks or food, and I'd offer him some of the scrapes of my card stock paper cut in different shapes for him. He was overjoyed by them! He'd come running to me and telling me about the shapes and the rocket, or house, or bridge he built from the shapes I gave him.
Then he brought me the shapes and asked me "which one is bigger?", "which one is longer?", "which one is the shortest?", he was being awesome! And best of all, I had the time to finish what I was working on, while I was still interacting with him. His questions were awesome!

* Nixon got ready for bed, and said to me "Arwen needs a kiss". He walked over to where she was sleeping and gave her kisses on her head.

Today started off so good.

* My throat felt like crap this morning. I was not feeling the morning at all and Nixon was amazingly very self-amused. He'd go downstairs and grab a granola bar, gently wake me up and ask me to open it for him, then kiss me and tell me I can have "sweet dreams for a little longer". He did that twice. I did try to get up around 930am, only to realize my head was being attacked by pitchfork wielding gnomes and movement just made them angry.
   I stayed in bed until a little before 11am. Nixon was totally fine, he was in my bedroom with the TV on and brought in some of his toys to keep himself entertained. When I got out of bed, we cleaned up the bedroom together and started our day.

* Nixon and I are a constant source of entertainment for those around us in lines. Today, while in line at Micheal's, an elderly woman behind us and a woman a few years older than me (I'd say) were both amused by my explaining why we have to wait in lines to Nixon, who was not at all amused by the waiting part.
Nixon: mommy, we need to go up there *points to the cashier*
me: yes, but we have to wait our turn, the people in front of us were here first. That's why there's a line.
Nixon: But we should go to the front.
me: why?
Nixon: Cause I'm so cute and I ask the right way?
me: No Nixon. Everyone here has to wait for their turn. That's how stores work. There's a line, and the people wait in the line to check out. Sometimes lines are short and sometimes, like now, you have to wait.
Nixon: Waiting is stupid.
me: Nixon, stupid is not a nice word to say.
Not everyone likes to wait in lines. That's why there's the Internet. If you don't like lines, you buy things on the Internet and no line because things arrive at your door. That's how Daddy shops, because he doesn't like lines.
Nixon: Daddy's smart. *this made the woman in front of us chuckle*
(we get to the register and Nixon puts his 2 items on the counter)
Nixon: Excuse me *to the cashier* those are my angry birds.
cashier: Would you like to carry them?
Nixon: Yes please
elderly woman behind us: You have lovely manners little boy!
Nixon: Thank you *to the cashier* I hate lines!
elderly woman: And you are very honest, too.
me: Yes, yes he is. *to the elderly woman*
Nixon: Goodbye, thank you for my angry birds and keeping lines moving!

He saved me from my bad dreams today

* Nixon decided to be Deadpool today. Not that he's ever been read any comic books with Deadpool in them or seen anything about him, he just likes his costume and the pencil holder on display at the comic book store.
He put an empty paper towel roll down the back of his collar and said it was his sword.

* I think I was having a bad dream this morning when Nixon came into the bedroom. I remember him touching my cheek and kissing my head and telling me "Mommy, it's okay. You can have only good dreams now because the sun is up and I am safe." He is adorable.

It only looked like a giant Lego's penis...it was really a Lego's podracer!

* Nixon was playing with his Lego's today. First he made 2 Tie-fighters, then he made a Podracers. He was so proud of the podracer, he came running over to me and said "Mommy, guess what this is?" (it looked like a penis...I know this is not the right answer) I ask for a hint. He says "It's from my book, it zooms really fast....Anakin drives one". Ahh..."Nixon that is an awesome podracer!"
He couldn't wait to show Mac!

* Nixon build a castle...a castle in the living room....a castle made of pillows...pillows from all the beds upstairs. Then the castle fell. So Nixon just made a pile of pillows and kept jumping on it. Then he tried to say he couldn't carry all the pillows upstairs because "they are too big and I am just a little boy".

* We've reached the 1001-reasons-to-get-out-of-be-and-not-fall-asleep phase.
Tonight it was: 1) You didn't read me a story (he got a cartoon before bed, in our bed with me), 2) I'm thirsty and need my water bottle,  3) can I have hugs and kisses please?

he came into our bed, drew on the windows, tried to demand coffee....and I still love him!

*At a little before 1am, Nixon came into my bedroom (I was still awake) and said he was afraid of the dark. His room was too scary and wanted to sleep in bed with me so I can keep him safe. I let him, after going into his room and getting his nightlight while turning off the aquarium picture light. Then he snuggled under covers, told me I was his best friend and fell asleep. 

* Nixon and I used markers for windows and drew on the sliding glass door today. Nixon drew an awesome self-stick figure! And a race car....with a rock falling on it. Not sure why the rock fell on it, but he enjoyed it and drew it all by himself, so I'm cool with it.

* While I was drinking my coffee this morning Nixon came over to me and said "Mommy, you forgot my coffee. My coffee is yummy, with milk and it goes in my blue Superman mug." I just looked at him. I hadn't forgotten, he didn't ask and coming up to me like that is NOT going to get him anything.

* No bedtime story tonight. Nixon chose to take forever cleaning his toys up and took up his story time. I'm working on teaching him consequences of his actions. He's not a big fan of this latest parenting endeavor by me but he's catching on.