"It's snow! It's raining snow from the sky!"- a winter weather gem from Nixon today.

Dec 8th: Nixon and his first ever snowman
Day 342

* Our county had a winter storm advisory in effect from this morning until 10am Monday morning. Having grown-up outside of Buffalo, NY myself, the conditions that were being predicted were laughable (1-3" of snow!! some icy rain) but as this is only the second winter Nixon has been in a place where snow happens, I got a little bit of that old familiar joy when I saw big, fluffy flakes coming down from the sky around 11am.

* Nixon stood by the back door and just watched the fluffy flakes fall. Just awed as they started sticking to the garbage can and the table we have outside. He looked at me and said "Mommy, look! It's snow! It's raining snow from the sky! It's a lot of snow!" He was so happy!

* I got Nixon bundled up: thermal shirt, tee shirt, sweatshirt, jacket, beanie, gloves, pj bottoms (because he doesn't have long johns) and jeans plus boots. Then I got myself all winter ready and we headed outside! My baby boy was so excited! We tossed snow at each other, took a short walk to the backyard and played back there, made a mini-snowman (Nixon's first snowman of any kind!).
   After we came inside, I made us hot chocolate with marshmallows, because any other kind is a waste!

watching the snow fall...just awed by it.

Nixon threw a snowball at me! He was so happy to be playing in the snow.

Another catch-up post! (Thursday, Friday & Saturday)

* Sorry for slacking. There hasn't been much out of the ordinary going on and I've been getting some real, quality sleep.
    Thursday was awesome in that I can't recall anything that happened in a negative way.

    Friday Nixon went to school and was super excited because they were going outside to the playground as soon as he arrived. No need to take his jacket off, he was ready!
    I picked him up and he was ready to go. No bad reports from teachers, high-five to one of his teachers on the way out and we were on our way to go meet Mac for lunch again. We stopped for lunch on the way and Nixon was super great. Even while we were in the store with Mac finding a long sleeve shirt and hoodie for Nixon and when he was told "no toys" he was great! On the way home I had to stop and get my prescriptions, which took less than 10 minutes, but Nixon was waiting without his PSP and he was amazing! I was super proud of him!
   Friday was a great day, except that Nixon is getting another cold and not sleeping well. He gets all the snot and stuff in his throat and he wakes up because he can't breathe clearly. Poor baby.

   Saturday....today, Nixon got to wear his Pinkie Pie costume! He woke up singing and very excited! He made a couple friends while waiting. There were 2 little girls dressed as Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna. Nixon spent some time chasing them and having a ball just being himself. It was great that there were no side glances, no rude words behind his back..nothing like that about his costume. Everyone loved his costume and were very wonderful about him wearing it.

Our family today

   Mac took Nixon home because the line for the signing was moving slow and Nixon was kind of at his max. I stayed and Nixon spent time with Mac without me....it was wonderful for all of us.

He's a Star Wars loving, teddy bear dependant, bed stealing ninja! ~~~~~~~~~ NINJA~~~~~~~~

* Nixon slept until my alarm went off at 6:45am. He somehow wound up in bed with me, which I did not know until after I elbowed him in the head while turning off (alright, fine...I was hitting the snooze button) my alarm. He says to me "Ow! Mommy, you hit me in the head." and me, being the awesome and caring mother I am and in a pre-coffee state, say "Well baby, I didn't know you were there."
    We ended up snuggling under the covers for about 15 more minutes (yes....2 more snoozes) before we got up and started our day.

* He is feeling much better. His nose is still running, but it's clear. He's still coughing, but it's a productive cough not a dry cough. He's on the mend.

* Nixon had a pumpkin patch at school today. They had a "farmer" visit, and the kids got to pet rabbits & chicks, they helped fill a scarecrow with straw and then they got to pick a pumpkin to take home.
    When I arrived, Nixon was pretty much reaching his max. I walked over and asked if he wanted to show me what he was doing, letting his teacher have a break, and he was good. He sat on my lap while the "farmer" explained the job of a scarecrow and he sat with me while the younger class got their pumpkins first.
   He chose his pumpkin and within a few minutes he was ready to leave. We left and I told him we'd get a decoration kit for his pumpkin later.
    We went to Target when Mac woke up and Nixon chose a great pumpkin kit:

Nixon and his Yoda pumpkin...the Force is strong with our youngling! 

* Nixon came into our bedroom and was totally distraught....apparently he had taken BeBe with him into the bathroom and BeBe took a plunge into the toilet. Nixon pulled him out but he was so upset because BeBe was "yucky and wet and needs a bath right now!", which is Nixon begging us to put him (BeBe, not Nixon) in the washing machine. He has never been that upset over anything that isn't BeBe-related.
   I can report, that BeBe was washed and dried before Nixon got him back. He's happily sleeping in bed with Nixon as I type this. 

   Crisis averted. 

If you see us on the playground, we're the weird ones...my kid's the one who wants to be chased by everyone and help push everyone on the swings!

* Nixon and I had a marvelous play date today, meeting a mom and her son for the first time. I'm usually extremely anxious and awkward when meeting someone for the first time, but today totally at ease.
   We spent a couple hours in the park and Nixon was cute. I got a couple compliments on his manners. Odd as he is, he walked up to a mom pushing her toddler daughter in the kiddie swings and said "Excuse me, may I help push your little baby?", and he did...very gently. The mom complimented him on his manners and his gentleness.
    She wasn't the only one who Nixon pushed on the swings. He asked me to sit on one so he could push me. And he did...for quite a few minutes, never once complaining about how heavy I was. He just wanted to make me as happy as I made him when I pushed him on the swing earlier.

* After the park, Nixon and I ran a couple errands. He was a total delight! Listened to me, stayed with me (as opposed to the usual behavior of hide-n-seek he's taken to enjoy lately), he was kind to other patrons in the store and he even picked out a "gift" for me. I loved being with him today!

What else do you do at 3am with a child wide awake, but go for a drive and sit by the water to look at the moon?

* Ah, Nixon....woke up at 2am. We decided to see if Mac was busy and drove to the Academy. We were able to sit by the water at almost 3am, with Mac, and look at the sky and boats and just enjoy the quiet. It was amazing! It's something I'll cherish, a moment unexpectedly given to me and something that will never be duplicated.

* On the drive home, at 3am, Nixon and I were talking about his newest cousin due to arrive today. He's super excited about this and I asked him, because my sister hasn't decided on a name yet, if there was a name he likes for the baby.
Nixon: I don't know.
me: Any name you like a lot?
Nixon: Like what?
me: Well, something you like. Like your hamsters on your learning path.
Nixon: Oh no, they have names already!
me: Okay, if you got a new hamster what would you name it?
Nixon: Mom, can you list names and I'll tell you if I like it?
me: OKay. Captain?
Nixon: no
me: Tony
Nixon: no. Stark, I like Stark
me: Aunt Snotface should name her baby Stark?
Nixon: yes!
me: You don't think we should save that for our next pet?
Nixon: Yes. And for aunt Snotface's baby!
me: You want a pet and a cousin with the same name?
Nixon: Yes, it's perfect!

* We came home and went back to bed a little after 3:30am. Nixon slept in until after 8am,and then he just wanted to snuggle with me. He kept giving me kisses and hugs, which I adore, but dude I just fell asleep 4.5 hours ago! haha
   We had a lovely morning together. Breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, running errands together, laughing and just a great day. We just had a hilariously good time together. No tantrums, no fits, no bad moods.
   It was a rare but cherished good day all around!

Good day, sad night

* My loving son adores nature. He loves being outside surrounded by trees, flowers, birds...all of it. This afternoon I took him to a path we haven't visited before but unfortunately we were not dressed properly for this muddy, thin, deep-in-the-woods path. We were getting feasted on by mosquitoes and legs getting cut by thorny bushes. Nixon was crying when I told him we had to leave. He wanted to stay and even told me "Mommy, I won't cry when it hurts just stay please". Poor kid.
   We went to the Naval Academy and we walked around the large field by the water. Nixon was in love just seconds after we got there.

* What a rough bedtime we had. Mac had training tonight, so it was Nixon and I on our own. Nixon got his shower and within seconds of getting out of the shower he starts crying and saying he missed his daddy.
   This went on for over 10 minutes! I managed to get Mac on the phone and they talked for a couple minutes, then Mac had to get to work.
   Nixon was still crying, in bed, snuggling with me. I pulled him onto my chest and handed him the picture frame he has of he and Mac together. He slowly calmed down and stopped crying. After a few more minutes of talking and cuddles, we said our good nights, gave our good night kisses and I left his room.

Little bunny foo foo sitting in the backyard, munching on the clover as Nixon quietly watches

* Sometimes Nixon does the most surprisingly random thing that just blows me away. Tonight, I noticed a small brown bunny in our backyard. We watched it for a moment then went inside. A few minutes later it was still there, so I grabbed my camera and went outside to quietly get some pictures of it. Nixon begged to come outside as well, and I honestly thought "Well, there goes the bunny". I was so, so wrong. Nixon sat behind me, in a lawn chair and quietly spoke to the bunny while I took the photos. We were out there for about 10 minutes, before I had to go inside (I was getting eaten alive by those damned mosquitoes). That bunny was in our yard, that I was aware of, for over half an hour. Nixon even set BeBe up in front of the sliding glass door because "BeBe would like to see the bunny too and he promises not to make a sound, mommy!"
   Isn't he just the cutest?!?!

* Nixon: You forgot my baby song.
me: It's late, way past your bedtime. You'll have to go to sleep without the baby song.
Nixon: But mom, babies still need their baby songs. It's very important for babies to have their baby songs.
me: Nixon, you're not a baby.
Nixon: But you said I'l always be your baby. *cue pouty face*
well played, Nixon, well played. 

The cousins are together again! How sweet it is!

* Nixon: Mommy, J is my best buddy! (J is his cousin, and this was said as we were driving to pick up J and his parents after their trip to see family in NYC)
   me: That's great!
   Nixon: Yeah, he's littler than me, but he's cool.
   me: He's littler? You mean younger?
   Nixon: No, I mean smaller. Like you. You are small but daddy is big. J is small and I am big.
   me: That's makes so much sense!
  Nixon: Mom, you need to be quiet and watch the road, it's dangerous to talk so much and drive.

* He was so excited to see J and J was excited to see Nixon. The almost hour long car ride home was filled with 2 very happy boys being very loud together! While it was great to see and hear them so happy to be together again, it was ouch for my ears.

* Nixon was so tired he went to bed, without a fight. Fell asleep, without sneaking downstairs. He was even found asleep on the floor by his uncle K! He hasn't slept walked in a long time! Poor kiddo :( Somehow I doubt this kind of exhaustion will translate into more sleep for mommy in the morning though....I can't get that lucky, right?!?

"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?? 

Star Wars Angry Birds Anonymous....SWABA for short. Anyone else looking for these meetings?? No, just me? Well, crap!

* Nixon and I got up this morning, got dressed and hit the nearby trail for a little walk/run exercise. Nixon was awesome, he'd get behind me and say "Mommy, you gotta move or I'll cut you!" or he'd be in front of me and he'd say "MOM, why am I winning?!Because you are old!" It only sounds cruel if you don't know our family.
  He also kept count while I did some push-ups (he did them with me!), squats (cutest sight ever is to watch him doing squats!), crunches and jumping jacks. He's adorable and a little bossy, but I need a little of both in my workouts.

* Anyone know of a good Star Wars Angry Birds rehab center? Nixon's going to need one soon. He's limited to one session a day, which lasts less than an hour because Mac's iTouch battery is crap. But gravy, he asks for it multiple times a day.

* Nixon is once again, freaking out about ants. *sigh*

asleep on the pullout bed, still made for his cousin J. So cute!

The lesser of two evils

* Today: no nap, no tantrums but a couple time-outs to his bedroom, one screeching fit which led to his removal from the store we were in when he did it. He went to bed early, without a fight, after a quick shower. He fell asleep without getting out of bed once.

* The screeching fit: Mac stayed in the store while I took Nixon out to the car. When he came out to the car, Mac said there was a kid in there who was worse than Nixon. While Nixon will screech, he does NOT throw himself on the floor and have a full-on tantrum. Evidently, this other kid did just that. Well played Nixon, well played. Compared to the other kid, Nixon's screeching was the lesser of the two evils.

There's something about tortoises.

* We spent some time at the DC Zoo today. Nixon loved seeing the animals, even got upset when we decided to leave because the rain that started as a drizzle didn't let up. We left before he got to see the tortoise. He was fine going to the car, until he realized we were actually driving out of the zoo....

*Mac was playing his Avengers game on Facebook
Nixon: Mommy, Daddy beat the bad guys
me: *sending a text on my phone* Yeah, that's great buddy. (no enthusiasm)
Mac: *whispers* Hey, tell mommy "Don't patronize me"
Nixon: Don't pat-ron-ize me, Mommy.
me: Nice, that's awesome. Our kid just said "patronize" to me. Thanks.
Mac: I never expected he'd be able to say it!

Happy Father's Day!

* Nixon has a new hobby: taking ants he finds and "reuniting" them with their families. Which means he brings them from whatever part of the living room he finds them and puts them at the front door. He gets extra excited about it too. He comes running over to me and says "Mommy, I'm a hero I saved a baby ant!" because to him all ants are baby ants that need to find their family.

* Nixon is learning the finer art of bubble blowing. Today he was working on mastering blowing those really big bubbles. He watched me do it for awhile and then took to trying it himself. The highlight for him wasn't his large bubbles, it was when bubbles would stick to the sliding screen door. He was amazed by that! Best of all? I was able to sit at the kitchen table and work on some crafty stuff while Nixon was playing with his bubbles and I was watching him the whole time!

* Happy Father's Day!!

this is how I found him when I came to take tonight's photo. His head was almost under his bed. 

he's my beautiful, sleeping angel