He's a dapper, chill, smart little guy

* Nixon and I took a short trip to Third Eye Comics tonight. Nixon was sporting a bow tie and was looking extremely dapper. There was another little boy at the store, probably 2-3 years old, who pointed out Nixon's tie and Nixon pointed at the boy's shirt and said "Mom look, it's Yo Gabba Gabba!" Kids bond over the most random things, eh?

* I adore Nixon's random ways of picking new things to learn. Today he's decided to memorize our house number. I added our street name, which is kind of a mouthful, but he repeated it and then says "Mom, it's a big deal I know this, right?"

* Phrases of the week:
   Oh.My.God- he says this when he sees an ant almost anywhere.
   Crap on a stick- he says this when something goes wrong.
   Umm, no, I'm Nixon- he says this any time Mac or I call him by something other than his name.

It's Nipple Day!

* Please repeat after me: Nixon, 630am is not a wake-up time. Please see that my child gets this memo.

* Nixon and I have reached a new level of mother-son bonding. We now can play several rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock! Total parenting win, y'all!! I started teaching Nixon rock/paper/scissors when he was real little. He's known all the hand signals but not how to actually play until today. He even beat me twice!
   I'm so proud!

* Nixon, at the front door, which is open "Look. I have nipples!" as he pinches them through his shirt. He then says to Mac, "Daddy, you have nipples too!" and as if that wasn't enough he goes on to proclaim "But mommy has the biggest nipples. She feeds babies with them!" And he goes back to doing his nipple pinching dance.
   This was preempted by....I have no idea what brought this sudden love of nipples on. Nixon's a little oddball, who finds the most random things amazing. Today was, apparently, nipple day.

"...ants are trying to get to the food in my tummy!" oh the fears of a 4-year old.

* We have an ant problem, it seems. No matter what I do, we've got them all over our front entrance area, which also happens to be where Nixon's table and chairs are. He's starting to freak out every time he sees an ant, no matter how many times we tell him they are NOT trying to eat him.
   Tonight took the cake. He came downstairs and told Mac "Daddy, there were ants on me trying to get to the food in my tummy!" Mac told him to go back to bed, and I went upstairs to explain to him that: ants are simple insects. They go where the food is, usually in a straight line and sometimes Nixon is in the way. The ants aren't trying to get the food that he ate, rather Nixon is in the path they are going to to get food crumbs he left behind. He says "So they won't try to get inside me for the food in my tummy?" Oh! I tell him "No baby, the ants are just crawling over you, like Amber or Arwen walk over me in my bed to get to their food dish. They don't want the food in your belly, they just don't want to go the long way, around you, to get to the food they know is waiting for them."
   He settled down and even laughed at his silliness. I reminded him that he needs to be careful about not dropping food on the floor and throwing his trash out right away, but he seemed fine and ready for bed by the time I left him.

How, exactly, does one "dance wrong"?

* Nixon likes to lick any pudding or other food that might stick to his arm. Only problem is, he doesn't lick so much as vacuum it off of his arm. A couple days ago Mac says to me "Nixon has a bruise or something on his arm and he says it hurts." I take a look at it and started to laugh! Not because our kid was hurt, but because our kid had managed to give himself his first hickey...at 4! That's impressive if you ask me!

you can tell, it's pretty obvious what kind of mark and where it came from, that it's not a normal bruise. 

* Yesterday, on my birthday, Nixon told me I wasn't old. This morning, that all changed. Evidently Nixon changed his mind overnight because this morning I heard this "Good morning Mommy! You're old!" followed by him laughing and dancing around my bedroom singing "Old, old, old....hahaha OLD!", a catchy little ditty he made up himself.

* Speaking of dancing, ever dance with your kid to the theme song of a cartoon? I did! Today, we danced to the My Little Pony theme song! Why? Why not! It's catchy and Nixon was in a dancing mood. So we danced! Then he told me to stop, because apparently, I dance wrong.

I don't think he's getting sick, I think he just likes to mouth-breath.

It's Mommy's birthday!!

* I was woken up this morning by the sweetest little voice saying "Happy birthday, Mommy! We have donuts and coffee for you!". Donuts, coffee AND presents! What a great way to wake up!

* Nixon helped me wash dishes today. He washed one bowl before he decided he didn't want to help anymore. I'm pretty sure he only helped just to wear my apron. It's cool, he looks super cute in it!

* At bedtime, Nixon looks at my feet and says "Mom, your feet aren't pruny. Your not old." Thanks kid. Then he says "Mom, I love you. You're so pretty"....and that was the best birthday gift Nixon gave me!

Braggy, good times ruined by Nixon's absolute honesty!

* It's a brag! We went out to breakfast this morning. We left the house 2 minutes earlier than we'd aimed for last night, which for us is amazing! We got to Denny's and it was starting to get crowded. Instead of a booth, we were seated at a table, in the center of the dining area. It was loud, because there were several large parties surrounding us. All this had the potential for a Nixon meltdown.
   He sat quietly, sipping his juice, watching his Phineas & Ferb and was totally unfazed by all the noise! When his food came, he just focused on eating his entire meal and watching more Phineas & Ferb. There was not a point, until he was done eating, that we had to talk to him about his behavior! We were so completely surprised and proud, we got him a smoothie to-go!

* Nixon earned back some of the toys he'd had taken away for not cleaning them up. He got one basket of toys on the condition they all stay in his room. He stayed in his room, happily playing with his toys for over 2 hours!
   He came downstairs, after I came inside from doing yard work, and asked me if I wanted to play cars with him. I said yes and his eyes lit up! We played in his room, crashed his cars into each other, made a bridge and ran cars off of it and just had fun together.

* Bedtime conversation with Nixon:
me: Nixon, in the morning wake up Daddy. He's going to take you to get something special for me in the morning.
Nixon: Because you are going to be old?
me: What? No, well, sort of...because it's my birthday tomorrow yes.
Nixon: And you are being old!
me: I'm being old?
Nixon: And pruny!
me: I'm old and pruny?
Nixon: Yes, you will be old and pruny when the sun comes up in the morning.
me: Gee, thanks kid.
Nixon: *laughs* You welcome!

Love seeing these two sleeping so peacefully together.

Long live Tantrum King...long may he reign the kingdom of TimeOut!

* Nixon, Tantrum King of the World! Well, it sure felt like he was today. He was sent to his room on 3 occasions and in time out on the stairs once, all before 3pm. I have half-a-voice, it comes and goes, but for the most part I could talk all day long. Which unfortunately for me meant no more unheard, sarcastic cussing responses to Nixon's outbursts. Yeah, I forgot that more than once.

* Uggg....damned Lunchables! They've ruined Nixon's eating habits. Not that he won't eat anything but lunchables, but instead, he asks for candy every time he finishes his food. Finished his waffles for breakfast? "I gets candy now?" Finished his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, banana and granola bar? "My food's all gone, I get my candys now?"
   Two of his trips to his room was because I denied his request for candy.