Maldoff Family: September 2011

I cannot believe my little man is almost two! Where does the time go?

This age is so unbelievably fun. I am definitely a toddler mama. He cracks me up everyday with his expressions and his new sayings.

There are phases in motherhood. Tough phases where you are just barely hanging in through the tantrums & teething & sleepless nights, where that glass of wine and bath is calling your name at the end of the day. And then there are absolutely joyful phases, where you lay in bed at night just smiling, thinking about the beautiful and happy boy sleeping in the next room. Wondering just what you did to deserve such a blessing from above and treasuring each and every moment you share with them.

We are in a joyful phase.

He is very into his buddies right now.

Watching mowers and male bonding.

Being silly and singing songs!

This past month, he has really gotten into singing. He loves to sing the ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Hickory Dickory Dock....really any kind of nursery rhyme. And then he claps afterward and says "Yay!". Sometimes he gets embarassed and kind of rolls his eyes and gives me this little shy smile. Especially if I have a camera pointed at him.

Oh man, is he into trucks. The dump trucks keep increasing in size. He can identify and name almost any truck or vehicle you show him.

We found these construction videos on You Tube that he is completely obsessed with. First thing in the morning when he wakes up usually, he looks at me and says "Dozers?" I always say that it's dark and the dozers are sleeping. We can only take so much of the dozer videos. Plus, they are a little creepy. The bulldozer song sounds like an auto-tuned Tpain song. The excavator song sounds like Josh Groban. The front end loader song....who am I kidding? They are extremely catchy. These and Fresh Beat Band songs are what is in my head all day. And the surprising thing is, I sort of like it.

He is usually good in the grocery store, as long as we get a cookie first thing from the Harris Teeter dinosaur. And plenty of samples. I can't tell you how much deli meat and cheese and bread I've bought because I've felt guilty my child has eaten so many samples. All the checkers are familiar with him because he is so loud! Not crying, just humming and singing and naming and so excited to be at the store. And if I can get a cart where he can drive, well I can be there for hours practically and he's happy as can be.

I am leaving out the time he threw a hysterical fit at the register and threw my car keys at the checker. Those are not the norm, thank goodness. I am lucky, I know.

He still loves books. We've started going to the library and have increased our trips to Barnes & Noble lately. Not only do they have books, but a train table and a stage to run around on. Huge.

In case you can't tell by his size, he likes to eat. Big fan of carbs. Noodles, OMG, they are the best thing in the world. Followed by cheese puffs and peanut butter & jelly, in that order.

He's off his old fave, scrambled eggs, but he will still put away some broccoli and cauliflower, so I cannot complain.

Favorite place- The Cul-de-sac (mine and his). I can actually sit and read a magazine or talk on the phone while he runs off all his energy.

Dad is already grooming him to love sports. He calls everything "bee ball" and likes to play throwing games. Yes, there is a football game on the laptop and the tv. We need a man cave in a bad way.