Knock Knock Jokes

JT has been talking so much.. the funniest thing came this morning.

Audrey is *obsessed* with telling knock-knock jokes. The kind that 5 year olds make up that make absolutely no sense (as in, knock-knock, who's there, banana, banana who, banana booty on your head). It drives me nuts.

Here's the funny:

Audrey: Knock knock.

*Silence* (I refuse to participate until guilted into one).

JT: Knock knock.

Audrey: No, JT, you say 'who's there'.

JT: *giggles* Knock knock.

(repeat entire conversation for 5 minutes - the more Audrey tried to tell him NO - the more he giggled and repeated knock knock!). Hilarious!

Other cool stuff:

We were using the wooden blocks to build, and JT said "ca-wah" (castle) and "twah" (tower).

He brought me his cup this morning and said "wah juice" (want juice).

We are still knee-deep in the 'mine' phase. That's constant. As well as 'get back', 'byebye' (when he wants someone to go away), 'no' and 'leave'. He combined them last night to say to Audrey 'byebye get back'. Haha!

Grumpy

Audrey kept The Hubs and I up all night. After she got up, I was snippy and frustrated with everything - I was exhausted!

Audrey asked me why I was in a bad mood. I told her it was because she kept us up so late, and that mommy and daddy were really tired because we need sleep.

"But daddy's not grumpy."

Audrey on Carrots

We gave Audrey carrots to eat. She took one bite, chewed a little, then got this horrible look on her face. She was going to puke.

After telling her to go spit it out, she comes back wiping her mouth trying to get rid of the taste.

The Hubs said, "Audrey, didn't you like the carrots? Carrots are so GOOD!"

Audrey replied, "Yeah, well, I think maybe I just can't taste the good part."

Dentists are Bad

Went in for a cleaning today. Not good.

JT threw a mirror (not kidding). Luckily it didn't break, but of course, the scene it created was not good.

He has to go to a pediatric dentist (hey, a family dentist was worth a shot) to get sedation for x-rays.

This morning was full of screaming, kicking, head banging and hitting (me only).

So, another appointment for x-rays. Then less than 6 months til we go through this excitement again.

They lie when they say it gets easier. These appointments are not getting better, they're worse!

Pudding

Check out little man holding his pudding cup with his other hand!

Back on Track...

Cool stuff in the last few days!

School:
Telling a story with manipulatives.
Following instructions with only a little coaxing/intervention.
Playing with a friend in PE.

Home:
Talking a ton.
Pointed to what he wanted on a shelf in the pantry when I walked in the kitchen (it was really high up).
Using his words to tell us before he gets angry/physical (will say 'go away' or 'leave' before pushing us out - haha).

Other than that, his aggression has calmed considerably. He still has some moments - mostly throwing now - but not like it was after the steroids. Must have been side effects (yay that they're gone, and now we know what to expect if and when we take them again so I don't freak out thinking it's some sort of behavior regression!).

Doing great :) More words, more communicating, more interaction. Hooray!

Dentist!

Audrey had her first 'big girl' visit today. Until this time, the cleaning has been the polisher on a toothbrush. Today they used the real polisher on her teeth!

She did a fabulous job - very, very good girl.

So proud of my little princess!!!

(she does have two tiny cavities, we're due to get those filled in a few weeks)

Cupid

Audrey saw a show on tv with cupid on it. We explained to her what cupid does, how he makes people fall in love by shooting them with his love arrows.

Then she says, "I think cupid shot me and Mercer with his love arrows. 'Cause we LOVE each other SO much."

She is so cute... she really does LOVE him!

Surgery

After falling twice in the past month, I have screwed up my ankle enough to necessitate surgery.

*This is really a re-injury - remember I hurt my ankle back in June of 2008 and went through physical therapy in August... I was recommended for surgery after that didn't work, but my appendectomy, hysterectomy and neurosurgery pushed that to the back burner. I thought it would be fine... but I was wrong :(

Anyway, March 3rd is my surgery date. 6 weeks cast, 6 weeks boot. He said I could start running in 3 months (JUNE! Let the countdown begin!). Arthroscopic ankle surgery.

Basically, my lateral (outside) ankle ligaments are stretched really far out, holding nothing in (tendons, etc). I partially tore 2 tendons (flexor hallucis longus and peroneous longus) and have inflammation in the sheath of the flexor hallucis. He thinks there's cartilage issues.

Timing works out well - PT will last 3 months, so the last of it will be right before school is out in June!

Funny Boy

To prove me wrong, JT has been amazing tonight. Yay for proving me wrong!

Funny moment tonight... JT brought me his cup and ran to the kitchen to wait for me to refill it..

Me: JT, do you want milk or juice? Chocolate milk or juice?
(JT whips out another sippy cup.)
Me: JT, do you want milk or juice? Chocolate milk or juice?
(Long pause.)

JT: Drink.

LOL! I was so excited I filled one cup with each :)


He has also been having fun reading 'Ten Apples Up On Top' with daddy.

(as a side note, a friend mentioned that steroid side effects usually start around the time you get off of them and last several days... so some of this extreme behavior is hopefully from that and will fade soon!)

And then there's the rough patches...

JT is becoming very opinionated about things. He knows exactly what he doesn't like in particular, and is very, very ready to let you know.

The problem is that he doesn't have the language skills to match his thoughts.

So, we're getting a lot of biting. And hitting. Kicking. Screaming. Head butting. Head banging.

More commonly, we're hearing 'No', 'Go away', 'Leave', 'Go' and such. But not enough. If we can't comply with his demands/requests, we get the behaviors. And if it's something else that he's wanting... we generally are left with no language at all, just those unpleasant behaviors.

We are *really* hoping this ends soon. This morning, by the time we got JT in the car, The Hubs had been bit on the cheek, kicked, hit and screamed at. I got the head butting and the screaming.

Good thing he knows what he wants. Bad thing the only way he has to get it is to beat us.

Happy Birthday to The Hubs :)

It's The Hubs's birthday :)

Happy birthday to a great husband and daddy!

Rough Weekend

Thursday last week, Audrey's random coughing turning into full-blown croup with fever. So, when JT started coughing started Friday morning (even with no fever), I knew what was coming.

No, I didn't.

Saturday morning I called The Hubs and told him he had to get home immediately. JT was having huge problems breathing. He was struggling with every breath, gagging when he coughed and a few times, could not catch his breath. I won't ever forget him looking at me, terrified, unable to catch his breath. Had it lasted more than a few seconds, 911 would have been notified. Horrifying. I noticed another familiar rattle in his chest, and pulled out my inhaler and the special mask that the kids used forever ago, and gave him some albulterol. I got Tylenol Cold/Cough in him. The Hubs got home and took him to urgent care.

JT has severe croup... and asthma. Not really sure what this means, but I do know that this has been on of, if not the most scary weekend of my life. Horrible.

He hasn't run a fever yet today, and seems to be okay. He's on a really high dose of steroids - they seemed to kick in within an hour or so of taking them - thank God.

Fingers crossed he keeps improving. There was a window last night where he got worse, and we were worried we would have to go to the ER.

Helping a Friend

(This is going to be another cross-post between my Ecrit Maman Blog and this one... sorry!)

I have a friend from Tennessee who is having a rough time. If you feel compelled or are able, her family is in desperate need of assistance.

Here is the story from one of her good friends:

Saturday, January 30: Around 2PM this afternoon, I spoke to my dear friend Kelly on the phone for about 20 minutes. We had a normal, run-of-the-mill conversation. A mere 10 minutes later, she was calling me again to inform me that she was "standing in the snow in her pajamas holding her baby watching a hole burn through the roof."

Kelly had a little boy, Lane, 8 days ago.
She also had a c-section 8 days ago.
She and her husband, Craig, have another 3-year old boy, Jack.

Their house - and the memories it held - are a total loss.


See Helping the Dever Family for more info on how you can help.

If nothing else, keep this family in your thoughts and prayers. I can't imagine having a newborn and a 3 year old and suddenly being homeless and with a complete loss of all my possessions.

Uncle Steve

Rest in peace.

Steve was a good man, and he will definitely be missed by everyone.

The Harrison/King family are in our thoughts and prayers.

(Read the obituary.)

Sick

Poor kiddo... She's sick. But still tries to be fun!

Time for a New Approach...

The Hubs: Audrey, I'll give you 50 cents to take my dishes to the kitchen.

Audrey: Dad, I'll pay you a dollar to stop asking me.

:)