Birthdays

Ishish hasn't lost his love of birthdays. We frequently sing Happy Birthday and pretend to have birthday cake. Tonight topped it all. During supper he requested that I sing Happy Birthday not once, but twice, to his cup! I obliged, and his eyes lit up while I sang! Later he asked me to make him a birthday [cake]. I wondered, how is this going to happen? So I put together a "cake" complete with a "candle" (that's what the picture is). When I brought it over to him he said "thanks Mommy".

Toothpaste

A long time ago Ishish started playing with his toothpaste, so we've been keeping it up high in his closet. Saturday night he wanted to put it back in the drawer where it used to be. I agreed but explained that if he played with it we would have to keep it up high again. Forward to the end of yesterday's nap.

I come in and Ishish rushes over to show me how his hands are full of fuzz and dirt.
Me: How did your hands get that way?
Ishish: Ping (his gigantic stuffed penguin)
Me: OK, but why is it sticking? Were you putting your hands in your mouth?
Ishish: (blank stare)

We wash off his hands and I pick a little toy off the ground. It's all sticky! Was it melting??
Me: How did this toy get all sticky?
Ishish: Toothpaste.

I look around and start to see the full extent of the damage... toothpaste on cabinet, toothpaste on a drawer of his toy bin.

Me: Where else did the toothpaste go?
Ishish: Airplane.
I look in his toy bin and find the airplane coated in toothpaste.

Me: Where else did the toothpaste go?
Ishish: Car.
I rummage through more toys and find his mini cozy coupe all sticky.

Me: Where else did the toothpaste go?
Ishish: (blank stare)

Fortunately that was the extent of the damage and some scrubbing and hosing down of toys took care of the mess! I'll be waiting a few months before giving him another chance!

Pretend

Ishish has developed a vivid imagination. His Cozy Coupe will be a firetruck, his half eaten Ritz cracker a boat, and he regularly hears Swiper.

Yesterday before his nap he was pretending to pick up a book underneath the coffee table, and he asked me to read it. He often tries to get away with reading more than one book, so I told him that if we read that "book" we weren't reading any others. He seemed fine with that, so I thought, what should the book be about? I made it a story of a boy who went and played with friends and even had lunch with them (which, not so coincidentally, is what we had done that morning). I made the story complete with turning the "pages" and eating the "lunch". He was satisfied.

Before bed he brought me another "book" and told me it was about a train... and then added that it was also about an apple! Hmm. Fortunately I once again was able to come up with a story that he liked. It seems we have a new habit, because before his nap today he brought me another imaginary book, about babies he informed me, to read. Now I have the trouble of coming up with a story so quickly!

Super Ducky

We were at the children's museum two days ago, and Ishish found the largest rubber ducky! You can imagine how much fun he had sending it down the ramp!

A Thousand Words

I had a detailed description of what led to this event and what we did about it. But as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll leave you with this:

Tonight

Tonight has been extremely long! We ended up in a time crunch between Ishish's nap, an unexpected house showing, and other things. I took him to a restaurant so that we could get some supper. He was well behaved... until it was time to leave.

Me: OK, Ishish. It's time to get your coat on.
Ishish (takes off running): No!
Me: Ishish, stop, come back here!
(Ishish briefly glances back then continues on his way.)
(I chase him down and hold his hand while we go back.)
Ishish (struggling): Let go!
Me: No, you wouldn't stay by me.
(Ishish keeps struggling and decides to lay down on the ground.)
(I pick him up and carry him while we finish getting ready to go.)
Ishish: Put me down Mommy! Put me down!
(He repeats that numerous times while struggling... he is way too big for this!)
Me: If I put you down will you hold my hand?
Ishish: No.
(Sigh... so glad that trip is over!)


This occurred on the end of the drive home. We had been talking, and he seemed back to his usual self.

Ishish: Ishish crying.
Me: You're crying?
Ishish: Yeah.
Me: How come you're crying?
Ishish (his regular response to "why?" questions): Yeah.
Me: Are you sad?
Ishish: Yeah.
Me: Are you sad because we're going home?
Ishish: Nooo.
Me: Are you sad because you're in the car with me?
Ishish: Yeah.
Me (didn't expect that one!): I'm sorry.

Songs for Grandma

Ishish and I were reading "Mister Seahorse" for the umpteenth time. Inside the back cover are pictures of the baby seahorses.

Ishish (pointing at each of them): Ishish, Mama, Dada, Grandma, Grandpa.
(Ishish singing what sounds like "Where is Thumbkin?")
Me (after he finished): Should we both sing it?
Ishish: Yeah.
(I start singing the song.)
Ishish (upset): No! No!
Me: What's wrong?
Ishish: Where is Grandma?
Me: Oh, you want me to sing "Where is Grandma?"
Ishish: Yeah.

So we modified the lyrics and he was happy!

Ducky Friends

Ishish has rediscovered his love of rubber duckies and now keeps them close by with his other friends. I've always referred to them as Pumpkin Ducky, Devil Ducky, and Christmas Ducky. Several weeks ago he decided that really they're Dada, himself, and me. I'm not sure what to make about him identifying with Devil Ducky.