Flora earned some MAJOR brownie points with Mom today. At the library, she was kissing me and kissing me on my tummy at the check out desk. Then she says, real loud, “I just can’t stop kissing you I love you so much!” And later, at the coffee shop, after getting compliment nine million and one on her beautiful blue eyes, she says, “Mama, your eyes are not blue, they are brown, but they’re still gorgeous!” I’m going to have to remember these the next time she says, “You’re stupid and I hate you and you can’t come to my birfday pahty or sleep in my bed ever again!”
Archive for the ‘Personality’ Category
Major Brownie Points
Monday, March 1st, 2010Daddy’s Girl
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Despite the frigid temperatures, Flora insisted on wearing a tank top today — this one. She then picked out a twirly skirt and striped knee-highs, and requested that we play Freeze Dance.
20 Months Old
Saturday, February 20th, 2010
Mr. Hooper turned 20 months old on Saturday — and with that now comes the Toddlertude. “No, No, No!” is his default answer to most queries, unless the question involves cookie or candy or swimming, which he absolutely loves. Charley hates to get dressed, get his diaper changed, and go to bed. He talks all the time now, has lots of words, and can repeat any word you ask him to (Flora keyed into this and has been trying to get him to say “dammit” when she thinks we are out of ear shot). This morning he pointed to a number 5 and said “E.” Close! And the other day when I was counting to three during “Statue” (that’s where we freeze and try not to move or talk, but Flora loses in about a half a second by giggling), I said, “One…” and Charley said “Twooo.” All this time he’s been absorbing! And finally he and Flora are starting to play together. Last weekend they played Flora’s favorite game, “Doggie,” where she ties a scarf to her waist and pretends to be a dog, and Charley takes her for a walk. They love to play chase and hide-and-seek, and I can see already how they are going to combine their Wonder Twin Powers and use them to plot against us! Here they are playing “Kitchen.” Flora was a surly waitress named Flo and Charley was a hash slinger named Chuck.
Flora’s Fashion Creation
Friday, February 19th, 2010
I think she called this one a “Red Riding Hood Princess Fairy.”
V-Day Cupcakes
Friday, February 12th, 2010
The kids missed out on their Valentine’s Day parties at school — Charley caught a tummy bug and had to stay home — but we still made cupcakes and valentines to share with friends. Flora picked the cupcake colors (pink cupcakes with pink and purple frosting), I picked the decorations (conversation hearts), and Charley just licked the frosting clean. And it will come as no surprise that Flora picked Disney Princess valentines with pencils and Charley picked Toy Story valentines with lollipops.
And since they had to miss out on the fruits of our labor, we made four special heart shaped cupcakes just for us.
A Perfect Day for Banana Fork
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Charley’s Chair Session
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Boxed Up
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
After unpacking our package of Penzey’s spices yesterday in the mail, we pretended to box Flora up and ship her off to her grandparents.
ER Frequent Flyer Miles?
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009Minutes after dropping the kids off at school this morning, Charley’s teacher called to tell me he had fallen while dancing, hit his face on a bookcase, and put his teeth through his bottom lip. Who knew “The Wheels on the Bus” could be so dangerous? A trip to the pediatrican’s office and then the ER later, Charley was spared from getting stitches — apparently mouth wounds heal better when left alone. But his bottom lip is fat on one side, and has a small cut below, and a gaping gash inside. I think this is his third trip to the ER in his short 17 months. We need to get on their frequent flyer plan.
This morning I overheard Flora playing: “Hi, Ariel? Um, hi. I’m on Facebook. So I’ll see you soon. We’ll do a play date together. OK, bye.” We went to an Ariel-themed birthday party (Raessler’s Fourth) this weekend and Flora hasn’t stopped talking about — and, apparently to — Ariel ever since. The Disney Princess floodgates are slowly being pried open from my clinched fists! Sigh. Well, a little princess goes a long way. Hopefully a little.
Blah Blah Blah
Friday, November 6th, 2009Last night I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things on the way to daycare, and apparently I entered an incorrect PIN number for my bank card and the transaction was denied. So I called our bank to get it straightened out, and the customer service rep was asking all kinds of specific questions abut deposits, withdrawals, etc. — none of which I knew the answers to since I don’t do our banking. He wouldn’t unblock the card, and I had to abandon the shopping cart there. I was furious. So in the car, Flora asked me if I was tired, and I told her that I was angry about the guy on the phone. She asked me to demonstrate his voice, which I did, and she said, “Oh, I know what you mean. Blah Blah Blah. Sometimes when you yell at me you go Blah Blah Blah.”
Her Own Worse Enemy
Thursday, November 5th, 2009Yesterday the kids and I were sitting on the couch. I heard a shriek coming from Charley, and looked over in their direction. Flora said, “What?” I said, “Nothing. What’s Up?” And she said, “Nothing. Why? Did you see me poke him?”
Last night I was reading Charley a bedtime story while Flora played in her room. She came running over to his door, “I’m not putting lip gloss on or anything in my room.” “Hmmm,” I said. “Then what’s all that purple stuff all over your chin?”
Countess Dracula
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
How about a little kiss?
Chippendale
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
Turns out Charley’s Chaplin costume easily converts into a Chippendale costume for next year.
16 Months Old
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Sixteen months old and no concept that he is only 16 months old. In Charley’s attempts to keep up with big sister, he has badly scraped his chin and chipped his front tooth in the past week (on two separate occasions!). He imitates every single thing Flora does, and wants all the things she gets. His temper flares when you try to help him eat, brush his teeth, etc. — he wants to do everything by himself. He’s added some new words to his regular repertoire: baby, car, boon (ballon), mine, butt, bubble, guys, clock, sock, and oh. He loves animals, books, trucks/cars/trains, being silly, and most of all music and dancing. And he has given up nursies and sleeps through the night, mostly, and finally.
Stuck On You
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
I started a sticker chart for Flora a couple weeks ago so she could earn stickers for doing good jobs during her most difficult times: getting dressed and ready, drop-off at school, playing well with friends and Charley, and going to bed. We call it her Big Girl Chart, but sometimes she calls it her “Job Chart.” At the end of the week, we count up all her stickers. She loves to chose from her many stickers and place them on the chart (hung right in the kitchen for maximum visibility), but more importantly, she has been SO much more cooperative and SO much less defiant since we started! I found some extra special googley eye Halloween stickers at Target, and she loves to earn one of those for her hardest transition … getting dressed (clothes must be all cotton (no jeans), no buttons anywhere, no ruffles, yet can’t be plain, preferably a dress, and of course must be pink. Recently she added “no cats.” Brother.) I, myself, am a seasoned sticker lover, and at the height of the sticker craze, I was in 6th grade with quite a collection. At recess, my classmates and I would trade, although I remember never wanting to let go of many of my stickers. My most coveted — the puffy Captain Caveman sticker (bottom right). Yes, I still have my sticker collection, and my Captain Caveman — one of the few things I saved from years past. I’m going to scan in others to share — they are just too good not to!
Peek-A-Boo
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Digestif
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Charley’s way of relaxing after a meal.
Go Royals?
Sunday, September 13th, 2009
Not a Box
Saturday, September 12th, 2009
My friend Hilary sent a bunch of hand-me-downs for Charley (thank you!), but I couldn’t get the clothes out of the box fast enough. First it became a boat, and then a doll crib, and then a bear cave, and then a dog house.
Charlie Chaplin
Saturday, September 5th, 2009My Mom said Charley Hergert walks like Charlie Chaplin, and she’s SO right. Must be in the name.
Killing Me Softly
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009Flora loves “Killing Me Softly” by The Fugees, except when SHE sings it, she says, “Killing me softly with his NICE WORDS, strumming my FACE with his fingers, telling my whole life with his SONG…” It’s hilarious.
14 Months Old
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
Fourteen months old and this is what Charley is up to: walking, running, spinning, climbing, exploring, talking, flirting, doing silly tricks, and getting into everything. He got all four of his first year molars in at the same time, and now has eight front teeth plus four back teeth. I can count on one hand how many times he has slept through the night. He loves dogs, trucks, and any toy his sister has. But most of all he loves to just be outdoors.
New Words
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009This morning, when Charley heard the garbage truck coming down the street, he got all excited and said, “guck, guck!” He also says “uh-o” for uh-oh and “eh-mo” for “elmo.” And he’s been making awfully silly faces and doing silly things (like putting pasta on his thumb) to get a laugh! He made up his own word for eat &mdash: a clicking of his tongue (to imitate the smacking of lips we do when we ask for a bite). It’s also the sound he makes when he sees the cat (to imitate the teh-teh-teh sound we make to call the cat). And all food is “na-na-na-na,” which we think came from banana.
Thirteen Months Old
Monday, July 20th, 2009
We picked up this 1970s Little Tikes Cozy Coupe at the thrift store for $2.50, and I think it might be the best $2.50 we ever spent. It took Charley no time at all to figure out how to open the door, climb in, sit down, beep the horn, and turn the steering wheel. When I handed him my keys, he immediately tried to put them in the “ignition.” Obviously he sees and hears everything we do (note to self: might be a good time to stop swearing). He has been taking lots of unassisted steps in a Frankenstein-like way, but still gets around by crawling the majority of the time. We started him at the YMCA daycare in the Ladybug Room (where Flora started) — he loves to snuggle in the pile of stuffed animals, dive in and out of the ball crawl, and play on the playground. Yesterday Flora taught him “Ow” and if you say “Ow,” he’ll either say “Ow” or give you a little smack. He says “A-dah” for Daddy, “Mama” for Mommy, “Cah” for Cat, “Dahy” for Doggy, “Hah” for Hi, “Ow” for Ow, “BiyBiy” for Bye-Bye, and “Da” for everything else. If he sees something he likes or wants, he shakes his head yes in confirmation. He has five front teeth in now and a back molar on it’s way. He is forever pointing at pictures and objects to “ask” what they are. He laughs the hardest at his big sister’s antics. And yes, he is STILL a wicked Mama’s boy.