I’m getting to be a much bigger boy about bedtime. I don’t cry when Mommy says night-night, I love to snuggle under the covers, and I love to talk to Mom about my day for a few minutes. Tonight we talked about what I want for lunch tomorrow (milk and juice), how I need to be nice to my friends at school (Mommy got a report about me pushing and not sharing today). Then we talked about how we are both glad that Daddy is home again. I also like to talk about Jack and Susie.
My FAVORITE thing to do with Daddy right now is a game called “1-2-3.” We play it on the big bed. Daddy stands up on the bed and holds me so that I am touching the ceiling! Then we count “1-2-3” and Daddy drops me onto a big pile of pillows! It is SO FUN! Mommy thinks that Daddy is encouraging naughty “bed-jumping” behavior, but I guess Daddies are allowed to indulge sometimes.
I also love to swim around my bathtub like a fish! The bath mat is out of the tub right now for construction purposes, so it’s extra slippery. Mommy says it’s time for swim lessons – she should get on that.
From Mommy:
I have to admit, it’s getting harder for me to write from Preston’s perspective. When he was just a baby it was much easier to personify him. Now I feel like he has a special personality and that I don’t do it justice in my writing. I’m hoping that as I continue to keep this blog he starts to actually help me with it – in his own words. I’m going to have to start transitioning into documenting actual conversations that I have with him. For example: our bedtime conversations, or the talks we have in the car. The other night I had to pick up our baby sitter and Preston came along with me. The whole way back home I was asking him about what he wanted to play with when we got home. He immediately said “Blocks!” and then I asked him what he had for lunch and he said “cheese!” He understands EVERYTHING that I say to him and ask him, and he has his own answers and thoughts now. Can you see how it’s hard for me to write from his “made up” perspective?
Anyway, of course I’ll keep writing! You just might be getting a lot more “From Mommy” than before.
So last night John was still away on business. I picked up Preston from daycare and everything was good. He was pleasant on the way home, told me a little bit about his day (mostly a lot of babbling about Connor and Alivia). But when we got home and he asked for Daddy his mood almost immediately changed when I reminded him that Daddy was not home. He was whiney and sad and having a really hard time listening to me. He got a time-out for opening the fridge after I asked him twice (and gave him a warning) not to. When dinner was ready he refused to eat anything –not even goldfish. So I ate my dinner while he sat and watched me. It was only 6 o-clock, but I decided to be the tough guy and said “ok, you’re not eating dinner, so I guess you want to go to bed.” We went upstairs to take a bath (another struggle), put pajamas on (I guess that was my work out for the day because I broke a sweat), and finally attempt bedtime (no way that was going to happen, not to mention it wasn’t even 7 yet). I needed a new plan. I called John and asked him if he could Skype for a little bit, maybe Preston just needed a break from me. So I got Daddy on the computer and Preston immediately perked up. I explained to John how Preston didn’t eat his dinner and was giving me a hard time. So John said (through the computer) “Preston, are you ready to be a good boy and eat your soup?” Preston said “OK!” got down off the sofa, walked over to his chair at the table and said “Mommy, soup please.” Are you kidding me? Daddy says one thing and he turns into a perfect angel? I let him watch Daddy on the computer while he ate ALL of his dinner in his chair without a single protest. Sigh. After his time with Daddy things were much better, and he went to sleep without a fight.
I like to ask him questions lately to sort of test the waters and see how much he retains and understand (practically everything). Like I’ll ask him specific things like “what do you want for lunch tomorrow?” and “What did Connor have on his shirt today?” He’ll usually think about the question for a few seconds and then give me an appropriate response like “noodles” and “choo-choo train.” Crazy! I love how well he is learning to communicate. It’s an exciting age, that’s for sure!