A Day of Play

We were in a bit of a rush this morning to make a playdate here in town. Sean was very sassy this morning. I caught him trying to climb the refrigerator and when I told him to get down, he told me "no" and then to "stop it" when I put him in time out. After this, we finally left. Of course, it started to rain when we got into the car and Sean always wants to ride his bike before we go somewhere. I had to talk him out of that, so we could head over to Josh's house.

Sean is in the "mine" phase, so the entire playdate while he was playing with Josh's toys, all I heard from him was "mine, mine". I will be so glad when this phase is over! He did tell me that he had fun which I'm sure he did since he was the one with all of the toys!

We then headed over to Chick-Fil-A to meet Nanny (my sister) and Sean's cousins, Abby and Ashley for lunch. Sean was so good and I made sure to praise him. He ate a little bit and then we went into the play area and he had a ball climbing into the tunnel and then going down the slide. A meltdown was averted by Nanny. When it was time to go, Sean was ready to throw himself on the floor, but Nanny saved the day, by stepping in and putting his shoes on (they have to take them off in the play area).

I tried to get Sean to nap, but it is hit or miss and today was a miss. After trying to get him to rest, we went to ride his bike and to look at the new house that is being built. He got to see a "big truck", so he was happy. So, with no naptime, this was a very, very long day!

My Oh My, What a Day

This morning started out so well, that I thought today would be great. Sean woke up hugging me and then cuddled and gave me a lot of kissess. We even danced and sang to the Imagination Movers together. Then, there was the drive to school. Sean loves school and wanted to go, but for some reason a 3 yr old tantrum began. He started to kick the console in the back of the car and did this repeatedly, as I'm telling him to stop. I told him no bike and no riding his tractor because he wouldn't stop and told me "no". He couldn't give me a reason why he was kicking. He probably thought it was fun. I dropped him off at school and hoped his mood got better. He seemed to do fine at school, but when I picked him up, Sean thought it would be fun to run away from me and go down the hall to the church/school office. You can see a theme here, that Sean is always wanting to have a good fun and what would be more fun than to have mommy chase him down the hall. Once, I got him to the car, I told him no carwash. This is a treat for him. Well, here came another meltdown. I told him that if he napped that he could have a carwash. Sean napped with no problem.
He looked so cute today in his camo outfit that I wanted to take some pictures. This was right before we were leaving for the carwash. I noticed through the camera that he seemed to be having a great time spitting!! I told him to stop and he laughed and then spit at me!! Well, no carwash and a 20 minute tantrum ensued. He kept saying "I'm vewy sorry, can I have a carwash?" When, the answer was "you're punished, we can try again, tomorrow", the tears flowed more.
Sean, I love you with all my heart and soul, but this day was one for the books, baby. I'm hoping we can get through these "terrible three" phases with lots of hugs and kisses at the end of the day. Love, Mommy.

Family Day

Due to not having a nap yesterday, last night, Sean went to bed at 7:30, but was up between 12 and 1 this morning. So, I was praying for a nap today!
This morning we got up and went to breakfast at I-Hop with just the 3 of us. Sean had a little problem sitting still, but all in all it went well. Then, we headed to Metairie to visit Maw Maw and Dukie. Sean "played numbers" with Dukie and was able to recognize 0-10. We were all so proud. Then, Sean got out his police car to play with and watched a little bit of Finding Nemo. Maw Maw told Sean that if he napped that we would go to McDonald's. Well, this was all it took for Sean to quickly fall asleep. As soon as his eyes popped open, he said, "where's my shoes? we've gotta go!". He then informed Maw Maw that he were supposed to go to get chicken nuggets. We all got ready and then were surprised when Sean opened the front door and gave us a weather report. He said, "it's a little cool, but will warm up". He's so funny! After McDonald's, we had a pretty ride back to home. It was a very nice family day!

Silly Boy!!

Sean is so funny. He makes us laugh all of the time and today was no different.

This am, Sean kept wanting a green car. I didn't know what he was talking about. He has a lot of cars and some are green, but everyone I gave him wasn't the right one. Then, he walked down the hallway to the guest room and said, "in here..green car is in the orange bowl". I kept saying, "no, there aren't any cars in there". Well, Kenny decided to bring Sean in the room and sure enough, Sean came out with a little green car that was filled with candy! The car was in an orange bowl that had been left over since Halloween! I keep that door closed and I rarely go in there, so we were amazed by his memory that he all of the sudden wanted that car and that he knew where it was.

Next, came a lot of Sean being Sean. Sean is full of energy and life and always wants to have a good time. He is also a master negotiator. For instance, while I was trying to get him to take a nap, he started making silly faces and would say, "one more time, okay" when I would try to get him to calm down and sleep. Next, in order to avoid the nap, he said that he wanted to "cut the grass". This means that he wants to take a car or tractor and roll it on the lawn. When, I said, not now, he said, "just for a little bit". My negotiator was at work. After that, he told me he was hungry. Well, he had just eaten lunch, but he said, "Mommy, my tummy's making noises. Can I have some cookies?". I just started to laugh and gave up. So, now there is no nap for today, but maybe an early bedtime? I can only hope!

Adventures in Shopping

Today, we got ready early and headed to Metairie, going over the "big bridge" to play with one of our mommy groups. On the way there, Sean saw an ambulance. He loves any type of emergency cars (ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, etc.). He said, "look, Mommy an "amulance". "Amulance goes vroom, vroom". Then, he saw a firetruck and said, "firetruck goes vroom". I don't know why the truck only got one vroom-lol! Then, we went to Lakeside Mall to meet our friends. First, we saw the Easter Bunny. Sean was much more at ease with Santa Claus. I think because he could see Santa's face. We finally got a picture, but with no smile, but he is still so cute! Then, the fun part. The train!! Sean loves trains. We had a train come to the house for his birthday party, so he had been on one before. He rode it like a big boy (holding on with both hands) and looking so intently. One ride wasn't enough, so he rode one more time. He could have rode that all day. Next, we went to the Disney store which Sean loves. Then, we had lunch at the food court and Sean displayed why he is usually in the stroller. After, he had enough of his chicken strips, he made a run for it and ran into a shoe store. After, I got him, I sat him back down, but he was off again. It was back in the stroller after that. Then, we did some clothes shopping and while in one store, the word I had been dreading came. I had let a cuss word slip about 2 wks ago and Sean has been good about not repeating it often, but today, he had fun not only saying it, but shouting it in the store. I held my head down, paid for the clothes for Sean and pushed his stroller out of the store at a running pace! I think we had both had enough, so we went home for a much needed map. I was so glad that I got to see Andrea and Amy and that they got to see Sean. We don't get over to Metairie, too much any more, but we keep in touch through pictures and blogs.

Later that night, I got a much needed girls night out. Thank you, Kenny! I went to eat with some friends and then we went to paint and have some wine. It was relaxing and fun. Sean and I both had a great day!

ABC's and 123's

We started our morning as usual with kisses and hugs on the sofa, then we got ready for school. Sean goes to a MDO 2 days a week and he loves it! When, I got home from bringing him, I saw an Entergy truck near our subdivison and knew something was wrong. That's right, no power, which meant no coffee or computer for me. Luckily, in about 2 hrs, the power was back. When, I picked up Sean from school, Miss Christy, his teacher told me that he is letting her know how smart he is. Last week, he was the only one who knew his shapes and this week, he was the only one who knew number recognition. I am so proud and surprised. Surprised, b/c when I work with Sean on numbers, he tells me that he doesn't know or he gets bored and moves on to something else. He is the Christopher Columbus of the class according to Miss Christy b/c he likes to roam around. We are thinking that he gets bored easily after he knows something or completes a task, so he gets up and walks around.

Sean wanted his carwash today, but I had to explain that the rain cleaned mommy's car. He didn't like that, so we had a crying episode all the way home. As a reward for being so good at school, he got to ride his bike and have cookies. We spent the rest of the day with a nap and play time. When Kenny got home, Sean got to turn the lights on his police car, or as Sean says, "folice car" b/c he ate all of his dinner. Here's a picture of Sean on his 1st day of school.

Clean Up on Aisle 5

Last night was so cute. I always lie down with Sean b/f he falls asleep. I thought he was asleep, but suddenly, he sat up and said, "Uncle Joey hit my eye". Well, about 2 mths ago, Joey was weed eating and some grass got in his eye. Sean still remembers this. He has an incredible memory and can recall events from as far as 6 mths ago and something so small such, as breaking the light on his toy at Maw Maw's house. Anyway, after he said that about Uncle Joey, he then said, "it was an accident", then he said, "he didn't say he's sorry", then he said, 'he'll say he's sorry, later". I told him that it was okay and that it was an accident and not to worry and go to sleep. His mind just seems to always be spinning.
We went to the grocery store today and it was bad. We haven't had any bad events at the grocery store lately, so this surprised me. Sean started to so his little yelps, that are very loud. I try to ignore them, but he doesn't stop until he gets my attention. He is definitely an attention seeker. Next, he kicked the cart and told me he was making "music". He took items off of shelves and thank God nothing broke. I try to strategically place the cart in the middle, in hopes he can't reach, but his arms have gotten longer! I think everyone was glad when we finally checked out. It was quite a day!

A Trip to the Strawberry Patch

We started our day with our usual snuggles and kisses and then got ready to go the strawberry farms in Albany, LA. Sean had a great time! He picked berries and ate them right there in the patch. There was a petting zoo where he got to hold a bunny and a baby chick. He also got to ride toy tractors which are his favorite thing right now. I almost forgot...he got a strawberry painted on his cheek! I was surprised that he let the lady do it. She was really quick and was finished in under a minute! Leaving was hard as it always is now. Sean throws a tantrum, so I had to remind him that he could pull his wagon when we got home. That was all it took to get him to the car! I always ask him after an outing if he had fun, but today he beat me to it and said he had fun with the animals!

When, we got home, I ate lunch and Sean snacked, as usual. He is still a picky eater. He didn't want to ride his wagon; he wanted to pull it. So, I drank some coffee as he pulled his wagon around the neighborhood. When, he was done, he took a nap. I've been getting a lot of "potty advice", so when he woke up, we headed to Target for new tennis shoes and potty reward toys. The entire time in the store, I told him that he would get the toys after he went to the potty. In the car, he started to kick my console, and when, I told him to stop, he yelled, "no" to me. Well, this has been going on for a couple of weeks, now. I then told Sean that he couldn't ride his bike when we got home. He cried and carried on the whole way home. On the upside, he did eat all of his dinner without me bribing him!

Sean, I love you very much!

The Terrible Three's

T-ball Play-doh

Oh, how do I start?

The morning started off really well. When, Sean woke up, he curled up next to me on the sofa while I watched the news and I gave his cute cheeks a lot of kisses. Then, it was time to get ready for school. He was in the bathroom while I was getting dressed and took a box of Q-tips and dumped them onto the floor. Well, he knows better than to do this. We both picked them up, b/c we were going to be late. He did well at school, but did get bit by a child from the 2 yr old class. He didn't have any marks on him and felt fine. I let him ride his bike before lunch, but when I told Sean that it was time to come inside, he told me "no, I don't have to". After that, I picked him up and his bike and we went inside. He was very tired and took a good nap! After his nap, for some reason, he started to talk about his wagon which he hasn't used in about 6 mths. He has an incredible memory and knew that it was in the garage. I couldn't get to it b/c it is covered with a lot of Kenny's things, so I told him that Daddy would get it when he got home. Then, the questions started of when is Daddy coming. The answer "in a little while" didn't sit well with him, so then the bottom lip came out and the tears started. I then, took out the play-doh hoping that it would entertain him for a little while. It didn't last for too long, so we went out in the backyard to play. We practiced t-ball, b/c Sean is starting to play at the YMCA in a couple of weeks. Sean is fascinated with ants, right now. He knows to stay away from them, but will get as close as he can and watch them. He calls them, "ant pots" instead of "ant piles". Getting him to come inside resulted in a temper tantrum and it seemed like he cried until Kenny came home. I asked why he was crying and he said, "I want my wagon". When, Daddy came home, I turned over the reins and let Daddy feed Sean (who had refused dinner for me) and give him a bathe. It has been a long day for all of us. Tomorrow can only be better.

Outside Fun

Riding his bike! My gardener

Today, was beautiful outside, so Sean and I spent the whole day outside. We started off the am by calling Maw Maw and finding out that Dukie was okay. Sean wanted to dress like a fireman and then take my picture with his Spiderman camera phone. It's so cute! Then, I decided to put pine needles in my flower beds, so Sean and I headed off to Lowe's. When, we got back, I spread the needles while Sean rode his back with Cameron. It seemed like the entire neighborhood was out enjoying the day. It was soon nap time and computer time for me. I had promised Sean that we would go to Target where he could "ride the cart", so we went and picked up a few things. When, we got home, Sean got on his bike again and we toured the neighborhood. Then, we watered the plants. Sean really had fun doing this. Next, we went to the backyard to play ball. We wished that Daddy didn't have to work the parade so that he could have enjoyed the day with us.

Love,

Michelle

A Lazy Saturday

Sean loves riding his bike, now. So, we started off the am by him riding his bike and me walking behind. This is giving me great exercise! Sean was waving to the kids in the neighborhood and tells me while he is waving that "it's nice to wave to people". I think Sean has daredevil tendencies. He loves to ride his bike over a stick or a rock to make his bike "jump". After being outside, I eventually got Sean to take a nap and we waited for Daddy to come home, so Sean could ride the "tractor". The "tractor" is the riding lawn mower. Kenny cut the grass and as soon as Sean heard the mower, he ran over me and said "I need my sandals", then he was waiting his turn to ride. After that, we got a phone call that Dukie was running a high fever. So, the three of us along with Aunt Debbie and Uncle Kevin headed over to Metairie. Aunt Debbie is a nurse, and she felt better once she saw Dukie. His fever had gone down. It was decided to bring him to the urgent care on Sun. After visiting Dukie, we went with Uncle Kevin to eat some seafood. Aunt Debbie had to go to work. Sean, of course, had his usual, chicken strips and french fries and ate pretty well. We hadn't had a family dinner in awhile, so it was a nice time.

A Day at Wal-Mart?

I woke up this am, with horrible allergies, so we didn't make it to a playdate in New Orleans today. Luckily, I had not told Sean about it, so he wasn't disappointed. We went to get a carwash to get the pollen off of my car. Sean LOVES carwashes. He had the best time, just looking at the water and the brushes. Then, we went to Wal-Mart for groceries, but always end up in the toy dept., too. Sean was very good in the store, so he got to pick out a toy. He chose a small 4 wheeler. We had just seen a 4 wheeler on a large truck on the interstate and he commented that he wanted to go to Uncle Bubba's to ride one. We went there for Christmas and he got to ride them. Then, we headed home and I realized that we had been there for 2 hrs!! We both took a long nap and then he was ready to ride his bike. We did 2 laps around the neighborhood and he pedaled fast and I had to run to keep up! He has really learned in 1 week how to pedal and steer. All in all, it turned out to be a good day.

School Day

Today, Sean headed off to his 3 yr old mom's day out class. I got to spend a quiet morning drinking some coffee and chatting on the computer. When Sean came home, Maw Maw was waiting in the driveway. Sean got so excited that he started to wave right away. Maw Maw took a nap with Sean while I waited for the tv repairman to replace a part that he had broken on a previous visit and since Sean wanted to play with his tools last time, Maw Maw came over to visit and help out. Then, Sean rode his bike. He can pedal fast now! I got a lot of exercise running behind him. Now, I'm getting ready for a much needed mom's night out and Kenny is having a father/son night with Sean.

Here's a picture of Sean next to the neighborhood dog, Jeb.

Sean Taught Me Today

We went to the park again, today. Sean is a backseat driver. The whole way he says, "turn here" and if someone honks a horn, he says, "what did you do?"! I was laughing and mentally exhausted by the time we reached the park. I saw a wagon and a tricycle there and new right away that the terrible 3's were going to rear their head! Sean took the wagon and said, "mine". This is his new favorite word. When, the little girl came to get her wagon, a huge tantrum ensued. The rest of the time at the park was spent with him repeating, "mine". Well, by then, I was tired and ready for nap and figured he was too. Boy, was I wrong. He decided not to nap today which is unusual for him and is making him more cranky, but I guess we all have our bad days. I've been taking deep breaths all day! Then, I decided to go for a walk with him. Our subdivision is one large oval. He rides his bike and it takes us forever to walk the entire oval. I'm the kind of person who wants to rush and get from point A to point B. Sean, however, is a "stop and smell the roses" type of person. He would stop and point at a tree, look in the woods, pick up a rock and look at bugs. The walk may have taken a long time, but he taught me to take in our surroundings and to breathe in the roses.
Love,
Michelle

St. Patrick's Day!!

We started off the am getting you dressed up for the day. After all, with a name like Sean Patrick, you had to dress in your irish shirt. Then, we headed off to the park where we met Sean's birth father, Woody, for one of his visits. Sean really enjoyed playing and Woody bought him so fun belated birthday and Christmas presents. The blog that I wrote yesterday is lost in cyberspace, but last night, Sean asked me where Onyx was (our lab who recently died). I've tried to explain Heaven, but at 3 it's hard to understand. He told me that Onyx was at Aunt Debbie's house and then, kissed me and went to sleep. My sweet boy. The rest of today will involve a nap and a bike ride.

A Rainy Day

Today, Sean and I woke up bored. Kenny is working at the St. Pat's parade, but I thought that it may be too wet and might rain, again, so I decided not to go. Sean and I went for a car ride. He loves riding in mommy's car and then, we had a visit with cousins, Abby and Ashley. I have been trying to get Sean to eat lunch and take a nap, but with no success, so now he's watching a cartoon. I promised that if he sleeps, he can ride his Thomas the Train tricycle. I'm hoping that the bribe will work.

He can finally ride!! Yeah, baby!

Love,
Michelle