Here's a post dedicated to Tanner and the things that make him one of a kind.
He's quite the jokester. And still makes the crazy silly faces on command like he use to when he was just a baby. Love it.
Likes to run around the house it circles. I'm told this is normal behavior for a two year old.
Inherited our OCD tendencies. For example, he'll line up his truck - every single one -- in a perfect row. He remembers where every toy belongs and always puts them back in the right spots, has to have a napkin when he eats in case his hands get dirty, and the list goes on. The poor child...
The kid can hear a garbage truck coming from miles away. Every Friday, at precisely 7:45, Tanner hears it coming and we go running outside to watch. Usually I'm half dressed, but somehow always make it out in time. And then we stare as they empty our trash. A little embarrassing, but it's the highlight of his day.
Sandbox - I had mixed feelings about getting one. I knew he would LOVE it, but did I really want him covered in sand every day??
Mastered the art of jumping - but not without much teasing on our end. We'd hold something over his head and laugh hysterically as he tried to jump. It's not as funny now that he can actually do it.
Time Out - Tanner goes through moments where he's a complete and total grumpycakes...in which case he goes to time out until he can be happy. No everytime we goes to time out, we hear the words "I'm Happy, I'll Happy Now". It still works it's magic, every time.
But now he thinks he can scream or hit, give us a hug and kiss, and pass the whole time out session. And I admit, it's hard to follow through when he's wrapped around giving me a hug. But why does he have to be so difficult one more and so dang cute the next??
Loves to go for walks with his his tricylcle - exept he ends up wanting to PUSH it rather than RIDE it. Ugh!
Laughs hysterically when you try to take away his pacifier playfully (for real, he screams feriously) or tell him something of his is actually yours - my pacificier, my Daddy, my Katie.
He's always coming up with new activities to play -- using the laudry basket or jump rope as a ride along train.
Throws baseballs and footballs. Sometimes he stands only a foot or two in front of you. If this happens, be scared. He's got a good arm.
Loves going buh-bye. It doesn't matter the reason. Maybe it's the endless possibilities of seeing trucks, trains, buses, tractors, or airplanes. Or getting to listen to the Woo-woo Dance. "I'm so happy - or so happy. Ooh La-la so Happy! - Everyone doing the Woo-Woo Dance."
Was totally offended when I "let" the doctor look in his ears/mouth. We totally had to hold him down, which is near impossible. Then his shots. Afterwards, he wanted nothing to do with me. Only cried for his daddy.
Cars - Tells me "my turn to drive" when we're riding in the car.
I was bringing in the groceries the other day and decided it was fine if he played in the car for a few minutes. When I game back to the car, I started freaking out cause he locked himself in the car in the 100+ degree weather. And my keys were in my purse in the car. But oh wait -- Tanner had found them and turned ON the car!! He tried to unlock the car - but he kept hitting the opposite button. Luckily, the spare key wasn't too far away, I just had to remember were he kept it.
Pretends to kill cockroaches. Hmm - where does he get this from? unfortunately, he's seen anthony or myself a time or two. Despite our best pest control efforts, we still get an unwelcomed creatures. and nothing makes me more nervous. tanner, on the other hand, has a totally different reaction.
When we go for walks, he wants to walk up, ring the doorbell, and say hi to everyone house. "Go say Hi" he repeats endlessly. He thinks they're all like our neighbor Aunt Nell, who's the sweetest old lady always enticing him with milk and yogurt covered pretzels. She never ceases to disappoint Tanner when we go for visits.
On our road trip to Kansas, he apparently got sick. With no notice, he vomited all the apple juice he just drank. I guess it could be worse, but when it's midnight and you've still got 3 hours to go, it's bad. But Tanner never ceases to make us laugh. Afterwards, Tanner told us, "Mommy, I burped!"
He's quite the happy little man, when he wants to be. And when he's happy, you'll catch him signing songs while he's playing. Or driving in the car. Any time of the day, really? Our favorites include - I Love You, ABC, Mr. Golden Sun, Twinkle Twinkle, Clean-up, etc. I don't know how he learned 1/2 the songs he does.
Tanner's been introduced to TV -- and there's no turning back. It took a while for the immersion to happen - he didn't want anything to do with it. Until he learned of Thomas the Train or Barney. Now he's addicted. But it comes in handy when he wakes up before 7 (I don't function in morning)... but when I'm conscious - it lowers my IQ to watch those shows and thinks it does the same for him.
One morning I woke-up to Tanner coloring himself with markers. One leg was completely green and the other blue; apparently, he decided he didn't want to be white anymore. I asked Anthony why the heck he left Tanner at the table with markers and he had no recollection of what I was talking about. Then I realized - Anthony left extra early without telling me - and Tanner had the whole house to himself. Afterwards, I considered myself lucky his body was the only thing he chose to color.
We've eased into the whole potty-training thing and he takes his turn going potty on the toiliet several times a day. Finally, I decided he might be ready for training pants (the extra thick cotton ones). Well - Tanner thought they were the coolest thing ever - but all for the wrong reason. He kept hiding his toys in there, like a bouncy ball. No wonder the kept falling down...
We're working on Tanner learning his letters. Now that his master teacher Avery is gone...it's much harder. He can sign the ABC's, but recongizing them is a whole different story. One day, he informed me the NIKE swoosh symbol on his shirt was the letter A. And since then, anything that closely resembles a letter/number/symbol, he refers to as A.
The reason I'm always late for work in the morning. Tanner wanted some war paint...and got caught putting on mascara -- he always tries to copy me when I'm getting ready. And if you look closely, he's soaking wet from jumping in the shower with me. Ugh!
Tanner has outgrown his crib. We thought up switching over to the Toddler bed - until we set it up and he started pushing the bed around on the hardwood floors.
He's still completely and totally obsessed with his "blank blank" and "paci" -- but only at bedtime. When he wakes up, he puts it right where they belong. But it has to be his idea - if you do it for him, many unpleasanties will follow and you'll regret it.
But at the end of the day, he's still my little baby. And sometimes, that's all I want him to be.
The adults are really just BIG KIDS!
Katie was dying to celebrate...but the only thing close to being open at midnight on a weekday was Muckleshoot Bingo. Don't be fooled by the name - there was some intense BINGO players there. Myself, on the other hand, made the most of the two dollar nachos, and enjoyed some great people watching!
Avery's highlight was the bumper cars with Nanny. It was pretty entertaining to watch those too.
