Chuck E.

Bennett was invited to his cousin's birthday last weekend.  Rocky was so excited to introduce his son to one of his favorite childhood establishments, Chuck E. Cheese.  I however, was dreading it, annoying music, pushing kids, dancing robots dressed like overgrown rodents.  Taking your child to one of these suburban hyperstimulation zones is one of those parental necessities like pinning your kid down for stitches that I hoped could be delayed a few more years.

 

My child is two.  His favorite things to do involve cleaning, cooking, building and books.  He doesn't understand complex games like punching monsters, dunking ducks or pummeling skee ball into tiny targets.  He is nervous around strangers and afraid of people wearing masks.  Despite family he adores and cake(!), the entire enterprise seemed like a disaster in the making. 

 

He watched his dad put a token in the machine one time and then he was able to do it himself everytime after.  He picked out which age innappropriate games he wanted to try, waiting patiently for his turn, and then ripped the tickets out when he conquered the monsters.  He clapped with gusto when the giant mouse appeared and helped sing the songs for the birthday kids. 

 

 

He loved it and I think we have to go back.  But I will do almost anything to make him that happy again.  And again.

What We Learned: 27 Months

I know I have commented on my child's manners before.  Yet, in the past month, his politeness has only continued to improve.  His unprompted please, thank you's, 'scuse me's, and the occassional sorry can almost make a mom forget those times he uses his hands instead of spoons, his sleeves instead of tissues, and those grabby-grab "mines."

Bennett learned to share his crackers, cheese and germs.

We learned to like soggy snacks.

Bennett learned to cover his mouth.

We learned a cough can be cute when masked with an "ebow."

Bennett learned that Atticus likes pancakes.

We learned Bennett is quite the tattle tail.

Bennett learned he likes music with his meal.

We learned that while iTunes has millions of versions of wheels on the bus, Bennett knows exactly what he wants and it's "not dat one!"

Bennett learned that sometimes mommy has a hard job too.

We learned that Rocky is useless without me.

Bennett learned to stay out of the way when daddy shakes the mayo without the lid on.

We learned that you should double check the refrigerator door.

Bennett learned that you have to say goodbye to "my favorite" butter when it melts everywhere.

We learned that a mayo-filled kitchen and a refrigerator of rotten food pales in comparison to a leaky roof.

Bennett learned that you better get as much mommy time as you can get.

We learned that sometimes you spend an entire evening with a toddler glued to your lap and ignore the mess in the kitchen.

Drivel

I apologize for the recent blog silence.  There isn't much to report from Casa de King as of late.  We have tried a few new restaurants, resolved some resolutions, read a book, walked the dog. Rather than succumbing to permanent blogger's block, I'll fill you in on the little bits you've missed out on lately. 

Bennett came down with his first cold of 2013.  When I went to check on him before I went to bed, I put his satin-sided blanket over him.  He woke up about ten minutes later to hack up a lung.  When he discovered this foreign blanket on him, he started screaming, "I don't want my jacket on! Take it off"  Note to self, he'd rather freeze all night than have anything that resembles his puffer jacket touch his skin. 

He still loves cooking, even with the spice display at Harris Teeter. 

 

He is also very interested in cleaning, the dishes, the wall, the floors.  He needs "his" bottle and a "towwa." 

 

This kid is his mother's child.  He has quite the sweet tooth proving it with an attempt to devour a donut in a single bite. 

Really, not much to report. We haven't even taken many pictures. However, even bathtime qualifies as a highlite this time of year and thus requires a photo.  He's even looking a the camera.  I wish we had discovered the "Bennett say cookie" trick earlier in the month, perhaps you'd see more eyeballs around here. 

Big Stuff from the Big Man

I have been campaigning Rocky for years to forgo the traditional Christmas presents and instead go on a vacation or buy a new refrigerator or something else equally romantic. My years of persuasion finally wore won my husband down. We agreed we needed a new buffet for the dining room and set out to find one. We visited countless furniture stores, antique shops, craigslist and the internet. Nothing was quite the right size, color, price or condition we had in mind. We finally pulled the trigger when the buffet I had adored years ago resurfaced. I love it as much as I thought I would.

And Rocky loves that we can finally toss the china boxes we have moved five times.

Merry Christmas to us!