The big table

We are slowly setting up our new dining set (well, it's used, but we just got it) and now that we have sturdier chairs I was excited to get Austin seated at the big table. I've had my eye on getting him this particular booster seat for a while so I got it for him today. Here he is in his new seat. He loves sitting up at the big table and right away he said, "I don't want to sit at the little table."

I get nervous when he plays around and sits sideways or on the back of the booster seat, so to get him to stay seated facing the table and not play around on the seat, my threat has been, "do you want to go sit at the little table?" It's working so far.

This evening

When we got home from day care today, Austin asked if he could ride his tricycle. He rode around the driveway a few times then asked if he could get the baseballs (He was pointing at the golf balls in the side pocket of Willis' golf bag). I said no so he got back on his tricycle. I got out my beach chair so I could sit and look through the mail while watching him ride around, but then he then wanted to sit too. I got out his chair and something for him to read.

Found Austin some sunglasses when I was out shopping yesterday.

Trying on his cool new shades

This guy always cracks me up! As we were eating dinner, Austin scooted his chair and table right next to me. He said, "Can I sit next to you?" (He's done this before, but this time I took pictures) He had to move to let me out then scooted back when I went in the kitchen. When I came back I said, "How am I going to get to my chair?" He said, "Can you jump?"

My view of Austin sitting next to me


And Austin saying "Can you jump?" while patting my chair

Before bedtime tonight, we went to Austin's room to read a book. He sat in my chair before I could and said, "Can you sit in my lap?" So I sat in his lap (and was sitting on the book) and I said, "Aren't you going to read me a book?" He said, "No, I'm just holding it." I pulled out the book and he started "reading." He pointed at the title on the cover and said, "Pata-pata-peanut butter!" Silly boy!

Cars Line Up

I think they're getting a pep talk from the little black truck before they race
(This may have been influenced by the Cars movie?)

New Dinosaur Train Song

Austin made up a song about the Dinosaur Train Show last night.



He's playing his air guitar and singing about the characters from the show; Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don Pteranadon. He includes "Tickets, tickets please," which is what the conductor on the train says and I thought it was funny that he says they "live" on the dinosaur train. LOL.

Conversation for the ride to school

We saw a trash truck crossing the intersection on our way to day care.

Me: Oh look, a trash truck!
A: A blue trash truck!
A: A train! (A train pass above us on the bridge)
Me: Ooh, a train!
A: And a car.
Me: There are lots of cars.
(a minute later)
A: Which one do you want, which one do you want?
Me: Which what do I want?
A: A trash truck, a train or a car?
Me: A train.
A: Oh, okay. I put it in your lap.
A: Which one should I get?
Me: A trash truck.
A: Okay. Uhmmm (pretend eating). I ate it.
Me: You ate it? How come you ate it?
A: Because of da doctor stuff. (Apparently his favorite answer)

Quote of the day

Yesterday morning Austin said, "Mama, can I take you home?" I said, "We are at home," then he said, "Can I take you shopping?" Later, he walked up to me with this shopping bag on his shoulder (he threw a little box of pudding mix in it) and again said, "Can I take you shopping?"

I asked him to recreate it for a picture and this is what he did:

Can I take you shopping?

Then, after that he picked up something off the floor and ran over and threw it into the living room downstairs. I asked him, "What did you throw?!" He said, "Rice," and did this:

Another Disney Day

Austin and I made another trip to Disneyland today. I'm trying to wear out my annual pass before it expires and we finally had a free day. I didn't tell Austin until that morning but he was excited and picked out his own clothes to wear.

He looked sleepy in the car and I was hoping he'd nap, but he fought it. Then, just as I was pulling off the Disneyland Drive exit, I looked back and saw his eyes slowly closing. He opened his eyes when I was paying for parking but they closed as I drove through the structure. I would have let him sleep in the car, but he was awake as soon as I turned off the engine.

It looks like all of the old trams with the open sides have been switched out with the new trams that now have doors. And, the Rivers of America has been refilled with water (it was drained for maintenance work and was still empty the last time we were at the park).


The view of the Rivers of America from the Disneyland Railroad

It looked like there was a MouseAdventure (A quest-based scavenger hunt/trivia challenge at the Disneyland Resort) going on that day. The groups were pretty noticeable: lanyards around their necks (some with matching outfits, some with costumes) all carrying clipboards and all over the park they looked like they were searching for something. :)

We rode rides that Austin wanted to ride and we explored parts of Disneyland he hasn't seen before. I asked him what he wanted to do first. He said he wanted to ride the train. So I parked the stroller at It's a Small World and we caught the Disneyland Railroad at the Toontown station for a trip around the park.

We ate lunch at the Village Haus because it was nearby and he wanted mac & cheese. The lines were short, but the tables were crowded. We sat on a rock wall but some nice people had extra chairs and offered to let us sit with them at their table. Turned out one of them works there but was spending the day with her family until she started working that night.

After lunch we made our way to Toontown but on the way Austin wanted to ride the Casey Jr. Train, so we rode it. Then, we walked by the Carousel and he said he wanted to ride the horse, so we rode it. We walked by It's a Small World and he said he wanted to ride the boat, so we rode it (I may have caught a few winks in there). It was fun hearing what he wanted to do and see how his interests have changed from previous visits.



Then, we finally made it to Toontown. He's been to the Roger Rabbit ride once but he's never really explored Toontown. I got a fastpass for the Roger Rabbit ride then we went to Mickey Mouse's house. Austin talked about wanting to see Mickey Mouse all morning and was excited to go to his house, but as we got closer and were waiting in line see him in his movie barn, I asked him again, "Do you want to see Mickey Mouse?" And he said no, but I took him anyway. Visitors go into Mickey's movie barn in groups and we were the last in our group. Austin just watched at first, then as people started leaving he pointed at the exit and said, "I want to go dere! I need to go dere!" But, I assured him that I would stand between him and Mickey for a picture. He was scared and just stared at Mickey. Then, as soon as I stepped away from Mickey, Austin waved to him.

The Roger Rabbit ride was broken at the start of our Fastpass time so we walked around, visited Goofy's house and Daisy's boat (both play areas for kids to run around and explore) and played in the store while we waited.





Austin wanted to sit in each of the vehicles scattered around Toontown.



After Toontown, we rode the Monorail around the park. He's never ridden it, but every time we heard the horn he said, "It's the Monorail!" Then, Austin said he wanted to ride the cars, so we went on Autopia.


My driver


Austin saying "Cheese" for my picture of him in front of the castle.

We ate dinner at the Hungry Bear Restaurant and watched the ducks and the Mark Twain Steam boat go by on the river. Then, as our last ride of the night, we rode the Winnie the Pooh ride. There was no line, so we rode it three times in a row, and each time Austin said, "That was a great ride!"



I had such a fun day hanging out with Austin. The weather was so nice - sunny but not too hot, and the park wasn't very crowded.

On our way back to the car, I was prepared to make the walk back to the parking structure as I usually do, but I noticed the tram line wasn't very crowded. Austin didn't say anything, but I knew he would love to ride the tram, so I quickly estimated in my mind how much I would have to carry once I took everything out of the stroller to fold it up. It seemed doable so I unloaded and folded up the stroller. It took quite an effort to carry everything and get both of us and the stroller into the tram, especially since the new trams with doors have a narrower opening. But, half way through the tram ride, Austin looked up at me with a huge smile and said, "We're riding the tram!" So, it was all worth it. :)

Conversation for the ride home

On the way home from day care, I asked Austin if he had a good day. He nodded yes. I asked him what he did today. He repeatedly said, "Ahh, ahh, ahchoo!" and laughing with the hugest smile on his face. Then he asked me, "Can you say Ahh, ahh, ahchoo?" Hee hee. He makes me laugh! :)

Wordless Wednesday - Pony ride

Tarzan of the Apes

Austin sang this song as he was cleaning up his toys this morning. (First time I've heard this one)



He sang it the clearest the first time. After I heard it, I grabbed the camera and had to ask him to repeat it two more times before I caught the whole thing (I'm surprised he actually repeated it for me).

I like bananas, coconuts and grapes
That's why they call me Tarzan of the apes
Ahhhhhh (With fists pounding on chest, Tarzan style)

I love you, you love me...

I don't care much for Barney (the big purple dinosaur) and his show, but I just discovered that a lot of the fun songs (Barney songs and other traditional kids songs) that Austin sings at home are compiled on the Barney soundtracks. I am thinking they probably play the Barney cds a lot at day care (since we've never watched the show at home).

Some of the songs that Austin sings that are on the cds:
Mr. Sun
Clean Up
If All The Raindrops
Ants Go Marching
B-I-N-G-O
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Wheels on the Bus
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Six Little Ducks
Do Your Ears Hang Low?
and I Love You

I may not care for Barney or his show, but I love when Austin sings this Barney song:

I love you, you love me
We're a happy fa-mi-ly
With a great big hug
And a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too.

A new car

Last week I was cleaning the house and found a little car in my room. Not sure where I got it, but I know I've had it since way before Austin was born. I threw it in one of the toy bins in his room for him to find. Sure enough, he discovered it right away when he came home. I overheard him say, "Oh! A new car!" He has so many cars, but I guess that shows that he has a good memory and really knows his cars. :)

2010 MPCC Bazaar

We went to the annual MPCC Bazaar yesterday. The booths were rearranged again this year - food booths were all indoors (with the exception of the chow mein and drinks, but they were right outside in the covered patio), the tables and stage were in the middle of the parking lot, like last year, but the game booths were in the NW corner and the grills were in the NE corner. I thought this year's set up was the best so far, but I'm glad it wasn't as scorching hot as previous years because inside could have been a lot stuffier. (Austin started eating this spam musubi like he was going to finish the whole thing, but ended up only nibbling a little off the end)

He loves oranges so he grabbed the slice on top of our somen and immediately put it in his mouth. This is the face he made when he realized this slice on top of our somen was not an orange, it was a lemon.

Austin had fun eating, running around, playing and seeing all the people. And he's finally big enough to actually play some of the games! He threw balls at a toilet bowl and beanbags at holes in a board, he tossed balls at fish bowls and he "fished" for ducks and frogs (little floatie toys that the kids pick up with their hands and get a ticket, ticket color depending on the color on the bottom). He even got a couple of beanbags through the holes in the board all by himself! There was also a shooting cans game that he kept asking to play but he's a little too small for that one this time.




Willis and I worked at the Teriyaki booth and my shift was one of the later shifts. Austin was in a great mood all day, but I guess his energy was finally wearing out. I had about 10 minutes left of my shift, but he only wanted me to carry him so Willis took over the end of my shift. Austin put his head down on my shoulder and was asleep within five minutes. He slept for about an hour and my back was aching by the end, but I was happy that he got a nap and I got to watch the hula performances.

Afterward, we went to my Mom's house to eat our Teriyaki dinner and pick up a more of my old stuff.


Bob got this truck that lights up, one of Austin's faves at my Mom's house

Morning conversation

Austin and I were sitting in his room this morning. He was playing with a Sponge Bob bouncy ball and had just dropped it on the floor and it disappeared under my leg.

A: Oh, where's my bocci ball!
Me: Bocci ball?
A: My bocci ball.
Me: What is that?
A: It's from... the doctor stuff.
Me: From what?
A: Kermis.
Me: Kermis? What's that?
A: (kind of hesitantly) Kermis.. the frog
Me: Ohhh, Kermit the frog?
A: Kermit the frog.

What do they have in common?

Austin's latest favorite "I spy" item when we're in the car is motorcycles. On the way home from day care today, we barely made it out of the parking lot and Austin said, "Where's da motorcycle?" I said, "Let's look for them." (To this answer he says, "Okay." He is usually not satisfied and keeps asking if I say, "I don't know where the motorcycles are.") When we got to Rosecrans & Sepulveda, there was a motorcycle and a bicycle across the intersection. He excitedly said, "A motorcycle!... And a bicycle!" I asked him what they have in common. I just threw that out there, not expecting him to actually know what I meant by "in common." The answer in my head was "two wheels," but I was expecting him to say, "I doh know," so he really caught me off guard by responding, "Helmet." He continues to surprise me with what he understands and I continue to underestimate his level of understanding and comprehension.

My old junk

Over the weekend, I collected another box of my old junk from my Mom's house. This My Melody hair clip from my childhood was in that pile and I had set it on the table. Yesterday morning, Austin picked it up and said, "I want to put it on." So, I put it in his hair. He wore it for about 20 seconds, just long enough for me to take this picture then asked to have it taken off. Since then, I've tried to put it in his hair again. He lets me put it in but immediately tells me to take it off.

Wordless Wednesday - A walk in the park

A quick visit

Buds - Austin and Tesshin at 2.75

The Lab

I took Austin to the lab for a follow-up blood draw on Friday (mainly to check his iron level after a slightly low level last September)



He waited patiently in the waiting room with his backpack of books and toys. Once we were called and sat in our chair, the tech looked for his vein on his left arm, he couldn't find the vein easily so he went to the other arm. Austin just watched. He was so brave, he didn't even cry when the needle went into his arm, only a little fussing in the middle. I treated him to some juice and snacks afterward. He was very proud of his bandage and didn't want to take it off , he said, "Yeave it on!"

Lying down

I was lying down on my side on the floor with my head propped up on my hand while playing with blocks with Austin last night. He said, "I wanna lie down too," and tried to figure out how to copy me. He ended up like this:

Dinner date

Posing with my handsome lil man after he and his Daddy took me out for a special Mother's Day dinner. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

...or as Austin says, "Happy birthday mother's day!"

Gifts from my sweetheart

Mother's Day gifts that Austin made at day care. I love the gifts he makes with his own artwork, but right now, I especially love the gifts made with his hand prints and footprints. :)


When Austin sees me looking at this or showing it to someone,
he says, "I made dat!"