Samson Jay, 22 months

Samson trying his first Hot Tamale candy. The spiciness didn't even phase him. It was CANDY!

One of my favorite things to do is go back and read my blog to remind me what things my kids said and did at certain ages. It especially helped me to look back at Jackson posts when Sam was about that age so I could see what things I needed to work on with Sam. Sometimes I feel like poor Sam gets a little neglected. Jackson got a year of undivided attention from me before I started the preschool, and Sam never got that. I started working again when school started when he was three months old. Even breastfeeding shortly went by the wayside once other kids came into play. I can't tell you how excited I am to shortly have an abudance of time to just BE with my own kiddos! Sometimes after a long day with everyone else's kids, I have very little left for my own kids. I prepare a healthy dinner, bathe them and get them in bed at a proper time, but that is about all I can handle! This makes me sad because they are the reason I started an in-home preschool -so I could be with them and take care of them and teach them myself, but I have just spread myself too thin this last year and I know my family has suffered for it. Ben, too. Anyway, major source of guilt for me, but let's not dwell on that, shall we? ;) So...this post is to document some of the funny phrases and things Sam does so that when Ally (I am convinced baby Blake #3 is a girl) hits this age, I can compare. Funny Things He Says

• "Ah yoo okay?" (Are you okay?)


• "Mmmm...like it!" (when trying something yummy)


• "Wuv yoo!" (randomly, but a lot of times when he WANTS something, like to sit with me)


• "Mama, I unna te-yoo sumting!" (and then random babbling afterwards, this is repeated as many times as he chooses or until I go crazy, lol).


• "Mama, whattawe havin' today?" (at snacktime, dinnertime, etc.)


• "I no-no" (complete with a cute shoulder shrug -If you ask him where somthing is, i.e. his sippy cup)


• "___ is hutting me!" (diaper rash, a scrape,a smashed finger...)


• "I ate AWMYDINNA!" (which may or may not be true, and may or not be dinner, but he likes to get excited about it either way.)

Funny Things He Does

• LOVES to get in his big boy bed!


• makes a scowly MAD face upon demand


• sings the ABC's pretty well - at least the letters kinda sound like what they should be, lol


• counts to ten


• LOVES to sing ABCs, the Popcorn Primary Song, Skidamarinkydink, and the Sunbeam song


• LOVES bubbles ("buggols") in the bathtub


• LOVES to play guns (grrr...) and falls down himself whenever HE shoots someone (not quite grasping the concept, but I'm ok with that)


• LOVES movies and will sit quietly for sometimes 30 minutes to watch (a nice treat while I'm cooking dinner)


• LOVES to swing in a big boy swing as long as someone pushes him. And he will swing high, too. He is fearless!


• He has very good fine motor skills for his age. He handles utensils and pens/crayons very well. Much better than Jackson at this age.

Not-So-Very-Fun Things He Does Sam is SO stubborn and persistent! He thinks he is just as big as Jackson and the other kids. Therefore, he wants to do everything they do, and sometimes that is dangerous for a little guy! Case-in-point: Last Saturday, Katy and I both brought our two kids to Garden Ridge to do a little shopping. Jackson and Bradley were REALLY good. They started out in my cart, while Katy pushed the babies in a double stroller. Soon, we needed the room in the cart, so we asked them to walk. As soon as Sam saw that the big kids got to get out, he wanted out, too. He proceeded to throw a level 10 screaming temper tantrum. I tried everything! I put him in time out right on the floor of the store, I swatted him twice...nada. Finally, I made room for him in the seat of my cart, and I had to pin his shoulders to the cart for 40 minutes, and the ENTIRE time we shopped he writhed around and screamed bloody muder. Finally, he decided to knock it off and he was fairly cheerful, but wore himself out and was asleep within minutes after we got back in the car. During the fit, a lady even stopped me and told me that if I put him on my shoulder, he'd probably fall right to sleep. I laughed and said, "Uh - no he won't. You don't know him." This whole incident was well before his normal naptime. Sidenote: Child expert yentas really annoy me. Why do people assume all children are the same and that they know what triggered your child to get upset!? This incident is just par for the course with Sam. His strong, independent personality can be a good and a bad thing. I just don't know where he gets it from! ;) (Actually, I think he got a dose from both sides, lol.) Also, Sam is a VERY picky eater. Most meats, fruits and veggies are a no-go with him. He will ocassionally eat grapes and he loves green beans and sometimes corn, but that is it. He will nibble at fish and chicken,but no beef. Hot dogs have just recenlty become do-able. Any type of bread is like candy to Sam, and he loves to drink anything but water. He asks me for a drink all day long. He'll drink 2 full sippy cups in minutes and ask for more, but give him water and it is temper tantrum city. How do I handle this? I refuse to give in and I refuse to make him his own special meal. I keep preparing healthy foods and putting them in front of him. When he doesn't eat them, he gets nothing else and he goes to bed hungry. When he does eat them, I go over-the-top on excitement in my voice and give him a treat for dessert. He loves fruit rolls-ups or fruit snacks, cookies, or candy, of course, but I only give them in small doses and only for a reward.