Thank you, thank you!

The boys were playing with plastic clappers--those party noisemakers that are shaped like hands and "clap" when you shake them. William said, "Clap for Charles!" and started shaking the toy. Charles, the little ham, started bowing and saying, "Thank you, thank you!"

Where's the clicker?

Charles wanted to watch Elmo on Sesame Street, but I couldn't find the remote control to change the channel. I told him to find it, and he ran all the way upstairs to get the one from our master bedroom. 😊 Hey! It works--and he is very resourceful! 

Lost at Kohls

After the tantrums in the previous post, I dared to run a couple of errands. Charles and I went to Staples to get markers for the church's Sunday School retreat, and he was good again, happily oohing over the many colors of Sharpies. Then I walked him to the next stores, Kohls, where they have the Cat in the Hat Beginning Reader books in their $5 Kohls Cares for Kids collection. We picked out the books we don't already own, and Charles had fun playing with the Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumb plush monkey. Then with a mischievous grin, Charles ran into the women's clothes section across the aisle. No sooner had I said, "That's how you get lost!" he was gone. I called his name, but no answer. I could hear little feet running, so I tried following the sound. Then no running feet. I called him again, and no answer. I backtracked, thinking he had turned in to the dressing room. No. Now concern as I start thinking of all the possibilities. There were do many close racks if clothes that it was impossible to get a good view. Finally, I went up to a store employee to tell her I had lost my two-year-old. Another mother overheard me and said she saw a little boy running through the big boy clothes. Just as I headed that way, here comes a grinning Charles, still playing his game. He saw me and jumped into another rack if clothes. He just giggled as I pulled him out. We bought the books with him squirming in my arms and I drove him straight home for his nap. Done.

Raffi tantrum

Twelve times listening to Raffi sing Aikendrum (about the man in the moon with hair if spaghetti and mouth made of pizza. 😜 Yep, that is how Charles and I spent our drive to the library for story time. When we got there, I had to remove the cd from the car player to take it inside to renew it. Oh, no! As soon as I stopped the music, Charles went into full two-year-old tantrum! Of course there was no reasoning with him. He cried all the way in the library. We immediately renewed the cd and put it back in my purse so he could see it. He quieted down but had a quiet tantrum throughout story time, spending most of the time on his face on the floor or sulking behind the stacks.

Writing?

I figured it is about time Charles started working on his letters. He watches the educational shows, and he hears us working with William on his phonics, but we haven't done the sheets like William did when he was in his two-year-old early pre-school class. Charles likes the iPod touch, so I brought out the letter tracing app tonight. Here are the results of the initial try with me helping Charles trace the letters as he was introduced to the concept. 

It's me!

I was resting on the sofa when Charles climbed on me and sweetly said, "Hi, Mama!" I replied, "Hi William, Charles!" Oops! Charles replied, "No, it's me! It's me, Mama!" Yes, Baby, it is the one and only sweet you!

Santa at the library

As we were leaving the library after story time this morning, a man with a beard and a cowboy hat was coming up the sidewalk. Charles started waving and said hi. I asked if he liked his hat, and he said yes. Then he said it was "Ho Ho." So cute!

Charles is the daddy

Charles is wandering around the house carrying Daddy's cell phone and wallet. He is pretending to be the daddy!