Here come the words...

Aidan is 20-months-old: Week 3 and according to Baby Center "Much of the groundwork for language acquisition has been laid, and now my toddler will focus on boosting his vocabulary. The average 20-month-old can learn 10 or more words a day (some learn a new word every 90 minutes)."

It is true at the moment around here, I swear I'm hearing a new word everytime I turn around. It's really and eye-opener and refreshing too. Madelynn didn't talk until last year at this time when she was nearly 3 year old. When she did it just came spilling out and that was that, but with Aidan it's fun because it's such a treat to hear him learning from us and Madelynn a new word.

In the last few days he is just amazing me...he popped up with "hungry" as we sat down for Christmas lunch.

Here is the list of other words he can say (I know I won't remember all at the moment)

• water
• pool
• eat
• cat
• Dada
• Mama
• tree
• out
• car
• beep-beep
• animals sounds: moo, meow, woof, baa, horse
• yes
• No
• blue
• toot-toot
• hi
• bye-bye
• bath
• bike
• bed
• door
• teeth
• foot
• nose
• toes
• pee
• poo
• butt
• Baby
• Wow
• bum
• me too
• I do!
• ball
• my
  
• uh-oh

What I do like to hear is when you ask him a question he says "no" but means yes and also he practices saying "no". He draws it out "nnnnoooo" over and over again just walking around. He's such a funny little man.

Merry Christmas

To you all! I managed to survive, but feel like I've been hit by a bus I'm so tired.

Some of the things that were highlights for me this year were:

On Christmas Eve Madelynn and I made reindeer food. We sprinkle it around the tree before bedtime and Aidan thought it was great stuff and threw it everywhere and then danced on it.

Madelynn has also been playing "baby Jesus" for the last 2 weeks. They had a manger in school and she would come home and play it here. She told us her name was Mary and Aidan was Joseph. She "borrowed" Aidan's blanky and asked Brendon to tie it around her head so she could be Mary. He did and it didn't last but a few minutes so she came back and told him to do it properly. What a kid!

Just so you know, Jesus was a modern version and wore a pink dress and rode around in the pink stroller. I told Brendon he was lucky that she didn't demand he be the donkey. LOL

On Christmas Eve afternoon we made a birthday cake for baby Jesus and I told her that Santa could have a piece. She was quite happy with that and wanted to know if we would sing happy birthday to him. I told he we would before we open presents in the morning. She then asked me. "What present did we get Baby Jesus?" I didn't know what to tell her. She's a clever little monkey.

Brendon told her today, you're a smart girl aren't you Madelynn, and she says "yes, and Beautiful too!" No modesty for my girl!

Christmas morning was fun. I'm still not used to opening gifts then as I was raised to do it on Christmas Eve, it just seems so strange. Anyway, Madelynn came into us at 3am sometime. I don't know if she wanted to open gifts or what but she doesn't usually get up and come to us. Took her back to bed and then Aidan was up at 4am. We didn't get up for gifts until 8am.

Maddie was pretty shocked that the reindeer food was actually gone and that Santa had eaten a piece of cake. She says, "LOOK he took some of baby Jesus' cake!" LOL

She didn't notice her scooter at first, each child went for the other's gift. She wanted Aidan's tent and he wanted the scooter.

Funny, the only present Aidan didn't want to open was the one with summer clothes from Nana, I think he realized it wasn't a toy. LOL He said "No!" and went to his tent.

I can't wait until tomorrow, the tree is going down as I've had enough fighting the kids to keep their hands off it and maybe I can find my living room floor again (for a short while anyway)

Hope you all had a lovely day as well.

Bah Humbug!

I'm so ready for Christmas to be over! I know it sounds terrible but it's true. I don't think this has been the most pleasant of holidays this year.

1. Bad news from home in the family. Happily it seems to be working itself out but still puts a damper on the "holiday spirit"

2. Buying for the kids proved harder than ever this year. I spend 2 hours last night just wrapping the gifts and thought to myself what the heck did I buy? There didn't seem to be much there.

3. Sheer exhaustion has set in with the pregnancy and it's not been easy. My back is hurting so bad and I can hardly move. Making it heaps harder to enjoy the fun with the kids

4. The weather is blowing major chunks! All week we've been stuck inside because it's too wet to go out. Aidan and Madelynn are climbing the walls with cabin fever and Aidan came down with a cold. Luckily, at the moment it's a minor one but he has passed it on to Madelynn. She is strong as a horse though and it's only been a few sniffles for her.

5. The Christmas tree...will it survive to Christmas Day? I'm not sure, I've tossed out 4 ornaments already thanks to Gretel (our cat) destroying them. Aidan eating a few styrofoam ones and Madelynn deciding that they are super cool like a slinky. So far it's still standing but if Aidan pulls hard enough on the garland it's going to come crashing down.

6. Our visit to Santa was ok, but the pictures of Aidan screaming where great. The look on his face wasn't fear for the fat guy in the red suit, it was for mommy being such a bitch and making him sit on his lap.

7. I wanted this year to have Madelynn call Santa Claus on the phone. They email you the audio of her call and I was excited to do this but...well 2 weeks ago my sister in law decided it would be fun to have her do it when I wasn't there. So I missed it. I waited until yesterday thinking she would do it again but she wanted no part of it. She kicked me and screamed when I handed her the phone "saying she didn't need to talk to him on the phone again" I got my heartbroken, (hormones kicking in here) and started crying as I feel like I missed out on some special moment. This is the 1st Christmas that Madelynn actually talks so I wanted to enjoy it.

8. Brendon begged me to make some sort of cake so he can give it to his co-worker for Christmas. Does he not realize I am pregnant and can barely cook dinner at the moment for the family? LOL I did make something today but it took 3 hours to make brownies. All because I had the help of 2 little people.

I usually can't wait for Christmas to get here so I can enjoy the kids but this year I just want Boxing Day to get here so the tree can go down and the kids have some new toys to play with. I'm 1/2 tempted to just give them the toys early so I can have a break.

Anyway, vent over...Merry Christmas. (seriously!)

Living with the Grinch

Every year Brendon does this to me, he ruins the gift that I bought him for Christmas. This year he's been wanting to get all the dvds of the British tv-series The Black Adder. Since I've known him he raves about this program. I sat and watched it once with him and just about died from lack of comedy. I just don't get British humor. That will be the American in me I know.

Anyway, he has the 1st 3 series and when he bought the last one I said no more, Christmas is coming. 2 weeks ago I found the 4th so I got it and hid it away. Today we go to the Warehouse and he heads straight to the damn dvds. By the time I got caught up to him he had it in his hand. "You're not getting that!" I said. "Why not?" he says. "Because we don't have the money and it's too close to Christmas". He tosses it in the shopping cart anyway. I pulled it back out and said "NO!" He then figures out..."Oh, you bought it for me already for Christmas!" Men sure know how to screw up Christmas!

Exhaustion, frustration and the blahs...

Exhaustion:

I'm so constantly tired! I wake up after a night of uninterupted sleep and I feel like I need a nap. I know it's being pregnant but it's really starting to bug me. It doesn't help that I don't get a nap to rest in the afternoon either like my midwife suggests. Aidan isn't big on napping and if I can get him to sleep I have Madelynn to try to keep quiet. Then on days like today and yesterday when I have Madelynn being quiet watching a DVD she's never seen or at afternoon preschool. Aidan will take a small hour nap and then he's up just as I start to fall into a nap myself. Ugh! I just want some time to myself before this baby comes.

Frustration:

The weather! It's just been so crappy lately it's driving me nuts. We are supposed to have cooler temps and lots of wind thoughout the summer until Febrary all due to El Nino. If I didn't know better I swear I'm living in Wyoming it's so darn windy and miserable.

Also, I've just had it with Christmas shopping. I don't usually have a problem with this. I have it done by now and just avoid town as I hate the traffic etc. This year, I have everyone done except Caitlin. It's really getting to be a total stuggle to find anything for that child. The sad thing is, it shouldn't be. She is nearly 13 and she should be a breeze to buy for. Makeup, music and other crap. But NOOOOOOOOOO she's already got EVERYTHING thanks to her maternal side of the family. It's so bad, that last year even they were buying her things like smoothie makers and bed linen (so she had stuff to take with her when she moved out they said) WHAT? She's only 13!! So my battle continues.

Blahs:

Maybe it's that time of year I just don't know. I've never been one to really get depressed or anything at Christmas time. I've been away from my family for so many years now that it's not really an issue, I miss them and all but I don't feel depressed about it. So why does everything just make me feel "blah"? Hurry up Christmas holidays as I really could use Brendon home for a couple of weeks so I can have a break.

Happy Holidays

I visited Hannah's blog the other day and enjoyed her photos that Christi took. It motivated me to finally get our yearly family Christmas shot up. As usual I had to rush around to find something for everyone to wear and then quickly get the reprints so could post out with the Christmas cards but I did it and managed to get them all mailed by December 1st.

Once again Nikki took the photo and it just turned out so nice. It wasn't as near stressful as last years shoot when Madelynn wouldn't stay still, Aidan was the one who didn't want his picture taken. What I thought was so funny was that he once again had his finger in his mouth like last years. LOL

We also managed to finally get the kids picture taken together this year too. I relented and went to Pixiefoto as I wanted the big 11 x 13 to frame. (Man, I hate that company) But it didn't cost me anything as I still had a free voucher for the picture so I took it and ran.

I think it turned out rather nice considering Aidan had plans of his own that day and it was not to get his picture taken on either occasion. Little monster man!

I just shake my head...

And laugh! This post is for all my old radio buddies and you all know who you are. Joy Lynn White, Stacy Dean Campbell, George Ducas, Larry Stewart, Pirates of the Mississippi. Remember these 90's artists? Pretty much one hit wonders. Well what makes me laugh so hard is country music is hard to find in these here parts. So if I want a new cd I either ask mom to ship it to me (god, I miss the days of free music from the record company!) or I find one on our local auction site Trademe.

This morning I was sifting through the new daily listings for the country music and found these artists. All the cd's on offer were their debut albums and the person selling them stated they were all second hand and only Joy Lynn White was a new cd. Can you guess how much Joy Lynn was selling for? $29.95 plus postage! All these cd's would be in the bulk bargin bin at Hastings! LOL

But that's New Zealand for you, people want brand new prices for 2nd hand stuff. You'd all love the pawn shops here! (NOT)