I learned it from watching you!

Some signs that Zachio is getting older. He can now push the crosswalk button all by himself! He might even be taller than his baby cousin Hub! And perhaps the biggest testiment is that we have begun the wild adventure of potty training complete with big boy underwear!

For the most part he has already mastered this skill! Already has a favorite pair of big boy underwear (Fireman Emo - Thanks to Bub). He has also decided that he prefers to pee alone. Lately he proclaims:

"Daddy I have to go potty!!! I'll do it myself" and with that he darts to the closet bathroom, grabs the stool, down go his pants and elmos and he pees away. I stand in the doorway ready at a moment notice to save him in case he falls in or more likely decides to empty the entire roll of toilet paper into the toilet!!!

The other day he bolted into the bathroom after his potty declaration - with absolutely no hint that anything would be different. As I peer into the bathroom to make sure that nothing is amiss, I see him standing barebottom on the stool looking out the bathroom window. Now any of you who have potty trained a child now that this is a not good. There are few firm rules in potty training, but 1 g-d given rule is that you should always face the tiolet when peeing (as long as you are a boy - don't want to confuse any of you)!

"Umm Zachio," no sooner had I started to offer some advice on his tiolet centric coordinates, I hear an unmistakable sound! Pzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, dribble, dribble, Pzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Zachio is definately my son, distracted by a passing squirrel he had peed on the wall! Not only on the wall but on a roll of tiolet paper! The worse is that he turned to me with a big grin - "Daddio, I peed on the wall! Its like peeing on a tree!" Unfortunately, I started laughing! And between guffaws, did my best to explain that we can only pee on trees when we are outside in the woods and when we are inside we have to pee in the tiolet. Not sure if that lesson got thru to his genius mind. Only time will tell.

Best Excuse Ever!

Now before I begin, I just want to make it clear to everyone that I am not in favor of excuses. But I feel compelled to share this story with you.

I am trying my best to have Zachio "help" around the house. True "help" is debatable since he is not even 3 yet. One of the things I ask him to do is to clear his plate after super. On Saturday night when I asked him to clear his plate, he looked up at me with his adorable brown eyes and said:

"Daddy, I am not going to clear my plate, I am busy...sitting in my chair!"

Is it alright if I use that excuse at work...Sorry boss, I am not gonna teach today, I am to busy sitting in my chair!

This picture is unrelated to the post but I figured I share!

Zachio self-portrait!

Be advised - an almost three year old can use a digital camera!

Mornings are Hectic!

It might seem obvious that getting ready in the morning is a little hectic with Z running around. Luckily Zachio loves to read. So in the morning after he consumes his 0-6 bowls of cereal (the amount he eats depends on some unknown alignment of the planets that I am still trying to decipher), I give him a piggy back to my bedroom and plunk him onto the bed. I then hand him a three foot high pile of books that lives next to my bed. He dives into them right away. I quickly jump into the shower and wash my 3000 body parts. The pile of books usually buys me a solid 6 minutes to shower! For some reason, yet to be determined, the other day Z wasn't interested in his books. Of course, his lack of interest into his books didn't happen until I was in the shower.

Z walks into the shower, calmly opens the shower door, sticks his head into the shower and exclaims: "Daddy, don't poop or pee in the shower!". After these words of wisdom he calmly closes the shower door, walks into the bedroom and starts reading.

Here are some pics of our morning shaving ritual!

Bub and Zade came and Conquered!

Z's Bub and Zade came and visited last weekend! They were a tremendous help in every way possible! Not surprising that there mid-western grandson is such a good kid - he comes from good stock! Thanks B & Z!

A Monkey Clock!

The other day it dawned on me that I probably need more than 1 set of sheets. (For the last several months I have just washed the set I have and put them back on the bed when they are dry!) So Zachio and I went to Target to get some sheets. While I was trying to decipher the difference between a 450 thread count and a 300 thread count fitted sheet, Z noticed a clock shaped like a monkey.


Z: Daddy can I get it. Daddy I need a monkey clock! As he is begging he is dragging the clock behind him.


D: Z why do you need a clock?



Z: Ummm, its a monkey clock! (As if everyone has a basic need of a monkey clock.)



D: No, you can't get the monkey clock maybe some other time - I told him. Luckily at almost three he still buys that line!


So after much humming and hawwing Z and I get out of the store with a set of sheets and a no monkey clock. Later in the day, after Z has gone to his mother's I think to myself - everyone does have a need for a monkey clock, specially an almost 3 year old boy! So I drive back out to Target and get him the monkey clock! (Am I still a softy if I wait a few hours before I give in?!?) . When I get home I hang it up in his room.


As always my time without Z flies by and before I know it he is back at home with me! (It always seems that he comes home as soon as I the house is clean!!!) By this point in time I being myself have completely forgotten about the monkey clockk. Z and I spend the day playing, reading and have a good old time.

At some point during the day he runs into his room and sees the monkey clock.


Z: Daddy, a Monkey Clock! A Monkey Clock! Daddio, there is a Monkey Clock! You got me a Monkey CLOCK! He screams at the top of his lungs and is literally bouncing of the walls! It is the happiest I have seen the happy guy!


D: "Zachio, do you know why I got you a monkey clock?"


Z: CAUSE YOU LOVE ME!!!!!!!!


My heart instantly melted - not that I want him to associate things with love, but because he knows I love him. Better yet he verbalized it! It is so sweet- in his world giving a monkey clock can signify so much. We should all go out and give monkey clocks to those that are special to us!







The Clock!














How I looked when Z told me he knows I love him

The ironies of Parenting!

Every week Z goes to the library and gets a bunch of books. Being the child of an academic he dutifully devours the books (don't worry he reads them too!). This past week one of the books was a Berenstein Bears classic - "A case of the Gimmies". This thoughtful, awe-inspiring text revolves around how Ma and Pa Bear handle Brother and Sister Bears' tatrums.

Yesterday Z literally had a full out tantrum, he was on the floor kicking, slapping his hands and screaming at the top of his lungs. You know what he was screaming - "Daddio, Daddio READ ME THE GIMMIES! READ ME THE GIMMIES! DADDIO DADDIO THE GIMMIES THE GIMMIES!

Probably didn't help his tantrum that I had an uncontrollable case of belly laughter! I laughed so hard I started to cry! Finding to laugh at in the everyday is pretty easy in my world! =)

(This pic goes with the last post I am just to lazy to put it there. )