Big Boy

It's funny how we take for granted the simple things we do every day.

Drinking from a straw, for instance... about a week ago, Alex learned to drink from a straw.

We went to lunch at our favorite mexican restaraunt http://www.freddieslacabana.com/ after church and had forgotten his sippy cup. As I was giving him one straw-worth at a time he started to suck the water in!!! Breakthrough!!! So, I offered him the straw in the cup and he couldn't have been more proud of himself! He all but drained the cup. We all clapped and oohed and aahed, congratulating him on his latest achievement!

This always makes me laugh. We forget the things that kids have to learn. Walking, stabbing food with a fork (and then actually making it to your mouth), putting your arm thru the sleeve in your shirt... pooping...

I had never laughed so hard (B.C.) as the time that friends were expectantly asking their daughter "are you pooping?" in the middle of a restaraunt.

It doesn't even sound weird when I say it now... how'd that happen?

But when did we stop cheering each other's accomplishments?

I went to the craft store today and only bought the fabric I needed for my project... Where are my oohs and aahs? Do you have any idea the will power I demostrated? I should get a high-five or something.

And it makes us feel better too - when we cheer him on we feel like we were a part of the accomplishment. Like we did it too.

This picture is from last night. Stan was grilling hamburgers for dinner so Alex & I were sitting at the patio table keeping him company. Alex wanted to sit and have a drink just like Mommy.

I love these moments.

I took a drink, he took a drink. I put my glass down, he put his down. I stuck my tongue out at him, he stuck his out at me... oh, and he said Doggie - with the 'g' and all! "daw-gee!" Too cute.

Keys?

Yesterday Stan called me at work stating that he had a problem. My immediate response is of course, 'is everyone ok?'... the following conversation not only left me in stitches, but I laughed so hard I fell off the fence and decided to start this blog. I hope you will all enjoy. Mostly however, this is the easiest way this working mom can think to keep track of all the incredible, messy, lovely adventures that are coming our way with a toddler in the house!

So, the conversation went like this:

Stan: Yes, we're all ok. Alex took my keys and hid them.

Tracy: So use your spare set.

Stan: That was my spare set.

Tracy: Ok. Well, did you ask him where he put them?

Stan: Yes, he said "Kss", then ran away laughing.

Tracy: Did you watch where he went?

Stan: Yes, he's not helping. I think he knows exactly what he did.

Tracy: (muffled snickers) Did you look in the trunk of his toy car? Did you pick up all the blankets? The cracks of the couch? Did he put them back on the table? Did he put them in a box, because I was trying to teach him to put things in the boxes?

Stan: Great (with a healthy dose of sarcasm)... No, I shook all the boxes.

Tracy: You could always call Amber (his caretaker) and beg her to pretty please pick him up for you?

Stan: No, I'll find them.

So, I laughed some more and we hung up. I got a text message from Stan about 2 minutes later saying he had found the keys. Alex put them in his monkey backpack.

One of my younger brothers hid my Mom's keys all the time. He would stash them under his pillow at bedtime so she couldn't go anywhere without him knowing... I'm going to say that Alex put them in the backpack because he was getting ready to go. But it's all speculation. And I'm still laughing.