Halloween - backwards

6. The boys with their treats: candy for Pepe, beer and pizza for daddy!















5. Coming home with his treats...The looks says "No pictures".















4. Pepe rang the bell at the spooky house. This house is the best. I could not get all the little details, but there were scary inscriptions, and fumes coming out of the ground, and skulls talking...but nothing strays Pepe away from some good candy!
















3. And more gathering - notice Chris wearing a hat. We had over 60 degrees today...















2. More gathering


















1. Gathering - Notice Pepe in his pumpkin shirt. Yes, once again he refused to wear his costume. Chris was a bit embarrassed, but I say the kid's got will and personality. He does not follow the norm!

in case you did not know..

Pepe: Can I have some candy? I need candy!
Chris: You can have a lollipop.
Pepe: That's not candy, that's a snack!

***
Eating dinner, Pepe gulping down his pasta (drenched in parm cheese).
Chris: Pepe, do you know what my kids had for snack today?
Pepe: I don't know...raisins? crackers?
Chris: Good guesses. They had pasta, just like you are having now.
Pepe: That's not a snack! I have graham crackers for snack and I eat it all up!
(True, this kids has a salty and sweet tooth; give him crackers, chips, popcorn, ice cream, cake, candy and he is a happy camper!)

from the mouth of Pepe

AM: Pepe, your cousin Landen is coming to Boston for Thanksgiving.
Pepe: Where is he?
AM: He lives in Florida.
Pepe: We should have him over. That's be nice.
***

Pepe: Hey, I am talking right now! It's my turn!
***

Pepe loves peanut butter (totally my son, I could not exist without peanut butter!). The other day I packed him a sunflower butter and jelly sandwich for school (no peanut butter allowed at school). I asked Pepe if he ate it, and he said: "No, it is dangerous!". Then I opened his lunch box and the Tupperware with the sandwich was sealed with masking tape, and there was a note on top of it, with red printed letters "PLEASE READ, someone has peanut allergy, don't send peanut butter to school". So now my kid does not eat peanut butter anymore, and when I offer it to him he says: "I can't, it is dangerous!". The things kids learn at school...
***
I hear this at least 10 times every day:
Pepe: Mama, do you want to see some crosswalks on the computer? I want to see some crosswalks on the computer. The one that goes "A-ha, A-ha".

Pepe: Mama, can I see a lighthouse on the computer? The one that blinks.
***

what's been doing...

We celebrated Chris's bday on Thursday. The big 44. Pepe and I made a card, and then I wanted to figure out what we should get daddy.

AM: Pepe, it's daddy's bday on Thursday.
P: Daddy's bday?
AM: Yes, what should we get him?
P: Hm, donuts...
AM: OK
P: And gum..
AM: yeah,
P: And pizza
AM: OK
P: And lighthouses....

So we did get the first 3...which started Pepe on the pattern of asking for donuts every morning. He loves to eat the glaze only, so he eats around and around until all the glaze in gone, and then he comes to me and says: "Mommy, do you want some? It is really good", and hands me the leftovers.

Chris's celebration was 3 fold. On Thursday Grandma and Paca Jim came over for some blue ribbon barbecue (yum!) and lava cakes and pecan pies (yumyum!!). Pepe was sooo excited! He helped daddy blow candles, and then he kept asking for more and more icecream ("I need more icecream with my cake"), eating only the icecream and not the cake... Last night Jessy came over and stayed with Pepe, and Chris and I met up with Charlie and Sonia (Sonia's bday treat!)and Al for a super dinner in Somerville. I don't remember last time we ate so much. I was full after the appetizers (blue cheese fondue anyone?). I had 1/2 glass of vodka with grapefruit juice and got to a super happy giddy place instantly (yeah, it does not take much for me). We all stayed up way to late, playing games back at our place, then checking the sports (Chris) and reading (I find that if I stay up later than 1am, I am no longer tired). So this am both Chris and I had headaches and tummy aches and felt so old and unable to keep up with Pepe's enthusiasm - but we swam at the Y and are both feeling better:) Tonight we will celebrate again with Papi and Pepe is super excited to see the kitty cats!

*
I am super excited that we finally bought new clothes for Pepe. He grew so much in the last couple of months, that nothing fit properly. Jeans up to his ankles, 3/4 sleeved shirts, may make a fashion statement, but not the type I am interested in... So I got him new pants and shirts at Old Navy, including 1$ Halloween shirts, super super cute! If grooming would come this easy. I would love to be able to hire someone to cut Pepe's finger and toe nails, comb his hair, wash his face (not the teeth, he loves to wash them for some reason, maybe bc the training toothpaste tastes good?)...Pepe's attitude? "We can do that later, mommy. I am busy right now".

Making brownies

This evening Pepe and I made brownies. This was a first for Pepe. He was very excited to help. He got his stool close to the counter, pour the package into the bowl, cracked the eggs, poured the oil and water, and stirred and stirred. At some point, I hear: "Hm, is this chocolate?", and the little hand start diving into the bowl. "This is yummy". The hand dives again, and again, and again. Pepe's face becomes chocolaty, along with his hands and sweater. Finally we pour the remaining mix into a couple of pans and Pepe is left with the bowl to lick...Down the memory lane I go to the times when my mom or Buni used to make goodies, and my brother and I would have to wait until the mix is poured into the pan, and then see who is quickest at getting to the bowl....

Playing with marbles - one of Pepe's favs

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET, GOOOOOOO!

Tough a Truck show in Rye - with Grandma

what's new

We had a great weekend sans Pepe, who was busy going to a "truck show" and visiting Nana (Jim's mom) and playing his guitar at Grandma's house. Chris picked Pepe up on Monday morning. We heard that Pepe was "so good" for Grandma. Well, not so much for mom and dad when he got home. First off, he did not want to get out of the car, and screamed for 15 minutes. Finally I got him in the house by telling him that I made a new crosswalk/lights in the porch. He was super excited to see them. Pepe's fascination with crosswalks is beyond any description. It's what he can talk about all day. He wants to press the button. Everyday after school we have to go "use"one... But I digress... Chris went out to play some tennis and I was in charge with putting Pepe to bed. Now, Pepe did not take any naps while at Grandma's. He was not to go down without a fight. And a fight it was. We tried sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed, and finally around 2 pm I decided to put up with the screaming and transfer Pepe into his crib. He screamed, but he slept. Yeah. This business with napping is not only for me (OK, it is mostly for me, I like my weekend naps and catching up on work while Pepe sleeps), but he is so pleasant when rested; plus, he still naps at school, and I think it is important for him to have continuity. In the afternoon we went hiking in the Fells, used a few crosswalks, and then played at home. Somewhere in there I gave the boy a haircut (yes, screams and screams - this boy likes control even more than his mommy!) followed by jellybeans and skittles (this boy likes his sugar even more than his mommy..OK, as much as his mommy!). Tuesday there was no school; I called a few times in the am, from work, and all I could hear was Pepe screaming. Nap time was horrible again. In the afternoon he was reasonable. I took him to the pizza store for dinner, we got a movie (dollar night, rent one, get one free) , used the crosswalk, had more dinner at home, and dreamed about FT daycare starting today. Yeah!!!

eating favorites

parmesan cheese by the spoonful, with finger licking ketchup, equal preschooler delight...and parents.......bewilderment.

what i've learned in the past few weeks

1. If I bribe Pepe with a future activity, I need to hold up to the bribery. Otherwise, the boy will hold me up to it.

After school Pepe and I stopped at the "new crosswalk" on Gray street, so that Pepe could use it. Pepe pressed the button twice and stopped the traffic twice. He wanted to keep doing this, but I got to embarrassed - it was rush hour, and people wanted to get back home, not get stuck at a traffic light because a little boy enjoys pressing the button.. So in order to get Pepe back in the car and stop the oh ho huge tears, I mentioned that "Maybe daddy will take you back later, when there aren't these many cars". So after dinner, Pepe asked Chris to go see the crosswalk. Chris said no. Pepe came to me and started yelling: "Mom, but you said so, you said I see the crosswalk with daddy". Well, I can't expect a 3 y old to remember the word "maybe" in a sentence that involve crosswalks..So crosswalk again it was!

2. I can't even spell "crosswalk" in front of Pepe - he knows what I mean.

3. The boy will do anything, I mean anything to delay: a. getting to bed ("I need a snack", "i need to eat at the table", "I need to get a drink", I need this, and that) and b. going to school ("I don't want to", :"we have to see the crosswalk", "I want to eat my waffle", "I want to...", "I am not ready").

4. The boy will press and press, push and push to get his way. It's like pain patients who want drugs, they harass and harass until they convince you that they need their narcotics and you let yourself be convinced out of pure exhaustion.

5. Rules for others do not apply to him.

P: "I don't like L., he hits, bites and scratches".
AM: Does C hit?
P. No
AM: Do you like C?
P: Yes, he is my best friend. Sure, I like him.
AM: So you like boys who are nice and don't hit.
P: Yes, sure.
AM: Do you bite?
P: No
AM: Do you hit?
P: Sure, sometimes.
AM: Why?
P: I hit B because he had my toy.
AM: Does B want to play with you?
P: Sure, yes.
AM: Are you sure? I would not want to play with a boy that hits.
P: Sure, yes, he plays. I get the toy. It's good. Sure.

6. When there are kids around ('my friends') parents become secondary, or better nonexistant.

7. If I want Pepe to leave a playground I need to stick together with the parent of the child Pepe plays with, and set a common timeframe for the boys.

8. I need to have an appealing snack in the car at all times - otherwise it may take forever to get Pepe back in the car without screaming.

a good brain for the boy

I don't remember whether I have blogged about Pepe's memory. It's impressive. Way better than mine when it comes to directions and places. When he was less than 2 he would point to the street that we took to get to the playgre libraryound, and later on even in the dark he'd point and say "playground". After going to the "alligator mall" (aka Burlington) only once, he pointed to it when on our way to New Hampshire, saying "Alligator Mall". And there more that I can't remember. Because my memory is not that great in this regard. This is why I blog.

So lets fast forward. Pepe is now 3 and 2 months. Yesterday Pepe and Chris got a new book from the library, a book about lighthouses. It's a "big kid" book, black and white, with drawings rather than pictures and lots of writing. Chris and Pepe looked over it before nap once. Last night I put Pepe down and he wanted to read the lighthouse book. Which we did. The moment I turned the page ("so I can see more", as Pepe says), Pepe immediately announced a summary of what was in the text, "This lighthouse eroded (eroded?????) and they built another one". "This is from France". "This is modern". "This is an old lighthouse. They did not have electricity so they used gas". I doubled checked with Chris. They looked over the book only one time. So the boy has a good brain, when it comes to what he really likes. Hopefully he'll find many things he likes and do them well. Unfortunately he does not like potty training, not yelling, going down easily for naps...oh well!

"I want a hot summer" - Pepe, Friday am on the way to school.