The Things That 2-Year Olds Get A Kick Out Of...

Connor is the VERY proud owner of a Band-Aid today (no worries Safety Police and Grandparents...it was used for a small-ish injury that didn't even make him cry). In fact when I got home from work, his first words were, "Mama. MAMA! Connor got Band-Aid!!" As you might guess, this is his first encounter with a Band-Aid. Apparently it ranks up there with real stickers and Monster Max sightings. I wish I had a video of this, but the Band-Aid placed on his knee impaired his ability to bend it... even WHILE WALKING. No Big Deal.

Conversations During Rush Hour

The other day I had an early appointment and found myself in morning rush hour traffic, a quite unusual occurrence (as I am definitely NOT a morning person). Connor on the other hand, apparently is. He was THRILLED to be in rush hour. Seriously. It seems there is no greater place to be when you are a two year old boy with a strong liking for large trucks, cranes, & diggers. Ever since Connor got a Trucktown book, he's been slightly obsessed. So we had a twenty minute conversation that basically went like this:



C: "Look Mama! Its Big Rig Mo!"
Me: "Yep, I see him."
C: "Where Mo going?"
Me: "I don't know. Where do you think he's going?"
C: "Hum...hum...Daddy's work!"



C: "Look Mama! Dumper Dan!"
Me: "Yes, there is Dumper Dan."
C: "Where he going?"
Me:"I don't know. Where do you think he's going?"
C:"Umm, to play!"

Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera. All in all we saw 8 Big Rig Mos, 3 Dumper Dans (one which was pulling a tractor...very, very exciting!), 2 other tractors, 1 crane truck (aka "Rosie"), 1 Jack the Tow Truck, and 1 Gabby the Garbage Truck. The only disappointment was that no brave soul was driving a Monster Max (Connor's absolute fav) through big city rush hour.

Maybe we should make rush hour traffic a regular outing? I think I will need more coffee...

Bed Head

Connor seems to be a Mini-Casey in almost every way. However, there is one thing that he surely inherited from his Mama... A bad case of the Bed Heads. This is the most concerning type of bed head, where even water does not tame the haphazard waves into place. It can be a bit scary for all involved, even Connor himself.

Desperate Measures

Lately Connor has been Mr. Independent as only a typical 2 year old can be. One of his daily independence strikes is to only sit down to eat when he is good and ready. This is usually NOT when we are eating, NOT when there are any fun toys in sight, and definitely NOT when we have to hurry to be somewhere. So, occasionally I have to pull a trick out of my bag. Today after trying to coax him into eating lunch (after skipping breakfast to play in lego land, a.k.a. our living room) for TWENTY minutes. It was time for a trick, and a really good one. Now, some might view this trick to be a tad mean, but desperate times call for desperate measures. (And please let me assure you that Connor skipping two meals in a row was heading down the road to a very grumpy and desperate afternoon!) There is only one thing that disturbs Connor more than being told when to eat...and that is when Daisy eats his food. This is not usually allowed in our house, but occasionally happens by accident. For example, when Connor leaves his plate on his low table unfinished, Daisy has a tendency to jump up there and start scarfing down the remains. (Even when he is totally done, this bothers Connor to the extreme. So much so, that he started clearing is own plate without being taught/asked to do so.) Here is Connor defending his plate with an angry, "No Daisy!" So, it was time to bring out the big guns, "Connor, should I let Daisy eat your lunch today?" I have never seen a 2-year old drop everything and run so fast in his entire life.

The Couch Fort

On a recent visit to Aunt Erica's & Uncle Troy's Connor learned the fine art of couch fort building. The beauty of this activity, is that it provides endless hours of entertainment with material that most people already own. The downside, of course, is that you must thoroughly clean under your couch cushions unless you want months of lint, dog hair, cereal, spare change, and what-nots to go flying all over your carpet. (Side note: If you happen to find something that looks edible such as a peanut, do not, I repeat DO NOT eat it. It won't turn out well. Just ask Connor's adult cousin Scottie.)

This is no ordinary fort, according to Connor. It is "A Tunnel!!" said with great glee. As the gate keeper of the tunnel, I am usually in charge of putting the door back on each and every time Connor plows through. What can I say? It's a very important job, obviously.