Life in the Boonies

10/12 - We’re playing outside the garage. Timmy said “mamamamama” until I said what. Then he said “go. in. watch.” So I stepped inside the garage and watched him zoom down on his car.
10/15 - For the first time Timmy called me mommy instead of mama.
10/16 - Timmy playing with the nesting boxes and got frustrated cuz the big one won’t fit in the small one. So I explained that is big. Other one is little. Later I heard him say “big” and “ettle” as he worked on the boxes. He said “mail” which usually is for oatmeal or meow for cat. But this time he pointed to the mail.

Timmy has been saying “dodi dodi” for I do it. For when he climbs into the carseat, climb down the feeding chair, opening his sippy cup straw part, etc. He has to go xixishuo (wash hands) after doit climbing down chair. Now he requests soap. He says “soap” Then he says “bubble” He doesn’t like to rinse it off.

Timmy loves the clock upstairs. He says clock as we go upstairs. He says “blue, yayo” I say blue, green. He says “breen”.

10/16 - He says “byebye seeyou” and goes hide in the closet all the time. Today Frank and him were both in the closet and Frank didn’t want Timmy to go in the storage room. I told Timmy to let Frank go and knock on the door. He understood and said “notnot” as he knocked.

Timmy says “k” First I heard of this was Frank telling me that he told Timmy to do something and Timmy said “ok”. I pressed him since I didn’t believe Timmy can say that. Frank said, “not the letter K mommy. He doesn’t know the letter K. He just said k. ok?” Later I heard it myself. Frank says, “Timmy don’t come over here. I’ll be right back, ok?” Timmy said “k”

10/15 - After dropping Frank off at school, I took Timmy to the store. On the way back he said “song” when the song stopped. He said it twice and then the next song started so he stopped. I think he asked for more song.

Timmy says “pumpin” for pumpkin. “bump” for when he bumps his head or hits himself somewhere. He says “dadi” instead of dada but I can’t remember if it is new or always been. Clearly says “sand”. He said “greape” for grapes at the store. He does the thing with his fingers for spider like in the itsy bitsy spider song. He says “run” and “drink” and “hot” and “cold”. He said “kookie, down, ball” and put the ball down to head to the pantry for a cookie. He also says “draw” and does it alot since Frank likes to color. He says “see” when he wants to look at something. He said “nitenite, see you” and pulled the covers on himself in our bed while lying down on the pillow.

When I say no to him he cries like the saddest thing in the world just happened.

Still cooperative with naps. After lunch we walk upstairs with yaya. Stop to look at the clock now. Then climbs into bed and I leave. He is in there anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours. Sometimes he wakes up screaming after 1 hour and I can pat him back down for another hour.

VaiPoa (maternal grandma) is visiting and she doesn’t speak much English. Does that stop Frank, no. He is just yapping away. I guess he just needs someone to listen. Then he asks her “how come you walk so slow?” I translated and told him because she is old. When you get old you walk slow. Frank says, “I’m not old. I can go really fast.” Then he jumped off his chair and ran around the kitchen 2 times. How old do you think vaipoa is? Frank says “seven” heehee. How old do you think mommy is? Frank says “seven”

I left Timmy home with my mom the first day to take Frank to school. Big mistake. Now he associates vaipoa with me leaving or something. Long crying screaming when they are alone in the room. Now alittle better but he tells her “shoo”. Whenever she sits in the passenger seat in front of Timmy, Timmy starts to cry. We don’t know why that is so. Timmy points to vaipoa and says “that?” I say vaipoa. Today he said “poo” pointing to my mom. Getting closer.

Frank loves vaipoa and wants to show her everything. We all went to the zipline park and Frank impressed everyone by actually doing the monkey bars. Not just hanging. From first to last bar. He wants me to video it over and over again. And he did the zipline standing up and had to do it 7 times before going home and I had to video that too. He is getting quite vain about pictures and video. Although he still doesn’t know how to smile for the camera.

Vaipoa is getting Frank to count in Chinese. Even Timmy is imitating the sounds.

Timmy was napping so Frank and vaipoa worked on my 1000 piece puzzle. They put a few pieces together and had a good time.

Haircut today. Bribed Timmy with M&Ms. It works. When asked what color he hesitated. Then Frank said brown. Timmy said brown. I held the jar for Timmy and he picked out the brown one. Then he took another one. Then I put it away.

Frank tried to get vaipoa to help him floss. Then he came down to tell me she is not doing a good job. She only floss the front teeth. He is tattling. On the other hand, he told me Timmy was spitting water on the windowsill. When I asked my mom, she said yes and Frank told Timmy no and then got the sponge to clean it up. Go Frank.

The past three days both kids got up and played nicely in their room until I went up to get them. Today, I hear Frank at 6am and caught him just as he turned the light on. I got Timmy back in bed and took Frank to my bed. I hope it won’t set a nasty precedent. Anyways, I got Frank to take a nap so I guess not a total loss.

Frank: Mommy, can you go get the rest of the road. It is upstairs under the train table. In one of the bins. On the other side.
Mom: Ok. Please and thank you.
Frank: Please. I’ll say thank you when you come back downstairs.

In the car driving Nat to the airport shuttle. Frank in PJs.
Frank: I want to go to the donut store.
Mom: Do you have any money?
Frank: No. Because I have no pockets. You have money.
Nat: Frank you are full of expenses.
Frank: No I’m not full of expensives.
Mom: Do you know what expenses are Frank?
Frank: Timmy is full of expensives because he always need diapers on his peegu (butt).

Driving to grandma’s house over the railroad crossing:
Frank: What was that bump?
Dad: I don’t know. What do you think it was?
Frank: It was the railroad tracks.

Getting ready to go home to bed. Grandma is putting Frank’s PJs on.
Frank: I wear underpants to bed, like adults.
Grandma: Yes you do. You are an adult.
Frank: No, I’m not really adult. But I’m big.

Coming back from Grandma’s:
Frank: At the stop sign, turn to the other road where there is other stop sign.”
Dad: Now what?
Frank: Now turn some more and go to the railroad tracks.
Frank: Now go pass the trees and …
Dad: That is alot of directions.
Next morning in the car,
Frank: Here are more directions. Go up the hill and pass the camel.
Dad: I only saw a cow.
Frank: Pass the boat and the house and to the stop sign.
Dad: What should I do at the stop sign?
Frank: Stop.

In the morning Frank was eating Cheerios out of the SnapTrap cup. Timmy didn’t want any so he went to play. Then Timmy came back to grab the cup from Frank and in the struggle one Cheerio fell on the floor. Timmy ran to it and picked it up and ran away so fast while putting it in his mouth. Meanwhile, Frank is screaming cuz he didn’t want Timmy to eat his Cheerios.

Frank just woke up from his nap and is lying on the floor with bunny. Timmy comes over and stands right next to Frank’s head. Yaya is just about touching Frank but not quite. Frank pushes Timmy away with his head. No success. Timmy moves alittle then returns. Frank pushes harder with his head. Then finally so hard that Timmy falls down. I’m right behind them just watching. Timmy starts to cry while sitting on the ground with yaya and looking at me. I said, “Then don’t stand there!” He stops crying. Gets back up and goes to stand there again. Frank makes whining noises and pushes some more. I finally separated them.

Where do little brothers learn how to annoy their big brothers like that.

Frank learns to ride without training wheels.

Bedtime.  Frank goes to pee.
I say, “Timmy, it’s time for bed.”
He says, “nuo.”
I say, “Why not?  What are you waiting for?”
Timmy walks over to Frank’s bed and points.  He says, “rank”

Timmy likes the clock with Monster Inc characters on it.  He says “clock” and “arrrrggg”

Nap time for Timmy.  After being in bed for an hour, he came out knocking Nat’s office door.
Nat: “Timmy, go back to sleep”
Timmy pats his bottom. (signal for smelly diaper)
Nat changes him downstairs and then said, “ok Timmy, go upstairs and back to sleep.”
Timmy walks upstairs and when Nat gets up there a few minutes later,  Timmy is in bed curled up.

Timmy says: phone,byebye seyou, Al,  peekboo, yayo (yellow), bee (bees, flies, spiders), doit (I do it), meal(oatmeal), jiji(private part), nice, hand, man, sun, seashell, eyes, teeth

Timmy asks permission alot by being in a position to do something like jumping, hitting, throwing, or kicking.  He holds the position and waits for me to say ok.  If I tell him no, he usually doesn’t.

Frank tracing letters.  For letters ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘d’, and ‘p’ he always asks, circle first or line first.

Frank tells Timmy, “You have to wear the hat if you want to draw.”  Timmy picks up the hat and puts it back on.

Frank playing with rescue center and he asks, “is it thundering mommy?”
Mom: “No.”
Frank: “Not outside mommy.  Pretend.”
Mom: “Yes”
Frank preceeds to get all the vehicles and people into the rescue center house.

Frank counts in Chinese.  With me in the car he went up to 5.  With grandma he said “I can only count to 3.  Yi, er, san.”

Frank wants oatmeal or pancake every morning.  He eats more oatmeal than Nat.

Dinner time.  Uncle Al is with us.
Nat says, “Al, ….”
Frank asks, “Why did you say Al.”
Nat: “Al is short for Uncle Al.”
Mom: “What?  Uncle Al is short?”
Frank: “No mom.  Uncle Al’s name is short.”

Lunch time.  Dad is making lunch.  Mom is outside playing with Frank and Timmy.
Frank: “Mommy, I want you to go inside and make lunch.”
Mom:  “Why do you want me to go inside?”
Frank: “Cuz I’m going to do something you don’t like.”
Mom: “Like what?”
Frank: “I’m going to pluck the berries of the tree and hit them with my racket.”

After bath and Nat is drying Frank.  He squashes Frank.
Frank: “Daddy, don’t squash me.  If you squash me, I will come squash you in the morning.”

All the time Timmy says, “mama, mama, mama” louder and louder until I say “What?”
Then he points to something and say it’s name in his normal voice.  “train, ball, yayo (yellow), etc”

Nat is reading Frank a dinosaur book and explain that they lived long ago.
Frank: “Like when we lived at the old house?”

Frank sings when he is done pottying so I come help him.  One time he went to pee and then decided he had to poop.  When he sang the song no one came.  Then daddy rescued him.