SPL's Blog

Just a few more days @ Typepad!

make sure you've updated your bookmarks and come find us @:

http://spl.jubjubs.net/

Just a few more days @ Typepad.

See you at jubjubs.net!

SPL's blog is moving!

Dear loyal followers of SPL's blog,

We have a new home thanks to John's efforts:

http://spl.jubjubs.net/

Please update your bookmarks or favorites.  We'll continue to host the site at Typepad for awhile longer but will eventually discontinue our service.

See you at jubjubs.net!

Video: Learning Mandarin

This video of SPL with his new babysitter ready "Wacky Wednesday" was shot Monday morning.  My intention was to post it immediately but the interwebs weren't working (believe it or not!).

Listen for them counting (ee, er, san, suh..) and talking about shoes (she–eh dzuh) as they appear frequently in wacky places throughout the book.

Remember that the video may take some time to load so be patient when it "stops abruptly."

Also, please click the arrow under the video to make it play.

Soloing @ Grandee's and Nana Dana's

Wave to the camera
Originally uploaded by khowe

SPL traveled with us to Georgia in September and while we went to John's cousin's wedding, SPL stayed with his Grandee and Nana Dana. This was only his 2nd solo overnight (first was local with Aunt Beth/Uncle Scott and his cousins) and this time he stayed 2 nights and a day.

He had a fun time trying to catch the flag on their porch, pushing the rescue rider around their yard, taking random phone calls from Hujii (his imaginary friend), building trains (Grandee and Nana Dana have tons!), and going to the Atlanta zoo where he rode the carousel, saw elephants, zebras, meerkats, giraffes, warthogs, gorillas, orangatans, and pandas (I've never seen a live panda!).

I'm sure they had other fun times too but what happens at Grandee's, stays at Grandee's and I'm not privileged to have that information.

thanks for a fun weekend Grandee and Nana Dana!

Public Safety Day

Today was the annual Public Safety Day and SPL and I went to join John who was volunteering in his capacity as Library Board member. 

Here's SPL standing in line waiting for his turn to ride in the firetruck:
http://twitpic.com/fops

and we got lucky -- we rode in Engine #3 which is the one housed down the street:
http://twitpic.com/fovy

great event every year!

Tweets

Thought I'd include some of the Twitter posts that I've made over the past few weeks for those of you not on Twitter:

Yesterday, October 10:
Live from my backseat (yes i'm parked): "I don't need no stinkin' nap!" http://twitpic.com/fkhx

SPL said he wanted to make my hair "shiny & beautiful" http://twitpic.com/fk81

October 2:

Collecting rocks, leaves & feathers now. Tut tut it looks like rain. Chico reservoir is @ 35% so I hope the rain a fall soon. http://twitpic.com/e7q5

Starting day off with BJR & watching him play w/ SPL made today even more fun.

Finally a Thursday morning as originally planned: at home, doing art with SPL, still in my pjs, singing in mandarin.

September 30:
I love 3 year old infectious humor: SPL started a joke @ swimming & the other kids joined in and giggled

September 27:
Getting the update on Hujii from S. Hujii's S's imaginary friend who's from Japan. Sounds like he's gone back. Now we're singing in Mandarin

September 23:
This was his "i'm proud of myself smile" after singing in Mandarin (i hadn't realized he knew most of the words) http://twitpic.com/cufc

Ok this is a direct quote: SPL looked at the iPhone screen & said @lorihc "did aunt lori twitter?"

Funny stories this week

SPL: I'm going to teach you about this seed, mommy . You put it in the dirt and water it.  It's a lettuce seed.
KEH: So when it grows to be a big plant what will it be?
SPL:  It makes lettuce.  Seedy lettuce.  Seedy lettuce with poppy seeds

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SPL is really into squeezing super-tight when he hugs me sometimes and this morning, after giving me one such hug he said "I gave you some of my bones mommy."

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this morning, I heard him singing a song he'd learned from Teacher Wendolyn yesterday called 5 little pumpkins:

5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate
when a witch came flying by.
She took 1 little pumpkin and flew away
to make a pumpkin pie.

And I heard his footsteps running back and forth from our bedroom to the kitchen.  After 2 rounds I realized what he was doing: he'd set up his fort building pillars in our room (I'd seen that part) and he was pretending they were pumpkins and he was the witch carrying them into the kitchen. 

I went to watch and he said with his usual enthusiasm: "wanna be a witch mom?"

who doesn't!

That's my dad (#2407 :-)

John finishing the SJ Rock-n-roll half-marathon -- awesome!
Originally uploaded by khowe

I am vaulting over all the backlog of posts (sorry Grandee, Nana Dana, Daesman) to post this awesome shout out to daddy/John:

Congrats on finishing the half-marathon today! And achieving a new personal best time - -you rock!

Funny Story, recent quotes

Need to clear my desk of some post-its that have been accumulating (I write SPL stories and quotes on them if I'm lucky :-).  So here are a few recent ones:

Animals SPL wants to adopt:
1) Anteater: when you ask SPL why, he says "to eat all the ants!"  (which gets the award for practical as we've been struggling with ants due to the heat)
2) Penguin: not as practical but wins on the cuteness axis.  When asked why, SPL replies "because we eat fish for dinner!"

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SPL: Mom, let me tell you something (these are his exact words.  I love this phrasing).  We have to take 2 books (to breakfast with us -- we'll be walking so I am trying to minimize the load).  If you finish this one, (then there will be) no more book.

SPL (adding on to his argument): 2 is a lucky number!

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SPL:  I want a fruit strip AND a yoghurt shake (for nighttime treat).

KEH:  One or the other -- which one do you want?

SPL:  I want the other -- what is the other?

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SPL's been learning Mandarin Chinese from his babysitter and it's turned him into a Mandarin teacher. He will say: "Mommy/Daddy, say "lan suh (blue in Mandarin)."

SPL: Lan....

KEH: Lan

SPL: suh

KEH: suh.

SPL: Lan suh.  Right.  In English, it's blue.

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JOL (noting that SPL and I had many stickers on our shirts): Why do you both have stickers?
SPL: That's just how it is sometimes.

:-)

Stay Out Hildy Hippo! Correction: Hilda Hippo

Stay Out Hildy Hippo!
Originally uploaded by khowe

This was the final instruction SPL gave me tonight before going to sleep: post 2 signs, 1 @ the front door and 1 on the back to tell Hildy Hippo (one of the characters that occupies his dreams and comes into his room while he sleeps) that she is to stay outside tonight.

It's written in hippo language, in case you were wondering :-)

He did give her permission to play in the yard. Very charitable, I thought.

NOTE: SPL corrected me this morning: it's HildA not HildY.  He also noted that I put note facing INTO this house, not OUT.  So he got some tape and turned the notes around ;-)