The Daily Jude 10/31/11

Halloween! The Plymouth community center had a great little festival for the small ones, but Jude was mostly concerned with the purple balloons.

The Daily Jude 10/30/11

Mmmmm.... Fancy cheese.....

The Daily Jude 10/29/11

Jude had a cupcake at our early childhood family education class this week and this was the result...

The Daily Jude 10/28/11

We finally got Jude to try on his cape! He was like, the World's FASTEST Runner with that thing on! SUPER JUDE!!!!!!!

The Daily Jude 10/27/11

Checking out the PURPLE Halloween card from GrandmaRey! Thanks, G'ma!

The Daily Jude 10/26/11

Jude is newly obsessed with helping to feed the dog. And when he's done, it's very important that we high-five about it.

Now I know my...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYUOTvbNcKU

Liz

The Daily Jude 10/24/11

More, more applesauce?

That was the request, three times over. When we tried to convince him that he did not need a third helping of applesauce and might we suggest sampling the lovely spinach cheese scramble that was on his plate, he obliged. Followed by dramatic spits and wiping of the tongue to get the evil, poisonous green death (spinach) off his being. He's totally biologically related to Lindsay.

Okay, Mommy, you're kind of fun.

We -- Jude and Mommy -- have been going through a rough stage lately.  I am usually the one to go into his bedroom first in the morning.  For the past several weeks, the first words out of his mouth have been "No No Mama."  If you don't speak Jude, this means "Who in the hell are you?   Bring me the other mom!"  Needless to say, it hasn't exactly warmed my maternal heart.  

This "No No Mama" has slowly been invading other parts of my relationship with Jude as well.  

"No No Mommy books:" he will only sit and read books if Mama was sitting down and he was in her lap.  

"No No Mommy sit:" he will only eat if Mama is sitting at the table with him.  Me, not so much.

So being the concerned parent that I am, I Googled it.  I believe that my exact words were "toddler parent rejection."  And my old friend, Berkeley Parents Network, popped right up.  Ah, I was immediately comforted that other over-bearing, over-educated, over-concerned parents from all of Northern California had similar experiences.  Most of them said that it started with their child around 20 months (wow) and I didn't really find a pattern in whether it was the biological mother or father that was being rejected (which was a relief, because my self-conscious was starting to think that the only way that I was going to get over this rejection was to get pregnant with the next one).

The wise posters on the Berkeley Parents Network suggested that I increase the amount of one on one time that I was spending with Jude.  Even if it was on boring things like trips to the grocery store, maybe Jude needed to learn that I a) could be fun (I try to explain to him how fun I used to be and he just looks confused) and b) was completely capable of taking care of him.  So on Friday after I picked him up from school early, we went to the park.

Side note: On the way to the park, I drove through Starbucks for a grande iced coffee with white mocha.  As I pulled up to the window, the woman handed me my frosty caffeinated beverage.  Jude exclaimed from the back seat "Mommy cold coffee!!"  He too seemed as thrilled about my iced coffee pick me up as I was.

We decided to go to a different park that our standard neighborhood haunt.  This is the park that we drive by every day on the way to day care and he says "bye bye slide" as we pass.  I think that if he was fully fluent, he would say "slide, maybe some day when my wench of a mom decides to be a little spontaneous, we'll stop so I can take you for a test ride."  Well, Jude, Friday was that day.

Jude was so excited about the tunnel that he could hardly stand it.  He is thrilled every time we go through a tunnel in the car (and that includes any freeway overpass) and he loudly exclaims "TUNNO" from the back seat.  Jude was overwhelmed with joy at his own personal tunnel.

He didn't go down any of the big slides, but I can't say that I blame him.  I know that there is this whole movement now about playgrounds being too safe, but those slides were really high!  And the twisty slide (which had 3 twists, I might add) didn't have very high sides.  I told you, over-bearing, over-educated, and over-protective.

I thought that we were heading home when Jude spotted the blue swing.  Now, you may remember that when Jude was an infant, we put him in the swing and he looked around trying to figure out what the big deal was.  Well, 20 month old Jude totally knows what the big deal is.  This kid loves a good swing, and he rode that ride for about 30 minutes.  

Jude also borrowed a soccer ball from a friend that he met at the park, Max.  Okay, actually, Max was not at all Jude's friend, but Max's babysitter thought Jude was really cute so she told Jude he could borrow the soccer ball.  He practiced kicking it around a few times, but mostly he just ran around like an imp.

So that was Friday.  Now it is Sunday.  Berkeley Parents Network, you were right.  Maybe Mommy and Jude date at the park was all we needed.  I have only heard "No No Mama" one time this weekend (hey, no relationship is perfect, right?).

The Daily Jude 10/23/11

A fun-filled Sunday, we started with a trip to the zoo (check out the wolf!). Every time we go, Jude gets more and more into it. We finished the day with an impromptu birthday party for friend Marta. Jude even got to participate in his first piñata (and subsequent Kit Kat bar)!

The Daily Jude 10/22/11

Ah, the beauty of a $20 table and chairs from Ikea. Jude can sit and color at his leisure. If only we could figure out how to keep him from running around the house with purple crayon in his hand...

The Daily Jude 10/21/11

Jude and Mommy had a special playdate at the park after school today. Jude made friends with the people with the ball. Surprised?

The Daily Jude 10/20/11

You know how in video games the guys have little meters that indicate how much life they have? Imagine I have a little meter like that above my head and it indicates the amount if patience I have. Tonight after Jude raged for about 30 minutes, straight, my patience meter was at rock bottom, flashing for danger. I literally had to just go zen for a moment. As you can see, Lindsay wasn't faring much better. But like a good team of parents, she rallied when I couldn't and somehow, finally, he was in bed. The best method I know of for replacing the patience meter? A big glass of wine!

The Daily Jude 10/19/11

New Halloween book!

The Daily Jude 10/18/11

Jude showing his baby how to send red car down the ramp. I think baby was getting the hang if it.

The Daily Jude 10/17/11

Jude was feeling a little bummed that Mommy had to work late tonight, but that didn't stop him from digging into the toy box to avoid going to bed.

The Daily Jude 10/16/11

While at Ikea, Jude got a baby doll. Here are some things you should know about it: 1. He had a choice of three dolls. He picked the white boy doll. 2. He's putting his purple ball in the baby's shirt (I know not why). 3. He LOVES this baby. He cuddled it the whole way home!

The Daily Jude 10/15/11

We met up with friends, Kasey and Aaron, this afternoon to walk around Lake Harriet and go out to dinner. At the tail-end of the walk all Jude could focus on was the prospect of French fries (and purple ball, of course).

The Daily Jude 10/14/11

Phew! Two twelve hour days in a row for this Mama! Good thing my spirits were kept high with pictures like this!

The Daily Jude 10/13/11

My new job has required a few nights out, but Jude looks pretty satisfied with the meal that Mommy made for him.

The Daily Jude 10/12/11

Checking out his Halloween card from cousin Baylee. Thanks, cuz!

Re: The Daily Jude 10/11/11

I just realized there were some awesome auto-corrects in there.

Dad = had

Romans = to make up for (????!?)

Liz

On Oct 11, 2011, at 10:24 PM, Liz Heyer <lizrey@gmail.com> wrote:

> You're right. I didn't send out a Daily Jude yesterday. As soon as we got home yesterday, Jude was cranky and miserable and definitely not himself. Sure enough, he dad a temp of 101.2. Not high enough to be dangerous and there wasn't any vomiting (THANK GOODNESS). But it was enough to keep me from busting out the camera. Lindsay stayed home with him (adding a whole new twist to my current work-from-home situation) and he was in an AWESOME mood all day. So Romans up for yesterday's miss, a VIDEO of today's aforementioned good mood...
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnp14VrBuCU
>
>
> Liz

The Daily Jude 10/11/11

You're right. I didn't send out a Daily Jude yesterday. As soon as we got home yesterday, Jude was cranky and miserable and definitely not himself. Sure enough, he dad a temp of 101.2. Not high enough to be dangerous and there wasn't any vomiting (THANK GOODNESS). But it was enough to keep me from busting out the camera. Lindsay stayed home with him (adding a whole new twist to my current work-from-home situation) and he was in an AWESOME mood all day. So Romans up for yesterday's miss, a VIDEO of today's aforementioned good mood...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnp14VrBuCU

Liz

The Daily Jude 10/9/11

For anyone who thinks that Minnesota is the frozen tundra well.... you're right. That's why we have to enjoy our 78 degree weather in October! I'll admit it, it's a little strange to see all the beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange on the trees while tromping around in my beloved flip flops. All the crankiness I used to feel during the Santa Ana winds in Southern California wells up in me and I have to remind myself that I'll be longing for this weather come February. 

We made great use of it all today, though, and met up with some friends at an apple orchard. It was just far enough away to feel like we were taking a little trip, but not so far that nap time was completely obliterated. 

Maybe not size-appropriate, but Jude couldn't get enough

How does this thing work?

 Our friend, Charles, kicking some tires.

Who WOULDN'T want to go on a ride in a converted barrel? Jude.

Maybe next year....

We stopped off at the pumpkin farm across the road where Jude got to pick a gourd or two

Oh, AND, pull a wagon

Don't worry, Mama... I got it!

We also flipped Jude's carseat this weekend. He was soooo excited to be facing the "other way"

So we rode home, drunk on kettle corn!

The Daily Jude 10/8/11

Crunching the leaves on the banks of the Mississippi - in flip flops!

The Daily Jude 10/6/11

A new puzzle for Jude!

The Daily Jude 10/5/11

This was right before he whacked me over the head (three times) and then had to "take a break."

The Daily Jude 10/4/11

Sudz

The Daily Jude 10/3/11

I heart fall!

The Daily Jude 10/2/11

Muggin'

The Daily Jude 10/1/11

Tonight was dinner at Sean and Kristin's (our former neighbors) along with Max and new baby Ava. We had such a great time! I had a really hard time picking a photo, though, because we also went to the VEHICLE FAIR this morning so... (see the post below)

Vehicles!

Today was another action-packed Saturday and it all started off with the Vehicle Fair, put on by St. Louis Park's ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education). Picture a parking lot with a fire truck, a police car, an ambulance, a garbage truck, a snow plow/salt truck, a motorcycle, and a fast car (Corvette!) and that was the fair. There was a part of me that thought, "this is dumb. Jude is too little to care." WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Jude LOVED it.

Cool cool car (with the hood up, just like at a car show)

Driving the garbage truck

C'mon, Mommy. Get your purse and we'll make a run for it!

With his partner in crime....er, in fighting crime... in the cruiser (actually, we have no idea who that kid is)

You guys! They had a MOTORCYCLE!!!!!

What does the firetruck say? Wee-ooh, wee-ooh!