Hodge podge

Even though it's only been a week, it feels like it's been forever since I got to sit down and write anything. Maybe it's because I have a long list of things I want to write about but just haven't found the time to do it.

Part of the problem is that Jeff is swamped with college basketball these days. And so it goes this time of the year. He's worked 10 days straight and has about five or six more days to work before his stretch will be done.

That leaves me and Biscuit on our own. And sometimes we get tired of each other! And we get grumpy! And we want our husband/daddy!!!

But all that aside, here are some quick hits about what's up with Biscuit these days.

Trying on clothes: As we near another season change, I figured I better do an inventory of Biscuit's spring clothes. I went into the attic and got out the bin with last year's spring/summer clothes in it and the bin with hand-me-downs in the next size up.

Two quick sidebars: A. I love, love, love that the attic in our house is a walk-in and not a climb up. The attic space goes out over the garage, so there's a door upstairs that looks like a regular closet door, but it opens up to a huge room of storage space. And 2. My favorite consignment sale is this weekend, so cross your fingers that I'll find some good stuff at good prices.

Oops. One more thing. I said "cross your fingers" and it reminded me of something that happened this past weekend. Biscuit and I were at my parents' house in S.C., and Daddy rode with me to look at a kitchen table at a furniture store. My Daddy can be pretty superstitious, and as we were pulling into the furniture store parking lot, I said, "Deddy, cross your fingers that I'll like this table." (And Deddy is not a typo, that's how we say Daddy around these parts.) I looked over, and Daddy had his fingers crossed on both hands. I just said it to put some good luck out there, but it tickles me that without saying a word, he just crossed his fingers. And guess what? The table is great, and I bought it!

Anyway, back to Biscuit's clothes. I was forcing him into all these outfits from last year and from the hand-me-down bins, and with every piece of clothing, Biscuit had a single comment - "Too big, Mom." It didn't matter if it was pants, a shirt or even a hat, he would say, "Too big, Mom."

Making associations: Biscuit and I stopped to pick up a pizza, and as we got out of the car, Biscuit said, "There's my fends, Mom." I asked him where, and he pointed to two little boys at the front of the restaurant. They were far enough away that we couldn't see their faces. But they were the exact size of him and his classmates, and the two little boys both had haircuts like the two boys he was mistaking them for.

As we got closer and Biscuit saw their faces, he said, "That not my fends, Mom." I had to laugh. "No, baby, those aren't your friends. But they sure did look like them, didn't they?"

He also mistook our neighbor for my sister-in-law.

My neighbor was getting groceries out of the back of her van - a van that is the same color as my sister-in-law's. My neighbor also had her hair in a ponytail, the usual hairstyle for my sister-in-law.

"I want see Aunt KK, Mom," Biscuit said to me.

"That's not KK, baby," I said to Biscuit.

"Yes, Mom. Want see Aunt KK," and Biscuit started walking down the driveway.

Just then, my neighbor turned around and yelled to say hello. Biscuit started backing up and saying, "That not KK, Mom. That not KK." He made his way back to where I was and hid behind my legs. He's not normally shy, but I think he was just confused by the whole situation.

Buzz: Biscuit hasn't seen any of the usual full-length kid movies yet, but somehow or another, he knows who Buzz Lightyear is. Jeff put him in a pair of hand-me-down pajamas the other night, and as soon as Biscuit saw his reflection in the mirror, he squealed with excitement.

"It Buzz, Dad! Buzz a assanot," Biscuit said.

"Buzz is a what?" Jeff asked.

"Buzz is a flyin' assanot," Biscuit said. So not only does he know who Buzz is, he knows he's a flying astronaut. And who knows where he learned it.

Excitement: When Biscuit is excited, he doesn't just show it, he will tell you about it.

"I so excited, Mom," Biscuit will yell. "Giffin so excited!"

Sorry, Biscuit: Jeff and I stress good manners. Biscuit is required to say please and thank you, and lately, we've been working on getting him to say "I'm sorry." The good part of that is that if he steps on your foot or if he accidentally hits you when we're playing, he will now tell you he's sorry without us having to prompt him.

The bad part is that he's figured out that it goes both ways. If you do something to him that he feels isn't acceptable, he'll stand there staring at you saying, "Sowwy, Giffin. Sowwy, Giffin. Sowwy, Giffin." until you say it to him. Sometimes it's warranted, but sometimes it isn't. But even if it isn't, it's a whole lot easier to just say you're sorry to him than to try to explain to him why you shouldn't have to say it!

Compliments: And speaking of manners, one of the best compliments I get these days isn't about me, it's about Biscuit. I can't tell you how proud I am when people in restaurants or stores to say to me, "He is so polite." We work hard on manners and socializing, but as anyone who's had a toddler knows, you can teach all you want, but it's up to the kid to practice what's been preached to him. And Biscuit using what he's been taught by us and his teachers at day care makes me so, so proud.

Ah, that farmer: Biscuit has always heard songs at day care. They're big on music there. But now, he's starting to remember the words to songs enough that he'll sing them at home. My favorite song that he sings right now is "Old McDonald." The funny thing is that when he sings it, he doesn't say "Old McDonald," he says, "Ah that farmer."

"Ah that farmer had a cow. E-I-O. With a moo-moo here. A moo-moo here. A moo-moo here. A moo-moo here. E-I-O."

Also, the animals only make sounds "here." He doesn't say "there" or "everywhere," as in "moo-moo here, moo-moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo-moo."

He's so smart, and I'm still amazed every time he learns something new.