helicopter for my boy

What is a parent to do when their poor child is cooped up in a hotel room? Simple! Get them their very own helicopter!
Indeed, Mason was positive this was HIS helicopter.



In actuality it belonged to a guest of the hotel. He'd come and go and we'd watch out our window. Imagine Mason's distress when HIS helicopter flew away. The nice pilot let us take a closer look one day. Mason became very shy and didn't smile or say a word the entire time. As soon as we left he lit up and wouldn't stop talking about it.

Home Entertainment Extreme Edition

I thought entertaining a two year old in a small apartment took creativity. Now we are in a small hotel room and have a week to go. This requires creativity + patience + desperation + a miracle.

There really isn't any where to go in town except the store. So we walk to the store and take our time exploring the aisles. There is a area of grass next to the hotel that gets shady in the afternoon so we can go kick a ball around or chase birds.

Here are our other activities to help pass the time:

• Golf and soccer in the hallway (we do this mid day in case we get loud)
• Trips to the ice machine via the elevator, even when we don't need ice.
• Stickers. We cover Mason head to toe in stickers. Then he laughs at himself in the mirror.
  
• Clean. Give Mason a wet wipe or two and he's happy.
  

Me Starr

Mason watches TV. As a mom, that's hard for me to admit. Almost as hard as admitting that I let him eat hot dogs on occasion.

It's not an always thing, but we've been hard pressed for entertainment lately. I've been working on getting him to sleep in a bit later and his reward is that when we get up we turn on the idiot box and watch Super Why at 8.

It's a silly cartoon but Mason loves it so I justify it because 1. it's on PBS and somehow that's not as bad as other stations and 2. it focuses on reading and the alphabet.
So at the beginning of every episode the characters introduce themselves. They say "Now you, say YOUR name" and pause for a moment. Mason thumps his chest and declares "ME STARR".

my bad

(Mason is learning how to use the bathroom and is working his way out of diapers. It's not so much a "potty training" approach as much as a gradual introduction to skills without any pressure or scolding. He gets to choose what he wears and when to visit the bathroom. It's going really well. )

Tonight Mason had an accident. We do not usually make a big deal about anything to do with the bathroom, but Mommy lost her cool.

I sat with Mason and tried to calmly but forcefully explain what I would have preferred he do instead and how important it is.

Mason could tell I was serious and that something was wrong. Because he's a sweetheart and saw that I was not happy, he gently patted my arm and said "It's okay, Mama. It's okay".

Perspective regained.

loving the LIBRARY

When we go to the library Mason skips all the way to the front doors.
When we walk in he hunches down and tells everyone to SHHH!
Then we go to the book drop, where he responsibly returns each book.
One by one.
Then we go to Mom's books.
Then he asks for "Book ah' me".
So we go to the kids room.
He picks out a little chair and tells me to sit.
Then he gets one book at a time to look at.
He likes to read them upside down.
Then he carefully puts them back, or puts them in his bag for home.
Then he says he needs to pee.
He doesn't.
But he loves the little kid restroom.
Everything is his size.
Then we get a kid movie.
No matter what I get he wants Jungle Book.
Then we check out .
He flirts with everyone in line.
Then we go outside and chase each other around the big pillars.
Then we walk to our car.
We name the colors of the other cars along the way.

We do this exact routine every single time.
Two to three times a week.

Home Entertainment part V

We borrowed a folding table from the office so we'd have enough room to feed everyone. We never got around to taking it back and it's been Mason's favorite toy. We started by propping it up a couple inches so he could roll his cars down. Then we used a little step stool. Then the living room chair. Finally we found we could safely open the legs on one side and lock it in place.

As the angle has increased, so has the activity. What was once a car ramp is now a kid ramp. Mason loves running up and then sliding down.



Here, he's going down head first!

This has been a great way for him to be entertained for long periods of time and get out some bottled up energy.

Sometimes he has to share the table, because his dad and the other guys out here can't figure out how Mason can walk up it all the way, but they can't. They try over and over, and Mason loves showing them how it's done.

Let's Go

The other day my dad left a voice message for Mason. "Hi Mason, It's Grandpa. Do you want to come play at my house?" I put my cell on speaker so Mason could hear too. He got so excited. By the end of the message he was cheering and ran out of the room. He went and got his shoes and asked for a jacket (I don't know why he still asks for a jacket. It's a million degrees here). Over and over he asked for "Papa's house". When I told him we can't go today he got really frustrated.

This happens a lot. He either wants to go to RyRy's, Krisit's, or Papa's house, all of which are located a three day's drive away. When we get in the car, he asks if we're going to Ryan's. When we put on our shoes to visit dad at work he asks for Papa's. It's pretty sad, but I'm glad he remembers parts of home.

Today we created the Far Far Away game. When Mason asks to go somewhere we can't, we say "No! too far! far! away!" and this makes him laugh instead of get upset. Then he'll ask for another place/person and we repeat "No! too far! far! away".

Lately, instead of reading a pile of books at bedtime, we talk to Mason about home. We remind his of his bed, the stars on the ceiling, the backyard, and the toys downstairs. Then we tell him about the extended family we will go visit when we get home. When we are done telling him everything he smiles sweetly and asks for more. So we repeat it again until he's happy and drowsy.

Just a few more weeks kiddo.

Medal of Honor Park

We've found a couple of opportunities to go to the park down the street and not DIE of heat stroke. It's a great park, we just have to go really early, really late, or right before it storms. Whenever the time, it's vital we soak in bug spray.

The park reminds me of Park Discovery back home, but bigger and older.

Mason's never showed much excitement about swings. He usually gets his game face on and you can't tell if he's happy, sad, or going to throw up. But now... HE LOVES SWINGING.

Look at that smile! He had so much fun.

And for whatever reason he'd get half way across the bridge and collapse. He would lie there for a few minutes. It concerned some of the other kids and they would watch and wait for him to "wake up". Mason would jump up and carry on as if he hadn't done anything unusual. Then he'd cross the bridge again and collapse!

On the last visit I thought he'd play forever. We went right before a storm and the wind kept us from getting too hot. After a couple hours he came up to me, all grubby and sweaty. He asked for a bath, and a smoothie with a straw. I suppose that's his way of saying he was done.

2:30 smiles

I've procrastinated writing about this because I wanted to wait until the ordeal was over and I could talk about it in a more positive light. However, last night was too memorable to pass up recording it.

Here's the background drama. A few weeks ago Mason started sleeping badly. We thought perhaps it was more teeth, or the effects of potty training, or just the lack of fresh air and sunshine. Then it got worse. Within a week it was like he completely lost the ability to sleep, day or night. He's skip his naps, take two hours to go to sleep at night, wake every hour or so, and then be up for the day by 6:30am.

It's been really rough. Usually Jason would get him back to bed for all the awakenings before midnight or one. Then I'd take over during the night (Jason just doesn't hear him and he needs his sleep so he can deal with work). I'd try to get Mason to watch a movie or something when he got up at 6:30 while I dozed on the couch. Then I'd wake up Jason around 8:30 and I'd go take a nap until Jason left for work. Yes, that's right, a nap at 8:30am. Pure bliss.

We're all a bit groggy and cranky. It's just too little sleep for too long. We've been trying everything we can think of to get Mason to sleep better. It's exhausting but I think we're finally on the right track. Now he's sleeping for a few hours at a time and getting up between 1-3 times a night instead of 10.

So last night I heard him get up. Part of our strategy is to get him right back into bed without delay. So I jumped up and met him in the hallway. Like usual I quietly grabbed his hand and headed to his room. Unlike usual he didn't follow me and go back to sleep. Last night he started waving and said "Hi! Hi mom!" and tried to engage me. He kept saying he needed to go to the bathroom so I finally took him even though he sleeps in diapers. While he sat there he chatted on and on about something I couldn't understand. Every time he thought I wasn't paying attention he would bend his face under mine and wave and say "Hi Mom!". He was so alert and so charming I couldn't help but smile. He went back to bed really well and even slept in until 7 this morning. So maybe we're getting close to the end of this sleeping fiasco... but until then I'm glad we can still find little things to smile about.

Home Entertainment Part IV

Oh the things you can do with a cardboard box!

For days Mason played with just the box, either making a tunnel or a nest.
Then we cut it up.With a couple of the sides we made a computer panel for our rocket ship.
With the rest we made Mason's stylin' ride.

And here we have Mr. Mason sporting the latest in cardboard-auto trends. The single rear door and screwdriver radio antennae are luxuries that separate the men from the boys. We adore the pot-lid steering wheel and multiple options for ignition. With wheels like these you'll no longer need to borrow your dad's car (although you should keep the rockin' hat).

Kitchen helper gets messy

What do you mean I have something on my face?

OH! Ooohhhhh!

Looking good!

Home Entertainment Part III

DrEsS Up!

Mason loves to dress up and accessorize.
He especially likes to put stuff on his head (like that funny wastebasket that he wears with ALL THE TIME).
We don't have a lot of costumes here, but it's amazing what you can do with a dish towel or... a pair of underwear!

Cut Cut Cut

"Cut Cut Cut said my old hen,
Cut Cut Cut she said again,
The rooster in the barnyard raised his left hind leg
and said Cock a Doodle Doo! My wife has laid an egg!"

This little rhyme was sung to me every time my mom cut up my food for me. It's a magic song that is always just long enough to get all your food cut up. So of course I sing it every time I help Mason cut his food. And if ever I forget, or if he wants to cut something, he starts singing "Cut Cut Cut..."

I thought this was a well known nursery rhyme, but I can't find it anywhere online. And if it's not online....! I don't think my mom made it up, I guess I'll have to find out.

Speaking of "cutting", Mason and his dad were both due for a good trim. I love shaggier hair, but it's not conducive to comfort in this hot miserable weather. I usually trim Mason's hair with scissors while he's in the tub, but we pulled out the big guns with this one, so Jason took over.

He'd buzz his own hair, and then say "Mason's turn!" and do Mason's. I love this picture! You can see Mason's double delighted reflection in the far mirror.

And here's the result! I'm always surprised what a big difference a little haircut makes. He reminds us a lot of his cousins Casey and Carson now. I can't believe how light it is. Where did my black haired baby go?

Play Dough revisited

Ever wonder what happens to home made play dough when left in the closet for a couple days? It disintegrates. Oh how sad, right? Nope. The gooey slimy gray-matter was a bigger hit than the original! I hid some pennies and paper clips in the slime and he really got a kick out of finding them.

I was relieved to see our neat-freak boy enjoy the mess and goo. Of course when he was done he insisted on washing the plates and having a bath, but at least he was open to getting a little messy.

Home Entertainment Part II

We made a big batch of homemade play dough and colored it a few different colors. Mason enjoyed mixing them up, pretending to eat it, and sticking his toys in it. You know you've found a good way to keep the kids happy when they try to take it to bed with them at night.