Look who's a student now!

Yesterday Tyler had a 30 minute meet and greet with his new preschool teacher, Ms. Allison. That morning at breakfast I told him he needed to hurry and eat because we were going to his school to meet his teacher. He asked if I would be at school with him, and when I said no he got really sad. He kept telling me how much he was going to miss me and wanted to hug every 5 seconds. I told him school was going to be just like Primary, we drop him off and then pick him up when it's over. I hoped that reminding him how much he liked primary would cheer him up. His response was, "I only like Primary because you're still at church." I dropped him off at his classroom and spent the 30 minutes outside filling out the remainder of the paper work the school needed. The meet and greet with Ms. Allison made Tyler forget all about missing mommy while he was in school. When I went back to get him he didn't want to leave. Ms. Allison told him he could stay longer the next day and he was so excited! He couldn't wait to go to school the next morning. I dropped him off without a problem, and when I picked him up he asked why I was back so soon. He said he really liked his first day. Our conversation in the car went like this:

Me: What did you do in school?

Tyler: We did lots of stuff!

Me: Oh yeah, like what?

Tyler: I can't remember.

Me: You can't think of one thing you did?

Tyler: We did so much stuff I can't even remember one thing.

Eventually he told me they listened to music and danced. I'm sure they did more than that! The most important thing is he loves going to school!

Tyler's first dentist appointment!

I waited until Tyler was a little older to take him to the dentist for the first time because all my friends who took their kids at 3 had bad experiences. I still wasn't sure how the appointment would go, so I crossed my fingers and said a little prayer before we left. I could tell Tyler was nervous as we left the house because he was silent (which almost never happens these days). I asked him if he was scared and he said yes. His biggest concern? That the dentist's toothbrush would be too big for his mouth. He was still apprehensive when they called his name and we were walking back to the room. The dental assistant was an older lady and she was great with Tyler. She showed him how the chair moved before having him climb into it and then she showed him all the instruments the dentist would be using and let him touch them while she explained what they were for. He was so excited to see how small the toothbrush head was! By the time the dentist came in Tyler was much more relaxed. I was still a little nervous about how the exam would go, but Tyler proved I had nothing to worry about. He let the dentist count his teeth and thoroughly check out the inside of his mouth. Then she told him she was going to clean his teeth. He lifted his head up and asked, "Do you have a sink for me to spit into?" He laid back down when she reminded him what the suction tube was for (which they named Mr. Thirsty). He laid perfectly still and kept his mouth open through the entire cleaning. No tears, no complaints. As soon as he could talk again he couldn't wait to tell the dentist how Mr. Thirsty had tickled the inside of his mouth. He thought it was so funny! The dentist gave him high praise for how good he was. He even sat through the floride treatment like it was nothing. I know we aren't suppose to be prideful, but I have to admit I was one proud mama by the end of his appointment! He loved the prize box and spent a good five minutes checking out it's contents before settling on a monster truck. (The prizes you get at the dentist have drastically improved since I was a kid!) He showed me a princess puzzle that he was picking for his baby sister and then told me he needed to find something for Riley. He was pretty dissapointed when I told him he could only take one thing, but I was proud of him for thinking of his siblings. Unfortunately in our rush to leave the house on time I forgot to grab my camera, so I have no pictures. I'll have to remember it next time! Instead I've included a picture of Tyler's first tattoo!

What is Riley like now that he's two?

Turning two means another trip to the doctor. Riley didn't mind the check-up until it was time for shots. Luckily he only had to get one. He must have sensed what was coming because he started fighting to get off my lap as soon as the nurse got the alcohol wipe out. He is one strong kid! I had to hold him down and the nurse had to hold his leg to keep him still enough to administer the shot. After a few minutes of hysterical crying he finally decided he wasn't dying anymore! He now has a year to forget the experience before he has to go back! His stats from this appointment: 24 1/2 lbs. 31 in. tall, and a clean bill of health! But what really makes Riley, Riley? Well...

- Two words that perfectly describe him: stubborn and independent. His Granny will tell you he gets it from me! He insists on doing quite a few things on his own - buckles (carseat, stroller, high chair, shopping carts), going up and down the stairs, eating (until he gets tired of doing it himself, then he hands us his fork or spoon), 'riding' his bike (he will not let us teach him how to push the pedals, he insists on pushing the bike with his feet) and cleaning his teeth (he loses this battle each night and ends up crying while we clean his teeth.).

- He is a man of few words, very few words! He says mama, dada, hi, bye and no. No is actually his favorite word, it's his answer for everything! Even when he means yes, he still says no. I think his lack of a vocabulary is the result of two things: 1. He has an older brother who talks for him, and Riley is completely happy with the arrangement. If anyone asks Riley a question and Tyler is within ear shot he will immediately answer it. Then Riley looks at the question asker with a look that says, "There you go, that's the answer." 2. Personality. Riley is very much an observer. At the park his favorite thing to do is swing while he watches the other kids run around. In a large group setting he'll find a toy to hold then sit and watch what everyone else is doing. I'm not worried about it because I know he understands what we say to him and he follows directions very well. I don't think he feels the need to talk yet. Once he decides he wants to talk I'm sure he just will.

-He is good as gold when I trim his finger nails, but if I even try to touch his toes or feet he freaks out. The only time your allowed to touch his feet is when you put his shoes on, otherwise they are off limits.

- He loves to color and he actually holds crayons the right way.

- He is still in love with the tag on his blanket. In fact I have to sew the tag back on one of them because it's about to fall off! He will not go to sleep until you hand him the tag.

- He is a BIG eater. No matter how big his breakfast is, 30 minutes later he'll be back in the kitchen looking for a snack. He hasn't met a fruit he doesn't like.

- He idiolizes Tyler! If Tyler is doing something he has to do the same. This can cause some frustration, especially when he's not physically big enough to what Tyler is doing.

- He has two smiles: 1. His happy, "I'm the cutest boy you've ever seen." 2. His mischevious, "I know what I'm about to do/currently doing I shouldn't so I'll distract you with my cute smile."

"What are you doing Tyler?"

"Hi mom!"

"I know this is how Tyler does it."

I can't believe it's true, but my little man is two!

Riley turned two on Wednesday! On his birthday he got ballons and his first cookie at Publix. A couple of days later we got together with a few friends to celebrate. It was hard to tell what he was thinking while we sang to him, but he loved blowing out the candle! He wasn't too sure about the cake at first, so we got him some help to show him how it was done. Thanks Stephanie! Overall I think he had a great birthday. Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate!

I know you can't tell from this picture, but he was so excited about his balloons!

Naked boys are easier to clean than clothes!

This brown stuff isn't too bad!

This is how you eat cake Riley.

Now he's got it!

Don't they make a cute pair?