SweetestBoyEver

Life With A Toddler...

2008-07-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

...I had actually started a picture-filled blog entry yesterday, then T decided to run downstairs and tear the house apart. He likes it when I chase him; he gets to laugh his little butt off while I'm cursing my back pain and trying to catch my breath.

The first three pics are from our second day of slip n' slide, mini-pool playtime @ Aden, Zachie, and Trey's house. They had such a good time, and I love the picture of Aden and Zachie pushing Tommy on the swing. When we pulled into the driveway, T started waving his hands in the air and yelling "YAAAAAY!" If I tell him "Let's go to your cousins' house," he grabs his shoes, turns off the TV, and runs to the back door. The kid is ready to go as soon as I say the words "Aden and Zachie."

The last pic is of T in his monster truck Powerwheels car. My brother-in-law, Uncle Tim (who is also Tommy's godfather), bought the truck for T when he was born. Consider it a "Welcome to the World, Little Man" present. Anyhow, T is just now able to reach the pedals and drive it; unfortunately he drives just like me, meaning he has no depth perception, gets the reverse and forward confused occasionally, and crashes into everything because he gets distracted. I'm fairly certain that Trey (who is 21 months old) is a better Powerwheels driver than my son. Tommy also likes to wear his cool kid sunglasses and Nick's old military cover (camouflage hat) when he drives, because he's just awesome and funny like that.

Fun Time Swimmin' with The Wildboys

2008-07-24T04:51:00.000-07:00

The first 2 pics are from earlier this week - we went over to Aden, Zachie, and Baby Trey's house to play, and those boys all had a great time. Aden and Tommy have the same bathing suit - do you know how hard it was trying to get Tbone to stand still long enough to have his picture taken next to Aden? I've never heard the three of them laugh so hard, and who can resist a bunch of little boys with their bellies sticking out?

The 3rd pic is one I had taken a while ago and just forgot to post - Bax and Tbone, observing the squirrels. Baxter has to look out the windows for most of the day (he's a very nosy terrier) and Tommy was standing next to him telling whatever was outside to "Stop!" and "No!"

The last picture is my favorite. Tommy is wearing MY tennis shoes, sweeping the kitchen floor, in just a diaper. He undressed himself and put on the shoes, and when he came walking around the corner I started laughing so hard I had to sit down. See, it's reasons like this that I can't stop hugging and kissing him!

Time For A Change...

2008-07-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it - I took T-bone to have his hair chopped off. I was a big girl, and didn't cry at all - I was proud of myself, as I cried like a baby the past 2 times we cut his hair. T was so good in the stylist's chair, he only got fussy during the last 5 minutes; he was just impatient and DONE with the whole thing. I was very proud of him, too. The look on his face when the stylist started with the electric razor was priceless - he had this look like he was horribly uncomfortable and didn't know what was going on, sort of combined w/ the pooping look. It was hilarious. After it was done, we couldn't believe the amount of hair on the floor - most of it was 6 inches long and it was so incredibly thick! Thank goodness T got my hair genes, right? Hopefully he won't be working towards bald at 28 like his daddy! T then proceeded to be an even better well-behaved little boy - he sat on my lap while I had my eyebrows waxed. No fussing, no jumping down and running amok - he was content to be cuddled while I was in pain.

The pics above show the new haircut - the one from behind is illustrating what the hippie hair was hiding: the Brochu stick-out ears! Tommy DEFINITELY got his daddy's ears, that's for sure.

Busy Week, as always

2008-06-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well, for starters, Tommy has made a new little girlfriend. Her name is Sofia, and she lives in the condo directly across the courtyard from us. She's 4 years old, and has a baby brother named Jack who is only 2 mos old - Tommy is constantly trying to kiss, hug, and hold him. Everytime I carry Jack around and walk past Tommy, he holds up his arms and says "Please." Well, Tommy's "please" comes out as "peeesh," which I love and think is absolutely adorable. What's great about Tommy spending time with Miss Sofia is that he talks a lot more after having been around her. He talks to her, uses gestures to communicate, and will occasionally go up and kiss her on her shoulder or give her a hug. He's just like that, he loves his girlies.

We've gone swimming at our condo's pool almost every day this past week. We got chased out of the water by thunderstorms a couple of times, but it's great fun to take T to the pool. For some reason, the last couple of days he's been acting like he's scared of the water - he refuses to go past the steps, and when we carry him away from the steps, he freaks out and starts yelling. Very odd since this is the fearless little kid who usually JUMPS INTO THE POOL LIKE A FROG. Oh well, hopefully he'll get over it soon. T especially loves to swim when Sofia is there - I think he likes showing off for her, and honestly, who can resist those skinny little chicken legs sticking out of his bathing suit?

Friday we had Sofia, her mom, and Baby Jack over to make some sourdough bread. I floured up our kitchen table and gave T and Miss Sofia their own dough to mold and shape as they wanted. It was so much fun! Three of the pics above are documentation of the mess and chaos. Everyone literally had flour all over them, in our hair, up our noses...it looked like it snowed flour all over my table and the surrounding carpet! The kids had a wonderful time, and I'm so glad we did this. Tommy especially was incredibly happy at being able to make a gigantic mess and just play in it. We had enough dough to make two loaves of bread, and we delivered one to Sofia after they were baked. When we were kneading the dough (and Tommy was taking little sneaky bites) Sofia kept asking me what the bread would look like when it was done - like it was some huge mysterious surprise, which I found absolutely adorable. Once we gave her the bread, I swear I have never seen a child so excited over sourdough before. I was shocked, the clean-up was really easy - I took both kids outside and told them to "shake it like you got it," and had two small children shaking their bums around and laughing hysterically in my front yard. We got most of the flour dust off their clothes that way. Then I wiped off the table, and vacuumed the floor - voila! I'm hoping to do this again soon, it was great seeing T so excited and happy to be doing something.

The last pic is titled "Wild Saturday Night At the Mullen-Brochu House." Actually, this is how most of our evenings are spent once T-bone gets tired. He sits next to me on the chair, leaning against me and holding Bruce and/or my hand and/or playing with my hair. Tommy enjoys having bosoms for a pillow. Baxter is usually curled up around my legs. Both of my kids have to be touching me, but I'm glad they worked out an arrangement - Tommy gets the top half, Bax gets the bottom half.

Lots of pics

2008-06-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Since we're back to one car, Tommy and I took Nick to work today so that we could have the truck...Tommy has Storytime this morning, and I'm hoping we don't get kicked out this time! Even so, I'll be in a seat near the door in case we need to skulk out quietly - I think the Boy Scout motto of "Be Prepared" should be adapted by all mothers, everywhere. But, I digress - enjoy the pictures. Poor Bax got buried under Tommy's blocks - I think Tommy tried to wall him in, I'm not exactly sure why. And the board shorts bathing suit Tommy is wearing? Yeah, he's worn that since he was 9 mos old, which is proof that if my kid has gained any weight, it only means he's gotten taller. I also LOVE the Hawaiian shirt outfit he's wearing in one pic, he looks so cute in it I can't help showing him off. I think the soap horns and the lampshade pictures are self-explanatory.

Ahh, The Terrible 2's...

2008-06-12T04:21:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this pic say "trouble?" I certainly think so!

Well, we got kicked out of Storytime at the library yesterday. Tommy only made it 10 minutes into the session before he started throwing a tantrum, followed by stealing the librarian's butterfly puppet and trying to rub himself up against her feltboard. He also refused to sit down when everyone else did, telling us "No!" and "Shh!" We had to do the Storytime walk-of-shame. We were invited back next week, and hopefully since Miss Adeline (we call her "Baby Girl") will be there he will feel more comfortable with a kid he knows. I can honestly say that I fear for the sanity of his future preschool teachers. It's like he's figured out that he'll be 3 soon, so he needs to take advantage of the Terrible 2's as much as possible now.

After that debacle, we went home and Tommy took an extremely long (almost 3 hours!) nap and after he woke up, we went swimmin'! He was cautious for the first few minutes, but eventually walked down the steps to me and from that point it was game on, baby. He loves to jump into the pool, as long as he can hold my fingers. It's like watching a flying squirrel leap into a pond. I held him on his belly, trying to get him to kick his legs, and pushed him all around that pool...he's part sea monkey, I swear. He started to shiver and I wanted to take him out, but that was a battle royale. The kid LOVES to swim, and he loves it when girls in bikinis make a big deal out of how cute he is. I wrapped him in a towel, but he tried to jump back into the pool with the towel still on. Have I mentioned how stubborn he is today? No? Well he is. He looks like such a little surfer boy with his board shorts on, except he's quite the albino, just like me. I have to dunk both of us in spf 50 sunblock before we go outside! Too funny, too precious.

Oh, and Nick is gone all this weekend for a Nascar race in Michigan. You would not believe all the Nascar clothes he took with him. It's just Tommy and Mommy for the next 4 days, we're going to go swimming every day, hang out with PopPop (who's in town this weekend), and throw wild toddler parties. Tommy was so sad when we dropped Nick off this morning he wouldn't even kiss him or tell him bye-bye...he thinks that if he doesn't say goodbye, the person can't leave.

Success! Success!

2008-06-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

And if you didn't just get the Three Stooges reference in the title, I'm not sure we can be friends.

Tommy is totally going to hate me for this once he's old enough to be embarassed by it. Might as well make the most of it now! Tommy went pee in the toilet this morning after running around bare-butted for about an hour. I swear, that kid LOVES his naked time! I was so excited I was jumping up and down and kissing him...if you had told me 4 years ago that I'd go nuts when a kid went to the bathroom, I would have told you that YOU were nuts. C'est la vie de la mere. I gave him M&Ms, which may have backfired on me because once he realized I was packing candy, he kept hopping off the pot to come towards me with his mouth open - like a baby bird stretching out to reach it's mama's mouth. And slightly like a shark, because he's got some shark teeth.

We also went to the mall to see Auntie Ashley (it's her b-day today) and Tommy was all about giving his auntie lots of kisses, but he refused to let her hold him. Despite taking a nap, that kid was grumpy as all get-out. He also drank my decaf blended chai tea (literally, all of it) and tried to grab everything in the Disney store. We headed home where Tommy kept looking out the back windows and yelling "Dadda? Dada!" impatiently while I cooked dinner. We had fried pork chops, salad, and French bread...Tommy still refuses to eat most kinds of meat, although he did put the pork in his mouth, chew, and then spit it out. There's nothing a mother loves more than to be handed half-chewed food. Nick's giving him a bath right now, he kind of stinks. It doesn't stop me from nibbling his tummy, though!

Loves my camera...and Tommy was grumpy

2008-06-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

I've been taking photos with my phone, it's convenient, but also because my digital camera was jammed. I thought I was going to have to take it to Best Buy to see if they could fix it, but I resolved the problem today. Tommy had somehow blocked the lens from folding and closing completely, which killed the batteries and kept the camera from working. I fiddled with the lens until I could even it out, then it shut! Yay! My mom said "Well, Tommy probably got his sticky little hands all over it. Maybe there was peanut butter involved." And you know what? There WAS peanut butter in the lens!! Do you know what it takes to dried pb out of a digital camera lens? It involves rubbing alcohol and lots of q-tips.

On that note, the bad monkey troublemakin' little boy is NOT allowed to touch my camera, which instantly made it much more appealing to him. He was trying all sorts of schemes to get to that thing, from standing on hastily-stacked pillows, to trying to balance his booster seat on his tricycle, to climbing ME like a chimp so he could reach the hiding place (top cabinet.) It all seemed part of a grumpy kid day...I know you're not supposed to refer to children as "bad", but he was SO BAD TODAY. Not just the camera stuff; there were numerous temper tantrums, he kept kicking me (I'd sternly tell him no, he'd kick me again, I'd spank him, he'd get even angrier and kick me again, I'd spank him again...it was a vicious circle for a while), and lots of trying to get into stuff he shouldn't. There was an incident involving one of our toilets and Tommy getting very close while he flushed it. He also dumped half a box of baking soda on the kitchen floor, which he promptly dragged all over the carpet. Seriously, there were dozens of little white footprints all over the dining room. I cleaned up the house while he was sleeping and within 10 minutes of him waking up, it was wrecked again...he dragged out every single one of his toys I had put away and knocked down the blocks I had stacked along the wall! I guess that, like me, he feels comfortable around clutter. He is Tommy the Destroyer, beware his wrath! Needless to say, I was relieved when Nick got home. It was a pretty exhausting day.

Just had to

2008-05-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take some pics of Tommy's eyes and eyelashes. That kid's lashes are literally half an inch long! I also wanted a close-up of his gigantic eyes...he inherited my dad's hazel eyes, and they are absolutely gorgeous. The color is dark green with light brown streaks, and they are rimmed in dark gray/blue. I don't think the pic does them justice...you just have to see him in person! His eyes and long, batty lashes just make his face all the more gorgeous...he looks like a Precious Moments doll, especially with his perfect, fair skin. So, I think this is just more proof that I have one of the most beautiful children in the entire world.

Memorial Day

2008-05-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

I think I posted this picture at great personal risk - I look about 4 months preggo in it. I promise I'm not, I'm just really chubby. I had to post it because I've got two of my favorite boys...Zachie and Aden. With Zachie's glasses, blonde hair, and blue eyes he looks more like my kid than Tommy does! We had a family BBQ over at AL and Uncs' house for Memorial Day. My aunts Angie and Judy came (from Indiana and W. Virginia, respectively) and it was so good to have all of the Haverty women in one place. Tommy had such a good time with his cousins.

Just because...

2008-05-23T08:07:00.001-07:00

Tommy and I spent most of yesterday over at AL and Uncs' house, helping with the massive garage sale. Between the two families we have four little boys under the age of six...Aden is 5, Zachie is 4, Tommy is 2 and 1/2, and Trey-Baby is 1. Get all of them together and it's like wrangling chaos itself. They have so much fun when they're all playing, and I cannot resist my baby cousins in the least. All three of them are so sweet and loving - you can tell that they are surrounded by family who are constantly assuring them that they are loved and adored. I had to take a picture of Trey...he's got this precious putty-face, and all I want to do is hug and kiss him all over! I love you, you wild little boys!

I'm turning him into a chef, I swear it.

2008-05-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

Well, since Tommy seems to be afraid of big fish, I guess marine biology is out of the picture as a career choice. I guess he'll just have to be a chef! Yesterday I made a loaf of sourdough bread, and while I was kneading it, Tommy got a little curious about the mess I was making. I moved over to our kitchen table, gave him his own flour-covered cutting board, and let him go to town on some of the bread dough. There was flour EVERYWHERE - he thought it was funny to slam the dough down on the board, causing flour dust to puff up. He had a great time, though...I'd rather have him play with that than toxic clay. At least I know if he gets a little curious about the taste, it's not going to hurt him at all. He also refused to take a nap, so I had a terribly grumpy monkey on my hands all afternoon. He would doze off while laying on me, then jerk himself awake and tell me to "stop!" We ended up getting Quizno's for dinner, and every time we tried to get Tommy to eat a bite of sandwich, he turned his head away like it offended his aesthetic demands. I don't understand...he'll eat a Galleyboy from Swenson's, but offer him a sandwich with pretty much the same thing (beef, onions, lettuce, cheese...etc etc) and he turns up his nose. Just another quirk from Tommy Mullen Brochu.

Today we're going to AL and Uncs' house for a garage sale - time to get rid of toys that Tommy has really outgrown. We're off to wrangle some wild little boys!

The Original Wild n' Crazy Guys...

2008-05-16T06:33:00.001-07:00

Oh, how I love these gorgeous little boys! After my nephrology appointment yesterday, Tommy and I went over to play with our cousins. Aden, Zachie, and Trey have a new outdoor playset, and Tommy couldn't decide what he wanted to play with first! Zachie and Aden came flying down the slide so I could hug and kiss them, and Tommy immediately tried to commandeer a swing. They loved playing, and those boys crack me up! They're so intelligent, and it's amazing to really talk to both Aden and Zach when I still think of them as being 3 yrs old. Whenever we're around Trey, he always looks so deeply into my face...I think he realizes that I look like his daddy, Mimi (my AL), and my mom, but he's not exactly sure of who I am. I couldn't resist taking pics of Tommy in the antique car, which Aden told me they call "Aden and Zachie's Super-Dooper Sports Car." Where did these kids come from? They're both little hams...Tommy hopped onto Zach's bike, and I said "I think Tommy's going to steal that bike!" Zach said "That's not just any bike, that's MY bike!"

The pic of Tommy with his butt sticking out was irresistable. He propped the "roror" umbrella up so he could lay under it, like he was at the beach. Funny, funny little kid.

Hippie Mom = Hippie Kid

2008-05-13T04:30:00.001-07:00

If I hear one more person around this town tell me it's time to cut Tommy's hair again, I'm going to start pelting them with organic veggies. I love my son's shaggy, thick, messy hair. I love that his hair is the same color as my sister's...well, her natural color, which we haven't seen in about 5 years. I love that he inherited the incredible thickness of my hair. I love that it curls down over his ears, especially right after his bath. It's been cut twice, and I cried each time. I HATE CRYING. Whenever his hair is short he doesn't look like my son, he looks like every other little boy, and I hate that too. Lay off, I'm not going to alter the length of it anytime soon. The occasional trim is fine, but don't expect to see my kid in a 'high n' tight.'

That being said, whenever I tell him "No" or "Stop it" he picks up either the house phone or my cell and starts pressing buttons saying "Grandmama?" I think he's trying to tell on me.

More PunkMonkery...

2008-05-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Fear the sleepyface and wild bedhead hair!

First off, I'm sorry that the font keeps changing mid-entry on this blog...it apparently likes to switch by itself on new paragraphs. Stupid thing.

The pic is of Tommy after he just woke up from a nap. A word to the wise...Tommy is incredibly grumpy when he first wakes from a nap. After 10 hours of sleep, he's all sweet and kissy and cuddly in the mornings; but after sleeping for only 2 hours, he's a tiny little grumpy bear. All he wants is a baba and to be held for about 20 minutes while he cuddles with his favorite Bruce and snuggles into whoever's boobies are close to him. For a child who wasn't breast-fed, my son is a total boob-man. Ask any girl who's ever held him. He still occasionally tries to motorboat Auntie 'Celle!

Yesterday I was sitting on the floor next to my bookcases, looking at my "Blue Willow Inn" Southern cookbook, and Tommy decided he needed more of my attention while I was trying to find a recipe for dinner. He sat down in my lap and grabbed random books off the shelf and asked me to read to him...for those who haven't seen Tommy in a while, his "asking" means shoving a book into my hand, pointing at it, grunting, and saying "dat?" Because I'm home with him all day, I have no problem translating all that into what he's asking for. Nick is not so good at it, which can lead to some funny situations. It's strange, Nick and I are both extremely loving and affectionate with Tommy, but when we're alone we communicate with him in completely different ways. Anyhow, back to the reading. Anything I point to and ask what the object is - be it food, toys, animals, etc etc - Tommy knows exactly what it is and points to it! Now if only I could convince him that bunny rabbits and guinea pigs are NOT dogs, and get him to actually SAY THE WORDS, then we'd be in business. He talks more during the day, but when we're around other people or he's feeling shy, he just clams up despite our begging for him to say anything. Stubborn baby boy, always has been, always will be.

Fun at the Quail Hollow Craft and Herb Fair!

2008-05-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a lot of fun, even though we were all bone-tired. Tommy, Nick, and I went to the craft fair where we met Michelle, Brandon, and Michelle's mom, Amy. Michelle is Tommy's godmother (we refer to her as Auntie 'Celle) and my best friend for over a decade. We love Amy and Brandon, too. Amy is a perfect pediatric nurse, just like Michelle is a perfect teacher. They both have kind, patient personalities that make them instantly-lovable to children. Anyhow, when we arrived at Quail Hollow Tommy was grumpy...he refused to talk or look at anyone when they were talking to him, except to give them the stink-eye or the pussface. Once I gave him a chocolate-covered pretzel with sprinkles, he perked right up and became normal, stubborn, funny, troublemakin' Tommy again. He woke up at 6AM yesterday morning, and didn't get a nap because we met the Griffin/Gwynns at 11AM - his normal napping time. I went crazy with the all the purely-organic lavender-scented stuff around, and whatever I sniffed, Tommy had to sniff too. It cracked us up when he wrinkled his nose and shook his head after he smelled something he didn't like. I got a 16-oz lavender candle, a lavender/oatmeal/rosepetal bath teabag, a bag of dried mint (which Nick originally thought was a large bag of pot), a bar of soap that smells like grass and hay...like driving past a field just after a rainstorm, various chocolates, a lavender plant that I hope will flourish, and a jar of AMAZING hot pepper jelly. Tommy insisted on hopping out of the stroller and pushing it himself...we had to steer it because he couldn't see around it, but once he caught us he would push our hands off the stroller. As I said, stubborn as all get-out. He's his own little man! It was a really fun time...when we were in the plant house, Tommy wanted to be carried so he could smell every single plant! Like me, he liked the lavender, mint, and sweet basil...he also hated the lemon verbena. He pointed at the plant and told it to stop. When we were leaving, Tommy stopped to pet a "roror", some kind of beagle/dauchsund mix, and he was talking to it the whole time. He even introduced his daddy to the doggie! He said "roror" and pointed from the dog to Nick, then said "Dadda!" and pointed from Nick to the dog. So they were properly introduced. Once again he had us laughing really hard. How can you NOT laugh at antics like that?
Once we got home I baked some sourdough bread and made some mint iced tea. We all had a slice of the homemade bread with cream cheese and hot pepper jelly. I thought it would be way too hot for Tommy, but once again he surprised us with his love of spicy food. I also took a bath with my lavender/oatmeal/rose petal teabag...and after my crazily busy and painful Saturday night, it was AWESOME. Tommy kept running into the bathroom and scooping up bubbles so he could blow on them, and Baxter came and laid down right next to the tub. (As Bax has gotten older, his need for affection and closeness has become even stronger - wherever I am, he is right next to me, but Tommy's the same way too!)
Tommy fell asleep at 6:15PM last night...he was so exhausted that he kept pointing at random things and yelling at them to "stop!" and "shush!" Once he starts telling his Bruces to "Shh!", we know it's beyond time to lay him down. I checked on him before we went to bed, and he was sleeping sweetly...he had all three Bruces tucked under his arms and in his precious little hands, his cute babybutt was pooched in the air, and his hair was hanging out of the crib. I had to reach in and kiss him, I couldn't help it.

Some pics

2008-05-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

Tommy eat'n cookie batter...every time I get out the mixer, he bellies up to the counter and just waits until I'm done. He wants to make sure he gets to lick the beater.

I see baby belly! He keeps coming towards me and lifting his shirt so I'll kiss and nibble on his tummy. This cabinet is Tommy's favorite hiding spot when I'm cooking.

The Pissed-Off Little Boy Sad Monkey Cry-Cry Face. He gets so angry when I take his picture while he's throwing a temper tantrum, but I can't help it!

Tommy and Baxter...they're pals. Every time I sit on MY chair, first Baxter hops up next to me, then Tommy climbs on up. Apparently everyone must be touching Mama.

Last night was a little rough...Tommy usually goes to bed around 7:30PM, but he just didn't want to sleep last night. We tried laying him down three times (I refuse to do the "let him cry it out" method, I think it's cruel) all to no avail. He finally went to bed at 10PM...I know that doesn't sound especially late, but Nick and I usually go to bed early (around 9-9:30PM) and honestly, by 6PM I'm so exhausted from chasing Tommy around I usually doze off in the bathtub. Parenthood is so wild and exciting, huh? I think my CFS is flaring up, probably because of my ongoing kidney infections, so I have zero energy anyway.

Tommy found the Westie umbrella I bought in Paris, and it amazed that "rorors" (doggies) can be on something that you unfold...and there's more than one picture of them! I admit it, I'm obsessed with West Highland Terriers, but can you blame me when I have such a great dog?

Funny little kid

2008-04-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Tommy is so funny...I don't know if it's because he's short, because everything is new to him, or he's just figuring out that he can manipulate certain things, but he's a hilarious little boy. Yesterday I took him to CVS so I could pick up my meds and a lotion to help with my itchy skin (a side effect) and Tommy decided to hop on the massage chair they had set up in the pharmacy while I talked to the pharmacist. His hair was sticking up in about six different cowlicks, and you couldn't tell we had just brushed it before we left the house. Once the massager started working, Tommy hopped right off the chair yelling "Mama, dat? Dat!?" (For those who don't speak Tommese, that translates to "Mother, that thing just poked me! Whatever could it be?") After that he was a little scared of the massage chair, and gave it a wide berth and a sideways stink-eye as we left the store. Today when we went through the drive-through teller window at the bank, Tommy started talking to the teller through the monitor. He kept saying "Hi! Hi! Bye-bye!" and blowing kisses. He's very social...and for some reason whenever he says hello to older men, they all want to mess up his hair and pat him on the head. I think it's because he's always got a look of mischief about him, and his thick, crazy hair just accentuates the mischievousness.
When we got home and I was getting dinner ready, Tommy decided to pull on Nick's boots...never mind they come up to his knees and are 20x too big for him...he came stomping around the counter and I laughed so hard I had to sit down. That got him laughing so hard he fell down, and then the gigggles started up all over again.
I think that's part of the saving grace of children - when you're exhausted, had a bad day, or feeling sick, kids do something that is so funny that you can't help but laugh and love all over them.

4 days without a post?!

2008-04-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry, this week has been beyond insane. Tommy was up all night last night and is now the grumpiest little kid in NE Ohio. Before I run off, I thought I'd reiterate something I wrote in a meme for my Myspace:

Q. Are you planning on hugging someone today?

Me: Oh yeah. As soon as my little bugger wakes up from his nap I'm going to be all over him like a fat kid on cake.

Just another pissed-off little boy in red pajamas.

2008-04-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was...less than fun. Because it was so crappy outside, Nick and Tommy were stuck in the house with me for the majority of the day, and Tommy REFUSED to take a nap. For some reason, Sundays are always his "I'm not going to take a nap, bugger off!" days. So, because of Tommy's lack-of-sleep, he was grumpy beyond all measure. He threw temper tantrums, yelled at us, tried to hit us (all resulting in the appropriate discipline, because while allowances are made for sleepiness, hitting is NOT ACCEPTED IN ANY WAY) and other forms of toddler grievances. It's times like those that remind us that we are smack-dab in the middle of the Terrible Twos.
He finally conked out at 5:50PM, but woke up two hours later screaming his head off. He had a horrible tummy ache, and Nick and I took turns walking with him over our shoulders, patting his back, rubbing his belly, and trying to get him to take sips of ginger ale. He eventually calmed down (and farted) enough to lay back down, where he pooped 15 minutes later.

Yeah, I went to bed at 9PM last night. This morning Tommy is back to sweet, loving, funny boy.

Blame my short-term memory problem...

2008-04-19T11:50:00.001-07:00

...but I completely forgot to write about our afternoon hiking with Uncs at Quail Hollow!

Tommy and I met up with Uncs at the pond, played for a bit on the playground equipment, then walked for at least 3.5 miles on our favorite trail. Tommy developed a weird relationship with every sign we passed...he hung from them and tried to take them with him! There was also a relentless search for the perfect walking-stick, and I've got to say that there are few things more dangerous than a toddler swinging around a big ol' stick. We explored creeks and bridges (no beautiful lakes, though) and Tommy loved the garden near the Manor House - unfortunately, the caretakers seem to have pulled up almost all of the plants there, which made it seem barren and empty. I've been going to Quail Hollow with Uncs since I was 11 years old, I love it with a fierce loyalty, and therefore hate it when anything about the park changes.
The original plan for the day was to take Aden and Zachie with us, but it ended up being just Uncs, Tommy, and I. I love my baby cousins (and I will ALWAYS refer to them as my baby cousins, even when they're old enough to drive) and spending time with them, but it was so great to have my Uncs just to ourselves.
I hope that Tommy grows up loving Quail Hollow like I did...

Too funny...and stubborn

2008-04-18T05:22:00.000-07:00

The pic is of Tommy sitting in MY chair...its' mine, and yet everyone is constantly hogging it! At any given time I've usually got Baxter and Tommy trying to sit with/on top of me.

Yesterday I had see a nephrologist because my kidney has been trying to kill me again, the end result being that I most likely have hydronephrosis (my kidney can't drain and is swollen) and possibly another infection. Fun.

What's more fun is trying to wrangle Tommy at the doctor's office...he kept scribbling on the forms I was trying to fill out, he hated that the nurse was taking my blood pressure (he climbed onto my lap and kept trying to tear off the cuff - I think he thought she was hurting me), and he desperately wanted the Dr.'s laptop. When Tommy gets determined about something, he gets this look in his eye and nothing can stop him. He also tried going through all the drawers in the exam room, and he tried to play with the ear/eye/mouth light...for some reason, that in particular is amazing to Tommy...every doctor we visit, Tommy looks around the room to find that thing and then spends the rest of the waiting time trying to reach it. High entertainment, people.

Last night all Tommy wanted was Nick...everything was "Dadda!" and the constant "hold me, pick me up" finger-wiggle. The only time he asked for me after Nick got home was when he was getting ready for his ba-ba; he gets it, grabs his favorite Bruce (of the three he carries around and sleeps with) and climbs into my lap where he snuggles against me until it's bedtime. I've got to admit, I love that part of my day. Tommy is so active and such a little monkey that the time I get to hold him is limited, so I cherish any cuddling that comes my way. Yesterday he was sitting high up on the recliner behind me (no, not on top of it) and he kept putting his arm around my shoulders and kissing my hair. I ask you, how can someone not love sweet little moments like that?

And the waiting continues...

2008-04-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

Since I've been simultaneously waiting on Tim and trying to avoid worrying about him, I thought I'd post a pic of Tommy being Tommy.

Yep, that's my son in mid-jump. He's about to launch himself 4 feet in the air and land on his butt in the pile of sheets and down comforter that he stripped off the bed moments before. After he rolls out of the landing pad, he'll shake himself off and probably do it again, because he's Thomas Anthony Mullen Brochu and that's what he does.

He's a Helpin' Kind-of Boy

2008-04-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today, in anticipation of Tim and Uncle Ricky's arrival, Tommy and I finished cleaning the house. Well, I cleaned; Tommy picked his nose, ran screaming from the vacuum, slid down the stairs, terrorized the dog, and tossed clean laundry out of a basket. All normal for a day with a toddler. Hey, I don't call him "TommyTrouble" for nothing. He decided he wanted to wear the safety goggles (they came with some plastic kid tools) while I was cleaning the bathrooms, and he barely took them off for the rest of the day. Do you know how many times I had to replace those things on his face - he's got a tiny little nose, it's hard to keep stuff like that in place!

Oh, and on our last attempt at laying him down for bed, he was holding onto my hand and literally swinging from the banister, going up two stairs at a time with his feet tucked underneath him. Nick said "He IS a chimp!"

Tommy Loves Babies

2008-04-09T05:23:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Tommy and I met Katie, her daughter Adeline, and her 2-mos old son Aiden at the park. Tommy gave Addy a kiss on the shoulder, and she said "Eeew!" and ran to hide behind her mom. Tommy isn't used to having girls run away from his kisses! As soon as I took Aiden out of his stroller, Tommy was all over me asking to hold the baby, saying "Hi Baby!" over and over again, and kissing Aiden's head. Katie said "Tommy, do you want a baby brother?" and Tommy said "Uh-huh" and nodded. Tough luck there, kiddo...not ever gonna happen!

Tommy also proved himself to be the absolutely fearless child we all know he is by climbing everything he could wrap his hands around and sliding down the tallest slides. No dinky kiddie slides for my son...it's all or nothing for him. I have never seen a 2-yr old climb a jungle gym that fast, but should I be surprised? I mean, the kid is after all, a MONKEY.

P.S.

2008-04-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

And just because it needs to be said:
My son totally inherited my knobby knees. Of all my physical traits (you know, blond hair, blue eyes, etc etc) he gets my knobby knees. Sheesh.

Shenanigans OR Proof of Punk-Monkery

2008-04-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of pants-free Tommy and one of him with his awesome new shoes.

Well, Tommy had a great weekend. On Saturday, Aunt Ashley took him to the park and then to the mall where she bought him an amazingly cute pair of Converse sneakers. My kid is totally emo, especially with his long hair and vintage t-shirts. Tommy loves spending time with my sister...she's another chick on his list of "Women Who Love On Me Constantly and Give Me Whatever I Want." On Sunday, Nick took Tommy to the playground at our condo complex where Tommy immediately went into pimp-mode as soon as two little girls showed up...Nick said he kept holding their hands and trying to get them to sit next to him on the swings. Later on Nick and Tommy went to the park and met Uncs and my baby cousins, Zach and Aden. I have no idea what went on there, but Tommy did come home covered in dirt and looking exactly like Pig-Pen from the "Peanuts" comic. He was so tired that as soon as Nick gave him a bath, he asked for a ba-ba and snuggled into my lap where he promptly fell asleep. I swear that kid gains 10lbs when he conks out.

Today he was running around with his pants around his ankles, and if there's anything funnier than a toddler tearing around the house pants-less, I'd like to know.

He's a PUNK MONKEY!

2008-04-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

That's right, Tommy isn't just a punk. He's not just a monkey. He's a PUNK MONKEY!

A few days ago we had really high winds here, and the temp was finally warm enough that I could leave some windows open in the living room. I had a segment of the bay window open, and Tommy climbed onto the indoor ledge and stuck his face outside where he could feel the wind blowing on it. Think Baxter with his head hanging out of the car window.... Anyhow, it was absolutely hilarious and Tommy belly-laughed the whole time. I cannot resist that child's belly-laugh.

We went to the grocery store today and the PunkMonkey blew kisses to every woman who said "Hi" to him.

I'm tired, you're tired...let's take a nap!

2008-03-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Tommy had his ENT post-surgery checkup today, and everything is perfect! They did another hearing test, and he is well within normal range; Tommy also got new ear plugs for bathtime and when he goes swimmin' this summer.

(I should probably explain here - everyone who knows me understands that I am beyond anal-retentive when it comes to language and grammar. However, when it comes to Tommy I am willing to make some exceptions, such as:

Tommy is sleeping = baby seepin'

Tommy is swimming = baby swimmin'

Tommy is eating = baby eat'n

Hey, spend 24/hrs a day with someone and you'll inevitably make up your own verbal shorthand, too. Don't judge.)

The ENT doc (who is amazing and has a great rapport with Tommy...I've never seen him so cooperative with a medical professional before) recommends that we wait another 2 months to see if Tommy's verbal skills improve; if they haven't by June then we'll take him for a speech evaluation.

So, now I'm exhausted and it's too late to lay The Monkey down for a nap - obviously it's time to wrestle in Tommy's teepee.

Small Child Wreaks Havoc...

2008-03-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

...Refuses To Wear Pants or Let His Mother Take a Nap.

Yep, that's my kid.

Yesterday I woke up at midnight because I had a sleep-deprived EEG and MRI scan at my neurologist's office at 9AM. Mom dropped me off and spirited Tommy away, then picked me back up around 11AM. Since I only got 1.5hrs of sleep the night before, I was a total walking zombie, and while Tommy was exhausted, he decided to take a quick power nap and then be TROUBLEMAKIN' MONKEY THOMAS for the rest of the afternoon. Mom stayed with me (thank goodness) and I finally dozed off on my chair around 3PM...except every time Tommy saw that I had fallen asleep, he jumped on me! I have no idea why it bothered him so much, but it was pretty funny. Then, after we changed his diaper (for the 18th time) he decided that diapers and pants were optional...we had a naked butt running around, laughing maniacally and waving his tiny peeper at us! My son is a true believer in naked time, and he is not modest at all.
How is it that someone so small can make you laugh all day, even when you're beyond exhausted?

More Pics of MonkeyBabe

2008-03-25T06:52:00.001-07:00

Tommy is so surprised by his new tee-pee!

I know you can't see it here, but the chocolate pudding mess goes all the way down his chin, past his neck, and onto his chest. Needless to say, Tommy got two baths that day.

Easter

2008-03-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

It was nice and relaxing. Nick slept in, and Tommy and I got up and made a sausage/green and red pepper/cheddar cheese quiche (it must be the AL in me...every time a holiday rolls around I make quiche for breakfast) and colored in Tommy's coloring books. Well, I colored...Tommy made a few squiggle marks, took the book away from me, then decided he wanted to write on the walls. Don't worry, our walls are still crayon-free...for now. Nick and Baxter got out of bed (brought to life by the smell of breakfast - no, seriously) and Tommy and Nick wrestled around for a good long while. Tommy's new trick is to leap from the couches, chairs, etc with his arms and legs spread like some kind of flying monkey-squirrel. Nick went to work on Tim's car with my cousin, Matt - and it's finally finished!

We headed up to Dave's house, where Mom and Dave put together a tee-pee for Tommy...which he loved! There was so much static that his hair was sticking straight up (and when you see it that way, you can tell just how long it really is) and he kept telling us to get in the tent with him. He's VERY bossy, you know. It was so funny watching him hop in and out, but the best was when he figured out he could pick UP the tee-pee and move it wherever he wanted. Let me tell you, it's pretty hilarious when all you see is a day-glo tee-pee floating around with a pair of tiny feet walking underneath it. We ate a great meal, and Tommy saved all his room for the angel-food cake with fresh berries and cream. That kid is like a tiny shark when it comes to dessert. We got home and Nick gave Tommy a bath, then the bossy baby was out like a light. He does everything full-tilt boogie...he plays hard, cries hard, sleeps hard. It must be a boy thing.

Quality Time w/ PopPop

2008-03-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

My dad was just in town for a short trip, and I'm happy to say that Tommy FINALLY spoke in front of him. Tommy's been calling Dad "PopPop" for 5 months, but he'll never say it on the phone or in front of the old man...I don't know it it's shyness or if Tommy's just a tease or what; but yesterday when Dad dropped us off at the house after shopping and lunch Tommy finally said "Bye-bye PopPop!" Yay!

Yesterday was fun...Dad, the Monkey, and I went to Panera Bread for lunch...I am a sucker for potato soup in a sourdough bread bowl. Tommy and Dad played with Matchbox cars the entire time. When I was ordering our lunches, Dad had Tommy in a booth and every once in a while I'd hear "Hi Mama!" and when I looked over, all I could see was Tommy's crazy hair and big hazel eyes staring at me. Too cute.

No Appointment

2008-03-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Tommy hiding...he's kind of like an ostrich in that way...he thinks if his head is covered, we can't see him.

I called to reschedule Tommy's ENT appointment this morning...I was just too tired to wake up at 6, get Tommy up, take Nick to work, come home and get ready for the doc, drive to Akron, wait for 2 hours (they over-book at the ENT, it's a pain in the butt), drive home, clean up the house, make dinner, then go pick up Nick from work. Occasionally CFS does get in the way. Tommy's been rescheduled for March 31st.

The little Monkey didn't take a nap today, despite being grumpy as all get-out. He's also been quite the troublemaker today...getting into absolutely everything. Right now he's eating cookies on our bed, Baxter is begging, and Tommy keeps telling him "No! Bad rrrooorror!"

- Tommy calls all animals by the sounds they make. Dogs are "rororor," cats are "meow," and birds are "peeppeep." He thinks he's pretty funny.

Check out T-Bone's belly full o' cookies.

ENT appointment tomorrow

2008-03-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, Tommy has an Ear/Nose/Throat doctor appointment tomorrow morning...it's just a post-op checkup from when he had tubes put in his ears. His hearing seems to be improved, so hopefully the appt will go smoothly and we can get him measured for custom earplugs. He's been doing well with the generic plugs (they remind me of silly putty) but if we can get ones that are specifically molded for Tommy's tiny little ears and they are more comfortable, I think it will be easier for us to get him to wear them.

Today Nick was working on Tim's car in the garage, and Tommy kept his little face pressed against the window facing the patio, knocking on the glass and saying "Dada? Want Dada!" It's hilarious...when Nick's not home, all Tommy wants is his daddy. After 10 minutes of playtime with Nick, Tommy's all about Mama again. I was taking a bath this evening and I heard Tommy hopping up the stairs, yelling for me...as soon as he figured out where I was, he made himself comfortable in the bathroom.

Things They Never Tell You About Motherhood #457 - There is no such thing as "privacy" in the life of a Mommy.

But with a face like this, how can you resist him?

Pics as promised

2008-03-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Proof that Tommy is in fact a voracious, mischievous cookie thief.

I know the picture looks weird, I took it with my new phone and the glare from the windows was strong. Still...caught in the act!

In the pic on the far left, Tommy is saying "Cheese!" which he does whenever he sees my phone.

First entry...woohoo!

2008-03-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

I know I already have an online journal for myself (that one is private and only accessible to certain friends) but I thought it would be easier for our extended family to keep up with Tommy's daily shenanigans if I started up a blog just for him. I'll post a few pics on here from time to time, but for that stuff we'll still use the Flickr website.

Last night Tommy didn't go to bed until 10PM...he refuses to sleep unless both Nick and I are there to lay him down. Tommy's bedtime routine goes as follows:

*Nick (usually) gives him a bath while I clean up the kitchen and set out Tommy's pajamas.

*Tommy gets a baba (bottle), grabs his favorite Bruce, and climbs into my lap, where he is kissed mightily.

*We say "Time for bed!" and Tommy hops off my lap and turns off the TV.

*We throw the Bruces into his crib, feed his fish - he says "Nigh-nigh gigi."(Night-night, fishy) and we both kiss him, tell him we love him, and I lay him down.

Whether or not he climbs out of bed like a monkey-ninja is a toss-up...last night he was so tired he started snoring almost immediately.

Oh, and not only is he a monkey-ninja - the kid's a cookie thief as well! I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies yesterday (except I used half chips and half pecan pieces) and as soon as I put the first batch on the cooling rack, Tommy pulled his chair over to the counter and snatched one! He came running back over to me with cookie all over his face and said "Dat?" while pointing at the cookie. I told him what it was, and he nodded and said "Mmm!" The pattern continued until I put all the cookies in a plastic bag, after which he just grabbed the entire bag and ran.

I have proof of the cookie thievery...I'll try to add that later on today.