Keep Calm and Eat Dinner

Helping me cook dinner

Oh man.... I have a confession. Dinner routine in the Sachs house has totally gone off course. What used to be a special treat of movie night and eating in the living room watching TV has become the norm. What's worse? I started cooking Connor his separate dinners as he was starting to refuse what I was making him. I took the easy way around things because by the time the end of the day rolls around I just want to keep the peace. I've been up with him getting ready for daycare, most likely sat in traffic with him getting to daycare, worked all day and then by the time we get home we have almost 3 hours to spend together as a family.

The last three weeks have been up and down. Connor has been fighting a nasty imbalance of bacteria in his belly since having the stomach bug at the beginning of this month. I didn't realize what crappy food we were feeding him until I was trying to wean him off it to help balance out his sour belly!!! Talk about being disappointed in yourself.

Sooooo yesterday we started... I cleared off the cluttered kitchen table... made us ALL tacos (one of Connor's favorites). While he barely touched the taco meat he tore up some avocados and we all sat together as a family, eating dinner and gasp.... TALKING! It was a Christmas miracle for sure. I don't know how long we've been in his rut but its officially over. No more cluttered kitchen table making the living room look more enticing. No more!

I knew it was bad when tonight when I had the following conversation with Connor as I asked him to help me set the table....

Me: Connor come help mommy set the table.
Connor: Is Diva coming for dinner tonight?
Me: No. Its just the three of us.
Connor: Well who's coming over for dinner?

This is a total sign that we only eat at the table when we have company! Eek!!!! Sigh....

Sooooo tonight was evening two of eating at the table. Connor ate the same chicken as us (with a little bit of a fight) and I made him noodles tossed in coconut oil and green beans since I knew that was easier to eat than our asparagus and baked potato. At least its a start!

Let The Sentences Begin!

Connor was always a babbler in his late infant state and early toddlerhood. You didn't understand a single thing he said but he just kept on talking.

Then we moved into specific words. Mommy, Daddy, Baby, Up, Snacks, Off, Animal Sounds, Letters, Numbers, Hi, Bye... you get the point....

Then we ventured into songs. He surprised us by singing the "Ashes, Ashes.... All fall down" from Ring Around the Rosie one day. Next came the ABC's and now he loves Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Apples and Bananas, and Row Row Row Your Boat.

Communication as still been a little sketchy because we only had specific words, ABC's and songs to try and determine what it is that he wanted.

BUT........ In the last week or so (I know I've finally noticed in the last week).... SENTENCES! He's beginning to communicate with us to a point where we can have conversations. Some of theme are useful conversations so we can figure out what he needs/wants and other conversations.... well... I don't know... we get to hear what's ticking away in that brain of his.

Examples:
Crazy Stuff In His Head
Connor has two Buzz Lightyears. He got them for his birthday. One is a stuffed animal type Buzz Lightyear that does pretty much nothing but snuggle him at night. No noises, no lights, no button that pops wings out... you know.. they way something SHOULD be when you're sleeping with it. The other Buzz Lightyear is the full blown Buzz Lightyear and has every gadget, noise, lights up, pops out wings and is pretty large, heavy and awkward for a 2 year old to carry around. The only thing it is missing is an OFF button. Sigh... thanks Disney! Thankfully he does sleep with the stuffed Buzz Lightyear and plays with the other one during the day.

Earlier this week I was getting Connor dressed and he was playing "BLAST OFF" with the stuffed animal Buzz Lightyear. Then he stops, looks at me and says, "Buzz no wings. Buzz no fly." Then he babbled a bunch of words I didn't understand and then said, "Big Buzz wings. Big Buzz fly." He was totally explaining to me that the stuffed animal Buzz does not have wings and therefore can not fly like the other Buzz.

Helpful Info
I picked up Connor from daycare this week and as I was putting him into the car seat I noticed he had a red bump on his lip. I was torn between worrying he had a cold sore and assuming he had fallen and bit his lip I asked him what happened to his lip. He replied, "Sun in my eyes. Fall down. I ok." The fact that he went into detail about the sun being in his eyes floored me and I thought he might have just added that for affect. When I got home I texted daycare to ask if he had fallen because of the bump on his lip. She replied that he had indeed fallen at the park. So... yes... I guess he could have gotten sun in his eyes and fallen at the park!

Then There is Just Plain Cute
In the car this morning Connor sneezed twice.
Me: "Bless you!"
Connor: "No mommy. Bless me!"
Me: "Yes Connor, Bless you"
Connor: "NO No Mommy... Bless me!"
Me: "Oh ok Connor. Bless Me!"

My, my he is just growing leaps and bounds. What is a momma to do?!