Great Days

I'm sitting on a bus, heading home from Target, and we've been stopped for about 15 minutes.  Why?  Someone spilled a drink and they have to clean it up due to a slip and fall hazard.

Nicholas sits next to me blabbering on as I scroll through facebook, casually thinking of our day.  Over all, it was good.  And I tell him so.

"Thank you for behaving today."

"You're welcome."

"I appreciate it when you behave."

"You forgive me for when I don't behave?"

"Of course!"

He understands things get difficult for the both of us when he can't quite behave, and I do try so hard to keep my cool and be understanding that he is not as in control as most his age. 
But it's not always that way.  Sometimes it's good.  Even great.  Today was great.  And I must keep reminding myself of this as I think of the impending supermarket trip that must take place this weekend.

Sometimes it's great.

The Grocery Store

I have been wanting to write this post for a while, put down in words what a typical outing is like with Nicholas.  It just never happens because it never seems quite right.  And then I saw this video.  So let me start with our experience.

This is what a typical trip to the grocery store looks like:

We walk in, the flower display is on the immediate right.  Yes, Nicholas, those are very pretty flowers.  No, we cannot buy any flowers.  Please let go of the flowers.  I walk away in hopes that he will follow.  Come on, Nicholas, stay with me.  He runs to the berries.  You can have one kind of berry.  You want raspberries?  But look, there aren't any raspberries.  You can have blueberries, strawberries, or black berries.  Are you sure you don't want any?  I grab blueberries anyway, he'll ask for them as soon as we're home.  Nicholas, please stop spinning.  Stay close to the cart.  No running Nicholas, please stay close.  Can you help me?  Get some cheese for me, the one in the purple bag.  The purple bag, Nicholas.  Close the door nicely.  Nicely... Nicholas, please don't slam any doors!  Come one Nicholas, lets go get milk.  Stop spinning, please stop spinning.  Watch where you're going, Nicholas.  Please look in the same direction your body is moving.  Keep your hands to yourself, you're going to knock something over.  Please stop spinning.  Nicholas, no running!  No we're not getting cake today.  Because we have some at home.  No running!  Stay next to the cart, here hold the box of sandwich bags.  Oh good, peace, we're almost done.  Nicholas, please don't open that.  Here, can you put it in the cart?  Thank you for helping!  Please stop spinning.  Look!  You hit someone!  Can you apologise for hitting them?  See, this is why I say no spinning.  Keep up Nicholas....

Trip To The Aquarium

A couple of weeks ago the Aquarium was having a special promotion for spring break: opened late and arrivals after 5PM were $15.  Since I work until 5, and walking distance from the Aquarium, this was a perfect opportunity for us to go.  Nicholas seems to really like it and has been asking to go back since.  We may consider annual passes in the future.

A lorikeet (there must be a reason for these birds at the aquarium,
I have just yet to figure it out)

A Year Later...

*dusts off dust and cobwebs... watches spiders run*

It has been a little over a year since the last post and there are various reasons for that.  Mostly, I was convinced my last post was around potty training time and that 'catching up' would be too monuments.  Turns out last post was about destruction.  So let me start by updating that.

3 Years, 12 Months!

I know, it's been 18 days and no big birthday post.  It's just not happening this year, much less than last year.  It's just too hard this year, I cannot accept it.  From his fitting into 4T pants, to him insisting he is 5, to this sudden expanded vocabulary and expressiveness.  It's just too much.  I need my baby!!!!!!!  Or get knocked up again... but that's a post for some other place.

Anywho, here is the synopsis of the celebrations:

Trip to the Park

A trip to the park.  All pictures, no explanation needed.

National Train Day

Ok, almost a week later...

On Saturday, May 7, we took a trip to Union Station in Los Angeles for National Train Day 2011 and the 40th anniversary celebration for Amtrak.

Happy to be on the train, on our way to see the trains!