Typical

What follows is not a transcript of an actual conversation, but rather a description of a typical morning conversation between my 19-month-old and I, as we attempt to head out the door.

"Z, are you ready to go to camp and have breakfast?"

"Waffle."

"Well, I don't think they're going to have waffles this morning, but maybe pancakes, or toast, or oatmeal - do any of those sound good?"

"Waffle."

"Well, how about toast with honey? Or you can have honey on your pancake?"

"Honey. Honeyhoneyhoneyhoneyhoneyhoneyhoney."

"Okay, great. Let's get our shoes on. Can you please pick out a pair of shoes to wear - sandals or Crocs?"

"Mutt."*

"Yes, we can see Mutt in a minute, but first we have to get our shoes on. What shoes are you going to choose?"

"Mutt. Muttmuttmuttmuttmuttmuttmutt. MUTT!"

"Alright, why don't you wear your Crocs? Please come over here and let me put your Crocs on."

(silence)

"Z, please come here and let me put your Crocs on."....2 minutes later....."Thank you....one croc....two crocs...."

"Nine."**

"Nine Crocs? You're so silly! Silly Willy Billy...." (insert tickling & appropriate giggles here) "Alright, let's get going."

"Mutt!"

"Yes, we can see Mutt for a minute."

"Mutt! MUTT! Hi, Mutt! Hello, Mutt! Muttmuttmuttmutt Mutt! Ack!*** Chair! Slide! Mutt! MUTT!"....etc. :)

"Alright, well, we need to go to camp now. Let's go."

"Mutt!"

"Yes, say bye-bye to Mutt."

"Bye-bye, Mutt."

"Let's get in the car."

"Car! Daddy Car!"

"Yes, it's Daddy's car. And Mommy's car."

"Bye-bye, Mutt. Car. Daddy. Keys. KEYS!!!"

"No, Mommy's keys are busy, so you can't play with them right now. They have to drive the car."

The end.

- Now...does anyone wonder why I always get ready to leave ten or more minutes before we actually have to leave? And why we're rarely on time for meals at camp? :)


*Mutt is our kitten, who lives on our porch, and Z LOVES him.
**Z's favorite number is nine & he loves to insert it randomly while I count anything.
***Ack is Z's word for kitty - when he squeaks it, it sounds remarkably like a sound our kitty would make.


In other big household news, Z is adjusting rather well to our new schedule - I finally bit the bullet & put him down to one nap this week (he is 19 months old, after all). Monday was a big fail, I kept him up until after lunch at camp, which meant his nap didn't get started until about 1:30 (he gets up at 7, so that was a little late for his nap). He was overtired, and took a 45-minute nap & was grouchy the rest of the day. Yesterday, we came home at noon, ate lunch together, and I put him down at 12:30. He slept for two hours (which is practically unheard of for him), and had a great rest of the day. Then he went right to sleep at 7:30 and didn't get up until 7:30 this morning. So I'd say that yesterday went pretty well. We will try to follow the same schedule today, and see if it works just as well. Thank you all for your encouragement in changing his schedule - I really appreciate it!!! And it was actually really nice to only have to come home once from camp for a nap instead of twice - the only bummer is that we'll have to miss (free, delicious, already cooked for us) camp lunch every day this summer, if this is the schedule that keeps working for him. :( *sigh* Well, I guess we can enjoy leftovers, anyway! :)