Parker's 2nd birthday was such a blast. It was the pick-me-up that we needed after losing my Grandpop. It was super-hero themed, which I will admit, we are little bit obsessed with at the Preis house. Let's face it-- it is better than most of the skull, bug, and monster themed junk out there for boys! Plus, we feel like Parker is our super hero.
So two months after his birthday, here are some of his favorites as a partying two-year-old!
Parker's favorite food: Uh-oh. Parker still likes his veggies, but is turning into a carb-hound like his Mama. He loves pasta, macaroni and cheese, PB&J sandwiches, and smoothies- but only the ones Daddy makes!
Parker's favorite toys: Anything he can throw is still his favorite, but in particular, he loves his popper push toy, his Little Tykes car, any and all chairs, his refrigerator magnets, and Chase's tail.
Around the house: Roaming the halls of our house is one of Parker's favorite things to do. His favorite pit-stops are:
- At the kitchen cabinets, because they can be LOUD
- Mommy and Daddy have gotten smarter about leaving the bathroom door shut, but whenever he gets the opportunity, the toilet is a MUST SEE.
- At the dining room fold-up chairs-- because he can push them around the house
- The STAIRS! Because reaching the top before Mommy and Daddy realize he is gone is the best-- many giggles ensue.
- The refrigerator water dispenser tray is his favorite place to hide toys!
All time best: Parker is obsessed with his Daddy's guitar! He loves holding the pick and strumming, and listening to Daddy sing.
We have started off 2015 at a pace that seems as if it is a thousand miles per hour and slow as a snail all at the same time. We had three "cold days" off of school last week, and are slowly trying to get motivated to un-decorate the tree, clean the house, and start crossing things off of our home/marriage/friendship/parenting punch lists. We have home decorating items, like getting a dining room table (which was a big deal to my Grandpop), putting up blinds, and organizing the always-there piles of STUFF - that really should have been done months ago. I'm tired just thinking about it. We have also come to the realization that as a family, we really need to be better about taking date nights and vacations and remembering how much we love each other without the stress of day to day life nipping at our heels (or sometimes, chomping us whole). So that is on the docket to plan, too, which is more exciting to me than choosing blinds.
Amidst all of our indecision on some things, we are kept at the thousand miles per hour pace because Parker has officially entered the toddler club-- complete with energy boosters and insatiable curiosity. We are both loving it and completely exhausted. It is tough in some situations, because he is into EVERYTHING, but doesn't necessarily understand commands-- which goes beyond just simple stubbornness. Things get a little scary when he doesn't respond to the tone/volume of our voices OR our words when in a dangerous situation- like reaching to touch something hot or playing with cords. It is all par for the course of being parents to a toddler!
He has moved up to the next room at his school, meaning he is back with his peers for the first time in several months. We are so excited about this. I'll admit-- it is sometimes panic-inducing to walk into the room and see all of his peers talking and participating in structured activities, and see him wandering around them completely disengaged. We are working on it, though, every single day, and believe that his feisty, bubbly personality will carry him farther than we can imagine.
So for now, 2015 is about improvement all around!
