That's funny.

I have been so tired lately, and so bad about writing down the amusing these that go on around here. Following are a few.

Yesterday, we were out walking and a friendly dog jumped up on Gus. Gus was surprised but okay and I explained that dogs sometimes do that and that's why you never approach a dog without asking its owner. Today we went to the playground and when we got to the dog park, Gus said, "Mama, I want to jump on a dog." Payback?

Gus and Jonathan spent the weekend at Grandma and PopPop's while I transitioned Theo to sleeping in Gus's room (now Gus and Theo's room). One night at dinner, Grandma, PopPop, Jonathan and Michael were talking politics. Grandma said something about Obama, and Gus said, "Barack Obama?" Everyone was floored. Gus, Theo and I listen to a lot of NPR and Gus picked up on Obama one day and will sometimes chant "Barack Obama. Barack Obama." Kate tells me that Chloe also likes to say Obama. It is fun to say.

Gus was playing with our decommissioned cell phone again. He was running around the kitchen talking to Uncle Michael and Elmo, when he turned it over to Theo.

"Theo, say allo."

"Theo. Say allo!"

Ee-i-ee-i-o

That Gus. He cracks me up.

This morning, like every morning, Gus woke us up with pleas for milk. But this morning he requested "half a pound of milk." Yesterday afternoon Gus rode his tricycle with PopPop to the grocery store to buy a half gallon of milk, so I guess that was on his mind. Pounds, gallons, so much to keep straight. I wonder if he was picturing himself drinking it right from the jug?

After drinking a cup of milk and eating breakfast we went to the "touch me museum." We had a lovely visit until it was time to leave. No matter how I phrase it or how much warning I give Gus, he still throws himself on the ground and kicks and screams and everyone looks at us. And then, with Theo strapped to the front of me in the Bjorn, I pick up Gus and carry him to the coat room. He calms down there because there is a liquid soap dispenser that he likes to use, but once he washes of the "touch me germs" he starts crying again while I wrestle him (with Theo strapped to the front of me) to get his coat on. Today, a very nice great-grandmother offered to put Gus's coat on for me and Gus screamed, "Lady no touch my coat!" She was a little taken aback and I was a bit embarrassed. Gus then said to me, quite upset, "That lady no go to my pizza party." Why he would assume we would invite her baffles me. Maybe everyone we see is a possible guest. He must think about this pizza party an awful lot.

When Gus got up from not taking a nap, I changed his diaper. While he was on the changing pad he said "I go see Theo dor." I could not understand what he thought Theo was doing. He said it a few more times. "I go see Theo dor." Then I heard it. Theodore. A few weeks ago I told him that Theo's full name is Theodore. I said, "Theodore?" And he said "His big name. My big name Gus Thomas Schoenfeld." So I told him that Theo's big name is Theodore Bernard Schoenfeld, which he repeated and then said "My big name Gussy Thomas Schoenfeld." I call him Gussy sometimes. I wonder if he is going to wish he had a formal name. Maybe we should have named him August (my preference) or Gustav (Jonathan's preference). But really we both just like Gus. Maybe we should have named Theodore, Theo. Or Mack. Oh well.

The final funny happening of the day took place in the bath tub. While Gus was taking his bath and Theo was excersaucering in the doorway, I sang songs to entertain them. After a few rounds of 'Five Little Ducks,' Gus requested 'Old MacDonald.' In the past couple of weeks Gus has started singing it with us and will tell us what animals are on the farm. Fish is always the first animal. Sure, why not? There could be a pond of fish on the farm. (For the record fish make a kissy sound.) So we did the fish, and started again. And on the farm he had a ??? "Penis," Gus said. "A what?" I asked, sure that I did not hear that right. "A penis," he confirmed looking at his. (For the record a penis says pee.) I definitely do not want to work that into the lineup, so no more Ee-i-ee-i-o in the bath tub.

Recent conversations with Gus

While trying to change a very fidgety Gus's diaper:

A: Hey, Schoeny, stay still.
G: I'm not Tony.
A: I said Schoeny. What should I call you?
G: Gus. Big Boy! [Laughs] That's funny.

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Upon smelling a stinky diaper.

A: What's that I smell?
G: It's garlic.

Earlier I had let him help peel and press garlic.

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An hour after putting Gus to bed he woke up. I sat with him on my lap and we talked about things we did during the day.

G: I funny. I made big lady laugh.
A: The cashier at the grocery store? (She is a very large woman.)
G: Yes, the big lady laugh at Gus.
A: Am I a big lady?
G: No. Mama a baby lady. Little lady.

I love this kid.

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Gus and I were sitting on the couch watching Arthur, when it suddenly went off the air. Probably because of the snow.

G: I want walk to my party now.
A: What party?
G: Birthday party. Pizza guy comes.
A: You want pizza at your birthday party?
G: Pizza guy give Gus present. I want blue cake. Like Owen.
A: You want a birthday cake like Cousin Owen's?
G: I want croquet balls. Croquet balls! Walk there. Now.

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I was taking laundry out of the dryer, including Theo's little giraffe toy. Theo was in the pack 'n play and Gus was playing in the room.

A: Gus, would you please give this giraffe to Theo?

Gus came over, got the giraffe and tossed it in the pack 'n play.

G: Say thank you, Theo.

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We went to the Please Touch Museum on Tuesday. All day yesterday and today Gus said:

"I go museum."
"I go museum?"
"I go touch me museum."
"Touch me museum, okay."
"Please touch me museum, yes."
"Museum. Yup."
"Go touch me museum."

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Over the past week or so Gus has started saying, "How are you," and "Where are you," but he does not say the "how" or "where." So when he is looking for me, it is, "Mummy, are you?" and when he is pretend talking on the phone it is, "Allo? Are you?" Different inflections but both sound like he is a Frenchman speaking English.

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Putting Gus to bed for the second time.

A: I love you. We will play more tomorrow but now it's goodnite.
G: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! CROQUET BALLS!

"Nice job, Uncle Kevin"

Uncle Kevin and Linda gave Gus and Theo two stuffed animals at Christmas, a frog and a rhinoceros. Gus was playing with the Frog and I asked him what its name was, totally expecting to hear "Frogy." Instead, he answered "Tiny Tim" as in the song from music class, which we have not sung in months.

I had a little frogy, his name was Tiny Tim.
I put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap,
and then he hopped to the top with a bubble in his throat.

Next I asked him where he got it. He said, "from Grammy." I corrected him, and said, "Uncle Kevin gave that to you. He said "Uncle Kevin? Nice Job, Uncle Kevin!" I guess he likes this frog.

Theo also likes the frog. He can hold it on his own and the four legs make for good chewing.


I think of Tiny Tim as Theo's . I could see it becoming his "lovey" (That's what the child development types call security blankets these days). But Gus has other ideas. . .

"Bye-bye Theo"

Everyone loves Tiny Tim. Poor rhino.

"Gus is funny"

Gus is always telling us how funny he is and today he proved it by getting Theo to laugh. Gus spun around in a circle singing gibberish and Theo belly laughed. Once he realized Theo was laughing at him he kept spinning.

Gus also made me laugh:

When I told him I was going to the potty he said, "Be careful."

While off doing his own thing I overhead him sneeze and say, "Bless you, Gus."

He is a funny guy, that Gus.

More visiting

We started very early today. 8 am! Carolynn, Chris, Walter and baby Jack had us over for breakfast. Jack is so cute and looks a lot like Carolynn. I wish I could say Carolynn and I just sat around and drank coffee, but with two toddlers and two newbies it was a bit hectic. So much so that I did not even take a picture. Theo and Jack were of course oblivious to the existence of the other, but Gus and Walter had a lot of fun. They played with Walter's work bench, loaded citrus fruit into a wheel barrel and toted it around the house (that ended because Gus wouldn't stop biting the fruit and Walter didn't want to share it), and stood at the back stairs and called down to Chris who was working in the cellar. Walter would call, "Daddy," and then Gus would call "Robert's Daddy." He kept referring to Walter as Robert. I do not know if he was confusing him with his cousin Robert, or if he was just pronouncing Walter funny.

We met up with Jonathan back in Dedham and Gus cut and decorated cookies with Grammy while I ran an errand.

Gus's cookies.

This was Gus's first baking experience and by all reports he loved it, and discovered a new word, "decorate." A lot of my friends bake with their under-twos (and have even forwarded kid friendly recipes to me) but I am a meanie when it comes to the kitchen and have been very protective of my favorite space. I keep all my pots and tools under lock and key and have only let Gus play with kitchen equipment on a handful of occasions. So I guess it is only fair that I missed out on the fun. But I did enjoy eating them. Very good dough, Grammy!

It is a turkey. Could it pass for a turtle?

Next, all three 2042 boys and I headed to Cambridge to see Kate, Jon, and Chloe. Gus and Chloe had a lot of fun . . .




but I think Gus may have a little competition for Chloe's heart from Theo.



Chloe is two now (Dec 21) and so smart and spunky and adorable. I really enjoyed her questions about Theo and her singing. Kate called Gus "the male Chloe" and Chloe "the female Gus" and I see what she means. Maybe it is because as newborns they spent so much time together. Probably not, but it is a nice thought.

Next time we see the Nazemis they will be in Watertown. We are looking forward to visiting them in their new home.

When we got back to Dedham, Grandpa was watching a Seinfeld rerun. Gus walked into the room when Newman was on the screen, looked at the television and exclaimed, "that's a big guy!" Indeed. Theo, the drooler that he is, had soaked his sweater so we took it off

and Grandpa said he looks like he works in an Italian restaurant.

It was a wonderful day.

Go, go, go.

Today was pretty busy. Theo and I drove to Cambridge in the sleety rain to visit with Karen, Brian and Baby Henry. And then after Gus went to bed we headed to Westwood to visit with Debby. Delia was asleep in bed and poor Mike was sick in bed. It was so nice to catch up and made me really miss Boston.

"Where are we off to now?"

Gus went out to lunch with Grammy and Grandpa. When he got back he ran into the house saying, "Mummy, Mummy, I ate fish and chips and made it go all done gone!" It felt so strange hearing him tell me about something he did without me around. Sure, he has been going out without me, mostly with Jonathan, but sometimes with Grammy and Grandpa or Grandma and PopPop, but he has not been able to communicate what happened without me until now. I always get filled in but when Gus tells me in his own words it just makes me really aware of the fact that he is his own little person and will have experiences without me. Gus has a life without me? Not possible!

Grammy still filled me in on more happenings. The funniest was when the waitress came to clear the table. When she took Gus's plate he cried, "Don't take Gussys's food!" He was very upset.

Over the river and through the woods . . .

Tonight we trek to the snowy North. Jonathan and Gus are playing at the park and running errands and I am packing. We will be in Boston until the 3oth. I plan on writing the blog while we are there and adding pictures to it when we get home.

Despite all the snot and fevers we have had a couple of days full of firsts. On Thursday, Theo put an inanimate object in his mouth for the first time. Very exciting! It was the winkle.


I ran to get the camera but by the time I got back it was no longer in his mouth.

And then yesterday Theo was graping at the animals on the play mat. I sort of captured this.




And Gus took a break from getting ready for the tub to help him out.



Gus also had a first--an argument with Daddy. At least it was the first time he has communicated with words that he was upset with one of us. He got up at two am yesterday and never really got back to sleep despite lots of rocking, singing, and snuggling from Jonathan and me ("No pick Theo. Pick Gus"). Around five, desperate for sleep, we caved and let him in bed with us. He slept for maybe 5 minutes and then started babbling about buses and Auntie May's house (I guess he was thinking about our trip) and very purposely kicking Jonathan in the back. Jonathan lost his patience (understandably) and yelled at him.

At this point we gave up on sleep and I brought Gus down to the kitchen for breakfast. When we were heading down stairs I called up to Jonathan to ask him something and Gus cut me off and said "No Jonathan." He apparently was just as upset with Jonathan. After a while Jonathan came down to the kitchen and said "Hi Gus," and Gus said "Gus no hi Daddy." Jonathan said hello again and Gus again replied very emphatically, "Gus No Hi Daddy." This amused and saddened Jonathan. I was just amused. But the best was when I asked Jonathan if he wanted coffee and Gus said, "NO. No coffee for Daddy." He really knows how to punish a guy. Thankfully, they made up while I was taking a shower and Gus let Jonathan take a mug of coffee to work.

Jonathan and Gus just got back from the park. Gus is telling me he "kicked the big ball." Jonathan says he was playing ball in the fountain with a four year old named Ben. When Ben left with the big ball he told his mother, "I like that Gus. He is an excellent ball player!" Hopefully, Gus's ball skills aren't at their peak at 22 months. It would be nice to have an athlete in the family.

Baby Legs, crazy legs.

Just for the record, Jonathan is anti leg warmer, but he doesn't walk around everyday with poor Gus in flood pants. When Gus sits in the stroller, his pants pull up above his socks and he has sometimes up to a couple of inches of exposed skin. But he cannot wear the next size pants yet because the legs are too long and the waists are too big and they fall down to his knees. Solution, leg warmers. Baby Legs. They are seemingly amazing. One size fits newborn to 10 years of age! We tried them out today under a pair of chinos and they did the trick. No bare skin, so that has to equal warmth, right? When questioned Gus said he was warmer. Apparently leg warmers are pretty popular and there are not that many patterns for boys to choose from. We ended up with these:



He looks like a hockey player without garters (and pants). If he starts skate boarding these will look super stylee under board shorts. Gus referred to them once as "leg mittens," and then "long socks" and then seemed to settle on "bone socks." Other new things he said today included "people person," as in I am a people person, and "move it mummy," as in hurry up. That last one is my fault. When I am following Gus up three flights of steps with Theo in one arm and a package of diapers and a stuffed dog in the other, and Gus decides to plop down and investigate the grain of the wood on the steps, I escalate to "Move It!" I'm going to have to watch my tongue.