Possibly my favorite X video ever

His favorite movie until a few days ago was "Mater's Tall Tales."  He watched it almost every day.  A couple of days ago he decided he wanted to watch "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" incessantly, and I find myself almost missing Mater.  A friend is moving and she gave X all of her son's old Mater figurines.  The video is of him on the playground in our complex playing make believe with his Maters (and one bulldozer and one Lightning McQueen).  If you listen closely, you can hear them arguing about who will go, then one decides that he will fly.  Right before the video started, they all were overturned one by one, saying "oh no!"

Our exhausting week.

Today is the last day of my week long staycation with X.  His day care auntie went out of town, and Bobby doesn't really have enough time in at work to get paid vacation, so I got to hang out with a two year old all week.  I learned that I was not cut out to be a stay at home mom.  On the other hand, this is probably the best place to staycation in the US.

We visited the aquarium, went to San Souci Beach and did some snorkeling (Bobby came along for that one), climbed to the Mokapu'u Lighthouse and saw some whales, and visited more playgrounds than I can count.  As a bonus, it rained the entire first week, so we visited the mall a few times as well.

We also visited the newly renovated Kaneohe Bay library.  Our patrons say it's a vast improvement.  I made it through the process without any nervous breakdowns, and my staff pulled together like champions.  X made himself right at home, marching to the staff break area to look for treats (like magic, there are always treats when he visits), to the kid's room to play with puppets, and to my office to play with my keyboard, book cart, and phone.  I think he approves.

New adult area (empty display units because I didn't get inserts, oops!)

New circulation desk.

YA room.

Kids' room with stuffed animals.

Popular library area.

I was tired of swinging him, so he swung himself.

Outside of the aquarium.  We could see the fish in the water.

Banyan tree dwarfs Bobby and X.

Eating cookie dough.

Acting out Mater's Tall Tales, his favorite movie.  There was an elaborate narration that I didn't understand a word of.

Making bubbles in the park.

Future businessman

My son is quite the negotiator.  Like many two year olds, he likes to have a say in what he wears, what he eats, and what we do.  Sometimes I let him.  He chooses his clothes every morning.  I say, "how about the blue shirt?" and he says "no blue shirt.  How 'bout green shirt?"  We go with the green shirt.

He has taken the power of "how about" to other aspects of his daily life.  Just yesterday, I said, "would you like a banana?"  "No nana.  How 'bout orange?"  He got his orange.

He has had so much success with "how about," that he likes to try it in every situation.  Today, he was riding on my back at the Mokapu'u Lighthouse Trail (we saw whales!)  The toy garbage truck that he insisted upon taking with him, then lost interest in less than two hundred yards up the trail, was in my pocket.  On our way back down, I said "would you like your garbage truck?"  "No garbage truck.  How 'bout iphone?"

Every day he picks his snack.  I say "would you like some raisins or some graham crackers?"  Every day he says, "how 'bout cookie?"

Sometimes I think it would be nice to take him to the playground (which he calls an up up eee).  "Would you like to go up up eee?" "No up up eee.  How 'bout watch TV?"

I guess the moral is don't give your children choices.

Taking a break on the lighthouse trail.  He chose this somewhat inconvenient resting spot.  I pick my battles.