Rocket Says

"More dat"

"Dat Fun-ny"

"Jumping jumping"

"Trween"

"Brwu"

"Trway"

"Bwown"

"Mommy daddy ... dat"

"Howww" (cat, which says 'me-ow')

"Happy You" ('birthday to' is unnecessary, right?)

"Roc-keet"

"Rocket seat"

"Downwalk downwalk"

"RwockehRwiigs"

"All done," which used to be "dah-doo"

Cool Ridings

I ride to school these days on the back of my dad's bike. In the mornings its COLD, but with my winter coat and my mittens, and with a ski cap on underneath my helmet, I don't suffer anything more than bright red cheeks. But, brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

On Vacuuming

There are things I have yet to figure out:

Daddy was using the vacuum cleaner the other day, and I wanted to try it. So he gave me the handle of the hose. What made sense to me was to find a piece of lint on the floor, pick it up with my fingers, and take it over to put it into the head on the hose where the air was being sucked in. Daddy showed me that you move the hose and vacuum head over the dirt or dust, that it picks everything up easily. But I like my way better.

Daddy just smiles, since he enjoys my little ... what does he call them ... conceptual errors. Not errors, daddy, creativity!

A & B

Today I learned two new words:

ABBA

BeeGees

'nuf said!

Bigger Words

As I discover multisyllabism, I can say more and more things.  This morning, for the first time, I told my mommy:  "Good morning!" and "I love you!"  Those two phrases feel important, for I hear mommy and daddy say them a lot.

Almost Whatever I Want to Say

I'm growing my verbal skills by leaps and bounds!  I'm communicating with mommy and daddy in multiple word sentences now, and I'm understanding pretty much everything they say.  Once in a while they have trouble understanding me, but I will patiently repeat things over and over.  Sometimes they get it; sometimes they don't.

Today they asked me what I did at school, but I didn't tell them.  I didn't really get the question, frankly.  It was school.  What else do they need to know?!

My new favorite word (and activity) is "hug."  Mommy and daddy both give me great hugs whenever I want one!

Another Day, Another First

• Yesterday, Friday August 28, was my first day of school; I fit right in with only about 8 seconds of crying when mommy and daddy left.
  
• I have started saying words of more than one syllable, repeating things mommy and daddy say, like "average" or "dojo."  I've had a few words like this in the past ("popsicle," "vegetable," and "cockroach") but not very many.  Words are getting a lot easier now.
  
• When daddy points at numerals I can say the names of "1", "2", "3", "4", "6", "7", "8", "9", and "0".  I still haven't figured out "5" yet, but give me another day.  I'll have it down in no time!
  
• Today I played Lego with daddy for an hour and a half straight, while mommy was selling scones at the Studioplex market.  I love Lego!

Grocery Adventure

Two nights ago on Thursday mommy and daddy took me to Trader Joe's for our weekly shopping trip.  Only this time, for the first time, they let me walk around the store instead of riding in the cart.  How great is this!  Daddy pushed the cart, and mommy went around taking things down off the shelves and handing them to me.  I would then run over to the cart and reach up and drop the things into the basket.  Over and over and over I did this.  It may qualify as one of the funnest things I've ever done!  Mommy and daddy smiled a lot watching me, but they got a little bit concerned when I chose a few items on my own to put in the cart.  They took those things out and put them back where they came from.  Hey, at least I tried!

Mommy seemed to get doubly concerned when I selected a few choice items to take off the shelves and put into other people's carts!  I mean, the point of shopping is to put things into carts, right?  Maybe there's more to it, but who cares?!  I love this new way to be in the grocery store!

What Else?

Big day today.

This morning I went to my first funeral.  A friend of my daddy lost his brother in a car accident a few days ago.  I was feeling quite happy and excited all morning, on the drive, and walking into the funeral home, but as soon as I saw everyone in the reception room, I got very quiet, put my head on daddy's shoulder, and didn't move or say a word for about 10 minutes while daddy talked to his friend.  I felt that a lot of people were sad.

Before we left, daddy and I stopped to look at some signs and pictures that the six-year-old daughter of the guy that died had put together.  I pointed to several hearts that had been glued on the board and said "heart" over and over.  Daddy hugged me.

This evening, mommy and daddy and I walked (OK, I was in the stroller) down to Oakhurst to watch a guy daddy knows (he was introduced to me as Garrett) play guitar and sing.  Mommy and daddy ordered beers, and I sat in my high chair and looked around the room at everything.  An accordion, the guy's guitar, the coasters.

Then I got thirsty.  So I pulled on daddy's arm.  When he leaned down to listen to me, I said "juice!  bubbies!"  (That means "bubbles", which is bubble water.)  So daddy got up and got me a plastic cup of cranberry juice and soda water from the guy working the bar.  I had never had cranberry juice before, but after the first sip which made me pucker up a little, I drank the rest of it no problem.  Daddy thinks I'm a big boy now for going to a bar, hanging out, and ordering my own drink!

When Garrett started singing, I listened to everything he sang, and I even started singing along with him.  And when he said he had written one of the songs about his daughter before she was born, I turned to mommy and daddy and said "baby!"  "That's right!" they told me; "this song is about a baby!"

Today it was a funeral and a bar, ordering drinks and singing.  What else is out there for me to learn about?

Life is Rich

In the last ten minutes I:

• Drove a car for the first time (my mom and dad's big white van, down Green St., sitting in my dad's lap, of course)
  
• Picked tomatoes
• Learned tenchi nage
  
• Learned to bow to my training partner (I like playing "dojo," as I call it)

Today I...

• went to the swimming pool with my cousins.
  
• used my new favorite words: "Back" and "Front"
  
• drew with chalk and erased with the eraser on my new easel
  
• watched "Elmo's Song" for the twentieth time and smiled and clapped my hand like I do every time
  
• got a time out (A-G-A-I-N) for throwing my food on the floor when I was done eating.  When I'm done, I'm done; get this food away from me!!
  
• took a loooooooooooong nap - close to four hours again

Floss

Tonight I watched my daddy flossing his teeth. This made me want to have my teeth flossed. So, for the first time, daddy flossed my teeth. It wasn't difficult and it didn't hurt at all. My teeth are very small and there's plenty of space between them for the little string. (Right now I have my four front teeth up top, four in front on bottom, four molars, and on the tops my canine teeth poked through the skin just this week. They have a ways to go to be fully descended.) I liked flossing so much I asked for more, twice!

My teeth are clean and bright. Daddy brushes them every day, even when my gums hurt so much it makes me cry and drool. How does he get me to cooperate? He sings me silly little songs that I think he just makes up on the spot. They're very entertaining, and they make me laugh. It's very difficult to keep crying and resist his brushing when I am laughing so hard! And, I like that, when he finishes brushing my teeth, he tells me he's very proud of me and he kisses me all over my face. :)

More New Things

Yesterday I did a couple things for the first time: I kicked a ball back and forth with mommy. Admittedly I bent down and stopped the balls coming toward me with my hand, which I sense is somehow against some rules somewhere, but I don't care. Once I stop the ball, I can kick it right back to mommy. I like this.

Also I sat on the bed with daddy and he held the back of one of his hands with his other hand. He lifted his wrists and bent the hand he was holding in what he called a "stretch". So I tried it too. He did a lot of different stretches, but I only figured out the first one. He said this was "aikido." I have known the word "do-jo" for a long time, so now I'm starting to learn what he does there at his dojo.

Oh, and I learned a new word yesterday: "yawn." You say it, and I can do it!

-----

PS, Today I sat on the couch and ate ice cream with my dad. I've never done that before! It was delicious, and made me say "more, more, more" (with my hand signals) over and over. To top it all off, we watched Bert and Ernie videos too!

More Firsts

Today I learned to say "Ciao!" Daddy and Mommy and I like to say it to each other.

Yesterday I learned to ask for "Bobby" when dad is watching videos. He says this is the name of the man who sings and taps on his chest and sounds like he's playing lots of instruments at one time, all with just his voice. Sometimes he calls this man "Bobby McFerrin", but I can't say that big a word yet.

I have started spending a couple minutes each day in my time out corner. Sometimes it's for hitting mommy or daddy in the face when I'm frustrated and want their attention, and somtimes it's for throwing food when I've had enough and don't want any more. They tell me I have got to learn to communicate more gently, but they don't know what it's like to be me. I get so exasperated!

My First Summer Camp

Though it is difficult to see mom and dad leave each day - I am having a blast at summer camp. We play in the sand box, climb in the tree house, stretch, draw, and oh yeah my favorite...eat popsicles. I am making lots of friends and watching the big kids to see how stuff is done.

ABC

After over a year of playing with my refrigerator magnet set and my "computer" (a toy that lets me press a key and hear its letter), I sat down with dad tonight and he opened "Curious George's ABCs". As he read each letter, I repeated it after him, all the way from beginning to end. I had only a little pronunciation trouble, mostly with "H", "J", "Q" and "W". But dad knew what I meant. I'm getting the sense that these letters will be useful to me before too long. I like them! Especially the ones one my dad's tee shirts!

I Like Hats

Another First

You know, life just keeps getting easier.  Yesterday morning I figured out I can get out of bed and open the bedroom door and go down stairs and out the side door to find mommy in the garden; I don't have to wait for her to come upstairs and get me.  Why didn't I think of this sooner?!

Firsts

In the past week, I have done some new things for the first time:

• played LEGOs with my dad
• ate Indian food (aloogobi, tarka dahl, naan bread, mixed veggie currie, veggie samosas ... I loved it all!)
• said "Joel" and "Maria" (I've been saying "da-da" and "ma-ma" for a long time now)
• helped carry groceries from the van to the house (I carried the huge bag of corn chips; I love 'em!)
• started saying multiple words at one go, like "Wa-wa eye" tonight in my bath when water got in my eyes.  Did you know that you can put multiple words together and say much more interesting things than a single word at a time will allow?  I like where this is going!

I wonder what's next.  I'm going to sleep now, and can't wait for tomorrow!!!

Me Me Me

Last evening I finally figured out a new word that I have been hearing all my life:  "me."  Whenever my mommy and daddy show me photographs on their iPhone, I have been able to tell them I'm seeing "ma-ma" or "da-da," but I've never known how to name that super-cute little boy that's in almost every picture.  I've never said the word "Rocket" that they named me, because I haven't seen the point.  I know who I am.

But last night, daddy took our story time before bed and showed me photos.  And he kept saying, "that's you" and "that's me" as we flipped through them.  So, when I saw a picture of daddy, I said "me!" because that's what he had been saying.  Ans when I saw a picture of the little boy, I said "you."  Daddy said, "no, not quite."

"You would say 'that's me' (pointing to me) and you would say 'that's you,' (pointing to himself).  And I would say 'me' (pointing to himself) and 'you' (pointing to me)."  I was totally confused.  Finally, I just tried the opposite of what I'd been doing, and the next time he showed me a photo of me, I said "me!"  "Yesss!!!" daddy said excitedly as he gave me a big hug and an rub on the head.  He kept showing me photos of me, and over and over he hugged me and patted my head whenever I said "me."  I still didn't get it, but at least I know that I like hugs!

So then he showed me a picture of mommy, so again I said "me!"  "No," daddy said, "that's mommy."  This is harder than I thought.  Ten or 15 minutes later, at least I knew the difference between "ma-ma," "da-da," and "me."  I can work with this for now.

Mommy came in to put me to bed a few minutes later, and she got excited, too, each time I said "me."  So, I think I'm onto something.  I'll keep trying this new word and see what's next.

Two Words

I'm starting to put two words together once in a while:  "Bye bye, dada" or "No, mama."  I like being able to say more things more quickly, too.  I know all the words in my sign language book.  Even though I know the sign for sorry (a closed fist making circles on my chest), I prefer to open the book and point to the drawing of a toddler making the sign; I can communicate that way just as easily as making the sign myself.

Talking is fun, and mommy and daddy talk to me a lot every day.  I can understand most everything they say, even if I don't like it or don't want to do what they're asking me.  I know, for example, that they ask me not to climb up on the dining table, but I do anyway sometimes, because it's fun!

I wonder what comes after two words.  I'm not sure yet, but I'm looking forward to it, whatever it is.

It's Just Electricity

Dad worked on his computer in my room this evening, and when he was done, he pulled the cord out of the wall socket and went downstairs.  But he forgot to put the plastic safety plug back in.

No problem.  After my bath, I found the plug and decided I would help by putting it back in for him.  No big deal, right?  Well, when dad noticed what I was doing (he told me that I had "gone quiet" for a few seconds), he nearly had a fit.  I've never seen him move across a room so fast (and this was after I crashed off the bed this afternoon)!  "No!" he yelled at me.

I just looked at him.  I knew I wasn't supposed to play with the outlet or the safety plug, but I figured that dad might let me this time.  Or, maybe if I stopped moving he wouldn't be able to see me any more.  That didn't work.  He took the plug out of my hand and plugged it in.  That's all I was trying to do!  Why couldn't he let me do that???  This world can be a confusing place.

Ouch!

Today I was jumping up and down on the bed in our guest room when dad walked in.  I started running and bouncing down the bed to give him a hug, when I missed a step and tumbled off the bed headfirst onto the floor.  Clonk!  I lay there dazed for a few seconds, my eyes slighly crossed as I came back to my senses.  Dad picked me up immediately, and then I started crying.  It hurt!  Mommy rushed in and held me, and within about two minutes I was done crying and ready to start playing again.  I have a little red bump on my forehead, up by my hair, but other than that I feel perfectly fine.

I think I scared my dad.  My neck bent way back when I hit the floor, which was fine with me, but I suppose dad's not used to seeing that.  He said it's hard to be a father sometimes when you see these things.  Mommy says that having me is like having her heart run around outside her body.

I'm fine, and I can't wait to jump on the bed again tomorrow!

Skinny; Poison Ivy

My dad says I'm getting tall and skinny, which I kind of like.  I can now see onto the top of the dining room table when I'm standing on the floor, which makes eating a lot less of a crap shoot; I mean, I can see what I'm reaching for now.  This is good!

There are, however, some "downsides" to this newfound height of mine:  this evening I stumbled just a bit and hit my upper lip and gum onto the corner of the dresser in my room.  This wouldn't have happened if I were shorter or if I weren't walking yet.  I have a lot to learn in order to be safe in this world.

My mom and dad keep talking about something called "poison ivy" outside, but I don't know what it is or why they care about it.  All the plants and vines look very interesting to me, and I like to pull on them just like I see my parents do.  Whenever I help, though, they make me stop take a step back.  Just to be sure, I try to help them again.  And they make me stop and step back again.  After about six times trying to help them, I just want to cry.  So I do.  Then they usually give me a truck to play with, or maybe tell me to go sit in the sandbox.  I like that, too, so I go play there.  Something weird is going on with all these vines, though.  I want to understand.

This week I...

This week I:

• hung out with and played with my yeh-yeh (granddaddy Leroy from Santa Barbara); he flew home today, which made me sad
• learned how to shake hands with my dad
• picked a scab off my knee for the first time - OW!
• figured out how to turn on and turn off the air conditioner in my room
• got my own set of power tools to work with
• learned how to say and use the words 'wall' and 'walk'; did you know they sound similar but they mean totally different things?

In the past month I have learned to climb up into my high chair all by myself and buckle myself in.  I still can't figure out how to unbuckle myself, though; Mom thinks that's OK.

Drinking and Falling

Today I decided I prefer drinking from a regular cup and not from a sippy cup. This is progress.

And twice while running in the gravel street I did something he calls a face-plant, falling forward and landing hard on my knees and elbows and forearms. Each time he raced over to me and asked if I was OK, and each time I got up, rubbed my knees, and said "Dah!" (That how I pronounce "yes"; it just sounds right to me.) "Good fall," he told me. I like it a lot when my daddy is proud of me!

Ice Cream Cone

I had my first ice cream cone last night at Brusters. Mom, Dad, Granddaddy and I drove over on a beautiful evening, ordered our cones, and sat at a picnic table under the trees. My flavor was "Jamaican Me Crazy" (coconut, really). Man, it was delicious! I'm liking these new things I'm trying out with mommy and daddy!

Babies Are Cool

I have my own baby doll (which my Honey gave me) and I like to brush his teeth, play the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" song, and give him hugs and kisses - just like Mommy and Daddy do with me. His name is "Baby" - I might change it someday but I think it is a very serviceable name for now.

My New Favorite Food

My YeYe from California is visiting and he brought me some tiny packets of yummy green paper to eat - he calls it "nori" and I love it! Mom thinks I am the best baby ever for loving nori but to me it better than candy or ice cream - bring it!

Football

Today I threw my first pass that dad could catch. And then he threw a pass to me and I caught it for the first time. I like this thing they call football. My football is red and blue and very squishy; I think the laces are fake.

Done Eating

When I throw my food on the floor or smash it into my high chair tray or my little plastic plate, then that means I am through eating. You can wipe me down and take me out of my chair at that point. Game over.

Recent goings on...

Today I learned how to say "Walk!" as I walked around and around the room. I like this new word.

Yesterday my dad taught me how to play 'Airplane', where he lies on his back on the bed, lifts me up by my rib cage, and flies me around making plane sounds.

The day before that, dad trained aikido with me for the first time. I learned the five hand stretches, and he did 'sumi otoshi' to me about 15 times. I loved it! "More, daddy, more!!!"

Yea, Telephones!

My Dad called mom and me on the phone late this afternoon. He was calling from the Aikido Decatur dojo. You know, that's my favorite word these days: Do-jo! So, when he called, mom put him on the speaker phone. He said "Rocket, I am at the dojo right now; can you say dojo?" So I did. I said, "do-jo". This is the first time I have used my words when talking to someone on the telephone. I don't really get the whole concept of it right now, but I see mom and dad do it a lot.

(By the way, I really like their iPhones. Sadly, they won't let me play with either of them at the moment. Sometimes I get to look at pictures with them, pictures mostly of me, which is cool. I think there's a lot more stuff going on on those phones, but I don't yet know what.)