31 August 2014

While in the car:
Alyson: Mama?
Me: Alyson?
Alyson: Hi dair!
Me: Hi there.
Alyson: Mama?
Me: Alyson?
Alyson: Hi dair!
Me: Hi there.

30 August 2014

Every time she got her hands covered in sand, Alyson would show them to me and try to shake the sand off while yelling:

"Yuck!"

29 August 2014

During dinner, Madelyn kept trying to get a fly to go away by yelling "shoo" at it. 
Alyson: Mama?
Me: Yeah?
Alyson: Shoo!

28 August 2014

Things Alyson did to "help" while we were packing up clothes for going away this weekend:

1) Tried putting her pajama shirt and then her Elmo rattle toy into a small Planet Wise wetbag. She gave up and left everything on the floor.
2) Tried taking everything I had already packed in her bag out to hand to me so that I could put it away.
3) Disappeared for a few minutes and came back with some of my underwear and a shirt from the clean clothes that were still in a laundry basket in our room. She tried to pack them in her bag.
4) Put a pair of Madelyn's shorts in Madelyn's underwear/sock drawer for her.
5) Wanted to take her sandals downstairs, but couldn't because the gate at the top of the stairs was closed. Instead, she tried dropping them over the gate and down the stairs.

27 August 2014

We've been trying to get Alyson to say "I love you" and have a long way to go. It often sounds like "I dunoo." She's really close to signing it, though.

As Tony was saying good night to her:

Tony: Alyson, I love you!
Alyson: I......dddooont.
Tony: You don't love me?
Alyson: Yeah.

26 August 2014

This morning before I left Mom's, Alyson was being clingy and giving me lots of hugs while sucking her thumb.

Mom: What's in your mouth?
Alyson, taking her thumb out of her mouth long enough to answer: Dum. (Thumb.)
Mom: Can I have a taste?
Alyson walked over to her grandma while holding her thumb out for her.

25 August 2014

Tony and I were trying some Buffalo wings that our neighbor brought back from "the best Buffalo wing place in Buffalo, NY". Alyson walked into the kitchen and expressed her desire to have some.

Me: But they're spicy.
Alyson, reaching: Eh!
Me, giving her a small piece: Okay, here you go.
Alyson, after eating the piece: Haaaa.... (Hot.)
Me: Told you.
Alyson: Muhr? (More?)

She then finished most of the wing I was eating.

24 August 2014

We have a grape vine in our yard (concord grapes with seeds). When the girls were out playing this afternoon, Alyson picked up a few grapes from the ground and tried to eat one, but spat it out and gave me the insides and skin. I told her not the eat the grapes. A little while later she did the same thing with another grape. I took the remaining grapes out of her hand and threw them away. She stared crying, but I continued pulling weeds and dead plants. Tony came over to see what was going on. After I explained it to him:

Tony to Alyson: Is Mommy being mean to you?
Alyson, crying: Yeah!!!

23 August 2014

When Madelyn was panicking and crying about "The Little Mermaid", Alyson walked over with her arms out trying to hug and comfort her big sister. She was genuinely concerned and didn't want to see her sister so upset. The hug did help. 

22 August 2014

This. Eating Ranch dressing with her fork at Buffalo Wild Wings (and mostly refusing to eat her chicken).

21 August 2014

After dinner, Alyson and Madelyn were putting on a fashion show. They were all decked out in their sunglasses, necklaces, and bracelets. Their runway was the circle around the center wall of our house that goes through the kitchen. Tony was in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes from dinner. Every time Alyson walked past him, she would give a huge cheeky grin like "hey, look at me!"

20 August 2014

Alyson was leading the way up the stairs to take a bath before bed. About half way up the stairs, she turned around and sat down.

Me: What's wrong? Are you too tired to keep going up the stairs?
Alyson, looking up at me: No!

She then turned back around and continued up the stairs.

19 August 2014

Today, just as Alyson was coming down the hall into the living room after getting her diaper changed after her nap, Madelyn was coming up the stairs.

Madelyn, at the top of the stairs: Grandma, come open the gate!
Mom: Okay, let me get off the couch.

Alyson went over to her grandma and put her hand out for her. She "helped" her grandma get up from the couch. Then, she led Grandma by the hand through the living room and dining room over to the stairs to open the gate for Madelyn.

18 August 2014

After getting dressed, Alyson was sitting on the changing table facing Tony. I was standing next to him. She pointed to me out of the blue and exclaimed:

"Da Mama!!"

17 August 2014

Tony and I were looking at the NatureBox website to pick a few snack for our next box. Alyson was sitting next to me watching what we were doing. As I was scrolling through the pictures/list of snacks, she pointed at every single one and said, "Daa wha! (That one)" Then, she started leaning in toward the screen and making chomping sounds as she "ate" the snacks.

16 August 2014

I was sitting on the couch looking at Facebook. Alyson decided to climb up to sit next to me and see what I was doing. Once she sat down:

Alyson, pointing to an ad with a pair of shoes: Ssshhhhhhoooo!

I continued to scroll through the New Feed and came across of video of some dogs playing in a pool.

Alyson, pointing to the video and giggling (since we already established that she laughs at all dogs): Woof woof!

15 August 2014

Someone loves playing at the park. Grandpa took Alyson and Madelyn to a park this morning that they had to drive to. When it was time to leave, Alyson was having none of that. She threw a complete and total fit and wouldn't let Grandpa buckle her into the car seat (arching her back, trying to sit up and get out). Grandpa had to walk away and let her calm herself down. Then, all was good and they were able to go on their way. Yup, this is classic toddler Alyson.

14 August 2014

While trying to get Alyson to tell us where she put Madelyn's new dress:

Tony: Is it in the playroom?
Alyson: Yeah.
Tony: Is it in the living room?
Alyson: Yeah.
Tony: Is it in the hallway?
Alyson: Yeah.
Tony: Is it in the kitchen?
Alyson: Yeah.

In other words, we weren't going to get a straight answer from the toddler.

13 August 2014

I sat down on the couch at Mom's and Alyson came over.

Alyson, standing at my legs: Mama!
Me: Yes?
Alyson: Mama!
Me: What do you want?
Alyson, reaching up to me: Mama!
Me: Do you want up?
Alyson: Yeah.
Me: Well, then say "up".
Alyson, reaching: Mama!
Me: Say "up".
Alyson, yelling in frustration: UP!

(I then picked her up.)

12 August 2014

First

While at Target today, every time she saw a hat, she would point and yell:

"Haaahhhhh!!!!"

Second

Alyson's light switch is (unfortunately) within her reach from in her crib. Often lately when she goes down for bed, she spends a few minutes flipping her light on and off, on and off. Tonight, she fell asleep with the light on, which was a first.

11 August 2014

I was jogging in place and Alyson was giggling at me.

Me: Alyson, can you do this?
Alyson: Yeah!
Tony put her down, and she started to walk/run toward me.
Me: Stay right there and pick up your feet!
Alyson looked down and lifted up her foot enough to look at the bottom of it like there was something on it, and then ran off.

10 August 2014

First

After many, many questions asked to Alyson with the response of "yeah":

Me: Alyson, do you like saying "yeah"?
Alyson: Yeah.

Second

As I was putting her down for bed in her crib:
Me: You're going to Grandma's tomorrow.
Alyson: Yay!

09 August 2014

Every single time Alyson saw a dog at the farmers' market today, she giggled and pointed. I wonder what she was thinking.

08 August 2014

When she was finished nursing before bed, Alyson was pretty much completely asleep. In her sleepy state, she tried to sit up, and then wanted to stand up on the Boppy. Once she was standing, she grabbed the sides of my face, and bent down to give me a kiss. Her mouth plopped down on my upper lip/nose, and then she put her thumb in her mouth and head on my shoulder. All of this was with her eyes closed.

07 August 2014

While I was fixing dinner, Alyson brought me the Ergo. Once I had her strapped on, she could see the bowl of cherry tomatoes from the garden on the counter. 

Alyson, pointing to the tomatoes: Bubba!
Me: Bubble? Those are tomatoes. Say "tomato".
Alyson: Bubba!

Okay, so stubborn girl insists that cherry tomatoes are bubbles. I guess I can see it.

06 August 2014

Before dinner, Alyson was yelling at Madelyn:

Alyson, looking straight at Madelyn not for me: Mama!
Madelyn: I am not your mama!
Alyson: Mama!
Madelyn: I am not your mama!
Me: Alyson, where is Madelyn?
Alyson pointed to Madelyn.
Me, pointing to Madelyn: What is her name?
Alyson: Mama!
Madelyn: Ugh!

05 August 2014

Mom: Alyson, uh oh...
Alyson: Uh oh!
Mom: Say "spaghetti-o"
Alyson: Sgeyo.
Mom: Uh oh....
Alyson was silent.
Mom: Spaghetti-o.
Alyson: Uh oh!

(So, pretty much if you say "Spaghetti-o" and try to get Alyson to repeat it, she'll say, "uh oh".)

04 August 2014

Tony donated blood today, so he has red tape on his arm to hold the gauze in place. During dinner, he was sitting with that arm closest to Alyson. After she finished eating, she kept poking at the tape and asking, "Eh?" as if she was asking, "Daddy, what's that?"

03 August 2014

During dinner, Alyson started making faces at Tony. He made some faces back. Then, Alyson made a face at Madelyn, and Madelyn laughed. Last, she turned to me to make faces, but I wasn't paying attention. She yelled at me and waved her hand at me, "Mama!" I looked up and saw her making an angry face at me since I wasn't paying attention to her.

02 August 2014

During the long drive home, Alyson got bored and started covering her ears and yelling, squealing, and babbling. We think she just discovered that her voice sounds different with her ears covered, and she got really, really excited about it.

01 August 2014

First

While playing mini-golf, I looked in Madelyn's direction for no particular reason.

Madelyn: What?!?!
Tony: Guilty conscience much?
Alyson: Yeah!

Second

Alyson had taken a washcloth from their bathroom and brought it into the living room. I asked her to put it back in their bathroom. She took it and disappeared with it. I went into our bathroom and heard her in theirs. A few minutes later after glancing in their bathroom and not seeing it:

Me: Alyson, did you put the washcloth back in the bathroom?
Alyson: Yeah!
Me: Where? Can you show me?

I follow her into the bathroom, and she lifted up the toilet seat. Yup, the washcloth was in the toilet.

(It actually does make sense other than just being a toddler. The washcloth looked a lot like the cloth wipes we use, so obviously it had to go into the toilet to be cleaned off.)