Swords and Boo at the Zoo

Pearce just LOVES Halloween!!  He totally still remembers Halloween from last year and all the spooky things.  He loves anything spooky :)  He loves to go to Target or Walmart and look at the Halloween aisles.  We have several houses in our neighborhood that are all decorated for Halloween, so we have fun going to look at those.  We also got our house all decorated!  Pearce loves the skeleton in our yard...it looks like he's coming out of the ground.  When I first put him in, Pearce went up to him and said "Hi skelton, my name Pearce, what your name?"  He's also gotten on a sword kick.  Loves swords!  On one of our trips to look at the Halloween stuff, Pearce found a sword that he just loved....so Mommy got it for him :) 

Tonight, I took Pearce to Boo at the Zoo at the Austin Zoo.  When I first saw it advertised, I knew Pearce would love it!  Halloween decorations, Halloween lights, a spooky train ride, a haunted house, and animals.....all of his favorite things!  Our zoo is not a big fancy zoo...the animals are rescue animals so the "zoo" is more of an animal sanctuary, but still so fun.  We got there right when it opened at 6:30.  The kids could wear their Halloween costumes, but because the walkways are more like dirt paths, and we were going to be there at night, and he still falls a lot, I knew I didn't want him to wear his white Buzz Lightyear costume.  Then I remembered that Mama and Papa had gotten him a zookeeper's outfit from the San Diego Zoo last year.  I put it on him and it fit perfectly!!  He could not have looked any cuter!!!  We packed a picnic and off we went!  When we got there, Pearce loved all of the Halloween decorations and lights.  We walked around the zoo and looked at the animals for the first hour.  Then we ate our dinner and then it was time for the SPOOKY train ride.  By this time it was dark out and the zoo was all lit up.  I brought Pearce's flashlight, so he loved that.  The train ride had lots of fun Halloween decorations all along the tracks.  A couple of times, spooky people and monsters wold jump out at us.  Pearce loved it!  Then the train stopped and all of the monsters came over to the train and handed out bags of candy to the kids.  Pearce said "Oh that monster so nice.  He gabe me candy!"  After the train ride, we did the haunted house.  The lady said it's spooky and did I think Pearce would be ok.  I told her I thought so because he loves looking at all the spooky things in the stores.  We walked through slowly and all of a sudden Pearce kept saying "You can't eat me, I a boy!"  So funny!  At the end, there was lots of fog and that kind of scared him, so he wanted me to hold him.  When we got out, he said, "Yay, we made it!"  I asked Pearce if he wanted to go again and he said "Ummmm.....nope thank you."  We left around 8:00 and Pearce just talked and talked all the way home about the spooky things.  During the train ride, he had his little hand on my leg, just looking and looking at all the Halloween decorations and lights.  He was having the best time and because he was having so much fun, I was having so much fun.  I just love experiencing new things with Pearce.  I love going on little adventures with Pearce.  He makes everything so much fun!!!

Update on BB's

So, after our dentist visit, I knew I had to get Pearce to stop sucking on his BB's...especially at night and nap time.  Last weekend, I decided to just do it.  Friday, I talked all day about how he could go to sleep with BB's, but that I was going to take them during the night and they will be waiting for him in the morning.  So, after he went to sleep, I went in and took them.  About an hour later, he woke up crying for them.  I went in and told him he could have them in the morning.  He cried and cried.  I just rocked him and sung to him and he finally calmed down after about 30 mins.  I put him back to bed.  About an hour later, he woke up again.  I decided I would not go back in because I did not want Pearce to get in the habit of wanting me to rock him in the middle of the night.  He needed to learn how to go to sleep on his own.  This time, he cried for about 15 minutes and then slept the rest of the night just fine.  In the morning, he was so excited to have BB's back!  I kept reminding him not to suck on them, though.  At nap time, I decided we could rock with BB's, but then he would have to put them up until he woke up. He was totally fine with this!  We rocked and then he went and put them on his chair and then came back to his room to be tucked in.  He did wake up once crying for them.  I went in once and told him his nap wasn't over yet and he had to go back to sleep.  He did!  So, that has been our routine now.  We rock with BB's, but then he puts them in his chair until he wakes up from nap or nighttime.  I would say nap time is still a little hard.  Some days he wakes up crying for them.  I just don't go in there and he always goes back to sleep.  At nighttime, he never wakes up crying for them.  This is such a relief to me!!!  I thought it was going to be WAY harder!  Although I would love for him to be able to keep sleeping with BB's, there's just no way I wanted to be the least bit responsible for him having an overbite or it getting worse.  He does still want to take them in the car, which I let him, for now.  Eventually, I'll have him just leave them at home, but I didn't want to make too many changes all at once.  Sometimes he will say "Mommy, I suck on BB just a yittle bit."  I think a little sucking on BB's is fine for now....definitely better than sucking on them for 15 hours a day!  I am so proud of Pearce...and Mommy!!!     

Ready for Halloween and Pumpkin Patches

Pearce's Halloween costume just arrived this past weekend, and oh my goodness, I can't wait for Halloween!!  I saw this Buzz Lightyear costume at the Disney Store a few weeks ago, and just loved it.  Pearce still loves anything that has to do with Toy Story, so I knew this was the costume for Halloween 2014!  When Pearce put it on, he loved it too!  He kept flying around the house and cried and cried when he had to take it off for bed.  The next day, as soon as he woke up, he asked to put his costume back on.  I compromised and let him put the wings and hat on....he loves that the wings light up!  Halloween, hurry up and get here!!  Now that Fall is here, I also ordered Pearce a cute pumpkin shirt.  He wore it to school this morning and got lots of compliments on it.  I think he looks so cute!!  I love this time of year and can't wait to take Pearce to the pumpkin patch!

Doctor, Dentist, and Ms. Dawn

Tuesday after school, Pearce had an appointment to get a flu shot at his pediatrician's office.  He was so excited!  No really, he was so excited!  He loves going to the doctor and he loves playing doctor at home and giving us shots, so when I told him he gets to get a shot, he couldn't wait!  When we got there, Pearce went straight to the toys and started playing.  As soon as they called his name, he dropped what he was doing and immediately walked to the nurse and then walked down the hall to our room.  The nurse already had the shot ready, so I laid him down on the exam table and leaned over him and held his arms.  He was still just talking away and then all of a sudden he looked at me and started to whimper, but not really cry.  It was all over and the nurse said he could go to the treasure chest.  Pearce got really excited about that, but then kept saying "That lady cut me, that lady cut me."  He was so brave and good, so we went to get ice cream afterwards...of course!  He really loved his Spider-Man band aid :)

                                         

 
Yesterday, we had a dentist appointment.  I was a little nervous about it because at his last appointment which was 6 months ago, the dentist told me Pearce did have a bit of an overbite which was due to him sucking on BB, especially during times of sleep.  He said then that as long as he stopped by age 3, his teeth should self correct.  Well, now we are almost to age 3 and I feel like he is even more attached to his BB's, so I was just nervous about what the dentist would say.  Pearce was really good and let him clean his teeth really well...then he talked to me about BB's.  He again said, that if Pearce could stop sucking them by age 3, it's almost 100% guaranteed that his overbite, which is about 4 mm, will self correct as he grows.  Of course I do not want him to have any problems with his teeth, speech, or bone structure, but man, it also just KILLS me thinking about the possibility of having to take his BB's away.  I cried to Ashley about it this morning, because they are definitely a soothing mechanism for him....if he is upset about something, he will say "I need BB's, BB's help me."  BB's have also been with him during nap and nighttime for a LONG time.  He always sucks on them to help put himself to sleep, and during most of the night, part of it stays in his mouth.  Anyway, I'm hoping I can start talking to him now about not putting them in his mouth during the day.  Also, I tried tonight, letting him have them to go to sleep (still told him to not put them in his mouth) and then I snuck in to take them...of course one was crammed in his mouth :)  I've been telling him to "Love on BB, don't suck on BB."  Sounds so silly, but this is really hard for me.  I just quickly went through some pics of Pearce and his BB's:

And now, Ms. Dawn.  Ms. Dawn is Pearce's teacher in the 2.5 year old class.  Pearce and I just LOVE Ms. Dawn!!  I loved his teachers last year and Pearce did too, but he cried for the first several months of school when I would drop him off.  Then he was fine for the middle part of the year, then he started crying again at the end of the year.  This year, he has not cried once except for one day that Ms. Dawn was sick and there was a different teacher.  He walks in and is always so excited to see Ms. Dawn.  He just smiles so big to her and then Pearce always turns to give me a hug and kiss and then off he goes!  Ms. Dawn has the sweetest personality and tells me how sweet and cute Pearce is, which I love to hear :)  I am soooo thankful for Pearce's teacher!!

Fun at Chuck E. Cheese

Last night, Chris and I took Pearce to Chuck E. Cheese for a fun night out!  Pearce was sooo excited!  The whole way there, Pearce kept asking "Are we there yet?"  Daddy got lots of tokens for Pearce, we ordered our pizza, and then we started playing the games.  We  had so much fun watching Pearce play the games.  Our pizza came and Pearce chowed down!  He has been going through a picky eating phase, so I couldn't believe he ate 2 whole pieces plus half of a third piece!  Then he saw the big mechanical Chuck E. Cheese on the stage and wanted to go see him.  He talked and talked to him and gave him lots of hugs :)  Pearce finished using the rest of his tokens and then we took him to get his prizes....Laffy Taffy, Sweet Tarts, and a plastic frog...and he couldn't have been happier, hahah!

  

Cookie

Mom and Dad had the SWEETEST dog ever named Cookie.  They had to put her to sleep about a year and a half ago ago.  It was so sad for all of us because she was so great with the kids.  Pearce loved climbing all over her and she would  just lay there and let him.  Well, I have a picture of Mama and Papa and Cookie and Pearce likes to look at it a lot and always tell me that's "Tookie and Mama and Papa."  The other day, we were driving and out of the blue Pearce started talking about Cookie and asking me about her.  This is how the conversation went (I'm going to write it how Pearce talks because I want to remember this exactly how it happened):

P:  Mama Papa hab Tookie?
Me:  Oh yes, Cookie was Mama and Papa's doggie.
P:  Where that doggie doh?
Me:  Cookie lives in Heaven now.
P:  I want Tookie!
Me:  I know you loved Cookie.  She was so sweet, but she lives in Heaven now.
P:  I want Tookie heah! 
Me:  Oh, I know you loved Cookie, but she was sick so Jesus took her to Heaven to live with Him now.
               *Pearce is now getting upset with his little mouth turned down and tears in his eyes*
P:  I don't yike Jesus!
Me:  Oh Pearce, Jesus is nice.  He made Cookie all better and now she gets to play in Heaven. 
P:  I don't yike Jesus!  I want Tookie wif me!
Me:  I know you want Cookie to be here with you, but she lives in Heaven now.  Jesus is good.  Jesus made her all better.  I know you miss Cookie.  She was a good girl.
                  *And then Pearce was quiet and moved on to talking about something else*

I want to remember this story for several reasons.  I love that Pearce brought up Cookie just out of the blue.  I love that he still remembers Cookie on some level whether it's from actual memories or just from looking at her picture.  I love how innocent his feelings are on how the world works.  Of course we talk about Jesus and say the blessing and he learns about Jesus at school, but in that moment all he knew was that Cookie wasn't with us because he was with Jesus and he wanted Cookie here and at 2.5 years old...he wants what he wants and he wants it now!  Kids...they say the darndest things!  Here's one of my favorite pictures of Pearce and Cookie.  Such a good girl!!  We love you Cookie!!



                                         

Funnies about Pearce

 Pearce is such a talker!  He has been saying something new every single day and I decided I had to start writing these things down or else I will forget!  He has such a fun, sweet, stubborn, silly personality!  So here are a few of my favorite phrases at 2.5 years old:

*What you talking about Mommy?
*Are you tidding (kidding) me?
*Eh-body hab fun? 
*Just be tareful!
*Smile to me Mommy:  I especially love it when he says this.  He only says it when he gets in trouble and I'm mad or frustrated.  For example, the other day, he was playing with my Willow Tree Angels and I told him to be very careful with them.  Well, the boy in him made the angels start wrestling and one of their hands broke.  He could tell I was not happy so he said "Mommy smile to me."  How can I stay mad and not smile at him :)  He's pretty smart that way!
*Mommy I not pay wif you!:  And he says this when he is mad at me :)
*Maybe yater.:  He says this just about every morning when it's time to get dressed :)
*My name Pearce.  I live wif Daddy.:  He said this when we were at the park the other day and playing with another family we just met.  The dad asked what Pearce's name was and he said this!  I said, "You live with Mommy, too!"
*Put your hands up!...as he pretends to shoot us :)
*Is Baskin Robbins open?
*Just one more and that's it?:  He usually says this after he has a special treat like an ice cream sandwich :)
*Yes, I hab seet deems.:  Each time he wakes up, I always ask if he had sweet dreams and he tells me yes, then I ask him what he dreamed about and he always looks around his room and makes something up :)

Here are some random pics from my phone.  Mama and Papa sent Pearce a Caillou doll which he LOVES!!!  He loves watching Caillou on TV, so now he has the "real" deal!  Also, I let Pearce color with my smelly markers which always leaves him with a marked up nose because he likes to smell them!  We had a fun morning with his future wife, Claire...he loves Claire and was so sad to leave her house after we dropped her off!