Lydia Sayings

My car has been acting up. James has been trying to figure out what is going on with it and finally tonight he looked at the car yet again and found the leak! HURRAY!!!!!!! James is quite capable of replacing parts but we would like to see him this weekend and decided that the mechanic can replace the water pump. James and I made the plan for getting the car to the mechanic and were going to alter Lydia's evening (which routine is VERY important to this little girl so I was telling her the new plan).

DeAnna: Lydia, after dinner we are going to take the car to the mechanic AND then play with Dad.

Lydia: Nope. Then we go to airport. Get new car!

So yes, once in this little girl's life we took James car to the mechanic and went to the airport and got a rental car. And yes, she remembers!

World According to Lydia

 Lydia is obsessed with cameras right now. When I uploaded pictures I realized the child had taken over 70 pictures! Some of the better pics...

HELLO Finger!

The night sky, the pumpkin? Not sure of the goal of this picture...

Dad's Pants! 

Trains!

 Trains. Not Lydia's favorite topic apparently. We did multiple train crafts and every one of them she was a bit disappointed at the end when the train was not A. a "fun" toy or B. a crown.

Eventually we made a train into a crown but Lydia was quite distraught over the fact that trains are not "pretty". So there is no tomboy in this little girl and we will leave the train subject in history... I thought we could broaden her horizons but nope!

Finger painting

Making our train into a princess crown...

I thought the train was cute... 

Lydia did not think so. 

A pout over the fact that the train was not a pretty crown! 

Train princess style. HAHAHAHA 

Scarecrows!

 Lydia enjoyed playing with scarecrows and doing all sorts of "fall" things!

Gluing Leaf Stickers

Gluing Shapes

This girl LOVES to glue ;)

The scarecrow "baby" has become a favorite toy! 

Did I mention that the scarecrow now does everything with us???

Removable Scarecrow stickers on the window has been a blast! (Mom can cook dinner in peace!!!!!!!)

Hello Scarecrow!

WOW! 

Presidential Election

I have really been torn on who to vote for. There are a few aspects of each candidate that I like (there are also allot of aspects of each candidate that I don't like!). I have considered not voting for a presidential candidate. I have considered voting but "throwing away my vote" and voting for some random person. I have even thought about voting for two people and have to make a choice I was thinking about what I would look for in a Presidential candidate.

I am considering voting for Minnie Mouse - she is cute. Can't do much worse. Don't think she really talks so she won't lie. She is small as is her family - so they won't cost the tax payers too much money paying for their living expenses, food, travel, etc... But then I got to thinking about it and doesn't seem like Mickey and Minnie Mouse have allot of morals.

Maybe the Wonder Pets would be a better solution. TEAM WORK! Our nation defiantly needs to learn to work together. But those whiny voices. Oh, and then the Wonder Pets are continually flying around the world. We defiantly need a candidate that can be frugal ;)

Doc McStuffins she is frugal. I have never seen her fixes cost money. She is like a genie and the necessary supplies are always discovered some where in her play house. She has genuine care and interest in the people around her. Let's face it as a nation we need to have more interest in the people around us AND have a way to frugally help them. Perfect candidate.

Later today though I was reading yet another Caillou book. Caillou makes allot of mistakes - climbing off chairs and then falling off, running into pretty flower pots and the pots breaking, making too much noise and waking up his sister, etc... Caillou never initially admits wrong doing but by the end of the book (or 15 minute show!) he always sees the error of his ways and fixes his wrong. He listens to those in authority and then obeys. Hmmmm, yet another great characteristic for a potential President.

What if we had a President like Winnie the Pooh? All major problems can be solved with honey. Maybe passing a honey pot around will help get everything solved. Can the budget be balanced over honey?

Bob the Builder maybe? We can do it. That attitude might help our nation along...

I am still undecided as to which canidate I will vote for (obviously!) but I might just throw my vote away and vote for Doc McStuffins!

Thanks Bethany!

Cousin Bethany gave Lydia her baby doll stroller. Lydia is in love! Can we say accessories? Lydia loves the canopy, cup holders, basket in the bottom, parent cup holders (her play cups fit perfectly!), and especially the swivel wheels. But the best part of all - she can put two babies in the seat and another 3 - 4 in the basket down below! No baby left out :)

What's For Lunch?

Lydia had a self imposed fast last week. (Say "Hello Molars"!)

After day four of Lydia refusing most food that was offered to her I surrendered. Opened the fridge and told her she can have whatever she wants!

Her selection - sour cream, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and black beans.

I had a burrito for my lunch and Lydia decided that a tortilla and some cheese would make a lovely sweet potato and cantaloupe burrito for her!

Sadly she enjoyed picking out her food, talking about her food, making the burrito, but did not eat.

(Dinner on day 5 of this self imposed fast and I gave her Motrin an hour before dinner and ta-da she devoured a HUGE dinner!!!!!!!)

P.S. Sadly after all that I thought for sure we would have a tooth but nope not yet!

TOO Much Stuff!

Lydia has a bedtime ritual (that to some may annoy greatly but at the Stojan House we consider it OK!).

After James and I tuck her in, read, pray, kiss and hugs, Lydia spends the next 30 - 45 minutes reading books in her room. Most nights she just falls asleep on her own after playing for awhile. Some nights she needs a parental intervention (i.e. remove the books, turn off the night light, and close the door!) at the 45 minute mark.

Last night Lydia was nearing the 45 minute mark and was obviously getting very tired but wasn't settling down. So I was finishing the chapter in my book and going to go "help" her along. But before I could get up there I heard a huge thump and genuine tears. So I went upstairs and the Princess is sitting in the middle of her bed and in distress. I asked her what was wrong and was told "too much stuff can't sleep".

Oh my! Don't you hate when you are sooooooo tired that you can't figure out how to solve a very simple "problem"???

Toddler Wisdom

After being told she was good, Lydia informed her peeps:

"I am not good I am 2!"

P.S. I still think she is good ;)

Pictures - not enough for a whole post but cute!

Lydia won. She has been asking and begging to get her hair cut (hair in her eyes, tangles, etc...). I relented and there are some of the curls :( 

Dad worked from home last week. Lydia loved his lunch break at the end of nap time! 

Sometimes You Just NEED to Whine...

Lydia was having an "off night". James and I were not positive what was going on but she was just in a funk.

Examples (there were many examples but we will leave it at the most memorable!):

Lydia: Mom lift me up (into her car seat)
Mom does this ever increasing task with the 28lb child! Lydia then climbs out of the seat.
Lydia: I do it myself.
Five minutes later Lydia is standing in her seat backwards and mom is still standing in the rain!
Mom's frustration grows and Lydia gets a consequence.

Finally by 7pm when she was given a second chance to eat her dinner and instead she chose to throw her cup of milk across the room. Followed by her fork. Lydia earned herself the opportunity to be in bed by 7:20! Good job Lydia.

Lydia fell right to sleep but at 9 she started coughing. So I decided OH she must be getting sick (I love explanations for why you were a turkey for the past 4 - 5 hours!). The coughing continued so I went into check on her only to discover that she had mastered a very genuine sounding but oh so fake cough. (The giggles after a super dramatic coughing fit were a dead giveaway).

I put the child back to sleep and went to bed myself.

Only to a couple hours later be awoken by the princess crying. So I went to check on her and immediately she stopped jumping on her bed and whining and went to smiling. BUSTED! Laid her back down.

30 seconds later the whining resumes. Yes, being the merciful parent that I am I rolled over. But the fake whining only continued.  Which got me to laughing at the comical scene that I was living at 1 AM (seriously - I have never had the desire to whine LOUDLY at 1AM!?!?!?!).

I got my laughter under control and went to tell the princess that she needed to go back to sleep.

But then I walked in the room and saw the princess, jumping on her bed, playing with her animals, happy as could be, but whining as LOUDLY as she could. I started laughing. But did tell Lydia to lay back down and go to sleep. Thankfully she did ;) It took James and I awhile to stop giggling so we could go back to sleep!

Apparently sometimes you just need to whine a bit :)

P.S. Yes, Lydia earned herself a consequence for her actions and thankfully learned her lesson in just one night!

Play-Doh!

With Dad!

Take a look at that bruised chin :( Too much spinning like a leaf!