He is such a smart little boy.  He mimics everything we do.  Especially Stewart.  He loves to shadow Stewart and do everything he does.  This include running around making shooting noises, making dinosaur noises, making train noises, making car noises, playing Nerf, running around the "lap" in our house, looking at books, sitting quietly and watching TV, eating, playing the DS, swimming . . . I could go on forever.

I am sitting here on the bed, I have the laptop out and Parker is sitting next to me with Stewart's DSi.  He likes to sit around with it and sometimes he takes some pictures.  He mostly likes to get out the stylus and move it around - he thinks he is doing stuff.  It's pretty cute.  But I just glanced over at him and he is actually playing one of the New Super Mario Brothers mini games.  It's the one where you roll a snowball down a road, trying to avoid the obstacles.  I glance over at him, and he has the stylus gripped in his sweaty little hand and he is moving the stylus up and down on the screen making the snowball roll.  So as I sit here in amazement, I see that he is navigating the menus.  HE IS TWO YEARS OLD!  When the game is over, he gets it back to the main menu and selects a new game.  I've just watched him start a game, couldn't figure out how to play it, so he pulled up the "continue" or "quit" menu and he selected quit and it went back to the main menu and he chose another game.  I'm not even kidding.  I am totally amazed.  I know he can't read - but he is remembering what happens when he does a certain action.  He's going through and playing the mini games I'm just sitting here shaking my head in amazement. 

We have been spending a lot of time in an inflatable pool that we set up on the deck.  it's a decent sized pool - and it's fun for the three of us to climb in and play around.  Stewart likes to get underwater and "swim a lap."  Yesterday I noticed Parker doing the same thing.  Two years old, never had swimming lessons and he crawls his little body back and forth, HOLDING HIS BREATH, with his head under water.  This he learned from watching Stewart!  I think Stewart likes seeing that Parker copies him - and it helps when I try to stress that Stewart needs to set a good example for his brother.

Parker is this amazing little sponge.  I know I learned about this in class but to me, a theory is just a theory when it's black and white on paper.  But now that I see it - I 100% believe in the social learning theory.  Just look at the amazing things that Parker is doing!

It is a great summer so far!  I am having so much fun spending time with the kids.  We are keeping up with Stewart's studies and reading books on a regular basis.  So even with all the fun, we are still being productive.  :)  It is good to be me!

Parker has his 2 year physical.  It was a bit late, May 18th (my birthday) to be exact.  After the mishap with him being prescribed DOUBLE the amount of penicillian, I will only see 3 doctors at that practice.  Sometimes getting an appointment with one of those three doctors is a little challenging - and it's even worse when you show up for the appointment 24 hours late.  So - almost 2 months late - Parker had his 2 year checkup.

• Weight: 27 big juicy pounds
• Height: 34 inches
• Head Circumference: 48 (i assume centiments, not inches!)

All of his measurements put him in the 50th percentile.  Gone are the days of worrying about him being small!

As far as developmental milestones, verbally he is way past an "average" 2 year old (whatever average is.)  He has the advantage of learning everything from Stewart.  Actions, behaviors, vocabulary, etc - during the day he is my shadow but as soon as Stewart gets home, Parker becomes his shadow until daddy gets home.  It's cute.  Annoying at times.  Sometimes I would just like to go to the bathroom ALONE.  Without having to ask for privacy.

Stewart got a little measuring up as well.  Dr. Cucuzella takes good care of the Bondurants.

• Weight: 61 big juicy pounds
• Height: 48 inches

Incase you haven't already realized, Stewart is a mere 10.5 inches shorter than me.  YES the POINT FIVE is IMPORTANT. Especially when we are discussing a SEVEN YEAR OLD being less than a foot away from looking me square in the eye.  I got him some new Crocs for the summer.  The kid needed a size that is equivalent to a women's 4/5.  I put the shoe on and could wear it - my heel hung off the back just a tad but in a pinch, I could slip them on. His measurements put him at 50th percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight.

Anyway, the day will come when both of my boys are taller than me.  When I can ask them to get down the "x" from the top shelf in the kitchen.  :)

Me:  Parker can I have a kiss.  (Leaning in with puckered lips.)

Parker: NO!  (shaking head and scooting away.)

Me: (Loud fake crying)

Parker:  I'm sorry mommy.  (Leans in, gives me sweet kiss complete with the, "maaaah!" sound effect.)

**This Blog is rated R - for strong language.  ** 

If I flashback to when Stewart was two, he was going through his Finding Nemo phase.  We would sit together and watch Nemo, lots.  There were some Saturdays, when Bill went into DC for long runs (which means he got home between 11-noon) and Stewart and I would sit on the couch watching Nemo.  Sometimes twice before daddy got home.  I realize some of you are shaking your head accousting me for not doing something more educational with him - but when it came right down to it we were both happy.  He would sit in my lap or snuggle up next to me and we would watch Nemo.  And he would laugh and giggle and say "NEMO!" and as a mother, lost in the moment, I didn't/couldn't have wanted more.

Flashforward to Parker at two years old.  He loves Ponyo.  It's pretty cute. When i bought the movie, it was more for myself than it was for the kids but Parker totally loves the movie.  I like it because it is the only Miyazaki movie that makes sense to me.  But Parker has recently branched out to other Pixar movies:  Finding Nemo and Cars.  Mostly Cars.  And he could really like Cars because we have every single matchbox-car-sized die-cast Car that they made (except for the Sarge, which was recalled before we had a chance to buy it.)  We could recreate the whole entire movie on the carpet.  Parker likes to play with the cars.  He dumps out the box and then starts to line them up - in some order that makes sense in his cute little baby two-year old mind.

The only problem is he calls the movie Trucks, which he proudly prounounces, "FUCKS!"  This is a typical conversation that he and I have, almost on a daily basis, about the movie Cars.

Parker:  Fucks noooow.

Me:  Parker, say TRucks.  TRUCKS.

Parker:  Noo!  FUCKS!

Me:  TTTTRRRUCKS.  Trucks.

Parker:  NOOO!  FUCKS!  More FUCKS now!

Me:  Cars?  Can you say Cars?

Parker:  NOOOOO!  FUCKS!

Me:  CARS!  TRUCKS!

Parker:  dat fucks.  MORE FUCKS.

I realize this needs to get corrected yesterday.  He refuses to call it TRucks or even Cars.  He went outside with dad this evening, pointed to my car and said, "Mommy fuck" meaning, "Mommy's Truck."  Stewart is even recognizing what he is saying.  

The next time we are at wal-mart or target, and we go down the toy aisle with the Cars toys, I just know he is going to yell out, "FUCKS!"  and I am going to absolutely die.  

 I think bottles and binkys are one of those things - some parents think they know best.  Both of my kids loved their bottles.  They especially loved a nice cool bottle of milk to help lull them into sleepy wonderland.  I didn't push the issue because they don't suck their thumb and they didn't use a binky.  If my kids wanted a bottle of milk fo comfort, who was I to refuse them.  It's MILK!  I know, I know.  Some of you are screaming about their teeth.  But somehow that always seemed to be the least of my worries.

I don't remember the age that Stewart voluntarily quit the bottle - but he did.  I think he was right around 2.  He loved his milk.  I have memories of finding nasty curdled bottles of milk that had fallen under or behind his bed.  Gross.  There is no easy and non-disgusting way to get that big curdled chunk out of a bottle.

Parker wasn't quite ready yet.  Keep in mind, he will be 2 in about an hour and a half(it's March 30, straight up midnight).  Our challenge with Parker was that he wanted his bottle all day.  He had no problems with sippy cups and even regular cups.  He wanted the comfort of his bottle all day. To be completely honest, it became a big pain in the ass.  He would go through 5-6 gallons of milk a week.  Which was the other problem.  He didn't ever want to eat.  He wanted his bottle over food.  His pediatrician, whom I trust, said some kids chose to get their calories from milk.  He said we shouldn't worry about it if he is growing and developing.  So i let it slide for a while.  

Did I mention that it was a pain in the ass?  It was.  He wanted milk SEVERAL times during the night.  Sometimes having 4 bottles of milk in the night - which always involved a diaper change or he would wake up with soaked pajamas which meant that I had to not only change his diaper but would also need to wash his jammies, the sheets, the mattress pad, his blankets, etc.  

Which I did.  I did this.  I didn't want to deprive him of milk because he refused to eat.  I mean, the doctor said, "some kids like to get their calories from milk and it's ok . . . "  This is how it went, he would go to bed at 8:30 with a bottle.  During the 11 o'clock hour he would wake up cying and want another.  Same thing between 2-3.  Same thing during the 6 o'clock hour.  As you can see, mom and dad weren't getting much sleep.

This was all about to change.

One night he started crying.  I rolled my tired carcass out of the bed in the middle of a very very very very cold night.  Same routine, Parker cry = give me milk!  So I go in there and he's fussing around his bed.  While I am re-tucking him in, he's saying, "baba pwease."  (First let me say, I probably should have cut him off when he was able to say baba.  Some books say not to do bottles after the first year.) I lay him on his pillow and try to dig out his blankets that he is all tangled up in when I discover that he is laying on top of a full bottle.  He was too lazy to roll over in his bed to get a drink from a bottle that he was laying on that was making him uncomfortable.  Instead of rolling over, he chose to cry out, knowing that I would zombie stumble my way into his room to cater to his late night/early morning needs.  That irritated me but I tucked him in and kissed him.  He did the exact same thing 2-3 more times when I finally said, "NO MORE!"

So 2 weeks ago, I woke up on a Monday morning and put all of his bottles up.  If he was thirsty, he could drink from a regular cup or a sippy cup.  NO MORE BOTTLES.  I told Bill it was going to be a few rough nights but it would pay off if we could get through the first week.  We even put Stewart up in the guest bed room.  Naptime and the first night were a bit rough for him.  He cried and screamed and demanded, "BABA!  BABA PWEEEEAAASE!"  The second night was a little easier and the third night was even easier, and so on.  Dare I say it, I don't want to jinx it.  Our little fuss bucket is sleeping through the night.  Occasionally, he will wake up during the 4 o'clock hour and cry and I'll give him a sip of milk from his sippy cup and he will go right back to sleep.

AND - even better!  He's eating now!  HE EATS!  For the longest time, Parker was the incredible not eating kid but now he eats.  He is still picky about what he eats but he will eat.  And a little boy with a full tummy is a little boy that takes a good nap and sleeps well at night.

TA!  DA!

I never really thought about it before - but why did McDonald's name their kid's meal a "Happy Meal."  Why not something that makes sense like a "kiddie meal?"

We aren't a fast food family.  I can say that without any guilt - we honestly don't eat a lot of fast food.  I think Bill and I are of the opinion that anything we could get at McDonalds, Taco Bell, Panda Express, etc can be made by me and it will be much tastier!  :)  So of the five or so times that Parker has had a Happy Meal, he has started associating the golden arches with a happy meal.  Everytime we drive by a McDonalds, or if he sees the arches as we drive past on the highway, he screams out - in pure joy and cuteness, "HAPME MEAL!"  He doesn't quite say HAPPY - but you know exactly what he is saying.  

It is so freakin cute.  He is at that age where he has that adorable precious, so cute I could eat you little baby voice.  When he says, "HAPME MEAL!"  he's just saying it.  He's not asking for one, he just wants to say it.

So, I no longer wonder why it is called a "Happy Meal."  Just hearing him say it makes me happy.