Category Archives: Playtime

Baby’s Doll’s Toilet Training and Other Adventures

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My son has a doll. You met him in December in an adorable picture last month. I think it’s about time I share his story.

Baby Doll joined our family back in May. I attended a local garage sale with Paul in tow, and when Paul saw the doll on the edge of a display blanket, he immediately was taken in: “Baby! Baby!” One dollar later, and Baby Doll had joined our family. We took him home, changed his clothes (because the pink was a bit too girly for Baby Doll’s preferences), and Paul promptly forgot about him.

Throughout the summer, Baby Doll occasionally appeared. “Baby!” Paul would say, rocking the doll for a few minutes before dropping him on the floor.

In early November, something changed. Paul started walking around with Baby Doll. We had not at that point given the doll a name (after all, Paul mostly ignored it) but Paul had no problems calling it Baby Doll or Doll. “Doll” does rhyme with “Paul” so it probably seemed natural for Paul to have a little friend with a name almost like his own.

Around Thanksgiving, Paul made a new discovery: if he pulled off the clothes, Baby Doll did not have a diaper on! Oh no! He was very upset, and we had to add a diaper so he wouldn’t be so upset. I think Paul had entered a new stage of his own awareness at that point, so it seemed appropriate.

But a few weeks after that, Baby Doll entered yet another stage of life: toilet training. Paul occassionally sits on the toilet. Sometimes he’s excited to do so. Sometimes he is successful. Sometimes immediately after wetting his diaper he runs up to me saying “Toilet! Toilet!” But he has not been interested in being “toilet trained.”

Baby Doll, however, has been toilet training since December. Some days Doll forgets completely and stays in the toy chest. Other days, Baby Doll must sit on the toilet every five minutes all day long. Paul is the spearhead of this endeavor. Baby Doll is always successful, even sitting on every toilet in the house every five minutes for four hours at a time.

It’s a very rewarding thing to help Baby Doll. Paul loves to cheer “yeay!” when Baby Doll let the pee into the toilet. I always ask “do you want to sit on the toilet too, Paul?” The answer is normally “No.” But I’m feeling hopeful.

Paul likes to change Baby Doll’s clothes. This began when Baby Doll’s other clothes fell in the toilet and I had to go find the box of baby clothes to change him (because, of course, Paul was upset that baby doll had no clothes on). Paul gets upset when his little 3-year-old nursery friend comes to visit and takes off all of Baby Doll’s clothes (and diaper!!). He cries and wants Baby Doll back. Then, of course, he forgets about Baby Doll for days.

Paul realized a few weeks ago that Baby Doll has marker on his head. He doesn’t understand why we can’t wash it off, since all of our markers are washable.

Baby Doll doesn’t have a different name. As I said, “Doll” rhymes with “Paul.” Any name at this point would be bit affected, I think.

So, how do I take Baby Doll’s toilet training and make it Paul’s toilet training? I’m calling for success stories at my website. I’d love to hear your ideas!

Paul and Cowboy Joe

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Paul hasn’t been particularly interested in Cowboy Joe in the past months. I haven’t been encouraging him to play with Cowboy Joe — Joe’s a bit fragile as he’s all knit, and some seams are coming out already, even without regular play.

Last week, though, Paul was holding Cowboy Joe and pointing out various recognizable things: “eyes!” “ears!” “feet!”

I went to get the camera and by the time I got back, of course, Paul turned in to a big ham. He just loves to smile for the camera! Cowboy Joe was mostly forgotten, I’m sorry to say. I think Paul was trying to get Joe out of the picture so he’d keep the limelight to himself!

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A Little Chef

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I prepare breakfast granola one or two mornings a week, and Paul loves to help! He often gets up from breakfast and runs to his stool saying “cook! cook!” I found a pre-schooler cookbook and I’ve been taking it’s advice to heart: it’s not the end product that matters to a young cook, it’s the action things that they like.

Paul loves to help. From cracking eggs, to stirring, to eating the coconut flakes off the counter, he loves to cook with Mommy.

Here he is helping me cook a little pizza two weeks ago.

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And then videos are the most fun!

P.S. I think Paul is smiling a cheesy smile and sitting still in the second video because he thought I was taking a regular picture, not a video.

Red Day

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I met another mother who has a child Paul’s age and I was shocked to hear him recognizing colors. So I decided to start emphasizing colors. We had a red day the other day. Paul wore a red shirt, he ate on his red plate, we went to the barn (which is red), and he played on the red slide.

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See full set on flickr.

And here’s the life-action shot:

I’m not sure our “Red Day” made a difference in my son knowing the color red, but it was fun.

Paul’s Unusual Words

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If Paul’s toys aren’t working he turns them over and brings them to me, saying “battery.” Do most one-year-olds understand that concept and know that word?

I shouldn’t be surprised that Paul says “laundry” when he sees clothes. After all, I collect, wash, dry, fold and put away five loads a week. And yet, it’s always so cute to see him go after a random shirt and put in in the laundry, saying “laundry” over and over again.

Do most one-year-olds know how to say “salt” and “pepper“? I don’t think Paul realizes what they really taste like, but he certainly likes to put both salt and pepper on his food and asks for it by name. It doesn’t matter which foods. I blame this on Ryan, who is never satisfied with my seasonings. I admit: dinner usually tastes better after Ryan adds more salt and pepper. I can’t say the same for Paul’s seasoning.

Paul doesn’t say “Kangaroo” but he recognizes one. And yet, he doesn’t know a zebra or an Elephant. Why is this? Does he have an innate sense that he was born where kangaroos are native? Or have we just read and watched enough Winnie-the-Pooh that Kanga is familiar now?

And then there are the cute words he says. The diphthong for “mail” is so cute in a one-year-old’s mouth, and he loves to go to the mailbox with me most days. And then there is the most challenge fruit ever: “banana.” It normally comes out as bi-ya-a or bi-yi-a. The strange sound is impossible to capture in print. It’s just plain cute. And “cook“? It’s adorable to me that he loves to cook already. It’s become a favorite word. I plan on nurturing that.

Random Picture of a Happy Boy

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If that picture (just a random snapshot) doesn’t capture the essence of this little boy, I don’t know what will.

Paul loves to say “Happy.” I know it’s going to be a good morning when I go in to get him and he says “Happy! Happy!” He also learned the sign for “awake” via Signing Time and he likes to say that too in the morning or just after a nap. As if his happy noises weren’t enough of a clue.

He also has taken to saying “Yes” whenever I ask a question. It’s always a very deliberate answer, and now the “s” is very distinct.

“Do you want to wear shorts today?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want raisins in your oatmeal?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to wash your hands?”

“Yes.”

I’m glad it’s the positive word instead of the negative word. I’m not looking forward to that day…

Daddy has begun traveling again, after working from home for almost two months. Monday Paul spent a lot of time looking for Daddy: in his office, in the bedroom, in the closets. By today, he’s figured out that Daddy went to work by taking an airplane. When he mentions Daddy, I say he’s at work, and Paul acts like an airplane. It’s so sad to see how much he misses Daddy! But we’re glad Daddy will be home Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Paul likes airplanes. Probably not as much as he still loves trains, but airplanes we see outside everyday. We also pass the train station on our way to church every week, which always gets him happy as well.

Paul sits on the toilet about five times a day. It is a new fun game that I don’t mind encouraging. Sometimes he’s successful. Success always startles him.

Anyway, I have been horrible about pictures this month. My sister and her kids came this week and I didn’t even take a single picture. Here’s my official commitment to be better in August!

P.S. I am debating cutting off the curls in August….Stay tuned!

Learning to Count

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Paul amazes me with what he knows. The other day, I was making some bread while he ate a snack. While measuring the flour, I counted aloud as I always do when I cook and he’s in the room.

“ONE!” I said. Paul held up one finger. (He likes to say “one more!” when it’s bedtime and we’re reading stories.)

As I got the next cup of flour up, Paul called out “Dooo!”

I was excited and said, “YES! Two comes next. What is after two?”

“Tree!” Paul called out.

I could not believe it. I can’t get him to do it again, but I was sure impressed with that one moment of success.

A Few of His Favorite Things

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Birds and Doggies

Signing Time does wonders. We got the “Leah’s Farm” episode from the library, and Paul just loved watching the animals in the video. Our yard has plenty of birds to watch, and every single one of our neighbors has at least one dog. Those are, by far, his favorite animals, and he loves to sign the words too.

“Birdie” looks like he’s eating his hand in this video. He also says “outside”, “cold”, and”dog” in this video.  He signs “birdie”, “dog”, “frog”, and “cold.”

Other Things

Paul loves shoes. He goes around the house picking up shoes and carrying them into the laundry room (where I put them when I tidy the room). He likes to tidy the house, including “helping” me sweep and vacuum. I hope he keeps these habits when he’s older! Shoes are his favorite item of clothing.

He also loves music and he loves to dance.

Sometimes, he goes around the house saying “Jesus” and pointing to our pictures of Jesus.

He likes babies and signs “baby” when ever we see one in the store or church. I bought him a baby doll at a garage sale, and he likes pointing to her eyes, ears, nose, toes, and mouth. She doesn’t have any hair, so that always confuses him when I tell him to point to her hair! I think Paul likes his belly button the best and likes to look for his at random times of the day. If I ask him where his ears are, he’ll come find my ears.

In this video, he’s dancing, saying “shoes,” and pointing to our family picture (looking at either daddy or the baby, which is, of course, himself).

Paul loves to say “hi” and “bye-bye” to everyone we meet. Most people ignore him, but often people come up and tell him how adorable he is, patting him on the head in the process. (That is something Ryan says he hated when he was a kid. Oh well: like father, like son!)

Paul also loves to eat, as he always has. His favorite foods are bread, milk, bananas, and tomatoes. He also likes peanut butter and jelly,  macaroni and cheese, and apple sauce. Here he is saying and signing a few more words for you while he eats a snack. Isn’t he cute?

Paul’s favorite toys are trains (there is a train table at the library and he has two engines) and cars, which he likes to make vroom all over the furniture. But his other favorite toys include an empty oatmeal container and a plastic tupperware container. He puts his matchbox cars and other small toys inside them and mixes it together with a plastic spoon from the kitchen. I think he is making soup.

Helping

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I had to change the batteries of Paul’s jungle music box. (He loves it and I do to: he amuses himself at night if he doesn’t want to go to sleep and in the morning when I haven’t come in yet).

He wanted to do it himself (after I was done).

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Winnie the Pooh

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I visited another thrift shop this week. They had a sale on kid’s clothes and I got a few things. It is amazing how many of the thrift shop items (for boys, at least) are Winnie-the-Pooh related! I got Paul’s chair a few weeks ago and now I got some jeans and a Winnie-the-Pooh outfit. If only it were Halloween, Paul would be all set!

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I’d never buy an outfit like this off the store rack, but at a thrift shop for less than $1? Sure. I think he is adorable, although this outfit makes him look more like a baby. Lately, he’s been looking a lot like a little boy, so I’m OK with that reversal!

Paul loves to play in the closets in his room; that’s what he’s doing in those pictures above.

In other news, Paul is phasing out his nap. His only nap. A few days in the last few weeks he hasn’t napped at all when I put him in his bed; other days he sleeps just one hour before awaking. But then he sleeps for more than two hours Sunday afternoon, so maybe he’s not completely done with the napping.

I am in mourning! What will I do without that precious two-hour break in the middle of the day?