Porter with Grandma in Mind

1)

Grandma Gooding:

"Porter I love you."
Porter:
"I love me too".
What a guy. :) This is a very good thing. It's a good thing to love who you are. I think children can be crazy, but they understand the world sometimes so much better than we do OR it takes us years into adulthood to realize the same thing we knew as children. I'll remind Porter if he ever forgets. You never realize honesty is hilarious until you talk with a four year old.
2)

I'm brushing Porter's teeth. It feels as though it's torture for both him and me. In my mind, I feel like I am having instant skin degradation and aging from the stress and chemical reaction of my negative thoughts killing my healthy...something, that produces youthful skin. Seriously though, I look in the mirror after and I could swear I look older. While he's screaming during the toothbrushing tonight he says, "GRANDMA IS GOING TO BE SO ANGRY TO YOU!!!" He's probably right. In retrospect, I should've told him, 'Bring it'.
3)

Grandma reads Porter the story, 'I will always love you'. It's about a little boy who always finds mischief. For example, 'Dad, if I get one of your shirts and make a jam sandwich and get jam all over your shirt, will you still love me?' Response: 'I won't like that you got jam all over my shirt but I will always love you. I will teach you to respect other people's belongings and then teach you how to wash the shirt but I will always love you.'
After reading the book, he says to Grandma Gooding, 'Will you always love me Grandma?'
Grandma: 'I will always love you', as she wells up with tears. What a baby my mom can be. ;) It was adorable though.

Disclaimer: I wish I had a better recent picture of the two. I don't know if my mom would love this photo, her hair and make up are not done. Still beautiful to moi.

I would like to do something for you Mom...

I was cuddling with Porter as a routine part of bedtime. This pretty much consists of me laying beside him while he talks, plays pretends, goofs around, whichever option he chooses and then I usually laugh or on occasion leave, after having my nose rammed with his head.

Tonight, he was just talking to me, sharing his thoughts. He said, "Mom. (pause) I want to do something for you. Like a castle." So I said, "What do you want to do with this castle? Do you want to build me a castle?"

His reply, "Yep."

That's muh boy! He's so sweet and thoughtful by nature. In 20 years, I'll send a notice to my neighbors to move aside for the big leagues and make room for my new castle that my strapping son is building for me!

Stories to laugh at

Porter gave his first talk today in primary. It was about how baptism and confirmation bless our family. I was whipsering the words to him and therefore, he whispered the words to everyone else. Lane said the only thing he could hear was, 'Baptism. Confimation. Blessings. Jesus' in audible whispers. Quite cute, quite right. He seemed to like it up there. He started laughing at one of the kids and couldn't stop. It took a while to re-focus on the talk. He liked the podium. Clearly a better view of what was going on. The primary was there to entertain him. ;)

A few weeks ago, I asked Porter what he learned in primary. He said, 'Jesus died on cross.' I was really impressed that he took that away from primary BUT I wanted to emphasize that the most important thing is that Jesus lives. So I got him to repeat, "Jesus died BUT.....(drum roll) HE LIVES!' Big emphasis on 'BUT' dramatic plause and then enthusiastic, 'HE LIVES'. Many a days passed and he told me out of a random conversation that included trains, chocolate, milk in a sippie cup, and Jesus died. Then he looked at me and said, 'But he lives!' He got it and I hope that means more and more to him as time goes on.

Yesterday morning, Porter informs me that he must poo. I had my friend Wendy staying at my house and she said, 'What's that Porter?' Porter replied, "I need go poo. Want to come?" I mean who wouldn't? It's a nice, casual, social engagement. It was hilarious. He was just so openly extending an invitation for her to come hang out with him while he took in Lane's words, a 'duke'.
It's funny. Speaking of Porter pooing...I have to ask him while he's in the bathroom if he's done because if I dont' check in, he'll just get off the toilet and walk around with fecal matter attached to his bottom. There's no waiting around for the wipe. I have to be on top of my game when he announces the poo is here. So as I periodically call and say, "Porter are you done?" If he's not he'll say with a strained and grunting voice, 'Almost (strain, grunt) there.'

Soccer Mom

Our car went to car heaven, although I prefer to think it went to car hell where it deserved to go. As a result, we just bought a Honda Odyssey mini van. Lane thought he was too cool for a mini van but when you have a family and SUV's are for the elite, a mini van is the next step in life. Lane has since looked at the brighter side of things and has re-named the Odyssey the 'Silver Bullet'. That's positive thinking.

This past Saturday, April 25, was Porter's first soccer game. He is in the NSD league on the Cougar team. Get this, his jersey is navy blue and he's a cougar...a little BYU action anyone? Go Cougars! Riding in the mini van for the first time as a family, we headed to the soccer game. Wahoo, soccer mom, soccer dad, soccer star, and darling baby arriving in the Silver Bullet. We had some good friends of ours who have their daughter in the same league mock us all day long for our cliche. What's there to dispute? It was a great day though despite the cold weather. We were so proud of Porter seeing him play soccer. I love this time and this age. They're starting to be able to develop so many talents and experience and enjoy so much more.

He got two goals with the help of Pappy. Lane and Porter are going to practice soccer in the backyard just to reconfirm the idea of kicking the ball in the right direction. The tricky thing is you tell them to share all the time and then in soccer you're telling them to take away the ball from the other kid. Tricky, tricky.

Tons of fun though! I couldn't believe how much fun I had watching him play soccer for the first time! It's official, I am a proud soccer mom who drives a mini van....and who is supercool.

Mom, Relax!

Geesh! Who knew a girl could be so wrong? I'm surrounded by boys in a 3 to 1 ratio. We're driving along as a family heading towards some unimportant destination when Lane and I start discussing finances. Just because I raise my voice, does not mean I'm yelling...it just means I'm passionate. I was always so confused when people said I was yelling, it made me get all defensive because I felt they were totally embellishing! I think though, I've had enough people tell me that that it has worked sort of like a comment box. I've tallied them up and there's been enough feedback that clearly I was missing something. Apparently, I talk 'extra' loud when I get excited about something but the heart of the matter is, I'm not really aware that my voice has gotten louder. It's not out of anger but out of my own persuasion! So as I was saying, Lane and I were discussing finances and I was reasoning my way through it when my three year old pointedly says, 'Mom! Relax!'

That was a first ever! Lane and I were shocked without words for a moment before Lane burst out laughing. Lane didn't have to say it out loud, all over his face was the expression, 'awesome.' I'm surrounded by laid back boys and I stand all alone here. Clearly, I need to tone it down for the boys or I'm not going to fit in this crowd. My first thought after I had a chuckle...though not as hardy a laugh as Lane's, was, 'I need to have a girl.' Mommy needs back-up! ahahah

I am the one and only over-exciteable mommy.

I get calm reminders and perspective now from my nearly old, adoring redhead and my ready to raise his folks, three year old.

So funny!

I Will Always Love YOOOOUUUUU!

What can I say, the little guy has music in the soul. Errands with a three year old often makes me want to bang my head up against a wall. I was printing off pictures for Christmas cards. Let me re-phrase, I had to print off the same picture 40 times for Christmas cards. Seeing as how it was only one picture I had to choose, it's a relatively quick process...if your darling child does not run off to be prey of kidnappers! I couldn't even select the picture before he would run off again! Being nine months pregnant and lacking more patience than normal, my 'public face' was disintegrating and my composure less than the merriment the Christmas season desereves.
Thankfully, he ran off to the same place over and over again. The Porter Trim destination of interest was the electronics department in London Drugs. Finally, the electronics manager came to me and told me not to worry because he and his co-workers were watching Porter. He said, 'He's hilarious! He's really good at karaoke. He's just belting it out so we like watching him.'
Time for me to abandon the picture post and watch my performer. There he was, in front of the big screen holding on to the microphone singing his heart out to Whitney's classic, 'I'll always love you.' I came in during one of the long 'oooooo-ahhhhhh'. When Porter saw me, he said excitedly, 'Come on Mummy!' and handed me the other microphone. I couldn't turn down an opportunity like that so I sang along with Porter and Whitney (don't worry I let them out sing me).
Sometimes my schedule isn't the one that matters but just taking time to enjoy my son's curiousities and fun. In the end, it was so much fun...even though at the close of the soulful tune Porter pooped in his underwear which made the mood quickly turn BUT it was still the most precious thing to watch him continually migrate to the mic to go sing his heart out. I can't believe I was printing off pictures and didn't have my camera to capture him in action! Next step is choreography...but I don't know if Lane's input in the parenting would agree with Step 2, but I mean come on, it worked for Zac Efron! Porter has a lot going for him. ;)

Frosty the Snowman

Porter loves to serenade me, the wall, whatever, with two of his favorite Christmas songs: Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman. We have a Frosty the Snowman picture book that we sing along to and now he is quite fluent with the lyrics. At this point, singing Christmas carols are the most complete sentences he says. He is thrilled with the splendor of snow (I am not a big snow fan but because he is, snow seems a little more fun all over again...ahh, blissful children...mostly blissful children). Porter loves to walk in the snow whether or not his feet get cold and soaked. Lane and Porter went out and built the best snowman EVER! Porter loved how he could create something and make it look however he wanted. Frosty, for that is what every snowman is named, had enough arms to be an arachnid and he atennae ears. Only the face a 3 year old creator could love. :)
Once he was built, Porter was actually afraid of Frosty. Wouldn't give him a hug, wouldn't even give him a high fiver. He did; however, sing Frosty the Snowman to him and put particular emphasis on hollering 'STOP!' as the law enforcing officer does in the song. Like papa, like son. "He led them down the streets of town right to the traffic cop. He only stopped a moment when he heard him holler, 'STOP!'"

Baby Brudder

On November 12th, Porter was rubbing my baby bulge and lovingly said, 'My baby brudder.'
This kind of came as a shock because he calls my tummy, 'The Baby', or 'Baby Grady', but we've never even referred to the baby as his baby brother. It was so tender and it's amazing what he picks up. Now when people ask if he knows there's a baby coming, I feel pretty confident he has a good idea. He knows it's his 'baby brudder'. So sweet! Then again, I have a sweet kid so not totally unexpected.

Oh boy...

Well, there's no better person to show you the things you need to improve upon than your child. I'll admit, on occasion (rarely for sure), when dealing with a rude sales associate or dealing with a nutzo driver, I spit out the word, 'jerk'. Well, yesterday I was telling Lane that I needed to be somewhere at a certain time and so he needed to go upstairs and keep an eye on Porter. I got the 'in a minute'. I walked upstairs waiting for the 60 seconds to pass and sat with Porter. Porter than said, 'Daddy jerk.' Uh...'Porter, that's not nice! We don't say that about Daddy.' He just got a bigger grin on his face and decided it was best to say it again. 'Daddy jerk.' I then repeated, 'Porter, don't say that.' He continued to smile at me and said, 'Fetch.' This is a word we have taken out of our vocabulary once we realized it had become Porter's favorite word and we've since been trying to get him to stop saying that. He knows it's not a word he's supposed to be saying; hence, why he continued to repeat it. He once again chanted, 'Fetch', and then I just started to laugh. These may not be the best disciplinary actions but I couldn't help it!

The day to day

Porter is in the middle of potty training. We give a lot of positive reinforcement with comments like, 'Excellent!' 'Good job!' 'I'm proud of you.' Well, now this is a potty ritual. Whenever he discovers the bathroom is occupied, he bursts through the door and tells either Lane or I, 'Excellent!' and then attempts to check out the progress. He always makes us feel so good about our accomplishments. :)