Smack that Parrot

ok, just a few funny Greydon stories; I know, I know, cheesy father alert.

I love the fact that Greydon has a sense of humor. He understands what joking around is and has for a surprising long time. There were times when we thought to ourselves, is he making a joke? Do babies that little joke? So, anyway, now, we know he knows how to joke, and he's pretty funny actually.

Along that line, I taught him how to say "boys rule" a little while ago. "Greydon Rules!" is a well known battle cry that we taught him a long time ago, and we've been talking lately about how he is a boy and... stuff. So, he kind of knows what the phrase is getting at. On cue, bless her, Kristen over reacts and blusters incredulously whenever he says it, which is perfect, and he just laughs. I taught him "boys rule" and will whisper in his ear "say boys rule". I don't have to say any more instructions, even though I whispered it and didn't say whom to say it to, he will always turn to Mom and say loudly "boys rule mommy" and laugh and laugh as he says it over and over as Kristen keeps reacting and playing back saying Noooo, what!, no way. The other day after he was just laughing his heart out at the exchange he turned back to me and said, and I quote... "Daddy I say boys rule n Mommy says Nooooo", and laughed and laughed some more. Hilarious... he is such a little man.

We talk a lot with him, are always showing him new things, we aren't freaky about it, we're just both teachers at heart and it seems like natural conversation, plus he is inquisitive. I love when he doesn't know an answer or doesn't want to figure it out; his reply? "I no no no no know" often with a little shrug and maybe palms up. We talk about musical instruments, he loves the sound of violins, loves his drums, loves the piano, knows how a flute works compared to other kinds of instruments and will stop all playing and dance at any kind of music, beat, hint of singing from a TV radio, toy, you name it. He has some pretty good moves and usually wants us to join in the dance.

Lately he has started using the phrase "What does ___ mean" even if he kind of knows the answer.

The other day he asked me what it was I had in my hand. It was a shoe horn, one of those long ones you can buy for 99 cents at Ikea... of course I haven't used it since.. but 99 cents people... 99... anyway... Yesterday he was kind of chewing on it... because he was walking around the house with it, the curved end in his mouth, humming and kind of blowing on it and then I saw he was holding it with both hands, moving his fingers up and down and humming... yep, playing the horn. He knows what a horn is, I guess he just figured it was another instrument. Love the connections he makes... not loving the little red pieces of rubber he is biting off my new horn.. it's going to be hard to tune now.

One more... can you handle it?

We are always singing. He is starting to kind of sing back, lots of humming and dancing more than breaking into song to be honest, but he knows little parts of songs, and will often fill in the next word here and there, loves loves loves action songs he knows them all. The other day I proudly heard the entire twinkle twinkle tune... it was in Chinese or something, but the tune was easily recognizable. When he is mad (a whole other set of stories...) Some of my tricks are to ask him lots of questions, or to ask him if I can sing him this or that song. Sometimes the questions are magic, he forgets he was just throwing a fit, the songs are usually a "NO", but I keep asking him if I can sing... Mary had a little lamb, no, Twinkle Twinkle, no, ABC song, no, 123, no, etc etc and will often throw out a random title to a made up tune, the longer and weirder the fake title, the more likely he will suddenly say, yes.. which is where of course you make up a song on the spot... Weeeeeeelllll, sometimes I don't make up a fake song title and throw out a non-child appropriate title, which usually gets a no like everything else... so when he said yes to "Smack that" I laughed and sang a few lines... and now it always gets a "yes"... :) Kristen will shake her head in shame and give me that look as I try to stifle a laugh... "Smack that out on the floor, smack that give me some more, smack that, till you get sore, smack that" .. so not exactly Sesame Street. Yesterday, just to give Kristen a hard time I asked Greydon if he wanted to sing "Smack that"? and his response? Was it a no? (nope) was it a yes? (nope, better)......he sang "Smack that, out on da foor..." all on his own I died, I rolled into the couch trying to hide my fits of laughter, Kristen tried to look bothered but the hand to the mouth covering the giggles gave her away.. Just now getting ready for bed we had a repeat.. ahhhh my sweet little parrot..