I have to figure out how to STOP TIME??? How can little teeny TJ be TWENTY POUNDS ALREADY?? And pooping and peeing on a toilet? 
He is the PERFECT Gerber baby.... STRKING Baby Blue eyes, Ear to Ear Smile, AMAZING laugh, perfectly plump cheeks and just the right amount of fat around his knees to make dimples. 

Jordan is cutting Teeth, back molars, WHAT A CRANKY kid, winning, irritable, crying. I know it's because he is in pain. WHAT patience it takes to care for him. I couldn't stand the crying any longer so I took him for a ride on the bike, he played at the park, ran around, played in the sand then I took him swimming at the YMCA. He played like mad, jumped in and out of the pool, threw a duck and chased it until he couldn't drag himself out of the pool any longer. He told me he was tiered and done swimming. At home we laid down, talked about our day and he fell asleep. Only to wake up a short while latter sweating from the pain of his teeth coming in. Gave him tylenol and nubzit and laid with him until he went back to sleep. Poor kid he was awake on and off from sweat and pain most the night. His mom came home from work after 1:30am and took over. HARD work raising a kid, it definitely takes a village.

Tonight I taught Jordan where to put his shoes so he ALWAYS knows where to find them!!! The other day he ran around like a chicken with his head cut off saying "SHOES?? Where is??? sooooo cute. He was THRILLED about putting his shoes in one place and learning that if he did that he would ALWAYS know where to find them!! He is sooooo smart! I reminded him of the day he couldn't find his shoes, told him if he always put them in one spot he could always find them!!! After he put them all in one spot he said, "I did it" soo proud of himself.
After reading him (and him reading to me) I told him the story of us all gong on the train ride, he piped in and told me about the SHOOT out (as best he could….. ) He said, Man, Gun, Scared me! Soooo smart. I reminded him about how they were ACTING, it was all pretend but he told me again, "Scared me"  I acknowledged that he felt scared, he was content with that. HE IS LEARNING ABOUT HIS FEELINGS!!! and how to REMBER the past and how to COMMUNICATE!!!

He wanted a bottle of Milk to go to sleep with but he was crying because he didn't want to stop reading the books. I told him to TALK to me, that I could NOT understand him while he was crying, he STOPED crying and talked to me in a clear voice. I told him if he laid down on the pillow and did not cry I would get him something to drink (I explained to him how I think the milk is making the buggers in his nose) He LOVED his Vitamin C drink and went right to sleep!!!!!

HE IS GROWNG UP SOOO SMART and SWEET, that is one special kid!

xxoo

GREAT AUNTY CHERYLE

The day started by cycling Jordan (my Great Nephew, my niece Jessica's 2 year old son) to the YMCA. I drop him off at the Child Care Center while I go to PUMP. Over the last six months of Jordan and I doing this expereince together we have gone from almost getting kicked out of the child care center because he was BITING other kids, me getting reprimanded because GRAPES are not allowed as a snack, Jordan having to learn that is is NOT allowed to eat the other children's snacks! (we have feed him like a bird, he comes around to our chair, opens his mouth and we give him a bite of what we are eating! NOT okay for him to do at the child care center!) He has THANK GOODNESS, passed through the separation anxiety period of me leaving him at the center, He is happy to go, loves paying with the other kids, and usually leaves willingly when it is time to go. I tell him to go tell his teachers thank you and goodbye, he hugs each of them, very sweet.

We did arranges on the bike, I pull him around in the Burley, he sings his heart out. We went to the Bank and the Chinese Herb Store for More White Flower and Liniment for my massage work. The woman who owns the store has been serving me for over 25 years, I have seen the price of White Flower go from $3.25 a bottle to $6.99, I FEELL OLD, I always give her a hard time about the price because it is ALWAYS higher. 

Jessica was home during the day so she took care of him while I did LIFE STUFF. When she went to work I took over again. Jordan and I made Fresh Carrot Juice for GRANDPA. I taught Jordan how to put the carrots in the juicer, push them down, over and over again. He loved the success he had at it, he would node his head yes as the carrot because juice. Very sweet. There were three old bananas so we made a Banana Milk Shake, HE LOVED drinking that.

I took him BACK to the YMC to go swimming this evening. It was his second time in a swimming pool. HE LOVES IT, He jumps off the side into my arms, strangles me while I swim and today I put a life jacket on him so he could paddle around himself, HE LOVED IT. He sang his heart out, chatting gibberish to himself out LOUD. EVERYONE in the pool made comments about how much fun he was having, how he enjoyed swimming. The life guard could NOT believe he was only two. "HE is BIGGER then most five year olds, and he talks really well" EVERYONE LOVES Jordan, he is such a CHARACTER. He is smart enough to be peeing on the toilet but he doesn't want to for some reason. I don't push it but when we go in the swimming pool I put him on the toilet coming and going to try. He knows what it is all about but not interested in doing it yet? I'm trying to teach him how NOT to whine!!! And how to sit at the table and CHILL OUT until I am done eating. I'm reminding him of what we did all day, what he is going to do tomorrow etc. It works. I;m attempting to teach him patience, that he doesn't always get what he wants at the exact time he wants it. Going to sleep tonight  HE wanted to read the book. When he struggled to change the pages I helped him, after watching how I licked my finger to turn one at a time he started doing it himself. HE IS SUCH A MONEKY!!  When he was snoring I thought he was asleep so I got up, he said, "where you going?" I told him to pee, and that I would be right back. He said, "okay" and stayed in bed, THIS IS A BIG DEAL, he did not cry, he feels safe and secure. He is soooo DARE SWEET!

So much for doing anything I had planed for the day, (beading my jewelry for a show Im trying to get in) NOthing matters as much as that kid. He says "I missed you Aunty" because that is what I tell him when I see him after he has been gone to his Dads for a few days. We hugh each other really tight. I taught him how to look into my eyes and say Hello. KILLS me he is zoo sweet, soooo happy and he KNOWS HE IS LOVED. On the way to swimming an older guy was walking towards us, he and Jordan were making eye contact, the guy kinda tickled him as he walked by, I said "Everybody Loves you Jordan" He smiled and said "Papa loves me" He related the expereince to his Papa because Paps tickles him and pinches him and he is learning that THAT is LOVE. AMAZING to see him learn, grow and develop. I am THRILLED to be able to be a part of his life. IT IS PRICELESS!