Ages 1 and Up

Recent Nugget Funnies:

D: Do you think Tater's Hippo is a boy or a girl?
N:  I think she's a girl.
T:  Guuurrrl!
N:  See, she said girl.
D: Maybe she's just saying that because she is a girl.
M:  I'm not sure if she knows she is a girl or not.  I mean, when do children know if they are boys or girls?  What age does that happen?
N:  Ages 1 and up.

(Upon leaving the mall playspace)
M:  I'll take your dirty socks, and you can put your sandals back on.
N:  I'll keep my socks on too.
M:  Hmm, that looks a little funny, but it's your choice.
N:  It will just look like my feet are turning into silk.
M:  Huh?
N:  I know they are not turning into silk, but that's what people will think when they see me wearing socks under my sandals.  They'll think, "Oh, his feet are turning into silk."

(Out of the blue)
N:  Daddy, if you're ready for a change, try Indianana Tech.

Spork has been chatting us up for months and months, in what sounds like a mixture of French and gibberish.  He has finally given up on our ability to speak in his native tongue and has started speaking in English.  Some typical Spork sentences:

"Look, a truck!"
"Lookit da bird!"
"Watch dis, I climbin'."
"Mama wanna put on shoes, go outside?"
"Dat Sissy's milk?"

Although Spork has been very precocious about utensil control and respect for dishware, he will probably wear a bib for at least another full year.  He can still make any food completely disgusting.  Bite sized graham crackers for a snack?  There is a brown crust all over his cheeks up to the ears, and his hands are now coated in the equivalent of Cheetos dust (only brown graham crackers).  During a recent taco dinner, the Nugget actually started crying that he couldn't be in the same room with an eager Spork who was violently consuming and smearing 2 tacos all over himself, while coughing like an 70 year old man with emphysema.  The coughing did not seem to impede the eating.  Daddy commented, "That might be the grossest thing I've ever seen."  Spork, it might be in your best interest not to take dates out to Mexican restaurants.

Ever industrious, Spork enjoys working in the play kitchen and really got into our latest u-pick adventure.  He seriously and speedily filled a bucket with apples and peaches, and whined at us when we tried to sneak out the moldy ones he'd added to the collection.  He's super strong now and is working hard at the important job of climbing into his own car seat.  His very favorite thing in the world is when I come home from the grocery store, laden with full shopping bags.  He jumps up and down at the screen door, races me to the kitchen and vigorously points at the floor, indicating where I should set down my wares.  He whines and boxes out his sister who is equally excited about the weekly ritual, lifts each item out of the bag with a victorious smirk, raises it high above his head and yells, "Whoa!"  Then he either hands it to me or tries to fling it, so I have to beat him to the eggs and glass jars.  His favored booty is a crinkly bag of chips or pretzels or a squishy bag of bread, and he'll sometimes dance or march around with it, overcome with joy.

Tater Tot is a whirling dervish of giggles and mischief.  She's in a throwing phase.  And a screaming phase.  The pinching seems to be subsiding finally but now that she has about 6 teeth coming in at the same time, she's chomping on anything in sight, including flesh.  Ouch.  She's hard to discipline at the moment, because the second the altercation is over, she's distracted by something shiny and the sad choice is forgotten.  While she is sad to be put in her time out zone, she's equally interested in testing the baby gate for weaknesses, like the raptors in Jurassic Park.  We've taken to calling her Tater Tater Instigator.

In her sweeter moments, she can pet the dog so gently, she offers toys with a generous grin, she gives tiny fierce bear hugs.  Being surrounded by boys, she is fascinated by other girls and follows them around, trying to touch their hair and buttons on their shirts, exclaiming, "Girl, girl, girl!"  She knows a few animal sounds and will offer one seemingly at random whenever she sees an animal.  Show her a picture of a sheep, and she'll give you an enthusiastic, "Mooo!", and in her world, a turkey says, "Raaaarrr!"  Although she can't seem to get her sippy cup in her cup holder for the life of her, she can pick up a new word almost effortlessly.