This was from a few weeks ago, but I just remembered it. Atticus told me one morning that he can run faster than a car. When I brought that up later in the day, he looked at me like I was crazy and said, "I was kidding" (he might as well have added "duh").

  climbing one of the trees at school

 

zombie

 latest swimming accomplishment

 

from the All Souls procession a few weeks ago

The last week, on the drive to school in the mornings Atticus and I have been making up stories about the adventures of a boy and his cat. One morning this week, the boy and the cat discovered a family (a mama, daddy, and a baby) of rattlesnakes nesting underground. When one poked its head up out of the ground, I said, “And the cat leaped up into the boy’s arms.” Atticus said, “Actually, they both got bit. Actually, they died.”

When I picked Atticus up from school the other day, he called out to his friend Julian, "Julian, I'm leaving. If you want a hug, you better get over here!" Then when they nearly fell over hugging and Julian then ran off again, Atticus yelled, "Julian, that hug was kind of wiggly. We need to hug again."

 

I'm resurrecting this sucker, damnit.

Yesterday I was checking what time Walking Dead comes on and Atticus asked me what show I was going to watch later. I told him it was a zombie show. He asked what zombies are...

me: "They're dead people that come back to life as monsters."
Atticus: "And they eat people?"
me: "Yes! How did you know?"
He smiled.
I showed him how zombies move and sound and all that. Immediately, he wanted to play zombie.
Atticus: "You be a person hiding inside your house. I'll be the zombie." (We've been reading Three Little Pigs a lot lately. Many discussions about housing construction materials and how even though there's no such thing as a big bad wolf that will come blow our house down, our house would stand up to any attempts should they materialize.)
We took turns being the zombie. Hearing him come after me was kind of terrifying.
After he asked if he could watch the zombie show with me that night. I said it's too scary for little boys.
Atticus: "But I'm very brave."
me: "Yes, you are, but you're still too little to watch a scary show like that." I told him that I very much look forward to watching zombie shows with him when he's a little older.
He wrapped his arms around me and gave me one of the fiercest hugs ever.


This weekend we went to a playdate at his friend Julian's house. On our drive home afterwards, he said, "I wish I had a girl like Julian."
me: "What? Girl? Grill? What did you say?"
Atticus: "A girl! Like Amelia."
me: "Oh, you mean a sister."


I asked him to help me go through his room this weekend and figure out which toys he doesn't want anymore because he never plays with them. He did a fabulous job! We collected two grocery bags full, and we haven't even finished yet. No whining, no sobbing, no difficulty whatsoever. He was thoughtful about what he does and doesn't have any interest in and happy to toss away what he isn't interested in.

We watched Disney's Alice in Wonderland this weekend. He loved it and now wants to read the book.

He told me the other day that he likes cherry tomatoes at school but not at home.

A few weeks ago, he said, "My penis is a rocket ship! It's going to blast off into the sky!"

Grandpa Jimmy Visits July 2013

We went to an Apple Orchard and by complete luck discovered a restaurant in a train car.

This is from the Starbucks in Campe Verde where we stopped on our way up to Oak Creek Canyon this past week. Atticus was a pretty amazing traveler. Our trip home from Las Vegas (I feel no need to ever visit there again) was eight hours including stops, and he didn't whine or complain once despite not having a nap. More about our trip (and more photos) soon.

From a few weeks ago--we collected and painted mesquite pods.

 Climbing

My Dad visited us a few weeks ago. Hopefully we'll get around to adding more photos about that too. We picked peaches in Wilcox and visited the Children's museum while he was here.

Other things to jot down...

Atticus told me yesterday that he wants to dress like a mama when he grows up and that he wants to be a doctor. Today he repeated the mama thing, but this time said he wanted to be like a mama when he grows up. I asked what he meant by that, and he said he wants to be like me. Then he leaned in and kissed my cheek. He is the sweetest boy on the planet--planting random kisses on my arms and legs, thanking me for making him breakfast in the morning, offering to share his beloved foods with me (even a PEZ candy last night, and he doesn't get those often). A few weeks ago he said before bed that he didn't want to give me a kiss, and I said, fine and walked away. A minute later he started bawling, then ran over to me to kiss me goodnight.

Atticus has had a number of first experiences in recent weeks. Like I said, we picked peaches with grandpa. The week after that I took him to see Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original) at The Loft cinema. He loved it! We've been singing oompa loompa songs and the Veruca Salt song ever since, as well as making up stories about the oompa loompas. He saw his first play (Shrek) in Chicago with his grandparents Alan R. and Jean. He was riveted, I hear. He went camping for the first time this past weekend--in Oak Creek Canyon. It was a gorgeous spot right next to the creek. He ate his first real smore and slept outdoors in a tent for the first time. He's ready to do it again, he says.

I put this on Facebook but not here yet: a few weeks ago I took him out running with me (him in the stroller), and when I complained that running while pushing a stroller is too hard and that I might not be able to do it that morning, he said, "I know you can do it, mama! Push those wheels!"

Independence Day 2013

We spent the day hiking and parade watching on Mt. Lemmon in Tucson.

Dad and Jean visit May 2013

View From Mt. Lemmon

Pima County Fair 2013

Atticus was tired but enjoyed some rides and Momma won him a prize!