Aw Hammy

With Ham's 2 year birthday just aorund the corner, it makes sense that he would be experimenting with the "terrible twos". Most people don't believe me when I say this, because Ham is such a well-behaved reserved kid around everyone else.

However, at home, it's a different story.

Aside from the out of nowhere temper tantrums and fits when he doesn't get his way, he also finds time to make the biggest messes he can come up with.

In the past, I stuck to the five second rule. If I left Ham alone to load the dishwasher, unload the washing machine, etc, I would allow five seconds of silence  to determine whether Ham had gotten into something he should not have.

Now, I allow 1 second.

Just last week I walked into find my green sofa colored red with a crayon. Ham, of course, acted like he had never seen a red crayon and knew nothing about what might have happened to make the beautiful circular red crayola marks that stretched from one end of the sofa to the other.

And similiary, he couldn't explain how his cereal bowl and its milk landed on top of his head. And why his banana was smashed down on top of that.

Neither could he tell me why he thought it was a great idea to throw his goldfish snack all over the living room and smash them to bits with his feet.

Nor could he offer a possible motive for drawing all over the tests I just graded and then crumpling them up and well, taking them to the garbage to  throw them away.

And each time he showed me this sort of mess made by him someone else entirely, I said the same thing I always say, " Aw, Hammy!" in my same disapproving tone. Because I knew I would have to spend extra time cleaning it all up again.

Unfortunately, Ham misunderstood what I was saying each time he made mess after mess.

So this week, Ham took the apple slices I cut up for him, threw them on the floor and smashed them up with his shoes.

A few seconds later, I hear him trott into the kitchen. I already knew what he was going to say --- "Uh, Oh".

But, no this time he say "Aw, Hammy!" and he pointed to the mess he made in the living room.

And I couldn't help but laugh.

Since then, Ham refers to all accidents and things that are messes as "Aw Hammy!".

Like he did this morning when some of his breakfast was stuck to my shirt. He pointed down and said "Aw Hammy!" and I just smiled and brushed it off.

I sort of hope this doesn't stick, but I admit it's kind of funny.